Seven red cards this weekend, albeit that two were for coaching staff (Valencia's Toni Bruins Slot and Real Madrid's David García) for arguing with referees. And three more came in Real Madrid's match at Recreativo, Beto the first to go (his third red card of the season) for lashing out at a visiting defender (Heinze?). Sergio Ramos followed soon afterwards for a second bookable offence (a sixth red card in his 30 months or so at the club), his dismissal made worse by insulting remarks to the referee on his way off the park which earned him another day's suspension on top of the one for the red card. And the man who came on to replace Beto in defence, Quique Alvarez, was also sent for an early bath for a horrendous tackle on Robben which has taken the Dutch winger out of the reckoning for the next month or so.

Elsewhere two winter signings Maduro (Valencia) and Scaloni (Mallorca) were both ordered off in their respective games after picking up double yellow cards. They will be joined on the sidelines next weekend by another ten players who completed the five booking cycle, including Juanma Ortíz (Almería), Exteberría and Yeste (Athletic Bilbao), Puyol (Barcelona), Azpilicueta (Osasuna), Oriol (Racing Santander), Moretti and Baraja (Valencia), Llorente (Valladolid) and Angel (Villarreal). (04.03.08)