Goles Y Goles Y Goles… well, not quite!
So, the first round of games in this season’s La Liga weren’t exactly a fiesta of sparkling attacking play, full of the flair and extravagance that we have come to expect from the world’s best domestic league. However, there is still plenty of action to discuss from the first round of fixtures in Spain’s top division.
La Liga Review: Round One
Until Monday night’s four-goal bonanza between Granada and Eibar, we were on course to have the lowest amount of goals ever scored in a round of La Liga fixtures. Fortunately, my tip for relegation, Eibar, showed the rest how it was done by beating their fellow rivals for the drop 3-1. They currently top La Liga via a goal difference of +2. The best the rest could muster were five draws (four of which were 0-0), three 1-0s and a 2-1!
The Friday game set the tone with a 0-0 draw between Malaga and Sevilla at La Rosaleda. A draw, depending on how the season goes, that could end up looking like a good point gained, given that Malaga beat both Valencia and Athletic Bilbao at home last season, whilst drawing with Atlético Madrid and Barcelona. Real Madrid being the only one of the top teams to escape from the Andalucían club, with three points in the 2014-15 season, following a 2-1 victory.
Real Madrid started their campaign away at promoted side Sporting Gijón. With an average age of just 23.5 years, Sporting have the youngest squad in the Primera, and this 0-0 draw will have felt like a win to Sporting coach, Abelardo. The fact that Sporting could have won this match in the dying seconds – Antonio Sanabria’s header rebounding off the underside of the bar, only just missing the edge of the goal line by millimetres – was testament to the spirit and character of the hosts. However, the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo had more shots himself than the rest of the Sporting team combined also tells the story of which way the pressure was headed.
Rafa Benítez, managing Real Madrid for the first time in La Liga said; “There is more work to be done. The reaction in the second half was good. The team showed character and personality. That makes me optimistic. The second half was a team which clearly went for the game. We just lacked the final pass and the finish.”
The final pass and finish is something Benítez team have been without so far this season. Shy of goals in pre-season and with his tactical ideas yet to result in team cohesion, there is a need for Benítez to find the right combinations in attack. So far in his Real Madrid career, managers Carlo Ancelotti and Benítez, have yet been able to find the right position and role for Gareth Bale. Tried as a number 10 so far this term, we are seeing a Bale that wants to be more central, but that does not have the subtlety of touch or movement that warrants being picked for that position instead of James Rodríguez or Isco.
Rumours are still persisting of an Arsenal transfer for Karim Benzema, but, unless something dramatic changes, the chances of him leaving are very slim. This gives the coach a settled front line to work with – the main signings being in defence or midfield – but he must also find a way of keeping Ronaldo happy. Playing wide left and cutting in is what has been proposed for Ronaldo, but the danger is finding Bale also occupying those same inside left channels, as his natural inclination is to make those movements as he does when playing as number 10 for Wales.
In a repeat of this season’s Spanish Super Cup, the first game of La Liga saw Athletic Bilbao face off against FC Barcelona for the third time in nine days. A close, tight game saw the champions overcome their hosts by the virtue of a Luis Suárez goal in the 54th minute. Preceding that, the main talking point was yet another missed spot kick from Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward has now missed 14 of his 63 penalties for Barça, with this one saved by Athletic ‘keeper, Gorka Iraizoz. A worrying statistic, given that he remains their number one penalty taker.
Athletic, on the other hand, will have felt harshly done by with the award of the penalty. It was soft as it looked a reasonable challenge on Suárez, by defender Gorka Elustondo; they may also have rued allowing Barcelona to settle into their rhythm so early in the match, with their pressing in the Supercopa so evidently throwing Barça off their stride. It was not a tactic used here, with the first half seemingly akin to a La Masia training session in ball control and possession.
Barcelona’s squad will be tested to the max until January – due to the transfer ban, they cannot play new signings Arda Turan or Aleix Vidal until then – with Dani Alves (groin) and Sergio Busquets (ankle) picking up knocks and having to be substituted. Both are due to have further tests this week.
Atlético Madrid’s win over newly promoted Las Palmas was uneventful in a routine win for the hosts; Antoine Griezmann, with a goal at 16 minutes, proving to be the difference between the sides. Jackson Martínez made his debut and lasted 59 minutes before being replaced by fan favourite, Fernando Torres. New boy, Luciano Vietto, started on the bench, whilst the returning left back Filipe Luís, recently re-joining from a season at Chelsea, started at left back.
Salva Sevilla scored a wonderful free-kick as Espanyol beat mid-table rivals, Getafe, in Barcelona. A red card for Sunderland old boy, Santiago Vergini, marked a disappointing debut for Getafe, with the player not only being on the losing side but also now facing a suspension due to his two-yellow-card dismissal.
Surprisingly, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia played out a 0-0 draw, the first between the sides in 33 meetings. Rayo’s style is generally a ‘we’ll score one more than you’ approach, which is what makes them so entertaining to watch. Álvaro Negredo started for Valencia ahead of last year’s breakout star, Paco Alcácer, but failed to make an impression. This was a decent point for Rayo, and two of which Valencia may think they have missed out come the end of the season.
In the battle of northern Spain, Galicia’s Deportivo La Coruña faced off against Basques’ Real Sociedad. A 0-0 draw at the Riazor left both managers feeling as if they should have got a bit more. Deportivo had much of the second half and should have pressed home a victory their superior play deserved, whilst La Real manager, David Moyes, will have targeted this game as one in which to return home with three points tucked under his belt. Real Sociedad will have aims to finish higher than the twelfth they achieved last season and games like this are one they will need to win. Deportivo meanwhile will look upon this as a missed opportunity. Fortunate to escape relegation last year on the head-to-head rule, Depor’ will need to get as many points on the board as early as possible.
Real Betis and Villarreal played out a 1-1 draw in Seville as the Liga Adelante Segunda champions hosted Marcelino’s Yellow Submarine. A goal on debut from Roberto Soldado showed Tottenham Hotspur fans what might have been; a cool finish from inside the area giving Villarreal the lead on the half hour mark. A Rubén Castro-headed equaliser, three minutes from time, brought Betis level before Bruno was shown a straight red for violent conduct, leaving Villarreal to cling on during injury time.
Finally, the game between Levante and Celta Vigo saw another debut goal, this time from former Liverpool flop, Iago Aspas. His goal proved to be the winner after Levante had lost Simão to a red card after just five minutes, for a foul on Aspas. Vigo winger, Fabián Orellana had given the visitors a half-time lead before new Levante signing, Verza, levelled with a free-kick. Aspas had the last word, scoring the winner for his boyhood club after 77 minutes, to give Celta Vigo a 2-1 away win.
A fairly quiet and slow-burning start to the La Liga season; not as many goals as fans of Spanish football will have hoped for, but don’t worry; they’re just getting warmed up.
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