Sunday 29 / December / 2024
MADRID: Real Madrid dropped two points away to Rayo Vallecano, while Atletico Madrid claimed a convincing win and Barcelona rode their luck. Here are some things we learned this weekend in La Liga.
1. Real Madrid missing Rudiger
Although he would not be top of most people's list of key players, Real Madrid are suffering without central defender Antonio Rudiger in their team as the 1-1 draw away to Rayo Vallecano showed on Sunday.
The absence of the powerful defender after a collision in Madrid's game against Getafe just over two weeks ago has robbed them of a dominating presence in defense and also for attacking set-pieces, and they have suffered accordingly.
A spirited Rayo deserved their point over a Madrid 11 with plenty of changes from their midweek win in Leipzig, with Luka Modric's display hinting that his successful spell at the club is entering its final months.
2. Barca ride their luck, but fans need refereeing consistency
FC Barcelona got lucky on Saturday as they won 2-1 away to relegation-threatened Celta Vigo thanks to two goals from Robert Lewandowski. The Pole's first effort was a lovely control and first-time shot, while his second was a twice-taken 97th-minute penalty after Celta goalkeeper Vicente Guaita had saved his first effort only for the VAR to show he had moved off his line.
Lewandowski kept his cool and give Barca a win they barely deserved, but the question is, why did the VAR allow his second effort to stand when two Barca players had clearly encroached into the penalty area?
Surely if the VAR penalized Guaita for moving early off his line, then the penalty should have been retaken for a third time. Inconsistencies like this don't help fans have faith in the integrity of the competition.
3. Llorente impresses as Atletico score five
Marcos Llorente was the star of Atletico Madrid's 5-0 thrashing of Las Palmas on Saturday lunchtime. While the visitors produced an untypical defensive horror show, Llorente showed that when used correctly, his pace and power make him a potent threat.
Llorente's main strength is his ability to do a job in several different roles: from fullback to attacking midfield, but paradoxically his adaptability has also been a problem. The former Real Madrid player has often found himself switching position from one game to another, or used as a substitute who can cover in a variety of roles rather than in a settled position.
On Saturday Llorente showed that the closer he is to goal the better and playing as a second forward, he was able to arrive from deep and cause havoc - something that will be useful as Alvaro Morata recovers from a knee injury.
4. Mutually assured destruction for Granada and Almeria
Sunday's game between second-from-bottom Granada and bottom-of-the-table Almeria was tense and entertaining, with Granada looking for a win to give themselves a slight chance of avoiding relegation, while Almeria was searching for their first win of the season.
A 1-1 draw left both unhappy, with Almeria still winless, despite improving considerably in recent weeks, while Granada is still six points from safety, with just two wins all season.
The fact that a team with just 14 points from 25 games could still stay up, says a lot about other teams in the relegation battle, with Cadiz not winning since September 1st and Celta stuck on 20 points after their narrow defeat to Barcelona.
