Another Home Win for Barcelona

Barcelona continued their prolific home form this season with a convincing four-goal victory over Real Zaragoza.

Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi netted in the first half to put Barça on course for the win and second-half strikes from Carles Puyol and David Villa completed the scoring.

The result means Barcelona have now netted 30 times in their seven La Liga home games this season, while it is 11 matches ago since the European champions conceded a league goal at the Nou Camp.

For Zaragoza, the loss means they have now taken just one point from their last five games and they remain in trouble near the relegation zone.

Barça had been held 2-2 at Athletic Bilbao in their previous league match, leaving them three points behind pacesetters Real Madrid at the top of standings, and they would have been desperate not to slip up against Zaragoza with Jose Mourinho's men facing a tough trip to Valencia later this evening.

It took Pep Guardiola's men only 18 minutes to get themselves in front and ease any concerns of fatigue after the international break, with various members of the squad having had long-haul flights this week.

Xavi curled in a free-kick from the left and centre-back Pique got on the end of it to thump a header past Roberto Jimenez. Barça then created, and missed, several chances to increase their lead before Messi made it 2-0 two minutes before half-time with his 15th league goal of the season.

Cesc Fabregas fed Messi on the edge of the area, and the Argentinian spun towards goal, dummied his way past Maurizio Lanzaro and fired a low right-footed shot into the far corner of the net.

With Zaragoza having created little to worry the home side, Fabregas came close to making it 3-0 at the start of the second half, but there was no denying Puyol in the 53rd minute. His acrobatic volley from close range was half-stopped by Jimenez but Puyol, despite lying on the ground, managed to scramble to the loose ball and put it over the line as a Zaragoza defender tried to get back to clear.

With the points all but secured and a key UEFA Champions League clash with AC Milan coming up in midweek, Guardiola decided to ring the changes after that goal, but it did not get any easier for Zaragoza with Spanish internationals Andres Iniesta, Villa and Thiago the men coming on.

Barcelona continued to create opportunities, Messi and Iniesta unable to make the most of their openings, before Villa added a fourth goal in the 75th minute. Isaac Cuenca did well down the right and his cross found its way through to Villa at the far post, and his diving header was too good for Jimenez as Spain's record goalscorer struck his first league goal since September.

Soldado Ready for Real Madrid Visit

Valencia striker Roberto Soldado is confident his side can halt the Real Madrid juggernaut on Saturday night and erase the memory of April's mauling at the Mestalla.

Madrid won the corresponding fixture 6-3 last season despite fielding a weakened team just three days after an energy-sapping Copa del Rey final defeat of Barcelona.

The thrashing, and the ease with which Madrid achieved it, has become ingrained in the Valencia psyche and Soldado - himself a former Madrid player - is determined to make amends.

He told www.superdeporte.es: "That game was a one-off.

"When we left the field it seemed as though we were inferior and that cannot be.

"Now our mind is on winning. We are in a good phase and after Madrid we have a very important game against Genk in the Champions League and there would be no better way of going into that than with a win against the league leaders."

Third-placed Valencia beat city rivals Levante in their last game before the international break and are on a three-game winning streak.

But Soldado accepts it will be tough against a Madrid side who have won their last seven Primera Division encounters, scoring 29 goals in the process.

He added: "Real Madrid are very dangerous but we are at the Mestalla.

"We believe we can win on Saturday. They are in their best form since (coach Jose) Mourinho arrived and it won't be easy but we want to give joy to our fans who will pack the stadium."

Madrid's former Valencia defender Raul Albiol is delighted with the team's free-scoring form of late which has seen them establish a three-point lead at the summit after 11 games.

"We are as a team giving a better show. I think people are enjoying every game," said the Spain international.

"This year we are better and have improved in many aspects. We are heading in the right direction.

"We are more compact and stronger in defence and attack.

"The team knows that last year we lost important points and this year if we are to win the league that cannot be repeated."

Albiol put the improvement down to Mourinho.

"He has given us a winning mentality and pushes us to the limit and we know we can't relax for a minute," he said.

"We know he is a great coach but very day he demonstrates that more. Hopefully this year we will get the titles we want."

Real assistant coach Aitor Karanka later confirmed that Kaka would not be available due to a calf problem, although another Brazilian, Marcelo, is fit following a thigh injury.

Karanka told www.realmadrid.com "Marcelo has recovered and will make the squad list if things go well in training. Kaka hasn't recovered yet. I've suffered muscle injuries myself and I can tell you they are tough to determine; it sometimes seems you're fit to play when you really aren't.

"He isn't suffering from his previous injury; he's simply recovering from this muscle strain. (Portuguese defender Ricardo) Carvalho is also still recovering (from a back injury) and feels better. He is enjoying training. It will be better to wait and we hope he rejoins the team as soon as possible."

La Liga Deal Reached

The Spanish season will start on Saturday after players and league officials reached a deal to end a strike that had postponed the opening round of games in the top two divisions.

The deal was reached on Thursday after the players' union and league returned to meet again after talks that had started on Wednesday afternoon dragged late into the night, ending at 5.30am.

The union said the industrial action was called off after the league guaranteed €50m owed to over 200 players in unpaid wages and reached an agreement to allow players to be released from their contracts if wages were not paid.

It was the fourth strike in the history of the Spanish league and the first since 1984.

Related articles

• Spanish season set to start after players' union agrees to end strike (guardian.co.uk)
• Spanish League, Players' Union Agree to End (nytimes.com)
• Spanish League Stalled by Strikes (footybunker.com)

La Liga Strike Continues

Spain's top football players could continue their strike action over unpaid wages to a second match day this weekend.

Last weekend saw the start of the season delayed for the first time in 27 years after players chose to strike.

Six Spanish top-flight clubs are currently in bankruptcy protection.

"The problem is not solved. I would be more optimistic, but I cannot," said Luis Gil, director of the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE).

The AFE and the clubs' Professional Football League - who represent the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas - met in a new round of talks in Madrid on Monday morning but failed to come to an agreement.

Both sides will reconvene on Tuesday afternoon to discuss further proposals after talks between the two parties last week failed to find a resolution, leading to the scheduled opening round of Primera Division and Segunda Division fixtures being postponed at the weekend.

AFE director Gil continued: "I understand that people want to watch football, but we must think about the players who are suffering.

"Presently, I can only speak of a strike for the second round of matches. And it will remain in place if we cannot find agreement on all points. We made another proposal and now must see if an agreement can be reached."

The representatives are demanding a wage guarantee and that players should be allowed to break their contracts if they are not paid for three consecutive months, a proposal rejected by the league.

The last Spanish players' strike was in September, 1984, when clubs fielded youngsters and amateurs in place of their contracted players

According to the AFE, 200 players in the top two divisions have not been fully paid by cash-strapped clubs and are owed a total of about 50m euros ($72m).

It remains unclear if the league will try to squeeze missed matches into an already packed schedule or just scrap them.

The league cannot be extended past the current end date of 13 May 2012, due to the time given over to national teams to prepare for next June's Euro 2012 tournament.

The second round of Primera Division matches includes reigning champions Barcelona hosting Villarreal next Monday and Real Madrid travelling away to Real Zaragoza on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Italian players' association (AIC) have also warned they will strike unless a new collective contract is signed before the start of the Serie A season this weekend.

The AIC was unhappy about clubs trying to force players to move in the last year of their contracts.

Players' representatives of all 20 Serie A clubs met in Milan on Monday afternoon to reaffirm their demand for the league to sign a new deal.

"We reiterate our position," said players' association president Damiano Tommasi. "If the contract is signed, we will play on Saturday or Sunday. Otherwise, we will stay at home."

The AIC said the league has still not signed an agreement reached with the players last year after intense negotiations, during which strikes were twice narrowly averted.

La Liga Faces Possible Strike

Spanish league players say they will go on strike if a new collective bargaining agreement is not signed.

Spanish Football Players Association head Luis Rubiales made the announcement Thursday. He was backed by about 100 players representing all 42 clubs in the top two divisions.

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol and Real Madrid pair Iker Casillas and Xabi Alonso attended, along with fellow Spain internationals Fernando Llorente, Javi Martinez and Santi Cazorla.

Rubiales said about 200 players will be owed a total of $71 million by the start of the season. That's up from $17 million to about half as many players last year. Players are concerned clubs will not be able to make the payments.

Negotiations for a new labor agreement started at the end of May. The league is scheduled to start August  20.