It was one of those La Liga episodes where not too much happened, but there were enough plot lines to keep the chat rooms – if they still exist – happy. Atlético undid their good derby work against Madrid with a 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo. Barcelona did exactly what they were supposed to against Levante, while Real Madrid edged past Deportivo 2-0. The targets of the usual Bernabéu boo-sectors were a little bit... out there.
Madrid fans show class in Bernabéu boo-fest
It was as if the entire Bernabéu were dressed as 18th-century French toffs, poo-poohing the vulgarity of the oinks on display in front of them and waving their hankies in disgust. Rather than hammering the visiting Deportivo into the ground, akin to the 8-2 in the reverse fixture, the Madrid players were making a meal of the fixture. And that was simply not good enough. Off with their heads.
Madrid may have come out 2-0 winners to stay at the top of the table, but that was below par for some supporters who booed Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas during the game; potentially the most dedicated and successful player the side has ever had, and its club captain. The same fans also had a jeer for Carlo Ancelotti when his name was called out at the beginning of Saturday afternoon’s clash, the manager that finally delivered La Décima. Way to go, Madridistas!
No mercy for Levante in Camp Nou duck demolition
The blog finds it hard to raise too much enthusiasm for results by either of the Big Two that fall into the slaughtering category. With the economic imbalance in La Primera, it’s like going at a gaggle of ducklings with a lawnmower and expecting the wee birdies to come out on top. So well done, Barcelona, with its Leo Messi, Luis Suárez, Pedro and Neymar in the 5-0 victory over poor Levante. Well done. Pat on the back and all that.
Simeone admits error over Torres selection
Well. LLL might be reaching a little here just to liven things up, but the Atlético boss did admit that he made a mistake in the first-half formation which included three forwards, including Nando. But it was Torres who did not come out for the second half. Not that this made any difference to the result, with Atlético undoing their fine work in the derby with a 2-0 defeat at Celta Vigo.
David Moyes in minor achievement over Almería
LLL is always a supporter of those who look to broaden their experiences in this unstable hay bale we call life, so it has always been a big fan of David Moyes's new adventures in San Sebastian. And it is going to try to look for a positive in every match. This time there are two. In Friday’s 2-2 draw at Almería, Real Sociedad scored more than one goal in La Liga for just the second time since the Scotsman’s occupation of the bench began. Secondly, both strikers covering for the injured and very critical Carlos Vela scored – see Imanol Agirretxe and Sergio Canales, the latter for just his third league goal of the campaign.
Negredo cheats enormously. Again...
Two rounds ago against Sevilla, LLL had to scoff at a flop from Alvaro Negredo which best resembled a victim of the Predator, suddenly having his spinal column removed with gusto. The same signature move happened again and led to all three points being picked up by Valencia in a 1-0 win over Getafe. The back-arching theatrical fall did the job for Negredo, who converted the subsequent penalty before kissing his wrists like the big eejit that he clearly is.
Villarreal show signs of strain
Hopefully this is not the case at all, but La Liga, combined with an extended Copa del Rey run and return of Europa League football on Thursday, may be a little bit too much for the Yellow Submarine hull. On Sunday it fell 2-0 at Rayo, with one remarkable stat emerging that the result in Madrid was the first time in five months that Villarreal had failed to score.
