Tag: La Liga

VITORIA-GASTEIZ: Lucas Vazquez scored in injury time to help Real Madrid register a 1-0 victory over the home side Alaves during the La Liga 2023/24 match at Mendizorrotza Stadium on Thursday.

This victory helped Real Madrid regain the top spot in the La Liga points table as the table-topper Girona drew 1-1 with Real Betis.

The homside Alaves frustrated Real Madrid throughout the first half before the Los Balncos’ defender Nacho Fernandez was sent off 10 minutes after the break.

With the clock going into second-half injury time without any goal, it looked like Girona would lead La Liga going into 2024 thanks to Madrid’s draw, however, 32-year-old Vazquez had other plans.

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Experienced Germany midfielder Toni Kroos whipped in a corner and Vazquez opened his account for the season with a free header, as Los Blancos top the table on goal difference before La Liga takes a break until January 2.

Meanwhile, Girona played their last away game of the year against Real Betis at Benito Villamarín Stadium, where both teams settled for a 1-1 stalemate.

The surprise package of La Liga 2023-24 Girona started the game on high and earned a penalty in the 38th minute which was successfully converted by Artem Dovbyk.

This was Dovbyk’s eleventh goal this season, making him the joint-third highest goal scorer in the season.

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Girona held on to the lead throughout the second half and they appeared to solidify their top spot in La Liga 2023-24, however, Germán Pezzella rained on their parade with an equalizer in the 88th minute.

Pezzella found William Carvalho’s cross following a corner and hit a right-footed shot from the centre of the box to level the scores 1-1.

In another La Liga game at Iberostar Stadium, Mallorca registered their third victory this season as they defeated Osasuna 3-2 in a five-goal thriller.

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Spain’s La Liga reacted angrily Thursday to Europe’s top court ruling UEFA and FIFA had broken EU law in stifling the Super League, declaring it is “a selfish and elitist model.”

The two heavyweights of Spanish football Real Madrid and Barcelona had been the final two clubs who remained proponents of the European Super League, but La Liga has firmly opposed to the concept.

“Today, more than ever, we reiterate that the ‘Super League’ is a selfish and elitist model,” La Liga posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“Anything that is not fully open, with direct access only through the domestic leagues, season by season, is a closed format.”

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The summary of the European Court of Justice’s written judgment stressed its ruling doesn’t necessarily mean the Super League project should now be authorised, just that FIFA and UEFA have been “abusing a dominant position” in the football market.

“The FIFA and UEFA rules making any new interclub football project subject to their prior approval, such as the Super League, and prohibiting clubs and players from playing in those competitions, are unlawful,” it ruled.

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A22 Sports, the company promoting the Super League project and who are due to hold a press conference later Thursday in Madrid, claimed victory.

“We have won the right to compete. The UEFA monopoly is over. Football is free,” the firm’s CEO Bernd Reichart declared in a social media post from the A22 account.

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BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto scored a brace to help his side edge bottom-ranked Almeria in a five-goal La Liga thriller at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

Defending La Liga champions Barcelona solidified their third position after the 3-2 win over the win-less visitors at their temporary home ground, which is hosting their home games this season due to renovations of the Camp Nou.

Barcelona dominated the possession from the beginning and kept the Almeria side under pressure.

Raphinha opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Araujo hit a header following a corner, which was stopped by Almeria goalkeeper Maximiano but Raphinha hit the net on a rebound.

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Now in the lead, Xavi’s charges took their foot off the pedal, yet they almost got a second when Robert Lewandowski was gifted the ball in the box by a defender and only another excellent Maximiano save denied him.

This drop in intensity did then prove to be their undoing as just eight minutes later, Leo Baptistao shocked them with an equaliser.

Xavi rang the changes at half-time and sent on Ferran Torres and Jules Kounde in place of Joao Felix and Andreas Christensen.

Torres had an instant impact, working the Portuguese stopper with a firm strike three minutes after half-time.

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Poor set-piece defending gave Barca the chance they needed to get back in front on the hour mark, Sergi Roberto meeting a corner at the near post and lofting a header over the goalkeeper’s dive into the far corner.

The second goal appeared to have knocked the stuffing out of the 20th-placed side but a gift from Pena got them back in it when he dropped a lofted free-kick at Edgar’s feet and the defender gleefully rolled the ball into the unguarded net.

Barca had a golden chance to win the game with just over 10 minutes remaining, but Lewandowski then Ilkay Gundogan were unable to make sufficient contact with their headers when the goal was gaping before them.

But it was Sergi Roberto, in just his fifth appearance of the season, that provided the winning goal for the Spanish champions when he burst onto Lewandowski’s lofted pass in the 83rd minute and slotted past Maximiano.

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Girona once again displaced Real Madrid to gain the top spot in the La Liga 2023/24 points table after thumping Alaves at their home Estadi Municipal de Montilivi on Monday.

Girona have been the surprise package during the ongoing season of La Liga as they have been in a constant battle with Real Madrid for the top spot.

They entered the game with confidence from their 4-2 victory over defending champions Barcelona in their last La Liga match.

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Artem Dovbyk drew first blood for the home side with a header from the centre of the box in the 23rd minute.

Girona doubled their advantage in the 42nd minute with a strike by Portu from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner following a cross by Yan Couto.

The first half ended at 2-0 as the visitors had little resistance to offer against the home side.

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With only a few minutes in the second half, Yan Couto earned a penalty which was successfully converted by Artem Dovbyk to extend the lead to 3-0, which remained intact until the final whistle.

This was Artem Dovbyk’s 10th goal during the ongoing season of La Liga.

Girona will next face Real Betis on December 21, having lost only one game out of their 17 games this season.

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Real Madrid defender David Alaba will be sidelined for months after suffering a severe knee injury in his team’s 4-1 win over Villarreal on Sunday in La Liga.

The Austrian centre-back went off hurt in the first half after attempting to challenge Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno.

“After the tests carried out on our player David Alaba, he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee,” said Madrid in a statement.

“The player will undergo surgery in the coming days.”

Alaba’s injury adds to cruciate ligament injuries for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Eder Militao, while midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is also sidelined with a knee ligament rupture.

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Madrid have only two fit central defenders, in Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni returned from injury as a substitute against Villarreal and could be chosen to cover in defence by coach Carlo Ancelotti.

“It’s a shame, it’s very sad, and I’ve never had three cruciate ligament (problems) in four months,” Ancelotti told reporters after David Alaba’s injury.

“We have carried that and done more than what people thought.”

Real Madrid are also without star forward Vinicius Junior, who has a hamstring injury, but Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz have helped fill in for the Brazilian.

All three scored along with Luka Modric in Madrid’s convincing win over Villarreal.

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Real Madrid defender David Alaba will be sidelined for months after suffering a severe knee injury in his team’s 4-1 win over Villarreal on Sunday in La Liga.

The Austrian centre-back went off hurt in the first half after attempting to challenge Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno.

“After the tests carried out on our player David Alaba, he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee,” said Madrid in a statement.

Watch La Liga 2023/24 Live on ARY ZAP

“The player will undergo surgery in the coming days.”

Alaba’s injury adds to cruciate ligament injuries for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Eder Militao, while midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is also sidelined with a knee ligament rupture.

Madrid have only two fit central defenders, in Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni returned from injury as a substitute against Villarreal and could be chosen to cover in defence by coach Carlo Ancelotti.

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“It’s a shame, it’s very sad, and I’ve never had three cruciate ligament (problems) in four months,” Ancelotti told reporters after Alaba’s injury.

“We have carried that and done more than what people thought.”

Madrid are also without star forward Vinicius Junior, who has a hamstring injury, but Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz have helped fill in for the Brazilian.

All three scored along with Luka Modric in Madrid’s convincing win over Villarreal.

READ: Real Madrid return to the top of La Liga after crushing Villarreal 4-1

MADRID: Real Madrid displaced Girona and returned to the top of the La Liga 2023/24 points table after a crushing 4-1 victory over Villarreal at their home Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Sunday.

Villarreal were coming off a heavy 3-0 defeat in their last La Liga game against Real Sociedad and faced a dominant Real Madrid, who gained an early advantage in the 25th minute.

Star English midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is having a dream debut season at Real Madrid opened the scoring with a header off Luka Modric’s cross.

This was Bellingham’s 17th goal of the season in 20 games for Los Blancos.

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They further extended their lead in the 37th minute as Rodrygo scored from the centre of the box following a corner to end the first half at 2-0.

The home side started the second half strongly, however, Villarreal’s Luis Morales decreased the deficit within ten minutes of the second half as he carried the ball into the box to slot past goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

However, Real Madrid did not take much time to regain their two-goal lead with Brahim Diaz firing low into the right corner in the 64th minute.

Season Croatian midfielder Luka Modric also got his name in the scoresheet four minutes later with a brilliant left-footed shot from the centre of the box.

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Real Madrid’s 4-1 lead remained intact until the final whistle and helped them replace Girona at the top of the Spanish league points table.

In another La Liga match, Valencia made a comeback in the 70th minute to draw 1-1 with defending champions Barcelona at Mestalla Stadium.

Joao Felix scored the only goal for the defending champions in the 15th minute of the second half, however, Hugo Guillamon scored the equalizer for the home side to draw the game.

Barcelona are currently placed at the third position in the La Liga points table.

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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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BARCELONA: Shock Spanish title contenders Girona earned a historic 4-2 win over rivals Barcelona on Sunday at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys to move to the top of La Liga.

Girona defeated their Catalan rivals for the first time ever in the top flight in a pulsating battle to rise two points above Real Madrid, second, after their 1-1 draw at Real Betis on Saturday.

Defending La Liga champions Barcelona are fourth after Atletico Madrid, third, beat Almeria earlier on, and Xavi’s side trail Girona by seven points.

Artem Dovbyk sent Girona ahead and after Robert Lewandowski pulled Barcelona level, Miguel Gutierrez slammed home again for the visitors.

Valery Fernandez extended Girona’s lead with 10 minutes remaining before Ilkay Gundogan netted to set up a frantic finale.

Veteran striker Cristhian Stuani struck from close range in stoppage time to wrap up a stunning victory which reaffirms the minnows’ title dream.

Girona, part-owned by the City Football Group, were without injured key midfielder Yangel Herrera, whom they signed from Manchester City, but did not let it set them back.

In La Liga for only the fourth season in their history, they played without any fear of their more illustrious neighbours and took the lead early on as the game see-sawed deliciously from end to end.

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The visitors split the 27-time champions open with a lethal counter-attack, with Ukrainian winger Viktor Tsygankov feeding his compatriot Dovbyk to slam home in the 12th minute.

Unperturbed, Barcelona levelled quickly through Lewandowski, with the 35-year-old heading home Raphinha’s corner to end a run of three matches without a goal.

Former Real Madrid left-back Gutierrez, no stranger to an adventure upfield, drove into the box and cracked an early strike into the near top corner five minutes before the break.

Barcelona tried to force their way back in, with Paulo Gazzaniga saving Frenkie de Jong’s low effort and Raphinha sending a free-kick over the bar.

Valery seemed to end Barca’s hopes with 10 minutes to go when Stuani headed the ball into his path, and he beat Jules Kounde with ease before firing home.

However, Gundogan turned well in the box and lashed past Gazzaniga to give the hosts a chance to snatch a draw. Lewandowski might have levelled but headed wide when well-placed.

Stuani bundled home at the death to complete a sensational night for Girona, with several of their players leaping the advertising hoardings and running towards their fans in celebration.

Michel said beforehand that a win would send his team into a new dimension and there can be little doubt now they are genuine title contenders this season.

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Barcelona’s La Liga title defence, however, is on the ropes.

“We’re seven points behind, which is a lot, but there’s more than half a season to go,” De Jong told DAZN.

“There’s time, but we have a lot to come back from.”

Earlier Diego Simeone’s Atletico took an early two-goal lead through Alvaro Morata and Angel Correa, but Leo Baptistao pulled Almeria into the game after an hour.

Atletico held on for the victory as the Andalucian strugglers threatened to pull level at the Metropolitano.

“They pressed us in the second half, we couldn’t find solutions and it was hard for us,” Atletico forward Antoine Griezmann admitted to Movistar.

Athletic Bilbao’s visit to Granada was stopped in the 18th minute because a fan died in the stands, with the match subsequently abandoned.

Inaki Williams had sent the Basques ahead and they will resume play with the lead on Monday night from 17 minutes.

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Joao Felix’s superb dinked finish earned Barcelona a vital 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday in the La Liga title race.

The Portuguese forward, on loan at Barcelona from Atletico, made no secret of his pleasure to escape the Spanish capital this summer and made his parent club pay at the Olympic Stadium.

Felix was criticised by some Atletico players ahead of the game and Barca coach Xavi Hernandez called on him to use those words as inspiration, which he duly did.

The forward’s goal allowed Barca to reclaim third place from Atletico, now trailing leaders Real Madrid and second place Girona by four points in the La Liga points table.

Atletico have not won away against the champions in La Liga since 2006, a run now stretching to 18 matches, but arrived thinking this could be the time to snap that streak.

Since crumbling to a defeat in the Clasico by Real Madrid at the end of October, Barcelona have struggled for form and confidence.

Barcelona started well, carving out chances and Felix broke the deadlock after 28 minutes, taking a brilliant touch to ride Nahuel Molina’s challenge and then dinking the ball over Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Felix celebrated with arms aloft, standing on the advertising hoardings in front of the angry visiting supporters, while Rojiblancos coach Diego Simeone appeared disgruntled as he flashed up on the big screens.

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The 24-year-old forward, a club record signing at 126 million euros ($137 million) in 2019, never settled in the capital and did not click with Simeone’s management and playing style.

“It was spontaneous… in the heat of the game and it was like a relief, for everything I lived through this summer,” Felix told Movistar about his celebration.

“Every week I’m talked about, whether for good or bad, I do my job, without looking at what they say or think.”

Perhaps not coincidentally, Axel Witsel was soon booked for hacking Felix to the ground shortly after.

Felix came close to a second with a prodded effort from Ilkay Gundogan’s cut-back, but this time Oblak denied him.

Gundogan impressed in midfield alongside fit-again duo Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, as Barcelona controlled the game.

Raphinha clipped the post at the start of the second half to get Barcelona fans out of their seats.

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Despite their high-calibre opponents, the attendance fell short of 35,000 and was the club’s poorest this season, with supporters perhaps chastened by the colder winter evenings and the late kick-off.

Atletico improved in the second half but not by enough to force an equaliser.

Talisman Antoine Griezmann worked hard but could not find the net against his old employers — he has not netted in 14 games against Barca for the Rojiblancos.

Memphis Depay, another ex-Barcelona player, came closest for Atletico with a free-kick tipped over by Inaki Pena, between the sticks for the hosts in place of the hurt Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Robert Lewandowski should have wrapped up Barcelona’s victory but pulled an effort wide late on – he only has three goals in his last 10 games for the club across all competitions.

Atletico, fourth, trail Barca by three points and the top two by seven.

Earlier winless bottom side Almeria were held 0-0 at home by 10-man Real Betis, seventh, on Sunday.

Struggling Sevilla, 15th, drew 1-1 with Villarreal and have not won in 10 matches under new coach Diego Alonso between La Liga and the Champions League.

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