Saturday
Barcelona v Hércules
There is something peculiar going on at Marca. Well, there is something even more peculiar going on at Marca than normal. Just look at the face of the paperâÂÂs director Eduardo Inda, someone who has the permanently bemused but not unduly bothered expression of a journalist being goosed by a courgette.
All of a sudden, the paper has suddenly started being incredibly nice to Barcelona. Some naive souls who know little better would suggest the paper is simply acknowledging a fine sporting institution that is arguably the best football team at the world at the moment.
LLL knows that this is poppycock - Real Madrid fill this role in Marcaworld - but it has another explanation for a gushing editorial in TuesdayâÂÂs edition that praised new club president who has imposed a code of ethics at the Catalan club. âÂÂLeaders like Sandro Rosell should be welcomed into Spanish football,â oozed the paper. âÂÂUp to now, the behaviour of the brand new president has been irreproachable.âÂÂ
The blog suspects that this sudden change in MarcaâÂÂs winds may have something to do with the paper making amends for their disgraceful - some would say vile - front page from the previous week that completely misrepresented a photograph of José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola together, suggesting that the Barça boss was reluctant to shake the hand of the man from Madrid.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Valencia v Racing
And so RacingâÂÂs grand early season ar*e-kicking tour of Spain continues with a trip to Mestalla. Round one saw Barcelona arrive, yawn, scratch their junk, score within three minutes, score two more, then go home. This time it will be Valencia paddling some Cantabrian booty on Saturday night.
There may be have a chance for blossoming cheeks to whiten with the visit of Zaragoza next week, but after that respite its Sevilla, the mighty Getafe and Villarreal to come.
If Valencia werenâÂÂt already fairly confident over tanning RacingâÂÂs hide on Saturday, they could be super confident of doing so with the unveiling of their new Anfield style âÂÂwhooo, weâÂÂre so scary!â painted tunnel decorations. As the Racing players stand around before running out onto the Mestalla pitch, they will be reminded of all the trinkets won by their opponents over the years and come face to face with the terrifying war cry âÂÂWin! Win! Winâ painted onto the tunnel roof.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Real Madrid v Osasuna
La Liga Loca knew that watching basketball was bad for you. It certainly is for Guti whose tiny brain seems even more addled than usual these days. The former Madridista was pictured, this week, watching Spain getting knocked out of the basketball World Championships in Turkey by....er....another team of tall people.
But he has been busy elsewhere by chatting with a Spanish radio station and moaning about the manner of his departure from the club were he spent 15 years doing just 15 notable things in that period.
Unsurprisingly, having announced that he hated the place and couldnâÂÂt wait to get out before last season was over, the clubâÂÂs send-off in July was a fairly low key one. And the shy-and-retiring Guti is not happy about this at all with the complaint that âÂÂboth Raúl and I needed something more.âÂÂ
La Liga Loca agrees. Whilst Raúl deserved being carried out of the Bernabeu on the shoulders of mermaids and maidens for all that he has done for the club, GutiâÂÂs exit deserved greater fanfare - a giant, golden catapult in the shape of a boot to launch the number 14 over and out of the stadium, perhaps?
Anyway, Guti doesnâÂÂt care that much anyway. âÂÂIt would be ridiculous to waste time with a team I didnâÂÂt want to be in,â he huffed.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Athletic Bilbao v Atlético Madrid
AS in whining mode on Friday morning over poor Kun, Kun, Kun. Thanks to the work of a minion on what must have been a very slow day in AS-land, the world now knows that the Atleti forward has travelled 46, 374 km for Argentina over their last eight games, playing just 147 mins in the process. ThatâÂÂs 311 km on the road for every minute on the pitch apparently.
Quite what this all means LLL has no idea at all, but the paper did bring good news that Diego Forlán had a couple of weeks off with Uruguay having a bit of a country-sized rest during the international break. And he has put it to very good use indeed judging by this photo.
LLL Prediction - Away win
Sunday
Sporting v Mallorca
Considering photos of Michael Laudrup have pride of place in LLLâÂÂs slightly sinister shrine of heroes, the blog was most upset to discover this week that thieves had broken into the Great DaneâÂÂs house and stolen a watch and some money.
Thankfully LaudrupâÂÂs all round dreaminess remained untouched.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Zaragoza v Málaga
Rather than seeing the loan spell till January with Stoke as a chance to stock up on beef Oxo cubes and Red Leicester cheese before returning to la Liga, it seems that Jermaine Pennant is looking to make the swap from la Primera to the Potteries a permanent one.
âÂÂIâÂÂve missed the Premier League,â said Pennant before really getting to the bottom of the issue, âÂÂand missed team meetings and understanding the instructions I am getting.âÂÂ
LLL Prediction - Draw
Getafe v Levante
In what can best be described as a supernova of activity, this week, the Spanish League (LFP) announced a plan to schedule some matches at 3pm from the start of 2011 to hook into countries in the Asian market. It is most unlikely that either of these two teams will be selected for such an honour.
However, LLL is not entirely sure if the LFP have grasped the notion that these same countries would like more than a couple of days notice of what the schedule for the weekendâÂÂs games will be - something Spanish fans and the rest of those who love la Liga have to endure every frackinâ week.
The other piece of news was the LFP announcing a prize for the best goal celebration of the season award in conjunction with their new sponsors, Burger King (come back Maniche, come back!).
LLL expects that Getafe forward Javier Arizmendi wonâÂÂt need to worry his pretty little head about this particular accolade, too much.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Villarreal v Espanyol
If reports from Italy are to believed - and they are not, according to the man himself - then Giuseppe RossiâÂÂs days are numbered at Villarreal with the striker hoping to go back to Italy in January. âÂÂIâÂÂm hoping to go back to Italy in January,â confirmed the former Manchester United. Supposedly.
Should that come to pass and Nilmar is left on his tod up front for the rest of VillarrealâÂÂs campaign, then Rossi fans can still keep up to date with GiuseppeâÂÂs life with his curiously entertaining Twittersite,@GiuseppeRossi22
You can read about how thrilled he is to be back training with the Italian national side - âÂÂok...so my days here r kinda boring...its literally sleep, practice, eat, sleep, practice, eat...........yeah, exactly like that.â His thoughts about Roger Federer - âÂÂWait......please tell me u guys saw Federer's shot between the legs....SICKKK!!!!!â And not forgetting his concert going plans, of course - âÂÂguess who got tickets for the EMINEM and JAYZ concert at Yankees Stadiu ?? ya boyyyy did....âÂÂ
Genius.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Sevilla v Deportivo
Excellent news for a Friday ahoy! Alvaro Negredo appears to be having a miserable time at Sevilla having become a target for the critics in the stands. LLL canâÂÂt think why.
âÂÂNobody likes to be booed. Especially not at home,â complained the striker, who can now look forward to a double dose on Sunday afternoon after his midweek whine.
And itâÂÂs even more excellent news for a Friday ahoy from La Coruña! Deportivo are set to report that the clubâÂÂs debt has been reduced by â¬57 million over the past two years.
The less excellent news is that it still stands at â¬103m, according to AS. And thatâÂÂs not forgetting that watching Depor in action in the footballing equivalent of enduring root canal work performed by a drunken chimp.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Monday
AlmerÃÂa v Real Sociedad
Yay! ItâÂÂs the return of the very excellent Juanma Lillo to Spanish TV screens on Monday night, in a televised - in some places - Monday night clash. The AlmerÃÂa boss is taking on a side he managed for a season and a bit before moving to the south coast but feels that both his new and old club will be in a relegation fight, this season.
And for the title? Lillo has a fairly pessimistic prediction. âÂÂMadrid and Barcelona will both get over 100 points and then in no particular order, Atlético, Valencia, Sevilla, Getafe, Villarreal...and the rest.âÂÂ
LLL Prediction - Away win
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