A gigantic banner covered one end of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu before the match. On this banner, the Grim Reaper and other scary creatures from movies and stories past sprawled across, and there was a message for their Madrid neighbors to the south, "Noche de Derby. Vuestra Peor Pesadilla." In English, this means, "Derby night. […]

After a mid-week round of fixtures, there is no rest for the weary as another slate of weekend matches comes much more quickly than they would earlier in the year. This last quarter of the year becomes a war of attrition, and those who consistently stay fit will reap the benefits as they take advantage […]

When Sevilla hosted cellar-dweller Xerez on Tuesday evening, an aura of uneasiness surrounded the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. In the front of the Sevillistas' minds was the poor form of their team. An extended run of indolent performances culminated on Saturday evening with a 2-0 debacle against Espanyol, where Sevilla would lose Jesús Navas for a […]

Jornada 28 is only the second mid-week round of the La Liga season, the first occurring well back in late September. Three teams in particular are glad that they get to play so soon: FC Barcelona, Getafe, and Xerez. Xerez? Yes, that same Xerez club that threatened to become the team to secure the fewest […]

While Real Madrid and Barcelona run away from the rest of the field in the struggle for the La Liga title, the tussle for the next four European spots is just as fascinating. The mix of teams truly runs the gamut from the usuals to the upstarts. Sevilla and Valencia continue to be the consistent […]

The final third of the season commences this weekend with a slate of matches that will likely impact European places more than the title race. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona will face clubs at the bottom half of the table, and barring any catastrophes, they should fend off Sporting Gijón and Real Zaragoza, respectively, with […]

With the advantage of the away goal, Sevilla looked in prime position to advance to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately, Manolo Jiménez's team played as though they were already in the next round. A 0-0 score line would have sent Sevilla through, and even though Diego Perotti declared that they could not […]

The thrilling race at the top of La Liga came to a head last weekend, when Barcelona dropped two points at surging Almería, and Real Madrid fought back from a 0-2 deficit to win against Sevilla in the second minute of stoppage time 3-2. Now the two exemplars of Spanish football are tied for the […]

The Almería – Barcelona match had not concluded when Real Madrid took to the pitch, but a few minutes into their match with Sevilla, they knew that Barça slipped at the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos and dropped two points with a 2-2 draw against Almería. Expectations were that Real Madrid would not have the […]

The marquee matchup of the weekend is the late Saturday kickoff between top four teams Real Madrid and Sevilla. The reverse fixture in early October was one of the matches of the season, and while Sevilla's title chances faded away during the dregs of mid-season, they still lie fourth in the league, they have the […]

A ridiculous question with what should be a simple answer. First, a cursory investigation. Is Barcelona on top of the standings in La Liga? Yes. Has Barcelona obtained sixty-one points from twenty-four matches, one more point than it had at the same point last season? Check. Does Barcelona have the edge in its UEFA Champions […]

A half-empty stadium. A running track surrounding the pitch that places the fans further away from the action. Supporters that create less noise and din than those at the Vancouver Olympic Centre, where the Olympic Curling competition is contested. The ONO Estadi hardly constitutes as an intimidating atmosphere, but RCD Mallorca has managed to maintain […]

The obvious surprising result of the previous round was Atlético Madrid's 2-1 victory over Barcelona to hand the Catalunyan champions their first loss in La Liga this season. If analyzed deeper, however, Barça's defeat at the hands of Los Colchoneros becomes less of a shocker. Historically, Atleti had a respectable record against Barcelona in Madrid, […]

This weekend, the focus will be on those teams who will play in European competition in the following midweek. The question of domestic vs. European responsibilities remains an individual club decision, but for some teams, choices become more plentiful than others. Real Madrid faces Xerez at El Chapín, but Los Blancos have the capability to […]

The Congress Hall of the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland held the draw for UEFA Euro 2012 on Sunday afternoon, and while there is no clear consensus about a "group of death" among the nine groups, Spain's group would not be considered in contention for that infamous moniker. Spain was chosen in […]