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Tag: LaLiga

  • LaLiga weekend brings new record for Barcelona and mixed feelings for Torres and Isco

    LaLiga weekend brings new record for Barcelona and mixed feelings for Torres and Isco

    Mumbai: Barcelona set another record and took a further step towards the 2017/18 title in a LaLiga weekend which also brought bittersweet moments for Fernando Torres of Atletico Madrid and Isco of Real Madrid.

    LaLiga leaders Barca were pushed all the way by Valencia at the Camp Nou on Saturday, but Brazil star Philippe Coutinho assisted goals for teammates Luis Suarez and Samuel Umtiti, and Dani Parejo’s penalty was not enough Los Che. A 39th consecutive game unbeaten saw the Blaugrana set a new all-time LaLiga record – and they now have an 11 point lead with just five games remaining.

    Atletico remain second, with Sunday afternoon’s 3-0 victory at home to Levante seeing Diego Simeone’s side into the Champions League for a sixth consecutive year. Angel Correa and Antoine Griezmann put the Rojiblancos in charge, before soon to depart fans’ hero ‘El Niño’

    Torres entered as a substitute and netted his 100th career LaLiga goal.

    Madrid jumped over Valencia into fourth spot by winning 2-1 at Malaga on Sunday evening, with Isco man of the match against his hometown club. The Malaga-born playmaker pointedly did not celebrate after curling in a 25 yard free kick, or when later setting up the second for teammate Casemiro. Diego Rolan’s injury time strike was not much consolation for the bottom side.

    The weekend began Friday, with Real Betis taking a firm hold of fifth place thanks to Joaquin Sanchez producing one of the assists of the season. The 36 year old Verdiblanco captain carried the ball at pace from his own half before playing in Loren Moron for the only goal at Girona.

    Sixth placed Villarreal went 2-0 up at Sevilla on Saturday afternoon through Daniel Raba’s header and Carlos Bacca’s goal against his old club. But the seventh placed Andalusians hit back through Nolito’s volley and Steven N’Zonzi’s long ranger as both clubs remained in likely Europa League spots.

    Celta Vigo’s European qualification chances took a blow as they lost 1-0 at Leganes on Saturday afternoon, with Miguel Angel Guerrero converting Nabil El Zhar’s cross. Alaves’ Swedish striker John Guidetti’s low strike after just four minutes decided Sunday lunchtime’s Basque derbi at Eibar. Later that day, Uruguayan defender Damian Suarez’s 35 yard free kick secured the three points as Getafe beat Espanyol to climb into the top half.

    In the relegation battle, Deportivo La Coruna gave themselves hope after Clarence Seedorf’s side edged a five goal thriller at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday evening, with Depor captain Adrian Lopez scoring twice for a second consecutive game. Las Palmas’ chances of survival were hit by a 0-1 loss at home to Real Sociedad, with winger Mikel Oyarzabal netting.

    A midweek round of LaLiga games begins Tuesday with Deportivo hosting Sevilla, leaders Barcelona at Celta and Leganes visiting Villarreal that same evening. Wednesday sees Athletic Club coming to Madrid’s Bernabeu, Valencia at home to Getafe, and Espanyol against Eibar at Cornella el-Prat.

    Thursday brings Atletico’s Griezmann back at his former club Real Sociedad, Girona at Alaves, Levante aiming to move closer to safety at home to Malaga, and Las Palmas really needing a win at Betis

  • Barcelona aiming for new unbeaten mark among records in the mix this LaLiga weekend

    Barcelona aiming for new unbeaten mark among records in the mix this LaLiga weekend

    MUMBAI: LaLiga’s teams return to action this weekend with Barcelona aiming to move a step closer to the 2017/18 title, and plenty more on the line up and down the table.

    Leaders Barça will look to set a new all-time LaLiga record of 39 consecutive games unbeaten when they host Valencia at the Camp Nou on Saturday afternoon. But visitors Los Che are on their own hot streak of five straight LaLiga victories, and will provide a stern test for Lionel Messi and company.

    Second placed Atletico Madrid defend their undefeated home record at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday afternoon, against a Levante team yet to taste defeat since Paco Lopez took over as coach in early March.

    Fourth placed Real Madrid go to Malaga Sunday evening having lost just once at La Rosaleda in two decades. However, Los Boquerones are now battling for their LaLiga survival and come into the game having won last time out in front of their home fans.

    Two of LaLiga’s most in-form teams meet Friday evening at Montilivi, as Girona’s run of seven wins and a draw in their last eight at home comes up against Real Betis’ six victories in their last eight away games.

    Another big clash in the battle for European qualification comes at the Sanchez-Pizjuan on Saturday, with Villarreal looking to avenge their 3-2 defeat earlier to the season by Sevilla in what was one of LaLiga’s games of the season so far.

    Real Sociedad’s recently installed coach Imanol Alguacil remains unbeaten after two games in charge of the San Sebastian club, while Las Palmas boss Paco Jemez really needs a first win in 10 outings if his team are to climb out of relegation trouble.

    Athletic Club have conceded just nine goals at San Mames all season, where Saturday evening’s visitors Deportivo La Coruña must score for a first time in six away trips if they are to get the three points they require in their battle against the drop.

    Leganes will be aiming to notch their eleventh win of the LaLiga season when Celta Vigo come to Butarque on Saturday afternoon. 24 hours later, elsewhere in suburban Madrid, Getafe will look for their tenth shut-out of the campaign against visitors Espanyol at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

    Sunday afternoon’s Basque derby at Ipurua will see hosts Eibar looking for a first win in six games, while visitors Alaves will be looking for a third consecutive clean sheet.

  • LaLiga returns with Messi and Castro goals vital at top and bottom

    LaLiga returns with Messi and Castro goals vital at top and bottom

    MUMBAI: LaLiga’s return from the international break saw Lionel Messi once again the hero as Barcelona remained on course for the 2017/18 title, while Chory Castro’s penalty gave Malaga some hope of an unlikely escape from relegation.

    Barca were 2-0 down at Sevilla, thanks to goals from the home side’s South Americans Franco Vazquez and Luis Muriel, and in deep trouble when Messi entered as a substitute on 57 minutes. The comeback first saw Luis Suarez hook acrobatically to the net, then the Blaugrana talisman home from outside the area in the 89th minute to save Barca’s unbeaten LaLiga record.

    Atletico Madrid did however cut the gap at the top to nine points, with Kevin Gameiro’s first half penalty enough for a victory at home to Deportivo La Coruna, although the Galicians had chances to gain more from a first ever visit to the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano.

    Third placed Real Madrid were always in control against 18th placed Las Palmas on Saturday afternoon. Gareth Bale opened the scoring with a typical burst clear and emphatic finish, with penalties from captain for the day Karim Benzema and Welsh galactico Bale again bringing a 3-0 result.

    Valencia kept close to Real and Atletico after Spain international Rodrigo Moreno’s 13th LaLiga goal of 2017/18 – a well struck low 25 yarder – brought a 1-0 win at Leganes on Sunday afternoon.

    In Saturday lunchtime’s 1-1 draw at Montilivi. Alex Granell’s long range curler was the first LaLiga goal of the Girona captain’s career, but Jose Luis Morales’ well taken equaliser means 17th placed Levante are now four LaLiga games unbeaten.

    Athletic Bilbao and Celta Vigo played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at San Mames on Saturday afternoon – with Athletic defender Unai Nunez and Celta substitute Brais Mendez both also netting for the first time in LaLiga.

    Sunday lunchtime’s hard-fought Basque derby ended goalless, with Real Sociedad’s new coach Imanol Alguacil starting out with a well earned point at neighbours Eibar. Goalkeepers Pau Lopez and Fernando Pacheco were the stars as it finished Espanyol 0-0 Alaves later that day.

    Bottom side Malaga gained some Easter Sunday hope of a revival with a 1-0 victory over Villarreal at La Roselada. Uruguay international Castro’s coolly converted penalty brought a first win in 14 LaLiga outings for Los Boquerones, whose fate remains in their own hands with eight games still to play.

  • LaLiga unveils its new headquarters

    LaLiga unveils its new headquarters

    March 2018. LaLiga unveiled its new headquarters on Tuesday with an official event attended by a range of dignitaries, diplomats, LaLiga Santander and LaLiga 1|2|3 club presidents, competition sponsors, LaLiga ambassadors, and other representatives of Spanish sport.

    After more than 25 years at its long-standing headquarters at Calle Hernandez de Tejada 10, LaLiga continues to grow by moving its head office to Calle Torrelaguna 60 in Madrid, marching onwards to a new “stadium” where the association’s professionals can carry on working day in, day out for the benefit of the clubs and on the internationalisation of professional football in Spain.

    The new LaLiga offices provide a new home for all of those people who share this great passion called football. They feature modern, open spaces with a design inspired by the history, legends and values of the Spanish game. The philosophy underlying the “stadium” is based on the idea that there is no heart without a heartbeat, there is no passion without heart, there is no emotion without passion, and without emotion football would not be football.

    The attendees at the ceremony showcasing the international emphasis of LaLiga included the minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Alfonso Dastis; the president of the High Council for Sport, Jose Ramon Lete; and the high commissioner for the Spain Brand (Marca España), Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros.

    LaLiga president Javier Tebas stressed during the event that “these new headquarters represent a giant stride towards our goal of becoming a leading global entertainment company, by creating experiences and allowing the fans to form part of the story in a different way”.

    Meanwhile, the minister of foreign affairs and cooperation underscored the fact that “the level of professionalisation seen in Spain in recent decades, both in sporting and organisational terms, has permitted LaLiga to compete neck and neck for some time now, not just with the other leagues, but also with other time-honoured sports competitions such as the NBA and the NFL”.

    Shortly before the opening ceremony, the attendees visited the spaces which LaLiga will occupy in the new building, getting a close-up view of each of the different areas where LaLiga will carry out its work on a daily basis. Furthermore, they got to enjoy a two-Michelin-star cocktail menu thanks to the creations of the Spanish chef Ramon Freixa.

  • Barcelona closer to LaLiga title, Ronaldo closer to Messi in Pichichi top scorers’ race

    Barcelona closer to LaLiga title, Ronaldo closer to Messi in Pichichi top scorers’ race

    MUMBAI: Lionel Messi’s 25th LaLiga goal of the season kept Barcelona on track for the 2017/18 LaLiga title, during a weekend which also saw Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo make up ground in the ‘pichichi’ top scorers’ race with a four goal ‘poker’.

    Messi’s strike in Barca’s 2-0 victory over Athletic Club on Sunday afternoon means the Argentine has now scored at least 25 goals in each of the last nine LaLiga seasons. Paco Alcacer was also on the scoresheet at the Camp Nou as the blaugrana side moved another step closer to a first ever entire LaLiga season unbeaten.

    Barca are now 11 points clear at the top of the table, after second placed Atletico Madrid lost 2-1 at Villarreal on Sunday afternoon. Atletico lead thanks to Antoine Griezmann’s first half penalty, but a late double from Turkey international Enes Unal turned the game around completely.

    Real Madrid remain third after a 6-3 win at home to Girona on Sunday evening, with Ronaldo scoring four times to move to 22 goals in LaLiga this term – 18 of which have come in his last nine outings. Madrid’s Lucas Vazquez and Gareth Bale also netted, while Girona kept battling back via Cristhian Stuani [two] and Juanpe headers at set-pieces.

    Valencia retain their hold on fourth spot after a 3-1 home win over Alaves at Mestalla, a fifth victory in six LaLiga games for Los Che, who had in form strike pair Simone Zaza and Rodrigo Moreno on the scoresheet.

    Leganes again showed LaLiga’s impressive strength in depth, beating Champions League quarter-finalists Sevilla 2-1 at Butarque at Sunday lunchtime. The visitors’ Mexico international Miguel Layun scored his first LaLiga goal late on.

    Real Betis are up to seventh in the LaLiga table after a 3-0 win at home to Espanyol on Saturday evening. Man of the match was Algeria international Ryad Boudebouz, who both scored and assisted in a LaLiga game for the first time.

    Getafe climbed into the top half with a 2-1 comeback victory at Real Sociedad on Saturday evening. La Real announced on Sunday that B team coach Imanol Alguacil was being promoted to replace Eusebio Sacristan as first team boss for the rest of the season.

    Paco Lopez became the first Levante coach to win both his first two LaLiga games in charge, with young Ghana striker Emmanuel Boateng hitting the winner in a 2-1 home victory over Eibar which gives his side a six point cushion over the bottom three.

    The weekend’s big battle at the bottom finished 1-1 at Riazor, with Las Palmas playmaker Alen Halilovic’s fine solo goal putting his side ahead on just three minutes, but Deportivo La Coruna defender Raul Albentosa equalising with a header before half time.

    Bottom team Malaga also gained a point with a 0-0 draw at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday afternoon. However the Andalusians now have a 12 point gap to safety, with just nine games remaining.

  • Matchday 19: 5 reasons to watch Laliga this weekend

    Matchday 19: 5 reasons to watch Laliga this weekend

    MUMBAI: 1. Los Blancos aims to record their first Laliga win of the year

    Real Madrid will be looking to get back to winning ways after dropping two points in a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo. Also, they will be aiming to start the new year with a win under their belt by defeating Villarreal at Bernabeu. Los Blancos are determined to stay in the race for the title and this has to go down as a must-win game as any slip ups from hereon will make life difficult for the reigning champions.

    2. The Battle of 3rd and 4th

    Even though this is between the 3rd and the 4th on the LaLiga table, there is still a significant gulf in class between the two sides. Los Blancos have a 5 point advantage on Villarreal and the record shows that whenever this champion side have hosted sides with 5th, 6th and 7th ranks over the past couple of months the former has been triumphant hammering 15 goals in those 3 games. But Villarreal are no pushovers, strong at the back with the 2nd best defensive record in the league but it will be a mountain to climb for them to keep Real Madrid’s dangerous front three quiet. Ronaldo and boys ideally should win the game but they have conceded 9 of their last 13 home league games.

    3. Visitors Barcelona look to keep their unbeaten run going when they travel to the Anoeta Stadium

    Barca are currently unbeaten in the league and as they face a Real Sociedad side who lost their last game 1-0 to Leganes. The Catalans have been very consistent and have bagged their 5th win in last six outings as they beat Levante 3-0 in their first 2018 outing. Matchday 19 clash against Real Sociedad comes just days after the mid-week Copa del Rey clash against Celta Vigo and the red hot form should allow the table toppers clinch a comfortable three points. Real Sociedad still sit in the mid-table and just five points behind 6th placed Villarreal but we have seen them struggle across competitions since mid-November and earn just two wins in ten games.

    4. Valencia aims for Top four, while Deportivo looks forward to secure their place in Laliga

    Following back-to-back losses to the likes of Barcelona and Celta Vigo, Deportivo did well to hold Villarreal to a 1-1 in their last league fixture. The Galician outfit showed character in Sunday’s football match against the Yellow Submarine, but they need to continue with fine performances in the remainder of the season if they are to secure yet another LaLiga survival. Florin Andone helped Deportivo pick up one point from the Villarreal game, meaning that Valencia defenders should have him at bay. However, on the other hand Valencia came from behind to beat Girona in their last league match and thanks to the triumph they moved one step closer to booking their place in the UEFA Champions League berth for next year.

    5. Atletico Madrid currently sit nine points behind league leaders Barcelona in the Laliga table and hope to close the gap.

    Atletico have regained their consistency and are all set to travel to Eibar after a convincing victory against Lleida and Getafe. However, on the other hand Eibar are unbeaten in their last five league games and sit just one point outside the Europa League spots. It will be an interesting fixture when these team meet each other at Eibar’s homeground.

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  • LaLiga’s most passionate derby ‘The El Gran Derbi’

    LaLiga’s most passionate derby ‘The El Gran Derbi’

    MUMBAI: The derby between Real Betis and Sevilla FC is undoubtedly one of LaLiga Santander’s greatest clashes. The rivalry between these two clubs from the city of Seville means that this derby is much more than just a game of football. The Seville derby is not just about the 90 minutes out on the turf. It is a duel that lasts all season. As soon as the fixtures come out in July, the two sets of fans take note of the dates and the city awaits the matchdays as the biggest sporting occasions of the year.

    Few matches in the world divide a city the way this derby does. The fourth most populous city in Spain lives and breathes it like no other. The atmosphere does not just permeate the stadium. It is also felt in bars, restaurants, office blocks, out on the street, at schools and universities… because it is a derby for all ages and sexes.

    Since the inception of LaLiga Santander, the rivalry between the two sets of fans means that they constantly keep an eye on the ups and downs of the other side in preparation for what, for them, is without doubt the main event of the year: #ElGranDerbi..

    It does not matter whether Sevilla’s objective is to achieve a place in the upcoming edition of the Champions League or whether Betis are looking to consolidate their position in LaLiga Santander and scale the table season by season as they seek to regain their status of years gone by. When the Big Derby comes around, the two teams only have one thing on their minds: beating their opponents, making their fans happy and ‘ruling supreme’ in the picturesque city of Seville – at least until the return fixture in the second half of the season.

    The fans are preparing for this match like no other during the season. For Seville and its two football clubs, winning the duel on 6 January will be the ideal way to kick off the New Year. The atmosphere inside and outside the stadium is always electric. The long-held and never-ending rivalry between these two teams can be felt out on the pitch and across the entire city. And it will not end with the final whistle. It will last all week, all month, all year. When #ElGranDerbi starts, the city grinds to a halt. Only the game matters. Seville’s more than 700,000 inhabitants treat the match like a cup final. The streets are empty. The lucky ones are watching the action from the stands. The rest are glued to the television. But not a single soul in Seville misses either of the two crunch games that await them each year and which divide a city that lives for #TheBigDerby.

  • Sony changes LaLiga telecast time for India

    Sony changes LaLiga telecast time for India

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), the official broadcaster of LaLiga, has scheduled the El Clasico match between arch rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona on 23 December 2017 at 5:30 pm to suit the timing of Indian viewers.

    The live coverage of the game will begin at 4:30 pm on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 2 channels. Recognising India’s potential as a footballing nation, LaLiga has also planned a special screening of the match at the NSIC Grounds, Okhla, in New Delhi supported by additional on-ground activations to engage football fans.

    Football Extraaa will be broadcast directly from NSIC. It will not only showcase pre, mid and post-match analyses and expert insights from football guest panelists but also run a live contest in the studio where viewers can pose questions to the guests on Twitter and win merchandise.

    SPN India president sports and distribution business Rajesh Kaul said, “Sony Pictures Sports Network and LaLiga have come together once again to serve football fans both on-ground and on-air in India and across the Indian subcontinent. Our commitment to Go-Beyond is demonstrated not only in broadcasting the El Clasico at primetime for fans in India but also giving them an on-ground experience of the live screening taking them closer to the game in Spain. Last season we telecast over 300 live games which is the highest number of games telecast in any European football league in a single season in India. The first El Clasico of season 2016-17 was the most viewed international league football game in India that season. We want to continue to drive the growth in viewership and our collaborative efforts for the first El Clasico of the season will further amplify its presence in India and expand our reach.”

    LaLiga president Javier Tebas said, “This 23 December, the first El Clasico of the season will be played. A match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona always generates a tremendous amount of interest around the world. We want the many LaLiga fans in India to enjoy the match as if they were in the stadium. We are going to prepare an event so that more than 15,000 fans from India can be with us, enjoy the match, and experience LaLiga more closely. It will be an event for fans of both teams, and LaLiga in general, to engage with the best football match in the world. We are sure that it will be an unforgettable experience. It’s a great way to be closer to Indian fans.”

  • SPN India to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 tomorrow

    SPN India to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 tomorrow

    MUMBAI: The sports cluster of SPN will broadcast the eighth edition of one of the biggest futsal tournament in the world, the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016.

    The opening game of the tournament between the host country Columbia and Portugal will be simulcast on Sony Six, Sony Six HD and Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD at 625 am IST on 11 September.

    With the telecast of the first premier Futsal in July this year, the sports cluster of SPN became forerunners in bringing futsal to the Indian viewers. The league saw legends of football and futsal come together for the first time in a unique and pioneering model. The success of the tournament has led to a considerable spike in the demand for futsal viewing.

    The FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, is an international championship, organized by FIFA and held every four years, between two football World Cups.

    The reigning champions, Brazil, will defend their title this year with some of their marquee players like Fernandinho and Falcao expected to create futsal magic with their footwork. Up until now, Brazil and Spain have been the only two countries who have claimed the title of Futsal World Cup champions, with Brazil winning five and Spain winning two times.

    SPN sports and distribution president Rajesh Kaul said, “The FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, is the biggest futsal tournament in the world and we are happy to bring this experience to our Indian football fans. It is a known fact that futsal has massive potential in India. With the broadcast of the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, the popularity of the game is expected to further increase considerably. With plenty of football fans lapping up the skills, it won’t be long before futsal becomes the norm of the nation.

    With the acquisition of some of the key European football properties like the UEFA EURO 2016, LaLiga, Serie A etc., we have tried to bring to our audiences unmatched viewing experiences. With the telecast of Premier Futsal and now the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, we aim to diversify our football broadcast portfolio to a large extent,” Kaul added.

  • SPN India to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 tomorrow

    SPN India to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 tomorrow

    MUMBAI: The sports cluster of SPN will broadcast the eighth edition of one of the biggest futsal tournament in the world, the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016.

    The opening game of the tournament between the host country Columbia and Portugal will be simulcast on Sony Six, Sony Six HD and Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD at 625 am IST on 11 September.

    With the telecast of the first premier Futsal in July this year, the sports cluster of SPN became forerunners in bringing futsal to the Indian viewers. The league saw legends of football and futsal come together for the first time in a unique and pioneering model. The success of the tournament has led to a considerable spike in the demand for futsal viewing.

    The FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, is an international championship, organized by FIFA and held every four years, between two football World Cups.

    The reigning champions, Brazil, will defend their title this year with some of their marquee players like Fernandinho and Falcao expected to create futsal magic with their footwork. Up until now, Brazil and Spain have been the only two countries who have claimed the title of Futsal World Cup champions, with Brazil winning five and Spain winning two times.

    SPN sports and distribution president Rajesh Kaul said, “The FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, is the biggest futsal tournament in the world and we are happy to bring this experience to our Indian football fans. It is a known fact that futsal has massive potential in India. With the broadcast of the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, the popularity of the game is expected to further increase considerably. With plenty of football fans lapping up the skills, it won’t be long before futsal becomes the norm of the nation.

    With the acquisition of some of the key European football properties like the UEFA EURO 2016, LaLiga, Serie A etc., we have tried to bring to our audiences unmatched viewing experiences. With the telecast of Premier Futsal and now the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, we aim to diversify our football broadcast portfolio to a large extent,” Kaul added.