La Liga - 2012/2013

Real Sociedad getting fecked over by the linesman 3 times already, one goal wrongfully disallowed and hit the inside of the post with a brilliant header... then Betis score in their first attack of the night :lol:
 
Skorenzy said:
Málaga-Atlético, technically and tactically miles above the Spurs-Arsenal game of today, but with the same intensity and tenacity :drool:
Click to expand...

I can't help but feel sorry for Malaga. They've lost so many good players and yet they're still playing well. They've lost their millionaire backer but balanced the books on the strength of winning games. And they're the team that FFP is going to save European football from. Cruel.

Incidentally, that was (statistically at least) the best two defences in La Liga out there. No wonder it was 0-0!
 
jojojo said:
I can't help but feel sorry for Malaga. They've lost so many good players and yet they're still playing well. They've lost their millionaire backer but balanced the books on the strength of winning games. And they're the team that FFP is going to save European football from. Cruel.

Incidentally, that was (statistically at least) the best two defences in La Liga out there. No wonder it was 0-0!
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more with that!

Also, it was a good game with some excellent defensive displays from both sides. Both team's backlines were incredibly organized; the stand-out players for me were Mario Suárez and Miranda for Atlético, and Antunes for Málaga. He's done a great job of replacing Monreal... typical of Pellegrini really, to take low-profile players and make them perform like world class, individually and collectively.

Willy Caballero, spent the vast majority of his career with Elche in Segunda, now he's probably the best keeper in Spain, and one of the best in Europe this season too.
Gámez and Weligton, veterans of Málaga when they were relegation fodder, but they've hardly struggled at CL level so far.
Antunes, maybe too early to tell but he's been fantastic in the games I've seen him in so far.

By the way, what a game between RSO and Betis atm. 3-3! They've kept all the goals for this matchday for this game :D
 
Fixtures from the BBC so it's UK times

Friday 8th March 2013
Real Betis v Osasuna 20:30

Saturday 9th March 2013
Rayo Vallecano v Espanyol 15:00
Valladolid v Malaga 17:00
Barcelona v Deportivo 19:00
Mallorca v Sevilla 21:00

Sunday 10th March 2013
Athletic Bilbao v Valencia 11:00
Levante v Getafe 16:00
Celta de Vigo v Real Madrid 18:00
Atl Madrid v Real Sociedad 20:00

Monday 11th March 2013
Real Zaragoza v Granada 19:30

Hmmm, well it all looks a bit, "nothing to see here," but I guess if nothing else there will be some interest in how Barcelona perform prior to the Milan game. Which means bottom placed Deportivo are probably in for a bad night in the Camp Nou. It'll be interesting to see if Real Sociedad can put a dent in Atletico's home record as well.

Incidentally the Copa del Rey final venue will be the Bernabeu on the 17th May, which was always the sensible solution for Atletico Vs Real Madrid.
 
Wow, you could watch all the games in La Liga. Expect for Premier League who had 7 games kicking off at 3 last saturday...
 
Barcelona start with:
Pinto; Alves, Puyol, Mascherano, Adriano, Song, Cesc, Thiago, Villa, Alexis y Tello

Valdes is suspended (4 matches) after last week's clasico.
Xavi is injured and remains a doubt for Milan.
Messi, Iniesta, Pique, Busquets are on the bench.
 
Villa missing what looked like a sitter, in fact it looked so much like a sitter he may have thought he was offside.
 
Fàbregas, Tello and Alexis also missed some very good chances before that. Thiago has had some outstanding plays, but overall pretty mediocre so far.
 
A bit of match trivia while the game goes round in circles.

The reason the area behind the goal is empty is because the singing fans group (the animacion penyas) are on strike (?!) because the club has withdrawn their cheap tickets and cheap beer concession. Basically there was a deal between the Barca equivalent of ultras and the board that offered freebies provided there was no violence. However that flare lobbed from a Barca section into the Real Madrid fan area during the Copa match last week broke the deal.

They put up placards tonight describing the place as a cemetery however some of the other fans appear to have broken ranks. It sounds livelier than it usually is, particularly for a match against the bottom of the table.
 
Barça have been incredibly poor... there's just no movement in the final third and the midfield keeps getting caught on the ball, against the worst team in La Liga :wenger:
 
What a quality goal that was by Messi today. Gorgeous finish.
 
Apparently Messi has become the player with the most consecutive league games scored in (17), ever, anywhere. Quite a feat. It will mean little if they don't get past Milan though.
 
Skorenzy said:
Apparently Messi has become the player with the most consecutive league games scored in (17), ever, anywhere. Quite a feat. It will mean little if they don't get past Milan though.
Click to expand...

And IMO he is probably in his worst form over last few years, and Barcelona are definitely in their worst form in last few years.
One thing's for sure, they would be screwed without him in league this season,.

And other thing(me having a dig at La Liga)- that record isn't saying too much about La liga these days to be fair.
 
Amar__ said:
And IMO he is probably in his worst form over last few years, and Barcelona are definitely in their worst form in last few years.
One thing's for sure, they would be screwed without him in league this season,.

And other thing(me having a dig at La Liga)- that record isn't saying too much about La liga these days to be fair.
Click to expand...

So who do you think (of the strikers who play in the real proper leagues) would also be able to achieve that feat in La Liga?
 
No one probably, but that's not saying much, because Messi is clearly better than any other player playing in other leagues.

It's just interesting, because period of breaking that record coincided with the period when Barca are in their worst form over last few years, and when he himself doesn't look as good as he used to be, so that's why I am having a little dig at La Liga.

Of course, It could probably be just down to luck and nothing else, but still, 17 games is long period to count himself as lucky.
 
Amar__ said:
No one probably, but that's not saying much, because Messi is clearly better than any other player playing in other leagues.

It's just interesting, because period of breaking that record coincided with the period when Barca are in their worst form over last few years, and when he himself doesn't look as good as he used to be, so that's why I am having a little dig at La Liga.

Of course, It could probably be just down to luck and nothing else, but still, 17 games is long period to count himself as lucky.
Click to expand...


It's an interesting point indeed, but I don't think the quality of La Liga is the main factor per se. What Messi is doing now is quite special, although ultimately irrelevant if he can't reproduce it against Milan...


games scored in/games played (home + away)

Messi

20/35 (10/16 + 10/19) = 57.4%
20/33 (9/16 + 11/17) = 60.6%
25/37 (16/18 + 9/19) = 67.6%
23/27 (10/13 + 13/14) * = 85.2% (!!)


Cristiano

19/29 (10/15 + 9/14) = 65.5%
18/34 (11/16 + 7/18) = 52.9%
27/38 (14/19 + 13/19) = 71.1%
13/25 (8/13 + 5/12) * = 52.0%


So basically what this represents is that Ronaldo is having statistically his poorest season in terms of scoring in as much league games as possible, only scoring in 13 of his 25 games so far. Messi meanwhile has just taken it to a whole new level, 85% of his league games he has now scored in, the previous best was Ronaldo last season with an already mind-blowing 71%. Also note that the away form usually has the biggest impact, Messi has only once failed to score away from home so far.

Cristiano is for the first time since he joined RM significantly outperforming Messi in the CL though! (much will depend on the Milan game of course)
 
Skorenzy said:
It's an interesting point indeed, but I don't think the quality of La Liga is the main factor per se. What Messi is doing now is quite special, although ultimately irrelevant if he can't reproduce it against Milan...


games scored in/games played (home + away)

Messi

20/35 (10/16 + 10/19) = 57.4%
20/33 (9/16 + 11/17) = 60.6%
25/37 (16/18 + 9/19) = 67.6%
23/27 (10/13 + 13/14) * = 85.2% (!!)


Cristiano

19/29 (10/15 + 9/14) = 65.5%
18/34 (11/16 + 7/18) = 52.9%
27/38 (14/19 + 13/19) = 71.1%
13/25 (8/13 + 5/12) * = 52.0%


So basically what this represents is that Ronaldo is having statistically his poorest season in terms of scoring in as much league games as possible, only scoring in 13 of his 25 games so far. Messi meanwhile has just taken it to a whole new level, 85% of his league games he has now scored in, the previous best was Ronaldo last season with an already mind-blowing 71%. Also note that the away form usually has the biggest impact, Messi has only once failed to score away from home so far.

Cristiano is for the first time since he joined RM significantly outperforming Messi in the CL though! (much will depend on the Milan game of course)
Click to expand...

Thanks for those stats, that's some good research.

It's obvious Messi is "more smartly" scoring goals than he was doing it last season. And as you said, goals scored in away games probaby have biggest impact on the record. If I remember well, it took him lots of games last season to score his first away goal in la Liga.

But still, him scoring "only" 5 goals in this years CL campaign is also saying he isn't playing his best football, since I don't think he will outscore his last year's CL record. He needs to score 9 more, because he scored 14 last year, and he has 6 games left. Of course, that is if they go past Milan, and go all way through the final. And even in that case, he will have 2 more apps more than in last year's campaign. Anything is possible, especially since we are talking about best player in the world, but I don't see him reaching that figures, especially now when Barca are playing pretty much without proper manager.

You are probably wondering why I am using his CL record into debate - I am just comparing his record through different competitions, because I'm sure you would agree that CL teams are better than the ones in la liga, and him scoring "just" 5 this year, is saying something. And even from those 5, he scored 4 against Spartak Moscow, and fifth goal came against Celtic. He hasn't scored in game against Milan, Celtic and both times against Benfica(admittedly he came on as substitute in second game). So, IMO if he had better opponents in La Liga, I don't think he would have achieved that record.

And btw, before someone came in with thinking that I am turning this into "Messi has become shit debate", I'm big fan of Messi
 
Celta Vigo equalise (1-1) with Madrid - about two minutes after Ronaldo put Madrid into the lead.

Higuain's coming on now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.