MADRID: Champions Real Madrid aim to get their La Liga campaign back on track away to city rivals Rayo Vallecano following a dismal start which has seen a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona open up an eight-point lead over them with the season little over a month old.
Many reasons have been offered for the run of just one win in four games, from a demanding pre-season tour to claims that Jose Mourinho has lost the control of the dressing room.
But Real did offer the motivation and fight that had been missing to come from behind to beat Champions League opponents Manchester City at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.
Defeat away to Sevilla last weekend, however, means that Real have only picked up four points so far and afterwards an angry Mourinho was particularly disappointed with the manner of the defeat where the players appeared to lack interest.
Sergio Ramos, one of the heavyweights in the Madrid dressing room and has stood up to Mourinho in the past, appeared to be the one to pay the price as he was dropped against City and Raphael Varane came in to partner Pepe at center half.
The pressure on the shoulders of the Portuguese coach would really have increased with a further defeat, which looked quite possible at 2-1 down with six minutes to go but Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo turned the game around.
“We knew that we were not playing well and we didn’t need the trainer to tell us that,” said defender Alvaro Arbeloa.
“There is a very good relationship in the dressing room and we are in agreement with the coach. Now after that important win (against City) we need to keep going.” Most of the question marks at the start of the season were over how Barca would be able to overturn Madrid with their new coach Tito Vilanova, and with Messi leading the way they have made a storming start with four straight wins in the league and now play Granada at the Camp Nou.
Messi also proved his value on the European stage with two late goals as Barca too had to come from behind to beat Spartak Moscow on Wednesday.
The main concern for Vilanova is the number of players missing from the defense with Gerard Pique adding to the list against Spartak which saw Alex Song come on to partner Javier Mascherano at the back. Carles Puyol and Jordi Alba were also out along with long term absentee Eric Abidal.
The off-field problems concerning Malaga have not affected their start to the season and they sit behind Barcelona on 10 points with Athletic Bilbao their next opponents.
Qatari owner Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani off-loaded some of the star players over the summer and was looking for buyers but the crisis now appears to have passed although he has cut back on investment.
Real’s conquerors last weekend, Sevilla, now travel away to Deportivo la Coruna while Mallorca, who have also made a strong start, have a tough match with the visit of Valencia.
Europa League champions Atletico Madrid entertain newly promoted Valladolid who have slumped to back-to-back defeats.
At the foot of the table Osasuna and Espanyol both have just one point and now take on Zaragoza and Real Betis respectively.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Saturday
Zaragoza vs. Osasuna (1400), Celta Vigo vs. Getafe (1600), Real Betis vs. Espanyol (1800), Barcelona vs. Granada (2000)
Sunday
Mallorca vs. Valencia (1100), Levante vs. Real Sociedad (1400), Atletico Madrid vs. Valladolid (1600), Athletic Bilbao vs. Malaga (1750), Rayo Vallecano vs. Real Madrid (1930)
Monday
Deportivo la Coruna v Sevilla (1930)
Real Madrid’s bid to get La Liga campaign back on track
Real Madrid’s bid to get La Liga campaign back on track
Barcelona pounces on Real Madrid stumble and regains lead of La Liga with a 3-0 win over Levante
- Barcelona moved one point ahead of Madrid, which had won eight in a row in the league before losing to Osasuna
MADRID: Barcelona took advantage of Real Madrid’s stumble and regained the Spanish league lead with a comfortable 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Levante on Sunday.
Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and Fermín López scored a goal each as Barcelona ended a two-game losing streak to get back in front of rival Madrid, which lost 2-1 at Osasuna on Saturday.
Barcelona moved one point ahead of Madrid, which had won eight in a row in the league before losing to Osasuna.
Barcelona was coming off a 2-1 loss to Girona in the league and a 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
“It was important to win and earn three points again,” Barcelona defender João Cancelo said. “Soccer gives you these opportunities to rebound and that’s what we did today, playing well again after two bad games.”
Barcelona had earned a clean sheet only once in its previous six games in all competitions.
Good start for Barcelona
Bernal scored from close range four minutes into the match at the Camp Nou Stadium. The 18-year-old Bernal had scored his first goal with the first team two rounds ago in a win over Mallorca.
“They had an early chance but my goal helped us settle and gain some confidence,” Bernal said.
De Jong added to the lead from inside the area in the 32nd and López sealed the victory with a beautiful long-range shot in the 81st, with the ball ricocheting off the post before going into the net.
Levante’s Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan kept Barcelona from adding the fourth with a pair of outstanding saves in a row in the final minutes, first off a header by Raphinha and then off a point-blank strike from López on the rebound.
It was the fourth straight defeat for Levante, which sits in 19th place. It is one point ahead of last-place Oviedo, which has a game in hand.
Levante has only one victory in its last eight matches.
Pedri entered the match in the 66th to make his return to action after an injury layoff.
Other results
Sevilla won 1-0 at 10-man Getafe for its second win in its last 10 matches in all competitions.
Djibril Sow scored a 64th-minute winner for the visitors. Getafe played a man down from the 26th after a straight red card for Djene Dakonam.
The result left Sevilla in 11th place, immediately above Getafe.
Third-place Villarreal, Barcelona’s next league opponent, can restore a three-point gap to fourth-place Atletico Madrid if it beats Valencia at home later Sunday. Atletico beat Espanyol 4-2 at home on Saturday.
