Real Madrid 3 - 0 Almeria [La Liga]

Real Madrid kept up the pressure on Barcelona as it moved back to within two points of the La Liga leader with a 3-0 victory over Almeria.
After Barca's comprehensive 6-0 win over Getafe 24 hours earlier, the pressure was on for Carlo Ancelotti's side and it ultimately claimed three points with ease despite a lacklustre first-half showing.  While title rival Barca netted five in the opening 45 minutes the previous day, Madrid took time to break through - James Rodriguez registering his club's 100th goal of the season with a stunning volley just before half-time.
The lead was doubled after 48 minutes when Mauro dos Santos turned a low cross into his own net and Alvaro Arbeloa added a third late on.  Ancelotti opted against introducing 16-year-old Martin Odegaard, the Norway wonderkid made to wait for his first-team debut as he remained an unused substitute.  A typically fast start from Madrid saw it go close three times in the opening exchanges, with Cristiano Ronaldo unsurprisingly at the heart of everything.  The first chance fell to Rodriguez, though, the Colombia star ghosting into the penalty area to meet Arbeloa's right-wing cross, but failing to divert his header on target.  Ronaldo's personal battle with Ruben in the Almeria goal then began as the forward made a rampaging run towards goal and saw his low shot saved by the goalkeeper's legs, before heading over from the resulting corner.  Some Almeria pressure followed but just before the half-hour the Ronaldo show restarted, the Ballon D'Or winner going close with two long-range free kicks - the first rippling the top of Ruben's net.  The deadlock was finally broken on the brink of half-time as poor defending saw the ball bounce into the path of Rodriguez, who unleashed a stunning volley from 20 yards that gave Ruben no chance.  Although Madrid had to wait for its opening goal, the second came quickly after the restart as Toni Kroos was released behind the Almeria defence. His low cross was inadvertently turned into the net by Dos Santos, with Ronaldo waiting behind.  Almeria again showed plenty of spirit to try and threaten Keylor Navas, but Raphael Varane was agonisingly close to adding a third midway through the second half as he headed a Kroos corner wide.  Javier Hernandez also spurned an opportunity to extend Madrid's advantage, poking wide at the near post from a pinpoint Ronaldo cross after 73 minutes.  The host still finished on a high, though, as Arbeloa stretched to convert a low ball in from Hernandez with five minutes to play, adding gloss to a victory that ensures the title race remains wide open.

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Barcelona 6-0 Getafe

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored twice as Barcelona thrashed Getafe 6-0 to hand Real Madrid an ominous La Liga title warning on Tuesday.  Getafe had held Luis Enrique’s side to a goalless stalemate in December’s reverse fixture and drew 2-2 at Barca last season, but any hopes of masterminding another surprise result were emphatically curtailed by a devastating five-goal first-half blitz at Camp Nou.  Barca’s rout started with Messi’s cool chipped penalty and he turned provider for Suarez to make it 2-0 with a stunning volley in the 25th minute.  The duo have formed part of a thrilling attacking trio alongside Neymar that has fired Barca to the top of La Liga, into the Copa del Rey final and the last four of the UEFA Champions League. And Neymar made it 3-0 to make it 100 goals across all competitions between the triumvirate this term.   Xavi rolled back with the years with an excellent fourth before Suarez added his second five minutes before the break.  The superb Messi made it 38 Liga goals for 2014-15 with an exquisite effort shortly after the break and the only surprise was that Barca failed to add to their tally.  Luis Enrique’s men have now gone 10 Liga matches unbeaten and hold a five-point lead over Real, who host Almeria on Wednesday.  It took just nine minutes for Barca to break Getafe’s resistance. Suarez’s sharp turn drew a trip from Alvaro Arroyo just inside the area and Messi confidently dinked his spot-kick straight down the middle.   Fredy Hinestroza almost caught Barca cold when he lobbed Claudio Bravo, only for the goalkeeper to scramble back and scoop the ball off the line.  It proved a momentary scare, though, as Barca doubled their lead in some style.  Messi’s delightful cross from the right was met with a stunning volley from Suarez that nestled in the top-right corner.  Not to be outdone, Neymar got in on the act when he twisted his way into the area and drilled a low shot into the left-hand corner to make it six goals in as many games for the Brazilian.   Worse was to come for Getafe as Xavi, who celebrated his 500th Liga appearance against Espanyol on Saturday, picked up the ball from the left and bent an exquisite 20-yard shot into the far corner.  Amazingly it was 5-0 in the 40th minute. Messi’s pass was flicked into the path of Suarez by Xavi and the Uruguayan curled an unstoppable shot high past the outstretched hand of Vicente Guaita.  The romp continued two minutes after the break when Messi glided into the area from the right before effortlessly curling his shot into the far top corner.  Suarez twice went close to netting a hat-trick, while Getafe almost grabbed a consolation when Hinestroza’s low shot span past Bravo and came back off the post.  Guaita denied Messi a third in the closing stages when he got a strong palm to the Argentine superstar’s bending 20-yard free-kick, but Barca had done more than enough to crank up the pressure on Real. 

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Valencia 4-0 Granada

Valencia regained fourth spot in La Liga with a straightforward 4-0 victory over relegation-threatened Granada on Monday.  Defeat to Barcelona last time out had opened the door for Sevilla in the race for the final UEFA Champions League spot, the Andalusians capitalising with a 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.  However, an unchallenged Javi Fuego nodded Dani Parejo’s 36th-minute corner home before the Valencia captain doubled the advantage from the penalty spot five minutes before the interval.  Things went from bad to worse for Granada in the second half as left-back Emanuel Insua was stretchered from the field, seemingly injuring himself as he attempted a long-range pass.  Sofiane Feghouli and Alvaro Negredo compounded Granada’s misery in the closing stages, capping a dominant display with a goal apiece.  Defeat for Abel Resino’s men leaves them six points adrift of safety, while negative head-to-head records against two of the three teams directly above the drop zone will only add to the sense of doom at Granada.

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Celta Vigo 2-4 Real Madrid

Javier Hernandez’s Real Madrid resurgence continued with a vital brace in Sunday’s 4-2 win at Celta Vigo to keep the capital club within two points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.  The Mexico striker netted the crucial winner in Real’s 1-0 defeat of Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday and he proved decisive once again as Carlo Ancelotti’s men made hard work of a vibrant Celta side.  Former Barca winger Nolito opened the scoring for Celta with a fine individual effort early on, though any celebrations in the Catalan capital will have been short-lived as Toni Kroos quickly equalised.  Hernandez, again playing in place of the injured Karim Benzema, put the visitors ahead, but their risky high defensive line allowed Santi Mina to score his fifth goal in three games before the half-hour mark.  James Rodriguez’s deflected effort just before the break gave Real the lead once again, though the second half proved a serious assessment of their credentials, the visiting defence withstanding periods of intense pressure.  Nevertheless, Hernandez coolly stroked home the clincher with 21 minutes to go, sparing Ancelotti’s blushes once again as Real avoided a repeat of last season’s crucial slip-up at Balaidos which ended their title hopes.  A repeat of that result had been on the cards as Celta’s positive start was rewarded with just nine minutes played. Nolito brilliantly slalomed between Dani Carvajal and Asier Illarramendi cutting in from the left flank, before tucking a shot just inside the left-hand post.  But Real’s reply was swift, restoring parity just seven minutes later.  Cristiano Ronaldo caused havoc in the Celta backline with a darting run into the right side of the area and Kroos was on hand to steer home in emphatic fashion from 12 yards despite Hugo Mallo’s initial interception.  Hernandez completed the turnaround in the 24th minute, placing a cool finish under Sergio Alvarez after combining with Rodriguez down the right to devastating effect.  But Celta rallied and hit back within a few moments, as Mina raced beyond the Real defence and finished at the second attempt, after hitting the post when running on Iker Casillas’ goal.  Real’s chances of retaking the lead before the break seemed to end with Ronaldo striking the post in the 40th minute, though luck proved to be on their side in their next attack, Rodriguez finding the net from 20 yards via a deflection off Andreu Fontas.  Celta enjoyed victory at Barcelona in November and showed no sign of holding back. Their attacking endeavour perhaps should have been rewarded with a penalty near the hour when Kroos tripped Fabian Orellana in the box.  However, Real were happy to hit on the counter and Sergio Ramos’ exquisite chipped pass released Hernandez to clinically beat Alvarez to cap a fine week individually and seal a result for Real which keeps life in Spain’s title race.


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Chelsea 1 - 0 Manchester United [Premier League]

Eden Hazard’s 18th goal of the season ensured Chelsea took another giant stride towards winning the Premier League title by beating Manchester United 1-0 to move 10 points clear at the top of the table.  Hazard demonstrated why he is a strong favourite to be crowned the PFA Player of the Year when he rounded off a slick move with a clinical finish to give Chelsea the lead during a first half in which they were distinctly unimpressive.  Wayne Rooney, moved back into a midfield role, wasted a great early chance when he fired into the side-netting and Radamel Falcao struck the woodwork as United missed the chance to move above Arsenal into second place.  Louis van Gaal’s side remain on course to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League with five games remaining, but any slight hopes they may have had of winning the title are surely gone after their six-game winning league run came to an end at Stamford Bridge.  Victory for Chelsea stretched their unbeaten run to 14 games in all competitions and there appears to be no stopping Jose Mourinho’s men in their quest to secure a first Premier League title for five years.  Kurt Zouma and Oscar came into Chelsea’s starting line-up at the expense of Brazil duo Willian and Ramires, who dropped to the bench.  Falcao made his first start since February for United, while Luke Shaw also returned to the starting line-up along with Paddy McNair, as Michael Carrick, Daley Blind and Phil Jones were ruled out due to injury.  Rooney had a great opportunity to open the scoring after only three minutes when Shaw cut the ball back and the England captain fired into the side-netting.  David de Gea clearly thought Rooney had scored as he celebrated with clenched fists at the other end, and the Spain goalkeeper ought to have had another moment to forget when he handled Cesc Fabregas’ cross just outside the area, but the officials did not spot his infringement.  De Gea had very little to do in the first half, but he was picking the ball out of the net when Hazard opened the scoring out of the blue eight minutes before half-time.  Falcao was robbed of possession by John Terry on the halfway line and Fabregas picked out Oscar, whose clever backheel set Hazard free and the winger surged into the area before firing under De Gea with his left foot.  Didier Drogba almost doubled Chelsea’s lead early in the second half when he raced away and went close with a deflected shot that looped over De Gea and Hazard arrived beyond the back post to hit the crossbar from a tight angle.  Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois palmed away a stinging drive from McNair on the hour mark and Juan Mata was denied an equaliser against his former club with an effort that looped just over the crossbar.  There would be no further chances for the Spain midfielder, who was given a great reception by both sets of fans when he replaced by Angel Di Maria.  Van Gaal opted against bringing on Robin van Persie, back on the bench after two months out, and United were unable to break down a stubborn Chelsea side.  Ander Herrera was booked for simulation after going down in the area late on and that proved to be the last action, as Chelsea celebrated another hard-earned victory that means a positive result against Arsenal next weekend would leave them just one win from the title.




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Athletic Bilbao 4 - 0 Getafe [La Liga]

Athletic Bilbao maintained their hopes of qualifying for Europe after a 4-0 thrashing of Getafe in La Liga on Saturday.  A brace from Aritz Aduriz and late goals from Ibai Gomez and Markel Susaeta saw Ernesto Valverde’s men end a three-game winless run.  The win lifted Bilbao into eighth in the table, eight points adrift of Villarreal – who are sixth and occupy the final European place.  Getafe, who sit 13th and eight points clear of the bottom three, were reduced to 10 men in the 44th minute when Emiliano Velazquez saw red, and it proved costly.  Velazquez denied Bilbao an obvious goalscoring opportunity just before the break, and Aduriz sent Vicente Guaita the wrong way from the penalty spot.  Aduriz doubled Bilbao’s advantage early in the second half with a good finish after being played through by Andoni Iraola.  The hosts needed until late on to seal the win, with Ibai heading in a Susaeta cross before the latter tapped in the fourth.
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Deportivo La Coruna 1 - 2 Atletico Madrid [La Liga]

Atletico Madrid went four points clear of Valencia in third place after a 2-1 win over La Liga strugglers Deportivo La Coruna at Estadio Riazor, with Antoine Griezmann netting a first-half brace.   The French winger was moved into a more central role with striker Mario Mandzukic rested for Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid.  And Griezmann proved his versatility with just five minutes played, slamming an overhead kick past Deportivo goalkeeper Fabricio from 12 yards out.  That was never likely to be the end of the scoring for Griezmann, who tortured the Deportivo defence throughout with his outstanding pace, and so it proved.  Griezmann’s second, a much simpler but equally effective finish on the half-volley, felt like a game killer even if there was still 70 minutes left to play.  From that point on, Atletico allowed Deportivo control of the ball but not of the game, as the visitors posed the only real threat with occasional breakaway attacks.  Oriol Riera did set up a grandstand finish with a powerful header at the near post in Deportivo’s only really presentable opening, but they could not find the leveller they so craved.  Atletico pressed Deportivo back from the kick-off and were rewarded with just five minutes played when Griezmann sent a brilliant overhead kick into the roof of the net having been given the freedom of the penalty area.  Although the Frenchman appeared to be offside when the ball was flicked back into the area by Jose Gimenez, replays showed Riera’s delayed run out of defence was playing him on.  Deportivo battled to get a foothold in the game, but after 21 minutes Griezmann doubled the visitors’ advantage, driving a low half-volley back across goal after a throw-in from the left found its way to him at the far post.  Despite their dominance, Atletico showed a familiar devilment in their play, with Diego Godin booked for leading into a challenge with his elbow and Raul Garcia shown a yellow card soon after for dissent.  Deportivo dominated the ball for the remainder of the half, but could not force mid-week hero Jan Oblak into a single save of note as Atletico easily soaked up the pressure.  The theme continued in the second half, with Atletico surrendering possession without conceding chances, while Griezmann chased his hat-trick with a couple of threatening runs into the area.  With his thoughts firmly on the Champions League, Atletico coach Diego Simeone brought off Arda Turan and Griezmann for Raul Jimenez and Fernando Torres respectively.  The duo were involved in an extraordinary miss soon after coming on, although it would be unfair not to mention Deportivo goalkeeper Fabricio, who made a great triple save.  Saving Jiminez’s initial shot when one-on-one, Fabricio then kept out efforts from Raul Garcia before Alberto Lopo cleared off the line from Torres.  And Atletico were given a nervous finale when Riera powered home a header at the near post after Sidnei’s outstanding cross from the left with 12 minutes remaining.
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Barcelona 2 - 0 Valencia [La Liga]

Leaders Barcelona returned to winning way in La Liga with a hard fought 2-0 victory over Valencia.  Luis Enrique’s team had their lead at the summit cut to two points last weekend when they let a two-goal lead slip in a draw 2-2 at Sevilla.  Barca rediscovered their devastating best form with an emphatic 3-1 UEFA Champions League triumph at Paris Saint-Germain in midweek – Luis Suarez starring with a dazzling brace.  And Suarez picked up where they left off at Camp Nou on Saturday by firing Barca ahead after 55 seconds.  But the anticipated dominant display did not follow as Valencia spurned numerous chances to equalise, most notable when captain Dani Parejo had a penalty saved and Andre Gomes struck the post.  Barca recovered their poise after half-time and Lionel Messi netted his 400th goal for the club in stoppage time, putting pressure on nearest rivals Real Madrid, who host Malaga later on Saturday.  Sergio Busquets was selected in a more advanced position than his customary holding midfield role, with Andres Iniesta an injury absence for Barcelona, and he revelled in this freedom by playing a key role in the opening goal.  Busquets threaded an inch-perfect pass for Messi to race towards a backpedalling Valencia defence and play in Suarez for a clinical low finish.  Valencia forward Rodrigo skipped past Gerard Pique to curl a shot narrowly wide and he drew a foul from the ailing Spain centre-back to win a 10th-minute penalty.  Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo spared his team-mate’s blushes by saving and holding Parejo’s tamely struck effort.  The early setbacks did not dent Valencia’s confidence – Nicolas Otamendi heading just wide at the far post before Paco Alcacer turned wide from close range and Javier Mascherano produced a vital 22nd-minute block to thwart the same player.  Gomes engineered space on the edge of the area to strike the base of the post after 33 minutes, while Alcacer failed to punish the creaking Barca defence by curling over from 20 yards.  Messi blasted wide at the far post on the end of a move he started five minutes before the break, failing to hand the hosts a second goal they scarcely deserved.  Luis Enrique introduced Ivan Rakitic in place of Adriano at half-time, meaning Mascherano dropped in at centre-back and Jeremy Mathieu moved to left-back against his former club.  Barca played with far greater control after the restart, although Neymar and Messi were unable to make acrobatic efforts count.  Messi curled a sumptuous 64th-minute free-kick against the crossbar having been felled by Parejo before Suarez was replaced by Pedro to a standing ovation.  The Camp Nou’s other hero of the afternoon, Bravo, displayed excellent reactions to deny Rodrigo following a 75th-minute penalty box scramble.  Pedro rippled the side netting late on but Messi had the final word – striding forward unchallenged on the break to beat Diego Alves at the second attempt and rack up another phenomenal career landmark.


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Levante 2 - 2 Espanyol [La Liga]

La Liga strugglers Levante failed to give their survival hopes a major boost as they required a late Victor Casadesus equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw with Espanyol.  The Valencia-based outfit went into the match level on points with 18th-placed Almeria, aiming to put daylight between themselves and the relegation zone.  However, the hosts rarely looked capable of stealing all three points, as Espanyol forced them to come from behind twice in front of their own fans.  Lucas Vazquez, who has impressed on loan from Real Madrid this term, opened the scoring in the 18th minute for the away side, finding the bottom-right corner after creating space for himself inside the area.  Levante hit back through Simao Mate three minutes later, the Mozambique internaional nodding in from a corner, only for in-form Felipe Caicedo to restore Espanyol’s lead just before the break, holding off Juanfran to find the net against his former team.  Espanyol could not hold on, though, as Victor latched on to Kalu Uche’s flick-on and slammed home from 14 yards three minutes from time to earn Levante a point, and dent the visitors already-slim chances of UEFA Europa League qualification.


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Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta will miss Saturday’s clash with Valencia after picking up an injury in the UEFA Champions League

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta will miss Saturday’s clash with Valencia after picking up an injury in the UEFA Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain.  The midfielder was withdrawn early in the second half of Barca’s quarter-final first leg victory at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.  He was later confirmed to have suffered heavy bruising to his pelvic region, with coach Luis Enrique revealing the 30-year-old is all but certain to miss the weekend’s action at Camp Nou.  “He’s much better, he didn’t train today so in principle, unless there’s a miracle, he won’t be in the squad,” the Barca boss explained.  “He won’t be playing tomorrow.”  With Barca still in the running for La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League honours, Luis Enrique also discussed the hectic schedule his side are facing.  “I don’t want it to sound like I’m making excuses,” he added.  “Fitness wise it certainly conditions you to have less time to recovery. That’s obvious. You can see that in the way we train. We don’t want to overload the players.  “It couldn’t get much tighter, the schedule, but other teams at our level have to deal with the same kind of arrangements.  “It makes things difficult – I’m exhausted and I haven’t played a minute so imagine what it’s like for the players.  “We’re coming to the end of the season, in the position we want, with three trophies available and that’s a huge stimulation for us.”

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Atletico join chase for Dybala having managed 13 goals and 9 assists 29 Serie A matches

Spanish champions Atletico Madrid have taken a keen interest in Palermo striker Paulo Dybala, according to AS.  Los Colchoneros aim to further reinforce the front line in the summer and they have made the Argentine forward their primary target.  AS has suggested that Dybala’s agents are set to hold a meeting with Atletico Madrid officials as the La Liga side aim to lure the highly rated footballer to Vicente Calderon in the summer.  The 21-year-old has become one of Europe’s most sought-after players and while Palermo are ready to sell, they are holding out for €40 million.  Serie A giants Juventus are believed to be leading the chase at the moment, but Atletico seem keen to hijack their bid for the Argentine.  Dybala has been in scintillating form this season, having managed 13 goals and 9 assists 29 Serie A matches.
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Benzema to miss Malaga clash due to a knee complaint.

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Real Madrid will be without the services of Karim Benzema for Saturday’s La Liga game with Malaga, although the striker will return for the second leg of his side’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid.  Reports in Spain claimed that the France international – who was pictured with heavy strapping to his right leg – was forced to withdraw from Friday’s training session due to a knee complaint.  Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti confirmed: “He [Benzema] is not available, but will recover for the next game.  “We will put out the best line-up possible to win against a team that has done well and is dangerous.  “It will not change the design of the team. He can play against Atletico.”  Real welcome Malaga to the Santiago Bernabeu two points adrift of Barcelona, who host Valencia this weekend, at the top of La Liga.

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Valencia 3 - 0 Levante [La Liga]

Valencia eased to a 3-0 win over local rivals Levante on Monday in La Liga and moved within a point of the top three as a result.  Paco Alcacer and Sofiane Feghouli scored inside 20 first-half minutes to set Valencia on their way to maximum points at the Mestalla.  While Levante threated in the second half, Alvaro Negredo made it 3-0 late on to ensure Valencia move within a point of Atletico Madrid, while Levante stay in the bottom three.  The hosts were frustrated by officiating decisions early on as Loukas Vyntra escaped punishment despite seeming to handle in the area before Alcacer saw an effort ruled out for offside.  However, the striker did open the scoring in the 16th minute as the Spaniard got on the end of Daniel Parejo’s curled delivery.  David Barral blazed Levante’s first chance over the crossbar and Valencia made them pay after the half-hour mark as Feghouli glanced home a second from Lucas Orban’s cross.  Lucas Alcaraz introduced Jose Mari at the break and it nearly paid dividends as the striker crashed a long-range strike off the crossbar.  Diego Alves was kept busy – palming away a Barral strike in the final stages – before Negredo rounded off the scoring deep into stoppage time with an impressive half-volley.

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Sevilla 2 - 2 Barcelona [La Liga]

Barcelona’s nerve has been called into question after La Liga’s pacesetters let a two-goal lead slip in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Sevilla, with Kevin Gameiro’s late leveller handing Real Madrid a huge boost in the title race.  Luis Enrique’s side appeared to be cruising at 2-0 up in the 31st minute, as Lionel Messi and Neymar scored fine goals, but the hosts battled back to stretch their unbeaten run at home to 24 league matches thanks to substitute Gameiro.  Barca looked rampant at times in the first half, Messi putting them ahead with 14 minutes gone before Neymar followed suit just after the half-hour mark with a similarly stylish finish.  But a Claudio Bravo error allowed Ever Banega to net for the hosts seven minutes before the break, spurring Sevilla on for an improved display in the second half.  The hosts’ saw a couple of chances go begging, with Carlos Bacca the culprit on both occasions.  But the Colombian’s replacement, Gameiro, finished off a trademark counter-attacking goal for Unai Emery’s side, blowing La Liga’s title race wide open following Real’s 3-0 defeat of Eibar earlier on Saturday and ending Barca’s nine-game winning streak in all competitions.   Barcelona, who now have a two-point cushion over Real at the top, unsurprisingly dictated play in the early stages, patiently probing as Sevilla sat back and looked for opportunities on the counterattack.  Sevilla’s numbers at the back seemed to be proving a frustrating obstacle for Barca, as Andres Iniesta and Neymar both forced Sergio Rico into easy saves with efforts from distance.  But the visitors eventually worked an opening in the 14th minute and it proved effective, as Messi cut inside Benoit Tremoulinas and curled a delightful effort beyond Rico to break the deadlock.  Barca’s intensity prevented Sevilla from gaining a foothold in the contest and they doubled their lead with 31 minutes on the clock.  Luis Suarez won a free-kick from Grzegorz Krychowiak right on the edge of the area and Neymar sensationally arced an effort right into the top-left corner, far beyond the reach of Rico.  Sevilla were back in it seven minutes later, though, as Banega struck from 30 yards and beat Bravo, who failed to keep the ball out despite getting two hands to it.  Barca should have restored their two-goal advantage four minutes into the second half, but Suarez blazed over an empty goal from 18 yards after Rico rushed out to deny Iniesta.   Sevilla remained a threat on the break, though, and they crafted a decent opportunity six minutes later, but Bacca sliced over after working space for himself inside the area.  That proved to be Bacca’s final involvement before his 75th-minute withdrawal for Gameiro, with that change ultimately appearing a masterstroke from Emery.  Sevilla caught Barca on the break in lethal fashion with seven minutes to go, leaving Gameiro with an easy tap-in following Aleix Vidal’s lung-busting run, securing an unlikely draw for the home side, a result likely to be celebrated at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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Malaga 2 - 2 Atletico Madrid [La Liga]

An Antoine Griezmann brace spared Atletico Madrid’s blushes on Saturday, but the 2-2 draw at Malaga dealt a further hefty blow to their faltering La Liga title defence.  Samu Garcia seemingly secured Malaga a vital win in their bid for a UEFA Europa League place and, although Griezmann netted his second 12 minutes from time to claim a point, a draw will unlikely prove particularly helpful in their bid to keep pace with leaders Barcelona and Real Madrid.   Despite hosting Real in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, Diego Simeone could not afford to rest key players and, for the first half an hour, Malaga caused few problems.  Indeed, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, Griezmann capitalising on a Carlos Kameni error to score his 17th league goal of the season – his best ever Liga campaign.  The champions failed to hold on until the break, though, as Fernando Torres directed a cross into his own goal and that spurred Malaga on in the second half, as Samu celebrated his new contract with a clever finish 19 minutes from the end.  Griezmann scored his second of the day seven minutes later to secure a point for Atletico, but the draw does little in their pursuit of Real and Barca.  Atletico began the brighter of the two sides and generally controlled possession during the early exchanges, although chances were infrequent.  The only real opportunity of the first 20 minutes fell to Torres, as a Juanfran cross dropped at the feet of the former Chelsea striker and he smashed his half-volley well over.  With chances few and far between it came as little surprise to see the opener come as a result of an individual error and it was Griezmann who profited.   Kameni failed to keep hold of Jesus Gamez’s long throw-in and the France striker pounced, stabbing home from close range.  Malaga restored parity eight minutes before the break, though, and it came via an unlikely source.  Recio fired a powerful delivery in towards the near post from the left flank and Torres diverted it into his own goal, despite Jan Oblak’s best efforts to keep it out.  Malaga came out full of purpose after the break, putting Atletico under intense pressure as they looked to take charge.  And they almost edged ahead in the 53rd minute, but Samu Castillejo could only direct Nordin Amrabat’s cross just wide of the mark.  Despite finding themselves under the cosh, Atletico remained a potent threat on the break and went close a minute later, as Koke headed off target under pressure from Kameni.  Samu made Atletico pay for that miss, racing on to Amrabat’s througball and clipping over the advancing Oblak to put Malaga ahead with 19 minutes left.  But there proved to be one final twist in the 78th minute, as Griezmann smashed home left-footed following a precise cut-back by Raul Jimenez.
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Real Madrid 3 - 0 Eibar [La Liga]

photo via:dailymail

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his fine goalscoring form as a much-changed Real Madrid side claimed a 3-0 win over Eibar to remain hot on Barcelona’s heels in the Liga title race.  Carlo Ancelotti made numerous changes ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg clash at Atletico Madrid, but Real secured a comfortable win at Santiago Bernabeu to keep the pressure on leaders Barca.  The European champions dominated and deservedly went ahead in the 21st minute, Ronaldo finding the net directly from a free-kick for the first time in La Liga since March 2014 to take his tally to eight goals in his last four league matches.  Javier Hernandez, making his first Liga start since October, nodded in the second just after the half-hour mark, converting the delivery of another of Ancelotti’s fringe players – Alvaro Arbeloa.  Although Real were less rampant after the break, they remained in complete control and were only denied more goals due to good saves from Xabi Irureta.  Eibar attempted to pull one back in order to set up a nervous finish, but lacked quality in the final third and Jese Rodriguez added a third goal seven minutes from time.  Despite giving rare starts to the likes of Hernandez and Jese, Ancelotti’s changes did not seem to have a negative impact on the hosts’ fluency during the early stages.  Isco crafted the first chance of the game with only three minutes played, delightfully jinking between a couple of defenders before seeing a 25-yard effort deflected just wide.   Real continued to dominate and should have been rewarded with an opening goal in the 19th minute.  Sergio Ramos smashed Arbeloa’s delivery against the crossbar from close range, before Ronaldo’s 18-yard follow-up effort hit both posts and then Hernandez saw his strike on the rebound disallowed due to offside.  Real finally opened the scoring two minutes later, as Irureta inexplicably allowed Ronaldo’s 30-yard free-kick to bounce straight past him and into the net.  Real only had to wait another 10 minutes before doubling their advantage, with Hernandez guiding a glancing header beyond Irureta following a fine Arbeloa cross.  Ancelotti’s men remained firmly on the front foot at the beginning of the second period and went close twice in quick succession.  Luka Modric tested Irureta with a left-footed effort following Marcelo’s precise cut-back in the 50th minute, before Hernandez headed another Arbeloa cross at the keeper.  Eibar became more ambitious, but they never looked like salvaging a result and Jese rounded off the scoring with a late third goal.  The young forward darted past Raul Navas and fired into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute as Real secured a third win in the space of six days.


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Barcelona 4 - 0 Almeria:Messi and Suarez gave barcelona the victory

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were on target as leaders Barcelona beat Almeria 4-0 to chalk up a sixth straight La Liga win.  Messi went into the contest nursing an injury to his right foot but illuminated a largely forgettable first half with a sumptuous strike – his 44th goal in 43rd Barca appearances this term.  Suarez redeemed what had been a frustrating match individually with a similarly impressive second 10 minutes after half-time.  Defender Marc Bartra headed home in the 75th minute before Suarez tapped home in stoppage time to ensure former Barca full-back Sergi suffered defeat in his first match as Almeria coach.  The Andalusian side dispensed of Juan Ignacio Martinez after a run of seven winless games, though Sergi may well target Saturday’s fixture against fellow strugglers Granada as a chance to turn their fortunes around.  Barca appear to be hitting their straps at just the right time, however, with an ever-improving defence keeping a clean sheet for the fourth time in five outings.  Though ultimately comfortable, Barca were made to sweat through much of the first half as Suarez wasted a free header from a seventh minute corner before Messi nodded Dani Alves’ cross into the arms of goalkeeper Julian Cuesta.  Barca struggled to create early clear openings despite dominating possession and Wellington Silva was only denied by a last-ditch intervention from Pedro – the winger’s best contribution coming in defence despite being brought in to replace the off-form Neymar.  There was a vital clearance from Almeria teenage debutant Antonio Marin after Messi sent Suarez scampering in behind the visiting defence and Cuesta saved with half an hour played when Xavi drilled a volley into the turf.  Murmurs of frustration were audible from the Camp Nou terraces at that stage, but Messi punctured the air of apprehension in typically majestic style.  Cutting in from the right flank, Barca’s talisman skipped past Edgar Mendez’s challenge and curled a beauty into the far corner from the edge of the area.  Almeria retained a threat on the break after half-time and the hosts were grateful when Suarez doubled their advantage emphatically.  Again, attacking from the right proved profitable for Barca and Suarez evaded an isolated Jose Manuel Casado to thrash a left-footed shot that Cuesta could only touch into the top corner.  Ivan Rakitic and Pedro went close as Barca revelled in a more relaxed Camp Nou atmosphere.  Bartra was allowed ample room to convert a Xavi corner with 15 minutes remaining and Messi thought he had a second, only for Cuesta to impressively keep out his 88th-minute free-kick.  Suarez shrugged off brief fears that he had sustained an injury to his right leg by chalking up his brace in stoppage time, completing a simple finish from Pedro’s low cross moments after Almeria midfielder Thomas Partey had a spectacular volleyed effort disallowed – a moment to encapsulate the struggles that Sergi must turn around.








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Atletico Madrid 2 - 0 Real Sociedad

Reigning champions Atletico Madrid eased to a third consecutive La Liga win with a routine 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad on Tuesday.  Coach Diego Simeone chose to shuffle his pack, making five alterations to the side that overcame Cordoba by the same scoreline on Saturday, but the changes paid instant dividends as the hosts caught Sociedad cold.  Atletico offered the latest demonstration of their set-piece prowess when Mikel Gonzalez headed Koke’s second-minute corner into his own net.  It was 2-0 shortly afterwards as former Sociedad forward Antoine Griezmann capitalised on an error from Geronimo Rulli – far from the last uncertain moment on a trying outing for the Argentine goalkeeper.  The gap between second-placed Real Madrid and Atletico is down to two points ahead of the former’s trip to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, while next week’s all-Madrid UEFA Champions League quarter-final looms on the horizon.  Simeone’s side made a strong start as Arda Turan drilled an early shot against the post on the end of Koke’s deep cross, but Atletico did not have to wait long to open the scoring.  Koke’s delivery caused problems for Sociedad once more as Gonzalez diverted the Spain midfielder’s in-swinging corner into his own goal.  An uphill task for David Moyes’ team became considerably steeper in the 10th minute when Rulli got down to keep out Koke’s dipping strike but could only push the ball to Griezmann, who dispatched a cool finish beyond the prone keeper.   A last-ditch challenge from Gonzalez prevented Griezmann from doubling his tally shortly afterwards and, although Sociedad belatedly settled into the contest, Rulli provided further cause for concern in the 27th minute when he saved unconvincingly from a Jesus Gamez drive.  Another well-planned corner routine in the 39th minute could have brought a third for Atletico but Mario Suarez missed his kick, before Koke almost caught out Rulli in fortuitous circumstances – his arching cross from the right dipping to hit the crossbar.  Suarez thumped over under pressure after Griezmann’s cushioned lay-off as Atletico continued to be the most threatening team after the break.  Sociedad midfielder David Zurutuza went to ground in the area under a challenge from Miranda as the hour approached but the referee was uninterested in his penalty claims.  The hosts pressed forward once more, looking to secure the points, and substitute Raul Jimenez – on in place of Fernando Torres – saw an attempt deflected wide after Rulli clawed a Gamez cross out of his six-yard box.  Home goalkeeper Jan Oblak made sure of his third consecutive clean sheet with a brilliant 88th-minute save, pushing a free-kick from sub Esteban Granero away from the top corner as Sociedad were forced to accept a first defeat in five games.



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