Feb 20-21st : Barca and Real Madrid score big wins to maintain status quo

The big two clubs in Sapin, Barcelona and Real Madrid, has no problems getting back to winning ways in La Liga, while third placed Valencia play Getafe on Monday night.

Real Madrid 6-2 Villarreal

Real Madrid answered their critics following the midweek Champions League defeat at Lyon and eased some of the pressure on coach Manuel Pellegrini with a thumping 6-2 victory over Villarreal on Sunday night.

Gonzalo Higuain and Kaka both scored twice to help Madrid bounce back from their poor showing in France and keep the gap to Primera Division leaders Barcelona at two points.

Cristiano Ronaldo netted a trademark free-kick with a Xabi Alonso penalty completing the rout.

Barcelona 4-0 Racing Santander

Barcelona strolled to an easy 4-0 victory over Racing Santander on a night of firsts at the Nou Camp.

Pep Guardiola's side brushed aside a disappointing Racing outfit with ease, with a fine first-half performance.

Andres Iniesta gave the Catalans the lead with his first goal of the season following poor defending by Racing after just seven minutes.

Thierry Henry, handed a rare start by Guardiola after being frozen out in recent weeks, scored the second goal from a free-kick with his first of 2010, and Rafael Marquez added a brilliant third with his first of the campaign from another set-piece 11 minutes before half-time.

Youngster Thiago Alcantara then added a fourth with his first career goal in the closing stages.

Real Mallorca 1-3 Sevilla

Real Mallorca's perfect home record ended as Sevilla fought back from an early goal to win an incident-packed game with three red cards, by three goals to one.

Mallorca could hardly have had a better start in their latest clash with Mario Suarez putting them ahead in just the fifth minute.

However, that advantage was shortlived as Sevilla deservedly drew level in the 23rd minute when Jesus Navas capitalised on a misjudgement from Mallorca goalkeeper Dudu Aouate to score.

Visiting striker Alvaro Negredo and Mallorca defender Ivan Ramis both then saw red and it was Sevilla who took control in the second half, aided by another error by Aouate.

The Israel international advanced too far from his line as Ivica Dragutinovic's free-kick from near the right touchline curled in towards the net, and he found himself stranded as the ball cleared him and found the top corner.

Sevilla made it 3-1 through substitute Diego Perotti and also had Didier Zokora dismissed late on for a second yellow card.

Spanish Liga BBVA Top Six Standings

Team        Pl  W D L Fr Ag Pts 
Barcelona   23 18-4-1 57:13  58 
Real Madrid 23 18-2-3 59:17  56 
Valencia    22 12-7-3 39:21  43 
Sevilla     23 13-3-7 36:25  42 
Deportivo   23 11-5-7 26:25  38 
Mallorca    23 11-4-8 36:27  37

Stumble It!

Feb 13th-14th : Barcelona lose but still head La Liga

A round-up of the football action in Spain over the weekend.

Atletico Madrid 2-1 Barcelona

Barcelona suffered their first Primera Liga loss of the season on Sunday, slumping to a 2-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid.

Pep Guardiola's men were second best for long periods against an Atletico side who established a 2-0 lead inside 23 minutes thanks to a clinical Diego Forlan strike and a wonderful free-kick from Simao Sabrosa.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic halved the deficit within four minutes but Atletico deservedly held on to secure an impressive win and do city rivals Real Madrid a huge favour in the title race.

Xerez 0-3 Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice on his return from suspension as Real Madrid scored midwway through the second half to beat bottom club Xerez 3-0 away and put the pressure on Barca.

Real dominated virtually throughout on a stodgy pitch, but had to be patient as Xerez held out for more than an hour.

Alvaro Arbeloa finally put Madrid in front after 64 minutes, before Ronaldo's quick brace finished off the spirited Andalusians.

Sporting Gijon 1-1 Valencia

Valencia came from behind to secure a point at Sporting Gijon in a 1-1 draw, but were unable to find a winner.

Sporting Gijon put their recent woes behind them as they took a fifth-minute lead through Diego Castro.

And Valencia, despite constant pressure which saw them twice rattle the woodwork, were unable to find a way through until Juan Mata's leveller 14 minutes from time.

Sevilla 1-0 OSasuna

Sevilla moved back into the Champions League qualifying spots with a 1-0 win against Osasuna.

But it was another unconvincing perfornace, however Sevilla grabbed the only goal came after 35 minutes courtesy of the prolific Luis Fabiano.

Spanish La Liga Top Six

Team        Pl  W D L Fr Ag Pts 
Barcelona   22 17-4-1 53:13  55 
Real Madrid 22 17-2-3 53:15  53 
Valencia    22 12-7-3 39:21  43 
Sevilla     22 12-3-7 33:24  39 
Mallorca    21 11-4-6 35:23  37 
Deportivo   22 10-5-7 24:24  35

Stumble It!

Feb 6-7th : Spanish top three all win in La Liga

The race in Spain remains a two club affer as Barcelona remained five points clear of second-placed Real Madrid at the summit after both teams won.

Barcelona 2-1 Getafe

Barca maintained their impressive home record with a 2-1 victory over Getafe - despite finishing the game with nine men following the dismissals of Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez.

Pique was sent off for a cynical lunge on Rafa Lopez after 24 minutes, although Barca were already a goal to the good by then thanks to Lionel Messi's brilliant early strike.

Pep Guardiola's side never really looked in danger, despite Pique's departure, and their dominance finally paid off as Xavi all but sealed a 17th league win of the season in the 67th minute.

Roberto Soldado's stoppage-time penalty pulled a goal back for the visitors after Marquez was sent off for the foul on Kepa Blanco which led to the spot-kick.

Real Madrid 3-0 Espanyol

First-half goals from Sergio Ramos and Kaka put Madrid in control, and substitute Gonzalo Higuain added a brilliant third late on as Manuel Pellegrini's men made it 11 out of 11 at the Bernabeu.

In Saturday's early game in Spain, first-half goals from Ever Banega and David Villa saw Valencia cruise to a 2-0 home win over struggling Real Valladolid to boost their hopes of a return to the Champions League.

Banega struck after eight minutes and Villa added the second just before the half-hour mark to secure the three points for Unai Emery's side and consolidate third place in La Liga after 21 rounds of matches.

Valenica 2-0 Valladolid

Valencia cruised to a 2-0 home win over struggling Real Valladolid to boost their hopes of a return to the Champions League.

Banega struck after eight minutes and Villa added the second just before the half-hour mark to secure the three points for Unai Emery's side and consolidate third place in La Liga after 21 rounds of matches.

Spanish Liga Top Six Standings

Team        Pl  W D L Fr Ag Pts 
Barcelona   21 17-4-0 52:11  55 
Real Madrid 21 16-2-3 50:15  50 
Valencia    21 12-6-3 38:20  42 
Mallorca    21 11-4-6 35:23  37 
Sevilla     21 11-3-7 32:24  36 
Deportivo   21 10-5-6 24:22  35

Stumble It!

23-24 Jan : Weekend wrap-up of Spanish La Liga

Valladolid 0-3 Barcelona

On Saturday night Barcelona's routine 3-0 win at struggling Valladolid saw Pep Guardiola's side finish the first half of the Primera Division campaign unbeaten.

In establishing their unbeaten run, the Catalans became only the fifth side to accomplish such a feat, previously achieved by Madrid, Espanyol, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.

And they did so with comfort against a poor Valladolid outfit.

Xavi and Dani Alves struck within the space of two minutes halfway through the first period to give Guardiola's men full control of proceedings, and Lionel Messi added a third shortly into the second period to wrap up a comfortable victory.

Real Madrid 2-0 Malaga

Cristiano Ronaldo scored both goals before being sent off as Real Madrid kept the gap to leaders Barcelona at five points with a 2-0 victory over Malaga on Sunday.

Ronaldo had struck twice in quick succession in the first half to put Madrid on their way to a 10th consecutive home win this season, but he was then handed his marching orders in the 70th minute.

Ronaldo was shown a straight red card after catching Patrick Mtiliga in the face with a flailing elbow as he attempted to escape from the Malaga defender - but the 10 men of Madrid held on for a crucial three points.

Deportivo La Coruna 3-1 Athletico Bilbao

Deportivo La Coruna boosted their hopes of qualification for next season's Champions League with an excellent 3-1 win at home to Athletic Bilbao.

Filipe gave the Galicians the lead in acrobatic style, but fell awkwardly and suffered a nasty twist to the ankle which left him in excruciating pain and will leave him sidelined for several months at least.

Another Brazilian, Juca, doubled Depor's lead 10 minutes later, and although Athletic were given hope by Diego Colotto's own-goal, Pablo Alvarez rounded off what was a deserved win for the home side with the third in the closing stages.

Sevilla 1-0 Almeria

Former Almeria striker Alvaro Negredo took advantage of a huge stroke of luck to sink his old club and help Sevilla end a run of four successive Primera Division defeats with a 1-0 victory.

Negredo netted the only goal of this Andalusian derby in the 10th minute after visiting captain Santiago Acasiete's attempted back-pass got stuck in a puddle.

Acasiete picked up a pass from his goalkeeper Diego Alves on the edge of the box, but when he tried to play the ball back, it stopped in a pool of water midway between the two, and Sevilla midfielder Dirnei Renato nipped in to poke the ball inside where Negredo tapped into an empty net.

Spanish La Liga

Team        Pl  W D L  Fr Ag Pts 
Barcelona   19 15-4-0  49:10  49 
Real Madrid 19 14-2-3  44:14  44 
Valencia    19 11-6-2  35:18  39 
Mallorca    19 10-4-5  33:21  34 
Deportivo   19 10-4-5  23:19  34 
Sevilla     19 10-3-6  29:21  33

Stumble It!

Barcelona comfortable on top of Spanish La Liga table

Barcelona stretched their lead at the top of the Primera Division to five points as they beat Sevilla 4-0 to take advantage of a slip by Real Madrid.

Barcelona 4-0 Sevilla
Barca could not get past a stubborn Sevilla defence in the first half at the Nou Camp, but the floodgates opened after Julien Escude's own goal broke the deadlock five minutes into the second period.

Substitute Pedro added the second after 70 minutes, before Lionel Messi netted in the 85th and 90th minutes to notch his 100th and 101st goals for the club.

Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Real Madrid
Fernando Llorente's early header proved the difference between the sides as Athletic Bilbao pulled off a shock win over Real Madrid in the Primera Division on Saturday night.

Spain striker Llorente nodded home from a corner after just two minutes and the home team held on for a fine win, Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz denying the visitors with a string of great saves.

Valencia 4-1 Villarreal
Valencia closed to within three points of Real Madrid with an entertaining win over 10-man local rivals Villarreal at the Mestalla on Sunday night.

Ever Banega opened the scoring early on and David Villa doubled the lead from the penalty spot, with Kiko earning a red card for a foul on the striker.

David Silva made it three 11 minutes after the break and, although a defensive mix-up led to Nilmar reducing the deficit, Villa deservedly capped the performance with his second goal.

Real Mallorca 2-0 Deportivo La Coruna
Real Mallorca made it nine home wins out of nine and climbed into the Champions League places with a 2-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

Mallorca, who have also won both of their Copa del Rey games at their Ono Estadi fortress this term, took the points thanks to two goals in seven minutes just after the break through Mario Suarez and Gonzalo Castro.

The victory means Mallorca, who started the day one place and one point behind fourth-placed Depor, swap positions with the Galician side.

Spanish La Liga Top Six Standings

Team        Pl  W D L  Fr Ag Pts 
Barcelona   18 14-4-0  46 10  46 
Real Madrid 18 13-2-3  42 14  41 
Valencia    18 11-5-2  35 18  38 
Mallorca    18 10-3-5  32 20  33 
Deportivo   18  9-4-5  20 18  31 
Sevilla     18  9-3-6  28 21  30

Stumble It!

Barca, Madrid and Valencia all win in Spain

Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona to a 5-0 win at Tenerife as the Catalan giants ended the weekend as they started it; holding a two-point lead at the top of the Primera Division.

Messi's contribution was a wonderful hat-trick - the third goal an impudent chip from the edge of the area.

Carles Puyol also got on the scoresheet with home defender Ezequiel Luna adding a late fifth with an unfortunate prod past his own goalkeeper.

Real Madrid beat Real Mallorca 2-0 to remian in second place.

Madrid had greater difficulty with the snow in the capital than they did with a toothless Mallorca side.

But despite the wintry conditions, Manuel Pellegrini's men strolled to victory with goals from Gonzalo Higuain - a sublime 25-yard curling effort - and Esteban Granero.

Valencia had a comfortable 3-1 win at Xerez to strengthen their hold on third position.

Xerez, who have now accumulated just seven points from 17 games, threatened a surprise when Carlos Calvo cancelled out Juan Mata's opener.

But Valencia upped their game to outplay their valiant, if limited, opponents. David Silva restored their lead and a fine solo effort from Carlos Marchena settled matters.

CLUB        Pl  W D L  GD Pts 
Barcelona   17 13-4-0 +32  43
Real Madrid 17 13-2-2 +29  41  
Valencia    17 10-5-2 +14  35 
Deportivo   17  9-4-4  +4  31 
Sevilla     17  9-3-5 +11  30 
Mallorca    17  9-3-5 +10  30 

Stumble It!

Spain on Sunday : Real Madrid Held - Mallorca win at home again

Osasuna 0-0 Real Madrid
Real Madrid missed the chance to catch Barcelona at the the top of the Primera Division table by failing to beat Osasuna in a goalless draw.

Requiring victory in Pamplona to go above their Catalan rivals Barca on goal difference, the visitors were limited to long-range efforts in a poor first half.

Madrid had a penalty appealswaved away in first-half stoppage time after Cristiano Ronaldo theatrically went to ground (that's code for dived like a swan) while attempting to make space for himself on the edge of the box.

Mallorca 2-0 Athletic Bilbao
Mallorca preserved their unblemished home record with a fine 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao and moved up to fourth place in the table after 16 rounds of the championship.

The visitors proved hard to break down in a goalless first half, but Mallorca took control in the second period, running out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Julio Alvarez and Aritz Aduriz.

A tasty win and good payout again for the spreadsheet ;-)

Spanish Primera Top Six

Team        Pl  W D L Fr Ag Pts
Barcelona   16 12-4-0 37:10  40
Real Madrid 16 12-2-2 40:13  38
Valencia    16  9-5-2 28:16  32
Mallorca    16  9-3-4 30:18  30
Sevilla     16  9-3-4 27:15  30
Deportivo   16  8-4-4 19:16  28

Stumble It!

Barca drop points at Nou Camp in 1-1 draw with Villarreal

Barcelona dropped points at Camp Nou for the first time in the campaign as they began 2010 with a 1-1 draw against Villarreal.

Barca had looked to be on course to get the new year underway in style as Pedro put the ball into the net seven minutes into the match after Thierry Henry had hit the woodwork.

However, in-form Villarreal hit back early in the second half when Cani struck the ball across goal for David Fuster to fire in.

Scoring Summary
Barcelona : Pedro (7)
Villarreal : David Fuster (51)

Stumble It!

Copa Del Rey : Alcoron 4-0 Real Madrid ... WTF ?

Coach Manuel Pellegrini was "very embarrassed" after Real Madrid were crushed 4-0 by third tier village side Alcorcon in the Spanish King's Cup.

Real Madrid fielded a strong team but were 3-0 down to the Segunda Division B club by half-time in the round of 32 first leg.

"There's no reason or explanation for how the team performed. We hope our fans can forgive us," said manager Pellegrini. Real director general Jorge Valdano also apologised to fans but backed under-fire Pellegrini.

"It's difficult and I know how the Madrid supporters must be feeling," Valdano stated on the club's website

Of course the Spanish Cup is played over two legs, and captain Raul has faith his team can make things right in the return meeting against Alcorcon in a fortnight's time. But still ... 0-4 ...

The defeat was Madrid's third loss in their last five competitive games after defeats to Sevilla in La Liga and by AC Milan in the Champions League, and that run has heaped the pressure on new coach Manuel Pellegrini.

Real Madrid's team of shame on Tuesday night was :
Dudek
Arbeloa
Albiol
Metzelder
Drenthe
Diarra
Granero
Van der Vaart
Guti H.
Raul
Benzema

Stumble It!

RONALDO DECIDED ON REAL MADRID MOVE LAST SUMMER

FOOTBALL: Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he made up his mind to leave Manchester United last summer

Madrid conducted a long and public pursuit of Ronaldo last year but it proved ultimately unsuccessful as the 24-year-old remained at Old Trafford.

But despite staying in the Premier League, and helping United retain their title, Ronaldo claims he made up his mind to leave after the Champions League triumph over Chelsea a year ago.

"After we won the European Cup. I thought there is no more I can achieve here," the Portuguese player told the News of the World.

"And when you have done all you can, you know it is time for a new challenge. I stayed one more season and it was nice to make it three titles in a row but it was my dream to play for Madrid."

Stumble It!

TENERIFE, XEREX, REAL ZARAGOZA WIN PRIMERA LIGA SPOT

Tenerife, Xerex and Real Zaragoza all secured promotion to the Primera Division on Saturday with one round of fixtures still remaining in the Segunda Division.

Leaders Tenerife edged Girona 1-0, while Xerex were 2-1 winners over Huesca to ensure their place in the top flight for the first time in their history.

Zaragoza's 3-1 victory over Cordoba seals their return after just one year in the Segunda Division, with fourth-placed Hercules unable to catch the top three.

The destination of the title will be decided next weekend with just one point separating the leading three sides

Stumble It!

UNITED ACCEPT REAL MADRID'S £80M RONALDO BID

FOOTBALL: Manchester United have accepted an £80million bid for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.

Manchester United have finally caved in to Real Madrid's repeated attempts to lure Cristiano Ronaldo away from Old Trafford.

United confirmed on Thursday morning they had accepted an £80million bid for the world player of the year, with a world-record deal expected to go through by June 30.

The news had been expected given that Real stated on Wednesday night talks were under way and now it is only a matter of finalising the player's personal terms before he completes a dream move to the Bernabeu.

A United statement read: "At the request of Cristiano - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player."

Stumble It!

KAKA COMPLETES REAL MADRID MOVE

FOOTBALL: Real Madrid have completed the signing of Kaka from AC Milan on a six-year contract.

The Spanish giants confirmed the eagerly-awaited capture of the 27-year-old Brazilian superstar in a brief statement on their website late on Monday night.

Kaka, currently on international duty with Brazil in his homeland, underwent a medical in Recife earlier on Monday before putting pen to paper on a six-year deal.

The transfer fee is expected to be new world record at around £56million, eclipsing the £48million Real paid Juventus for Zinedine Zidane in the summer of 2001.

Stumble It!

Madrid and Turin derby matches centre stage this Saturday

Real Madrid are trying to make makes el Derbi Madrileno their 11th successive league win in the Primera this weekend.

Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid, well aware that Atletico devlivered a heavy blow to title rivals Barcelona last weekend, with a 4-3 stunning victory that cut Barca's lead at the top to a mere four points.

The two city rivals meet on Saturday at Santiago Bernabeu.

RELATED LINKS :
Real Madrid 1.79 at Globet, Atletico Madrid 5.10 at PinnacleSports
See all the Live Spanish football betting Odds at Bookielabrat.

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Serie A will share the derby spotlight over the week-end, when Juventus will face historic rivals FC Torino.

The Old Lady will need every win they can get, to close the seven-point gap that separates them from league leaders Inter Milan.

But Torino's run of five matches without defeat may spell trouble for Claudio Ranieri's men, who are also preparing for Chelsea's Champions League visit next week.

Expect plenty of tension at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening.

RELATED LINKS :
Torino 3.49 at PinnacleSports, Juventus 2.35 at Centrebet,
See all the Live Italian football betting Odds at Bookielabrat.

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Klaas-Jan Huntelaar regrets Real Madrid move

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is reported to be considering his future at Real Madrid just a few weeks after joining the Spanish club.

The Dutch striker is unhappy after being omitted from their revised squad eligible to compete in the latter stages of the Champions League and not playing in the domestic La Liga either.

Huntelaar is quoted as saying "I can't stand this situation anymore ... they have neither included me for the Champions League nor do they want to play me in La Liga."

"Juande Ramos does not have any confidence in me. I want to leave Madrid. I can't bear this."

Stumble It!

BoyleSports offer Spanish Language site

Irish bookmaker BoyleSport now off a Spanish Language site to cater for a growing number of Spanish speaking sports punters.

It still covers all the football action, and has a GREAT 4 x €50 bonus offer for new players - and is well worth checking out.

As well as sports betting there is casino, poker and lottery action all covered on the one site.

Visit BoyleSports Spanish Language site here

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Barcelona v Real Madrid - Special bets

Real Madrid visit bitter rivals Barcelona on Satueday evening with their new coach Juande Ramos and Betfred have priced up a number of special bets on "El Classico".

Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has been enduring a torrid time this season and two markets have been opened up for punters who think he might have a tough time :

"Casillas Catastrophe 1" is for Barcelona to score four or more goals, which they have done on an incredible nine occasions already this season, and the Betfred price for that to happen again is 11/2.

"Casillas Catastrophe 2" is for the goalkeeper to commit a foul that results in a penalty and that eventuality is a 7/1 chance at BetFred.

You can also bet on whether Real Madrid will have a player sent off in the match and it's 7/2 that the visitors are reduced to 10 men, as they were against Sevilla last weekend when Arjen Robben’s red card meant he misses this match.

Betfred spokesman Jon Wilde said: "Bernd Schuster's last act as Real coach was to say he didn't think the Galacticos could win in the Nou Camp and it could be a long 90 minutes for Real.

"Casillas is expected to return to the side after seeing his understudy Jerzy Dudek keep a clean sheet against Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League, but he will need to improve on his poor form in such a big game."

Check out all the options at BetFred Bookmakers.

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Sevilla beat Real Madrid to move into 4th spot

Sevilla survived a spirited fightback from champions Real Madrid at the Bernabeu to win 4-3 in the Primera Liga on Sunday.


Adriano Correia gave Sevilla a third-minute lead and although Raul pulled one back in the 19th minute, Ndri Romaric and Frederic Kanoute had the visitors 3-1 up at half-time.

Gonzalo Higuain and Fernando Gago levelled for Real midway through the second half, but a red card for Arjen Robben took the wind out of their sails, and Renato headed the winner six minutes from time.

Real Madrid's third defeat in four league matches left them fifth in the standings with 26 points from 14 matches, nine behind leaders Barcelona who they play at the Nou Camp next weekend.

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Barcelona hammered Valencia 4-0 on Saturday, and are now 6 points clear at the top with 35 points after second-placed Villarreal were held 3-3 at home by Getafe.

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Valencia are third with 27 points ahead of Sevilla on goal difference.

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Deportivo Coruna overcame Malaga 2-0 at home. Malaga keeper Inaki Goitia let Angel Lafita's free kick slip through his hands after 65 minutes and Mexico striker Omar Bravo netted the second from the penalty spot soon after.

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Real Valladolid came back from three down to draw 3-3 at Osasuna with Nigerian striker Bartholomew Ogbeche's powerful header securing a point five minutes from time. Valladolid are eighth with 20 points.

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Osasuna slipped back to the foot of the table after Recreativo Huelva claimed their first win since the opening day of the season, twice coming from behind to beat Real Mallorca 3-2 away.

Stumble It!

Round 12 : Barcelona held by Getafe but still three points clear

Barcelona needed a second half equaliser from Seydou Keita to rescue a point as the leaders were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Getafe in the Primera Liga on Sunday.

Barca have 29 points from 12 games, which leaves them three points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid and four in front of Villarreal.

Real Madrid beat Recreativo Huelva 1-0 at the Bernabeu while Villarreal were upset 0-3 at home by Real Valladolid.

Fourth-placed Valencia are ahead of Sevilla on goal difference with 24 points after thew two sides drew 0-0 at the Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday.

Stumble It!

Ronaldinho to join AC Milan

AC Milan have beaten Manchester City in the race to sign Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho after revealing they have reached an agreement in principle on a three-year deal for the Brazilian.

The Serie A club made the announcement on their official website following a day of talks between Barca president Joan Laporta and Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani in the Catalan capital.

The financial terms of the agreement have not been revealed but City's interest almost certainly pushed up the final fee.

Transfer talks between Barca and Milan reportedly stalled earlier this week, with the Italian club only willing to pay £11.9million plus up to around £4million in add-ons - £7.9million less than Barca were demanding.

But the Rossoneri are understood to have increased their bid by around £4million after City were reportedly waiting with a bid of £27.8million.

The Italian club confirmed that the formal completion of the deal now hinged only on the Brazil international successfully completing a medical.

"AC Milan and FC Barcelona have reached a principle agreement for the transfer of Ronaldinho to the Rossoneri," read a short statement on Milan's official website on Tuesday. "The player will be in Milan tomorrow (Wednesday) to undergo the medical examinations and sign the contract that will bind to Milan until June 30, 2011."

Stumble It!

Thursday's Transfer Rumours

It looks like being another month or so until "REAL" football kicks off - so I'm going to continue the football transfers rumours series.

ARSENAL lead off today with a whole lot of talk ..

Arsenal midfielder Alex Hleb has agreed a four-year-deal with Barcelona and is set to sign for £15m - or perhaps €15m. No-one seems quite sure.
(Source = The Sun)

Arsenal are also likely to waive goodbye to Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva to Greek side Panathinaikos.
(Source = Blog Arsenal Analysis - but now picked up by a lot of papers)

On the positive side Arsenal will complete a £11.5m deal for Marseille's Samir Nasri now that the new French tax year has begun.
(Source = The Sun)

Newspapers then start totally making it up when claiming that Arsenal have bid £19m for Andrei Arshavin but his club Zenit St Petersburg want £24m.
(Source = Star)

The Gooners are also rumoured interested in 22-year-old Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, who is rated at £8m by his club River Plate - and this sounds more like Wenger to me.
(Source = The Sun)

Chelsea are also well covered in the rumour market ..

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has personally blocked Inter Milan's attempts to buy midfielder Frank Lampard.
(Source = half a dozen sites)

While on paper says that Lampard has told friends he is determined to leave Chelsea and says it is time for him to go.
(Source = Daily Express)

Didier Drogba still wants to leave Stamford Bridge, even though there hasn't been much interest - with Milan keeping very quiet ...
(Source = Daily Star)

And Chelsea were interested in Brazil forward Robinho but have been told by Real Madrid that it will cost £30m to sign .
(Source = Daily Star)

Liverpool fans are also kept informed - although the news is not so positive ..

Liverpool were interested in signing Valencia's David Villa but have been put off by the massive £32m price tag and instead are looking at Spanish international winger David Silva.
(Source = The Sun)

Benitez's transfer funds are also in doubt after Juventus said that they will not pay £15m for midfielder Xabi Alonso. That could affect Liverpool's chances of raising the cash to sign Aston Villa's Gareth Barry.
(Source = The Sun again)

Finally two snippets from mighty ManYoo ..

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has pontificated again about "player slavery" and said Manchester United they should let winger Cristiano Ronaldo join Real Madrid.
(Source = FIFA website)

Manchester United look to have lost another Portuguese employee in the form of assistant boss Carlos Queiroz, who took over as Portugal manager on Wednesday evening.
(Source = Daily Star)

Stumble It!

Euro 2008 : Spain beat Germany 1-0 in final

Spain have been crowned European champions for the second time as Fernando Torres's first-half goal in Vienna proved enough to defeat Germany in the final of UEFA EURO 2008.

After a strong start from Germany, Spain were the more dangerous side throughout an somewhat uninspiring final at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion and it took just one goal - in the 33rd minute, courtesy of Torres's pace, perseverance and an unerring finish - to end their long wait.

Xavi was the architect, playing a pass in behind the Germany defence towards Torres, who outmuscled a hesitant Philipp Lahm and clipped the ball over the diving Jens Lehmann and just inside the far post.

Spain had more openings in the early stages of the second half, Lehmann getting a touch to Xavi's low shot before Ramos nearly flicked in Silva's drive from the resulting corner.

Yet Germany still posed a threat, and at the hour mark substitute Marcell Jansen and Bastian Schweinsteiger combining for Ballack to shoot centimetres wide.

Klose then deflected a Schweinsteiger effort past the post and in response to Germany's renewed menace Spain coach Luis Aragones promptly introduced Xabi Alonso and Santi Cazorla in place of Fabregas and Silva.

The switches reinvigorated Spain instantly, Lehmann making sharp stops from Ramos and Iniesta while Torsten Frings blocked another Iniesta effort on the line.

Spain continued to carve out chances as the match reached its conclusion, Marcos Senna narrowly failing to apply the finishing touch to an unselfish header from substitute Daniel Guiza – but the celebrations really started for Spain at the final whistle.

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SPAIN (1) 1
Torres 33

beat

GERMANY (0) 0

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ESP : Barcelona 2-3 Mallorca - Barca blow it again!

Yet another upset at the Camp Nou as Barcelona throw away a 2-0 lead to lose 2-3 at home to Mallorca.

Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o scored for a 2 goal lead for the home side before Mallorca hit back with goals from Valero, Webo and (deep into injuury time) a winner from Guiza.

Watch all the goals in the following videos - English commentary this time ...

VIDEO LINK :
Barcelona 2 - 3 Mallorca
17 [1 - 0] T. Henry
56 [2 - 0] S. Eto'o
67 [2 - 1] B. Valero
70 [2 - 2] P. Webo
90 [2 - 3] D. Guiza

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Betting in Spain

A spreadsheet test for Wednesday evening as there are 6 games in Spain where the home side is the favoured result (between 40-50%) but not strong enough to be a likely pick - and they are also priced at over 100% value.

Real Madrid to beat Barcelona @ 2.40 = 134%
Valencia to beat Zaragoza @ 2.10 = 107%
Real Murcia to beat Bilbao @ 3.20 = 141%
Mallorca to beat Osasuna @ 2.20 = 108%
Real Betis to beat Valladolid @ 2.30 = 117%
Santander to beat Sevilla @ 2.65 = 130%

All picks are priced above evens so we will need three home wins in order to make a profit. Note that I'm not saying that they all win - I'm relying on numbers through all SIX games here to make a profit.

Average price calculations suggest around a 22% yield return - by getting best prices. If you settle for lessor odds then you lower the yield.

Will the home sides deliver for us on Wednesday night?

RELATED LINKS :
Gooners Betting Spreadsheet output
And get Live Spanish Football Betting Odds

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Real Madrid can win league title against Osasuna

The champagne was temporarily put on ice at the Bernabeu after Villarreal beat Real Betis last week, but this weekend the destination of the league title is in Real Madrid's hands.

Real Madrid will collect their 31st Spanish championship if Villarreal fail to beat Getafe on Sunday or they win their match at Osasuna.

Real's Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder is confident the team will not have to wait any longer to celebrate the title.

"I want to win the league against Osasuna and I'm sure we are going to do it" he said earlier this week on Spanish TV. "Villarreal aren't going to slip up but neither are we and so we will be champions this weekend."

Osasuna, however, have plenty to play for and are likely to prove difficult opponents. They are just two points above the relegation zone and cannot afford to lose any points if they are to avoid the drop.

Goalkeeper Ricardo will be able to play after his red card against Valencia was overturned on appeal, but centre forward Dady is a doubt.

Real are likely to be strengthened by the return of Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who should get a run after a six-week absence following ankle surgery, but playmaker Guti is a doubt because of a strained knee ligament.

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Real Madid line up Mourinho - but dont tell anyone

Real Madrid have strongly denied reports in the Spanish press claiming the club are hoping to appoint former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho.

Marca and El Mundo Deportivo on Friday claimed that Real were set to move for Mourinho as the reigning Spanish champions had lost faith in coach Bernt Schuster following Madrid's exit from the last 16 of the Champions League at the hands of Roma.

But the club released an official statement denying this and saying that they were perfectly happy with Schuster.

(Gooner says - yeah right!)

On Thursday Mourinho told a press conference in Valencia: "I am free, I don't have pre-contracts or a gentlemen's agreement. I don't want to take someone else's seat, but I would like to coach a top team in Italy or Spain."

(Gooner says - yeah right!)

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Hang onto your hats - it looks like the managerial roundabout rumours are starting early.

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Beckham finishes at Real Madrid with La Liga title.

Real Madrid 3-1 Real Mallorca

I'm not a huge David Beckham fan - but I've been impressed with the way he's handled himself since the last World Cup and I can say that I was pleased to see Real Madrid clinch the La Liga title on the final day.

Beckham didn't actually have much influence on proceedings today, as he was substituted off midway through the second half with Real Madrid still 0-1 down after they fell behind when Fernando Varela broke the offside trap to score on 17 minutes.

His replacement was Arsenal loan player Jose Antonio Reyes who immediately scored with his first touch, to ease the panic that was running through the home side.

Then in the 80th minute Mahamadou Diarra's downward header trickled over the line after a double deflection off goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya and defender Basinas before Reyes curled in a delightful third goal from the edge of the area with about 5 minutes left.

(As a Gooner I can hope that will raise his standing in Spain and lift his value - as Arsenal look for a buyer for the homesick Spaniard)

But in the end today was not about Reyes, it was about Real Madrid finally claiming some silverware after four long seasons, and sending off Beckham and Brazillian left-back Roberto Carlos in style.

The scenes of celebration at the final whistle spoke volumes for the depth of feeling at the club - for both the achievement - and the quality of the departing players.

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Real Madrid big favourites to win Spanish League Title

Real Madrid are now a best 1/9 at bet365 to win La Liga after Saturday's dramatic penultimate round of matches.

Trailing twice and with title rivals Barcelona winning against Espanyol, Real's title hopes looked to have been ended for yet another season.

But ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's goal forced a 2-2 draw and a last-gasp equaliser for Espanyol at the Nou Camp ensured Real Madrid go into the final round of games next Sunday top of the table.

Madrid are level on points with Barca but in front on head-to-heads, so a home win against 12th-placed Real Mallorca will guarantee a title for the first time in four years at Real Madrid.

Barcelona are now considered almost out of the running and are priced at a huge 6/1 (7.00) at Paddy Power. Barcelona are away to bottom club Gimnastic in their final fixture.

Seville's title hopes remain alive but only just after their 0-0 draw goalless draw with Real Mallorca. They go into the final weekend two points off the pace and it's 50/1 that the other two slip up and they sneak through by scoring a home win over Villarreal.

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