The_Rev Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 It's a poor way to decide things because the head to head results can be decided by January yet the season runs to May. Talk about blowing your load early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted August 20, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2013 It should also be pointed out that the Primera uses head to head and not goal difference to sort out tie-breakers so once the 3pts was secured it doesn't matter what they won by as it has no bearing on a tie-breaker with Real Madrid and it gives them the tie over Levante. Only a complodicated threeway (giggety) tie between Barça, Levante and A.N.Other would invoke goal difference and that probably ain't going to happen.It could impact a tie with Real Madrid, if the two head-to-heads were split with identical scorelines, then goal difference in all games applies. But the odds of that wold have to be on the order of 5-10% of the time that they finished level on points, so something like that would happen on the order of once a century. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 http://thespanishfootballpodcast.wordpress.com/ Sid Lowe (of Football Weekly fame) has started up a La Liga podcast which seems to very deliberately avoid being the Barcelona & Real Madrid show. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted August 21, 2013 Author VT Supporter Share Posted August 21, 2013 Great strike from Villa there to open up the scoring in the Super Cup. I love Barça, but I love David Villa, too. One of my favourite players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted August 21, 2013 Author VT Supporter Share Posted August 21, 2013 This is an example of a team really, really playing their bollocks off against Barcelona. It's hard to dislike Atlético, and they deserve to get something out of this game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ED Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Really hope all these these injuries dont ruin Messi's world cup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted August 21, 2013 Author VT Supporter Share Posted August 21, 2013 It'd be a terrible shame, but I doubt Martino will gamble with him, especially at this stage of the season. He's still by far the best player in the world, and Barça are better with him in the side, but they have plenty of other options - including the young man who equalised tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted August 21, 2013 Author VT Supporter Share Posted August 21, 2013 If Gerry Armstrong tells me that Neymar has lost a few kilos over the summer one more time, I swear I'm going to fly to Spain and put a machete through his face. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 not because of him but barca have been a lot better since neymar came on not a clue how biscuits hasn't been sent off and it might be match fitness or how much he did / didn't play during the summer (I know he was injured) but cesc looks way off the pace, shy of confidence, couple of times he's delayed a shot or tried to pass when in a good position Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted August 21, 2013 Author VT Supporter Share Posted August 21, 2013 Cesc was phenomenal against Levante. Fantastic performance. I reckon he's been impressive at times tonight, too (much less so, though) even if he has made a couple of poor decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glarmorgan Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 The default settings of most La Liga sides when playing Real or Barcelona is all out defense, with the strikers making use of their spare time to ask the gods of football to show mercy. So I agree - there are good mid-table encounters and the battle to avoid relegation is always an intense one but all in all - when the 2 top spots are occupied - there is a problem. To add to that - many of the Spanish clubs are bankrupt. "Twenty-two first- and second-division clubs are in insolvency proceedings or have been in recent years" (copied from The Guardian). Valencia debts are in the region 260-270 million Euros!!! Levante went broke a couple of years back, Just as Racing Santander and Alaves. The list goes on and on - Real Oviedo, Malaga, Deportivo La Coruna, Mallorca, Albacete. Some of them were quite successful, making big bucks in the Champions League but even that's not enough to keep the head above water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 The default settings of most La Liga sides when playing Real or Barcelona is all out defense, with the strikers making use of their spare time to ask the gods of football to show mercy. like I keep saying, how is that any different from the prem? did you watch Chelsea vs hull? hull weren't interested in drawing / winning in the slightest, they were interested in not getting embarrassed, and unfortunately Chelsea weren't interested in embarrassing them either which made for a very boring 2nd half, man city vs Newcastle wasn't much better from what I saw of the 2nd half, Newcastle weren't interested and least barca kept going and provided some entertainment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted August 22, 2013 Moderator Share Posted August 22, 2013 like I keep saying, how is that any different from the prem? did you watch Chelsea vs hull? hull weren't interested in drawing / winning in the slightest, they were interested in not getting embarrassed, and unfortunately Chelsea weren't interested in embarrassing them either which made for a very boring 2nd half, man city vs Newcastle wasn't much better from what I saw of the 2nd half, Newcastle weren't interested and least barca kept going and provided some entertainmentWhat about Chelsea v Villa? Surely that's a more typical example than Chelsea versus a promoted side. The likes of Villa, Swansea, West Ham will give the top 4 far less respect than their counterparts in Spain give to Barca/Real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 really good game ruined by the ref and diving messi really quiet and missed a penalty, think the amount of football he's played has caught up with him atletico will right up there again this year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 like I keep saying, how is that any different from the prem? did you watch Chelsea vs hull? hull weren't interested in drawing / winning in the slightest, they were interested in not getting embarrassed, and unfortunately Chelsea weren't interested in embarrassing them either which made for a very boring 2nd half, man city vs Newcastle wasn't much better from what I saw of the 2nd half, Newcastle weren't interested and least barca kept going and provided some entertainmentWhat about Chelsea v Villa? Surely that's a more typical example than Chelsea versus a promoted side. The likes of Villa, Swansea, West Ham will give the top 4 far less respect than their counterparts in Spain give to Barca/Real. Or Man City vs Cardiff for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 really good game ruined by the ref and diving messi really quiet and missed a penalty, think the amount of football he's played has caught up with him atletico will right up there again this year think barcelona wont be as dominant this season as last. the players are nearing the end. will thrash the rubbish like Levante but Atletico and Malaga(who arent as good as last season) have made it difficult for them so far and only 1 win in them 3 games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 25, 2013 Moderator Share Posted September 25, 2013 The almost all-time great goal that Messi (of all people) ended up making a balls of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 For people who haven't got Sky, Talksport have live coverage of the Madrid derby tonight. Must be the first time a british radio station has had live coverage of a foreign game? Game's going to be a cracker Real have not been at all convincing this season, Atletico finally have a manager capable of coping with the huge expectations at that club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 It's a good game but far too much of the usual diving and playacting. Atlético should be three up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaguy Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Real have looked the neater team but Atletico are making better chances, decent game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts