Riesgo – 7: Made a number of excellent, crucial saves in the first half to keep his side afloat and continued to look sharp for the rest of the game. Nothing he could do to prevent the two goals.
Bouzón – 6.5: Shadowed Henry closely and won almost every one-on-one battle. Even helped out in the centre of defence once or twice, making a few critical interceptions.
Arzo – 6.5: Formed a solid wall at the back alongside Beto. Had to work hard to keep Eto’o and co as far away from the goalmouth as possible.
Beto – 7: Constantly helped out Poli to double team Messi and Dani Alves. But never left his position in the centre unattended either.
Poli – 6.5: Had the toughest job in football this weekend as he was given the responsibility of shackling Messi and Alves. He was beaten more than he would have liked but he always put up a good fight and never got discouraged.
Sisi–5.5: Barely had a touch of the ball in the first half. More involved in attack in the second, but still did not trouble the Barça backline enough.
Jesús Vázquez – 6: Helped out his centrebacks greatly and even made a few threatening runs forward.
Morris – 5.5: A largely anonymous display but he did his job to overload the midfield.
Aitor – 5: Made a very lively start with a few threatening crosses into the box but faded away very quickly.
Adrián – 6.5: Almost every Recre attack or counter attack went through him. Very lively, wasn’t afraid to take on defenders, but ultimately, didn’t get the support upfront from his teammates.
Javi Guerrero – 4: Very isolated upfront. Like most of his attacking teammates, he had to play out of position just to get a glimpse of the ball. Didn’t even have a shot at goal to show.
Substitutes:
Camuñas – 5.5: Gave the team much more attacking width.
Akalé – 6: So much more dangerous and energetic than the man he replaced, Guerrero. Should have started the match instead.
Marco Rubén–5: Caused a few nervous moments for the Blaugrana backline with his height but other than that, he never really looked like scoring either.
BARCELONA
Valdés – 6: Only had to make a few routine saves. Marshalled his backline well on set-pieces.
Dani Alvez – 8: Played almost entirely as an attacking winger. Saw plenty of the ball and combined well with Messi and Xavi. Had trouble defending against Adrián, though.
Márquez – 7.5: A steady rock at the back for Barcelona whenever his teammates pushed forward. Had to stay alert at all times to anticipate Recre’s counter-attacks.
Piqué – 7: Largely untroubled at the back. Formed a good partnership with Márquez and showed good understanding.
Puyol – 7: As usual, very solid at the back. Didn’t push up as much as a conventional leftback would but he never allowed Sisi any space to run.
Busquets – 7: Very involved with the attack in the first half and even had a few look-ins at goal but a rather quiet second half display.
Yaya Touré – 7: Lost the ball a number of times as he got too adventurous when he joined in upfront. But he was always diligent enough to track back and win possession back.
Xavi – 7.5: Another hassle-free showing by the deep-lying playmaker. Took a while to get going but it was his gorgeously disguised through ball that set-up Messi for the opener.
Messi – 8.5: As expected, a livewire across midfield and upfront and almost impossible to deal with at times. Constantly took on defenders by the numbers. Showed great composure and a killer left-foot to finish off what was his only real chance of the game.
Eto’o –7: Restricted to a few half chances in the first period. Looked surprisingly off-colour infront of goal but it was his miscued volley which allowed Keita to score the all-important second goal.
Henry – 7: Didn’t quite provide the speed and flair on the left side of the pitch. Had a couple of clear-cut scoring chances but spurned them both. Still, he looked dangerous at times whenever he had the ball at his feet.
Substitutes:
Sylvinho – 5: Looked very shaky at the back. His lack of pace was often exposed by Adrián and Camuñas.
Keita – 6: At the right place at the right time to tap in the second goal. Didn’t see much of him otherwise in the 15 minutes he was on the pitch.
Sergio Asenjo 7 - Didn't have any spectacular saves to make, but made a few decent ones. Was caught out of position a couple of times.
Pedro Lopez 7 - Was a constant menace attacking down the right flank, while being quite solid at the back. Luis Prieto 7 - Looked assured for the majority of the match, before the manic final few minutes took their toll. Garcia Calvo 7 - Looked calm and collected in defence, but missed an absolute sitter which should have been Valladolid's second.
Marcos 8 - Had an excellent game on both the defensive and attacking fronts, including an impressive last ditch tackle on Higuain that saved the day. Alvaro Rubio 7 - Did his job well in midfield, stifling Guti's creativity and even turning him inside out once and leaving him on the floor. Vivar Dorado 7 - Controlled the match from midfield, not allowind Real Madrid any space. Pedro Leon 8 - An excellent game from the youngster. He showed flashes of brilliance in the first half, without any sort of final delivery. That changed in the second, with a brilliant assist for Cannobio's goal.
Jonathan Sesma 7 - Was a constant menace down the left flank, threatening every time he got the ball. Fabian Cannobio 8 - An excellent performance capped off by an extremely well taken goal. A constant menace. Victor 6 - A fairly quiet game for the veteran, although he did put in the hard yards for his team.
Substitutes Oscar Sanchez 6 - Was not on the pitch for long, but helped to keep Real Madrid out in the closing minutes.
Javier Baraja 6 - No time to make an impact, but added numbers to Valladolid's defence in the closing stages.
Borja 1 - Absolutely shocking. Looked out of place even before his horrific back pass. The conspiracy theorists would have been out in force had Raul finished. Real Madrid Iker Casillas 7 - Could do nothing about the goal, looked comfortable otherwise.
Sergio Ramos 7 - A decent game, but still allowed Sesma too much space. Looked fairly dangerous in attack.
Fabio Cannavaro 5 - A shockingly poor game, including being hit on the face from a goal kick, as well as a comically poor attempted clearance that went backwards. Gabriel Heinze 4 - At fault in the lead-up to the first goal, his night went from bad to worse when he picked up a yellow card with five minutes left, following it up with another one immediately after for arguing, and being sent off.
Marcelo 5 - Looked good in attack. Unfortunately, he is a defender, and was nowhere to be seen as Valladolid ran amok on the right flank. Javi Garcia 5 - A nervous performance in his first start, with a lot of misplaced passes.
Fernando Gago 7 - Probably Real Madrid's best performer, which is not saying much. Looked assured and calm.
Guti 6 - Had a few great touches including some trademark through balls, but drifted out of the game as he tends to do. Rafael Van Der Vaart 5 - Did nothing in his time on the pitch and stormed into the dressing room upon being substituted. Gonzalo Higuain 6 - He was never going to score four goals again, and while he tried hard and looked lively, he never seriously looked like scoring. Raul 5 - Looked off the pace for most of the game, and then missed an absolute sitter in the dying minutes to equalize. Substitutes
Royston Drenthe 6 - Created a bit of trouble on the left flank, but his final ball was always poor. Wesley Sneijder 6 - Put himself about after coming on, but was largely restricted to poor long shots. Javier Saviola - 5 - Didn't have much time to make an impact.
Almunia – 6: Made a clever save to deny Ashley Young from the spotmidway through the first half. Couldn’t do much to stop the two goals, though. Perhaps can be faulted a little for not closing down the angle when Agbonlahor’s strike beat him at his near post.
Sagna – 5: Looked very lively early on making overlapping runs down the right flank. He left his wing exposed and allowed Young to exploit the space and forced Gallas out of position to set-up the opening goal.
Gallas – 5: Showed great alertness to beat Young to the ball and clear the rebound from the penalty. But he was completely bamboozled by Young which led to the goal and then he was outmuscled by Agbonlahor for the second.
Silvestre – 5.5: An exact opposite of Gallas. Started very nervously but grew in confidence as the game wore on and made a few crucial interceptions and tackles.
Clichy – 5.5: Very unfortunate to nod the ball into the back of his own net. As usual, very involved in attack, persistently pumping in crosses and long balls into the Villa penalty box.
Walcott – 6: Made the rushed challenge on Ashley Young to give away the penalty. Despite a bright start, couldn’t impose himself. Frequently displayed his great bursts of speed but there was never any end product. Constantly marked by at least two players.
Denilson – 4: Not very convincing in his defending and barely helped out the team offensively. Surprised to see him stay on the pitch till the end of the game.
Fàbregas – 5: Still struggling to rediscover his majestic form of old. Never allowed time on the ball to work on his piercing through balls. Had a few long range efforts but had no significant impact whatsoever in midfield.
Nasri–6: Worked hard to run with the ball to take on players and draw out defenders…but to no avail. Drifted all across the midfield line looking for open spaces but he was constantly surrounded by Villa’s teal shirts.
Diaby – 5: Had no trouble adapting into his role as a second striker/forward just behind Bendtner. Showed some neat touches in the first half but mysteriously disappeared from the game after the restart.
Bendtner – 4: Other than a few half touches of the ball inside the box, he barely had any meaningful contribution to show. Didn’t even muster a decent shot at goal.
Substitutes:
Adebayor – 5.5: Had a glorious chance from a header five yards out but he thumped it onto the ground and allowed Friedel to tip it over the bar.
Vela – 5: Didn’t have enough time to influence the game and turn it around.
Touré–N/A
ASTON VILLA
Friedel – 7.5: Made at least two superb reflex saves to deny Adebayor and Fàbregas to keep his side in the lead. Other than a spilled shot early in the game, he never put a foot wrong.
Cuellar – 8: Did not look out of place at all in an uncustomary rightback position. Barely allowed Nasri, Clichy or Walcott to run past him. Never roamed forward past the halfway line but very solid at the back.
Davies – 8.5: Superb defending from start to finish. Never let anything past him. Made a crucial interception to clear a rebound after Friedel had spilled a Fàbregas shot in the first half. And it was his brilliant, and clean, tackle to rob the ball off Walcott which set Agbonlahor on his way for the second goal.
Laursen – 7.5: Tidied and cleaned up whatever got past Davies, which wasn’t a lot. Assisted Gaby’s goal with a precise long ball out of defence.
Luke Young – 7: Looked as though he was going to have a long, long day ahead of him going up against Walcott but he settled in well as the game went on and like his fellow defenders, he put in a near faultless performance.
Ashley Young – 8.5: Created more chances in the first half than any other player. Won a penalty but also saw it saved when he took it himself rather tamely. Made up for it with a stunning assist for the first goal and looked absolutely menacing all game long. Man of the Match display.
Sidwell –8: Rock-solid performance in midfield. Was present everywhere across the middle to cut out the through passes and even pitched in attack by ghosting in blind behind the defence a few times.
Petrov – 7.5: Like Sidwell, he always knew where to position himself to intercept the ball or run into empty space to cover the wide open gaps.
Barry – 7.5: Not an especially stunning individual performance but he marshalled his midfield line brilliantly. Always there for support in defence and ever-present whenever his teammates charged forward in attack.
Milner – 7: Held up the ball well on occasion and always made himself available for his teammates when they were cornered.
Agbonlahor – 7.5: Very isolated upfront initially. Had to drift out wide to the flanks to get involved in the action. But once Villa played on the counter, he was a real menace to the Arsenal backline. Outstanding clinical finishing for the second goal to kill off the contest.
highlight soccer video, La Liga 2008,Barcelona vs almeria 5-0 cuplikan pertandingan sepakbola liga Spanyol 2008, pekan 8,Barcelona vs almeria 5-0
BARCELONA
Valdes: 6 - Didn't have a save to make all night and only touched the ball when he plucked a few crosses from the air.
Alves: 8 - A constant threat down the right wing and defending reasonably well too. Capped off a fine performance with a great free-kick, his first goal for Barcelona since joining this summer. Has taken a while to settle in but now he has he is starting to reproduce the form that made him such a hit at Sevilla.
Puyol: 7 - Had very little to do all night after Negredo was sent off and a solid performance from the centre-back.
Márquez: 7 - Much like Puyol he wasn't tested all night but dealt with the long balls and rare attacks well.
Abidal: 8 - Linked up really well with Henry down the left flank and defending very well too. Good game from the Frenchman.
Xavi: 8 - Another great performance from the midfielder who always seems to be at the centre of all things good about Barcelona along with Iniesta. Controlled the game from the midfield and was a joy to watch.
Touré: 7 - Solid performance and will be pleased to be getting minutes under his belt. Nothing too spectacular from the Ivory Coast international but he provided good cover when the ball was lost by the front men.
Iniesta: 9 - How this man did not get a nomination for the Balon D'Or is a mystery. A simply brilliant player when on song as he was tonight and was at heart of nearly all the plays from the midfield. Some lovely balls and skills to take it around the keeper on more than one occasion. Only downside is he didn't get a goal!
Messi: 7 - Some nice trademark runs from the Argentine but didn't seem to be on top of his game with the final ball. Maybe a little tired after playing so much but still a good performance.
Henry: 7 - Starting to find his feet in this Barcelona side and he showed just why he was so highly rated at Arsenal with a lovely first touch flick then volley in the second half. Worked hard up and down the left and got a deserved goal by been in the right place.
Eto'o: 9 - Really starting to find some form now and even though none of his three goals were particularly breathtaking he was the man everyone was looking for when they were on the ball. The figurehead of the side and one of the best finishers in the world still, a marvellous player and seeming to be enjoying his football again.
Substitutes
Bojan: 6 - Few nice runs but nothing too special in a second half that lacked much excitement.
Hleb: 6 - Like Bojan he only played when the game was already won and couldn't provide too many memorable moments, although did show some nice touches and a decent turn of pace.
Sánchez: 6 - Hardly got any time but did what he had to do well enough.
ALMERÍA
Alves: 4 - At fault for a couple of goals and although he made a good save to deny Eto'o at the end he should have been more decisive with some of his goalkeeping.
Bruno: 5 - Got turned a few times but going forward looked decent and not a bad performance by the right-back.
García: 4 - Was caught out of position on too many occasions and didn't get tight enough to the forwards to prevent them turning and playing their passes.
Pellerano: 5- Like García was caught out and gave the opponents too much time but he did make some good tackles and in the second-half especially was very solid at the back.
Guilherme: 4 - A game of two halves for the left back. First forty-five he was turned inside out by the Barcelona forwards and couldn't get to grips with them at all. Second-half though he was much better and looked a threat going forward too.
Corona: 6- Not a bad performance from the midfielder and not many can live with Iniesta and Xavi when they are in such scintillating form. Could have been a bit better with his distribution at times maybe.
J. Ortíz: 4 - Had a few nice runs and shots but after Negredo was sent off he was playing too far forward and couldn't really get into the game a lot.
Álvarez: 5 - Like Corono he didn't play particularly badly but was just outdone by the class of the opponents. Wasteful with some possession, although he did improve second-half.
Soriano: 4- Did very little throughout the match except get himself booked for a very cynical challenge on Messi. Couldn't up with the pace of the game at times.
Crusat: 5 - One of the better forwards for Almería but when Negredo went off the game was effectively over from an attacking view for the visitors and he defended quite well when he had to.
Negredo: 4 - Was the main goal hope for Almería but saw red after just 29 minutes after a late tackle on Márquez. It was a harsh decision and up until then he had looked useful, especially in the air, but nevertheless a silly tackle.
Substitutes
Mané: 6 - Came on in the easier of the two halves for Almería and burst forward well on a few occasions and also looked solid at the back.
Natalio: 5 - Lost the ball on a few occasions but prefers to play up front with Negredo and looked out of position.
Ortiz: 6 - Decent enough three or four minutes, did nothing wrong and nothing particularly great.
highlight soccer video, La Liga 2008,Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid 1-2 cuplikan pertandingan sepakbola liga Spanyol 2008, pekan 6,Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid 1-2
There was a dramatic finish at the Calderon on Saturday night, as Real Madrid inficted yet another heart-wrenching defeat on their cross town rivals.
Atletico welcomed back Diego Forlan to partner a tired Kun Aguero up front, while Javier Aguirre decided to pack the centre of his midfield in a bid to nullify Real Madrid’s attacking threat.
Los Blancos, meanwhile, brought Marcelo and Wesley Sneijder in, while going for a trident of Higuain, Raul and Van Nistelrooy up front.
First Half
Much of the build-up to the match had been spent emphasizing the fact that Atleti had not beaten their bitter rivals at home for nine years. Could it get much worse? After approximately thirty-five seconds, Ruud Van Nistelrooy shattered the hopes and dreams of the Vicente Calderon faithful before they had found their seats, rifling a shot into the bottom corner from the left flank from about twenty-five yards. While it was a decent effort, Leo Franco should not have been beaten at his near post.
Having virtually scored from the kick-off, Real Madrid nearly repeated the trick, but Sneijder’s shot cannoned back off the bar. It looked as though Los Blancos could wrap up the match in the opening exchanges, but Atleti managed to hold off their early advances. However, they appeared toothless in attack, with Aguero seeming on his own up front, considerably lacking in support from his midfield. They were mostly reduced to long shots, such as a low effort by Pernia that Casillas tipped around the post. It was their opponents, however, who created the next significant opening.
Sneijder flighted a corner into the box, to be volleyed by Cannavaro. Leo Franco parried the ball straight into the path of Van Nistelrooy (who else?), who tapped the ball in from a couple of yards. His celebrations were short-lived, however, as he looked across to see the linesman’s flag raised high in the air. Replays suggested the Dutchman might have been a bit hard done by. The trend continued when Raul was released on the half hour, rounded the keeper and was ready to slot home when the Rojiblancos' best friend waved his flag again. Again, it was a marginal, but ultimately wrong decision. However, it was all about to get much worse for Atletico.
A stray elbow from Perea left Wesley Sneijder with a bleeding nose, and he was duly sent off. He had been booked before, but that was irrelevant as it was a straight red. Despite half time being imminent, Aguirre absolutely had to make a change, as he bought Antonio Lopez on for Raul Garcia to shore up the defence and limit the damage before the break. But just as things looked as though they couldn’t get crazier, they did. Ruud Van Nistelrooy executed a typically clumsy striker’s tackle on Maniche, and was sent off for his troubles. While it was undoubtedly a rash challenge, the forward could justifiably feel a bit hard done by the refereeing team, given the earlier disallowed goal as well.
Surprisingly, there were no more flashpoints before the interval, leaving the ten men on each side to walk into the sheds and reflect on a bizarre opening period.
Second Half
Javier Aguirre introduced some much-needed width into the game at half time, sending on Simao for Pernia. The second half began at the same frantic pace as the first, with the extra space on offer resulting in a true end-to-end encounter. The first major incident came on fifty minutes when Leo Franco pulled of a double save from Higuain and De La Red. Soon afterwards, Aguero found himself one on one with Casillas, but sent his shot wide.
The match continued at the same pace but both sides appeared to lack the killer instinct up front, and despite the chances, a goal seemed far from inevitable. Possibly the most disappointing aspect of the match was the shocking delivery from set pieces, from both sides. In a bid to seal the match, Bernd Schuster sent out Rafael Van der Vaart for compatriot Wesley Sneijder. Aguirre responded by throwing on Luis Garcia for Ujfalusi, leaving Atleti with just two genuine defenders on the pitch. While Atleti began to marginally dominate possession, they were still ultimately relying on Aguero’s brilliance for a goal. The little Argentinean was lively as always, but his final decisions left a lot to be desired.
With barely five minutes remaining, Pepe, who had arguably been the best player on the park, proved just how valuable he is to Real Madrid, executing a superb block to stop Aguero’s goal bound shot, after Cannavaro had slipped in the box. Schuster responded to the pressure by sending Royston Drenthe on for Raul, a move theoretically designed to strengthen the defence. It was Madrid’s attack, however, that almost sealed the deal, with Higuain and Van der Vaart forcing Leo Franco into yet another double save.
It appeared to be a costly miss, as the dramatic encounter took another twist at the beginning of stoppage time. Atleti won a free kick on the edge of the box, and they finally made one count, with half time substitute Simao firing the ball in, leaving Casillas helpless. The Portuguese was booked for taking his shirt off in celebration, but it was well worth it.
The celebrations were short-lived, however, as Atletico underwent yet another spectacular capitulation against their arch enemy. On ninety-five minutes, with less than a minute to go, Drenthe went down in the box after a challenge from Heitinga, and referee Clos Gomez pointed to the spot. Gonzalo Higuain stepped up and made no mistake under intense pressure, despite Leo Franco getting a hand to the shot.
It was a cruel but familiar ending for Atleti, whose fans will be wondering if they will ever see their team beat Real Madrid at the Calderon in their lifetime.
Real Madrid: Casillas – Ramos, Cannavaro, Pepe, Marcelo – Gago, De La Red (Javi Garcia 78), Sneijder (Van der Vaart 68) – Higuain, Raul (Drenthe 84), Van Nistelrooy
Laga derby yang berlangsung semalam cukup menarik ditonton, ngotot, keras, dan penuh dengan serangan, meski hanya tercipta tiga gol. Total, masing-masing klub melakukan 20 kali usaha menjebol gawang lawan. Ball possession 50-50. Ngotot lantaran sang wasit harus mengeluarkan dua kartu merahnya. Satu kepada Ruud van Nistelrooy, dan satu lagi buat Luis Perea.
Baru satu menit peluit wasit berbunyi, fans Atletico dikejutkan dengan gol cepat van Nistelrooy, membawa Madrid unggul 1-0. Madrid terus melakukan tekanan melaluli beberapa pemainnya, seperti Wesley Sneijder, Pepe, Raul Gonzales, meski semuanya tidak berakhir dengan gol.
Tim tuan rumah juga tampil menekan pertahanan Fabio Cannavaro dan kawan-kawan. Dan, perseteruan terjadi saat Luis Perea menyikut Sneijder yang membuatnya mengucurkan darah. Kartu merah pertama pun keluar pada menit ke-30. Tidak lama berselang, kartu merah kedua dikeluarkan wasit. Namun, kali ini kepada pencetak gol tercepat, van Nistelrooy yang melakukan kesalahan kepada Maniche.
Babak pertama berakhir dengan kedudukan tetap 1-0. Babak kedua Madrid tampil sempurna. Gonzalo Higuain dan Raul berkali-kali mencoba menusuk pertahanan belakang Atletico. Namun, tepat pada menit ke-90, tendangan bebas yang dihadiahkan kepada tuan rumah berhasil menjebol gawang Real Madrid. Simao berhasil mengeksekusi dengan baik.
Saat tim tuan rumah sudah yakin akan berbagi gol, titik putih ditunjuk oleh wasit menyusul pelanggaran Johnny Heitinga di kotak terlarang. Dan, Higuain berhasil menyelesaika tugas tendangan pinalti dengan baik. Real Madrid pun keluar sebagai pemenang.
Dengan hasil ini, Real Madrid untuk sementara berada di puncak kelasemen dengan perolehan 16 poin dari tujuh kali permainan, berada di atas Valencia dengan poin yang sama dari enam kali pertandingan.
Susunan Pemain: Atletico Madrid: Leo Franco; Tomas Ujfalusi (Luis Garcia '71), Johnny Heitinga, Paulo Assuncao, Mariano Pernia (Simao '45), Luis Perea, Ever Banega. Maniche, Raul Garcia (Antonio Lopez '38), Diego Forlan, Sergio Leonel Aguero
Real Madrid: Iker Casillas; Fabio Cannavaro, Pepe, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Fernando Gago, Wesley Sneijder (Rafael Van der Vaart '68), Ruben De la Red (Javi Garcia '78), Raul (Royston Drenthe '85), Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gonzalo Higuain
highlight soccer video, La Liga 2008,Barcelona vs Atletico 6-1 cuplikan pertandingan sepakbola liga Spanyol 2008, pekan 6, Barcelona vs Atletico 6-1
Barcelona Smash Atletico Six Goal
A rampant Barcelona simply destroyed Atlético Madrid in the Camp Nou on Saturday night by six goals to one, five of them coming in the first thirty minutes and the sixth in the 70th.
The visitors were truly woeful from start to finish and were the architects of their own downfall for most of the goals as they gave Barcelona all the time in the world to weave their magic.
The Catalan side might not have been particularly impressive so far this season but against Atlético they were at their brilliant best and started the scoring as early as the third minute when Rafael Marquez headed home from a corner.
After that the floodgates opened and Sameul Eto'o stuck home a penalty before Lionel Messi scored a cheeky quickly taken free-kick to send the hosts three goals up after just ten minutes.
Atlético did pull one back thanks to a delightful strike from Maxi Rodríguez but they were soon dead and buried as Eto'o grabbed his second and then Eidur Gudjohnsen tapped in after Andrés Iniesta had struck the post with a rasping shot.
The battle between Sergio Agüero and Messi never really materialised and the Atleti player was taken off after just 60 minutes with the game out of sight for Javier Aguirre's side. Messi on the other hand looked threatening at times but never really got fully into his stride, even though he could have easily have scored another two goals had his finishing been better.
Pep Guardiola didn't really display much emotion on the sidelines but he must be thrilled with his sides performance, which was breathtaking at times but was helped hugely by some awful defending from the visitors.
The four at the back looked as though they had never played together as they were caught out of position time and time again and failed to close down enough. Whilst the loss to Sevilla last week was a show of ineptitude in the final third this was purely defensive based and Aguirre will be having nightmares tonight as he relives some of the howlers at the back.
Sensational Start
From the start there were changes a plenty for Barcelona as Guardiola shuffled the side that won in Ukraine in the week, with Daniel Alves, Seydou Keita, Yaya Toure and Thierry Henry all benched for the home side. Atlético on the other hand started with nearly the same team that beat Marseille, with Antonio López and Luis García starting ahead of Mariano Pernia and Miguel De Las Cuevas, and the game started at a ferocious pace.
After just three minutes Barcelona took the lead thanks a Rafael Marquez header from a Xavi corner earned by Andres Iniesta. The Mexican was unmarked at the near post and directed his header brilliantly in the far corner to send the Camp Nou into raptures and to give the Catalan side the perfect start to the game. And if that wasn't good enough they then went two goals up just a couple of minutes later thanks to a penalty from Samuel Eto'o.
The striker slotted away after Lionel Messi went to ground easily from a challenge by Tomas Ujfalusi and the referee pointed to the spot with no hesitation. The visitors were simply getting blown away and they looked shell-shocked as Eto'o celebrated with a jubilant home crowd after just five minutes.
Little did he, or the fans know, that just three minutes later they would make it 3-0 thanks to a cheekily taken free-kick by Messi from about 20 yards out. The Argentine won it after a soft decision by the referee and whilst Atlético were busy organising their wall Messi took the free kick and bent it into the far corner with Gregory Coupet standing by the opposite post.
It was a sensational start by Barcelona and even a stunning strike by Maxi Rodríguez in the 15th minute didn't dampen the mood in a packed Camp Nou. Sergio Busquets was guilty of giving the ball away twice around the Barcelona area and the second time he was punished for it as Maxi took one touch and bent a wonderful shot past Victor Valdes from about 25 yards out.
The goal gave Atlético hope but yet again poor defending cost them just minutes later as Eto'o grabbed his second goal of the game and Barcelona's fourth, in just the 20 minute. A ball over the top found the striker in between Johnny Heitinga and Tomas Ujfalusi and he simply turned one way then the next and with Coupet on the floor and the defenders confused tapped into the empty net.
Dead And Buried
It was an unbelievable start to the game and Atlético were getting torn to shreds at the back with Ujfalusi and Heitinga looking like they had never even played together before. Samuel Eto cracked another shot just wide and then just as it seemed the game was starting to settle down the hosts grabbed another, thanks again to some woeful defending from Los Rojiblancos. This time it was Eidur Gujohnsen who profitted after Iniesta had drilled a shot low against the post and the Icelandic international was on hand to tap into the empty net.
Whilst the game had been billed about the battle between Kun and Messi it was so far a totally one-sided affair between a team on top of their game and one who looked asleep for the first 30 minutes. At 5-1 the game was already over but Barcelona were in the mood to have more and Gudjohnsen could have another his second when he met a cross from Xavi but he blasted over the bar and into the stands. Atlético could, and probably should, have been reduced to ten men as well, when Antonio López, who had already been booked for protesting about the penalty, was shown another yellow card by the referee, but not a red.
If there was a battle between Agüero and Messi then there was no doubt who was winning it after forty minutes as Barcelona's number ten burst through the Atlético defence which simply stepped away from him and you would have put money on him chipping over Coupet and into the goal but it went wide. Then just seconds later produced a near carbon-copy of the move but this time was stopped well but Heitinga and as looked set to pull the trigger.
Barcelona Break
The first time the crowd were able to catch their breath was as the referee blew his whistle after 46 minutes to signal the end to a completely unbelievable half which Barcelona led by four goals and it could have easily been more. Luckily for Atlético the second-half started at a much more normal pace and then even started to control the game, with Barcelona seemingly quite happy to sit back and relax on their lead.
Despite having the possession though it was Barcelona who created the first chance of the second half when a free-kick was whipped in which was just headed over by Marquez looking for his second goal. With the game at a lull and the scoreline out of reach Aguirre decided to haul off Agüero to spare the striker, who had already picked up a yellow for a tackle on Puyol, any injury or suspension. In his place came Éver Banega and Atlético continued to look bright in midfield but couldn't penetrate Barcelona as the Catalan side did a brilliant job of closing down.
With the game in the bag Barcelona also decided to bring off a star player in Samuel Eto'o and the Cameroonian, who has not always been a fan favourite in the Camp Nou, got a standing ovation for his two goals and brilliant performance. Likewise Lionel Messi got a rapturous applause as he was taken off in the 70th minute by Pep Guardiola, with Thierry Henry and Bojan Krkic coming on to replace the two starters.
Henry looked lively from the moment he stepped onto the pitch and just ten minutes after doing so he scored arguably the best goal of the night as he linked up with Bojan and Xavi to stunning effect. The ex-Arsenal man started the move half way inside the Atlético half, passing to Xavi, who laid the ball off to Bojan, who then tapped it first time into Henry's path on the edge of the box and the striker blasted into the bottom corner. It was a sumptous move and the perfect way to round off a perfect night for Barcelona and personally for Henry, who got a huge ovation from the fans as he celebrated his goal.
The goal was just about the last event of the game as Barcelona decided they were happy with six and Atlético breathed a sigh of relief, with the ball just been passed around in the midfield for the final five minutes as the crowd reflected on what they had seen. With the final whistle came a huge roar from the fans as they celebrated a stunning victory and a huge marker laid down by Guardiola and his side, who had been slick, brilliant and totally deserving of their victory.
Atlético Madrid: Coupet, Perea, Ujfalusi, Heitinga, López, Maxi Rodríguez (`20 De Las Cuevas), Assuncao, Raúl García, Luis García (`45 Pernia), Sinama-Pongolle, Agüero (`57 Banega)
Barcelona Bantai Atletico Enam Gol Tanpa Ampun
Laga Barcelona kontra Atletico Madrid yang diprediksi berjalan sengit ternyata berlangsung berat sebelah. Tuan rumah tampil sangat perkasa untuk menundukkan tamunya dengan skor fantastis 6-1.
Dengan materi pemain yang dimiliki plus status sebagai salah satu kandidat juara, pertemuan Barca dengan Atletico selayaknya berjalan seru dengan kedua tim saling melancarkan serangan. Namun laga di Nou Camp, Minggu (5/20/2008) malah berlangsung satu arah dengan tuan rumah tampil mendominasi.
Total enam gol yang dilesakkan skuad besutan Pep Guardiola dalam pertandingan tersebut, dengan lima di antaranya datang di 45 menit pertama. Sementara tim tamu hanya mampu membalas sekali yang membuat pertandingan berakhir dengan skor 6-1.
Dengan tambahan tiga poin Barcelona kini bertengger di posisi kedua klasemen sementara dengan nilai 13, hasil empat kemenangan, sekali imbang dan sekali kalah. Sementara untuk Los Rojiblancos ini merupakan kekalahan keduanya secara beruntun setelah pekan lalu dikandaskan Sevilla dengan skor 1-0.
Jalannya Pertandingan
Gol pertama Barca tercipta saat pertandingan baru berjalan tiga menit. Rafael Marquez mencatatkan namanya di papan skor saat tandukannya meneruskan umpan tendangan sudut dari sisi kanan pertahanan tim tamu.
Pertandingan yang semula diyakini bakal berjalan sengit justru menjadi kurang menggigit. Apalagi tuan rumah kemudian mendapat hadiah penalti dari wasit menyusul pelanggaran yang dilakukan terhadap Messi. Samuel Eto’o yang maju sebagai eksekutor dengan mudah mengubah skor menjadi 2-0.
Gemuruh serta sorak sorai fans Barca kembali terdengar nyaring diseluruh penjuru stadion saat gol ketiga tercipta di menit delapan. Memanfaatkan kelengahan pemain belakang Atletico yang tengah membangun pagar hidup, tendangan bebas Messi tipis di luar kotak penalti hanya bisa dipandangi sebelum akhirnya masuk ke dalam gawang Gregory Coupet yang masih berusaha mengantur rekan-rekannya.
Tertinggal tiga gol tak lantas membuat Atletico pantah arang. Di menit 13 Maxi Rodriques memperkecil ketertinggalan timnya melalui tendangan keras dari luar kotak penalti. Namun saat tim tamu sepertinya akan menjalani kebangkitan kembali, Barca justru menambah jumlah golnya atas nama Samuel Eto’o.
Gol ini tercipta berkat kreasi Xavi yang melepaskan umpan terukur pada sang striker. Setelah memenangi duel dengan dua bek lawan, Eto’o juga sempat memperdaya kiper Coupet.
Gol penutup Barca di babak pertama ini datang dari kerja keras Andres Iniesta yang meliuk-liuk di tengah kawalan bek lawan dan melepaskan tendangan yang cuma membentur tiang gawang. Namun bola yang mental ke tengah kotak penalti langsung disambar Eidur Gudjohnsen untuk mengubah kedudukan menjadi 5-1.
Dalam keunggulan 5-1 Barca sama sekali tak mengurangi tekanannya. Sejumlah peluang lain berhasil diciptakan yang salah satunya lewat tendangan Iniesta yang membentur tiang gawang dan gagal di-rebound oleh Messi yang berdiri dalam posisi bebas.
Messi sendiri tampil sangat gemilang dalam laga tersebut. Sebuah aksi solo run-nya di penghujung paruh pertama juga nyaris menambah jumlah gol tuan rumah. Namun kerja kerasnya melewati beberapa pemain lawan plus upaya mencungkil bola saat tinggal berhadapan dengan Coupet tak menghasilkan apa-apa, bola yang dicungkilnya melenceng tipis ke sisi kanan gawang Atletico.
Kalau Messi begitu dominan di kubu Barcelona, tidak demikian dengan Kun Aguero. Bintang muda Atletico yang disebut-sebut akan menjalani duel dahsyat dengan Messi itu seperti mati kutu dan tak bisa berbuat apa-apa untuk timnya.
Memasuki babak kedua tak banyak perubahan terjadi. Barca tetap tampil menyerang, sementara Atletico masih kesulitan mengembangkan permainan sekaligus melepaskan diri dari tekanan lawan.
Satu-satunya gol yang lahir di paruh kedua ini datang di menit 73 melalui Thierry Henry. Prosesi lahirnya gol ini tercipta dengan cantik yang diawali Henry dengan melepas umpan pada Bojan Krkic dan dilanjutkan striker muda itu pada Xavi. Tendangan first time Henry setelah kembali menerima umpan dari Xavi kembali merobek jala Atletico untuk kali keenam.
highlight soccer video, La Liga 2008,Villareal vs Betis 2-1 cuplikan pertandingan sepakbola liga Spanyol 2008, pekan 6, Villareal vs Betis 2-1
It was a Jekyll and Hyde performance from the El Madrigal residents, who seemed sluggish and desperately off the pace in the opening half, but in the second period Manuel Pellegrini's Submarino Amarrillo recovered in dramatic fashion, and now stand clear atop of La Liga
The hosts looked to be suffering from a Champions League hangover as Betis dominated much of the first half. Had the Andalucian side capitalized better on the chances that came their way, it might have proved too high a mountain to climb after the break for Villarreal.
It was an open, end to end contest in the opening quarter, with Villarreal eager to keep pace at the summit of La Liga, while Betis were looking to build on a deserved point at home to Barcelona last weekend.
There was attempt after attempt on goal, starting for the visitors when Emana brought a good save out of Diego Lopez with along range effort. But it was Villarreal who looked brighter in the opening exchanges, with Ariel Ibagaza particularly dangerous down the left channel.
The former Mallorca and Atletico creative tested Casto in the Betis goal with a stinging effort that was gathered at the second attempt, before Rossi fired an acrobatic volley wide of goal after good service from the pint-sized Argentine. However, the early sprightliness was soon to dissipate. Betis gained a foothold and began stretching an increasingly sluggish host midfield and defence, as Villarreal looked distinctly jaded and were second to every ball.
Betis' superiority in the first half heralded a string of chances for Paco Chaparro’s men. Villarreal ‘keeper Lopez almost handed Los Pepinos the lead on a silver platter after fumbling a low cross straight into the path of Jose Mari, but Diego Godin managed to clear the ball with a last ditch tackle.
The Uruguayan defender’s exploits only delayed the inevitable though, and a deserved breakthrough came after twenty minutes when an unmarked Damia connected perfectly with a Gonzalez cross. The former Barcelona player stroked the ball home expertly on the volley, with his weaker left foot.
The lead should have been doubled in the first half, with a host of Betis players going close, not least due to some slack defending and concentration from their opponents. Capi powered a header toward goal forcing Lopez to parry, while Emana robbed a daydreaming Eguren to burst through on goal. He cut inside to find a better angle, but the Cameroonian dragged his shot wide.
Jose Mari, occupying a lone role up front, might have got the second after half an hour, after a mistake by Godin, but the defender’s central defensive partner Gonzalo atoned for the error with a crucial intervention.
The chances kept coming for Betis, with Damia and Capi both threatening to stretch Betis’ advantage, but the scoreline remained the same, and Villarreal were undoubtedly glad to see it through to half time without further damage inflicted.
After the break there was no immediate reaction from the hosts, and after fifteen minutes Pellegrini showed his intention to push forward by replacing Senna with Pires, while Franco provided greater physical presence than the fading Rossi.
Within minutes of the double substitution, Villarreal had launched them selves into the lead. The first came unsurprisingly from a Ibagaza assist, the minature magician curling in a freekick that was flicked on superbly by Gonzalo, with a header that gave Casto absolutely no chance in goal.
Moments later, Betis were left stunned as, after pressure around the visitors box, Ibagaza cut in from the right and into the penalty area. The number 11 fired a cross across the box which found Pires, and the Frenchman’s shot into the ground fell at the feet of Llorente, just a metre from the gaping goal for an easy finish.
It was tough on Betis, but they had lost concentration after the equalizer and paid the price. The visitors tried to fashion an equalizer but had the wind knocked firmly out of their sails, while Villarreal were solid for remainder of the contest and saw out victory.
Villareal hajar Betis , Amankan Peluang
Joseba Llorente menjadi penentu kemenangan Villarreal atas Real Betis 2-1. Kemenangan tersebut juga membawa Villarreal untuk sementara memimpin klasemen La Liga.
Pada pertandingan yang digelar di Estadio El Madrigal, Minggu (5/10/2008) dinihari WIB, Villarreal mendapatkan perlawanan ketat dari Betis di babak pertama. Bahkan di babak pertama tim tamu unggul lebih dulu lewat gol Damia di menit ke-20.
Namun Yellow Submarine akhirnya mampu bangkit dan menemyukan kembali permainan terbaiknya di babak kedua. Gonzalo Rodriguez berhasil menyamakan kedudukan menjadi 1-1 dan Joseba Llorente akhirnya memastikan kemenangan Villarreal 2-1.
Kemenangan tersebut membuat Villarreal untuk sementara memimpin klasemen La Liga. Kini Villarreal telah mengantongi 16 poin dari enam kali pertandingannya atau unggul tiga poin dari Valencia yang baru akan menghadapi Real Valladolid besok.
Sementara Real Betis masih menghuni papan bawah setelah baru mengumpulkan 2 poin.
Jalannya Pertandingan
Pada pertandingan tersebut Betis memang sempat menekan di awal pertandingan. Achille Emana mencoba melancarkan serangan dengan melepaskan tendangan keras kaki kanannya dari luar kotak penalti namun masih gagal menghasilkan gol.
Begitu pula usaha Mehmet Aurelio lewat sundulannya menyambut crossing Jesus Capi masih dapat digagalkan Diego Lopez. Sementara Villarreal mencoba membangun serangan namun sepakan kaki kiri Giuseppe Rossi masih melenceng tipis di samping gawang.
Sedangkan usaha Ariel Ibagaza lewat tembakan kaki kirinya masih dapat dipatahkan Casto. Kini Betis kembali melancarkan serangannya lewat tendangan keras kaki kanan Jose Mari dari sisi kanan masih dapat diblok Lopez.
Namun, Betis akhirnya berhasil unggul lebih dulu. Sebuah crossing dari Mark Gonzalez berhasil dimanfaatkan dengan baik oleh Damia dengan melepaskan tembakan kaki kirinya dari tengah kotak penalti ke pojok kanan gawang Villarreal.
Real Betis masih menguasai jalannya pertandingan namun hingga turun minum kedudukan 1-0 tetap tidak berubah. Di babak kedua, Villarreal mencoba mengejar ketertinggalannya dan melakukan dua pergantian dengan memasukan Robert Pires dan Guillermo Franco.
Hasil cukup efektif. Pada menit ke-69, Villarreal akhirnya berhasil menyamakan kedudukan menjadi 1-1. Gol tersebut dicetak oleh Gonzalo lewat sundulannya di kotak penalti setelah memanfaatkan crossing Ariel Ibagaza.
Satu menit kemudian, Villarreal balik unggul menjadi 2-1. Llorente menjadi penentu kemenangan kemenangan Villarreal setelah tendangan kaki kirinya dari jarak dekat berhasil menjebol gawang Betis memanfaatkan umpan Pires.
Skor 2-1 bagi Villarreal tersebut tidak berubah hingga akhir pertandingan
highlight soccer video, La Liga 2008,Espanyol vs Barcelona 1-2 cuplikan pertandingan sepakbola liga Spanyol 2008, pekan 6, Espanyol vs Barcelona 1-2
Player Ratings: Espanyol 1-2 Barcelona
Espanyol
Kameni 6.5 - In fairness did not have many outstanding saves to make, but the ones he did he made well. Should have cleared the ball for Henry's goal.
Chica 7 - Did well down the flanks to contain Messi and make him have to continue search for openings inside rather than round the back.
Pareja 7.5 - Very unfortunate to be the one to have to stop Eto'o at the very end the debate will go on, but he had a very good game apart from that.
Jarque 7 - Also was very strong in keeping out the Barça forwards that have taken apart so many other teams with their constant attacking.
Sergio Sánchez 6.5 - Was sometimes caught out of position when trying to contain Iniesta, but was part of a strong overall display at the back for Barça.
Moisés 7 - Sat in front of the back four and was very strong in keeping the second wave of Barça players out and winnning the second ball.
Román 6.5 - A strong presence in the midfield who was able to mix the physical side with the creative side as he helped his break away. Nené 4 - In a game of so few bookings, the former Celta wideman was slightly unfortunate to see two of them before the break.
Coro 8 - Never stopped working throughout and was the first to run the ball out of his own half once Espanyol were down to ten men.
Luis García 7.5 - Also ran tirelessly and will have felt aggrieved that all his work was not even rewarded with a share of the spoils.
Tamudo 6.5 - Did very well to put the ball back across the area with a pass that led to the first goal and will be frustrated to have been taken off.
Subs
Ángel 6.5 - Another player brought on to try and help break things up and take the ball away from the Espanyol area.
Sielva 7 - Really did try his best to run at Barça and relieve the pressure from his defence and did that job very well when he had the chance.
Callejón 6 - Replaced Tamudo as the lone striker and did well enough, but was never going to have much supply.
Barcelona
Valdés 7 - Not much he could have done about the goal given that Luis García gave him a nudge and he had a quiet evening on the whole.
Alves 7.5 - Was able to push forward a lot given Espanyol's defensive stance and provide crosses and passes for the forwards to go for.
Puyol 7 - Constantly led the team on and gave a captain's performance simply for his constant cajoling of his team-mates.
Piqué 6.5 - Solid at the back and was able to stop the majority of Espanyol's breakaways as well as providing a creative side from the back
Abidal 6 - Helped out going forward and could not do anything to prevent the goal, but did not really make an impression at either end.
Busquets 6 - Was involved in a number of things, but most noticably in the moajority of moments that stirred up Espanyol in midfield.
Xavi 7.5 - Tried to create what he could in the limited space available and found it difficult to find his team-mates. Hit the bar with a sizzler.
Gudjohnsen 5.5 - Was given a chance in midfield, but was thwarted by the clear lack of space and was unable to open up Espanyol.
Iniesta 8.5 - Barça's best player yet again with his movement and creativity, even though he may not have been as outstanding in recent weeks.
Messi 8 - Creative and tricky, but still needs to hone his incredible talent to truly unlock locked defences such as this and he only did that once or twice.
Henry 8 - Constantly looked to make a breakthrough and had a number of good chances only to be denied by inspired defending and the woodwork.
Subs
Eto'o 7.5 - His movement and strength did cause Espanyol problems and his run for the penalty was decisive and won the game.
Bojan 6 - Had a couple of shots that did not trouble Kameni and has yet to show this season why he deserves more minutes.
Keita 6 - Did not make a huge impression when coming on but was able to sit back and help the defence when building.
Gol Injury Time Messi Menangkan El Barca
Diwarnai bentrokan antar fans, laga derby antara Barcelona melawan Espanyol akhirnya berakhir untuk kemenangan El Barca dengan skor 2-1. Lionel Messi muncul sebagai penentu kemenangan Barca lewat golnya di injury time.
Laga yang digelar di Stadion Olimpico Montjuic, kandang Espanyol, Minggu (28/9/2008) dinihari WIB, ini sempat dihentikan pada menit 70 ketika suporter kedua kesebelasan berbentrokan. Suporter Barcelona sempat terlihat melempar bom asap ke arah tribun pendukung Espanyol.
Melihat keadaan tersebut wasit Luis Medina Cantalejo memutuskan untuk mengeluarkan seluruh pemain dari lapangan dan menunda laga sampai keadaan reda.
Ketika itu Espanyol tengah memimpin 1-0 lewat gol Coro di menit 19 pada babak pertama. Gol tersebut tercipta setelah sang penyerang sukses memanfaatkan bola liar hasil sapuan Gerard Pique yang gagal diamankan oleh Victor Valdes. Namun, pada menit 45 tuan rumah harus bermain dengan 10 orang setelah Nene dikeluarkan wasit akibat menerima kartu merah.
Saat pertandingan di lanjutkan kembali pada menit 77, Barca langsung mengambil momentum untuk menyamakan kedudukan. Gol yang ditunggu-tunggu itu akhirnya baru lahir pada menit 84 melalui kaki Henry.
Gol tersebut tercipta dengan diawali oleh umpan panjang Xavi Hernandez ke arah mantan striker Arsenal itu. Bola tersebut sebenarnya sukses disapu kiper Carlos Kameni, namun bola justru membentur kaki bek Espanyol dan kembali ke kaki Henry. Dengan tenang, penyerang asal Prancis itu pun menceploskan bola ke gawang yang terbuka lebar.
Akibat dari insiden di babak kedua itu, waktu injury time pun menjadi lebih panjang. Barca pun memanfaatkan kesempatan ini untuk terus menekan pertahanan Espanyol. Pada akhirnya, Los Blaugranas pun mendapatkan hadiah penalti setelah Samuel Eto'o dijatuhkan di kotak terlarang oleh Nicolas Pereja.
Messi yang menjadi eksekutornya tak menyia-nyiakan kesempatan ini dan langsung memberikan keunggulan 2-1 untuk timnya. Tak lama setelah gol tersebut wasit pun meniupkan peluit panjang yang artinya Barca berhasil membukukan tiga kemenangan beruntun di La Liga.
Hasil ini membawa Barcelona naik ke peringkat tiga klasemen sementara dengan raihan nilai 10 dari lima kali bertanding. Sementara Espanyol tak beranjak dari peringkat delapan dengan raihan poin tujuh.
Susunan Pemain:
Espanyol: Carlos Kameni, Nicolas Pareja, Francisco Chica Torres, Sergio Sanchez, Daniel Jarque, Roman, Moises Hurtado, Anderson Nene, Luis Garcia, Raul Tamudo (Angel Cervera 45), Coro.
Barcelona: Victor Valdes, Eric Abidal (Samuel Eto'o 54), Daniel Alves, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Sergi Busquets (Bojan Krkic 65), Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Eidur Gudjohnsen (Seydou Keita 63).
highlight soccer video, La Liga 2008,Real Betis vs Real madrid 1-2 cuplikan pertandingan sepakbola liga Spanyol 2008, pekan 6, Real Betis vs Real madrid 1-2
Ruudje Save Madrid Face in 91 mnts !
Los Merengues, looking for their fourth straight La Liga win, went ahead through Gabriel Heinze but they were pegged back when Sergio García equalized from a rebound off his own penalty in the second half after Marcelo gave away the spot kick and was sent for an early bath.
However, the Betis goalscorer himself was dismissed ten minutes from time and they were made to pay dearly as Ruud van Nistelrooy struck a clinical winner deep into injury time.
First Half
It was all Madrid early on as they channelled all their attacks down the left and Arjen Robben saw plenty of the ball in the opening exchanges.
After just three minutes, he squeezed his way down the wing into the box and lured out three defenders before teeing up Ruud van Nistelrooy, but the striker’s shot was blocked by a crowd of legs in the penalty area. Moments later, he floated in a cross for Rafael van der Vaart but the playmaker’s unchallenged header was weak and Casto was able to gather it easily.
The first clear chance of the night came on ten minutes when Sergio Ramos slipped in a through ball to Rubén de la Red on the counter but the young canterano, streaming right through the middle into the box, saw his left footed effort palmed away by the Betis shot-stopper.
The Andalucians had to wait until the 16th minute before they could in get their first attempt at goal but Emana’s snap shot outside the box just shaded the right post.
Two minutes later, however, Los Blancos went infront. Robben won a freekick on the left, van der Vaart whipped in the delivery and Gabriel Heinze outjumped everyone in the area to head the ball into the back of the net.
Emana almost drew levelled for the hosts immediately when his curling low shot from 25 yards out was tipped around the post by an outstretched Casillas.
Casto had to do likewise just before the half hour mark when he had to make a full-stretched save to deny de la Red’s swerving drive from the edge of the box.
Betis, to their credit, kept on pushing forward despite the risk of being sunk on the counter attack and on 37 minutes, Damía latched on to Emana’s cushioned header but his half volley just flashed over the crossbar.
As the interval drew closer, both teams suddenly resorted to set-pieces to break down their opponents, as the game turned into a scrappy affair with a number of reckless and late tackles flying around.
Right before the half time whistle, Betis came agonizingly close to restoring parity. Mehmet Aurélio’s deflected cross from the right dropped kindly for Emana, who’s sideways half volley forced Casillas into a reflex save as he tipped the ball onto the foot of the post, before gathering the rebound gratefully.
Second Half
Fortunate to hold onto and take their lead into the second period, Madrid knew they had to step up their game. But it was Paco Chaparro’s men who picked up where they left off when Emana’s freekick caught the merengues wall by surprise but his low drive still failed to clear the crowded defence.
Schuster’s side responded to that threat when they came close to doubling their advantage on 50 minutes. Marcelo dinked in a cross from the left but van Nistelrooy, off-balance saw his looping header palmed over the bar easily by Casto.
Two minutes later, however, it all went south for Madrid. Marcelo brought down Damía inside the box and as the last defender, the Brazilian was duly given a straight red card. Sergio García stepped up for the spot kick but his tame effort was parried away by Casillas. However, the rebound fell kindly back to the ex-Real Zaragoza forward and he coolly tapped the ball into the empty net.
Los Merengues were suddenly on the backfoot as a confident Betis poured forward incessantly with Sergio García, José Mari and Capi all queuing up for a crack at goal.
Sensing a loss of control, Schuster sent in Miguel Torres to plug the gap on the left and Raúl had to be the sacrificial lamb. But that didn’t stop Los Verdiblancos from continuing their assault and on the hour mark, José Mari almost handed his side the lead when he slid in at the far post to connect with Emana’s glancing header but just narrowly missed making contact.
Madrid clearly looked shaken as their crosses and shots in the final third of the pitch constantly went horribly astray.
Emana, for the umpteenth time, had a chance to put the ball in the back of the net when he connected a header with Sergio García’s freekick on 79 minutes but he sent his powerless effort straight at Casillas.
But Betis’ man advantage was stripped away when Sergio García was shown his second yellow of the night for an infringement on Royston Drenthe. And the Andaluz outfit were made to pay for that when deep into injury time, van Nistelrooy struck the winner.
Robben led the counter attack and fed a through pass to Ruud, who steamed into the box on the left channel, waited for Casto to step out of his line before sweeping in a low shot into his bottom left corner.
It was a bitter defeat to take for Betis, who could easily have won the contest when they dominated for large spells after scoring the equalizer. For Madrid, it was a fortunate and scrappy victory but three points nonetheless that should keep them inside the top three.
LINE-UPS
Real Betis (4-2-3-1): Casto – Nélson, Arzu, Juanito, Monzón (Babic 75’) – Emana (Ilic 85’), Aurélio – Damía (Pavone 65’), Capi, Sergio García – José Mari
Unused subs: Ricardo, Rivera, Juande, Melli
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Casillas – Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Heinze, Marcelo – Van der Vaart (Drenthe 80’), Diarrà, De La Red (Javi García 68’) – Robben, Van Nistelrooy, Raúl (Torres 59’)
Unused subs: Dudek, Saviola, Higuaín, Metzelder
REAL BETIS 1-2 REAL MADRID
0-1: Real Madrid (Heinze 18’)
1-1: Real Betis (Sergio García 53’ pen.)
1-2: Real Madrid (Van Nistelrooy 90’+1)
Gol Telat Nistelroiij menangkan Merengues
Diwarnai keluarnya dua kartu merah, laga Real Betis kontra Real Madrid harus ditentukan dengan sebuah gol di menit terakhir. Berkat gol Ruud van Nistelrooy, Madrid akhirnya menang.
Di Stadion Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, Minggu (28/9/2008) dinihari WIB, Madrid unggul lebih dulu lewat Gabriel Heinze. Betis lantas membalas melalui Sergio Garcia sebelum akhirnya gol Van Nistelrooy memastikan Los Blancos menang 2-1.
Heinze membawa Madrid memimpin di menit 18 melalui tandukannya. Meneruskan tendangan bebas Rafael van der Vaart, sundulan bek Argentina itu mulus menembus jala Betis yang dikawal Casto Espinosa.
Ruben de la Red nyaris menghela Madrid menjauh di tepat setengah jam pertandingan berjalan. Sundulan De La Red ditepis dengan cara luas biasa oleh Casto yang harus jatuh bangun mengawal gawangnya.
Di penghujung babak pertama, Betis hampir saja mencetak gol andai tak dihalangi gawang. Umpan Marco Aurelio disambut tendangan oleh Achille Emana, namun masih menghantam tiang dan bola rebound langsung diamankan kiper Madrid Iker Casillas.
Tujuh menit memasuki babak kedua, Betis mendapat keuntungan dengan hadiah penalti sekaligus dikartumerahkannya bek Madrid, Marcelo. Bek asal Brasil itu didakwa menjatuhkan Damia Abella di kotak penalti.
Sergio Garcia yang menjadi eksekutor melakukan tugasnya dengan tidak sempurna. Sepakannya masih bisa ditepis Casillas! Beruntung, bola muntah masih bisa ia sambar dan ceploskan ke gawang Madrid. Skor pun berubah jadi 1-1.
Jumlah pemain menjadi seimbang lagi di menit ke-81. Sergio Garcia dijatuhi kartu kuning kedua alias diusir setelah penyerang Betis itu menjatuhkan Royston Drenthe.
Laga sepertinya akan berakhir 1-1 sebelum akhirnya Van Nistelrooy memecah kebuntuan di menit penghabisan. Berhadapan one on one dengan Casto, penyerang gaek Belanda itu dengan dingin menyorongkan bola menembus gawang Betis. Madrid pun berhak atas kemenangan 2-1.
Villarreal menang Kemenangan juga dipetik oleh tim papan atas La Liga lainnya, Villarreal. Bermain di kandang Sporting Gijon, Stadion El Molinon, 'Kapal Selam' kuning memetik kemenangan tipis 0-1.
Gol kemenangan Villarreal dicetak oleh penyerang mudanya, Giuseppe Rossi, di menit ke-64.
Madrid: Casillas, Ramos, Pepe, Heinze, Marcelo; Van Der Vaart (Drenthe 81), Diarra, De La Red (Javi Garcia 68), Robben; Raul (Torres 57), Van Nistelrooy
highlight soccer video, Spanish La liga 2008, Getafe vs Atletico madrid 1-2 cuplikan pertandingan sepakbola liga Spanyol 2008, pekan 4, Getafe vs Atletico madrid 1-2
Pablo Ibanez, We are More Effective Than Getafe
Both coaches had deduced after the match that a draw would have been the fairest result in an evenly-matched encounter at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.
But defender Pablo believed that his side managed to nick a 1-2 win thanks largely to their efficiency in front of the opposition goal.
“We have been more effective than our rivals and we were able to take our opportunities. That’s why we won,” he declared in the post-match interview.
“The most important thing is the three points and we are all happy with that result. Now we must start thinking about Sevilla,” he added.
Pablo also spoke about his partnership at the heart of defence alongside newcomer Tomas Ujfalusi.
“He is a great teammate and a phenomenal footballer and it is easy to play alongside him.
“He has been doing very well and he even made the pass for our first goal. His experience is evident,” he concluded.
Florent Sinama Pongolle menangkan Atletico
dua gol dari mantan pemain Liverpool , Florent Sinama Pongolle , berhasil memenangkan Atletico madrid, 2-1 atas tuan rumah Getafe, gol Pongolle dicetak pada menit ke 30 dan 82
sedangkan gol getafe dicetak pada menit ke 76 oleh Juan Albin leties
highlight soccer video, Spanish La liga 2008, Villareal vs Santander 2-0 cuplikan pertandingan sepakbola liga Spanyol 2008, pekan 4, Villareal vs Santander 2-0
pellegrini is happy with Villareal performance
If anyone thought that Villarreal were one season wonders then they better start thinking again. Manuel Pellegrini's side might well have raised a few eyebrows as they finished second last year but so far this year they seem to be on course to do the same, if not better.
This latest win over Racing Santander puts them provisionally top and Pellegrini said despite not playing attractively he was pleased with the result.
"We handled the game well and won against a good opponent," he began, "We showed that even when we are not fluid with our play we can still use other aspects to win."
The goals at El Madrigal came from Joseba Llorente and Joan Capdevila and even though they are now top of the league the manager says he is not worried about it at this stage of the season.
"For us it is not important to be leaders at this time but to maintain our play and to keep winning, if that makes us first then all the better," he explained.
Villareal Menang atas Santander
Sementara di El Madrigal, Villarreal juga kemenangan meyakinkan atas tamunya Racing Santander. Dua gol yang memenangkan klub asuhan Manuel Pellegrini itu didonasikan oleh Joan Capdevilla dan Joseba Llorente.
Capdevilla mencetak gol pertama tuan rumah di menit 28 dan empat menit kemudian Llorente menggenapkan kemenangan Submarino Amarillo menjadi 2-0 lewat golnya.
Villarreal: Diego Lopez; Gonzalo, Angel Lopez, Diego Godin, Capdevila; Eguren, Senna, Cazorla, Pires (Ibagaza 62); Llorente, Kahveci (Matias Fernandez 73)
highlight soccer video, Spanish La liga 2008, barcelona vs real betis 3-2 cuplikan pertandingan sepakbola liga Spanyol 2008, pekan 4, barcelona vs real betis 3-2
Barcelona win, but its not easy..
A ruthless Barça side tore their visitors apart in the first half, thanks to a Samuel Eto’o brace, but the Catalans failed to maintain that momentum and allowed the Andalucians to rally back through stunning goals from Luciano Monzón and José Mari in the second half.
But Eidur Gudjohnsen, who had only been on the pitch for ten minutes, stole the points for Pep Guardiola’s side when he guided in a Dani Alves cross.
First Half
Betis showed they didn’t come here to defend in numbers like the last team in green and white as they went toe to toe with their hosts in the opening exchanges. But as the Blaugrana began to impose themselves, Los Verdiblancos were eventually pinned back.
The first hint of danger for Betis came on seven minutes when Messi skipped past three defenders with the help of Iniesta as a decoy, but the Argentine’s cutback to the centre for Seydou Keita was intercepted by an alert Fernando Vega.
Betis’ first glimpse of goal came in the 15th minute when Mark González feigned a cross from a freekick and drilled in a direct left foot shot but Víctor Valdés stood his ground and graciously welcomed the ball into his arms.
A minute later, however, Eto’o smashed his side into the lead. Picking up a pass from Messi, the Cameroonian easily side-stepped two defenders infront of him to take the ball into the box, before unleashing a rocket straight into the roof of the net after rattling the underside of the bar.
Betis were left chasing shadows after that goal, relying on the charity of Barça’s stray passing to get any touch of the leather.
But on 22 minutes, the Catalans doubled their advantage as the same pair combined again to do the damage. Messi breezed past two defenders down the right channel before squaring the ball to the centre and Eto’o easily guided it into the back of the net from two yards out.
Emaná should have pulled one back for the Andalucians on 26 minutes. Mark González picked out the Cameroonian, who beat Rafa Márquez into the area but blazed his shot just over the bar as he tried to beat the on-rushing Valdés with power.
Dani Alves and Messi then had a chance to get on the scoresheet themselves just before the half hour mark but they couldn’t finish off the stylish build-ups.
On 40 minutes, Eto’o played a clever give-and-go with Alves to release the rightback into the box but the Brazilian just overcooked his run as he tried to beat the entire Betis backline and goalkeeper, Casto.
The former Sevilla man had the final chance of the half when his long range drive was fumbled by the Betis shot-stopper, who gathered it the on the second asking as Iniesta lunged in for the rebound.
Second Half
The second period began slowly as Barça took their foot off the gas slightly. Betis, on the other hand, took full advantage of that as they crept into the contest.
In the 55th minute, Sergio García angled in a lovely diagonal through ball to José Mari, who checked past Alves but his left foot shot just sailed inches wide at the far post.
Two minutes later, Capi tried his luck from distance and Valdés had to be at full stretch to to palm it out. But just before the hour mark, Betis were levelled when newcomer Monzón blasted in a low freekick under the wall, straight into the bottom corner to leave Valdés no chance.
Messi almost restored the two goal advantage immediately when he found space to run and shoot but his attempt just outside the box was not only weak but also off-target.
Barça would pay heavily for easing off as the verdiblancos stunned the CampNou in the 67th minute when they drew levelled. Sergio García rolled another sumptuous through ball to José Mari who waited for Valdés to come off his line before dinking an audacious chip over the stranded goalkeeper.
A minute later, a brilliant swerving Xavi freekick forced Casto into an equally stunning save, pushing out the midfielder’s effort one-handed. The young keeper was tested again moments later, this time by Bojan, who ran at the Betis defence before letting fly from 20 yards out.
But with ten minutes left on the clock, Eidur Gudjohnsen put Barça back infront with a slice of good fortune. Alves’ cross from the right was met by the Icelandic international, who slid forward with the intention of just keeping it in play but he managed to direct it on target and that caught Casto by surprise as the ball bobbled in off the post.
The Blaugrana had a double chance to bury the game late one. First on 85 minutes, Bojan was put through clean on goal by Messi but one on one with Casto, his body movement revealed what he was about to do and the goalie blocked the youngster’s shot with his foot. A minute later, Alves curled in a freekick over the wall, only to see it cannoned back off the upright.
The Blaugrana continued to press forward in the closing stages in search of a buffer goal, having learned their lesson, but they held on to claim a 3-2 victory and Guardiola’s men will have to thank their lucky stars tonight as they evaded severe embarrassment.
Real Betis (4-2-3-1 ): Casto – Nélson, Arzu, Juanito, Fernando Vega – Aurélio, Capi (Juande 86’) – Sergio García, Emaná (Damía 46’), Mark González (Monzón 40’) – José Mari
Barcelona menang tidak mudah... Dua tim kuat Spanyol, Barcelona dan Villarreal, sama-sama memetik kemenangan di laga pekan keempat La Liga. Barca membungkam Real Betis dan Villarreal menundukkan Racing Santander.
Bermain di Stadion Camp Nou, Kamis (25/9/2008) dinihari WIB, Barcelona yang unggul 2-0 lebih dulu nyaris gagal menang karena Betis menyamakan skor jadi 2-2. Hingga akhirnya, gol di menit 80 memastikan tim asuhan Josep Guardiola itu menang 3-2.
Barca unggul cepat dengan mencetak gol pembuka di menit 17 melalui kaki Samuel Eto'o. Penyerang asal Kamerun ini menjebol gawang Betis lewat sebuah tendangan jarak jauh.
Eto'o membuat kepercayaan diri Barca dan ribuan pendukungnya menggumpal dengan menggandakan keunggulan jadi 2-0 di menit 23. Eto'o merobek gawang Betis untuk kali kedua dengan menyambut umpan Lionel Messi.
Di babak kedua, keunggulan Barca musnah. Luciano Fabian Monzon mencetak gol pertama Betis di menit 57. Bek muda Argentina itu menjebol gawang Victor Valdes dengan sebuah tendangan bebas yang mengecoh pagar betis pemain LosCules.
Kemudian, gol Jose Mari di menit 67 membuat skor sama kuat 2-2. Menerima umpan Sergio Garcia, Jose Mari melepaskan tembakan yang lagi-lagi tak bisa ditahan oleh Valdes.
Keputusan Guardiola memasukan Eidur Gudjohnsen di menit 72 terbukti tepat. Menggantikan Seydou Keita, penyerang Islandia itu mencetak gol kemenangan tuan rumah di bilangan menit 80.
Gol Gudjohnsen ini tercipta berkat kerjasamanya yang apik dengan Dani Alves. Umpan dari Alves disambut Gudjohnsen dengan tendangan kaki kirinya dan menjebol gawang Betis yang dikiperi Espinosa Casto.
highlight soccer video, Spanish La liga 2008, Real madrid vs Gijon 7-1 cuplikan pertandingan sepakbola liga Spanyol 2008, pekan 4, Real madrid vs Gijon 7-1
Player rating Real madrid vs Gijon 7-1
Real Madrid
Casillas 7.5 - Deserves a good mark because he was called into action on more than one occasion and had to stay alert.
Torres 7 - Another at the back who had no real reason to stand out given that Sporting did not test Madrid enough, even when they had periods of possession.
Pepe 7.5 - The same can be said for the giant Portuguese international, apart from the fact that he appeared to be more pro-active at the back.
Cannavaro 7 - The Italian did not have a great deal to do against a visiting team that did go forward at time but were very naïve. Marcelo 8 - Was very good in the second half after having to repel several Sporting attacks down his side before the break.
Diarrà 7 - Always strong in the midfield, but his protective influence was unable to prevent Sporting enjoying possession down the flanks in the opening half.
De la Red 8 - Showed some very good touches and proved that he should be given more chances to prove himself in Bernd Schuster team.
Van der Vaart 9 - Not only did the Dutchman score a hat-trick, all three of which were good finishes, he set up another and was influential throughout.
Robben 7.5 - Set Higuaín's goal up and was lively throughout, but his control on a couple of occasions let him and prevented Madrid having chances.
Higuaín 7.5 - Took his goal very well and involved himself as much as he could but with Madrid not laying siege to the Sporting goal he was quiet at time.
Raúl 8.5 - After netting a trademark poachers goal the much maligned captain showed he still has the touch with a superb looping effort for number two.
Subs
Javi García 7.5 - Another youth team product desperate to show what he can do and he produced some good touches to impress.
Drenthe 7 - Really made very little difference when he came on and found it difficult to fit into a game that was already won. Saviola 6.5 - Looked busy, but against such a brittle defence he made it look difficult with some poor touches and his inbaility to stay onside.
Sporting
Sergio Sánchez 5 - It has to be difficult to be a keeper behind a defence that just opened so easily and left you at the mercy of some superb shots. Raúl Camara 4 - None of the defence can look back on another game that saw them embarrassed and he is no different after another poor display. Colin 3.5 - It has to be doubtful that any of the back four can consider that they deserve to play in Sporting's next game, especially the two central defenders.
Iván Hernández 3.5 - It could be argued that it could have been more had they not stopped Madrid, but letting in seven only three days after a six-goal drubbing is too much.
Canella 4 - The full-backs cannot be blamed as much as the middle pair with the majority of goals coming down the centre. Michel 4 - Employed to cover the back four, especially the middle pairing, he evidently failed at his job and was outclassed by the opposition.
Diego Camacho 4.5 - Was actually quite heavily involved in Sporting's attempts at going forward in the first when they dominated possession for a while.
Maldonado 5 - Arguably Sporting's best player, which may not be saying much, but he perhaps deserved better from those around him.
Pedro 4 - Maybe the fact that certain Sporting players saw so much of the ball going forward meant that they were not defending and should have been.
Kike Mateo 5 - Is given a higher mark for beating Iker Casillas, which not many forwards do, and he took his goal very well.
Barral 4 - Offered very little up front to bother either Fabio Canavarro or Pepe and will have better days this season without a doubt.
Subs
Diego Castro 4 - Made very little difference because Madrid were already in total control of proceedings when he entered the fray. Luis Morán 4 - Another player that was seen going on and then seen walking off but not really anywhere in between.
Neru 3.5 - Came on to add to the defence, but by then the hosts were not pushing with anywhere near the sharpness that they had been.
Real Madrid Unjuk Kekuatan, Gilas Gijon 7-1
Real Madrid mencetak kemenangan fantastis 7-1 atas tim promosi, Sporting Gijon. Tiga di antara tujuh gol itu disumbang oleh gelandang mereka, Rafael Van der Vaart.
Kemenangan yang diraih di Santiago Bernabeu, Kamis (25/9/2008) dinihari WIB, ini membuat Los Blancos melanjutkan tren kemenangan mereka dalam tiga partai terakhir di La Liga. Sebelumnya, akhir pekan lalu, mereka sukses menundukkan Racing Santander 2-0. Kini Madrid bercokol di peringkat dua, di bawah Villarreal, dengan nilai sembilan.
Laga ini juga diwarnai dengan hat-trick Van der Vaart. Gelandang yang diboyong dari Hamburg di awal musim ini mencetak golnya di menit 18, 33, dan 47.
Adapun bagi Gijon, ini merupakan kekalahan kedua mereka di La Liga dalam beberapa hari terakhir. Makin menambah pahit, keduanya merupakan kekalahan dengan skor telak. Pada hari Minggu lalu, mereka disikat Barcelona 1-6. Gijon pun belum bisa beranjak dari dasar klasemen.
Jalannya Pertandingan
Real Madrid membuka keran gol mereka ketika pertandingan berjalan 18 menit. Berawal dari sebuah operan Raul Gonzalez, Rafael Van der Vaart kemudian dengan tenang menyelesaikannya menjadi sebuah gol. Madrid unggul 1-0.
Van der Vaart kembali membuat pendukung Madrid di Santiago Bernabeu bersorak di menit 32. Melalui sebiah sentuhan, ia berhasil memperdaya kiper Gijon, Sanchez Sergio, dan membuat Madrid unggul 2-0. Gol tersebut tercipta berkat assist matang dari Gonzalo Higuain.
Tak perlu menunggu waktu lama hingga Los Blancos menciptakan gol ketiganya, cukup dua menit. Pemain asal Belanda lainnya, Arjen Robben, kali ini ambil bagian sebagai pemberi umpan. Sementara sang penyelesainya adalah Higuain yang memaksa Sergio memungut bola dari jalanya untuk ketiga kali.
Pada babak kedua, Madrid kian meningkatkan tempo permainannya. Baru dua menit babak kedua berjalan, tepatnya menit 47, mereka sudah bisa mencetak gol lagi. Kerjasama apik antara Robben dan Raul kemudian disempurnakan oleh Van der Vaart yang dengan ini mengklaim hat-trick. 4-0 Madrid memimpin.
Unggul empat gol tak membuat pasukan Bernd Schuster mengendurkan tempo permainan. Sebaliknya, Gijon harus menerima kenyataan pahit bahwa gawang mereka harus bobol untuk kelima kalinya di menit 49. Kali Robben yang menjadi pencetak golnya setelah menerima operan matang dari Higuain.
Gijon pun tampak semakin sulit untuk memenangi laga ini. Namun, kalaupun harus kalah pada akhirnya, mereka tetap berusaha memberikan sebuah sentilan kecil, yakni sebuah gol. Dan mereka pun berhasil melakukannya di menit 53 melalui sebuah tendangan Kike Mateo yang tak mampu diselamatkan Casillas. Skor berubah menjadi 5-1.
Sial bagi Gijon, Madrid belum mau menghentikan parade golnya. Berawal dari sebuah umpan Robben di menit 58, bola kemudian sempat dihalau Sergio. Namun, malah membentur tiang gawangnya sendiri. Bola muntah itu kemudian langsung disambar Raul yang lantas mengubah kedudukan menjadi 6-1.
Raul akhirnya menutup pesta gol Madrid di menit 64. Sebuah tendangan lob-nya sukses memperdayai Sergio untuk ketujuh kalinya dan membuat Gijon harus pulang dengan kekalahan telak 1-7.
Susunan Pemain:
Real Madrid: Iker Casillas, Pepe, Miguel Torres, Fabio Cannavaro, Marcelo, Mahamadou Diarra (Javi Garcia 54), Ruben De la Red, Rafael Van der Vaart, Gonzalo Higuain (Javier Saviola 62), Raul Gonzalez, Arjen Robben (Royston Drenthe 68).
Sporting Gijon: Sanchez Sergio, Ivan Soto, Roberto Canella, Raul Miguel Camara (Diego Castro 45), Jurgen Colin, Diego Camacho, Michel, Kike Mateo, Pedro Garcia (Luis Moran 57), Francisco Maldonado (Neru 45), David Barral.
