After last week’s goal fest, La Liga decided that it was time to tone things down, three nil-nil draws, three one-goal games and only two games with more than three goals scored did not make for fascinating viewing.
Not a good start
Roger Marti scored the only goal for Levante against a lacklustre Valencia in what was a (common theme here) pretty abject match of football overall. Marti’s finish was excellently taken however, hitting across himself into the bottom corner, leaving Jasper Cillisen little chance.
Joselu dispatched an Alavés penalty with aplomb before Cádiz replied after Manu García had one of the worst minute stretches he is likely to have in his career, let alone this season. Booked for conceding a free kick on the wing, García then bundled over the Cadiz attacker in the box as the set piece was delivered, conceding a penalty and receiving his second yellow in the process. Alex Fernandez planted the penalty in the right side netting and the game would finish all-square.
Real Madrid snuck home against Elche (who had previously beaten Sevilla), Karim Benzema bailing them out again at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium. Early in the first half (the first half was thoroughly unremarkable), Thibeau Courtois made a brilliant save to deny Elche the lead. This was short lived however when soon after, Dani Calvo thundered in a header to give the away side the lead on the hour mark (the first of two goals in this gameweek to go in when hitting the bar twice, stay tuned). Benzema headed home after some scrappy defending ten minbutes later but it took until stoppage time for the Frenchman to finish brilliantly on the half-volley after a neat exchange with Rodrygo on the edge of the area to give Los Blancos the win.
Next up were three drab goaless draws in a row, Osasuna vs Valladolid, Atleti vs Getafe and Bilbao vs Celta Vigo all failing to provide on the scoresheet.
Real Sociedad visited Granada in a game which offered little more excitement so it was fitting that David Silva, the player most likely to bring some energy and class to the match, injured his back and had to be removed after half an hour. It was more fitting still that Granada won the match through a shot from distance from German Sanchez which ricocheted off of an Erreala defender and left Alex Remiro stranded.
Finishing strong (ish)
La Liga saved its best until the last three games of the matchweek as finally Eibar and Villarreal played out a thrilling encounter which was closer than the final 1-3 scoreline suggests. To open things up early on, Gerard Moreno (maybe the best striker in Spain at the moment) trapped a cross field ball expertly then curled an inch perfect pass into the feet of Moi Gomez who needed no second invitation to give Villareal the lead after 90 seconds. Eibar were spirited in return but could not apply a finishing touch (something that would haunt them for the rest of the game) as El Submarino Amarillo broke again, Gerard Moreno again squaring for Carlos Bacca to score -unbelievably- his first goal of the season. Just before half time, Eibar squandered a chance to take momentum into the break, Burgos stepped up and tamely hit his penalty straight at Sergio Asenjo. Ten minutes after the break Sergi Enrich snuck a shot from the edge of the box in at Asenjo’s near post and Eibar were back in it. Étienne Capoue was sent off for a clumsy but accidental challenge on Diop with just ten minutes remaining. Late on Alfonso Pedraza was played through by a pinpoint pass from (you guessed it) Gerard Moreno, his initial shot was saved brilliantly by Dmitrovic in the Eibar goal but Pedraza reacted sharply to turn home the rebound on the volley to clinch the game and Moreno’s third assist of the night.
Next was possibly the most intriguing game in Spanish football outside of the Classico with the Andalucian derby, El gran derbi, with Sevilla hosting city neighbours Betis. Youssef En-Nesyri’s clinical finish after rounding Joel Robles the only goal as Sevilla clung on under huge pressure. Nabil Fekir had a quiet night but almost scored an unbelievable equaliser with the last kick of the game from distance but it went narrowly wide, Sevilla moving fourth with a game and six points in hand over Real Sociedad in fifth. Sevilla face Elche on Wednesday night in their game in hand.
Finally, Lionel Messi was at it yet again, inspiring Barcelona to a 4-1 win over lowly Huesca, scoring two stunners and assisting another. Just thirteen minutes in Messi picked up the ball 25 yards from goal and waited for an opening before crashing his shot in off the bar (twice). Later in the first period Antoine Greizmann grabbed his seventh goal of the season, curling a very similar shot into the top corner from distance. Huesca received a lifeline just before half time when they were awarded a very generous penalty which was duly dispatched by Rafa Mir, on loan from Wolves. After a pin point cross allowed Oscar Mingueza to head home, Messi then exquisitely found space to curl a powerful shot into the far bottom corner to seal the three points.
Goal of the round.
With not many to choose from it came down to one of Messi’s efforts against Huesca or Karim Benzema’s winner against Elche and I will give the love to his first. Taking a simple touch over a defender’s trailing leg, he then wasted no time hammering a shot in off of the bar.
Michael Vince on Sport 