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The first round of the Spanish championship is marked not only by the impressive number of points collected by "Barcelona" and the victorious journey in the national championships, but also by several paradoxes.
"Barcelona," seated at the top of the tournament table, has conceded 20 goals in 19 Primera matches, the same number conceded by the team in last place, Pamplona's "Osasuna." The contrast becomes even more pronounced when looking at the points these teams have accumulated, with Tito Villanova's players having scored 40 more than the absolute bottom team from the Navarre region. By the way, Madrid's "Real," which is currently struggling this season, has also conceded 20 goals in their own net.
Those who constantly criticize the defenders of "Barcelona" for their lack of certainty often forget that conceding 20 goals in 19 official matches in the Spanish championship is not a bad result at all. Better than "Barcelona," Madrid's "Real," and "Osasuna," only "Malaga" and Madrid's "Atletico," respectively, defend themselves. Andalusians have conceded 16 goals in their net, while "Atletico" has conceded 18.
L. Messi, who started off strong last season, recently claimed the "Golden Ball" for the fourth time in a row and shows no signs of stopping. Having scored 28 goals in the first 19 Primera rounds, the Argentine attacks more effectively than 14 Spanish clubs, or as many times as the entire San Sebastian "Real Sociedad" team.
For those who claim that football starts "from defense", they should either hold their tongue or quickly learn to understand football anew. Confidently leading "Barcelona," while sacrificing some defensive quality, lives by its favorite principle of "score four goals to us, we’ll score five to you," and when it comes to attacking potential, even the most fervent critics of the Catalan team lack serious arguments.
SENSATION - "Barcelona"
Yes, it's a very banal choice, and it's "Barcelona." At a time when it seemed impossible to play better under Josep Guardiola, Tito Villanova's team emerged. In the summer, skeptics loudly doubted whether the former head coach's assistant could replicate his predecessor's triumph. Trophies, however, will have to wait, but the current leaders of La Liga are playing a fantastic game, proving that the 44-year-old Catalan is capable of steering the powerful "Barca".
One can dislike Lionel Messi and Co., one can say that La Liga is a "two-team" league, but collecting 55 points out of 57 possible, experiencing no defeats, and outpacing the closest opponents by 11 points is a phenomenal achievement. This has never been achieved by any other Spanish team in the history of the national championships, even though the season is only halfway through.
OTHER CONTENDERS:
- Madrid’s "Atletico": for the tandem of Diego Simeone and Radamel Falcao on and off the pitch
- Seville’s "Real Betis": for not having neither D. Simeone nor R. Falcao, nor the brightest stars, but having coach Pepe Mel and a united team with a strong backbone
DISAPPOINTMENT - Bilbao "Athletic"
This nomination could have gone to the woefully performing and unrecognizable Madrid’s "Real," but "Athletic" managed to surprise even more. The team from the Basque Country, which lost Javi Martinez to Bayern Munich in the summer and said goodbye to experienced veterans Aitor Ocio, Koikili, and Igor Gabilondo, not only dropped to the second half of the Primera tournament table but also failed to survive in one of the weakest Europa League groups and sensationally lost in the first King's Cup round to much weaker "Eibar."
Previously known for their iron discipline and tough play on their penalty area, Marcelo Bielsa's students now defend themselves just horribly, with goals flying into Gorka Iraizoz's net one after another. The Basques conceded 39 accurate opponent strikes in the first Primera round, second only to the championship's outsiders from La Coruna's "Deportivo," who let in 40 goals according to this statistic.
Another vivid example of "Athletic's" tragic game was the 0-2 home defeat in the 19th round to "Rayo Vallecano" club.
OTHER CONTENDERS:
- Madrid’s "Real": for the lack of team spirit, lack of ideas, apathy, and searching for blame everywhere but in their own backyard
- "RCD Mallorca": for a great start to the Primera and an 11-game winless streak
DISCOVERY - "Malaga"
It must be acknowledged right away that the rise of the Andalusian team required a financial injection, which the club received a few seasons ago. However, the Qatar Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, who acquired the club, did not splash millions around as the owners of "Manchester City" and "Paris Saint Germain" did. Instead, he supplemented the Malaga club with a suitable mix of young and talented players and experienced veterans, entrusting the team's helm to Manuel Pellegrini, who proved himself capable of building a united team. The progress of the team dubbed "The Anchovies" was not stopped by temporary financial difficulties in the summer of 2012 when they had to bid farewell to Santi Cazorla.
The Malaga team played very confidently in the beginning of the season and ended the first round with an unexpected loss to "Deportivo" and a fairly consistent failure against "Barcelona." However, the Catalan side did not have it easy, and the fact that that M. Pellegrini's pupils managed to defeat Madrid’s "Real" in the first round, battled honorably against Madrid’s "Atletico," and crushed Seville’s "Real Betis," who overtook them after the 19th round, shows that the team has considerable potential. One just needs to sometimes pay closer attention to the attacks.
OTHER CONTENDERS:
- "Rayo Vallecano": for an absolute zero in the win column and 6th place in the tournament table
SPANISH LA LIGA BY NUMBERS AFTER THE FIRST ROUND
GENERAL INFORMATION
Official name: La Liga
Current name: Liga BBVA
Founded: 1929
Number of clubs: 20
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