Tag: La Liga

MADRID: Alvaro Morata scored twice to end Real Madrid’s perfect start in the La Liga season 2023/24 as Atletico Madrid earned an inspiring 3-1 victory over the city rivals at Civitas Metropolitan Stadium on Sunday.

Real Madrid entered the game with a five-match winning streak in the ongoing season of La Liga, while Atletico Madrid were coming off an away loss against Valencia.

However, the home team wasted no time and gained an early advantage in the fourth minute as Morata scored off a header.

Real Madrid maintained possession and made several vain attempts to equalize before Antoine Griezmann got into the scoresheet as he netted a header to extend the lead for Atletico Madrid at the 18-minute mark.

Real Madrid finally managed to reduce the two-goal deficit, thanks to a brilliant strike by veteran Toni Kroos in the 35th minute, leaving no chance for goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Kroos attempted to equalize before half-time with an assist from Eduardo Camavinga, however, Oblak made the save in the bottom left corner to deny the comeback for Los Blancos.

Atletico Madrid continued their dominant performance in the second half, with Morata scoring off a header less than a minute after the restart to extend their lead to two goals once again.

They then defended well enough to keep Real Madrid’s aggression limited and ended the game at 3-1 to hand Real Madrid their first loss of the ongoing La Liga season.

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On the other hand, Las Palmas registered their first victory in the La Liga season 2023/24, as they triumphed over Granada at Estadio Gran Canaria. Kirian Rodríguez scored a mere five minutes before the final whistle to lead his team to victory after being reduced to ten men.

Meanwhile, two La Liga games ended at a 1-1 stalemate, as Real Betis drew with Cadiz at Benito Villamarín, and, Rayo Vallecano drew with Villareal at Estadio de Vallecas on Sunday.

In another La Liga fixture, Real Sociedad made a stellar comeback to a 4-3 victory over Getafe at Anoeta Stadium.

The home side started the game with Takefusa Kubo scoring in the first minute, thanks to an assist by Brais Méndez, however, Getafe’s Carles Aleñá scored off a header from very close range in the 39th minute to level the scores.

Getafe further extended their lead as Borja Mayoral converted a penalty in the extra time after Álex Remiro was shown the yellow card. The first half ended with Getafe on top with 2-1.

Real Sociedad equalled in the 61st minute as Mikel Oyarzabal scored off the penalty, and got the lead only five minutes later with Brais Méndez scoring off a header from the centre.

Mikel Oyarzabal got his name in the scoresheet once again as he scored in the 88th minute, thanks to an assist by Mikel Merino to make it 4-2.

Juanmi Latasa scored one for Getafe to reduce the deficit to end the game at 4-3.

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Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said winger Vinicius Junior would be in the squad to face Atletico Madrid in the ongoing season of La Liga on Sunday.

The Brazilian has been out since suffering a hamstring injury against Celta Vigo on August 25 but has recovered quicker than expected.

Vinicius, 23, may start on the bench in the Madrid derby at the Metropolitano where league La Liga table-toppers Real Madrid are looking to maintain their 100 percent start to the ongoing season.

“Vinicius trained yesterday with the team, he’s in good condition, the injury is forgotten, he trained today very well — he will be in the squad,” said Ancelotti.

“Later, we’ll decide what role he has in the game tomorrow.”

The Italian coach did insist the club would take no risks with Vinicius.

“He trained yesterday because the risk was zero, he trained today because the risk was zero,” said Ancelotti.

“If tomorrow there is one percent risk, we won’t play him.

“The important thing is that Vinicius has recovered, he’s lacking a bit of match fitness but that’s normal, they are things we’ll evaluate tomorrow.”

Last season a group of Atletico fans caused outrage with racist chants outside their stadium aimed at Vinicius before the derby clash in La Liga.

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In January, Atletico supporters hung an effigy of the forward near Real Madrid’s training ground, with four fans later fined and banned from games.

“I think that something has changed after last year … there’s a more calm, respectful atmosphere, and I think tomorrow will be the same,” continued Ancelotti.

Ancelotti confirmed midfielder Jude Bellingham was fit for the game after a brief illness troubled him in the week, but Dani Carvajal was still out with a leg problem.

Atletico, seventh, have struggled at the start of the season and were beaten 3-0 last week by Valencia in what their coach Diego Simeone described as the “weakest” performance of his reign.

“Derbies are great opportunities,” added Ancelotti.

“They are special occasions. These are two teams from the capital, two teams with great quality, the game will be very high intensity.”

Atletico coach Diego Simeone believes his team can compete with their city rivals, despite the two sides’ differences.

“Madrid and Barcelona can always afford to have great players, but we’ve always been able to compete with them,” said Simeone.

“So we have to concentrate on ourselves and continue to compete with them as we have done for the last 11 years.”

Atletico have various injury problems, including Thomas Lemar who will be out for months after rupturing his Achilles tendon last weekend.

“As (Pep) Guardiola (the Manchester City manager) said, there are a lot of matches, a lot of travelling, three international breaks before December… but we have to adapt as best we can to this situation,” added Simeone.

READ: La Liga: Barcelona makes a late comeback to sink Celta Vigo

BARCELONA: Home side Barcelona on Saturday turned the tables tremendously in the last ten minutes to win 3-2 against Celta Vigo after being 2-0 down at the 80-minute mark in the ongoing La Liga season at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

The Catalan stepped into their temporary home at Montjuic with four consecutive victories in La Liga, however, the visitors started the game on high as American midfielder Luca de la Torre set up Jorgen Strand Larsen, who picked up the ball and placed a composed finish past Marc Andre ter Stegen to make it 1-0 in the 19^th minute.

Barcelona looked to score an equalizer in the 38th minute, courtesy of Marcos Alonso’s header from the centre of the box but was saved in the bottom left corner by the goalkeeper. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong got injured, adding to Barcelona’s miseries in the first half.

Celta Vigo then extended their lead to 2-0 as Tasos Douvikas scored off a left-footed shot from the centre of the box following a fast break.

However, what followed was one of the greatest comebacks in football history as star striker Robert Lewandowski scored two goals in just four minutes to overturn the two-goal deficit at the 85-minute mark.

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João Cancelo then scored the match-winner for Barcelona as he picked up on Gavi’s cross from a central position to lead his side to the fifth consecutive victory in the ongoing La Liga season and rocketed them to the top spot in the points table.

In another La Liga fixture, Almeria settled for a 2-2 stalemate against Valencia at Power Horse Stadium and sunk to the bottom of the points table without a single win in the ongoing La Liga season.

Diego López drew first blood as he scored off an assist by Javi Guerra to give Valencia the lead, which remained intact until the first half.

Sergio Arribas, however, scored an equalizer nine minutes into the second half, before Javi Guerra once again put the visitors ahead.

The lead lasted only six minutes as Arribas scored another equalizer for Almeria to draw the game.

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MADRID: Real Madrid continued their domination in the ongoing La Liga season as they extended their winning streak to five matches after a 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad at Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Both teams entered the match undefeated as Real Madrid won all of their last four matches, while Real Sociedad defeated Granada 5-3, after two drawn games against Celta Vigo and Las Palmas.

Real Madrid also reclaimed the top spot in the La Liga 2023-24 points table with 15 points.

The visitors had a perfect start to the game with an early 5th-minute goal courtesy of Ander Barrenetxea’s right-footed shot from very close range.

However, Real Madrid came strongly and Rodrygo made an attempt in the very next minute but was saved in the bottom right corner by Alex Remiro.

Real Sociedad did not slow down either and made several attempts to extend their lead as well as defend the attempts to equalize by the home side. They ensure to close the first half with their lead intact at 1-0.

Real Madrid entered the ground in the second half with renewed aggression and equalized in the second minute with Federico Valverde’s right-footed shot from outside the box.

Joselu then scored off the match-winning header in the 60th minute to give Real Madrid the decisive lead which remained intact until the final whistle.

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In another La Liga fixture, Sergio Ramos made his second debut for his boyhood club Sevilla against Las Palmas at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium.

Both teams entered the game winless in the ongoing La Liga season however, Sevilla came out victorious and registered their first victory in the season, thanks to Dodi Lukebakio’s brilliant goal in the 71st minute.

Meanwhile, in another La Liga fixture, Villarreal edged Almeria 2-1 courtesy of Alexander Sørloth’s extra-time header assisted by Alberto Moreno after a thrilling contest.

Getafe on the other hand defeated Osasuna in a five-goal thriller at Coliseum Alfonso Pérez to earn their second victory in the La Liga season 2023-24.

Stefan Mitrovic scored off a header from the centre, which was assisted by Damián Suárez with a cross following a corner to give Getafe the lead in the 36th minute.

However, visitors equalized nine minutes later thanks to Iker Muñoz’s right-footed shot off a corner by Aimar Oroz.

The first half ended at a 1-1 stalemate, but the home side scored in the 6th minute of the second half to get the lead, which was equalized a few minutes later as Ante Budimir converted a penalty after David Soria was shown a yellow card.

Nemanja Maksimovic then scored the match-winning-header for Getafe after a cross by Carles Aleñá following a corner.

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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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MADRID: Rayo Vallecano recovered from back-to-back defeats in the ongoing La Liga 2023/24 to thump Alaves 2-0 at home on Friday.

The home side got off to a flying start when Isi Palazon converted a penalty just two minutes before half-time after winger Alvaro Garcia was fouled in the area.

Garcia once again played a pivotal role in his team’s goal as he provided a fine assist for Jorge de Frutos, who doubled Rayo Vallecano’s lead in the 82nd minute.

This victory will serve as a major morale booster for Francisco Rodríguez’s side, who replaced Andoni Iraola as the latter left to take over Bournemouth in the off-season.

Rayo Vallecano were on a two-match losing streak, having succumbed to a 0-1 loss against Real Betis and a 0-7 thrashing by Atletico Madrid on August 29.

Both Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid took the field without a loss in their previous two La Liga games, however, the visitors gained an early advantage as Antoine Griezmann scored in the second minute into the game courtesy of Rodrigo De Paul’s assist.

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Rodrigo De Paul also attempted to score a goal of his own, but his attempt was missed.

Rayo Vallecano made two vain attempts before Atletico Madrid’s Memphis Depay extended the lead to 2-0 at the 16-minute mark.

Rodrigo De Paul made another assist in the 36th minute as Nahuel Molina scored the third goal for Atletico Madrid.

The home side made two attempts before the first half but failed to get a goal over Atletico.

The game appeared to be over at 3-0 in the first half but the visitors did not slow down, and struck the fourth goal in the 73rd minute thanks to Álvaro Morata.

The fifth goal came a mere six minutes later as Ángel Correa netted from outside the box.

Ángel Correa assisted Álvaro Morata to score another goal in the 84th minute before Marcos Llorente hit the final nail in the coffin with the seventh goal only two minutes later to hand a humiliating defeat to Rayo Vallecano.

This was the biggest-ever away win in La Liga for Atletico Madrid.

READ: Teenager Lamine Yamal’s star rising as Barcelona host Real Betis

Young Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal broke records for Spain in the past week and can continue to add to his collection against Real Betis on Saturday.

The winger became Spain’s youngest-ever player, starter and goalscorer during the international break at 16 years old, and is establishing himself as important for club and country.

Lamine Yamal became Barcelona’s youngest debutant at 15 years and 290 days old against Betis in April last season.

This season he went on to become La Liga’s youngest starter in the 21st century, and also the youngest assist provider in the same time frame.

Lamine Yamal has not scored for Barcelona yet but if he does this season, he can overtake Ansu Fati’s club record — or the overall record for youngest La Liga scorer, set by Malaga’s Fabrice Olinga at 16 years and 98 days old.

The winger was man of the match in Barcelona’s 4-3 win at Villarreal in August and has started the club’s last three games, all victories.

Barcelona, third, trail rivals and league leaders Real Madrid by two points after four matches, because of their opening day draw at Getafe.

That was the match which prompted Xavi to turn to Yamal to offer some creative spark, as well as a red card for Raphinha opening up a position on the right flank.

Ousmane Dembele’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer was another factor in giving Yamal an opportunity at such a tender age.

“He’s a mature player despite being 16,” said Barca coach Xavi earlier in September.

“He’s conscious of what he’s going through and he’s happy, the management (of the situation) is very good and for now, there are no problems.”

Barcelona have been criticised in the past for throwing players into action at young ages and burning them out.

Midfielder Pedri Gonzalez played nearly 70 games for his club and Spain in his first season and has struggled with injuries since, while Ansu Fati, now on loan at Brighton, is another example.

“We have to think about it positively,” said Xavi.

“He’s in a process of maturation and growth — we hope that doesn’t happen.”

Barcelona are without Pedri and Ronald Araujo for the clash at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic, where they will reencounter a familiar face — Moroccan winger Ez Abde.

Lamine Yamal might also have chosen to play for the North African country but instead chose Spain.

Betis signed Abde on the final day of the summer transfer window and his direct running could pose the champions an immediate threat.

Real Madrid host Real Sociedad on Sunday, while Atletico Madrid visit Valencia on Saturday elsewhere in La Liga.

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Veteran former Spain defender Sergio Ramos on Monday returned to his home-town club Sevilla after 18 years away.

“It’s a very special day, returning home is always a tremendous joy,” Ramos told the media.

The 37-year-old former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain player signed a one-year contract after passing the traditional medical, the club announced.

“Happy to return and try to contribute as soon as possible which is the important thing,” the player added.

Sevilla sit bottom of La Liga without a point after three matches but as Europa League champions have qualified for the Champions League group stage. They start their campaign on September 20.

Sergio Ramos left Sevilla at the age of 19 to join Real Madrid for a then record fee for a Spanish defender.

In 2021, Ramos signed for PSG but had been without a club since his contract with the French champions ran out in June.

According to the local press, Sergio Ramos turned down a lucrative offer from Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.

“I was eager to return home. It made no sense to go anywhere else without passing through here,” said Ramos who was born on the outskirts of Seville.

In 16 seasons at the Bernabeu, Ramos won La Liga five times and the Champions League four times.

He played 180 games for Spain, scoring 23 goals, and was part of the team that won the European Championship twice (2008 and 2012) and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

READ: Lewandowski’s late penalty guides Barcelona to victory over Osasuna in La Liga

PAMPLONA: Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski converted a late penalty to guide Barcelona to their third victory in the ongoing La Liga season over Osasuna at El Sadar Stadium on Sunday.

The visitors Barcelona started the game on high with De Jong striking the post, however, Lewandowski missed the rebound to everyone’s surprise. Osasuna got alert after this early attack and started to challenge Barcelona’s defence in a bid to get the upper hand.

Barcelona missed another chance in the 12th minute as Ilkay Gundogan failed to convert an attempt from the six-yard box.

Meanwhile, Osasuna also looked to attack and put together a good passing move in the 31st minute as Aimar Oroz arrived in the box to shoot, but Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen was able to push it away and saved the goal for his team.

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Both teams fought well to not allow the goal to the other team, however, Barcelona managed to get the lead, thanks to a header by Jules Koundé minutes before halftime.

Both teams made triple substitutions around the 60-minute mark in the second half to bring fresh legs to take the game forward. The home side’s substitution paid well as Chimy Avila who replaced José Arnáiz, scored in the 76th minute to provoke the biggest cheer of the night from the home crowd making it 1-1 with about 15 minutes to go.

However, Osasuna’s Alejandro Catena was handed a red card following a bad foul in the penalty area, awarding a penalty to Barcelona, which was successfully converted by Robert Lewandowski to give the match-winning lead to the visitors.

In another La Liga clash, Atheltic Club and Mallorca settled for a goalless draw after a hard-fought game at Iberostar Stadium, while, Girona edged past Las Palmas after a late goal by Portu at Montilivi.

The defending La Liga champions Barcelona will now face Real Betis on Saturday, September 17 in their fifth match this season.

Read: ‘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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