Real Betis 1 Real Madrid 1

An excellent tactical match between two wise old men in the dugout as Manuel Pellegrini and Carlo Ancelotti pitted wits against each other. As is often the case when Real come to the Benito Villamarin, they were made to suffer against an excellent Betis side. The stars on the pitch were Jude Bellingham, who scored yet another goal (who else?) and Isco, who almost scored the game winner at the death when his header crashed of the post. Isco’s redemption at Betis is one of the stories of the season in Spain, probably just behind Bellingham’s emphatic start to his La Liga career. Despite the excellence of these two midfielders, watching this game, I couldn’t help but wonder how much closer these two sides would be to achieving their respective aims if they had someone who could finish chances ruthlessly in the final third. 

La Liga Picks Final Tally

Final Round — 3/10

Season — 182/380 (47.89 %)

La Liga Picks Matchday 38

Real vs Betis – Home

Rayo vs Levante – Draw

Valencia vs Celta – Away

Elche vs Getafe – Home

Alaves vs Cadiz – Away

Granada vs Espanyol – Home

Osasuna vs Mallorca – Away

Barca vs Villarreal – Draw

La Real vs Atletico – Home

Sevilla vs Athletic – Away

Last round – 7/10

Season – 179/370

La Liga Picks Matchday 37

Espanyol vs Valencia — Home

Villarreal vs La Real — Home

Celta vs Elche — Home

Cadiz vs Real — Draw

Athletic vs Osasuna — Home

Levante vs Alaves — Home

Atletico vs Sevilla — Home

Mallorca vs Rayo — Home

Getafe vs Barca — Draw

Betis vs Granada — Home

Last round — 4/10

Season — 172/360

La Liga Picks Matchday 36

Valencia vs Betis — Home

Granada vs Athletic — Home

Barca vs Celta — Home

Osasuna vs Getafe — Draw

Alaves vs Espanyol — Draw

Sevilla vs Mallorca — Home

Elche vs Atletico — Away

La Real vs Cadiz — Away

Rayo vs Villarreal — Draw

Real vs Levante — Draw

Last round — 3/10

Season — 168/350

La Liga Picks Matchday 35

Levante vs La Real — Draw

Mallorca vs Granada — Home

Athletic vs Valencia — Home

Cadiz vs Elche — Home

Celta vs Alaves — Away

Betis vs Barca — Home

Getafe vs Rayo — Home

Villarreal vs Sevilla — Draw

Espanyol vs Osasuna — Draw

Atletico vs Real — Away

Last round — 5/10

Season — 165/340

La Liga Picks Matchday 34

Sevilla vs Cadiz — Home

Alaves vs Villarreal — Home

Real vs Espanyol — Home

Valencia vs Levante — Away

Athletic vs Atletico — Home

Elche vs Osasuna — Home

Granada vs Celta — Home

Rayo vs La Real — Draw

Barca vs Mallorca — Home

Getafe vs Betis — Home

Last round — 0/1

Season — 160/330

La Liga Rescheduled Pick

Barca vs Rayo — Home

Last round — 3/10

Season — 160/329

La Liga Picks Matchday 33

Mallorca vs Alaves — Home

Betis vs Elche — Home

Villarreal vs Valencia — Home

Atletico vs Granada — Home

Celta vs Getafe — Draw

Osasuna vs Real — Draw

Espanyol vs Rayo — Away

Levante vs Sevilla — Home

Cadiz vs Athletic — Draw

La Real vs Barca — Home

Last round — 3/10

Season — 157/319

La Liga Picks Matchday 32

La Real vs Betis — Draw

Elche vs Mallorca — Draw

Alaves vs Rayo — Draw

Valencia vs Osasuna — Home

Getafe vs Villarreal — Home

Granada vs Levante — Home

Atletico vs Espanyol — Home

Athletic vs Celta — Home

Sevilla vs Real — Away

Barca vs Cadiz — Home

Last round — 5/10

Season — 154/309

La Liga Picks Matchday 31

Sevilla vs Granada — Home

Cadiz vs Betis — Draw

Mallorca vs Atletico — Away

Villarreal vs Athletic — Draw

Real vs Getafe — Home

Osasuna vs Alaves — Home

Espanyol vs Celta — Draw

Elche vs La Real — Draw

Levante vs Barca — Away

Rayo vs Valencia — Away

Last round — 4/10

Season — 149/299

La Liga Picks Matchday 30

Getafe vs Mallorca – Home

Levante vs Villarreal – Draw

Celta vs Real – Draw

Atletico vs Alaves – Home

Athletic vs Elche – Draw

Betis vs Osasuna – Draw

Granada vs Rayo – Home

Valencia vs Cadiz – Home

Barca vs Sevilla – Home

La Real vs Espanyol – Home

Last round – 6/10

Season – 145/289

La Liga Picks Matchday 29

Athletic vs Getafe — Home

Alaves vs Granada — Home

Elche vs Valencia — Draw

Osasuna vs Levante — Home

Rayo vs Atletico — Away

Espanyol vs Mallorca — Home

Cadiz vs Villarreal — Away

Celta vs Betis — Draw

Sevilla vs La Real — Draw

Real vs Barca — Away

Last round — 7/10

Season — 139/279

La Liga Picks Matchday 28

Atletico vs Cadiz – Home

Levante vs Espanyol – Home

Granada vs Elche – Home

Villarreal vs Celta – Home

Getafe vs Valencia – Draw

Rayo vs Sevilla – Draw

Betis vs Athletic – Draw

La Real vs Alaves – Home

Barca vs Osasuna – Home

Mallorca vs Real – Away

Last round – 6/10

Season 132/269

La Liga Picks Matchday 27

Alaves vs Sevilla — Draw

Osasuna vs Villarreal — Away

Espanyol vs Getafe — Home

Valencia vs Granada — Home

Real vs La Real — Draw

Cadiz vs Rayo — Home

Elche vs Barca — Away

Celta vs Mallorca — Home

Betis vs Atletico — Draw

Athletic vs Levante — Away

Last round — 1/1

Season — 126/259

La Liga Rescheduled Pick

Mallorca vs La Real — Away

Last round — 6/10

Season — 125/258

La Liga Picks Matchday 26

Levante vs Elche – Home

Mallorca vs Valencia – Draw

Getafe vs Alaves – Home

Rayo vs Real – Away

Atletico vs Celta – Draw

Villarreal vs Espanyol – Home

Sevilla vs Betis – Away

La Real vs Osasuna – Home

Barca vs Athletic – Home

Granada vs Cadiz – Draw

Last round – 3/10

Season – 119/248

La Liga Picks Matchday 25

Elche vs Rayo — Home

Granada vs Villarreal — Draw

Osasuna vs Atletico — Draw

Cadiz vs Getafe — Away

Real vs Alaves — Home

Espanyol vs Sevilla — Away

Valencia vs Barca — Home

Betis vs Mallorca — Home

Athletic vs La Real — Draw

Celta vs Levante — Home

Last round — 0/1

Season — 116/238

La Liga Rescheduled Pick

Atletico vs Levante — Home

Last round — 4/10

Season — 116/237

La Liga Picks Matchday 24

Sevilla vs Elche — Home

Cadiz vs Celta — Away

Villarreal vs Real — Home

Rayo vs Osasuna — Away

Atletico vs Getafe — Draw

Alaves vs Valencia — Draw

Levante vs Betis — Away

La Real vs Granada — Home

Espanyol vs Barca — Away

Mallorca vs Athletic — Away

Last round — 6/10

Season — 112/227

La Liga Picks Matchday 23

Getafe vs Levante — Home

Elche vs Alaves — Home

Mallorca vs Cadiz — Draw

Celta vs Rayo — Home

Osasuna vs Sevilla — Away

Valencia vs La Real — Draw

Barca vs Atletico — Draw

Betis vs Villarreal — Draw

Real vs Granada — Home

Athletic vs Espanyol — Home

Last round — 2/10

Season — 106/217

La Liga Picks Matchday 22

Espanyol vs Betis — Home

Levante vs Cadiz — Home

Villarreal vs Mallorca — Home

Sevilla vs Celta — Draw

Atletico vs Valencia — Draw

Granada vs Osasuna — Home

Real vs Elche — Home

La Real vs Getafe — Home

Rayo vs Athletic — Home

Alaves vs Barca — Draw

Last week — 5/6

Season — 104/207

La Liga Picks Matchday 21

Elche vs Villarreal — Away

Betis vs Alaves — Home

Cadiz vs Espanyol — Draw

Celta vs Osasuna — Home

Valencia vs Sevilla — Draw

Getafe vs Granada — Home

Last round — 6/10

Season — 99/201

La Liga Picks Matchday 20

Levante vs Mallorca — Home

La Real vs Celta — Home

Granada vs Barca — Draw

Real vs Valencia — Home

Rayo vs Betis — Home

Sevilla vs Getafe — Draw

Alaves vs Athletic — Draw

Osasuna vs Cadiz — Home

Villarreal vs Atletico — Home

Espanyol vs Elche — Home

Last round — 4/10

Season — 93/191

La Liga Picks Matchday 19

Valencia vs Espanyol — Home

Getafe vs Real — Draw

Atletico vs Rayo — Away

Elche vs Granada — Draw

Betis vs Celta — Home

Alaves vs La Real — Draw

Mallorca vs Barca — Home

Villarreal vs Levante — Home

Osasuna vs Athletic — Draw

Cadiz vs Sevilla — Away

Last round — 1/4

Season — 89/181

La Liga Picks Rescheduled Games

Villarreal vs Alaves — Home

Sevilla vs Barca — Home

Granada vs Atletico — Draw

Athletic vs Real — Home

Last round — 6/10

Season — 88/177

La Liga Picks Matchday 18

Celta vs Espanyol — Home

Rayo vs Alaves — Home

La Real vs Villarreal — Away

Barca vs Elche — Home

Sevilla vs Atletico — Draw

Granada vs Mallorca — Home

Athletic vs Betis — Draw

Getafe vs Osasuna — Draw

Real vs Cadiz — Home

Levante vs Valencia — Away

Last week — 7/10

Season — 82/167

La Liga Picks Matchday 17

Mallorca vs Celta — Away

Espanyol vs Levante — Home

Alaves vs Getafe — Draw

Valencia vs Elche — Home

Athletic vs Sevilla — Draw

Villarreal vs Rayo — Home

Osasuna vs Barca — Draw

Betis vs La Real — Home

Real vs Atletico — Home

Cadiz vs Granada — Away

Last week — 2/10

Season — 75/157

La Liga Picks Matchday 16

Granada vs Alaves — Home

Sevilla vs Villarreal — Draw

Barca vs Betis — Home

Atletico vs Mallorca — Home

La Real vs Real — Home

Rayo vs Espanyol — Draw

Elche vs Cadiz — Home

Levante vs Osasuna — Away

Celta vs Valencia — Draw

Getafe vs Athletic — Home

Last week — 4/11

Season — 73/147

La Liga Picks Matchday 15

Athletic vs Granada — Home

Alaves vs Celta — Home

Valencia vs Rayo — Home

Mallorca vs Getafe — Draw

Villarreal vs Barca — Draw

Betis vs Levante — Home

Espanyol vs La Real — Away

Cadiz vs Atletico — Away

Real vs Sevilla — Draw

Osasuna vs Elche — Home

Rescheduled Matchday 9 Pick

Real vs Athletic — Home

Last week — 4/10

Season — 69/136

La Liga Picks Matchday 14

Levante vs Athletic — Draw

Celta vs Villarreal — Away

Sevilla vs Alaves — Home

Atletico vs Osasuna — Home

Barca vs Espanyol — Home

Getafe vs Cadiz — Home

Granada vs Real — Draw

Elche vs Betis — Draw

La Real vs Valencia — Home

Rayo vs Mallorca — Draw

Last round — 7/10

Season — 65/126

La Liga Picks Matchday 13

Athletic vs Cadiz — Home

Espanyol vs Granada — Home

Celta vs Barca — Draw

Alaves vs Levante — Home

Real vs Rayo — Draw

Villarreal vs Getafe — Home

Valencia vs Atletico — Draw

Mallorca vs Elche — Draw

Osasuna vs La Real — Away

Betis vs Sevilla — Home

Last week — 4/10

Season — 58/116

La Liga Picks Matchday 12

Elche vs Real — Draw

Sevilla vs Osasuna — Home

Valencia vs Villarreal — Draw

Barca vs Alaves — Home

Cadiz vs Mallorca — Draw

Atletico vs Betis — Home

Getafe vs Espanyol — Home

La Real vs Athletic — Home

Rayo vs Celta — Home

Levante vs Granada — Home

Last round — 5/10

Season — 54/106

La Liga Picks Matchday 11

Alaves vs Elche — Home

Espanyol vs Athletic — Draw

Villarreal vs Cadiz — Home

Rayo vs Barca — Home

Mallorca vs Sevilla — Draw

Betis vs Valencia — Home

Real vs Osasuna — Home

Celta vs La Real — Draw

Granada vs Getafe — Home

Levante vs Atletico — Away

Last round — 5/10

Season — 49/96

La Liga Picks Matchday 10

Osasuna vs Granada — Home

Valencia vs Mallorca — Home

Cadiz vs Alaves — Draw

Elche vs Espanyol — Draw

Athletic vs Villarreal — Home

Sevilla vs Levante — Home

Barca vs Real — Away

Betis vs Rayo — Home

Atletico vs La Real — Home

Getafe vs Celta — Home

Last round — 5/8

Season — 44/86

La Liga Picks Matchday 9

Levante vs Getafe — Draw

La Real vs Mallorca — Home

Rayo vs Elche — Home

Celta vs Sevilla — Draw

Villarreal vs Osasuna — Home

Barca vs Valencia — Draw

Alaves vs Betis — Away

Espanyol vs Cadiz — Home

Last round — 4/10

Season — 39/78

La Liga Picks Matchday 8

Athletic vs Alaves — Home

Osasuna vs Rayo — Draw

Mallorca vs Levante — Home

Cadiz vs Valencia — Draw

Atletico vs Barca — Home

Elche vs Celta — Draw

Espanyol vs Real — Away

Villarreal vs Betis — Draw

Getafe vs La Real — Away

Granada vs Sevilla — Away

Last week — 5/10

Season — 35/68

La Liga Picks Matchday 7

Alaves vs Atletico — Away

Valencia vs Athletic — Home

Sevilla vs Espanyol — Home

Real vs Villarreal — Draw

Mallorca vs Osasuna — Draw

Barca vs Levante — Draw

Rayo vs Cadiz — Home

La Real vs Elche — Home

Betis vs Getafe — Home

Celta vs Granada — Home

Last round — 5/10

Season — 30/58

La Liga Picks Matchday 6

Getafe vs Atletico — Away

Athletic vs Rayo — Home

Levante vs Celta — Draw

Espanyol vs Alaves — Home

Sevilla vs Valencia — Draw

Villarreal vs Elche — Home

Real vs Mallorca — Home

Granada vs La Real — Away

Osasuna vs Betis — Draw

Cadiz vs Barca — Home

Last round — 5/10

Season — 25/48

La Liga Picks Matchday 5

Celta vs Cadiz — Home

Rayo vs Getafe — Home

Atletico vs Athletic — Draw

Elche vs Levante — Draw

Alaves vs Osasuna — Away

Mallorca vs Villarreal — Draw

La Real vs Sevilla — Home

Betis vs Espanyol — Home

Valencia vs Real — Home

Barca vs Granada — Home

Last week — 5/8

Season — 20/38

La Liga Picks Matchday 4

Levante vs Rayo — Home

Athletic vs Mallorca — Home

Espanyol vs Atletico — Away

Osasuna vs Valencia — Draw

Cadiz vs La Real — Away

Real vs Celta — Home

Getafe vs Elche — Home

Granada vs Betis — Away

Last round — 4/10

Season — 15/30

La Liga Picks Matchday 3

Mallorca vs Espanyol — Home

Valencia vs Alaves — Home

Celta vs Athletic — Draw

Elche vs Sevilla — Away

La Real vs Levante — Home

Betis vs Real — Draw

Barca vs Getafe — Home

Rayo vs Granada — Draw

Cadiz vs Osasuna — Draw

Atletico vs Villarreal — Home

Last week — 6/10

Season — 11/20

La Liga Picks Matchday 2

Betis vs Cadiz — Home

Alaves vs Mallorca — Draw

Granada vs Valencia — Away

Espanyol vs Villarreal — Draw

Athletic vs Barca — Draw

La Real vs Rayo — Home

Atletico vs Elche — Home

Levante vs Real — Draw

Getafe vs Sevilla — Draw

Osasuna vs Celta — Draw

Last week — 5/10

La Liga Picks Matchday 1

Valencia vs Getafe — Home

Mallorca vs Betis — Draw

Cadiz vs Levante — Away

Alaves vs Real — Away

Osasuna vs Espanyol — Home

Celta vs Atletico — Draw

Barca vs La Real — Home

Sevilla vs Rayo — Home

Villarreal vs Granada — Home

Elche vs Athletic — Away

Real and Atletico mirror their struggles

Real Madrid drew a blank for the second time in three games against Real Betis at home, leaving them with a significant challenge in defending their La Liga tile. Many have said that Atletico have invited pressure on themselves in La Liga’s close title race because they haven’t been able to score freely when it matters. Which begs the question, what then of Real, who have played a game more than their city rivals but scored three goals fewer? 

It may not be a popular narrative, but on reflection it seems to me that Zinedine Zidane has perfected Diego Simeone’s template in order to win La Liga last season and contend on both fronts this time around. They defend doggedly, have exceptional mental strength and their goalkeeper has won the team his fair share of points with crucial saves. It’s just that the traits we associate with Real’s technical players and their manager lead us to describe them in a more complimentary manner than we tend to describe Atletico’s performances.

There is no right or wrong way and the beauty of football lies in the variety of methods followed to attain success. To highlight a team’s goalscoring troubles as a reason for a failed title challenge is logically sound. But it applies just as equally to Real as it does to Atletico. After all, Barcelona have scored 15 and 18 goals more than Atletico and Real respectively. On the flip side, defences can be just as instrumental in winning leagues, and it seems unfair to praise Atletico for their defensive prowess and resilience, but if Real win, it is down to the silky stylings of Karim Benzema and Luka Modric. The truth lies somewhere in between. Simply put, Real and Atletico are more alike than many in the punditocracy would have us believe.

Betis 3 Alaves 2

Sensational come from behind win from the hosts that puts them five points clear of Villarreal in the last European spot. After a first half of the season that seemed almost shambolic, Manuel Pellegrini’s men have turned things around in 2021. At the beginning of February I would have laughed at anyone who said Betis would have a better month than Sevilla. The script has truly been flipped ahead of the Seville derby next weekend.

Sevilla 0 Barcelona 2

Deserved win for Koeman’s men and easily their best performance this season against a top team. Lopetegui was justified for keeping his A-listers fresh for the 2nd leg of the cup semi, but might he have ceded a psychological advantage with that game against the same opponents just four days away?

As for Koeman, he deserves credit for a 5-3-2 formation that covered a few issues that Barca have faced in these games. There was more solidity in the centre of defence, more liberation for Sergino Dest to play as an attacking wing-back and Ousmane Dembele as the lone forward shone in what has to be considered his best display for Barcelona this season.

This Football Weekend Jan 30-31

As usual, some key games all across Europe this weekend.

Saturday

Union vs Gladbach — 8th vs 5th, only 3 points separate the sides

West Brom vs Fulham — Relegation battle, both need the win

Arsenal vs United — Classic rivalry between sides in good form

Leipzig vs Leverkusen — 2nd vs 3rd with other sides catching up

Villarreal vs La Real — 5th vs 6th in battle for Europe

Marseille vs Rennes — 6th vs 5th in battle for Europe

Sunday

Atalanta vs Lazio — Increasingly heated rivalry

West Ham vs Liverpool — 5th vs 4th in enticing contest

Barca vs Athletic — Rematch of crazy Supercopa final two weeks ago

La Liga Picks Matchday 21

Valladolid vs Huesca — Home win

Eibar vs Sevilla — Away win

Real vs Levante — Draw

Valencia vs Elche — Draw

Villarreal vs La Real — Draw

Getafe vs Alaves — Home win

Cadiz vs Atletico — Away win

Granada vs Celta — Home win

Barca vs Athletic — Draw

Betis vs Osasuna — Home win

Matchday 20 Picks — 5/10

Season so far — 61/133

This Football Weekend Jan 22-24

Another weekend of football means another round of interesting and important fixtures. They are some tricky games on the mainland and a pretty hyped up cup clash in England to look ahead to this time.

Friday

Gladbach vs Dortmund — Battle of the Borussias in a cramped fight for top 4

Saturday

Leverkusen vs Wolfsburg — 3rd vs 5th in another top 4 battle

Sevilla vs Cadiz — Andalusian sides both in the top half

Milan vs Atalanta — 1st vs 6th as Serie A’s two over-performers meet

La Real vs Betis — Always fun, both aiming for Europe

Monaco vs Marseille — South coast rivalry with European implications

Sunday

Verona vs Napoli — Tricky test at 9th place hosts for the visitors title aims

Rennes vs Lille — 5th vs 2nd between two evenly matched teams

Lazio vs Sassuolo — Tough test for hosts resurgence against bold visitors

United vs Liverpool — Not as hyped as last week’s clash but still big

Atletico vs Valencia — Spain’s 3rd and 4th biggest clubs

St Etienne vs Lyon — France’s biggest derby with both needing a win

La Liga Picks Matchday 20

Levante vs Valladolid — Home win

Huesca vs Villarreal — Away win

Sevilla vs Cadiz — Home win

La Real vs Betis — Draw

Alaves vs Real — Draw

Osasuna vs Granada — Draw

Elche vs Barca — Away win

Celta vs Eibar — Home win

Atletico vs Valencia — Home win

Athletic vs Getafe — Home win

Matchday 19 Picks — 4/8

Season so far — 56/123

This Football Midweek Jan 19-20

We are pretty much at the halfway stage now all across Europe and there are some crucial midweek games in terms of jostling for position in England, Spain and Germany.

Tuesday

Leverkusen vs Dortmund — Rivals, 3rd vs 4th and Bosz history

Leicester vs Chelsea — Battle for champions league qualification

Wednesday

City vs Villa — Possibly a good game, but what state are the visitors in?

Freiburg vs Eintracht — Give me some more Luka Jovic please

Leipzig vs Union — 2nd vs 5th in this intriguing East German battle

Villarreal vs Granada — Europa League teams in 4th & 7th

La Liga Picks Matchday 19

Valladolid vs Elche — Home win

Cadiz vs Levante — Home win

Alaves vs Sevilla — Away win

Getafe vs Huesca — Home win

Betis vs Celta — Draw

Villarreal vs Granada — Draw

Valencia vs Osasuna — Home win

Eibar vs Atletico — Away win

Matchday 18 Picks — 3/9

Season so far — 52/119

This Football Weekend Jan 8-10

Action in England is diverted this weekend due to the tradition of the FA Cup, but there are plenty of prominent league fixtures on the continent to look forward to.

Friday

Gladbach vs Bayern — Traditional rivalry, one of the few places Hansi Flick has lost

Saturday

Sevilla vs La Real — Visitors really need a win to make this a genuine race for 4th

Schalke vs Hoffenheim — Will the hosts equal the record of 31 games without a win?

Union vs Wolfsburg — Win this and one of these over-performers are genuine dark horses for 4th

Atletico vs Athletic — Classic rivalry and attritional fare expected between Simeone and Marcelino

Granada vs Barca — Small signs that Barca are improving will be put to test at 7th placed hosts

Leipzig vs Dortmund — 2nd vs 4th with high stakes for Nagelsmann and Terzic

Milan vs Torino — How do the league leaders react after their first defeat?

Rennes vs Lyon — 4th hosts 1st in a big test for Lyon’s title credentials

Sunday

Roma vs Inter — 3rd vs 2nd and a chance for the hosts to enter the title conversation

Juve vs Sassuolo — 4th vs 5th and both teams playing some sublime football

La Liga Picks Matchday 18

Celta vs Villarreal — Draw

Sevilla vs La Real — Draw

Atletico vs Athletic — Home win

Granada vs Barca — Away win

Osasuna vs Real — Away win

Levante vs Eibar — Home win

Cadiz vs Alaves — Home win

Elche vs Getafe — Draw

Valladolid vs Valencia — Draw

Huesca vs Betis — Home win

Matchday 17 Picks — 4/10

Season so far — 49/110

This Football Weekend Jan 1-4

The new year gets underway with football’s continuous story being told as Serie A and the Bundesliga come back from their “breaks”.

Friday

United vs Villa — 2 of the most in-form teams in the league

Saturday

Spurs vs Leeds — Mourinho vs Bielsa

Betis vs Sevilla — Seville derby

Hertha vs Schalke — Big pressure on the big strugglers

Real vs Celta — Stuttering champs against the most in-form team in Spain

Sunday

Atalanta vs Sassuolo — 2 inspiring unconventional overperformers

Chelsea vs City — Big stakes in a big 6 clash

Monday

Southampton vs Liverpool — Two clubs linked to each other, rather stifled

La Liga Picks Matchday 17

Villarreal vs Levante — Home win

Betis vs Sevilla — Draw

Getafe vs Valladolid — Home win

Real vs Celta — Draw

Athletic vs Elche — Draw

Alaves vs Atletico — Away win

Eibar vs Granada — Home win

La Real vs Osasuna — Home win

Huesca vs Barca — Home win

Valencia vs Cadiz — Home win

Last round’s score — 7/10

Season so far — 45/100

La Liga Picks Matchday 16

Sevilla vs Villarreal — Home win

Barca vs Eibar — Home win

Levante vs Betis — Home win

Cadiz vs Valladolid — Draw

Granada vs Valencia — Home win

Atletico vs Getafe — Home win

Celta vs Huesca — Home win

Elche vs Real — Away win

Athletic vs La Real — Away win

Osasuna vs Alaves — Home win

Last round’s score — 4/10

Season so far — 38/90

This Football Midweek Dec 28-31

More holiday football to look to forward to this week, with some La Liga to go along with EPL.

Chelsea vs Villa — On the same points, but the visitors with two games in hand

Everton vs City — Carlo vs Pep, unexpected defensive resurgence for both

Sevilla vs Villarreal — Emery history and rivals for 4th

United vs Wolves — Red Devils haven’t won a PL game against Nuno

Athletic vs La Real — The biggest Basque derby

This Football Midweek Dec 22-23

The Bundesliga played its last action on the weekend before a small break and the Southern European leagues follow suit this midweek. These are the games I am interested in.

Tuesday 

Valencia vs Sevilla — Big rivalry, always fighting to be the best of the rest.

La Real vs Atletico — Tough test for league leaders at team in third.

Wednesday

Verona vs Inter — Tricky game for Conte’s men at a team who raise their game for the best.

Real vs Granada — In-form champions welcome in-form overachievers.

Milan vs Lazio — Always a big clash featuring some mercurial players in form.

Montpellier vs Lille — Sixth welcomes first as two of France’s most stylish teams meet.

La Liga Picks Matchday 15

Elche vs Osasuna — Away win

Valencia vs Sevilla — Home win

La Real vs Atletico — Draw

Huesca vs Levante — Home win

Valladolid vs Barca — Draw

Villarreal vs Athletic — Draw

Getafe vs Celta — Home win

Real vs Granada — Home win

Betis vs Cadiz — Home win

Alaves vs Eibar — Home win

Last round’s score — 4/10

Season so far — 34/80

This Football Weekend Dec 18-21

Here comes another interested weekend of football in the top 5 leagues.

Friday

Union vs Dortmund — Doesn’t get easier for Terzic’s Dortmund at Kopenick.

Saturday

Southampton vs City — Ralph vs Pep with the Austrian higher than the Catalonian.

Barca vs Valencia — Struggling big clubs relying on youth for optimism.

Everton vs Arsenal — Carlo and Mikel meet one year from their appointments.

Leverkusen vs Bayern — Top two clash, with attacks in supreme form.

Sunday

Sassuolo vs Milan — Tough test for the leaders at 6th place hosts.

Spurs vs Leicester — 2nd vs 4th, Jose vs Rodgers, several players in good form.

United vs Leeds — We’ve waited a long time for this historic rivalry.

Atalanta vs Roma — Key game in battle for top 4 spots.

West Brom vs Villa — Big Sam’s return in a derby.

Lazio vs Napoli — Another big game in battle for top 4 spots.

Lille vs PSG — Top two clash with Lille looking the real deal.

Monday

Chelsea vs West Ham — London derby with sides only separated by 1 point.

La Liga Picks Matchday 14

Athletic vs Huesca — Draw

Atletico vs Elche — Home win

Barca vs Valencia — Draw

Levante vs La Real — Away win

Osasuna vs Villarreal — Draw

Sevilla vs Valladolid — Home win

Celta vs Alaves — Home win

Granada vs Betis — Draw

Cadiz vs Getafe — Home win

Eibar vs Real — Away win

Last week’s score — 5/10

Season so far — 30/70

This Football Midweek Dec 15-16

End of continental competition so time for some midweek rest, right? Wrong says the football calendar! On and on the relentless machine goes. Here’s what I am looking forward to this midweek.

Tuesday

Wolves vs Chelsea — Nuno needs some answers and Lampard does too. 

Stuttgart vs Union — Battle of the thoroughly surprising and entertaining overachievers.

Werder vs Dortmund — First BVB game post-Favre, at a venue they are hit and miss at best.

Real vs Athletic — Will Zidane’s men revert to type after winning three big games?

Wednesday

Juve vs Atalanta — Has been a great game for three seasons now. But what about Papu?

Arsenal vs Southampton — One squad is clearly better, One manager is clearly better. Who will prevail?

Leicester vs Everton — Rodgers vs Ancelotti, with both sides getting their groove back.

Bayern vs Wolfsburg — Tired champions welcome undefeated resolute visitors.

Hoffenheim vs Leipzig — Nagelsmann derby between Germany’s two most hated clubs.

Fulham vs Brighton — Relegation battle with the host playing better football than the visitors.

Liverpool vs Spurs — Top 2, Klopp vs Jose, Kane, Son, Salah and uhm… Curtis Jones.

Barca vs La Real — Sociedad somehow still top La Liga, can they prove it at a weak Barca?

Rennes vs Marseille — Champions League busts with a chance to state domestic intent.

This Football Weekend Dec 12-13

All international action is over after the group stages of the Champions League and Europa League came to a close this week. The next two and a half months promise non-stop domestic football leaving lazy pundits confused about to who to blame for the schedule when they can’t put it all on something beyond their borders. Right then, let’s get on with. A few real doozies this weekend.

Saturday

Marseille vs Monaco — South coast rivals, both in contention, both playing well.

United vs City — Manchester derby with both needing to answer some questions in this one.

Everton vs Chelsea — Ancelotti against his former team with serious questions being asked.

Real vs Atletico — Madrid derby with both in good spirits and game faces firmly on.

Lens vs Montpellier — France’s surprise top half entertainers take on each other.

Sunday

Betis vs Villarreal — Pellegrini against his former team and Pellegrini vs Emery.

Leverkusen vs Hoffenheim — Germany’s Europa League high-scorers face off.

PSG vs Lyon — Always a big game and it this moment at least, a title bout.

La Liga Picks Matchday 13

Valladolid 2 Osasuna 0

Valencia 1 Athletic 0

Getafe 1 Sevilla 2

Huesca 1 Alaves 1

Real 1 Atletico 1

La Real 1 Eibar 0

Betis 2 Villarreal 1

Elche 1 Granada 2

Barca 2 Levante 1

Celta 2 Cadiz 1

Last week’s score — 2/10

Season so far — 25/60

This Football Weekend Dec 4-6

Big games and derbies all over the continent to look forward to.

Friday

Hertha vs Union — Berlin derby with both teams playing adventurous football.

Saturday

Sevilla vs Real — Title implications, pressure on both after European humiliation and Lopetegui’s history.

Juve vs Torino — Turin derby where both teams really need to win.

West Ham vs United — Moyes’ history and the fact United have lost a lot at West Ham recently.

Bayern vs Leipzig — Top of the table clash though both teams are increasingly weary.

Chelsea vs Leeds — Lampard vs Bielsa and everything that entails.

Montpellier vs PSG — It might not last, but right now the 2012 champions are just two points behind PSG.

Sunday

Lille vs Monaco — Both are just two points behind PSG with the highest goals scored after the champions.

Roma vs Sassuolo — Until last weekend both were undefeated on the pitch.

Spurs vs Arsenal — North London derby where Mourinho welcomes Arsenal playing Jose football.

Liverpool vs Wolves — Always feisty this one and the kind of game Nuno is always up for.

La Liga Picks Matchday 12

Athletic 2 Celta 1

Levante 1 Getafe 1

Sevilla 1 Real 1

Atletico 2 Valladolid 0

Cadiz 0 Barca 2

Granada 1 Huesca 1

Osasuna 1 Betis 0

Villarreal 1 Elche 0

Alaves 2 La Real 1

Eibar 1 Valencia 2

Last week’s score — 5/10

Season so far — 23/50

This Football Weekend Nov 28-29

Let’s get right into another exciting weekend of continental football.

Saturday

Sassuolo vs Inter — 2nd, unbeaten, playing great football welcome disheveled Inter in 5th.

Valencia vs Atletico — Classic rivalry played between two currently highly motivated teams.

Gladbach vs Schalke — Last time Schalke won 24 games ago was against Gladbach.

Sunday

Southampton vs United — Tricky visit for Ole’s men at high flying Saints.

Chelsea vs Spurs — Lamps vs Jose, two in-form teams and phenomenal talent in a title battle.

Arsenal vs Wolves — Battle of the risk-averse teams who should be doing better.

Napoli vs Roma — Both have established their title credentials, with the visitors in sublime form.

La Real vs Villarreal — 1st vs 3rd, rare chance for both to at least finish in the top four.

St Etienne vs Lille — Claude Puel past and present, with the veteran manager on the brink.

La Liga Picks Matchday 11

Valladolid 1 Levante 1

Elche 0 Cadiz 0

Valencia 2 Atletico 2

Huesca 1 Sevilla 2

Real 3 Alaves 1

Barca 2 Osasuna 0

Getafe 1 Athletic 1

Celta 1 Granada 1

La Real 2 Villarreal 1

Betis 2 Eibar 0

Last week’s score — 6/10

Season so far — 18/40

Atletico 1 Barca 0

Not a game to stay long in the memory, but nevertheless powerful for Atletico Madrid who beat Barcelona for the first time in the league since Diego Simeone took charge. We’d probably be discussing a stalemate were it not for Ter Stegen’s hare-brained rush out of the box, but the objective truth is once they were behind, Barca looked absolutely clueless when it came to forcing an equalizer. To add salt to the wounds, Pique’s injury looked really bad. On this evidence, only the victors are going to be involved in the title race.

Villarreal 1 Real 1

A match with excellent technical quality, with just about the right result. I thought the best players for Real were Varane, Kroos and Modric. For Villarreal, I thought the two subs, Estupinian and Chukwueze changed the course of the game dramatically in the last half an hour. The game just flew by and I wished we could have had more at the final whistle.

This Football Weekend Nov 20-23

The merits of the international break have been debated by all and sundry, but at least for the next four months it's all about club football. We get back into the swing of things with a cracking set of fixtures this weekend.

Friday

Monaco vs PSG — Still an important game with the hosts improving and the visitors focused on the continent.

Saturday

Villarreal vs Real — 2nd vs 4th at La Ceramica where Real haven’t won in three seasons.

Spurs vs City — Jose vs Pep, Kane, Son, De Bruyne, Torres and shaky defences.

Atletico vs Barca — A new Atletico? Can’t be a better stage for Joao Felix and co to prove it.

Sunday

Cadiz vs La Real — The surprise leaders face another test at surprise high flyers.

Leeds vs Arsenal — A classic rivalry revisited in the league after quite a while.

Liverpool vs Leicester — 3rd vs 1st, Klopp vs Rodgers, chance for both to make a statement.

Napoli vs Milan — 3rd vs 1st, chance for both teams to lay a marker.

Monday

Wolves vs Southampton — Two smart clubs with upward aspirations and intelligent managers.

La Liga Picks Matchday 10

Osasuna 2 Huesca 1

Levante 2 Elche 0

Villarreal 2 Real 2

Sevilla 2 Celta 0

Atletico 2 Barca 1

Eibar 1 Getafe 1

Cadiz 1 La Real 2

Granada 1 Valladolid 1

Alaves 2 Valencia 2

Athletic 1 Betis 2

Last round’s score — 4/10

Season so far — 12/30

This Football Weekend Nov 7-8

What a weekend of football we have before the last international break of the year! The big games speak for themselves so let’s get right into it.

Saturday

Everton vs United — Both have questions to answer in this big northwest game featuring lots of great talent.

Mainz vs Schalke — Neither team has won a game yet this season with immense pressure on both.

Barca vs Betis — The Qique Setien derby with goals almost always a feature.

Dortmund vs Bayern — Der Klassiker with both teams separated at the top only by goal difference.

Atletico vs Cadiz — Cadiz are flying high and already have one win in Madrid. Can they get another?

PSG vs Rennes — 1st vs 3rd with both under pressure after European disappointments.

Sunday

Lazio vs Juve — Been a fun fixture for 2 seasons now and both teams getting into a semblance of form.

Getafe vs Villarreal — Rivals for European spots with diametrically opposite styles.

Leicester vs Wolves — Another clash of European hopefuls and a great contrast in styles to boot.

Atalanta vs Inter — Both came into the season with high hopes, but both have questions to answer.

La Real vs Granada — Overachieving teams who are doing well on both fronts.

Nice vs Monaco — Derby de la Cote d'Azur with exciting attacking talent in form.

City vs Liverpool — Pep vs Klopp, still the two best teams in the league and the sheer quality of the players.

Leverkusen vs Gladbach — Competitors for Champions League qualification in brilliant form.

Arsenal vs Villa — A bit of a grudge match with plenty of exciting talent.

Valencia vs Real — Always one of Spain’s biggest games.

Lyon vs St Etienne — France’s biggest derby.

La Liga Picks Matchday 9

Elche 1 Celta 0

Huesca 1 Eibar 1

Barca 2 Betis 2

Sevilla 2 Osasuna 1

Atletico 2 Cadiz 0

Getafe 2 Villarreal 0

La Real 2 Granada 1

Levante 2 Alaves 0

Valladolid 1 Athletic 1

Valencia 2 Real 2

Last week’s score — 5/10

Season so far — 8/20

This Football Weekend Oct 31 - Nov 2

Time flies and another weekend of riveting football across Europe’s top five leagues is upon us. Here are the games I will be keeping an eye on.

Saturday

Athletic vs Sevilla — San Memes is always difficult for top teams and both sides need a win to climb up the table. 

Liverpool vs West Ham — The Reds are going to play a 4th choice centre back and the Hammers can never be discounted in such games.

Gladbach vs Leipzig — Champions League hangover for both teams, but it’s still Rose vs Nagelsmann featuring plenty of good players.

Sunday

United vs Arsenal — Traditional rivalry with the right mix of attacking flair and defensive incompetence.

Napoli vs Sassuolo — 2nd vs 3rd with 30 goals scored between the two in 10 games.

Roma vs Fiorentina — Grudge match with both teams capable of scoring plenty.

Sampdoria vs Genoa — Derby della Lanterna with the hosts buzzing in surprisingly good form.

Valencia vs Getafe — La Liga’s grudge match extraordinaire since 2019.

Lille vs Lyon — Free-scoring teams featuring the two best sides after PSG.

Monday

Leeds vs Leicester — Bielsa vs Rodgers with both teams capable of playing sublime football.

La Liga Picks Matchday 8

Eibar 1 Cadiz 0

Real 2 Huesca 1

Athletic 1 Sevilla 1

Osasuna 1 Atletico 1

Alaves 1 Barca 3

Betis 2 Elche 0

Celta 0 La Real 2

Granada 2 Levante 1

Valencia 1 Getafe 1

Villarreal 3 Valladolid 0

Last week’s score - 3/10

This Football Weekend Oct 23-26

After a satisfying midweek of European football, time to turn our attention back to domestic matters this weekend. Let’s take a look at some of the most intriguing fixtures on offer.

Friday

Villa vs Leeds — Had a lot of needle in the Championship, likely to be just as feisty in the top tier.

Saturday

West Ham vs City — The Hammers are must watch right now while City’s defence remains a problem.

Atalanta vs Sampdoria — In form teams scoring great goals.

Bayern vs Frankfurt — A supreme Bayern hosting one of the few teams who aren’t afraid to attack them.

Leipzig vs Hertha — East German battle between two teams that can score.

Barca vs Real — El Clasico. Both come in to the game on the back of league defeats. Lots of stories as usual.

United vs Chelsea — Rarely meets the hype, but is a big game between top four rivals.

Dortmund vs Schalke — Rivierderby with a growing chasm between the sides.

Atletico vs Betis — Simeone vs Pellegrini and both teams have higher aspirations.

Sunday

Southampton vs Everton — Hasenhuttl vs Ancelotti and a test for Everton without James.

Cadiz vs Villarreal — The yellow battle between overachievers.

Nice vs Lille — Tricky test for both after Europa League exertions, with Lille playing sublime football.

Getafe vs Granada — Two teams hard as nails who’ve already claimed big scalps this season.

Arsenal vs Leicester — Two teams very rarely hard, but a lot of fun to watch on their day.

Lyon vs Monaco — Battle of France’s underachievers who really should be doing better.

Monday

Milan vs Roma — Zlatan, Dzeko and both teams playing really good football.

La Liga Picks Matchday 7

Elche 1 Valencia 1

Barca 3 Real 1

Sevilla 2 Eibar 0

Osasuna 1 Athletic 1

Atletico 2 Betis 1

Valladolid 1 Alaves 0

Cadiz 1 Villarreal 2

Getafe 1 Granada 1

La Real 2 Huesca 0

Levante 1 Celta 1

Real 0 Cadiz 1

Not only did Real deserve to lose against their newly promoted opponents, they should have been beaten soundly. Los Blancos finished last season spectacularly to win La Liga after the restart, but while adrenaline and determination may suffice when faced with a compact 12-game stretch in 40 days and the finishing line in sight, its another thing altogether to rely on such intangibles for a complete season. Big problems for Zidane to solve.

This Football Weekend Oct 16-19

After an international break dominated by all sorts of stories including COVID, I am looking forward to watching some club football on the pitch again. Not withstanding any quarantines or postponements, these are the games I am looking forward to this weekend.

Saturday

Granada vs Sevilla — Regional rivalry between two excellently coached teams.

Everton vs Liverpool — Merseyside derby at the top end of the table, not joking.

Napoli vs Atalanta — 8 goals in 2 games welcomes 13 goals in 3 games.

Augsburg vs Leipzig — 2nd hosts 1st in Germany. Seriously, Augsburg are currently 2nd!

Hertha vs Stuttgart — Mid-table high scorers clash.

Hoffenheim vs Dortmund — Lots of firepower, lots of youngsters, what’s not to like.

Inter vs Milan — Milan derby with both teams undefeated and aiming for the top. Again, not joking.

City vs Arsenal — Pep vs Arteta, Partey’s debut and defences there to be exposed.

Getafe vs Barca — As if Koeman needed another early test, here comes Bordalas.

Marseille vs Bordeaux — Historic clash and AVB needs a win big time.

Sunday

Bologna vs Sassuolo — De Zerbi’s Sassuolo are must watch and it is a regional derby.

Monaco vs Montpellier — In form Ben Yedder against in form Savenier.

Villarreal vs Valencia — Derbi de la Comunitat with Emery and Gracia facing unique pressures.

St Etienne vs Nice — Puel’s exciting young team vs Vieira’s exciting young team.

Spurs vs West Ham — Maybe Bale, but really these two London teams are just unpredictable.

Schalke vs Union — Goal difference of -14 after 3 games. Can Baum halt the Schalke car crash?

Leicester vs Villa — The two Midlands rivals have combined to score 23 in 7 games. More please.

Betis vs La Real — Darlings of the neutrals, unexpectedly 2nd vs 3rd.

Lille vs Lens — Long-awaited Derby du Nord, again unexpectedly 2nd vs 3rd.

Monday

Verona vs Genoa — Sign me up for Juric getting more justice against his former employers.

Leeds vs Wolves — The two best promoted teams of recent times face off.

If it isn’t the team goal of the season, Real’s third goal against Valencia is at the very least the best goal we have seen in football since it resumed. Statement win for Zidane’s men.

Is there a better way to come back from a really terrible injury than to score a beautiful volley with your first touch? Take a bow Marco Asensio!

Following on from a theme I mentioned yesterday, could the three-month break actually extend Modric’s career and add another season at the highest level for the Croatian midfield maestro? Looking as close to his best in a white shirt for the first time since the last World Cup.

The best player in La Liga right now not named Messi? Benzema. The Frenchman’s intelligence, link-up play and lack of selfishness was one of the key reasons for Ronaldo’s success at Real. Now we are slowly seeing how his runs and passes are enabling Hazard to be his best.

La Real’s poor form upon La Liga’s resumption may already be fatal to their hopes of Champions League qualification. Now that Atleti are in 4th, they are unlikely to relinquish a place in the top 4, especially as they have experience finishing on the home stretch.

La Liga Picks Round 25

La Liga goes head first into the battle for Champions League qualification this weekend as the teams from third to eighth are in action against each other. First up on Saturday, Real Sociedad welcome Valencia with the hosts just a point behind the visitors, who in turn are just two points off Atletico in fourth. Albert Celades’ men had a humbling experience in Milan against Atalanta in the Champions League and the way they’ve been blown off the park in their last two tough away games doesn’t augur well for a trip to San Sebastian, where the hosts got a much needed break when their fixture at Eibar was postponed last weekend. Then Spain’s big success story — Getafe, host Sevilla. Considering how Getafe dominated Valencia and Ajax in their last two games at the Coliseum, the odds don’t look good for Julien Lopetegui’s men, who suddenly aren’t even creating the chances they were earlier in the season. Finally, Atletico Madrid host Villarreal, with only two points separating the sides. The Rojiblancos spirit must be soaring after an excellent victory over Liverpool, but the Yellow Submarines are no pushovers and they’ve frequently managed to get good results against Atletico, even on the road. It may not be a decisive weekend, but with the protagonists playing each other, the stakes are certainly high. Time for my picks.

Betis 2 Mallorca 0

Celta 2 Leganes 0

Barca 2 Eibar 0

La Real 3 Valencia 1

Levante 1 Real 2

Osasuna 1 Granada 1

Alaves 1 Athletic 0

Valladolid 1 Espanyol 1

Getafe 3 Sevilla 0

Atletico 1 Villarreal 1

Last Round Score - 4/9

Season Score - 27/59

La Liga Picks Round 24

Underwhelming is one way to describe it. Mediocre may be more apt. There is certainly very little that’s positive about how this season has panned out for either Valencia or Atletico Madrid. Leading into the season there was some hope that both would push on, and in Atletico’s case in particular, genuinely challenge La Liga’s duopoly for the title. Now, a few days before they resume their Champions League campaign in knockout games for which neither are favourites, Valencia and Atletico face off at the Mestalla with the main aim focused on returning to Europe’s premier competition next season. It all feels a little drab for what should be one of the big games of the La Liga season. Valencia received a shellacking for the ages at Getafe last weekend, so fans of Los Che will demand a much better performance at home. Considering how rotten Diego Simeone’s men have been on their travels this season, it may not require much more than some focus and intensity to beat them. With only two points separating the teams and players riddled with doubt on both sides, it is possible that pressure may get the better of the game.

If one were predicting a match based on a side having a set identity established by a brilliant manager than Getafe would be favourites against Barcelona. But this is Barca at the Camp Nou and a Barca that played its best half of football under Quique Setien in their comeback win at Betis last weekend. That however, is still some way short of the Blaugrana at their best. There’s also some needle between the managers thanks to Setien being condescending towards Bordalas’ methods in the past. And this is after all a match between second and third (yes, it bares repeating, Getafe are third!), so expect it to be tight.

Elsewhere we have two Basque derbies this weekend, following another two last weekend. I actually think both Athletic and La Real could have done without another local game. Both teams have come to the front of the press cycle after their heroic wins over Real and Barca in the Copa del Rey, which was quickly followed by facing off against each other last Sunday. The pressure was evident in their semifinal first legs against lesser teams in midweek, and I think both are bound to have a bit of an emotional comedown against Eibar and Osasuna.

Valencia 1 Atletico 0

Mallorca 1 Alaves 1

Barca 1 Getafe 0

Villarreal 3 Levante 1

Granada 0 Valladolid 0

Sevilla 1 Espanyol 1

Leganes 1 Betis 1

Eibar 1 La Real 1

Athletic 0 Osasuna 0

Real 2 Celta 0

Last Round Score - 4/10

Season Score - 23/50

Barcelona expect Dembele transfer replacement to be granted outside window

I am not sure about Barca getting this exemption. Clubs have been given exemptions before in all of the big leagues, but the only cases I remember are for goalkeepers. It can be argued that playing a goalkeeper who has no first team experience in the middle of the season is not only a handicap for his team, but also unfair to the integrity of the league where certain opponents can take advantage of a weakness while others can't. But a novice goalkeeper can’t be compared to an untried striker. A 16-year old striker can play with a devil may care attitude and in some cases even galvanize a team. And even if Barcelona have just two strikers — Messi and Griezmann no less — with the squad they have, the solution should be to implement a different tactical system, regardless of how inconvenient it may be mid season. Finally, if said striker is indeed Angel from Getafe, then that would just be a big blow to a great La Liga story. I don’t want it to happen.

The amazing Bordalas and the amazing Getafe

After dishing a thorough humiliation to Valencia, Sid Lowe on Getafe:

It is his example, his obsession. When Bordalás arrived just over three years ago, Getafe were near the foot of the second division. He took them to promotion, then to eighth, then fifth. Now, they’re safe again with 15 weeks to go. Intense, demanding, a little mad but with method, once seen as unsuited to the first division, too unsubtle for the top flight, what he has done is extraordinary. He has revived them all, moulding what might seem to be a motley crew into a hugely impressive football team, achieving beyond their wildest dreams.

Between them, his players have played more seasons in the second division than first and have experienced more relegations than they have winners’ medals, three times as many as they have league titles – and none of those are in Europe’s five biggest leagues. Only two of them are even in Europe, in fact: there’s an apertura and a clausura with River Plate, a Cameroonian title with Cotton Sport, two leagues with Dynamo Kyiv, two in Kazakhstan and that’s that. Yet here they are, third: ahead of Atlético and Sevilla, now five points and an unassailable head-to-head record ahead of Valencia, their 21st century rivals for whom, like most first division teams, they should be no match.

I thought it was remarkable when Getafe finished fifth last season, being deprived of a place in the Champions League on the last day of the league campaign. I’d be lying if I said I expected them to repeat. Remarkably, they’ve only gone on and got better this season. For those who still underestimate what a brilliant manager can achieve with any level of player, Bordalas should make you reconsider your opinions. There are some tough fixtures ahead, but with Sevilla and Valencia getting worse by the week, I am betting on Getafe to fulfil their Champions League dream this season.

Let's talk about de Jong

Dermot Corrigan writing on Betis vs Barca in the Indepdenet:

Among the bright spots on Sunday evening for Barca and Setien was maybe the best performance of De Jong’s time as a blaugrana player. The former Ajax playmaker’s stand-out moment was the excellent run, chest control and volley to equalise at 1-1 during a helter-skelter opening period.

De Jong was also much more productively involved in the play than in his first games under Setien, when he seemed to be unclear of where he should be and what he should be doing. Instead the 22 year old did look a €75 million player here, linking the play cleverly despite Betis incessant pressing, and regularly getting forward to look to do damage in the opposition box.

The fact that a midfielder like de Jong hasn’t been able to get going since joining in the summer reveals the extent of problems at Barcelona. We also shouldn’t forget that 22 is not the easiest age to make an immediate impression at the Camp Nou, especially with midfield stalwarts like Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal still at the club. What I will say is that a manager like Setien who wants his midfielders to do more with the ball is a better fit for de Jong than Ernesto Valverde ever was. Lets hope for the sake of Cules and neutrals alike, we get to see the Frenkie de Jong we all loved at Ajax from now on.

Sunday's biggest games deliver

I thoroughly enjoyed all the football I watched on Sunday. The Milan derby was the most exciting, closely followed by a superb game between Barcelona and Betis, and the top of the table clash in the Bundesliga delivered as well. For those interested, my player ratings for Inter vs Milan and Bayern vs Leipzig are up on the Through Ball.

La Liga Picks Round 23

La Liga has a lot to live up to this weekend, after a seismic midweek of Copa del Rey action in which all four favourites were eliminated. While Valencia, Villarreal and even Real Madrid can move on to other priorities, for Barcelona the cup exit just added to the sense of gloom and doom. Quique Setien may claim to be very happy, but the team is barely playing at any level above Ernesto Valverde’s standards and there is all sorts of disharmony behind the scenes. And now comes a trip to Betis, where Setien won the plaudits for getting his team to play in a style that was a big factor in him getting the Barca job. Imagine if Setien's Barca lost to a Betis team managed by his successor Rubi — who coincidentally, is under no less pressure himself for an underwhelming season at the Benito Villamarin.

There’s also the Basque derby this weekend, with both teams basking in the glory of their cup heroics. It could be a dress rehearsal for the cup final, but can La Real still dream of an outside shot at Champions League qualification? Speaking of that race for the top four, Spain’s newest grudge match takes place at the Coliseum where third place Getafe host Valencia in fifth. The two sides played out some acrimonious games in league and cup last season, and with the stakes just as high, I am expecting the same kind of intensity again. Time for my picks.

Round 23 Picks

Alaves 0 Eibar 0

Levante 1 Leganes 1

Getafe 2 Valencia 0

Valladolid 1 Villarreal 2

Atletico 1 Granada 1

Espanyol 2 Mallorca 0

La Real 2 Athletic 0

Osasuna 1 Real 2

Celta 1 Sevilla 1

Betis 1 Barca 1

Last Round Score - 5/10

Season Score - 19/40

Zidane's ability to read games

I was rather dumb-struck watching the first half of the Madrid derby, never having imagined that Atletico would dominate and create more chances than their hosts. What didn’t surprise me though, was Zinedine Zidane making adjustments at half time and turning the tide of the game. I still don’t know how to classify Zidane as a manager. Maybe in some way he’s a throwback, when we didn’t really categorize managers by a philosophy as regularly as we do now. But what I do admire about Zidane — and I did even during the Champions League three-peat — is his ability to read situations in-game and make the right substitutions.

I will go one further on this. What I love about Zidane’s substitutions is I that I can never see them coming and yet they end up making so much sense. Think about how regularly we criticize managers for wrong substitutions or not making obvious changes. Zidane is the complete opposite of this problem. Not only does he make changes soon, he makes them ruthlessly and with a tactical approach that not many can read.

Toni Kroos has been Real’s best midfielder in the past six weeks, returning to the imperious form that made him pivotal to Germany and Madrid’s success. Yet at half time against Atleti, Zidane felt Real were lacking balance and in stead of making a safe substitution, he removed Kroos and Isco, bringing on Vinicius and Vazquez. How managers at top sides would remove a key central midfielder at half time? Not many, if any at all. The move paid dividends, Real got more width, pinned in Atletico, got a winner from a cross out wide and the visitors didn’t get a shot on goal in the second half. It looked so easy and effortless. Simply put, it was another triumph for Zidane’s in-game troubleshooting.

La Liga Picks Round 22

When Diego Simeone first became manager of Atletico Madrid, they were the laughing stock of the city, always losing to Real. The brilliance and inspiration of their Argentinian manager changed that story completely. And now, in the past few seasons, Real have started to beat Atletico again. Can Simeone reignite his spark for the Madrid derby on Saturday? That is the question of the weekend in Spain. Time for my picks.

Round 22 Picks

Granada 1 Espanyol 2

Real 1 Atletico 0

Mallorca 0 Valladolid 0

Valencia 2 Celta 1

Leganes 0 La Real 2

Eibar 1 Betis 1

Athletic 1 Getafe 0

Villarreal 3 Osasuna 1

Sevilla 2 Alaves 0

Barca 3 Levante 1

Last Round Score - 7/10

Season Score - 14/30

Simeone's transition season

Could it have got any worse for Atletico Madrid after a turgid defeat to Eibar on the weekend? Turns out it has after an embarrassing elimination at the hands of third tier Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey. Now let's be clear. Atletico not winning the Copa isn’t going to define their season. But in the context of what has transpired so far, this defeat takes the Rojiblancos rock bottom in morale and then some.

Diego Simeone has explained his sides woes by claiming that this a transition period for the club after the departures of Diego Godin, Juanfran and Filipe Luis. Nobody can dispute the effect that the departure of these stalwarts has had on the defence. The problem for Atletico however, is in attack. And in attack, the transition excuse doesn’t wash. We’ve all seen this movie before. Big money spent on exciting new players that ultimately can’t adjust to the manager’s style. It’s still way too early to pass a verdict on Joao Felix, but the list of Simeone attacking busts is big enough to be worried about the Portuguese forward. And then there’s the two midfield leaders, Saul and Koke, the creativity and flair drenched and dripped out of them after years of prioritizing blood and sweat under their manager. Are they also in transition?

Make no mistake, Diego Simeone is an Atletico Madrid legend. He could never win another trophy and yet be rightly hailed as one of the great modern managers. But the underdog story doesn’t cut it anymore. There comes a time when a team has to become expansive in their evolution. Simeone used to have a balance, but now even when there is a need, Atletico seem clueless in creating chances. It may sound harsh, but perhaps in the summer, it is Atleti who need to transition out of Simeone.

La Liga Picks Round 21

Valencia hosting Barcelona is the clear standout fixture in this weekend’s round of La Liga action. It was away from home that Ernesto Valverde’s stock plummeted, which makes this a significant early test for Quique Setien. Just when Albert Celades seemed to be getting Valencia back on track, they put in one of their worst performances of the season in the thrashing at Mallorca. Hence, the expectation to rebound will be high at the Mestalla. Other than the big game, this weekend’s La Liga matchups don’t have much of a story within themselves, but there are implications in all the significant races. Time to make picks.

Round 21 Picks

Osasuna 1 Levante 0

Espanyol 2 Athletic 1

Valencia 1 Barca 1

Alaves 1 Villarreal 2

Sevilla 2 Granada 0

Atletico 1 Leganes 1

Celta 2 Eibar 0

Getafe 2 Betis 1

La Real 2 Mallorca 0

Valladolid 1 Real 3

Last Round Score - 2/10

Season Score - 7/20

Barcelona's coaches

The writing legend that is Simon Kuper:

The last time Barca chose someone who was an A-list coach at the moment of his appointment was in 2002, when Louis van Gaal briefly returned to the club. After his failure, Barcelona decided to reverse its decision-making. Instead of hiring a coach and letting him decide what kind of football to play, the club would decide what kind of football to play and find a coach to go with it.

As is Kuper’s wont, he frames his idea brilliantly with an analytical point that nobody else has caught on to. It is easy to forget with all the glory he has achieved in the past decade that Pep was a novice coach when Barcelona gave him the reins. Many have questioned whether the likes of Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien have the stature to manage Barca. Kuper argues that this is actually a moot point. It's a unique view, and one I agree with.

Real 2 Sevilla 1

Found VAR to be the most interesting aspect of the game unfortunately. I think Julen Lopetegui can feel hard done by the defeat, especially considering the disallowed goal for obstruction in the first half. Real didn’t really play well. Just as the game was meandering Casemiro did what teams that have leaders do, scoring a brace with a hitherto unseen poacher's instinct. It's a result after which we can roll out the classic trope, to win the championship you need to win games like these.

La Liga Picks Round 20

La Liga resumes after a break for the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa Espana in Saudi Arabia. Some interesting fixtures to look forward to, so its only natural to have some fun with this weekend’s picks.

Round 20 Picks

Leganes 0 Getafe 0

Levante 2 Alaves 1

Real 3 Sevilla 1

Osasuna 2 Valladolid 0

Eibar 0 Atletico 1

Mallorca 0 Valencia 2

Betis 2 La Real 2

Villarreal 3 Espanyol 2

Athletic 2 Celta 0

Barca 3 Granada 0

Last Round Score - 5/10

Setien's first test

I have already highlighted what other more seasoned La Liga journalists have said regarding Quique Setien’s task at Barcelona. What I will say is that in the present, a home game against Granada serves as a favourable debut for the new man in the Camp Nou dugout. That doesn’t mean there won’t be expectations. The reverse fixture was a chastening defeat for the Blaugrana, one of many terrible away performances reflecting the malaise under former boss Ernesto Valverde. Retribution will be expected by the Camp Nou faithful. Of more significance however, will be the style in which the new boss delivers it.

Villarreal vs Espanyol

Breathing new life into relegation contenders is a particular theme across Europe in January. Like Watford in England, Espanyol have been through two managers already this season and like the Hornets, they may just have struck gold with their third choice. Abelardo immediately gave the basement dwellers a boost, with Espanyol delivering their best performance of the season in a memorable 2-2 draw against Barcelona in the Catalan derby. One thing is for certain, Abelardo’s Espanyol are going to take on this fight playing on the front foot. Which makes their visit to La Ceramica all the more fascinating, because few teams do front football better than Villarreal. Spurred on by the ageless Santi Cazorla, Villarreal have scored the most goals after the big two in La Liga this season. When you consider that the visitors have just signed Raul de Tomas to help up front, there is a veritable coterie of attacking players that can really lighten up this contest. Should be good this one.

Alena, Odegaard & Oyarzabal

Whenever Real Betis and Real Sociedad have faced off in the past few seasons, they’ve always entertained La Liga fans. I expect it to be no different this time around. There are three players in particular that I am looking forward to watching on Sunday. Martin Odegaard has deservedly got universal praise this season, so he is one. But the other ‘O’ in La Real has performed just as well — Mikel Oyarzabal. Then there is Barcelona loanee Carles Alena who should debut for Betis. Alena has always looked classy when given the chance at Barca, and the hope is with consistent football, he will prove himself worthy of a starting place next season. It should be said that a fourth player could have easily been added in the mix, but unfortunately Nabil Fekir is suspended for this match.

Zidane welcomes his "successor"

While the neutral may have faint hope that being only five points behind the leaders means Sevilla are still hanging on in the title race, the truth is the Andalusians are probably more concerned about the fact that Valencia are only four points behind them in the battle for Champions League qualification. That doesn’t mean there isn’t significance to this game. The obvious reason is Julen Lopetegui’s return to the Bernabeu. He takes on his predecessor who has returned that winning feeling to the Merengues. Whether that momentum can be sustained after returning from a week long successful sojourn in Saudi Arabia is another matter altogether. The Supercopa after all is a friendly competition. This is back to the real bread and butter. Zidane still has an injured front line, while there are niggles all over the squad. There could be a drop in intensity. Meanwhile, after failing to address their scoring concerns in the summer, Sevilla have signed Youssef En-Nesyri to alleviate that problem. The visitors don’t tend to win in Madrid, but I still wouldn’t rule out this being an uncomfortable game for the hosts. Should be fun.

Setien's task at Barca

There’s a lot been said about Ernesto Valverde’s undignified sacking by Barcelona. I don’t have much to add on that front. It's going to be interesting to see how Quique Setien handles the job in the second half of the season. Best to share the thoughts of some journalists who know the dynamics better than most.

Graham Hunter on ESPNFC:

Setien has a huge task on his hands. Whether he can answer these three questions in the affirmative will be vital to his success: 1) Can he convince this hard-nosed, success-saturated squad to work harder, to train more intensely every single day? If not, then asking them to play pure Cruyff football is foolhardy. 2) Can he convince them that their current mood, "We'll play our way out of trouble" isn't sufficient? 3) Can he get through to Messi and explain to him that even a genius needs a higher work rate and degree of alertness on the pitch than he's been showing since November?

Sid Lowe on the Guardian:

At a club occupied by identity but seemingly without the conviction to impose it from above, with that famous “entourage”, results are not enough. Not when you have Messi, whose final years can sometimes feel wasted. Expectation was perhaps exaggerated but excellence eluded them. The results they really wanted were not enough either. And Rome and Liverpool happened.

Guillem Balague on BBC Sport:

Will Setien have the same passion and desire and be able to do what Valverde decided not to do, namely change the culture and dynamic of the dressing room? Will he be able to do what Guardiola did? It will be easier said than done.

I am a big fan of Setien and loved his work at both Las Palmas and Betis. But I have admired a lot of managers at smaller clubs who simply didn’t cut it at big clubs. Hunter, Lowe and Balague have outlined the problems and challenges facing the new manager. There’s no doubt Barca’s crisis is far from over.

Zidane bringing back the winning feeling to Madrid

Sid Lowe with a poetic piece on ESPNFC on Zidane being back at Real Madrid:

Luka Modric, Marcelo, Isco: they were gone. And the rest. Modric, Marcelo, Isco … they’re back. And the rest, too.

I find it remarkable that Isco is now back to the form that made him the ultimate wildcard in Real winning the double in 2017. Zidane deserves immense credit for this.

There’s something of Spring 2017 about his team now: the one year of those three when Madrid won the Champions League and they won la Liga as well, the one year of those three when you could say, with some confidence, that they probably were the best team in Europe.

Sid makes an excellent distinction here. The 2016 Champions League winning team relied on graft. Many would argue that the 2018 team was just downright lucky. The 2017 team though, that had something special, the ability to beat and outplay any kind of team.

Real aren’t perfect as Lowe points out later in the article. But they are looking good, the closest I have seen to the 2017 gold standard. Whether Zidane has a clear playing identity is up for debate. What isn’t, is that he is unquestionably the right man for Real Madrid.

La Liga Picks Round 19

League football returns to Spain, albeit only for one round before the new contrived Super Copa takes place in Saudi Arabia next weekend. Real Madrid were unable to finish their chances leading to three successive draws going into the break. The bad news then is that their next opponents are Getafe at the Coliseum and they are few sides better at making life difficult than Jose Bordalas' tough nuts. So expect another scrappy draw. The other highlight fixture is the Catalan derby, with bottom of the table Espanyol on their third manager. Logic suggests a Barcelona romp, but Abelardo does have a knack of bloodying noses, hence it wouldn’t surprise me to see his men give the Blaugrana a run for their money. Sevilla host Athletic in what looks like a tricky test for Julien Lopategui’s men. Athletic have the 2nd best defence in the league and Sevilla are not exactly rampant goalscorers, so this could turn out to be a tense battle of attrition. Finally, for the purists, I am expecting an exhibition of technical attacking football when an artistic Sociedad welcome a gung-ho Villarreal. Let’s live a little and hope for a crazy high-scoring draw!

Round 19 Picks

Valladolid 0 Leganes 2

Sevilla 1 Athletic 1

Valencia 2 Eibar 0

Getafe 1 Real 1

Atletico 1 Levante 0

Espanyol 2 Barca 3

Granada 3 Mallorca 1

La Real 3 Villarreal 3

Alaves 1 Betis 2

Celta 1 Osasuna 1

On Fekir to Betis

Nabil Fekir’s move to Real Betis for a relative pittance has caught many by surprise. One summer on from a failed transfer to Liverpool, the talented Frenchman will look to continue the fine traditions of recent attacking midfielders at the Benito Villamarin. Betis fans have been spoilt by the likes of Dani Ceballos, Fabian Ruiz and Giovanni Lo Celso in recent seasons. In Fekir they might yet get to see a player better than all of the previous incumbents. It is a signing that captures the imagination. At his best Fekir can lift a whole team with him. With a technically strong midfield behind him, Fekir will enjoy having a lot of the ball. The question is are Betis going to boost their attack with some speed merchants to make the best use of Fekir’s qualities? Either way, this is bound to be an interesting ride and it certainly adds an x-factor to La Liga outside the big three at the top of the league.

New Managers in Europe's Top 5 Leagues

Time has flown and the new European football season is almost upon us. It has been a relatively quiet transfer window this summer, but I for one, am looking forward to seeing new faces in the dugout and the impact they are going to have on their clubs. These are the new managers taking charge of their clubs for the upcoming season in Europe’s top five leagues.

England

Brighton - Graham Potter

Chelsea - Frank Lampard

Newcastle - Steve Bruce

France

Brest - Olivier Dall’Oglio

Lyon - Sylvinho

Saint-Etienne - Ghislain Printant

Marseille - Andre Villas-Boas

Amiens - Luka Elsner

Dijon - Stephane Jobard

Germany

Hoffenheim - Alfred Schreuder

RB Leipzig - Julian Nagelsmann

Wolfsburg - Oliver Glasner

Schalke - David Wagner

Borussia Monchengladbach - Marco Rose

Hertha Berlin - Ante Covic

Cologne - Achim Beierlorzer

Italy

Roma - Paulo Fonseca

Juventus - Maurizio Sarri

Milan - Marco Giampaolo

Inter - Antonio Conte

Sampdoria - Eusebio Di Franceso

Genoa - Aurelio Andreazzoli

Hellas Verona - Ivan Juric

Spain

Real Betis - Rubi

Alaves - Asier Garitano

Sevilla - Julen Lopetegui

Espanyol - David Gallego

Real Madrid 0 Atletico Madrid 0

The opportunity to top La Liga was on offer in the latest iteration of the Madrid Derby, but chances created on the pitch were few and far between. Wasim wonders how Real and Atletico can both incorporate some x-factor in their attacking play, while also praising the contributions of both goalkeepers for maintaining solidity when the stakes are high.

Sevilla 3 Real Madrid 0

Analysis on Sevilla’s fantastic 3-0 win over Real Madrid at the Sanchez Pizjuan. Kudos to Pablo Machin, Ever Banega and Andre Silva. Questions for Lopategui in the wake of Isco’s absence. #SevillaRealMadrid #SEVRMA

Amongst the many exciting signings that Milan made last summer, I thought Andre Silva was one player who didn’t get his fair share of opportunities. Neither Vincenzo Montella nor Gennaro Gattuso trusted Silva to start games. This, despite the fact that Silva had an exceptional scoring record for Milan when starting in the Europa League, as well as some crucial game-winning goals when coming off the bench in the second half of last season’s campaign.

I’d like to think that someone in the upper echelons at Milan saw something in Silva, because wisely the Rossoneri have only loaned, in stead of selling of him to Sevilla. To me, it came as no surprise to see Silva hit the ground running in Spain, opening his campaign with a hat trick in Sevilla’s opening day demolition away to Rayo Vallecano. Supported by a midfield that understood his intelligent runs and a manager who trusts him, the young Portuguese played with a confidence and swagger that was missing last season.

As many football fans and journalists suffer from recency bias, it has been forgotten how proven a talent Silva was at Porto. I for one, am looking forward to seeing him playing regularly at Sevilla and becoming an even more refined player as the season goes on.

Villarreal vs Real Sociedad

There are a few reasons, I am quite interested to see this match.

1. Santi Cazorla. Magic unveilings aside, who wouldn’t want the Spaniard to do well after his 2-year injury nightmare at Arsenal. It is easily forgotten that at his best, Cazorla was a supreme midfield orchestrator. Pre-season indications are that he is playing at a good level, and if he manages his fitness, Villarreal fans along with plenty of neutrals are in for a treat.

2. Gerard Moreno and Karl Toko Ekambi. Villarreal have established themselves as a top 6 La Liga side on the basis of playing fluent football and keeping a compact shape. The one thing they always seem to lack is consistent goalscoring options. Coud this strike partnership make the Yellow Submarines genuine challengers for the fourth Champions League spot?

3. Real Sociedad scored 66 goals in La Liga last season. The only teams to score more? Barcelona and Real Madrid. La Real played one of the most cavalier styles of football a midtable team could possibly play, but for all of that they finished the season 12th. Out went Eusebio Sacristan and in came Asier Garitano, rewarded for two seasons of outstanding overachievement with Leganes. In what is a tricky away tie, Garitano’s famed defensive nous should give us some clues on whether Sociedad are going to be a less adventurous but more resolute side this season.

4. Theo Hernandez. It is easy to forget that after sealing a move to Real Madrid last season, Theo was expected to be the big star in the family. An injury-riddled year as understudy to Marcelo, followed by Lucas Hernandez’s significant role as left back in France’s World Cup winning team, means the younger brother has some catching up to do. Hopefully a year away from the Bernabeu will help rejuvenate the talented left back and I for one am looking forward to seeing the Theo Hernandez we saw at Alaves during the 2016/17 season.