SOCCER SPANISH LEAGUE ARTICLES

The big story coming into Matchday 28 in La Liga is the return of Zinedine Zidane. Real Madrid parted ways with one of the most decorated managers in club history this offseason after a power struggle with club president Florentino Perez. The club thought they could get similar results with Julen Lopetegui but sacked him after their worst El Clasico loss ever, and they looked to move on from Santi Solari after Real Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League after a 4-1 loss in the ... 

It looks like Barcelona are set to win La Liga for the fourth time in five years. The Blaugrana are seven points up on second-place Atletico Madrid and a dozen points up on third-place Real Madrid with 12 games left to play. The real intrigue is when it comes to the battle for Spain’s final Champions League spot though. Currently, two teams that have never played in the Champions League (Getafe and Alaves) are in fourth and fifth place in the table, and they have the inside track on grabbing tha... 

Real Sociedad are holding out hope that they can make it to the Champions League for the first time in six seasons with a finish in the top four of La Liga. While the top three spots in Spain are pretty much set, the fourth is up for grabs, and the next few weeks of action should be riveting with just nine points separating fourth place from 14^th in the table. Real Sociedad are currently just four points behind fourth place Getafe, and a win over Atletico Madrid this week would be hug... 

A piece of hardware will essentially be on the line in this season’s third El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The two clubs that have largely dominated soccer in Spain since their inception were drawn together in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, and the winner will be a heavy favorite against either Real Betis or Valencia in the final on March 31. The first leg between these two teams ended in a 1-1 draw, so the second leg is a virtual toss-up.... 

It looks like Barcelona are set to win La Liga for the fourth time in five seasons. They are currently seven points ahead of Atletico Madrid and nine points ahead of Real Madrid in the table, but they face a bit of a test this week. The Blaugrana must travel south to take on a Sevilla club that has given other top teams issues at home. Sevilla are in fourth in the table and they are 7-3-1 at home this campaign. ... 

Both Alaves and Real Betis have their sights set on a place in Europe next year. Alaves currently have 35 points and are sitting at sixth in the table. That would earn them a spot in the Europa League if the season were to end today, but the Babazorros are just two points behind Sevilla for a spot in the top four, and they are holding out hope for what would be their first Champions League appearance. Meanwhile, Real Betis are three points behind Alaves and are looking to qualify for Eu... 

The two titans in the Spanish capital will square off in an important La Liga match this Saturday when Atletico Madrid hosts Real Madrid. Currently, Atletico are in second place in the standings with 44 point, but Real are right behind them with 42 points. Both teams are still well behind front-runners Barcelona, yet a win for either side would make them the top contender going forward. Incredibly, Real Madrid have won just once in their last 11 league matches with Atletico, and they know this i... 

Despite losing just once in league play, Atletico Madrid are five points behind Barcelona in the race to win La Liga. Atletico are 12-8-1 and dominating with their defense once again, but their defensive style has led to a lot of draws. They are looking to score enough to get the full three points this Sunday against Real Betis. Betis started the season strong, but they have since faded and they enter this match just outside a potential spot in the Europa League. ... 

Real Madrid may finally flipped a switch. The club put together one of their most impressive performances last week in a 2-0 win over Sevilla, and they are now looking to build off of that victory. It’s still a long haul to catch league leaders Barcelona, but they can’t be ruled out just yet with the league season just a little more than halfway over. This Sunday, Real Madrid will head to Catalonia to take on Barcelona’s city rival Espanyol. Espanyol have seen their fortunes wane over the last c... 

Winter might be upon us, but the La Liga race is only getting hotter. Sevilla and Real Madrid are currently tied for third place with both teams sitting on 33 points halfway through the season, and a number of teams are just behind them. They both have a long way to go to catch Barcelona, but the most realistic goal for both sides at this point is to finish in the top four in order to ensure a spot in the Champions League next season.... 

The Kings of Europe have had a rough year. Real Madrid have won the last three Champions League competitions, but it has been an uphill struggle since Zinedine Zidane and the club parted ways. Julen Lopetegui’s short tenure was disastrous and the club got off to a rough start, and that has continued despite promising early returns under Santi Solari. Real Madrid are fifth in the La Liga table, and they are looking to crack into the top four before the official halfway point of the year. This wee... 

Spain has had plenty of time to celebrate the holidays and the new year. La Liga took a three-week break starting in mid-December, and that gave players, coaches, and fans alike time to rest and spend time thinking on something other than football. Now, after three weeks off, we are set to reach the halfway point of the season, and two of the top teams in Spain will clash when Sevilla hosts Atletico Madrid. Atletico are currently second in the table and just three points behind Barcelona, while ... 

No one thought that Villarreal’s struggles would continue for this long. Villarreal somehow find themselves in the relegation zone despite being fifth in La Liga last season, and there is a real chance they go down. The club has been in La Liga for the better part of two decades, and the Yellow Submarine always seem to be contending for a spot in the top five. This year, Villarreal will be content with simply staying afloat, and they hope that the new year will bring a change of fortune when the... 

Atletico Madrid have had one of the most airtight defenses in soccer for a while now. Manager Diego Simeone has had Atletico prioritize defense ahead of offense the last few years with Jan Oblak in net, and that has helped the club compete with heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid. Atletico are in the thick of things once again this year, and they are currently tied with Sevilla for second place in La Liga. They are three points back of Barcelona and will want to hold their ground when they ho... 

You might be surprised to find out that the team with the least losses in La Liga this year is not Barcelona or Real Madrid, but Atletico Madrid. Atletico Madrid has lost just one match this season, yet their style of play has them third in the La Liga standings and three points behind Barcelona. Atletico have finished with a draw in seven of their 15 matches this season, and while that’s enough to put a team in contention for the Champions League, it’s not enough to win La Liga. They will look ... 

The Barcelona Derby will have a little extra meaning than it usually does when Barcelona takes on Espanyol this Saturday. That’s because Espanyol are performing much better than they typically do in La Liga. Espanyol are currently in seventh place in the table, and they have one of the top defenses in Spain through the early part of the year. That back line will be put to the test when they face a Barcelona club that has historically dominated this tie.... 

We are entering uncharted territory in La Liga. We’re now more than a third of the way through the season, and neither one of the three big clubs are at the front of the pack. Instead, Sevilla are leading the way. Sevilla are up a point on defending champions Barcelona and two points up on Atletico Madrid, and they are looking to win their first La Liga title since the 1945-46 season. They will be travelling to take on another surprising team on Sunday, Deportivo Alaves. Alaves currently sits in... 

La Liga looks far more competitive than it has in some time through the first third of the season. There are just four points separating the top six teams, and no team has won 60 percent of more of its domestic matches to this point. That will make Barcelona’s clash with Atletico Madrid even more meaningful. Barcelona is currently atop the table with a 7-3-2 record through 12 games, but Atletico are just a point behind with a 6-5-1 mark.... 

For the last two decades, Barcelona and Real Madrid have dominated La Liga with occasional patches of great form from Atletico Madrid. Those three teams have been expected to finish 1-2-3 for sometime now, and that was certainly the case once again this year. However, in a surprising twist, Espanyol and Sevilla are sitting in second and third in the standings through 11 games. This isn’t a huge surprise for Sevilla, as they have occasionally challenged the top teams, but Espanyol is a team no one saw here at the start of the season. ... 

It took just 14 games for Real Madrid to sack Julen Lopetegui after a dreadful start to the season for the proud club in the heart of Spain. Lopetegui knew it was going to be tough to follow in the footsteps of Zinedine Zidane, who had won three consecutive Champions League titles, but the team wasn’t left with much of an option after he steered the team to a ninth place start in La Liga and a 4-2-4 record in league play to this point. Caretaker manager Santi Solari will lead the team into this match with Real Valladolid. ... 

The first El Clasico of the year should be the most watched domestic match in Europe by a mile this weekend. Everyone knows how deep the rivalry runs between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two clubs have been bitter rivals for over 80 years, and their battles are incredibly intense. However, both teams have had far more domestic struggles than usual this campaign. Barcelona just recently broke a four match winless streak, and Real Madrid are currently seventh in the table. That puts increased pressure on both clubs to get a result. ... 

The two top teams in La Liga will meet in Camp Nou this Saturday with first place on the line. For the first time in quite a while though, it won’t be in a Madrid Derby or an El Clasico. Sevilla have been the biggest surprise in Spain through the first two months of the season. They are all alone in first place with a 5-1-2 record at this point, and they are one point ahead of both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Sevilla is a pretty sizable underdog against Barcelona in this game, but if they can secure a result you have to start believing in the Rojiblancos. ... 

It’s been a strange year so far in La Liga action. The league that has been dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid for almost two decades shows neither team at the top of the table headed into the second international break. Instead, Sevilla are currently atop La Liga. Sevilla haven’t won a league title since just after World War II, and their fans are euphoric to see their club at the top of La Liga. Oddsmakers are betting on that not to last though, as the current leaders are 35-1 to win the title per the La Liga Futures Odds. ... 

Last week, La Liga received a jolt when both Barcelona and Real Madrid lost in midweek action. The two juggernauts of the league had been undefeated until that point, and both teams looked set to quickly distance themselves from the rest of the pack. Those losses set them back though, and now other teams are within striking distance through the first month of the season. ... 

The second Madrid Derby of the season might not be for a championship, but it’s been one of the most important matches each campaign for the last decade or so. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been two of the top clubs in both Spain and the world during this decade, with Real Madrid claiming four Champions League titles and Atletico Madrid winning three Europa League crowns. Neither club has had the domestic success you might think though, with Atletico winning one La Liga title and Real Madrid winning just two over the last decade. Both clubs are frontrunners for this year’s title, along with Barcelona, and they are both looking to bring a La Liga title to the capital. ...