La Liga SRL Round-Up | Barcelona stunned, Atletico and Getafe play out thriller and much more
Valencia kept the pressure on the top six with a win over Espanyol
|Well, what a week we've had, with Barcelona shocked by Real Valladolid this Friday evening and Valencia edging past Espanyol on the same day. On the other hand, Eibar and Mallorca registered wins in their respective fixtures on Saturday while Getafe and Atletico played out a four-goal thriller.
Real Valladolid 2 - 1 Barcelona
Barcelona may have been unbeaten walking into the game but the away side had managed just one win and three draws in their last four games. Not that Real Valladolid was any better with the hosts racking up two losses, one win and one draw in their last four and yet eleven minutes into the first half they had two goals. The hosts were somehow leading and Barcelona had no idea what to do to that double whammy with just seven minutes between goals.
But Barcelona quickly pulled one back just before the end of the second half with them hoping to bring about a few changes in the second half. No luck, however, because Valladolid continued to dominate the game and the ball. The hosts hogged possession and did well with it, firing off six shots in the second half as compared to just five from Barcelona. The La Liga giants just failed to get going and while they did manage to knock three shots in added time, luck wasn’t on their side.
Valencia 2 - 1 Espanyol
Not the greatest first half that was ever played but a red card to Espanyol changed the entire complexion of the game. That effectively put an end to what was a bright start from the away side which allowed the hosts to make their move and they did just that. A couple of shots on target, a couple of shots off target and Valencia eventually created some rhythm. Unfortunately for them, that was the end of the first half and the second half saw them produce more of the same.
Espanyol, to their credit, stood still and negated any pressure that Valencia threw at them but with a man down, they were eventually going to concede. And they did just that with a goal in the 73rd minute before Valencia doubled their lead ten minutes later. That spelled the end of things for Espanyol but the away side fought till the very end and even pulled one back in added time. Unfortunately, time and luck wasn’t on their side with the hosts eventually sneaking out a win.
Eibar 1 - 0 Real Valladolid
Complacency might have cropped in after Real Valladolid’s win over Barcelona in the last match might, else they would have had the better of Eibar in the Saturday kick-off. Even though Eibar walked in as the underdogs into the game, they were the dominant side in the first half with seven shots at the goal, but failed to get past the goalkeeper.
Even though Valladolid pushed up gears in the second period of the game and overturned the shots-on-goal ratio, the goals were shying away from them. Just when it looked like both sides would share points, Eibar somehow managed to score the winner from a penalty-kick to walk away with all three points from the fixture.
Mallorca 3 - 1 Granada
A cracking start to the first half set the tone for the game. Even though Granada was supposed to take full command, Mallorca’s 2nd-minute strike shocked the game and set the tone of the match. The goal did not have much effect on the game as the visitors desperately pressed for the equalizer and eventually struck it in the 15th minute of the game. The remainder of the first half was more of Granada bossing around to take the lead, which did not happen.
Mallorca did start and afresh and found their natural footing in the second half of the game as they scored their second just three minutes into the break. Granada did not fade away after that, having accounted for as many shots on goal, even though they were the second-best side. Mallorca’s third goal in the 74th minute meant the show was over, with them bagging full points from the fixture.
Getafe 2 -2 Atletico Madrid
Getafe maintained their one-point lead over Atletico Madrid after both the sides played out a 2-2 draw in the weekend fixture. The home advantage did play a part and Getafe were the better side in the, yet the La Rojiblancos drew first blood in the 36th minute to set the game alive. It was in the 45th minute that Getafe restored parity, only to see the visitors take the lead two minutes later, on the brink of the half-time whistle.
The second, even though played on equal terms, was not as entertaining as the first period, apart from the 73rd-minute equalizer by Getafe. Both teams strived hard for the winner, but it evaded them till the end. Statistically, Getafe was the better side, with 65 dangerous attacks compared to Atletico’s 37.
