Chelsea transfer target and Blues player set for Mourinho battle plus more from talkSPORT’s La Liga lowdown
Barcelona took another step towards wrapping the La Liga title, but it was an individual performance by one man in particular that they will have taken the most pleasure from, presenting the Catalans with a surprise new defensive option to face Bayern Munich. Down in Sevilla, two decisive moments from Radamel Falcao and Thibaut Courtois set up a mammoth Madrid derby next weekend, with Atletico hosting their city rivals in a clash that could decide the chase for second place next weekend. talkSPORT's La Liga lowdown has more on the above, as well as the battle for the Champions League, and Real Madrid's pre-Dortmund preparation...
Radamel Falcao and Thibaut Courtois set up a mammoth Madrid derby
Sevilla are no longer the powerhouse they once were in Spanish football, having lost huge talents like Dani Alves, Freddie Kanoute and Luis Fabiano, but they still have enough quality in their ranks to trouble most sides in a one-off game, so Diego Simeone will have been acutely aware of the potential for Atletico Madrid to slip up at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Sunday. For the vast majority of the game, the home side managed to hold on, with a neat turn and shot from Alvaro Negredo that sailed over the bar, and a few well-timed runs from Radamel Falcao the only real moments of quality in the game. It was Falcao that would ultimately prove decisive in the goal stakes, though he had to wait until the 76th minute to do so.
At first glance, Dani Garcia appeared to have scored a spectacular volley, but replays showed that El Tigre's poaching instincts were quicker than the human eye, as it was the Colombian's toe that poked the ball into the net. That goal takes Falcao's tally to 25 in the league this season, and marked the first time he has scored for two games in a row since February, putting him in perfect form ahead of Real Madrid's trip to the Vicente Calderon.
The game was really decided at the other end in the dying minutes, however. On loan Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois produced a string of stunning saves to keep Atleti's clean sheet in tact and win them all three points, in turn ensuring that the gap between Diego Simeone's side and Real Madrid can be closed entirely by a home victory of two clear goals at the Calderon on Saturday, as unlikely as that may be.
Atletico haven't defeated Real Madrid since 1999, so there would normally be little cause for optimism from the Atleti fans. All hope is not lost, however, as the game is sandwiched between two crunch ties for Jose Mourinho's men against Borussia Dortmund, meaning the Portuguese may be tempted to field a weakened line-up in the league, and with truly world class players like Courtois and Falcao on their books, there is no time like the present for Madrid's underdogs. If Diego Simeone can mastermind an upset, he would elevate his status at the Calderon from legendary to that of a god.
Mourinho's Makeshift Madrid prepare perfectly for Dortmund
Speaking of Real Madrid, Raul Albiol and Ricardo Carvalho turned out for Jose Mourinho's men against Real Betis at the Bernabeu, with the makeshift back four completed by Marcelo and youth team member Nacho. The Portuguese coach will have been most concerned by the form of his front players, however, as Mesut Ozil, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema are all likely to feature against the Germans, and all three were decisive in one way or another against Betis.
Ozil opened the scoring with a cool finish following a lovely give and go with Karim Benzema, and the Frenchman got on the score-sheet himself after latching on to Cristiano Ronaldo's cross in the 57th minute. Jorge Molina's penalty for the visitors had Madrid sweating however, and Los Blancos had to wait until the 90th minute to put the game out of sight, when Ozil pounced on a Jose Callejon rebound to complete his brace.
Madrid always seem to play better against the toughest opponents when Ozil is in good form, so a convincing all round display from the German will have pleased Jose Mourinho ahead of Wednesday's trip to Dortmund. The bad news however is that Marcelo picked up a knock that will rule him out of the Champions League tie, meaning Madrid have few options at left back should Fabio Coentrao pick up a knock in the coming days.
The battle for the Champions League heats up as Valencia rout Malaga and Sociedad stumble
Real Sociedad were four points clear of Valencia in fourth place at the start of the weekend, so Los Che knew that a win over Malaga at the Mestalla on Saturday was a must in attempting to keep their top four hopes alive. Traditionally Spain's third team, institutional uncertainty and financial instability means Champions League football is a necessity for Valencia, so playing in Europe isn't just a matter of stroking their ego, but vital to their finances. Fortunately for Ernesto Valverde, his team responded to the pressure with aplomb, and events on Sunday then went on to unfold in his favour.
Valencia started in explosive fashion, and soon went ahead through Dani Parejo after some slack defending by Manuel Pellegrini's side. Equally poor defending handed Roberto Soldado the initiative to double Valencia's lead soon after, when Ally Cissokho breezed down the entire left flank with minimal fuss, before crossing for the Spanish striker to finish. Things got much worse less than a minute later, when Martin Demichelis clumsily brought down Sergio Canales to concede a penalty, and Soldado gladly tucked it away, marking his 16th La Liga brace and putting him on terms with Fernando Torres and Alvaro Negredo when it comes to scoring doubles in Spain.
Valencia weren't finished there, and a swift counter-attack from the resulting kick-off saw Canales pounce on a spilled shot from Jonas to take their goals count to four. Malaga keeper Willy Caballero, who has been exceptional this season, watched his hopes of lifting the Zamora trophy for Spain's best goalkeeper slipping away before his eyes due to some suicidal defending from a back four that is showing signs of the general unrest behind the scenes at Malaga.
Julio Baptista managed to give the away team some consolation when he dipped in a good free-kick on the stroke of half time, but his muted celebration spoke volumes. In any case, Ever Banega's thunderous right-footed strike in the second half ensured Los Che finished the game four goals better than their opponents, and the resulting three points proved hugely important after Real Sociedad's game with Osasuna on Sunday.
Philippe Montanier's team travelled to the Navarrese capitol to take on Osasuna knowing that Valencia had laid down the gauntlet for them, but try as they may, the Basques couldn't break the deadlock. Like every game featuring La Real, it was a highly entertaining affair with chances at either end, but unfortunately for them, Osasuna keeper Andres Fernandez was unstoppable between the sticks, denying the visitors two of the most clear cut chances of the game.
Montanier tried to shape the post-match narrative as one of a well earned, hard fought point, but the Frenchman knows that it was an opportunity lost in terms of maintaining a four point gap between the Basques and Valencia at a crucial stage of the season. With that gap now reduced to two, Los Che are fast breathing down la Real's neck. For the neutral, however, the result couldn't have been better in terms of setting up next weekend's meeting between the two teams, with Valencia travelling to San Sebastian in a game that will truly test the Champions League credentials of both teams. The battle for fourth place could be won or lost depending on the outcome.
Barcelona find a surprise new defensive option ahead of their Bayern Munich clash
In the pre-match build up in Barcelona on Saturday, the Catalan press were raving about Tito Vilanova's decision to field four full-backs in Barça's back four, but that narrative was blown out of the water by Eric Abidal's classy showing at centre-back. The Levante game was Abidal's first start for Barcelona in 420 days, and though his presence in the initial line-up was a surprise, when the dust had settled, the general consensus seemed to be that he would be withdrawn in the second half for Marc Bartra, and was simply being given a run out to improve his fitness.
Things didn't entirely go to plan in that regard, but Barcelona weren't complaining, as Abidal's dominant display ensured he stayed on the pitch for the entirety of the 93 minutes through sheer force of will, his faultless performance making it impossible for Vilanova to find an excuse to remove him from the field of play. Decisive in his interceptions, Abidal produced confident step-overs and a typically cool head while defending in the manner that had endeared him to Barcelona supporters in the first place, and going forward he was physically imposing and precise in his passing. Catalan radio station Rac1 unanimously voted him as man of the match when the final whistle blew, and there is little doubt that they done so out of merit rather than sentiment. Levante may not be Bayern Munich, but their strong run in the Europa League this season suggests they are no minnows either, and Abidal's display suggests he may yet have played himself into the team in one of the games against Bayern Munich, with the pressure now on young defender Marc Bartra to produce the goods in the Allianz and keep the veteran out. It was a truly remarkable showing from Barcelona's number 22, even by his high standards, and Tito Vilanova will be thrilled to have recovered a player that has been hugely influential in their recent success.
Elsewhere: Mallorca 1-1 Rayo, Granada 1-1 Valladolid, Getafe 0-2 Espanyol, Deportivo 1-1 Athletic.
Monday's game sees Celta Vigo host Real Zaragoza, with both teams now fighting relegation. Zaragoza desperately need three points to leap-frog Mallorca out of the relegation zone, after Alan Hutton and co picked up a vital point against Rayo on Friday.
Could Eric Abidal be an option for Barcelona against Bayern, and could Atletico cause problems for Real Madrid due to their intense schedule in the coming weeks? Let us know by leaving a comment below...