La Liga 2023/24 Archives

Raul Garcia’s late header powers Osasuna to edge Rayo Vallecano in La Liga

PAMPLONA: Raul Garcia scored a pin-point header in the stoppage time to power Osasuna to a sensational 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano at home in the La Liga 2023/24.

Garcia impressively scored his first goal of the season during the extra time of his side’s La Liga fixture against Rayo, registering himself on the scoreboard, within 10 minutes after coming off the bench.

His timely strike gave Osasuna their first win in seven league matches, lifting the side two places to the 12th while Rayo Vallecano remained at the 10th, one point clear of Osasuna.

Despite having a superior spot in the La Liga standings, Rayo Vallecano have now gone winless in their seven league matches.

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Both sides went hard at each other at the picturesque El Sadar stadium here and both hit the post in the early phase of the contest but it was eventually Raul Garcia’s header that separated the two teams.

Garcia came in as a substitute in the 84th minute and soon left his mark when he successfully converted a header by going highest to a corner in the fifth minute of the injury time.

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His first goal of the season, which eventually turned out to be the match-winner for Osasuna sent the home crowd in jubiliation.

“I haven’t been doing so well and I needed that goal,” Garcia said.

“We have needed a win like this, even if we never played that well. I am here to help and I have to wait for my chance and take my chances when they come.”

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Rodrygo’s brace sends Real Madrid at the top of La Liga

Rodrygo sent Real Madrid provisionally to the top of the La Liga points table with two goals in a comfortable 3-0 win at Cadiz on Sunday.

The Brazilian winger also set up a goal for La Liga’s top scorer Jude Bellingham, who now has 11 to his name this season in the Spanish top flight.

Real Madrid climbed a point clear of high-flying Girona, who host Athletic Bilbao on Monday in their pursuit to reclaim the top spot.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side also rose four points clear of fourth-placed rivals Barcelona, following their 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, and third-placed Atletico Madrid.

Madrid were dealt severe blows over the past fortnight with Vinicius Junior and Eduardo Camavinga suffering long-term injuries, joining Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao and Aurelien Tchouameni on the sidelines.

Despite that, Madrid secured a straightforward victory which is not something they take for granted after the international break, and less so with an injury-ravaged squad.

“Sometimes difficulty is just more motivation and the players understood that very well,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“All the absences that we have are important players, but we managed it well and the team was very good out there.”

The Italian coach started Toni Kroos in defensive midfield and brought veteran playmaker Luka Modric into the team for only his fifth start in La Liga this season.

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Bellingham also returned after missing two league games and England’s Euro qualifiers with a shoulder injury.

Madrid dominated the opening stages and took the lead after 14 minutes when Rodrygo dribbled across the penalty area and curled a sumptuous strike into the top right corner.

The Brazilian struggled for goals at the start of the season but Ancelotti kept faith in him and with Vinicius sidelined, he will be crucial for Madrid in the coming weeks.

Rodrygo’s goals mean he has scored in three consecutive games for the first time since arriving at the club in 2019.

“Rodrygo is back — he made the difference today,” said Ancelotti.

Cadiz had their chances in an open first half too, with Chris Ramos heading over before Rodrygo’s opener and Andriy Lunin tipping Roger Marti’s fierce effort to safety.

Madrid should have doubled their lead early in the second half after Rodrygo dribbled around Cadiz goalkeeper Conan Ledesma, but Joselu left it to him to finish, and he in turn left it for the veteran striker, with the ball running out of play.

However Rodrygo had his second soon enough, another fine strike after dribbling into the box from 30 yards out.

After Maxi Gomez missed a fine chance for the hosts, the inspired Rodrygo set up the third for Bellingham and the England international drilled a tidy low finish across goal with his left foot.

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With the job done, Ancelotti withdrew both goalscorers and handed young forward Gonzalo Garcia his debut.

“I’m grateful and happy, since I was little I’ve been a Real Madrid fan and I’ve dreamed of playing with the first team,” Garcia, 19, told Real Madrid TV.

“I’ll keep the shirt and I’ll ask my team-mates to sign it.”

The only negative note for Madrid was Modric going off with what Ancelotti said was a “muscle overload”.

Madrid host Napoli on Wednesday in the Champions League having already qualified from the group but looking to seal the top spot.

Earlier Sunday, Marcelino Garcia Toral enjoyed a comfortable win on his return to La Liga management with Villarreal, with Jose Luis Morales’ hat-trick sinking Osasuna 3-1.

Real Sociedad, fifth, earned a 2-1 win at Sevilla, who had Sergio Ramos and Jesus Navas sent off.

Veteran defender Ramos’s dismissal was the 29th red card of his career and a record-extending 21st in La Liga.

Willian Jose’s goal helped Real Betis, seventh, edge Las Palmas 1-0 to pull level with Athletic Bilbao, sixth, on 24 points.

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La Liga: Barcelona fall behind Atletico Madrid after Rayo Vallecano draw

Spanish champions Barcelona slipped up in a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday in La Liga, continuing a worrying run of underwhelming performances.

Surprise La Liga leaders Girona and Real Madrid in second now have the chance to extend their lead on the Catalans, fourth, over the next two days.

Antoine Griezmann’s header earned Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win later on Saturday in their La Liga clash against Real Mallorca to take the Rojiblancos third, above Barcelona on goal difference, having played a game fewer.

Unai Lopez drove Rayo ahead from long range in the first half but Barca levelled through Florian Lejeune’s own goal in the 82nd minute.

The draw adds to the doubts around Barcelona, who have not been at their best for several weeks and face Porto on Tuesday seeking Champions League knock-out round qualification.

“I think it was a game of two halves, in the first we dominated but we weren’t aggressive enough to cause damage,” said Xavi.

“In the second we were, we scored a goal and could have had others … we need to win these games if we want to win the league.

“We have to be self-critical, it’s costing us too much this season giving things away… in modern football a lot of changes when they score against you.”

Inaki Pena started in goal for Barca with Marc-Andre ter Stegen out with a back problem, while Xavi turned to the fit-again Frenkie de Jong to replace the injured Gavi in midfield.

The 19-year-old’s cruciate ligament tear will keep him out for the season, with Barcelona losing a player the coach has described as the “soul” of the team.

Barcelona players wore shirts before kick-off with his name on the back, and a message saying “we are with you, Gavi”.

Hosts Rayo started well, encouraged by having beaten Barca on three of their four previous clashes, including twice at their ramshackle Vallecas stadium.

They took the lead after 39 minutes when Lopez hammered a superb effort into the bottom right corner from around 30 yards out after the ball was cleared into his path.

Xavi said Barca would miss Gavi’s “intensity, heart and courage” against Francisco Rodriguez’s side and he was proven right, although they improved a little after the break.

Ferran Torres and Pedri came close for Barca before Raphinha’s raking effort hit the post and Rayo hacked Robert Lewandowski’s attempted finish from the rebound off the line.

Eventually, the Catalans levelled with eight minutes remaining when Lejeune diverted Balde’s cross into his own net, under pressure from Lewandowski.

“We didn’t play well, we weren’t at the level that we can be,” De Jong told DAZN.

“We have to work to improve — the plan is good, we are confident, everyone ran as much as they could.

“I think that we weren’t good in possession.”

Barcelona now have failed to beat Rayo in five matches and could fall six points behind Girona if their neighbours beat Athletic Bilbao on Monday at Montilivi.

Real Madrid, two points clear of Barca, visit Cadiz on Sunday, currently one point ahead of Atletico Madrid in the La Liga points table.

Griezmann’s superb header after 64 minutes earned his team victory, although visitors Mallorca spurned some good openings in the final stages.

Atletico midfielder Koke, the club’s record appearance maker, hit a milestone of 600 games for the club.

“The match was very hard for us, Mallorca played a very serious game,” Koke told Movistar.

“600 games is an extraordinary number,” added Atletico coach Diego Simeone.

“Nobody has given him anything for free, and we have shared a lot (of memories here).”

The goal was Griezmann’s 301st in his career and he is rapidly closing in on Luis Aragones’ club record of 173 — the French forward has 170 for Atletico.

“(Griezmann) will be living history at Atletico Madrid, he will surpass Luis Aragones,” added Koke.

Atletico will visit Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday night, knowing they can reach the last 16 with a victory.

Mallorca, 17th, are one point clear of the relegation zone but have played one fewer match than the three teams below them.

Winless bottom-of-the-table Almeria lost 2-1 at Getafe, while Valencia and Celta Vigo, 18th, shared a goalless draw.

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La Liga: Correa brace scripts Atletico Madrid’s comeback win over Cadiz

MADRID: Argentinian striker Ángel Correa scored twice to script a triumphant comeback for Atletico Madrid in the La Liga season 2023/24 as they defeated Cadiz 3-2 after being two down at Civitas Metropolitan Stadium on Monday.

The home side started strongly with Antoine Griezmann finding Correa’s cross two minutes into the game, however, the ball hit the right post. A minute later another of his attempts was brilliantly saved by Jeremias Ledesma.

Despite the home side’s attempts Cadiz did not let them get through and scored the first goal in the 12^th minute as Chris Ramos’ cross met Lucas Pires who sent the ball from the left side of the six-yard box to the bottom left corner.

They doubled their lead 15 minutes later with Roger Martí getting in the scoresheet.

However, only five minutes later Ángel Correa scored his first goal to reduce the deficit for Atletico Madrid. César Azpilicueta’s shot was met by Correa who headed from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner.

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Atletico Madrid started the second half with Nahuel Molina’s equalizer from a difficult angle to go past the goalkeeper and hit the bottom right corner of the net.

Antoine Griezmann made two more excellent attempts but were blocked before Saúl Ñíguez met Ángel Correa who scored the match-winning second goal.

This was Atletico Madrid’s third consecutive victory in the ongoing season of La Liga, which propelled them to fourth spot in the points table.

Meanwhile, in another La Liga fixture, Las Palmas edged past Celta Vigo 2-1 at Gran Canaria Stadium to register their second victory in the ongoing season.

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Real Madrid crush Girona to reclaim top spot in La Liga

GIRONA: Real Madrid jumped to the top of the La Liga 2023/24 points table after thumping second-ranked Girona 3-0 at Estadi Montilivi on Saturday.

Girona started the game on song with three attempts within the first ten minutes. However, they were unable to take the lead before Real Madrid turned the game around and gained an advantage over the home side as they managed to score in the 17th minute through a pass from Bellingham to Joselu, who turned it in past goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

The visitors did not wait much and extended their lead to 2-0 four minutes later when Aurelien Tchouameni headed in from a corner.

Girona failed to make a comeback after that and Real Madrid sealed the victory with a third goal in the 71st minute as Jude Bellingham, fired in a volley during a counter-attack.

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Jude Bellingham has scored six goals in the ongoing La Liga season after arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer following a huge transfer deal.

The only negative for Real Madrid in this match was that defender Nacho was sent off for an ugly high tackle on Portu, who went off injured towards the end of the match.

In other La Liga fixtures, Real Sociedad outclassed Atheltic Club with a thumping 3-0 victory at Anoeta Stadium, which helped them jump to the fourth spot in the ongoing season, while Getafe and Villarreal settled for a goalless draw.

Robin Le Normand opened the scoring for Real Sociedad in the 30th minute before Takefusa Kubo extended their lead three minutes into the second half.

Mikel Oyarzabal then scored the third goal for the home side from the right side of the box to the bottom right corner courtesy of an assist by Martín Zubimendi with a through ball.

Meanwhile, the La Liga fixture between Rayo Vallecano and Mallorca ended in a 2-2 stalemate at Estadio de Vallecas after Radamel Falcao of Rayo Vallecano converted a penalty in the final moments of the game to script a comeback draw for the home side.

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La Liga: Atletico Madrid rise to fifth spot after thumping Osasuna

PAMPLONA: Atletico Madrid won back-to-back matches in the ongoing La Liga season as they thumped Osasuna 2-0 in a heated clash on Thursday at El Sadar.

After defeating city rivals Real Madrid 3-1 on Sunday, Atletico Madrid carried the momentum against Osasuna and created a few chances early on before Antoine Griezmann hit the net in the 20th minute to draw first blood.

The home side could not do much in the first half, however, they dominated the second half in their quest for an equalizer and after 76 minutes, they earned the reward as David Garcia scored from a corner, but the goal was disallowed because Ante Budimir was found to have fouled Axel Witsel.

Atletico Madrid, doubled their lead a few minutes later, thanks to Samuel Lino breaking forward and passing to Rodrigo Riquelme who made no mistake to make it 2-0 to seal the game for the visitors.

The closely fought encounter saw players losing their cool towards the end as Chimy Avila and Alvaro Morata got into a fight and both got red. After seeming to stamp on Morata, the Osasuna player was given a straight red, while Morata received a second yellow for his response.

Meanwhile, two other La Liga fixtures ended at a 1-1 draw as Celta Vigo drew with Alaves at Estadio de Balaídos, and Granada drew Real Betis at Nuevo Los Cármenes.

Granada were on a three-match losing streak prior to the game, and it appeared that it would be extended to four losses, however, Bryan Zaragoza’s cross met Lucas Boyé in the 67th minute, who netted from very close range to equalize and save his team from another defeat.

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La Liga: Real Madrid crush Las Palmas as Girona cruise to the top

Real Madrid registered a comfortable victory 2-0 over Las Palmas and moved to the second position, however, Girona jumped to the top of the La Liga 2023/24 points table after edging Villarreal 2-1 on Wednesday.

Coming off the La Liga derby defeat, Real Madrid dominated visitors from the first whistle at Santiago Bernabeu and came close to opening the scoring after just eight minutes as Joselu picked out Rodrygo in the box, who made a fierce attempt but Alvaro Valles made the save.

They kept the pressure on, but Las Palmas did not let them score throughout a thrilling first half until Brahim Diaz netted to give Los Blancos the lead in the stoppage time.

Real Madrid doubled their lead early in the second half as Joselu scored off a header on Rodrygo’s cross, with the ball hitting the far corner of the net to make it 2-0.

Meanwhile, in another La Liga fixture, Girona came from behind to win after being at a goal deficit early in the second half against Villarreal at Estadio de la Cerámica.

The visitors conceded a penalty courtesy of Iván Martín’s foul in the penalty area four minutes into the second half, which was successfully converted by Dani Parejo.

However, visitors made a comeback and equalised only seven minutes later as Sávio’s cross found enough of Artem Dovbyk’s to hit the bottom right corner of the net.

Girona did not wait long and only four minutes later Eric García scored the match-winning header from very close range to the bottom right corner after finding Aleix García’s cross following a corner.

Real Sociedad on the other hand, registered their third win in the ongoing La Liga season at the expense of home team Valencia courtesy of Carlos Fernández’s shot after an assist by Kieran Tierney following a set piece situation at Mestalla Stadium.

Meanwhile, two other La Liga fixtures ended at a stalemate Athletic Club drew 2-2 with Getafe, and Cadiz’s game against Rayo Vallecano ended goalless.

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La Liga: Fermin Lopez helps Barcelona seal comeback draw against Mallorca

PALMA: Youngster Fermin Lopez rescued La Liga toppers Barcelona with a 75th-minute goal against Mallorca to draw the game at Iberostar Stadium on Tuesday.

Fermin Lopez came off the bench and netted his first senior goal for Barcelona in about 12 minutes to help his team avoid their first loss of the ongoing La Liga season.

Mallorca started the game on high and gained an early advantage in the 8th minute as Vedat Muriqi took advantage of Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s mistake to play the ball out causing a scramble in the penalty area.

Barcelona’s Raphinha scored the equalizing goal in the 41st minute, but Mallorca managed to get the lead again only seven minutes later in stoppage time with a goal from Abdon Prats, assisted by Muriqi’s long ball.

The home side dominated and kept Barcelona’s attackers silent until Lopez helped his team equalize 15 minutes before the final whistle as both teams shared points.

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In another La Liga fixture, Sevilla thumped Almeria 5-1 at their home Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium on Tuesday.

This was Sevilla’s second victory in the la Liga 2023/24, while, Almeria suffered their fifth loss in the season and are yet to win a game this season.

The home side raced to a two-goal advantage in eight minutes with back-to-back goals by Youssef En-Nesyri and Dodi Lukebakio.

Sevilla further extended their lead in the 38th minute as Suso scored off a left-footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner, thanks to a timely assist by Djibril Sow.

The first half ended at 3-0, however, the home side started the second half the same way as the first with Adrià Pedrosa’s cross reaching Erik Lamela, who netted the fourth goal for Almeria.

Almeria scored their only goal when Luis Suarez converted a penalty as Jesús Navas was shown a yellow card.

The match appeared to end at 4-1, but Kike Salas added another goal to the home side’s tally in the stoppage time.

The Sevilla will next face defending champions Barcelona on September 30.

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Barcelona jump to top of La Liga standings after crushing Real Betis 5-0

BARCELONA: Home side Barcelona absolutely crushed Real Betis 5-0 and handed them their second loss of the ongoing La Liga 2023-24 on Saturday at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

Barcelona stepped into Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, their temporary home as Camp Nou undergoes renovation, with three consecutive victories in La Liga and showed no mercy against visitors from the first whistle.

Joao Felix, making his debut for Barcelona drew first blood with a close-range strike to the bottom left corner in the 25th minute.

The home team extended their lead seven minutes later as Lewandowski scored with the assist from Andreas Christensen.

Real Betis had a chance to score as Isco picked out Willian Jose who guided the ball towards goal, however, Barcelona’s goalkeeper Ter Stegen made a one-handed save to deny the goal to the visitors.

The first half ended with a two-goal lead for the home side, and they further extended it 12 minutes into the second half as Ferran Torres scored a brilliant freekick, curling it around the wall and past Rui Silva.

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Raphinha replaced Ferran Torres and got into the action from the get-go and earned the reward with his name on the scoresheet four minutes later.

Barcelona’s second debutant in the game Joao Cancelo, also joined the fun as he strode forward, and then struck into the bottom corner in the 81st minute to close the game for the home side 5-0.

In another La Liga fixture, home side Valencia registered their third win of the season after two consecutive losses as they thumped Atletico Madrid 3-0.

Hugo Duro scored two goals in the first half to keep Valencia cruising, while Javi Guerra scored the final decisive goal in the 54^th minute to seal the deal.

It was Valencia’s first win over Atletico Madrid since 2014 and steered them to the fifth place in La Liga points table with nine points.

Meanwhile, Mallora registered their first victory in the La Liga season 2023-24 at the expense of Celta Vigo at Estadio de Balaídos.

Athletic Club on the other hand earned their third win of the season as they defeated Cadiz 3-0, after a goalless first half, however, they attacked mercilessly in the second half and scored three goals in 24 minutes to seal the victory at San Mamés Stadium.

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‘My legs were shaking’ at Madrid fans singing ‘Hey Jude’: Bellingham

MADRID: Jude Bellingham said his legs were left “shaking” as Real Madrid fans serenaded him with The Beatles song ‘Hey Jude’ on Saturday.

The England international hit a 95th-minute winner for Madrid against Getafe in a derby at the Santiago Bernabeu, securing a 2-1 win with his fifth La Liga goal in four games.

“It’s the loudest moment I’ve heard in a stadium, happily it was for my goal,” Bellingham told Real Madrid TV.

“When they were singing ‘Hey Jude’ at the end, I got goosebumps.

“I just wanted to stand still and listen to them. My legs were shaking.

“I know I was brought in for these kind of moments, they’re the kind of moments I know I can deliver for this team.”

Madrid spent over 100 million euros ($108 million) in the summer to sign Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, and he has scored in all four matches they have played in La Liga so far this season.

“He’s out of the ordinary,” said Madrid midfielder Brahim Diaz after the game.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised Bellingham for his strong start to life in the Spanish capital.

“His quality isn’t surprising anybody, but the number of goals he’s got is surprising,” said Ancelotti, who deploys Bellingham behind the forwards in a No. 10 role.

“He’s very professional, and he has a lot of examples for professionalism in this squad. He is learning very quickly.”

Bellingham joins a small group of players to have netted in each of their first four Liga matches, including Madrid’s all-time record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo.

The midfielder has scored five of Madrid’s eight La Liga goals this season, helping to fill the void left by Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema’s departure.

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