La Liga Preview: Big Teams Slipping Under Pressure
This season of La Liga started with big hopes associated with the two giants, Real Madrid and Barcelona. However, in the opening two fixtures, both teams have shown signs of weakness, which means that some other teams have picked up their hopes for the new season.
Barcelona made some changes in their squad, as some of the players left for better prospects of football. These players included Thierry Henry, Rafael Marquez, Yaya Toure and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. On the contrary, three signings were made, i.e. David Villa, Javier Mascherano and Adriano. However, these signings were not adequate, as considered by many of the critics.
However, the defending champions started their title defence well, as they beat Racing Santander on the opening day, by 3-0. David Villa, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta were on target, which was a great sign for the champions. However, the international break did not prove to be good for Pep Guardiola’s team. Although, many players of his squad were present in Spanish team playing in Argentina, on previous Tuesday, but the tempo was already broken. This Saturday, Barcelona lost their home fixture against a recently promoted side, Hercules, by 2-0.
This loss would be a major blow to Barcelona’s prestige, as they were beaten by a highly unlikely opponent. Maybe, players were tired because of all the travelling in the midweek, as Lionel Messi was also present at that match played on Tuesday. But, the real problem for Barcelona occurred in tactics. They retained a lot of possession, a spectacular 77%, but could not convert it into goals. The problem was that the players were searching for a perfect goal, but Hercules defenders worked hard to keep them away from their goal.
On the other side, the defence of Barcelona was in disarray, as the two goals were scored with ease and comfort. Nevertheless, dropping three points at an early stage might not be as crucial as it seems, but Barcelona has shown other teams that they are beatable. Therefore, unlike last season, Barcelona’s opponents would be mentally prepared and ready to face them at any venue.
Apart from Barcelona, Real Madrid also remained in the news throughout the pre-season. Jose Mourinho came in to coach the side, while he bought many players in the midfield, including Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria and Sami Kheidra. But, Madrid slipped in their opening match that was played against Mallorca. On top of all, Real Madrid failed to score in the match, despite the presence of a lot quality in their team.
Although, Madrid won their second match, played on Saturday, against Osasuna, but the problems still remain. Madrid found the net only once, and the goal came from an unlikely source, Ricardo Carvalho, centre-back of the team. So, Madrid is also showing signs of weakness, as their strikers and forwards have failed to impress so far. The only positive is that their defenders are doing well, which is always the case with Mourinho as a manager. Otherwise, many other teams would have learned their weak points, which would be exploited when they go up against them.
As Barcelona and Real Madrid have struggled, Sevilla, Valencia and Atletico Madrid are already at the top of their game. These teams scored easy victories in their opening matches and at the last weekend. The victories have been achieved despite the problems these teams faced during the summer transfers. Also, their big players are clicking for them, which is a good sign for the future.
Hence, the competition that looked like a two-horse race, at the start, is beginning to take a different shape. Other teams must have gained confidence as they saw two bigger names losing important points, which would definitely help them in increasing their confidence. The race has now expanded to five or six teams at the moment, while there is still a lot to play for in the season.
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