IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
The Madrid daily has responded to an article that claimed they are guilty of waging a campaign against Gareth Bale
Marca has stridently dismissed claims from the BBC that it is waging a campaign against Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale.
The BBC published a piece by Spanish football writer Andy West on Friday which was critical of Marca's treatment of Bale since his move to the Spanish capital from Tottenham in the summer of 2013. The article claimed the Spanish newspaper is attempting to force the 25-year-old out of the Bernabeu.
However, the Madrid daily has responded with a strongly-worded denial and accused the organisation of allowing their standards of journalism to drop in recent times. "The BBC has veered off the course that made it a byword for quality journalism throughout the 20th century," read a Marca statement.
The piece then continues by referencing several incidents "big and small", noting a mix-up of the Italian and Bulgarian national badges during the Six Nations rugby competition, before a link to the sex abuse scandal involving former BBC television presenter Jimmy Savile.
"The alleged cover-up of the sexual abuse of minors perpetrated by one of the BBC's former stars, presenter Jimmy Savile, is obviously of a far more serious nature."
Marca concluded the article with a final, damning assessment of the corporation's news agenda: "For the record, Marca does not engage in campaigns; it informs readers. Rigorously. Something that apparently can no longer be said of the BBC who, like ITV, seem now to be all about drama."
Bale scored twice in Madrid's 2-0 victory over Levante on Sunday to end a run of 10 games without a goal and celebrated by covering his ears with his hands in a gesture thought to be aimed at the media and Madrid fans who have criticised him in recent weeks.
Sergio Ramos' return hugely important for Madrid, says Modric
Stefan Coerts
Mar 16, 2015 12:47:56
The Croatia international has hailed the importance of the centre-back following his comeback in the 2-0 win over Levante at the weekend
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has stressed that the return of Sergio Ramos is vital for the Santiago Bernabeu side's ambitions this term.
The Spain international made his comeback in Madrid's 2-0 La Liga win over Levante on Sunday after missing his side's previous five league games due to a muscular problem.
Carlo Ancelotti's men won just two of their five La Liga matches without Sergio Ramos and Modric was delighted to see the defender return to the frame.
"It is hugely important to have Sergio back with us. His character and quality are important for this team," Modric told the official Madrid website.
The Croatia international then went on to voice his satisfaction with Sunday's win at the Bernabeu and is hopeful they can build on the victory in the upcoming Clasico versus Barcelona.
"I think we played a good game, especially in the first half. It was a very important win and will help with our preparations for the Barcelona match.
"It is going to be a very tough encounter. They keep the ball very well but we just have to focus on our game.
"We need to stay true to ourselves and make the most of our chances. We have to be united both in attack and defence."
Madrid currently sit second in La Liga, trailing Barcelona by one point.
The Argentina star's marketability has been hailed by Barcelona's sporting director, who believes he is "economically unattainable" for nearly every club in the world
Lionel Messi is most famous for the number of goals he scores but Barcelona's sporting director Ariedo Braida has spoken of his astonishment at the number of the player's shirts sold to his adoring fans.
The 27-year-old has made a strong start to the year after enduring a difficult run of form at the end of last year amid rumours of a bust-up with Barca coach Luis Enrique and speculation he could leave the club in the summer of 2015.
Messi's revival has helped to spark the Blaugrana's title push, which has seen them overtake Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, where they enjoy a one-point lead on their fierce rivals ahead of the clash between the sides on March 22.
Braida previously held the sporting director post at AC Milan before leaving the club in January 2014, and the Italian revealed he has been taken aback by the pulling power of the side's star player.
He told Radio Anch'io Sport:"He's a very strong player and is the icon of world football. He sells lots of shirts all around the world, it's extraordinary.
"The president always says that Messi is an alien. I think and hope that economically he's unapproachable for other clubs. Even if you have to pay attention to new investors, Messi has a release clause of €250 million and for most teams that is an unattainable figure.
"Leo in Barcelona is much-loved by all, I think it would be a mistake for him to change team. "
Messi has scored 32 goals in 27 league games this season, with 17 of those coming since the turn of the year, including two in the 2-0 win over Eibar on Saturday.
Mandzukic and Garcia give Atletico double injury blow
18 March 2015
Atletico Madrid have confirmed that both Mario Mandzukic and Raul Garcia picked up injuries in Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen.
Diego Simeone's men beat Leverkusen 1-0 in the second leg to level the last-16 tie at 1-1 on aggregate before progressing to the quarter-finals on penalties.
Garcia came on in the 46th minute for Cani, but the club revealed the midfielder suffered a cracked elbow bone, sustained when Omer Toprak fell on him.
Meanwhile, striker Mario Mandzukic - who came off in the 83rd minute at the Vicente Calderon - has been diagnosed with a Grade I sprain in his right ankle following scans.
It has not been confirmed how long the respective injuries will keep the duo on the sidelines.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique believes his side head into Sunday's El Clasico in "good shape" after their UEFA Champions League win over Manchester City.
A 31st-minute goal from Ivan Rakitic secured Barca a 1-0 victory over City on Wednesday, completing a 3-1 aggregate win in the last-16 tie.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved a Sergio Aguero penalty in the 78th minute at Camp Nou, giving Manuel Pellegrini's men no way back into the match.
A top-of-the-table La Liga clash against Real Madrid follows for Barca, and Luis Enrique is happy with the form of his team heading into that encounter.
"We expected the City we saw," he was quoted as saying by UEFA's official website. "It was a game with a lot of chances, and we achieved our objective, which was to win the game and get through to the quarters.
"We had some good chances, and go into Sunday's game with Real Madrid in good shape."
Lionel Messi was in fine form throughout the second leg, and his chipped pass to the back post set up Rakitic for the game's only goal - with Joe Hart performing heroics in the Manchester City goal to thwart them from then on.
The Croatia international lauded his team for their performance.
"I think the side did a great job. You saw a great Barcelona performance. We don't want to stop, and now comes the best part of the season," Rakitic said.
"Joe Hart had a great game, but we were good too and we deserved to win. Now we have to enjoy our win and rest well."
La Liga Preview: Barca and Real gear up for mouth-watering Clasico
19 March 2015
The eyes of the footballing world will be locked firmly on Camp Nou this Sunday as Barcelona host rivals Real Madrid in a crucial 170th Liga Clasico contest.
Arguably the biggest match in domestic football will attract a reported half a billion viewers worldwide.
The clash between Real and Catalan giants Barca always promises to be an intriguing contest, regardless of the context.
But with just one point separating La Liga leaders Barca from second-placed Real, the mouth-watering fixture has plenty of extra spice.
For large parts of the campaign it was big-spending Real who led the way, a club-record 22-match winning streak before the turn of the year helping Carlo Ancelotti's men to the summit.
However, a dip in performance levels in 2015 has led to heavy criticism from the Santiago Bernabeu stands and the Spanish press.
Forward Gareth Bale bore the brunt before his double in last weekend's 2-0 victory over Levante silenced the boo-boys to an extent.
But the costly draw and defeat to Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao in the matches preceding that fixture allowed in-form Barcelona to move top.
Luis Enrique's men, who beat Manchester City 1-0 to make the UEFA Champions League last eight on Wednesday, have dazzled by winning nine of their past 10 Liga matches, superstar Lionel Messi galvanising his team-mates with 17 league goals in 2015.
With the gap so minimal, though, the pressure is high for both teams and Barca's Luis Suarez is expecting the match to have the feeling of a final.
"It's a final. Real Madrid are always Real Madrid," he told Gol TV.
"That sort of game means a lot for morale. In terms of motivation, it gives you a lot of confidence and we hope that it will be a good show for spectators."
Sunday also sees rock-bottom Cordoba start the post-Miroslav Djukic era at David Moyes' Real Sociedad.
Djukic won just three matches since taking the reins last October and the team have been in free fall with eight straight defeats.
Strugglers Deportivo La Coruna host Espanyol, while Sevilla hope to boost their UEFA Champions League prospects at Villarreal.
Champions Atletico Madrid have seen the defence of their title stall with three straight league draws and Diego Simeone's side, who needed penalties to beat Bayer Leverkusen and make the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, will look to return to winning ways at home to Getafe on Saturday.
Relegation-threatened Levante and Granada have home fixtures against Celta Vigo and Eibar, while Malaga and Almeria visit Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Bilbao.
The weekend kicks off with in-form Valencia travelling to Elche on Friday.
Classic Clasicos: Five of the best from Real Madrid and Barcelona
19 March 2015
Ahead of Barcelona entertaining fierce rivals Real Madrid in the 170th Clasico on Sunday, we look back at five classic encounters between Spain's two biggest clubs.
Laudrup inspires consecutive five-goal wins… for each team
After helping Barcelona to the league title in 1993-94, Michael Laudrup became public enemy number one in his first Clasico wearing a Real shirt.
Laudrup inspired Real to a 5-0 thrashing of Barca at Santiago Bernabeu, with Ivan Zamorano grabbing a hat-trick. For the Dane, it was the second 5-0 win in as many seasons having helped Barca achieve the same scoreline 12 months earlier.
Real went on to lift the Liga trophy as Laudrup helped prevent his former employers winning a fifth successive championship.
Figo and the pig's head
Six years after Laudrup's move to the Spanish capital, Luis Figo made the same switch for a then world-record fee, ushering in the Galacticos era at the Bernabeu.
Whistled mercilessly on his first return to Camp Nou in October 2000, his third visit in November 2002 remains the most memorable.
Figo had been spared his usual corner-taking duties previously due to the Camp Nou crowd's proximity to the pitch, something that even sparked a media campaign to see the Portuguese return to set-pieces – which he did.
Pelted whenever he approached the corner of the pitch, Real Madrid's players walked off the pitch in protest against Figo's treatment at one first-half set-piece with cameras incredibly revealing a pig's head among the bottles aimed at the Portugal star.
Ronaldinho emulates Maradona
Ronaldinho struck a sublime double at the Bernabeu as Frank Rijkaard's Barca recorded a 3-0 victory in November 2005, the Brazilian coming to the fore after Samuel Eto'o's opener.
The then-world player of the year second goal saw him tear past Sergio Ramos before clipping beyond Iker Casillas, who could only offer a shrug as the Bernabeu rose to salute their fierce rivals' best player.
It mirrored another South American legend's treatment, with Diego Maradona having earned the Bernabeu's applause after a mesmeric goal in the now-defunct Copa de la Liga - rounding goalkeeper Agustin and jinking past Juan Jose just a few inches from the line before tapping in.
Guardiola's Barca destroy Mourinho's dream start
If Barcelona fans thought the 2005 victory was special, fast-forward five years and eight days and the Catalan giants produced another iconic performance.
Jose Mourinho's arrival at Real had threatened Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side, with the Portuguese going unbeaten in his first 19 Real games.
However, Mourinho's 20th saw him brought crashing back to earth as Lionel Messi and David Villa's incisive play up font tore through Madrid's defence time and time again, inspiring a 5-0 drubbing that took Barca top of the league - a position they would not relinquish for the rest of the season.
Record-breaking Messi lights up seven-goal thriller
In recent seasons, the El Clasico has become as much a case of Cristiano Ronaldo v Messi as it is Real Madrid v Barcelona.
Last season's clash at the Bernabeu saw the Argentina man take the honours as his hat-trick secured a 4-3 win to breathe new life into a title race that Real had looked like running away with.
Messi's triple also moved him top of the all-time Clasico scoring chart, and few would bet against him extending his lead at the top given his form entering this weekend's fixtures - his 18 appearances in 2015 have yielded 20 goals.
El Clasico: Under-fire Bale nears first Real acid test
19 March 2015
Gareth Bale has endured arguably the toughest spell of his career in recent weeks but has the perfect opportunity to silence his critics when Real Madrid face Barcelona in Sunday's Clasico at Camp Nou.
Having adapted well since his mega-money move from Tottenham - winning the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League in his debut season - a recent lean spell has attracted fierce criticism.
Spanish media have questioned his commitment to the side both on and off the field, while Real fans have made their feelings clear inside the Bernabeu.
So strong has the criticism been that club president Florentino Perez, coach Carlo Ancelotti and Ballon d'Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo have all been moved to back the winger of late.
Bale's form - despite having been part of a wider Real slump - has even dragged sections of the British and Spanish press into disagreement.
It all represents something of a new experience for the 25-year-old, who enjoyed a relatively low-profile in the media prior to the stunning 2012-13 season at Tottenham that earned him his dream Real move.
Said to be shy and retiring away from the pitch, it is perhaps apt that Bale has the ideal opportunity to let his football do the talking and brush off criticism in the season's second Clasico.
Bale's brace against Levante last week did little to stop the criticisms as the Wales star celebrated his first by covering his ears in blatant response to the fans, before deflecting a Ronaldo shot in for his second.
A similar showing against fierce rivals Barca would surely put a more definitive stop to the unwanted discussion around his form.
Bale produced the finest moment of his Real career to date against Barca last season in the Copa del Rey final, as he memorably sped past Marc Bartra –via a detour off the pitch - to hit the winner, and similar heroics would put Carlo Ancelotti's side on course for their first league title since 2012.
As well as Bale's individual performances, Sunday's 170th La Liga Clasico is also likely to throw further spotlight on his playing relationship with Ronaldo.
Ronaldo appeared visibly frustrated during the win over Levante as Bale tucked in a rebound following the Portugal star's overhead kick before his fortunate second.
The reaction of the world's best player after the goals sparked plenty of debate over the relationship between the two most high-profile members of Carlo Ancelotti's 'BBC' frontline, although continued victories will help turn discussion back towards the title run-in.
Victory for Real on Sunday would put Ancelotti's side in the driving seat for the title, with Bale then able to look back at what would merely prove a low point in an otherwise positive start at the Bernabeu.
However, defeat, coupled with a poor performance, would heap pressure on Ancelotti, Bale and even Perez - the man behind Bale's big-money arrival.
Atletico Madrid v Getafe: Simeone calls for Calderon cauldron
19 March 2015
Atletico Madrid host Getafe in La Liga on Saturday, and coach Diego Simeone wants the Vicente Calderon crowd to spur his players on as they did in midweek against Bayer Leverkusen.
Simeone's side defeated Leverkusen on penalties in their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie, after Mario Suarez's goal cancelled out a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Germany.
Atletico's defence of their Liga title has faltered in recent weeks, with three successive draws seeing them fall to fourth - nine points behind leaders Barcelona.
"The dressing room was proud of themselves," Simeone - who is reportedly close to agreeing a new contract - said after the win over Leverkusen.
"This will give them a huge strength. For Saturday, we need the Calderon just like today, with the same passion as today."
Goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya suffered a hamstring injury in Tuesday's victory, with his replacement Jan Oblak playing a key role by saving Hakan Calhanoglu's spot-kick in the shootout.
And defender Jose Gimenez says Oblak's heroics are indicative of the strong team ethos fostered by Simeone.
"Jan has shown he was ready and I'm very happy for him and hope it stays that way," he commented.
As well as Moya, Atletico look likely to be without Raul Garcia (elbow) and Mario Mandzukic (sprained ankle), who picked up injuries in Tuesday's game.
Getafe's form has been up and down in recent weeks, with a pattern emerging of victory immediately followed by defeat over their last eight games - a run that leaves them 13th, four points clear of the drop zone.
Under the guidance of interim boss Pablo Franco following Quique Sanchez Flores' resignation last month, they must contend with Atletico's superb home record when they make the short trip across Madrid.
In their last 34 La Liga outings at the Calderon, Simeone's side have lost just once - 1-0 to Villarreal back in December.
And Getafe fans will have painful memories of their last trip to Atletico, after a 7-0 mauling at the Calderon in November 2013.
However, the goalscorers that day were Garcia (twice), David Villa (twice), Diego Costa, Adrian and an Alberto Lopo own goal, and all of those players have either moved on or will be out injured on Saturday.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to star for Real Madrid in El Clasico, despite the striker's perceived form slump.
Ronaldo has not scored in Real's past two league matches, although he struck twice in their 4-3 win at Schalke on March 10.
It is the second time since La Liga's Christmas/New Year break that Ronaldo has gone goalless in consecutive league games, although the 30-year-old has still hit the back of the net five times in eight matches in all competitions.
In the lead-up to Sunday's El Clasico away to Barcelona - which is being framed as a title-decider - the Spanish media have focused on Ronaldo's scoring 'drought' but Santos is not buying the hype.
"I am absolutely certain that Cristiano will always be here [with the Portuguese national team], with tremendous ambition, a tremendous will to help out and help guide his team-mates to victory... I'm not concerned with anything," Santos said on Thursday.
The 60-year-old coach threw his support behind Ronaldo ahead of Real's trip to Camp Nou.
"I hope that he can play a great game at Barcelona," Santos said.
Real will arrive in Barcelona with 64 points, one adrift of the Catalan club, who lead La Liga ahead of El Clasico.
Portugal face Serbia in Euro 2016 qualifying on March 29 before a friendly against Cape Verde.
Sevilla head coach Unai Emery insists securing third place in La Liga this season is his top priority despite progressing in the UEFA Europa League.
The defending champions moved into the quarter-finals on Thursday with a 5-2 aggregate victory over Villarreal, while they sit just five points off the top three in the league.
And, though Emery is keen to go as far as possible in Europe, progress in the league will be his main focus as they look for a return to the Champions League next season.
"The more dreams we have, the better," the head coach said.
"Now we have an exciting month in the Europa League coming up, but we know that the league is the main competition, which allows us to experience these precious moments in Europe.
"This team are flowing with maturity. We grew as a team last year, and although a few pillars of that team left, the existing players have helped the new arrivals to compete in [the same] manner, especially against strong opponents in Europe."
Sevilla meet Villarreal for the third time in 10 days on Sunday - this time in the league - having won the past two meetings.
Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno is ready to face a familiar enemy when his club take on Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Friday's draw in Nyon pitted the two sides together for the last-eight tie next month, in a repeat of last season's final.
Real won that occasion 4-1 after extra time, but Atletico have had much the better of the meetings in 2014-15.
In six matches across three competitions, Diego Simeone's side have recorded four wins and two draws - most recently a 4-0 drubbing of Real at the Vicente Calderon last month.
"Atletico are a competitive side and we have faced each other a lot this season and know each other well," Butragueno said.
"They're a side who know how to compete, they let in few goals, are good from dead balls and get the best out of each situation.
"We will see if we can beat them and come back for the draw for the semi-finals."
Barcelona 2 Real Madrid 1: Suarez settles El Clasico
22 March 2015 23:04
Luis Suarez's second-half strike ensured Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-1 at Camp Nou to go four points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of La Liga in a typically enthralling Clasico.
Suarez endured a miserable Barca debut when the Catalan giants were beaten 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu back in October, but gained revenge by scoring his first goal in the biggest fixture in club football on Sunday to secure three precious points.
Jeremy Mathieu's first Liga goal for Barca put them in front in the first half, but Cristiano Ronaldo rounded off a fine move to equalise with his 42nd goal of the season before half-time.
Gareth Bale – much maligned in the game's build-up - had a goal ruled out before the break, with Ronaldo just offside, and Suarez's seventh goal in as many games settled it to put Barca in command of the title race heading into the international break.
Defeat for Real will lead to further questions over Carlo Ancelotti's future, with reports in the Spanish media claiming the Italian's job would be under threat in the event of a loss.
Barca have now won seven games in a row and their dreams of winning a famous treble are very much alive.
Familiar recent struggles in front of goal came back to haunt Real, though a highly charged atmosphere was almost silenced early on when Ronaldo's close-range volley struck the crossbar after Karim Benzema picked him out 11 minutes in.
Isco fired a shot narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area as Barca were forced onto the back foot in a typically frantic start with so much at stake.
But Real's failure to finish was punished as Barca went in front after 19 minutes.
Mathieu was the unlikely scorer, evading Sergio Ramos to head home Lionel Messi's inviting free-kick with only his second goal for the club.
An unmarked Neymar somehow failed to double their lead with a tame finish from inside the six-yard box and he was made to pay when Ronaldo equalised with a well-worked goal just after the half-hour.
Luka Modric played the ball forward for Benzema, whose clever first-time backheel allowed Ronaldo to surge ahead of Dani Alves and beat Claudio Bravo with a neat finish.
Bale thought he had put Real in front, but Ronaldo was adjudged to have been offside when he nodded the ball on for the Wales forward to tap in.
The former Tottenham man ought to have made up for that disappointment, but fired wide after the ball fell kindly for him in the penalty area late in a first half in which Ronaldo was also booked for diving.
Real continued where they left off after the break and Bravo did well to keep out Benzema's strike after the France striker again linked up well with Ronaldo.
Barca were back in front 11 minutes into the second half, though, with Ramos this time caught out by a ball over the top from Alves which sent Suarez clear and the Uruguay striker showed great control before guiding the ball into the far corner of the net with a fine finish.
As Real frantically sought an equaliser, they were left exposed at the back – Neymar and Messi shooting off-target when well-placed before the agile Bravo saved kept Barca in front by saving Benzema's deflected effort.
A late charge from the visitors failed to materialise, Jordi Alba and Messi were denied by Iker Casillas in the closing stages as Barca attempted to kill the game off, but two goals proved to be enough to seal a potentially pivotal victory.
Atletico Madrid 2 Getafe 0: Torres nets as champions end Liga slump
21 March 2015 17:50
Fernando Torres once again made a telling impact for Atletico Madrid as his first Liga goal of the season helped the reigning champions beat Getafe 2-0 to end their recent domestic slump.
The Spain striker netted Atletico's decisive penalty in the UEFA Champions League shoot-out victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday and was integral again on Saturday, scoring the opener as Diego Simeone's men halted a run of three consecutive league draws.
It took the lively Torres just three minutes to put Atletico ahead against their local rivals, his first La Liga goal since May 2007 a fine header that delighted Simeone, who is reportedly closing in on signing a new contract.
Atletico dominated the first half at the Vicente Calderon and saw several fine chances go begging, Koke guilty of spurning two of those opportunities.
But Tiago opened up a deserved two-goal lead just before the break, with Getafe improving as a defensive unit after the interval.
Despite the visitors growing in stature in the second half, Atletico's advantage never looked in threat and victory sees the Champions League quarter-finalists close back to within a point of third-placed Valencia.
Simeone made the surprising decision to omit birthday boy Antoine Griezmann from his starting XI, with Raul Jimenez and Torres – who had just one Liga goal between them this season prior to kick-off – leading the line instead.
Nevertheless, Atletico began the contest positively and Simeone's selection was vindicated after only three minutes, as Torres met Koke's free-kick with an emphatic header to find the top-left corner.
Getafe were being overrun and were lucky to avoid falling further behind six minutes later, as Koke's low drive came back off the right-hand upright, hit goalkeeper Vicente Guaita and then struck the other post.
Koke missed an even better chance when blasting straight at Guaita from point-blank range in the 19th minute and Getafe could have capitalised a few moments later had it not been for some incredibly brave defending by Jose Maria Gimenez.
The Uruguayan dived head first at the feet of Fredy Hinestroza 10 yards from his own goal, denying the Colombian an almost-certain equaliser.
But Atletico continued to dictate proceedings and eventually netted a second just before the break, as Tiago latched on to Jimenez's flick-on and headed in at the back post.
Getafe made a slight improvement after the break, although Atletico remained in the ascendancy initially and almost added a third in the 56th minute, only for Diego Godin to head Koke's corner just wide of the target.
Atletico appeared content to sit back and invite pressure on to themselves as the second period progressed and, while Getafe did see more of the ball, Jan Oblak was rarely troubled in the hosts' goal.
The 64th-minute introduction of Griezmann saw Atletico's control return and Torres almost doubled his tally 13 minutes from time, but his diving header from Juanfran's delivery went just wide and the hosts settled for a two-goal triumph.
La Liga Review: Torres inspires Atletico win, Bilbao run continues
22 March 2015 00:46
Fernando Torres once again made a telling impact for Atletico Madrid as his first Liga goal of the season helped the reigning champions beat Getafe 2-0 to end their recent domestic slump.
The Spain striker netted Atletico's decisive penalty in the UEFA Champions League shoot-out victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday and was integral again on Saturday, scoring the opener as Diego Simeone's men halted a run of three consecutive league draws.
It took the lively Torres just three minutes to put Atletico ahead against their local rivals, his first La Liga goal since May 2007 a fine header that delighted Simeone, who is reportedly closing in on signing a new contract.
Atletico dominated the first half at the Vicente Calderon and saw several fine chances go begging, Koke guilty of spurning two of those opportunities.
But Tiago opened up a deserved two-goal lead just before the break, with Getafe improving as a defensive unit after the interval.
Despite the visitors growing in stature in the second half, Atletico's advantage never looked in threat and victory sees the Champions League quarter-finalists close back to within a point of third-placed Valencia.
Athletic Bilbao made it five straight wins in all competitions with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at home to Almeria.
Xabier Etxeita headed Bilbao into a ninth-minute lead and Mikel Rico doubled it in the first half, lobbing a stranded Julian Cuesta from 25 yards.
Bilbao defender Mikel Balenziaga was unfortunate to score an own goal in the 47th minute, but his team held on as Almeria were reduced to 10 men late on when Fran Velez saw red.
The win sees Bilbao stay eighth, five points adrift of Malaga, who suffered their second loss in three games by going down 1-0 at Rayo Vallecano.
Levante remain in the relegation zone after conceding an 86th-minute goal to be beaten 1-0 at home to Celta de Vigo.
Relegation-threatened duo Granada and Eibar played out a 0-0 draw.
La Liga Review: Barca edge breathless Clasico, Sevilla keep pressure on Atletico
23 March 2015 00:10
Luis Suarez edged Barcelona past Real Madrid 2-1 in an enthralling Clasico at Camp Nou to go four points clear in the Liga title race on Sunday, while Sevilla kept their top-four hopes alive with a 2-0 win at Villarreal.
Suarez endured a dreadful Barca bow when the Catalan giants lost 3-1 at The Santiago Bernabeu in October, but gained revenge by netting his first goal in the biggest fixture in club football to secure a precious win.
Jeremy Mathieu's first Liga goal for Barca put them in front in the first half, but Cristiano Ronaldo rounded off a delightful free-flowing move to equalise before the break with his 42nd goal of the season.
Suarez's seventh goal in as many games settled it to put Barca in command of the title race heading into the international break.
Defeat for Real will cast further uncertainty over Carlo Ancelotti's future, with reports in the Spanish press suggesting the Italian's job would be under threat as a result of a Clasico defeat.
In the fight for UEFA Champions League places, Sevilla kept the pressure on Atletico Madrid with a 2-0 win at Villarreal, Marcelino Garcia Toral's third defeat to his former employers in 11 days.
After claiming a 5-2 aggregate win over Villarreal in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, Sevilla coach Unai Emery declared that he had figured out exactly how to play their fellow high-flyers and that was evident yet again on Sunday.
The home side dictated much of the match and struck the woodwork through Moi Gomez, but a focused Sevilla display spawned second-half goals from Coke and Vitolo, who on Friday received his first Spain call-up, secured a smash-and-grab victory.
The result leaves Sevilla on 55 points, their highest ever tally after 28 matches and six clear of Villarreal, who remain sixth.
David Moyes' Real Sociedad claimed their fourth win in five in a 3-1 triumph over rock-bottom Cordoba, who saw Aleksandar Pantic, Inigo Lopez and Daniel Pinillos all sent off, while the day's early kick-off saw Espanyol leave Deportivo La Coruna with a goalless draw.
Carlo Ancelotti is not fearing for his job amid speculation that he will be sacked if Real Madrid lose to Barcelona in Sunday's eagerly-awaited El Clasico.
The Italian coach's future has been called into question with Real failing to live up to their high standards in recent weeks.
It has been reported in the Spanish press that president Florentino Perez will sack Ancelotti if Real suffer a defeat this weekend at Camp Nou, which would leave them four points behind their arch-rivals in the battle for the La Liga title.
The 55-year-old was in no mood to play down the importance of the game when he faced the media on Saturday, but does not expect to be relieved of his duties if his side slump to defeat.
He said: "I do not feel my future is on the line. It is an important game for all Madridistas, for the club, as it is for Barcelona.
"Some say I have patience without limits, but there is a limit. However I feel good, I have felt good, and I will feel good."
Ancelotti knows Real must raise their game after losing two of their last three matches in all competitions, but is backing his players to come good.
He added: "This game comes at a very important time in the season. There is a different atmosphere. We have confidence.
"In the last period, we have not played well, not been on a good run, but my confidence in the players remains total."
Brazil great Pele says Messi has outperformed Ronaldo
22 March 2015 14:54
Lionel Messi has proved himself as the best player in the world ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the past 10 years, according to Brazil great Pele.
Players, pundits and fans alike have regularly debated whether Barcelona superstar Messi or Real Madrid counterpart Ronaldo should be regarded as the world's best player.
Argentina international Messi has won the FIFA Ballon d'Or award four times to Ronaldo's three, although the Portuguese has collected the prestigious award in the past two years.
Pele, regarded as the greatest of all time, has had his say and believes Messi has been the standout performer in the last decade.
Speaking to BBC Sportsweek, the three-time World Cup winner said: "At the moment people always try to compare Ronaldo with Messi [but] it's a different style.
"They are two great players, but in the past 10 years the best in the world was Messi."
Messi and Ronaldo have the chance to showcase their talents when Barca and Real face off in a mouth-watering Clasico contest at Camp Nou - with the hosts holding a one-point lead over the European champions at the top of La Liga.
Tiki-taka evolution has made Barca ´complete´ - Mascherano
23 March 2015 00:20
Javier Mascherano believes Barcelona's evolution from Pep Guardiola's 'tiki-taka' philosophy has seen the Catalans become a "complete" team following the 2-1 Clasico win over Real Madrid.
In his time at Barca, Guardiola insisted on a style of play which consisted of short, simple passes, a philosophy which saw the team dazzle many opponents as they dominated possession.
Guardiola's tactics were at times criticised, as some suggested their continuous passing occasionally lacked direction and resulted in the team distributing for the sake of it.
Under Gerardo Martino last season, many critics claimed Barca lacked identity as their transition from Guardiola's style began, but Mascherano believes that with Luis Enrique, they have regained a purpose, highlighting Sunday's Clasico triumph as proof.
"Football is everything, it's not only possession," he told Canal Plus.
"Barcelona always has a model and we respect that because it's what they like.
"But football has many phases: football is pressing, suffering and using the strategies that give you many benefits.
Carlo Ancelotti insists it is still all to play for in the battle for the La Liga title despite Real Madrid's 2-1 El Clasico loss at Barcelona on Sunday.
A goal in each half from Jeremy Mathieu and Luis Suarez either side of Cristiano Ronaldo's 42nd goal of the season settled an enthralling encounter at Camp Nou.
The Catalan giants are now four points clear of Real at the top of the table with 10 games remaining, but Ancelotti stressed that his side can still be crowned champions.
He said: "The league isn't over. Barcelona have the advantage but anything can happen in football. We won't prioritise the Champions League."
The Real coach took heart from Real's performance and was left to rue lapses in concentration, which Barca capitalised on.
The Italian said: "Two very good teams played each other this evening. I think that we played well for an hour, up until the second goal. Then things turned complicated.
"We were very good in the first half. We were solid at the back but in the end we couldn't capitalise. We played well for an hour and not so well for half an hour.
"We were the better team for an hour but Barca's counter-attacks in the final half an hour were devastating. We're two great teams, and they've won on the night.
"I think the problem was more mental than physical. We didn't play in the same way that we did at the start of the game.
"We're disappointed but we go home knowing that we played a good game. That should give us some confidence for the rest of the season."
