Spanish Primera Division – Is La Liga really a two horse race? (Part 2)
Mallorca are considered to be one of the toughest sides at home. They lost only one game in their previous season and that too was against Real Madrid. This time once again, with a strong Real Madrid side, everyone had expected that history would repeat
itself but things somehow changed for Jose Mourinho as his side just managed a draw against Mallorca which was surely a big achievement for the home side. It is not because Mallorca are weak but because Real Madrid are a much stronger side.
With Real Madrid drawing their first match, it was evident that the Spanish La Liga is a ground where all the teams play to compete against the big guns. Even though Real Madrid won their last game 6-1 against Deportivo, La Liga still isn't a two horse race.
Deportivo is a team that is currently struggling in the relegation zone and last year also, they were struggling. In any league, such a team would definitely get a beating from the top guns.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are also considered to be “over efficient” in the La Liga. However, “Barca” are a side who believe in pure team chemistry and making players. Currently also, they are making some of the best players in the world while the best that Barcelona
have already made include the legendary Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, Carlos Puyol, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Pedro Rodriguez, Bojan Krkic and even the goalkeeper, Victor Valdes.
Almost all of the Barcelona team is “created” by Barcelona themselves. If a team is making players on its own, then it isn't the team’s fault that they are “that” great. The Catalan giants are also responsible for making players like Ronaldinho, who spent
the best days of his career in a Blaugrana jersey and is definitely a player who would not be forgotten any soon. In fact, he will remain in everyone’s heart forever as the two times player of the year is still playing football and features for the Italian
side, AC Milan.
The captain of the North London club, Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas is also a product of Barcelona’s Youth Academy and so is Gerard Pique, who used to play for Manchester United around two years back. Both these players have managed to shine in recent years. Fabregas
is considered to be “the best” player in the Arsenal squad and even though the English club says that they “made” the Spaniard what he is today, no one can deny the fact that Fabregas was part of the same batch that Messi and Pique were also a part of.
The two are now considered to be one of the best in the world. Fabregas is definitely a great player and there have been speculations that the Spaniard could again be part of his “former club” soon; however, his future is still uncertain.
Barcelona, by “making” players themselves, have earned 6 trophies in the same season under their new coach, Josep Pep Guardiola, who also played for Barcelona as a player. Pep Guardiola introduced a new “style of play” for the Catalan giants. As the Spanish
side couldn't really play a physical game like the English teams do so they decided to adapt to the “Tiki taka” style of play.
Tiki taka is considered to be one of the best ways to avoid the physical opposition like Germans or English. The method is simple, keep the ball moving around yourselves and keep passing the ball around till you find a gap between the defensive walls. The
Barcelona players are well connected with such style of play and the “oh-so-many” Spanish players in the squad pass the ball around well with great team chemistry and flow.
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