La Liga Season 2011/2012

[Helder Postiga]

Friday 30th December 2011

Alves not expecting much from Madrid

Barcelona full-back Dani Alves has sunk his teeth into rival Real Madrid by claiming that he does not expect much from Jose Mourinho's side in the second half of the season.

Barca currently trail the La Liga leaders Madrid by three points heading into the New Year but Alves remains supremely confident they can make up the difference to retain their domestic title.

"We do not expect much from them [Real Madrid]. All the praise is for Barca which hurts them. We are behind them in the table but we still get to play them in Barcelona and we can cut the points back to win the title," Alves told Cuatro.

Perhaps the Brazil international's confidence is based on Barca's recent beating of Real in Madrid earlier in the month or maybe it stems from their three La Liga titles won in a row. Whatever the reasoning behind Alves' claim, the defender believes his team and coach Pep Guardiola are underrated.

"People are not aware of what we are doing. When this team is finished we will be given even higher praise. We will always be with [Pep] Guardiola. In the future people will recognise his work," he said.

Barcelona kick off the New Year on January 8 with a trip to local rival Espanyol.
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[Falcao]

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Reyes requests transfer to Sevilla
Atletico Madrid forward Jose Antonio Reyes has confirmed that he has asked coach Diego Simeone to help transfer him to Sevilla

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Real Zaragoza turn to Jimenez
Real Zaragoza have appointed Manolo Jimenez as their new coach until the end of the season.

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Di Maria suffers minor muscle tear
Real Madrid midfielder Angel Di Maria is a doubt for the club’s first encounter of 2012 after suffering a minor muscle tear during their final 2011 training session.

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Cruyff: Madrid unlucky to play in Barca league
Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff believes that Real Madrid are unlucky to be playing in the same league as the Nou Camp outfit.

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Father: Higuain has no intention of leaving
Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain’s father has quashed any talk of his son leaving in January amidst reported interest from Chelsea and Juventus.

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Mourinho looks to his Real future

Jose Mourinho insists the best is yet to come from Real Madrid - and he plans to be around to see the fruit of his labour despite talks of him returning to England one day.​

 

[Falcao]

Madrid critics ´lying´, says Mourinho

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho claims anyone who says Real Madrid do not play good football is '"lying".Mourinho's side currently sit at the top of La Liga, three points clear of rivals Barcelona with 16 games of the season played.

Some observers, however, have opined that compared to the Catalan giants, Madrid's game is more functional than spectacular.The Portuguese coach, though, is not in agreement with that analysis, and is adamant that fans flock to see his team because they enjoy watching them in action.

"Real Madrid play very well. If anyone says that we don't and that we are only interested in results, they are lying," Mourinho told the club's official website."We play well, we entertain and the people want to see us. We have the Santiago Bernabeu, whatever the game and against whoever, always completely full and it takes a few people to fill the Bernabeu."

Mourinho has made comments suggesting he was interested in a return to England in the near future, but the Portuguese clarified that he was not planning to leave Madrid anytime soon.

"This project has some great years in front of it. The best is still to come and it would not be very intelligent if I have been dedicated since the first day, giving my heart to this project only to then think of leaving it halfway through," he said."That is why this story is still being written, because I am where I want to be and I want to carry on."

Mourinho has been with Madrid since 2010 after he led Inter Milan to the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble.

 

[Falcao]

Puyol in doubt for cup tie

2 January 2012

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Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola may have to make do without the services of Carles Puyol in their upcoming Copa del Rey game against Osasuna.

The Barca captain picked up an adductor strain in the build-up to Catalunya's friendly against Tunisia on Friday and was forced to watch the scoreless draw from the stands due to the problem.

Barcelona reported on their official website that the 33-year-old missed Saturday's training session due to the injury and worked away from the group.

It is doubtful whether Puyol will be fully recovered in time to feature in Wednesday's match at Camp Nou but he is expected to resume full training in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Seydou Keita was working out in the gym on Saturday, while Eric Abidal missed the session due to a bout of flu.

 

[Falcao]

Barca reject Betis move for Tello

2 January 2012

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Barcelona have turned down a loan offer from fellow La Liga outfit Betis for promising youngster Cristian Tello.

The Seville side are keen to strengthen their attack in the January transfer window to stay clear of the relegation zone, and they see the 20-year-old as the perfect addition to their squad, according to reports in Estadio Deportivo.

Tello is a product of the Barcelona youth academy and returned to Camp Nou in mid-2010 after two years with Espanyol.The Spain under-20 star has since impressed in the reserve team of the Blaugrana, and made his official first team debut earlier this term.

The versatile attacker's good performances have earned him the interest of Betis, but head coach Pep Guardiola is keen to hold on to Tello and has turned down any move.

Guardiola sees the forward as a good alternative for the injured Ibrahim Afellay and David Villa, and therefore wants to keep Tello at the club.

 

[Falcao]

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Mourinho won't play transfer window
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho claims he is not looking to offload any of his players in the winter transfer window.

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Fabregas targets treble with Barca
Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas is not known for being unambitious and he has promptly started the New Year by targeting a treble winning end to the campaign.

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Nilmar: I'm not quitting Villarreal
Villarreal striker Nilmar has denied rumours that he is looking to leave the club amidst rumours of a switch to Serie A side AS Roma.

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Pellegrini preaches attack against Real
Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini insists his side will not look to shut up shop against in-form Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday night.

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Pinto signs new Barca deal

Barcelona have agreed a one-year contract extension with back-up goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto, the European champions have announced.​

 

[Falcao]

Barca re-sign reserve goalkeeper

3 January 2012

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Barcelona have announced goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto has signed a one-year extension with the club.

The 36-year-old had only six months left on his previous deal with the La Liga outfit, but Barca have revealed via their website that he has agreed to prolong his stay at until June 2013.

Pinto arrived at Camp Nou in January 2008 on loan from Celta following a knee injury to Albert Jorquera and joined the club on a permanent basis four months later.

He has provided cover for Victor Valdes but has tasted action in Barca's Copa del Rey matches, having featured in both legs of the club's 10-0 aggregate victory against Hospitalet.

 

[Falcao]

Di Maria out of Malaga clash

3 January 2012

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Real Madrid will go into Tuesday's Copa del Rey match against Malaga without the services of Angel Di Maria due to injury.

The Argentina international sustained a thigh problem in training in the last week of 2011 and Madrid confirmed on their official website that Di Maria has not recovered in time to make the match squad for the game at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 23-year-old has been in excellent form in the 2011-12 campaign, and has already set up 13 goals in 14 league appearances for Los Blancos.

Di Maria is likely to be replaced by former Espanyol star Jose Callejon in the starting XI for the last-16 match on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, defenders Sergio Ramos and Ricardo Carvalho both also miss out on the encounter with Malaga due to injury problems.

 

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[Ricardo Kaka]

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Mourinho wants La Liga crown
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho offered an olive branch to his players and vowed to give them a chance at redemption in Saturday's home game against Granada.

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Busquets urges Guardiola to stay
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has called for coach Pep Guardiola to commit his long-term future to the reigning Spanish and European champions.

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Busquets: We try to be innovative
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has emphasized on how his team is always looking to stay one step ahead against opponents and score goals.

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Ramos set for Granada return
Real Madrid fullback Sergio Ramos is poised for a recall against Granada in this weekend’s La Liga clash after fully overcoming his recent hamstring niggles.

Messi: I never really had a fever
Barcelona wizard Lionel Messi has bizarrely denied Pep Guardiola’s claim that he was running a fever before Wednesday night’s Copa del Rey encounter with Osasuna.

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Atletico keeping tabs on Buonanotte
Atletico Madrid are reportedly preparing to raid La Liga rivals Malaga for the services of Argentinean forward Diego Buonanotte.

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Emery content with slender Copa lead
Valencia coach Unai Emery was content with his side's 1-0 win over Sevilla in their Copa dek Rey first-leg encounter at the Mestalla on Thursday.

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Reyes completes Sevilla return
Sevilla have confirmed the signing for forward Jose Antonio Reyes on a three-and-a-half-year deal from La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid.

Novo staying at Gijon for now
Nacho Novo could be tempted back to Rangers although he has ruled out a move away from Sporting Gijon in January.

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Casillas: We made things difficult
Real Madrid custodian Iker Casillas admitted his side had to do things the hard way following their stunning 3-2 comeback victory against Malaga in the Copa del Rey.

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New Bilbao deal for De Marcos
Athletic Bilbao forward Oscar de Marcos has signed a contract extension to tie him to the club until June 2016.

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Xavi: Strength isn't everything in football
Barcelona midfielder Xavi has stressed that having talent, rather than physical advantage, is the decisive factor to succeed in football.

Jonas hopes for successful 2012

Valencia forward Jonas is hoping the new year will bring plenty of success for the La Liga outfit.​

 

[Ricardo Kaka]

Ancelotti rules out star pair

5 January 2012

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Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out signing Real Madrid playmaker Kaka and AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato.French sources had claimed on Tuesday that PSG were putting together a 61.5 million euros bid for the Brazilian duo as Ancelotti looks to fine-tune his recently inherited side.

Following PSG's 1-0 friendly defeat to Milan, which marked Ancelotti's first game on the Ligue 1 side's bench, the Italian coach said that he will have to look elsewhere for reinforcements as neither Kaka, nor Pato, are realistic targets."Pato is a player of Milan and he has a contract, so we are not interested in him," Ancelotti said.

"Right now, there is no chance to sign Kaka. We are in the middle of a transfer window and I will discuss with the club how we can improve the team.""I do not want to talk about individual cases, like Pato or Kaka, both of whom are under contract.""We will work to sign some players, but in order to do so, it is necessary that clubs are sellers."

Ancelotti's comments will certainly disappoint Javier Pastore, who advised Pato to follow his lead and move to the Parc des Princes."I recommend Pato join PSG," Pastore told Sky Sport Italia after the match."It is a big club and he would be perfect with us."

 

[Ricardo Kaka]

La Liga preview: Barca, Real resume title rivalry

6 January 2012

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Barcelona face a challenging encounter against Espanyol in La Liga, while Real Madrid host Granada as their title battle resumes.The European champions took out the Club World Cup while the league was on the best part of a month-long break, continuing to look at their best.

While Argentine maestro Lionel Messi (17 goals and seven assists) has played a key role in leading them to second in La Liga, several others have made major contributions.Xavi, Dani Alves, Andres Iniesta and Eric Abidal have been among the others to play strong parts for Pep Guardiola's team.They meet eight-placed Espanyol, who finished 2011 with consecutive league wins, at Estadi Cornella-El Prat on Sunday.

Meanwhile, league leaders Real Madrid face what appears a straightforward game at home to Granada on Saturday.Jose Mourinho's side came from behind to beat Malaga 3-2 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey clash on Tuesday.Midfielder Angel di Maria, who tops La Liga's assists charts with 13 this season, missed the encounter due to injury and is in doubt to take on Granada. Cristiano Ronaldo (20 goals and six assists) has recaptured his form of last season, while Gonzalo Higuain has found the net 12 times.

Elsewhere, Valencia captain Roberto Soldado will be out to build on his 11 league goals when his team travel to Villarreal on Sunday.In other matches, Levante host Mallorca on Saturday hopeful of consolidating fourth spot, while Osasuna travel to Real Sociedad.Diego Simeone will take charge of Atletico Madrid for the first time as they meet Malaga at Estadio La Rosaleda on Saturday.

Sevilla travel to Rayo Vallecano, Getafe and Athletic Bilbao do battle and Real Betis welcome struggling Sporting Gijon on Sunday.On Saturday, La Liga's bottom two - Racing Santander and Real Zaragoza - meet at Campos de Sport de El Sardinero.

 

[Ricardo Kaka]

Saturday 7th January 2012

Guardiola voted best coach in the world

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has been named the "World's best club coach" by the International Football Federation of History & Statistics (IFFHS).

Guardiola, who was given 201 points, finished way ahead of the likes of Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho and Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson, who finished second and third respectively.

It is the second time the Spanish coach has landed the award afer coming up tops in 2009.

The poll, which is recognised by FIFA, was voted by selected editorial offices and experts from 81 countries in all continents that took part in this annual election.

Guardiola enjoyed a trophy-laden 2011 with Barcelona, winning the Spanish La Liga, Supercopa, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
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[Ricardo Kaka]

Casillas returns fire at Mourinho

7 January 2012

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Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has hit back at Jose Mourinho for suggesting some players spent too much time relaxing over the break.

A sluggish performance from the Spanish giants saw them slip to a 2-0 deficit at half-time against Malaga in Tuesday's Copa del Rey last-16 first-leg clash, but a triple substitution at the break triggered a 3-2 comeback win.

In the wake of the game, Mourinho castigated his players for their poor first-half performance, but Casillas has now responded by saying his team-mates deserve a rest during the holidays."Christmas is a time to relax, unwind, be with the family and not think about football," Casillas said.

"Sometimes it is necessary to do certain things when things are not going well and we have lost concentration.""It's normal the coach demands much more and we can have no complaints, because it was there for everybody to see in the first half when we conceded two goals from dead ball situations. It is also normal that people talk about it and it isn't strange that the coach does too."

The 30-year-old went on to echo his desire for Real Madrid to succeed on all three fronts this season."We want to go far in all three competitions. I ask that my colleagues all have a good season," he said.Real Madrid restart their league campaign with a home match against Granada this Saturday.

Mourinho's men sit three points clear of their arch-rivals Barcelona at the top of the table.

 

[Ricardo Kaka]

Mourinho wants Kaka to stay at Madrid

7 January 2012

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Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho says Kaka is still central to his plans for the rest of the season, despite speculation he may be set to leave.Reports from France and Spain have suggested the 29-year-old Brazilian is a January transfer target for Paris Saint-Germain, with the Parisians prepared to bid up to 23.5 million euros to take him away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

Mourinho, however, assured supporters the playmaker would be lining up for Real until the end of this season and beyond."I will have Kaka until June and the coming season," Mourinho told AS.Mourinho could not resist poking fun at Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who was named the best coach of 2011 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics.

"The award given to Guardiola is deserved," Mourinho said. "I just hope that he does not have to wait too long to receive his prize because I won the same thing in 2010 and they still have not given it to me." Real, who top the La Liga standings by three points from rivals Barcelona, take on 13th-placed Granada at home on Saturday, and Mourinho predicted there would be a substantial travelling support in the Spanish capital for the clash.

"It is wonderful to see the Granadans travel so far to see their team in the Bernabeu," he said."In Spain there are not many teams like that, if I was a player or trainer at Granada I would be very proud of the support.""We need to win more than they do, because they are already in a good position. I hope that it will be a great game."

 

[Ricardo Kaka]

Malaga offer €10m for Borussia Dortmiund striker Lucas Barrios - report

The Paraguay international is out of favour at Signal Iduna Park despite his heroics last season, and the big-spending Andalusian outfit are keen to bring him to La Rosaleda

Jan 7, 2012 9:55:00 AM

Getty Images

Malaga have made a €10 million bid for out-of-favour Borussia Dortmund striker Lucas Barrios, according to Bild.

The Paraguay international has found first-team opportunities at Signal Iduna Park something of a rare commodity this season, as Robert Lewandowski has made the starting role in Jurgen Klopp's side his own.

Despite the South American attacker playing a key role in securing the Bundesliga title for Dortmund last season, it is believed that the German champions will let him leave the club in January should their valuation of €12m be met.

With Malaga backed by Qatari billionaire Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani, it has been stipulated that the clubs should easily be able to agree a transfer fee.

Barrios has himself spoken of his disappointment at only making nine appearances for the German side this season and indicated that he may leave if his fortunes do not change.

"It is not my intention to sit for another six months on the sidelines," the 27-year-old adamantly stated.

The Argentina-born forward's future is set to be decided within the next week however, as general manager Michael Zorc has revealed that talks are forthcoming.

"We will talk in the next few days with him," the former Germany international confirmed.

Sevilla and Espanyol are also believed to be interested in Barrios, but Malaga’s bid is thought to be the first concrete offer for the former Colo Colo hitman.

 

[Ricardo Kaka]

La Liga wrap: Normal service resumes for Real

8 January 2012

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Real Madrid extended their lead atop La Liga to six points after a 5-1 thrashing of Granada on Saturday.Karim Benzema's brace and goals from Sergio Ramos, Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo lead Real to a comfortable win, despite Mikel Rico briefly putting Granada on level terms at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Jose Mourinho's side started brightly and went close on several occasions, before they eventually broke the deadlock through Benzema, who swept home from six yards after wonderful build-up play from Ronaldo and Mesut Oezil.

Despite their early dominance, Real were soon pegged back by Granada, who equalised within minutes of Benzema's strike courtesy of midfielder Rico's header.In an open encounter, Real took a 2-1 lead against the run of play as Ramos headed in Oezil's corner.

The hosts put the game to bed shortly after the restart with two goals in five minutes.First, Higuain fired past goalkeeper Roberto before Benzema received a fine pass from Oezil on the edge of the area and drove home to complete his brace.Ronaldo got his name on the scoresheet with a well-struck effort from the edge of the area in stoppage time - his 21st league goal of the season.

The win puts league leaders Real six points clear of defending champions Barcelona, who play Espanyol on Sunday.Elsewhere, Racing Santander moved out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over lowly Real Zaragoza.Bernardo Espinosa's stoppage-time header proved to be the difference at Campos de Sport de El Sardinero, as Manuel Jimenez made a losing start as coach of Real Zaragoza.

Jimenez, who took over after Javier Aguirre was sacked, sees his side sitting bottom, six points from safety.A strong performance from goalkeeper Gustavo Munua helped fourth-placed Levante secure a 0-0 draw at home to Mallorca.

Real Sociedad and Osasuna extended their unbeaten league runs to six matches after they also played out a 0-0 draw.And Diego Simeone's first game as Atletico Madrid boss ended in a 0-0 draw at Malaga.Both sides struggled to create chances and were careful throughout, but Simeone would have been pleased to see Atletico collect just their second away point of the season and stay 10th, while Malaga moved into sixth.

 

[Ricardo Kaka]

Eric Abidal close to signing new deal with Barcelona - report
The French defender announced in November that an agreement had been reached over a contract extension but only now is his future with the Catalans finally set to be resolved

Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone salutes players' unity after first game in charge against Malaga
The Argentine coach, who was last week named as Gregorio Manzano's successor, saw the struggling Rojiblancos pick up a creditable point from their trip to La Rosaleda

Real Madrid's Aitor Karanka plays down Karim Benzema injury but French forward could miss Malaga clash
Jose Mourinho's right-hand man is hoping that the former Lyon striker will be fit for the trip to the Rosaleda, where the Los Blancos must defend a narrow advantage​

 

[Marcelo]

La Liga wrap: Barca stunned late, Valencia held

9 January 2012

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Barcelona were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Espanyol in La Liga on Sunday, while Valencia only managed a point against Villarreal.Cesc Fabregas put Barcelona ahead in the first half, but Alvaro Vazquez headed in a late equaliser to send the home fans into raptures. The draw means Real Madrid hold a five-point lead at the top after their comfortable win against Granada on Saturday.Barcelona dominated possession throughout, but were unable to capitalise on Fabregas' goal and Mauricio Pochettino's men made them pay.

Pep Guardiola's side took a 16th-minute lead when the former Arsenal midfielder headed in a cross from Dani Alves, who had made a characteristic run down the right.The visitors continued to dominate but failed to find a sealer, and Espanyol's grit would earn them a point in the 86th minute. Raul Rodriguez burst down the right and crossed to the near post where Thievy Bifouma's flick on found Vazquez, who placed his header into the bottom corner. Third-placed Valencia missed their chance to close the gap on Barcelona after they drew 2-2 at struggling Villarreal.

In coach Jose Molina's first game in charge, relegation battlers Villarreal were on track for a first league win in five games when Marco Ruben struck and Gonzalo Rodriguez headed in to put them 2-0 up after 18 minutes.But French attacker Sofiane Feghouli headed in a superb cross from Miguel to bring Valencia back into the game, before substitute Aritz Aduriz curled in an 87th-minute equaliser. Real Betis recorded their third consecutive league win with a 2-0 victory against struggling Sporting Gijon.

Roque Santa Cruz and Jorge Molina were on the scoresheet for 10th-placed Betis, while Manuel Preciado Rebolledo's relegation battling Sporting Gijon had Alberto Lora and substitute Carmelo sent off. In other matches, Rayo Vallecano scored a surprise 2-1 win against Sevilla as Michu and Raul Tamudo netted before Julien Escude pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute.Getafe and Athletic Bilbao played out a 0-0 draw in the day's other game.

 

[Marcelo]

Unai Emery has mixed feelings after Valencia's draw against Villarreal
The Spanish trainer lamented the mistakes which allowed The Yellow Submarine to score twice but hailed the players' fighting spirit during the whole match

Espanyol's Raul Rodriguez on Barcelona draw: It was a handball, but I am not the referee
The Spanish defender said that Barca should have been given a penalty for his infraction but conceded that his side worked hard to take one point against the Liga holders

Barcelona's Pep Guardiola says La Liga 'is not over yet' after draw with Espanyol
The Spanish coach insisted that his side can still catch up to Madrid at the top of the table and refused to comment on the penalty which the referee did not signal

Johan Cruyff: Barcelona's Lionel Messi will win many more Ballons d'Or
The 64-year-old Dutchman said the diminutive attacker will mark an era in the history of the award and noted it is normal that he cannot show his true colours for Argentina




Barcelona's Gerard Pique: Lionel Messi is the best in the world and deserves to win 2011 Fifa Ballon d'Or
The central defender has voiced his opinion that the Argentine is in a league of his own, and deserves the prestigious individual trophy over Ronaldo and team-mate Xavi

Real Madrid's Jose Callejon: Granada made things difficult for us
The versatile attacker has stressed that Saturday's La Liga encounter was not an easy one for the table-toppers

Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino: Belief is key against Barcelona
The Argentine acknowledges that the reigning world, European and Spanish champions are a formidable outfit but he is no doubt that they can be beaten