The Spanish giants, Barcelona were stunned by Malaga at the Camp Nou on Saturday. Real Madrid now seem to be in a prime position to win the La Liga. Although, it is all very tentative as all the teams have 14 more matches to play until the end of the season.
Jimenez Lopez’s 7th minute strike at the Camp Nou was enough to trouble the Blaugrana giants. Luis Enrique’s men had a great run until they suffered a shock loss at the hands of Malaga. With the midweek Champions League clash coming up, they need to bounce back to their best form. Manchester City are no pushovers and they certainly have one of the best squads in Europe. Pellegrini’s men have what it takes to go all the way and play in the Champions League final in Berlin. After their fourth loss of the campaign, the Catalonian giants are second in the league with 56 points.
The table toppers are none other than the European champions, Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have accumulated 60 points and have gained a four points lead over Barca, with a win over Elche. Los Blancos traveled to Elche and came back with all three points after a 2 – 0 win. The match also marked the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s “goal drought” in the league. Yes, the Portuguese skipper had failed to score in previous three matches in Spain and such is the standards he has set for himself that people start worrying if he doesn’t score in two consecutive matches. On Sunday, the Real Madrid ace became the joint third highest goal scorer in the history of the club. The 30-year-old netted one, while the other was scored by the French striker Karim Benzema.
Real Madrid’s city rivals, Atletico Madrid also made sure that their fans return home with a smile on their face. Diego Simeone’s side played host to Almeria at the weekend and won 3 – 0. Mandzukic scored from the penalty spot to hand Atleti their first goal of the match. Antoine Greizmann, who has been one of the best players in the league, finished the game by scoring a brace. Although, Siqueira’s red card in the injury time must have spoiled the fun of this comfortable victory for the Vicente Calderon faithful. Last year’s Champions League runners-up are currently third on the league table with 53 points, seven short of Real Madrid’s total.
The most interesting match at the weekend was between David Moyes’ Real Sociedad and Sevilla. Both the teams recorded 17 shots throughout the ninety minutes, but Sociedad had eight on target compared to Sevilla’s five. The final score at the Anoeta Stadium was 4 – 3 in favor of the Scotsman’s team. Sevilla’s loss was Valencia’s gain. Nuno’s side have gotten a strong hold on the fourth spot in the league after a 2 – 1 win over Cordoba on Saturday. The fourth and fifth placed teams are now separated by only a five point margin.
