TOP of the Weekend
La Liga Weekend Roundup
La Liga feels well and truly underway. With two complete matchdays, teams have had time to give soft auditions to their new acquisitions and to assess how they impact the group dynamic at most top-flight clubs.
As expected, Madrid and Barça look like they will take some stopping. The Catalan club smashed Elche for five without response in their opening fixture, and toiled somewhat at home to Athletic Club, escaping with a 2-0 win.
Even without a number 9, Hansi Flick’s charges seem to be able to rely on their tried-and-tested number 11, Raphinha, who has looked sharp and banged in three goals, assisting one, in 2 fixtures. New boy Anthony Gordon contributed two assists in the first game, but special mention has to go to Lamine Yamal for stinking up the place in both games, getting substituted in the first one and shedding teenage tears on the bench after.
He will work his way to form, no doubt, but he seems a few yards off his normal electric self. Hopefully, he doesn’t follow in the footsteps of the last Barca number 10, Ansu Fati. Scored 7, conceded none; Barça are flying.
The boys in white from the Capital struggled to fashion chances in MD1 vs Espanyol away in Catalunya, with summer signing Carlos Espi having to literally come up BIG, scoring late to secure tres puntos, but at home vs La Real, the Big Blanco engine was purring.
KyKy from Bondy headlined the night with a crisp hat-trick, Vini Jr celebrated his brand new mega contract with a goal and an assist, but it was the performance of Birmingham’s finest, Jude the dude, that caught the eye, assisting twice and putting in a monster shift to help Mourinho’s men to a 4-1 win.
The Englishman is the archetypical Jose footballer. Supremely talented, but also a relentless workhorse for the benefit of the group. On this evidence, Madrid fans will be eating good this season.
Sevilla sits third on the Primera Division log, after two hard-fought wins vs Rayo on MD1 and vs Athletic Club on MD2, with both games seeing a man sent off in heated exchanges. Sevilla had huge defensive issues last season, but seem to be turning a positive corner in this current edition. Being one of the traditional La Liga big boys, it will be their hope that they can keep up with their displays to the end of the season.
Betis close out the 6-point club on 4th, with Alaves, Atleti and Osasuna all on 4 points to round up the early season top seven. Atleti will surely improve, but their task has been made difficult by the self-imposed exile of their star Argentine forward, Julian Alvarez.
Netting just eight times last season in La Liga, you’d think he would exercise humility. Julian sulked his way out of City for being in the shadow of a certain leftfooted 6’5’’ Norwegian forward, only to join Atleti, and sulk for being in the shadow of another left-footed 6’5” Norwegian forward.
He has been batting his eyelids at Barca and begging to join his “dream club”, but he has four years to go on a 6-year contract and the Atleti higher ups have made it absolutely clear that they will not sell him to Barça, citing disrespect from the Catalan club, which mainly stems from their approach of the player, and asking for lipa pole pole options on his transfer fee. This not-so-intriguing drama looks to rumble on into deadline day, just four days away.
At the bottom, Athletic Club have had a hard start, playing vs Sevilla and Barcelona, but they will not be there for long. La Real have also shipped 5 goals and sit second to bottom, losing to in-form Betis and being mauled by Madrid. They too will look to climb out of that position in due course. Elche close off the bottom three, conceding six times (admittedly, five were against Barça), but have one draw vs Depor and that loss firmly behind them.
We will keep abreast of the permutations, as cup commitments, a long international break and then Continental football all get thrown in the mix over the next months. One thing is for sure: there will be many twists and turns in the new Primera Division season.
Further Afield
The UEFA Champions League group (aka league phase) draw is out and brings with it some blockbuster fixtures that include some of the top-seeded clubs. The holders Paris Saint-Germain play Barcelona and City. The record winners Real Madrid play Arsenal and Inter; City also play Barcelona; finalists Arsenal play Bayern Munich, with Bayern Munich facing both Manchester United and Atletico Madrid. Liverpool face Atleti and Inter in some of the more eye-catching fixtures.
Fireworks are expected all round as teams go in search of bragging rights and continental glory, with most of these POT 1 fixtures carrying different subplots. Watch out for Luis Enrique hosting his old club Barça at the Parc Des Princes, Barcelona hosting a Guardiola-less City at Spotify Camp Nou, and Madrid facing Arsenal, a team they have yet to win against in the UCL, especially after a summer where 2x UCL winner Vini Jr was mooted to join the 0 UCL club. Intriguing for all lovers of the game and something to rub our collective hands about.
