Anoeta Nightmare Continues....

Real Sociedad with a dominant performance and were  unlucky to just get a draw against the catalan giants, extending their unbeaten streak at home to nine (9) years and counting against Barcelona.

Even with El Classico around the corner, Lucho fielded his strongest eleven to try to break the Anoeta curse and reduce the point gap significantly before facing Real Madrid at home on Saturday. Real Sociedad started the game strongly pushing Barcelona back, winning possession and forcing mistakes but they just couldn’t get the break through at half time. A brilliant game by Vela bossing Barcelona weak defence and creating numerous chances during the game and was by far the Man of the match.

Willian Jose opened the scoring in the 53^rd minute of the game after the Barcelona defence was split opened and pique, in an attempt to clear the ball just helped it into the net. Lionel Messi came to Barcelona rescue just six (6) minute later scoring a brilliant gaol after an impressive run by Neymar who set up the goal.

The Barcelona Trident was silent all through the game and was giving away possession cheaply. Barcelona will be thanking the linesman after he made a horrendous error by disallowing Juami goal which he claimed was offside but he was clearly not. Real Madrid outcast Granero came on and could have gotten a hattrick but his poor finishing let him down and he will definitely rue his misses. The game ended 1-1 but no doubt Sociedad deserved to win the game. Real Sociedad beat Barcelona in possession to prove their dominance all through the game.

"If I look at the result, it's the most positive assessment I can give from this season," Lucho told Barca TV. "To finish 1-1 is almost a miracle. Winning would have been unfair and I have to congratulate Real. We couldn't even string five passes together. Without the ball, we were disastrous. "He continued in his media conference: "They pressed us with six players and we didn't find the middle-range and long-range passes, We didn't even win five per cent of the duels. If you don't match up in this type of duel and you concede the advantage, there's little you can do. "In the second half we improved a little but nowhere near enough. We drew the game because of an isolated bit of play between Messi and Neymar, but little else’.

Barcelona will be glad that Neymar didn’t get his fifth yellow card of the game and will play against Real Madrid on Saturday, Barcelona will hope on the return of their captain Iniesta and Umtiti to boost their squad going into a must win weekend clash.

Player Ratings:

Real Sociedad:  Rulli 6, Navas 7, I.Martinez 7, C.Martinez 6, Yuri 6, Illarramendi 6, Zurutuza 7, Prieto 7, Willian Jose 8, Vela 9, Subs: Juanmi 6, Canales 7, Granero 5.

Barcelona: Stegen 6, Roberto 5, Pique 6, Marscherano 5, Alba 5, Busquet 6, Gomes 4, Rakitic 4, Neymar 6, Messi 6, Suarez 4, Subs: Denis 6.

Barcelona will look to end the Anoeta curse when they face each other next season.

Real Madrid Call up the 16-Year Old keeper as possibly 'The Next Donnarumma'

Real Madrid have came up with the rare talent 16-year-old keeper Mohamed Airam Ramos right to first-team training and the young Spaniard has made quite the impression with his Qualities, reports Marca

Manager Zinedine Zidane personally went forward for him to call up to the training he had been under development with the U17s, but the Frenchman thought he would let him get familiar with first-team surroundings and gave him chance to train among the likes of Cristiano, Modric, Navas and others.

The club has already labelled the 16-year-old as the 'next Donnarumma' with the keeper aspiring to replicate the reputation of the Italian shot-stopper. Donnarumma, despite being just 17, has already established himself as number one at the San Siro with a strong first-class performances for the Milan side.

The keeper, better known as 'Moha', stands at 1.88m and has been called into the first-team as a potential competition for the likes of Keylor Navas, Kiko Casilla and Ruben Yanez.

Navas currently occupies the Los Blancos number one shirt but has not been on the level he was in his last season. He conceded three goals in as Real Madrid squandered a two-goal lead away at Polish side Legia Warsaw and needed a late goal to rescue a point.



Zidane's side are letting in a goal a game on average in La Liga but still sit top of the league with two points clear off Barcelona and are unbeaten in their 11 games so far.

The right back problem at Barcelona.

Barcelona players are on their way to join with their national teams after a tricky fixture against a highly motivated side of Sevilla.

The Champions League match against City notably the second half and the first half against Sevilla nearly ripped apart the Pique less defence. Injuries and excuses aside there is one player that was victim of bursts of speed in passes and counters used by City and Sevilla respectively.

The midfielder turned right back is the revealing of the season for Barca. Having played tremendously in his new position until Barça were cooled down by City in Champions League.
It was clear how increase in intensity took good of Roberto. He was often found in a wrong place missing out on counters and not being able to cut off balls toward David Silva.
It was clear that he was struggling in keeping hold of the ball for long often committing mistakes including the one that led to City's first goal straight from the middle of the field position.
The same story was repeated in the Sevilla first half where Sergi Roberto went invisible.
Individual picking isn't good but it is clear Roberto lacks physique and stamina to be able to perform as the perfect right back in the defence that normally does well in presence of Pique.
Problem is that Aleix Vidal has been ousted from Barça squad by Lucho and if Barça fails to sign Aurier from PSG or Jao Cancelo from Valencia such mishaps against counter attacking teams like Madrid,City,Sevilla can be repeated.

Messi Inspires Barca Comeback,Villarreal go Third!

Lionel Messi was named the Man of Match after the game on Sunday as he scored a goal and assisted the other to defeat Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan which leaves Barcelona just 2 points behind the league leaders Real Madrid.

Barcelona started the game with notable absentees in Iniesta,Pique and Alba but Denis,Umtiti and Digne proved to be more than enough replacements. Right from the first second the game kicked into life with both sides having shots at goal barely one minute into the game. Sevilla exploited Barcelona weakness at the back and dominated the game from the start.

Sevilla’s efforts were reward in the 15^th minute after Sergi Roberto failed to read a through pass and Vitolo scored in a one on one against Stegen. Sevilla pushed hard for a second goal but their final ball let them down as they ripped apart Barcelona defense.

Barcelona were handed a lifeline just 2 minutes before the break when Neymar broke free and released the ball to Messi who played a left footed shot to score the equalizer. At the start of the 2^nd half, Barcelona found their balance and began to push Sevilla back which neutralized the treats of Nasri,Vitolo and N’zonzi.

During the 61^st minute, Messi made a dashing run into the box and laid the ball off to Luis Suarez who fired a low shot which passed under the legs of the goalkeeper and into the net making it 1-2. Minutes later Messi almost got a braced after going past four Sevilla players but fired the ball over post.

The defense line of Barcelona in the 2^nd half looked composed and balance as they managed to neutralize treats from their attack. Sergi Roberto (who was the scapegoat of the goal Barcelona concede) was impressive in the 2^nd half as he blocked crosses from coming into the box and also added enough bite to the attack. Mascherano also made an impressive one on one block to keep the lead intact just minutes before full time. Luis Suarez got his 5^th booking of the campaign and will miss their next home game against Malaga.

Villareal moved to third position with a 2-0 win over Real Betis at the El Madrigal as they make their claim for a sure Champions League spot next season. With goals from Trigueros and Soriano which defeated Betis who has now suffered four defeats in their five games.

With goals from Bale and Morata, Real Madrid retains their top position on the table and is the only team in La Liga yet to taste defeat. Real Sociedad defeated Atletico Madrid on Saturday at the Anoeta with goals from Carlos Vela and Willian Jose.

Real Madrid Star Midfielder is worried on his situation at the Club.

Real Madrid attacking midfielder James Rodriguez has blamed his recent lack of playing time on manager Zinedine Zidane - but insisted that the relationship between the pair is not as bad as has been reported in some sections of the media.

The 25-year old has not been able to justify his big-money move as it was expected of him since joining the Spanish side back in 2014.



In an interview with RCN, James defended his relationship with Zidane, saying: "It is not how everyone says. It is a relationship that is fit between a player and a coach. I'm in a club where everyone wants to win and you are always needed to play well. It is the biggest [club] worldwide -- that is Real Madrid."

He admitted: "I want to play more. But hey, there's someone [Zidane] who commands all and it is he who says who plays, who does not play. He takes decisions and he calls the shots. You have to respect all that."




The Colombian has started just two La Liga games all season, coming off the bench a further couple of times as his fitness still remains a slight concern for Los Blancos.

He also cleared some air on his latest knock in the interview, saying: “I am fine. It’s not what they were saying, that I was badly injured. It was only something minor. They need to relax. I am fine and I am training.”



James still has some patience left and believes his situation at the club will change as he is ready to give his best on every chance he is asked to come out on.

Match preview Real Madrid Vs Leganes

Top contenders Real Madrid will look to retain league leadership and remain unbeaten this weekend as they clash with a poor performing squad Leganes who in 16th position with just 10 points at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday 6th November as the 2016-2017 La Liga season enters its 11th matchday.

Real Madrid is the only remaining undefeated team in the Spanish top flight after 10 rounds of competitions. The team is currently sitting on top of the league table, two points clear off arch-rivals FC Barcelona and taking care of a three-game winning streak. 

Three-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo unleashed a hat trick to lead head coach Zinedine Zidane's crew in the lopsided victory. However his performance in the UCL was very poor.

Meanwhile, Leganes dropped its third consecutive game with a 0-2 loss to Real Sociedad at their home ground of Butarque Stadium on Oct. 28.

Willian Jose and Xabi Prieto provided the goals for Sociedad in the 29th and 59th minutes while head coach Asier Garitano's side were shutout for the second straight contest.

With the loss, Leganes has further dropped to the 16th place in the overall standings, only one point above the bottom three relegation zone.

Predictions

Real Madrid is expected to continue their unbeaten run and remain on top of the league. 

Madrid starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Navas; Danilo, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; Kovacic, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo

Leganes starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Serantes; Diaz, Medjani, Insua, Rico; Perez, Timor; Omar, Gabriel, Szymanowski; Guerrero

The Basque powerhouse:Aritz Aduriz

What gets better with time? In football analogy fans will be inclined to say Ibrahimovic,Pirlo,Buffon..but Thursday night had one name to this tag and that is the Basque powerhouse named Aritz Aduriz.

Aduriz has proven that age does not matter in football after improving on his goal scoring form, with 5-goals against Genk in their Europa League tie which makes him the highest goal scorer in the UEL 16/17.  Aduriz is presently Bilbao top scorer in all competitions.

Aritz Aduriz, the Spanish striker is known for his powerful aerial ability and deadly first touch. Aduriz boasts of being a Centurion in the laliga with goals from Mallorca and Valencia in his other spells. Aduriz who plays for the Basque country scoring eleven goals in just ten appearances, he has also made just nine appearances for the Spanish national team, latest being that he featured in the last Euro 2016 at age 35.

Aduriz who has had three (3) separate spells with Athletic Bilbao, he also played for Burgos and Villadolid in the second division, and Valencia and Mallorca in division one.

In 2002, Aduriz made his debut for Athletic Bilbao against Barcelona. The next season he joined Burgos on loan for one season in the division two where he netted 16 goals in 38 games for the club, He then signed for Real Valladolid where he played for one and half seasons, scoring 20 goals in 46 games still in division two.

Bilbao noticed his goal scoring ability and decided to sign his back, where he started playing in the La Liga proper. He managed to score 22 goals in 86 apperance for the club, because of his lack of playing due to Fernando Llorente form back then for Bilbao. He left just after two seasons with the club.

He joined Mallorca in 2008, where he made a name for himself for by being their highest goalscorer in the league with 10 goals in his first season and the following season he topped his own record by scoring 12 league goals in his season with Mallorca finishing 5th on the table that season and gaining Europa League qualification for them.

At Age 29, Aduriz made a move to Valencia where he spent two seasons there. He recorded 17 goals in 58 games. He also made his Champions League debut there, where he managed to score 2 goals in his first campaign. But his rain didn’t last as Roberto Soldado was picked as the first choice striker.

He made a stunning return to his Athletic Bilbao which was his first professional club. In his first season he netted a brace in the Europa League qualification playoff taking them to the competition proper. In his return to the Mestalla (Valencia home ground) he scored a brace against them but his team went on to lose the game. In his first season he scored 18 goals in just 14 starts and forced a starting shirt in his second season forcing Llorente to leave to Juventus.

Aduriz continued his impressive form for Athletic Bilbao helping Bilbao to a trophy and also gained some individual accolades.  On May 2015, Aduriz won the Zarra trophy surpassing Vallecano’s Alberto Bueno, He was also named in the Europa League team of the season and was also the highest goal scorer in the competition. In August that same year Aduriz won the Supercopa de Espana for Bilbao, scoring four goals in the two leg tie against the almighty Barcelona (a team where he made his first team debut in 2002). All these he achieved at age 34.

Aduriz has recently been an ever present name in the Spanish national team being preferred to the likes of Torres, Llorente. He also played in the Euro 2016 where he had one start and two second half appearance.

Aduriz, who has scored 135 goals in 350 apperances in the league, This is an impressive goal scoring record for a player who defied the odds and reached his full potential at a late stage of his career where many Spanish players have failed to impress at such age.

Aduriz has so far this season scored 5 goals in 9 league matches, and has also scored 5 goals in the Europa League and he is presently joint top scorer with Giuliano of Zenith St Petersburg in the UEL.

The Athletic Bilbao fans will be hoping Aduriz will stay at the club till he is up to 40 years or even more like Francisco Totti of Roma. Aduriz will hope to win the Europa League with Bilbao and try to gain Champions League qualification.

UCL Review: Manchester City vs FC Barcelona

Barcelona team without Andres Iniesta and Pique in a Champions League match certainly cost the game away from home at Etihad Stadium.

It was one fine performance from the Blaugrana in the first half as Lionel Messi scored his 7th Champions League goal this season in as many as 3 Games for Barcelona.

But Pep Guardiola's tactical brilliance took the game away from Barcelona the moment De Bruyne scored his first of the night with the brilliant curling free kick

Pep's tactical brilliance was worth the praise as his side came from behind in a 3-1 victory against Barcelona who he thinks as the Best team in the world.

His side took the chances they got served from Barcelona and led the team to victory.

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has claimed that his side made too many mistakes during their 3-1 defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday evening.


"We made countless errors with possession in the second half, mistakes we do not usually commit. Their second goal came on a foul we could have avoided."


"We had a very clear chance on the play with Andre [Gomes] but we were not fortunate enough to score on it.


"Mistakes really cost you in these games."


Barcelona stays on top in the Group with 9 points and will play the return legs against Celtic and Borussia MönchenGladbach.