La Liga can throw up some incredible action and drama; it delivered again on Sunday night at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia, and how! With four minutes remaining and staring down the barrel of a 1-0 defeat to their hosts, Real Madrid somehow emerged with all three points after an explosive finish.
The Spanish league provided the best entertainment in the 2020-21 campaign with a dramatic climax, and the start to the new season has been just as good.
But while fans are celebrating in the white half of Madrid, the Red and Whites are frustrated following Atleti’s failure to dispatch Athletic Bilbao at the Wanda Metropolitano. The La Liga 2021 betting odds here at SBOTOP already backed a Los Blancos title win, and this weekend could just be the first pivotal moment.
But it’s not all about Madrid; Sevilla and Real Sociedad have also made good starts, alongside Valencia and Bilbao, while Barcelona remain unbeaten after three games.
Vinicius and Benzema are a deadly duo
There was nothing particularly beautiful or spectacular about Real Madrid’s last gasp goals in Valencia, but the pure ruthlessness of Los Blancos’ strike pair will have sent shivers down the spines of their rivals.
With less than five minutes left on the clock, Karim Benzema passed to Vinicius Junior and his first-time effort took a deflection before flying in at the near post.
Then just two minutes later Vinicius turned provider, sending in the cross which Benzema converted to send Real Madrid fans wild and break the hearts of the Valencians.
The ball seemed to come off the Frenchman’s shoulder, but he won’t mind one bit, it was Benzema’s sixth goal of the campaign and new boss Carlo Ancelotti remains unbeaten.
It was tough on Valencia who had gone ahead through Hugo Duro, and the hosts had the better chances throughout the game, as Maxi Gomez came close with a curling effort at the death. It was their first defeat and a hard one to take.
Griezmann is not so hot
The return of striker Antoine Griezmann to Atletico Madrid prompted a mixed reception at the Wanda Metropolitano and his form has done nothing to appease his detractors.
His welcome was a mixture of cheers and jeers, as some fans still remember the way he dumped their club for Barcelona two years ago and is still the property of the Blaugrana.
The Frenchman didn’t cut a happy figure (in contrast with his compatriot Benzema) when he was hooked after a lacklustre 55 minutes during Los Rojiblancos goalless draw with Athletic Bilbao. Maybe if Griezmann could show the passion clearly coursing through the veins of his team-mate Joao Felix, he might get the Atleti fans off their feet again.
Felix, Atletico Madrid’s record signing, started on the bench but ended up with a lonely walk down the tunnel after receiving a red card for shouting at the referee! He came on just on the hour in the hope of sparking something, and so he did, but not exactly what his boss Diego Simeone had hoped for. Just 18 minutes later he was booked for a foul on Unai Vencedor, and his reaction, to yell at the ref, ‘Are you crazy?!’ earned him an immediate second.
Simeone was known to have a hot head during his playing career so maybe he can’t complain at his young striker. Griezmann, on the other hand, might need to watch his back!
Atleti need to find more ruthlessness up front, this draw followed another 0-0 in the Champions League against Porto and their fans must be looking jealously at the goalmouth exploits of their city rivals.
Friday night woes put Celta in bother again
Last season Celta Vigo finished in eighth place and they hoped to kick on, but their La Liga 2021 results haven’t improved any, in fact they have become significantly worse and a home defeat to lowly Cadiz on Friday night left them in the relegation zone.
It was a first win of the season for the visitors, who scored two quick-fire goals on the stroke of half-time, thanks to Anthony Lozano and Alfonso Espino. Santi Mina pulled one back for Celta Vigo midway through the second half, but the visitors held on to leave their hosts with just a single point from five games.
These are early days of course, but Celta fans will hope their team can begin to climb the table quickly and avoid getting sucked into a survival campaign.
So that’s it for now folks. Barcelona play Granada on Monday evening in the hope of continuing their unbeaten start to the season but, for another week, Real Madrid, favourites, are at the top of the pile.
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