Real Madrid are still at the head of the La Liga table after another great round of Spanish top flight football but, after drawing at home to Girona, Carlo Ancelotti’s side has seen their three point lead reduce to one ahead of victorious Barcelona.
After a goalless first half against struggling Girona, Los Blancos finally broke through when Vinicius Junior scored from close range after good work from Federico Valverde; and then the Santiago Bernabeu crowd expected Real Madrid to go on and win. But battling Girona had other ideas, and when Marco Asensio handled in the penalty area the visitors had a glorious chance on 80 minutes, which club legend Cristhian Stuani took with a superb penalty into the bottom corner.
Madrid were desperate for the winner and Toni Kroos overstepped the line when he chopped down Aleix Garcia and received a second yellow card as the game entered injury time. In 11 extra minutes Los Blancos failed to break through again and their lead at the top of the table is chopped down to a single point, while Girona climb out of the drop zone.
La Liga is now Barca’s big focus
After a disappointing exit from the group stage of the Champions League Xavi’s highly rated young Barcelona team now has its main focus on the domestic league title. And they briefly went top on Saturday afternoon thanks to a last gasp victory over mid table Valencia at a raucous Mestalla Stadium. The Blaugrana bossed the entire game with 67 per cent possession and 13 shots to three but, with just two shots on target each, Barca’s cutting edge was missing.
That was until you know who, Robert Lewandowski pounced in the third minute of time added on, latching on to a through ball from Raphinha and slotting his shot past the Valencia stopper. In a tetchy game the referee handed out nine yellow cards, four to Valencia and five to Barcelona, but Xavi won’t mind that one bit as his team showed the fight they will need to push Los Blancos all the way. The La Liga 2022 betting odds here at SBOTOP began the campaign giving the Blaugrana a slight edge but Los Blancos have nudged in front.
There’s plenty to come in this clash of the Titans.
Atleti not so tough in Cadiz
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid have become renowned as the toughest team in Europe to break down in recent seasons. But strugglers Cadiz didn’t have much problem when Los Rojiblancos rocked up on Saturday as they came out on top of a five goal thriller after a manic final 20 minutes. The hosts have spent much of the campaign in the drop zone and remain in there even after a shock 3-2 victory over the Madrid giants, after they set about their illustrious visitors with real menace, Theo Bongonda opening the scoring in the very first minute.
The hosts fought like tigers and entered the final ten minutes still 1-0 up, and when Alex Fernandez smashed home the second on 81 minutes the home fans started to celebrate. But Joao Felix scored a five minute brace, the second a brilliant strike from outside the penalty area on 89 minutes, and when the referee signalled nine minutes of injury time the visitors pushed for a third. But the hosts’ shock winner came a full 98 minutes after the Cadiz opener when Ruben Sobrino poked home the ball from close range to spark bedlam in the crowd.
On this evidence Cadiz should be okay but I can’t see Atletico troubling the El Clasico two.
Sevilla stumble again
It’s been a shocking start to the 2022/23 campaign for Sevilla fans who have watched their team turn in an abject set of La Liga 2022 results which has left them languishing in 18th place, and above 19th placed Cadiz on goal difference alone. Two wins from 12 games from a side which boasts the quality of players including Ivan Rakitic and Isco is very poor, and they fell woefully short again when Rayo Vallecano visited Seville on Saturday.
Los Sevillistas had more possession throughout the game but were out-gunned by their visitors who had 15 shots to their ten and five to four on target; and when Alvaro Garcia rounded finished off a fast break with a calm finish it was no more than Rayo, or their mis-firing hosts deserved. They have long been top four contenders in La Liga but this time around Sevilla are fighting at the wrong end of the table, while Vallecano move up to ninth.
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