Pep and Barcelona Make it Number 3

Pep Guardiola

FC Barcelona have won their 21st league title, and also completed three-in-a-row for manager Josep Guardiola.

It is two decades since Guardiola held a place in midfield and that Dream Team won four consecutive leagues, and created a new blend of football that has now become the Camp Nou trademark. It’s an ethos that involves possession, combination plays and a focus on attacking rather than defending. 

Today Guardiola is continuing his work as manager, and the club is once again flying high at the top of world football. In just three years he has won as many league titles, and nine major honours in total. As he never tires of telling us in his press conferences, the only thing that ultimately needs to matter in football is “attack, attack and attack.” 

Only Johan Cruyff’s can also claim to have won three titles in a row, which eventually became four, so what Guardiola and his players have done is quite some achievement. Cruyff didn’t get his hands on the league trophy until his third year at the club whereas Guardiola won it in his firts 

Several coaches worked at the club between Guardiola’s time as a player and his return as manager (Robson, Van Gaal, Serra Ferrer, Rexach, Antic and Rijkaard), but the one who played the greatest role in returning the Barça style to its former glory was Frank Rijkaard, who won two leagues and one Champions League. He spread the gospel of constant pressure inside the opposition’s half. 

Guardiola perfected the style, turning the team into a goal machine (this season they have almost made it to 150) and bagging title after title. The third league in a row is just the latest in a series of astonishing achievements.

And there is still the UEFA Champions League final in London on May 28th still to come.

Ronaldo Scores Four in Sevilla

Pepe celebrates with Ronaldo

Real Madrid demolished Sevilla on Saturday at the Sanchez Pizjuan in a match that saw Cristiano Ronaldo score four times to move top in the league scoring table - or Pichichi.

In their all black visitor's kit, Real Madrid missed three scoring opportunities in the first twelve minutes of the match and so it  was just a matter of time before they would break the deadlock. It came on 20 minutes when Oezil swung in a corner kick and Sergio Ramos headed the ball out of the keeper's reach. 

Ronaldo sent a ball off the post two minutes later, but didn't take long in getting his name on the score sheet as he scored on the 30th minute.

The goal of the night came off the boots of Kaka after the Brazilian found Oezil charging into the left side of the box, with the German tapping the ball right back and Kaka curling a low shot past the keeper.

Sevilla pressured after the restart and one back on 61’ when Negredo got the best of Casillas.  But Real Madrid answered back four minutes later through Ronaldo.  He completed his hat-trick only five minutes later. 

Sevilla continued to attack the Madrid and with little over six minutes left to play, Negredo successfully got his head to a corner kick to make it 2-6. 

10 Men Madrid Suffer at Home Again

Carvalho gets red card

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF both lost their La Liga matches at the weekend, with the Catalan club losing away to Real Sociedad hours after the Madrid club were beaten by Real Zaragoza at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Barcelona squandered the chance to move within a point of retaining the Liga title when they lost 2-1and will now have to wait until next week to secure the title. 

Not since 31 August 2008 had the clubs lost a league match on the same day. 

Defeat for Madrid in the early fixture offered Barcelona the opportunity to extend their lead to 11 points with four matches to play, but Josep Guardiola's team surprisingly had their 31-game unbeaten run in the top flight ended, despite taking the lead through Thiago Alcántara's deft strike.

Diego Ifrán equalised with a neat finish beyond José Pinto in the Barcelona goal, before Xabier Prieto beat the reserve keeper from the spot (82) following Javier Mascherano's foul on David Zurutuza. The Azulgrana's disappointing night was compounded by the news that full-back Martín Montoya, one of several changes, suffered a broken collarbone and dislocated left shoulder in the first half.

Madrid – who made eight changes from the team which lost 2-0 to Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final − succumbed 3-2 at home to Zaragoza, who are four points clear of the bottom three as a result. Ricardo Carvalho was sent off late on for a second booking, two minutes after Karim Benzema had reduced the deficit to one.

Real Win Derby at Atletico Madrid

Jose Mourinho was extremely satisfied with his men's performance against Atletico Madrid in Saturday night's derby.

Real Madrid used a defensive midfield and looked to make fast counterattacks through Cristiano Ronaldo, Ozil and Benzema. The team had two chances on goal before scoring the opener on the 11-minute mark: Benzema controlled the ball, entered the box and defeated De Gea with a slightly lobbed shot. Atletico reacted fiercely and forced Casillas to spectacularly save shots by Aguero and Reyes, amongst others. Ozil scored the team's second strike in the 33rd minute from a strange shot that confused De Gea and forced him to make a mistake.

Atletico tried to breach the gap after half-time. Forlan put Iker Casillas to the test again in the 47th minute and the goalkeeper made a sensational save. Real Madrid kept trying to net another strike to sentence the match and Cristiano came close on the 65-minute mark, but his header went over the crossbar. Ozil devised all of the team's counterattacks in pursuit of a goal. Mourinho decided to bring Adebayor on for Benzema, and two minutes later, Di Maria came on for Ronaldo.

Real Madrid started to show exhaustion from their Champions League exploits in the final 15 minutes of the match. Mourinho made Arbeloa come on for Lass to strengthen the defence (81') and, when everything seemed to be over, Aguero managed to defeat Casillas inside the box, adding tension to the derby. Mario Suarez nearly scored in injury time, but his soft shot was grabbed by Casillas just before the blow of the whistle.

Jose Mourinho:

"My players showcased tremendous sacrifice for all Madridismo to see and feel. They gave their all on the pitch."

"I told my men history and tradition don't play the game before we faced Lyon. Every match is different and we had to do our best to win. Atletico grow more anxious to win a derby with each passing year. We completely dominated the match in the first half and they reacted emotionally after half-time. We managed to take three important points while lacking our full strength."

"The squad was tired and we couldn't afford to be less compact as a team. I knew the system I used today would keep us that way and also well positioned. This would help us to better control the match. I'm forced to use three defensive midfielders if I'm not allowed more time to rest."

"Casillas was fantastic. I would like my goalkeeper to have less work to do in a game, and he had a lot to do tonight. The difference lied in the physical and psychological potential of a team that spent all week preparing for the match, and that of a side that was tired. Even I was tired. We felt this exhaustion in the second half. We defended as well as we could and eventually won an important league match. It was a great victory. The championship is far from over."

"I didn't want the championship to end today and Cristiano Ronaldo is very important to us. We took the risk of playing him, but you have to take each match as it comes."

"The referee did well in a difficult match with a lot of pressure. He was very professional."

Barcelona Slip Up at Sevilla

Barcelona's lead in La Liga was reduced to five points when they were held to a 1-1 draw in  Sevilla on Sunday night.

Pep Guardiola’s side looked to be cruising after substitute Bojan Krkic put Barca ahead in the 30th minute at the Sanchez Pizjuan. However, after Alvaro Negredo held off two defenders and crossed for Jesus Navas to nod in the equaliser four minutes after half-time the match burst into life, with both sides coming close to snatching a winner. 

Andres Iniesta crashed a shot off the crossbar with just under five minutes remaining and had a shot cleared off the line in added time after Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes had saved brilliantly from Jesus Navas.

Third-placed Valencia’s midweek exit from the Champions League appeared to have taken its toll as Unai Emery’s side slumped to a 4-0 defeat at struggling Real Zaragoza. Jiri Jarosik, Ander Herrera and two penalties from Gabi sank the visitors, who finished with 10 men, to leave them on 54 points, 16 short of Real.

Two goals from Sergio Aguero failed to earn Atletico Madrid a win at relegation-threatened Almeria, as the hosts twice fought back to level it 2-2. Aguero scored from a Thiago pass just before the break and fired in a solo goal to restore their lead in the 61st minute after Albert Crusat had levelled for Almeria with a fierce volley. Henok Goitom headed a deserved equaliser for the home side 13 minutes from time.

Real Madrid won at the Bernabeu by 2-0 after two goals from French striker Karim Benzema ended the visitors, Hercules, hopes of an upset and pushing Real's unbeaten home record to fourteen games.

Camacho Wins Special Battle -Again

Jose Antonio Camacho, Manager Osasuna

A defeat by Real Madrid in Pamplona on Sunday night to Osasuna has stretched the gap with La Liga leaders, Barcelona, to seven points and added some more tension to the work day at the “Casa Blanca" – the White House – as the club is affectionately known in the Spanish media. Amidst some already public strife between Mourinho and the Director General, Argentina World Cup winner, Jorge Valdano, the defeat will just add some more.. 

If that ongoing dynamic was not enough in itself a leading Spanish soccer magazine “Don Balon” reported this week that the Club President, Florentino Perez, is of the view that winning trophies is the only thing that matters now and his patience is being tested in that regard. In what can best be summed up as the traditional "put up or belt up" scenario the report suggests the President finds the Portuguese managers foibles rather tiresome. 

Undoubtedly for Mourinho it is the standard daily fare of football management and reminiscent of his time at Chelsea and Inter Milan. 

For the Special One the only thing that matters is player loyalty – on and off the field – which he usually achieves by winning them trophies. With La Liga slipping a bit and a second leg of the Copa del Rey with Sevilla imminent and the knockout stages of the Champions League fast arriving, that still remains the sole focus of the squad. For Mourinho winning trophies solves all the day-to-day intrigue. 

But based on the performance at Osasuna the loyalty was tested as Madrid struggled to impose themselves on the home side even when €126Million worth of signings came on in the second half. In fairness to Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Emanuel Adebayor the game was lost at that point with Real unable to establish any better rhythm given all three lacked match fitness. 

The lack of defensive cohesion, ironically the hallmark of all Mourinho teams, was the major concern, with the absence of Alonso for most of the game - due to his mid week illness - most noticeable. Yet with such costly assets in the squad it is striking that the team lacked the usual organisation and Mourinho seemed unable to redress that lack of balance. 

Jorge Valdano meanwhile maintained upbeat and believes there are enough games left for Mourinho to make up for dropped points. 

"This club doesn't give up easily," said Valdano after the match, according to Madrid's official 

"This was an unexpected outcome, but we have to pick ourselves right up. There is a lot of season left and we have the talent to win all three competitions." 

Reflecting on the encounter in Pamplona, Valdano stated: "The game was a bit out of control when [Emmanuel] Adebayor came in. He is fast and makes his presence felt. I am sure he will contribute good things as he continues adapting. 

"This was a tough result to swallow, but we are not throwing in the towel. We are an ambitious team and we have learned from what made this club great." 

"Some matches take much more effort than others, but there is no need to be concerned about the future. We have proven that we can play well. 

"We have the narrowest of margins heading into Wednesday's Copa tie [against Sevilla], but we play in front of our fans. We know how to play in finals, but we must qualify first." 

The happiest man in the twenty thousand seat Reyno de Navarra stadium was undoubtedly Jose Antonio Camacho, the former Spanish and Real Madrid manager, and playing stalwart of the side in the 70's and early 80's. In his time he came to know how damaging Real Madrid management can be walking out on the club the second time he was there after only days. 

He also has had a previous tussle with Jose Mourinho having managed Benfica in 2004 where Camacho also emerged victorious in their encounter in the final of the Copa de Portugal in May of that same year. Although Porto went on to win the League and the Champions League weeks after Camacho stopped the Mourinho treble with Benfica's 2-1 victory. 

For Camacho Sundays’ night win therefore was most enjoyable.