The Much Anticipated El Clasico

Every time like this when the two biggest clubs in La Liga, if not in the world, will square off or is around the corner, the much anticipated “El Clasico” always made the headline in football world and often times the talk of the town, not only during the match but also the days before and after that. Especially this season wherein the big names in football will be playing against each other, more so and this time around it’s no longer the names of CRon and Messi that will be involved but also the likes of Bale and Neymar. And most notably, the predictions in the outcome of the match come with so many interesting facts.

More so, that some experts believe that there seems to have a relationship between the outcome of the El Clasico and the race for the La Liga title. So whoever wins in the Clasico will eventually gain a significant advantage in winning La Liga especially when the title race is so tight. And statistics have shown that in six out of nine seasons, the team that emerged better in the Clasico would go on to be crowned champions. So anyone who wants the La Liga title must better win the El Clasico. And there’s little doubt that it plays a big role in the title race comes May.

And here are some interesting facts of their head to head matchup. Barca last won against arch-rival Madrid in December 2011 and simply to say that Barcelona had not won in the last five outings against Real Madrid in all competitions. But on the other hand, Barcelona have won their last 20 home league games since that fateful October night last year. So the odds this time seems leaning towards Barcelona hitting the first blow in Clasico and Los Blancos second defeat of the season.

Image from El Clasico/Facebook

Barca, Atletico Miss Out on Record

The club football match resumed last Friday after the international break, although most of the big clubs in Europe starts playing their games yesterday. And since it was my day off, I have the luxury of watching almost all of the games especially Real Madrid, Barca and Atletico Madrid. While the rest of then can only be monitored through live commentary since it has an overlapping times and if not, it is played simultaneously especially the EPL and Serie A. And it only left me no other choice but concentrate in my favorite clubs.

Image from FC Barcelona

Barca and Atletico Madrid were aiming for their ninth straight league win and subsequently will match Real Madrid’s four-decade long record of nine straight wins. At first, it looks like both Barca and the Los Colchoneros are going to make history as their opponents are sitting at bottom and mid-table, respectively. But in the end Osasuna and Espanyol are making it hard and frustrate their opponents with great defending and eventually missed out on record. The sad part is that, Atletico not only miss a record nine straight wins, they also dropped their first points of the season with a 0-1 loss to the spirited Espanyol.

Image from wikipedia

While Barca wasn’t able to break the deadlock despite the return of Messi from thigh injury and they also dropped their first points of the season but was lucky enough to earn a point with the draw. And stats show that it was the first time that Barca have failed to score in 65 La Liga games. Yet I am worried for they might come back stronger for the first El Clasico match of the season this coming Saturday, 26 October.

A Crucial Match for Barca

I was talking in my previous post about the crucial eight days that will define Real’sseason and perhaps Jose Mourinho’s fate as Real Madrid’s manager. A lot of rumors coming out and of all sorts there is that have something to do with the erratic games of Los Blancos in the past six months. They either draw or win in big games but were the exact opposite against mid-table and struggling teams, in general.

Real is highly spirited after thrashing Sevilla (4-1) at the Bernabeu on 9 February but can only manage to a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the same pitch four days later. Then they barely managed a 2-0 win against Rayo Vallecano on 17 February and almost lost to bottom club Deportivo six days later as Mourinho rested several key players in preparation for another “El Clasico” matchup in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semis at Camp Nou.

While Barca just came from a stunning 0-2 loss at San Siro in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against AC Milan. Milan, on the other hand, was able to find ways on how to tame Barca’s highly structured tactical framework of attacking and created an almost impenetrable defense. More so that Milan hasn’t conceded an away goal and today’s “El Clasico” will be a crucial match for Barcelona if they want to progress in the Champions League quarterfinals.

NB: Image from wikipedia.

El Clasico: Spanish Super Cup

After the London Olympics closing ceremony that was barely two weeks ago, everyone in Europe is now back to reality that the 2012 football season is already in full swing. The French league started it earlier than the big four just two days before the closing ceremony. 

I was very eager to catch up with my football teams again but because of shifting work that I have, Day 1 of La Liga and the Premier League was a big miss at all and it seems that Day 2 will be the same again as it I will be on late shifts. But last night was the most anticipated match of La Liga as it will be the first El Clasico for the 2012 season and I was anxiously waiting for it but it turns out to be the same as the rest of the games.

image from cristianoronaldofan.net

Yes, I eventually miss it out again because it started so late (11:30 PM) to be exact) and I still have work to do the following day, which is today. The worse thing is I’m on the first shift so I should be hitting the sack early so I won’t be lethargic at work. But I can’t resist not peeking on this one because who on earth would not want to see the biggest and most famous… El Clasico. Yet and again, I have work… so I was only able to take a glance of the first 20 minutes or so of the first half then I dozed off to oblivion. And all I can do is to be contented, again, to read the results of the match. 

Barca blunder had given the Los Blancos a lifeline and keeps Real Madrid in hunt for their sixth Super Copa. Barcelona seize advantage in a 3-2 first leg win of the Spanish Super Cup at Camp Nou and the second leg is up next at the Santiago Bernabeu on 29 August.

El Clasico: La Liga title sur-Real for Madrid

The most anticipated and most talked match in football will happen again later tonight (21 April) or early morning the next day (depending which part of the world you are in). It could be there last matchup of the season if both aren’t going to over turn their recent Champions League semi-finals defeat. But if they do (like most have expected) they will meet again next month for the last time at the Allianz Arena to conquer the most elite silverware and become the European champions.

With that alone you know what teams I am talking about. And tonight the El Clasico is happening once again though as classic as it is, it was marred with a fair amount of controversy since Mourinho became the manager of Real Madrid. No matter what it is, the arch rivals will meet tonight at Camp Nou to decide and fight for three crucial points that will shape the destination of La Liga title this season.

Officially, the Los Blancos is four points ahead of bitter rivals Barca with five more games left including tonight’s game. A win or draw at Nou Camp will almost certainly hand over the La Liga title and momentarily halt Barca’s four year dominance in the league. And giving Mourinho his first La Liga title and will be his second trophy (2011 King’s Cup) since taking charge of Real Madrid last season. If they lose, Madrid must win their four remaining games and cannot allow any draw because if ever they finished with the same points, Barca had a head-to-head advantage.

I believe that even a loss, the La Liga title will probably be sur-Real for Madrid considering their dominance this season. And there have been so much at stake on hand and records to fall after tonight’s El Clasico.

NB: Image from cristianoronaldofan.net.

Real Madrid Dethroned Barcelona in El Clasico…

After we came back at home from a day out in the city, I immediately tuned in to watch the most anticipated first Clasico in La Liga. I was surprised that the match had started already and it is already past half an hour and the sad thing was Real Madrid was down 1-0 too. After I ate my dinner the second half is already half way and I already lost hope that Real Madrid can now dethrone Barcelona. Then several minutes after that, Marcelo was brought down inside the penalty box and Ronaldo calmly put the ball at the back of the net while the goalkeeper went to the opposite side.

As the match dwindled to its last minutes I noticed something odd in the game after seeing a tall black player at the frontline of Madrid and later knew that it was Adebayor. And with that, it is pretty obvious that I am watching an old El Clasico so it was a big relief knowing that the 2011 Clasico hasn’t started yet. But I cannot see it live either for it is almost 11 in the evening and I have an early work in the morning and I will just have to be contented with the news result.

I woke up at 5:20 AM but I was actually awaken with my alarm at 5:15, carried my son to his high chair then turn on the TV. This time it’s already the real and updated El Clasico with 1-1 score and half time is almost finished. I know that I am not going to finish it yet still very hopefully, in fact, very high that the Merengues will emerge victorious in this Clasico considering that Benzema draw the first blood and was the fastest goal in the history of the Clasico.

image from yahoo sports

And so I went to work but still with doubts at the back of my mind whether Real Madrid will finally take a stronghold at the top of the leaderboard and topple Barca’s supremacy in La Liga. Along the way, I turned on my car radio and listen to the news which by luck was sports news that was airing the result of the first El Clasico.

And the prolific Barca showed their dominance again being the La Liga and the European Champions by perhaps demoralizing the Madrid side with a 3-1 come from behind victory. And probably Barca showed that they are not ready to be dethroned just yet…!

The Anticipated El Clasico

It’s been awhile since the time I wrote something about football not that I started hating it but in fact, I am having more time watching them since I can watch it live in a 40 inch LCD TV. Guess what…? It is not just one, two or three channels of European football but more than 10 of them and most of it were the one that I am following. There was the La liga, the EPL and the Serie A. There were several teams that I constantly follow and some new teams too that catch my attention then I became a fan.

The last 16 teams in the Champions League have been drawn yesterday and some known teams didn’t know that they are playing their last game yesterday. The more notable was the Manchester duo. Manchester United became the first runner-up team to be eliminated the following season while Man City ends its impressive run in their first ever Champions League season.

image from world cup blog

But the most awaited event is just 1 day away from kick off. The El Clasico is the most anticipated match by the La Liga fanatics and the first Clasico is just a day away. Both teams are having great and impressive matches of their own before facing its other in the El Clasico at the Bernabeu tomorrow. Don’t forget to set your alarms and change your work schedules if you want to see it live. Lucky for me that I am off tomorrow and I’ll be sitting in comfort in our living room.

Vamos…! Los Blancos…!

The Thrill of European Football Leagues

This blog has become a sports niche blog and if you have noticed in the recent posts that I had, 90% of it, I have been writing about sports and majority of it is on a sport that I haven't played a single game ever in my life. I have been writing updates, news and previews about football since March 2011 from the La Liga to Serie A that extends towards the European Champions League games with a brief stopover in the Premier League.

But most of what I wrote is about my favorite team Real Madrid, which you might notice that I have been very biased at some point. There’s just so much to say about the Los Blancos especially their rivalry against Barca and take note that there have been four El Clasico that happened in less than a month. They met each other in three different league games starting from their second Clasico in La Liga going to the finals of Copa del Rey and it ended at their Champions League semifinal meeting that provokes unwarranted circumstances.

Most of the European League at this time is almost finish and there are only two or three games left to go but only in Serie A that a definite champion is proclaimed already whatever is the outcome of Inter Milan’s game. Even if they will win, there are no enough points to surpass city rival AC Milan in claiming the Scudetto for the first time since 2004. It is even sweeter for they stopped the 5 year reign and dominance of Inter in the domestic league.

Other interesting matches to watch are the games of ManU and Chelsea and Barca against city rival Espanyol. The odds are, if ManU wins it will set them six points clear from Chelsea and needed one more point to claim a record breaking 19 Premier League trophies with two more games remaining. While Barca on the other hand, if they win, it would be near impossible for Real Madrid to catch them up and they can claim the La Liga trophy with a draw at Levante mid of this week.

Chinese GP - Vettel Storms to Shanghai Pole

It's been five straight days that I've been posting about football not just because I am an avid fan and follower and I don't want to miss the games of my favorite teams but the month of April is just full of good and great games from its local league to the European competition, the Champions League. And what made this a fantastic month is the classic El Clasico. It is not just the second clasico but it’s “Quatro Clasico”.

Yes… You read it right, it is four El Clasico in just less than a month and the first encounter will start in 30 minutes from now but I will not be writing about it today and I will save it tomorrow as a post-game write ups. Instead, I will write a quick and fast post as quick and fast as the racing cars in Formula One for we (Formula 1 enthusiast) all know that tomorrow is race day in Shanghai.

image source

With the concluded qualifying race, it’s not unusual to see the defending champion Vettel grabbing another pole position. What’s interesting is that it is his third pole in a row in this season and if ever he wins tomorrow then Vettel will achieve the season’s first hat trick wins. Both the McLarens (button and Hamilton) are behind him in second and third, respectively. The only difference is that the RBR has built a commanding margin of seven tenths of a second from Button. It’s big enough that challenging for pole position is futile and no hope of surpassing Vettel’s blistering pace.

I want to see both the McLarens outclassing Vettel in the race day tomorrow, at least they would show some hope of challenging the RBR for the championship.

Second El Clasico - The Classic Derby

Tomorrow's second Clasico is not just an ordinary El Clasico for there are so many at stake whoever emerges victorious in the derby. More so for Real Madrid who has been demolished by Barcelona in their first Clasico last 20 Nov 2010 at Camp Nou. The second Clasico will be a barometer in their next three encounters and El Clasico will no longer be just a local engagement but was brought to a higher level in the European competition.

Real Madrid will not just seek revenge from their 0-5 demolition, they will also have a psychological edge going to the Copa del Rey finals four days later. Then there are more things to prepare for another classic matchup in the Champions League semifinals. The pride of the Merengues is at stake in the four El Clasico. If ever Real Madrid won on 16 April, they will cut the lead of Barcelona in the Primera Liga in 5 points and there are 6 more games left to go. If Barcelona won the second Clasico, it will further bury Real Madrid and extend the gap for 11 more points. And if that’s the case may be then the Los Blancos and Jose Mourinho are less likely to achieve the treble that they are much longing to have.

Whoever is your bet for tomorrow’s second Clasico, I want to see the Los Blancos in the finals of the Champions League. But what hampers on their way is the hard fact that Real Madrid haven’t won the El Clasico for 2 years now.

16 April 2011 : Not Just Second Clasico

For the El Clasico fans and followers, mark your calendar as 16 April 2011 is the date that everyone should not miss. It is not just the second Clasico but it could be the deciding factor if Real can still catch up the chase with Barca in the championship race. If Real wins, statistically, the race is still on but judging with the way Barcelona have been playing and the 8 points gap is doubtful and near impossible to overcome.

What’s more interesting is that four days later they will face each other again in the finals of the Copa del Rey. So, who ever get the three points on 16 April will have a psychological edge going into the next big games.

image from

And you think the thrill and excitement just ends right there?

With both teams thrashing their respective opponents in the Champions League first leg quarters by a considerable big margin then there’s a big possibility that both teams will face each other again for the third time in just one month. It could be the fourth Clasico then. It will be decided and wrap up midweek next week whether they will meet each other again in the semis.

If Madrid lost again this weekend’s second Clasico, it is virtually impossible for the Los Blancos to overtake the Blaugrana even if they are going to fight for it until the end. There are only six more games left and the road for the treble is not in Real Madrid’s side for they still have games against top five teams.

Triple Barca - Real Derby Imminent

With Barca's thrashing over Shakhtar Donetsk in their own Champions League quarterfinals first leg, it is now imminent that the Blaugranas and Los Blancos will be meeting each other for at least three times this month. They will face separate opponents first later this week on Saturday (9 April) before the second El Clasico will happen at the Bernabeu. Real was demolished by Barca when they have visited them at Nou Camp for the first Clasico. At the moment, Real is trailing Barca by 8 points after an upset at their own turf by a lowly team Sporting while there are already 8 more games left.

image from

The result of the second Clasico will have a possible impact in the coming games that they're going to have. Four days after the second Clasico, they will meet again for the Copa del Rey finals. Who will win on 16 April will have a psychological edge in bringing home The King's Cup silverware. Then on 26-27 April is the Champions League semifinals game and possibly both teams will meet again based on the recent results by demolishing their own opponents. Real hammered Tottenham with a 4-0 score while Barca had demolished Shakhtar by a 5-1 score.

I cannot wait to see all those games happened and I am already excited in this situation. And the triple Barca - Real derby can no longer be stopped anymore.

Second El Clasico is fast approaching...

Real Madrid had a home game on the way now and I can't resist not to follow the game but aren't subscribe and I don't want to waste some fee for only a few games that I may like in a month. So I am just watching, I mean, reading the live text commentary at Yahoo Sports and while making this post... GOOOOAL...! by Benzema in just 6 minutes of playing time.

photo source

Today's game at the Bernabeu, home of the Los Blancos will be a test if they could catch up Barca in the La Liga championship race. Real Madrid is 5 points adrift from Barca. Real is trying to maintain the small gap between them when Barca unexpectedly draw with Sporting de Gijon last week in fact, they almost lost that game if not for the late goal of David Villa. A win will move them with in two points from the league leader Barcelona.

What's more interesting is the second round of El Clasico is fast approaching. We all know how Barcelon thrashed Real in their turf with a demolition score of 5 - 0. That is just so embarrassing knowing how Real Madrid have spent to get star players in their squad. But that's not it, the two bog clubs are fighting for supremacy again in the Copa del Rey on April 20, four days after the second Clasico.

15 minutes more left before half time and the score still remains the same. It looks like Real will salvage another win at home and have a clean record so far at home soil. A win will also extend Jose Mourinho's unbeaten run in home league games to a whooping nine years. 

And just as I about to publish this post and to left you hanging for an update tomorrow if Real will get another win, a GOOOOAL...! from Carvalho coming from Ronaldo could seal the game from here.

And there goes the half time... Looks like the game is over with the way Real Madrid is playing. They have dominated the ball possessions so far.

The first Clasico ends in...

The first of the two Clasico this season ends in...

You guess, I'm sure you watched the game last night but if you did not then hear this out. The first el Clasico at Camp Nou ends in a humiliating loss of Real Madrid. The Los Blancos were routed by Barca and ripped apart Jose Mourinho's defense and torn apart in a humiliating 5 - 0 defeat.

El Clasico 2010

As the first El Clasico 2010 meeting is nearing, so does the ever growing confidence of players in both side and that they will runaway with the first win. If you ask the los Blancos, they're going to win in this derby and on the other side, you'll hear the same thing especially that the 2010 El Classico, which is also known as "El derbi Espanyol" will be played in Barcelona on 29 Nov, exactly 11 days from now. The current standings adds up to the thrill and excitement of this first salvo. If Real wins then they gonna clear themselves atop the leaderboard by 4 points and if they lose then Barca gonna overtake them in the standings by just 2 points and  they will grab the top spot again. But that 2 points is very much crucial knowing that Barca took a nerve ending 3 points ahead Real last season. Not only that, a win for Barca will give them the much needed boost since they are thrilling behind Real Madrid from the start of the season.

The Madrid vs Barca match is supposed to be played on 27 Nov. was postponed and rescheduled on the 29th of Nov due to the Catalan elections that take place on 28 November. So don't forget to clear your schedules if you like to watch El Clasico 2010.