News Archive

First division – day 10

Julen Lopetegui’s brief reign at the Bernabeu stadium appears to be already over after Real Madrid lost 5-1 to Barcelona in Sunday’s “clásico”! The coach was under immense pressure after only picking up one point from the last four games, but with only ten minutes gone Coutinho put the locals ahead, and with half an hour on the clock Luis Suárez made it two from the penalty spot. Madrid fought back for a while after the break, Marcelino finding the net, Modric hitting the post and Benzema heading a good chance over the top. However in the last quarter of an hour or so Suárez added two more from Sergi Roberto assists to complete his hat-trick, and substitutes Dembélé and Vidal combined for the latter to head home the fifth near the end. All odds are that Lopetegui will be fired at tomorrow’s emergency board meeting.

The result takes Barcelona back to the top of the table, but Alavés are now second after a last minute 2-1 win over Villarreal. Gerard Moreno opened the scoring for the visitors early on, but Calleri headed the equaliser after the restart, and Borja Bastón beat Asenjo just seconds after coming on as an injury time substitute to leave the “Yellow Submarine” just a point above the drop zone. Sevilla are third, just a point behind Alavés and above Atlético on goal difference, after a 2-1 victory over bottom club Huesca, Sarabia scoring twice in the second half before Pulido got a late consolation for the away side. And Getafe are up to eighth (leaving their neighbours Real Madrid down in ninth spot) after beating Betis 2-0 in the mid-day kick-off, Jorge Molina and Foulquier getting the goals there in a two minute period around the hour mark. (28.10.18)

Atlético Madrid are the latest team to top the table this season, a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad on Saturday evening taking them above Barcelona pending tomorrow’s “clásico”. Both goals were scored by defenders, Godín getting the first on the stroke of half time, and Filipe Luis making it two on the hour mark. Only three points separate the top seven however, Levante pushing Real Madrid down to eighth after a 2-0 win over Leganés. Roger got the opener early on in a rainy evening in Valencia, and Rochina wrapped things up in the final minute. Elsewhere Celta got back to winning ways thanks to an Aspas hat-trick and a strike by Méndez in a 4-0 victory over Eibar, but Athletic Bilbao and Valencia are stuck on draws, a 0-0 scoreline (their seventh and eighth of the season respectively) leaving both struggling in the bottom half of the table. Girona climb away from the danger zone though after they beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 in the early kick-off, Portu scoring twice before the break, and Gálvez getting one back in the second half for the visitors, who stay in next to bottom spot. (27.10.18)

A 1-1 draw on Friday evening between two of this season’s revelation sides, Valladolid and Espanyol. Borja Iglesias fired the visitors into the lead in the twentieth minute, and for an hour or so the Catalans were leading the table. However with the game in time added on, Daniele Verde made it all square with a direct free kick to make it six matches without defeat for the newly promoted team, leaving Espanyol still behind their city rivals Barcelona, in second spot pending the rest of the weekend games. (26.10.18)