Tag: La Liga

MADRID: Rodrygo thrashed a late winner to help Real Madrid edge Rayo Vallecano 2-1 in La Liga on Wedesday and go ahead of city-rivals Atletico Madrid, who were later held 3-3 at Espanyol. 

Players and fans at Santiago Bernabeu showed their supports for Vinicus Junior, who was racially abused at Valencia during Madrid’s 2-1 defeat against the home side on Sunday.

Rodrygo bowed his head and lifted his fist into the air in a salute to team-mate Vincius after scoring Madrid’s second goal in the 89th minute.

Karim Benzema scored the opener for Real after the half-hour mark before Raul de Tomas equalised for the visitors six minutes from full-time.

Five minutes later, Rodrygo restored the lead for home side with a low shot from just outside the box beating Rayo goalkeeper.

The game was marked by overwhelming compassion and sympathy for the Brazilian winger Vincius as all Real’s players took the pitch donning shirts carrying Vinicius’ No. 20 while the captains of both teams wore armbands with anti-racism messages.

Vinicius was not part of Real Madrid’s lineup for yesterday’s game but witnessed the proceedings sitting next to club president Florentino Perez.

He joined his teammates on the pitch for a standing ovation after all the players posed next to an official LaLiga banner “Racists, out of football.”

It is pertinet to mention here that Barcelona have already won the La Liga championship with two games to spare.

READ: Zimbabwe A opt to bowl first against Shaheens in fifth one-day

VALLADOLID: Home side Valladolid pulled off an incredible 3-1 victory over champions Barcelona to bolster their La Liga survival hopes on Tuesday.

The hosts put on a dominant show in their victory over the La Liga champions and climbed to 17th, moving provisionally three points clear of the relegation zone.

Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen opened the scoring for Valladolid as he scored an own goal while heading into his own net in the second minute.

Canadian striker Cyle Larin added the second for the hosts from the penalty spot after Eric Garcia tripped Gonzalo Plata in the area as Valladolid went into the break with a 2-0 advantage over the champions.

Ecuadorian winger Plata then reaffirmed Valladolid’s domination over Barcelona as he added the third in the 73rd minute to put his side in complete command.

La Liga’s leading scorer Robert Lewandowski pulled one back for the visitors in the final stages but it was not enough for the Catalans to avoid the defeat.

Valladolid remained in the 17th spot despite their victory over Barcelona but pulled three points clear of 18th-placed Getafe, in the relegation zone.

In other La Liga fixtures, fourth-placed Real Sociedad edged 15th-placed Almeria 1-0 while Celta Vigo and Girona settled for a 1-1 stalemate after Cristhian Stuani’s second-half penalty strike.

READ: Babar Azam joins Colombo Strikers for Lanka Premier League 

MADRID: Spanish police arrested seven people Tuesday over two incidents of racial abuse targeting Real Madrid’s Brazilian star Vinicius Junior, including one this weekend that sparked an international outcry.

Spain’s football league, La Liga, has been engulfed in a racism scandal after the 22-year-old forward was subjected to racist taunts during Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Valencia and later sent off.

The player has been taunted by opposition fans since he joined Real in 2018 but the latest incident has kicked up a storm over whether Spain is doing enough to stamp out racism in football.

Early on Tuesday, police confirmed arresting three youths in Valencia for “insults and gestures with racist overtones” towards the player that amounted to “an alleged hate crime” during Sunday’s match.

The game was held up for several minutes and the referee wrote in his post-match report that shouts of “monkey” had been directed at Vinicius.

Police said the investigation remained open to identify further suspects.

In a statement, Valencia confirmed three fans had been arrested, reiterating its “strongest condemnation against racism and violence” and saying the club was acting against those involved “by banning them for life from our stadium”.

Also Tuesday, Madrid police arrested another four men suspected of hanging an effigy wearing a Real Madrid shirt with Vinicius’ number on it from a bridge in January.

The dummy was hung by the neck from a highway bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground on January 26 ahead of their match against Atletico Madrid.

Above it was a banner in Atletico’s red and white reading: “Madrid hates Real”.

Government spokeswoman Isabel Rodriquez welcomed the arrests, saying they showed Spanish authorities had “zero tolerance” for racism in sports.

“We must clearly say we are anti-racists, Spain fights these behaviours, condemns them and does everything to eliminate them,” she added.

The Brazilian government has formally protested to the Spanish ambassador and will lodge an official complaint with authorities in Madrid.

Brazil “deeply regrets that no effective measures have yet been taken to prevent the recurrence of these racist acts,” it said in a statement.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Sunday’s incident showed FIFA’s racism protocol in football was “obsolete”.

Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea activated the racism protocol after Vinicius squared off with fans, singling out one supporter whom he accused of abuse.

But Ancelotti said the protocol should have been “applied when the team bus reached the stadium, because the insults started there”.

“It’s a moment to take drastic measures. Institutions have chances, above all now, to take radical measures on this important subject,” he added.

Vinicius was sent off later in Sunday’s game for hitting Valencia’s Hugo Duro after the referee watched VAR footage of a brawl between the two teams.

Spain’s refereeing committee on Tuesday sidelined official Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva for his upcoming matches after his involvement in awarding Vinicius a red card against Valencia.

During the match, Iglesias Villanueva was in charge of VAR but the video he showed the referee did not include footage of Duro grabbing the Brazilian around the neck before the incident — which would also have been a red card offence.

Vinicius Junior was dismissed and will likely miss the next two or three matches, meaning he may not play again for Madrid this season.

Spanish media said Iglesias Villanueva had been sacked but the Spanish football federation would not confirm that when questioned by AFP.

There is growing anger in Brazil over the incident, with the lights on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro turned off for one hour in solidarity with the player.

“Black and imposing,” Vinicius Junior tweeted of the darkened statue, saying he was moved and thanking followers for their support.

“But I want, above all, to inspire and bring more light to our fight,” he added.

BARCELONA: Mikel Merino and Alexander Sorloth struck goals in each half to give Real Sociedad a 2-1 win at Barcelona on Saturday in La Liga.

Sociedad inflicted the first home defeat of the season upon La Liga champions on a day when they were celebrating their title triumph.

With the league title already at their disposal, the fans at Camp Nou were unmoved by the team’s loss and remained seated to see the post-game celebrations when Barca would lift the La Liga trophy.

However, Real Sociedad made sure to strengthen their position for the Champions League spot as they moved to 65 points, five ahead of fifth-placed Villarreal who beat Girona 2-1 earlier on Saturday.

Winners Barcelona have an unassailable 14-point lead over second-place Real Madrid, who face Valencia on Sunday. Atletico Madrid are third with 69 points.

Merino scored the opener for Sociedad with a tidy finish in the fifth minute. They doubled their lead through Sorloth in the 72nd minute before Robert Lewandowski headed in a consolation goal for Barcelona from close range in the dying minutes.

READ: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Live: Shaheens elect to bowl in third one-day

CADIZ: Theo Bongonda struck twice in Cadiz’s dominating 2-0 victory over Valladolid at home in the clash between teams trying to avoid relegation from La Liga.

Both teams fought hard for a place in the top division for the next season, but it was Cadiz who made the critical step with a timely win.

Despite a strong start from the visitors, Cadiz found a perfect opportunity before halftime to move the scoreboard in their favour when Ruben Alcaraz was rewarded with the penalty.

The central midfielder, however, failed to capitalize on the opportunity as his strike thudded into the crossbar.

The missed opportunity, however, did not threaten Cadiz much as Theo Bongonda struck home in the 69th from long range to break the deadlock.

The goal by Bongonda changed the tone of the game, and the DR Congo international extended the home team’s lead six minutes later by successfully converting a penalty.

Valladolid competed with 10 men in the closing minutes of the game when Martin Hongla was sent off for elbowing Lozano in the head while fighting for the ball.

Cadiz’s safety buffer grows to four points, which likely be enough to ease their La Liga relegation worries while Valladolid fights on.

READ: Shahid Afridi to represent Pakistan in Over-40 Cricket World Cup

BARCELONA: Barcelona players from the men’s and women’s teams lapped up affection from thousands of supporters in the city’s streets on Monday afternoon to celebrate their dual league titles.

Xavi Hernandez’s side beat Espanyol on Sunday to win the club’s 27th league title and first since 2019, while Barca’s women’s team earned their fourth consecutive Liga F win at the end of April.

The players rode in two open-top buses, heading from Camp Nou to the city’s Arc de Triomf monument five miles away, the streets lined with jubilant supporters despite the threat of rain.

Defender Ronald Araujo was draped in a Uruguayan flag, while La Liga’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski, wearing sunglasses and a Barcelona scarf, waved to fans.

Coach Xavi, whose name was chanted frequently, threw down a can of beer to delighted thirsty fans below.

Players from both sides wore t-shirts proclaiming “the league is ours, the future too”.

Crowds increased as the buses headed along their route, to the main square, Plaza Catalunya, and then on towards the Arc.

“You can see the fans are very excited about it and obviously we are too,” goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen told club television.

“It’s a pride to share this with them and have them closer than ever.”

In front of the two players’ buses, another bus pumping out pop songs to set the mood led the way, cutting through streets filled with blue and red smoke.

Feeling among supporters was positive, as expected during a parade, although they expect more to come from both teams in Europe.

Barcelona’s women have reached the Champions League final, where they will face Wolfsburg in Eindhoven on June 3, while the men were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage for the second season running.

“We say to the fans that we are celebrating today, but that we have a lot of our minds focused on Eindhoven and that we will give everything and more to make them proud,” two time women’s Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas told Barca TV.

Fans stood on balconies waving flags, while others clambered on top of bus stop shelters to get a better view.

“I’m certain of my hope for the men’s team (next season), for them to give a good account of themselves in Europe,” supporter Laura Nieto, 37, from nearby Terrassa told AFP.

“That they don’t do a bad job against big opponents, which is what’s been happening. And for the women, for them to continue like this — which is unstoppable.”

– Messi chants –

Some supporters chanted Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Lionel Messi’s name, hopeful that Barcelona can bring him “home” this summer at the end of his contract in France.

Others were more torn by the idea of Messi returning, despite president Joan Laporta pledging the club would “do everything” to sign him.

“On one hand I would like it because it would bring back a lot of excitement,” said Anabel Sanz, 16.

“But on the other, I think not, because it would mean rebuilding the team again and in the long run, that would hurt us, it would not be good.”

Messi, who turns 36 in June, is Barcelona’s all-time top goalscorer, and said a tearful goodbye to the club in 2021 when they could not afford to renew his contract.

“Barca have to reach the semi-finals and finals of the Champions League at least, and win more,” said Josep Martinez, 60.

“It’s difficult (to know if Messi should return), not because of his age. It’s about why he comes, what’s the goal of him coming?

“Is he coming here to fight for his place? … For the team, I don’t know if it’s the best thing.”

READ: Egypt’s Mostafa Mohamed fined for refusing to wear Rainbow jersey

BARCELONA: Barcelona clinched their 27th La Liga title and first after a four-year hiatus on Sunday after Robert Lewandowski scored twice in the first half to steer them to a convincing 4-2 win over local rivals Espanyol.

Barcelona, who now have an unassailable 14 points lead over second-placed Real Madrid, moved to 85 points with four games to spare.

The jubilation was interrupted by several envious home fans who invaded the pitch as Barca started to celebrate.

The visitors, however, were the dominant side throughout the game and took only 11 minutes to break the deadlock through Lewandowski, who netted the first from close range.

Alejandro Balde doubled the lead nine minutes later with a tap-in from a Pedri cross.

Polish strikers’ second came five minutes before the break with another close-range strike from a Raphinha cross.

Defender Jules Kounde headed in Barca’s fourth in the 53rd minute, before Javi Puado and Joselu scored consolation goals for Espanyol, who are second from bottom and fighting to avoid relegation.

READ: ‘No better option than him’, Amir backs Babar for World Cup captaincy

MADRID: Real Madrid geared up for their crucial Champions League semi-final clash against Manchester City with a 1-0 win over Getafe on Saturday in La Liga.

The slim victory lifted defending champions to 71 points and restored their second position on the table, two ahead of city rivals Atletico who play at bottom side Elche on Sunday.

With five games remaining, Leaders Barca have 82 points and will get the chance to clinch their 27th LaLiga crown with four games to spare when they face Espanyol on Sunday evening.

Barcelona top the table with 82 points and have a chance to claim their 27th La Liga title when they local rivals Espanyol on Sunday. They need a single victory out of their remaining five games to secure the crown.

Carlo Ancelotti rested his key players ahead of the decisive battle with Pep Guardiola’s City, following the 1-1 draw last Tuesday in Madrid.

Marco Asensio scored the lone goal in the 70th minute with a deflected strike from distance, in a dull game that witnessed very few chances.

Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga was taken off in the final minutes limping with knee pain as fears surround the midfielder’s fitness ahead of Wednesday’s clash.

Earlier on Saturday, Villareal thrashed Atheltic Club 5-0 thanks to twin strikes from Nicolas Jackson and Alex Baena.

Osasuna beat Almeria 3-1 to take the ninth position with 47 points while Girona and Real Sociedad levelled 2-2 at Anoeta Stadium.

READ: Shahzaib’s ton aids Pakistan U19 seal one-day series win over Bangladesh

SEVILLE: Pape Gueye scored the late winner as Sevilla piled up misery on relegation-threatened Espanyol with a 3-2 victory in La Liga at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on Thursday. 

Bryan Gill and Lucas Ocampos also netted for the hosts as Espanyol battled to contain the precise passing and movement of the Andalusian side.

Javi Puado took Espanyol on a 2-1 lead at halftime after Karim Rekik’s own goal opened the account for the visitors in the 22nd minute.

Sevilla, however, rebounded in the second half and levelled 2-2 in the 69th with Ocampos scoring from the penalty area.

Pape Gueye struck two minutes before time to wrap up the game and took his side three points clear of Mallorca at the 11th position in La Liga standings.

Espanyol sit in the elimination zone and only above rock-bottom Elche with 31 points from 33 matches.

Leaders Barcelona, who are 13 points ahead of second-placed Atletico, will have the chance to clinch their 27th La Liga title with a win in their next game against city rivals Espanyol on May 14.

Later on Thursday, Rayo Vallecano defeated Valladolid 2-1 to go ahead of Osasuna and on to the ninth in the standings.

Also, sixth-placed Real Betis beat 10-man Atheltic Club 1-0 and moved to 52 points thanks to Willian Jose’s early strike in the sixth minute of the game.

READ: PAK vs NZ: Shahid Afridi hosts dinner for Pakistan team at his residence

MADRID: Atletico Madrid scored five goals for the second time in a row as they outclassed visitors Cadiz 5-1 on Wednesday to take second place in LaLiga standings, surpassing their city rivals Real Madrid. 

With only five games left, Atletico jumped to 69 points, one clear of third-placed Real, who lost 2-0 at Real Sociedad on Tuesday.

Leaders Barcelona, who are 13 points ahead of Atletico, will have the chance to clinch their 27th La Liga title with a win in their next game against city rivals Espanyol on May 14.

The Catalan giants beat Osasuna 1-0 on Tuesday to move to 82 points at the top.

Antoine Griezmann scored twice in the first half, netting his first in just two minutes of the game, to give the home side at Metropolitano Stadium an electrifying start.

Alvaro Morata extended their lead right after the interval while Yannick Carrasco slotted their fourth from the penalty spot after Cadiz defender handled the ball inside the box.

One minute after Anthony Lozano scored the only goal for Cadiz in the 72nd, Nahuel Molina rounded off the scoring for Atletico with a close-range strike from a counter-attack.

Later on Wednesday, relegation-threatened Getafe defeated 13th-placed Celta Vigo 1-0 but were unable to exit the bottom three despite levelling on points with Valencia.

READ: PAK vs NZ ODI: Team’s victory fades nervous 90s blues for Imam-ul-Haq