Ronaldo bails Real out again.
edit: dammit DeLorean
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Ronaldo bails Real out again.
edit: dammit DeLorean
What a goal too, and yet he missed a great chance straight after, as did Morata. Quality fare.
So, permutations: a win over Malaga and a draw in Nou Camp wins it for Atletico? That'd give them 92, the most that Real can get. And that point for Real means that Barcelona need Real to at least draw one of their remaining 3 games to still have a chance. Yes?
It's pretty messed up but in a way I think Real's equaliser might help Atletico. Before that Barca knew two wins and they were champions, against all the odds after their terrible result yesterday. It doesn't change things too drastically for Real but now they need Barca to beat Atletico instead of just taking points off them. They really needed that point to keep things in their own hands over Barca. The head to heads were killing them otherwise. Hopefully there'll be no more twists and we'll have a blockbuster final day but I can see why neutrals would just want Atletico to wrap it up.
Yep, it's a bit like when Ireland blew a 3-1 lead in Poznan to Poland in 1991, keeping Poland in contention meaning if they beat England we'd go through if we beat Turkey. Simple really. Ok, they drew and we went out.
I honestly think growing up as an Irish football fan has done wonders for my problem solving skills!
It's a bit of a double-edged sword though. Sometimes when I'm faced with a problem I sit back comfortable in the knowledge the Scots will bail me out at the last moment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
La Liga blown wide open for now.
RV1 RM1 5mins plus to go
Choke choke choke choke
Madrid did just kinda freeze in the 2nd half, well they did freeze - no 2 ways about it, but it's not as if Valladolid really went for it, somehow they managed with ease to keep possession around the RM box with 5 minutes to go, won a corner, which looked like the limit of their attack but the corner was flicked home. Cue camera on Ronaldo's agonised stunned expression on the sidelines, he was taken off after 10 minutes for some reason.
The title decider is likely now to go to the last game in Barcelona, as was the case before the top 3 teams just went walkabout.
Ronaldo was injured early on. I was thinking as I watched the first half that the worst thing Valladolid was equalise early. Real was really stung by Valencia going ahead and always looked likely to get one and maybe two back. When they're a goal up they tend to slack off a bit, especially when Ronaldo's not there.
Kind of the opposite really though? That's Real gone so looks like it's all down to the Barca Atletico match now.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Bale wasn't in the squad either, they really need at least one of himself or Ronaldo.
In an odd way, Atletico’s result against Malaga might not be important. If they win Barcelona can still pip them by winning the last game. If they lose to Malaga at the weekend and Barcelona win, a win at Barcelona will still seal it for Atletico.
If Atletico lose to Malaga even a draw will do at Barcelona if Real drop any more points.
2 draws will be enough for Atletico too, regardless of any other results.
I'd fancy Atletico to beat Malaga, it's at the Calderon and Malaga arent really the force they were a year or two ago, the sheik pulled the money out and a few of the star players left. Even when Atletico lost at Levante last weekend it was a bit of a freak result, an own goal and then a counter attack as they threw cation to the wind trying to salvage a point. Atletico still hit the woodwork many times and created most of the chances. Normally you would expect Barca to be Elche but the form Barca are in a draw is possible and I could see Atletico winning the whole thing this weekend, I think it's their best chance as an away trip to the Nou Camp for, in effect a one off cup final (with the CL final looming for them just after) could give them the jitters.
In that scenario, Atletico would only get the title with a score draw at Barca, if the away goal is valued more in the HTH calculations. However I don't think the away goal is valued more, I think if it's a draw, any draw at the Camp Nou (in that circumstance), then it's 'blown it wide open' for Barca to grab the title, because Barca have the better goal difference.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
ATM it's advantage Atletico, they are the team in form and their end of season schedule is not that cluttered.
Duh, of course: the first game was 0-0, I had thought Atletico had won it for some daft reason.
Presume that was aimed towards my comment. You said La Liga was blown wide open though, not blown wide open for Barca. Real's draw realistically reduced the teams that can win it from three to two... so it's less open than it was before their slip up. Bit petty I know :oQuote:
Originally Posted by geysir
A bit petty?Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Someone might say when a goal is scored, "yeah... back of the net .. in you go" and someone else points out the next day, "well, do you realise that the ball just crossed the line, it didn't hit the net?" :)
I wouldn't overanalyse comments made when a game is in motion, there is a tendency to imitate commentatorisms, Gerry Armstrongisms.
A pendulum swing may have been a more apt description, what can I say? I was just in a stunned state after what I just witnessed, me and Ronaldo shared a moment.
Take it as a compliment that I think you're better than Gerry Armstrongisms Geysir! :)
Atletico squandering chances, areal 1 down at Celta and Barcelona still goalless at Elche.
And last week Atletico lost, Real drew at lowly Valladolid and Barcelona got held by Getafe.
So, imagine my "interest" in BBC 5 Live's explanation of the EPL's global popularity: because no other league throws up results like Man City drawing to Sunderland!
The EPL was great this year, but so too has been La Liga. And the LOI is looking pretty tight too :)
Wow, I can't believe Atletico didn't win that. That Wally character was incredible - that save three minutes into injury time! It's all set up for an amazing finish at Camp Nou - a win for Barcelona will win them the title on head-to-head record, a win or draw for Atletico will see them through. They can't argue they didn't have the opportunities to win it.
Waste of time predicting anything anymore! Real will be kicking themselves, what an opportunity to get back into it! No Ronaldo or Bale again, can't seem to cope without them.
I suppose a draw was the exact same thing as a defeat for Atletico, as it turned out.
They're carrying super form into the Champions League final.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Big pressure on Ancelotti to deliver that now.
Willy Caballero I think his name is. Won't get into Argentina's WC squad despite being their best keeper by a mile.
Mental league. Can't wait for next Sunday.
Re closing series of games drama, the EPL was okay but 2014 is about La Liga, both at the top and the bottom.
Madrid conceded 2 incredibly sloppy goals against Celta de Vigo. The Barca game at Elche was flat, I suppose it was Barca who were flat and relegation threatened Elche who pleased their fans, the locals were well pleased with their point.
I find it hard to believe that Barca are 8/11 favourites for the title, they have to beat a form team who're extremely hard to beat and their turbo has blown.
There's talk the title decider will be scheduled for Saturday eve and Sunday will be reserved for the relegation drama.
I thought it was funny how the Sky commentators were showing the Elche fans celebrating "a famous result" to upset Barcelona. As if the fact the point guaranteed Primera Division football for another year is irrelevant.
Willy pis*ed on their parade.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
This has actually happened! Barca Atletico is now clashing with the F.A. Cup final, kicking off at 17:00.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
It's unreal how all three teams are stumbling over the line. I think sadly Barca might sneak it, home advantage could just be the difference, I fear Atletico could end up being the nearly men in the league and the CL, and over the summer key players and the manager might go. I hope I'm wrong and they do the double but it's looking like it could be a Bayer Leverkusen scenario, running out of gas just yards from the line.
The FA Cup Final clash is infuriating.
I'll have to record the Spanish game.
Not really. The FAC Final will be pants, it usually is these days, sadly...will ask the pub if they can put on the Spanish football instead...
We've been invited over to a fellow Arsenal fan's house to watch the match with our Arsenal supporting sons and then have a BBQ after with all the family. Absolutely no chance I'll be able to watch any of the Spanish game live or even at all until after 10pm I reckon. I'll have to turn my mobile and iPad off. That'll hurt too. Watching Spanish football without the live punditry here won't be the same.
Yeah it's a balls really. I'll be at a gig and I presume they'll only have the Hull game (:)) on in the bar beforehand. I wanted to see both in any case. The Cup final last year was great.
The result was entertaining but the match wasn't especially...
And Stutts, you could have played in that other annual game. And killed two birds etc.
I don't get back from Birmingham until around 4.30 at the earliest. I'd have preferred the other annual game but was committed to the race, a team event.
No worries...next year...hopefully!
So how was that?
The tension watching the BBC site update on my phone was awful.
I had this awful worry that Atletico would do a Benfica.
La Liga for Atletico Madrid after a ding dong title decider,
they won it the hard way, on merit at Camp Nou.
I haven't been as nervous watching a game as this where I had no commitment for a very long time. Real edge of the seat stuff. I know Barca have won it on numerous occasions but fair dues to their fans applauding Atletico at the end of the game. Man of the match - the referee. I thought he was excellent and so calm amid the frenzy going on around him.
I taped the FA Cup Final and went out to get a bag of chips to settle down and watch that: sods law the chipper had the game on a large TV screen with Arsenal just scoring in extra time winner. Sigh. Which is the last team to throw away a 2 goal lead to lose the final ? I'll give you a clue: they have the name of a day of the week in their name.
That must have been the Abergavenny Thursdays?
Give my winnings to a charity of your choice :)
I had the FA cup final on the tv in the background, it looked agricultural compared to the la liga fare, for instance Arsenals' defending was statuesque.
The German cup final was quite interesting, ie until Bayern scored.