Week 16
1 (1) FC Barcelona 13-2-1; 4CW
Comment: Almost half way through the season and Barca is nailed at the top of the standings. Another great win over their arch rivals Villareal has increased their aspirations towards the La Liga trophy. Can other teams sustain with Pep’s dream team? From what we have seen so far, I don’t think so.
2 (4) Atletico Madrid 9-3-4; 4CW
Comment: Los colchoneros are probably the hottest team in La Liga at the moment if we count out the currently leading team. Aguirre found a working formula that has instilled some hope to the fans. They have a hellish schedule ahead of them which will test their maturity and quality. With some luck they could cruise very to a very high spot at the end of the season.
3 (2) Sevilla CF 9-4-3; 1D
Comment: Mallorca proved for them a hard nut. They stumbled yet again when they shouldn’t. Despite the latest slip they’ve gained quite some momentum in the last month. I’m pretty sure they haven’t thrown in the sponge yet.
4 (3) Valencia CF 9-3-4; 1D
Comment: Valencia's fans have at least something to look forward to after their loss against Real Madrid. David Silva is back which should prove for them as a very valuable fact in the next few weeks. Their all around game hasn't got enough flow. Their pace should be worked on in order to improve their general picture.
5 (7) Deportivo La Coruna 8-3-5; 1W
Comment: Lotina regenerated the squad before the season and things worked out perfectly for Depor. With 4 wins in their last 5 La Liga fixtures they sit comfortably in the upper half of the table. They seem very composed and relaxed and will be a very difficult challenge for any team, even for the big fishes like Barca, Valencia, Villareal, etc. We’ll see if this team is capable of growing even further on in the continuation of the season.
6 (5) Valladolid 7-2-7; 1L
Comment: Experience, experience and once again experience. Five minutes from time, it all pointed to new three points for this solid team. However, exactly five minutes was the same amount of time that Numancia needed to overturn the result in their favor and pounded the Castilian on the solid ground.
7 (9) Real Madrid 9-2-5; 1W
Comment: Los Merengues have finally notched a victory against a decent team. With a hard-won three points they finally brought the new fresh wind blowing… the players are optimistic and assured in their new-born possibilities of capturing Barca. However optimistic they may be, reality utters against them.
8 (6) Villareal 8-5-3; 2CL
Comment: Playing Barca at this time of year is what no one wants in order to reduce any night terrors. Pellegrini’s team is on a cold streak and it is imperative for them to raise their level of game and gain some points. They haven't played bad, but there is something missing in the puzzle; some particle which seems to be crucial for them to hold the level of their performing on a higher scale. Maybe another play-maker which would disencumber Senna?
9 (8) Getafe 5-6-5; 1L
Comment: Still situated in the first half of the table. But for how long; will Santa Clause bring them luck and help them climb out of the crises.
10 (10) Malaga 6-4-6; 1D
Comment: Malaga drew against Racing Santander, what could easily be a win for them. They are playing very well but seem to be in a scoring drought. With certain improvements in their offense line I’m pretty sure that they can interfere in the upper half of the table.
11 (14) Athletic Bilbao 4-4-8; 2CW
Comment: Bilbao is a very pleasant surprise this season. Many experts categorized them as a team that would most probably end up in the Segunda Liga. However, for now they are safely out from the danger zone. But the question is can they keep this pace up?
12 (12) Sporting Gijon 7-0-9; 1W
Comment: This team is taking breath away from every neutral viewer with their fighting spirit. With yet another win they enlarged their chances to stay among the top flight.
13 (11) Real Betis 5-3-8; 2CL
Comment: When was it the last time they toppled their city rivals… I cannot quite remember it and it was so long ago. Things haven’t gone the proper way for Real Betis. The board seems disinterested in higher ambitions; to be realistic they don’t have a good team, at least not enough to fight equally for the top places. It seems the middle of the table suits them, but it wouldn’t to me if I were a season ticket holder.
14 (13) Racing Santander 4-6-6; 3CD
Comment: No one knows, what is wrong with this team. They have a solid core of young players, but the chemistry seems to have been lost somewhere… things can get only better for them.
15 (17) Numancia 5-2-9; 1W
Comment: A win, win, win… bravo Numancia. They were the greatest underdog before the season and look at them now, probably the most motivated team in La Liga… they will make a life miserable for some teams in the weeks to come.
16 (15) Almeria 4-4-8; 1L
Comment: Another loss against a very solid Gijon. Things however won’t get any easier for them as they await some very hard schedule… in the future they will need to be more consistent and show a little bit more determination if they want to cope better with the pressure that will be put upon them. That will be their key to success to win their “stay in La Liga” ticket.
17 (16) Espanyol 3-4-9; 2CL
Comment: The Catalan team is in one of the biggest crises since their inception. They lost twice in a row and things aren’t looking any better from any perspective you observe. Serious measures will have to be be given a chance if they want to run away from the relegation zone and thus avoid the possibility of being relegated at the end of the season.
18 (19) Mallorca 3-5-8; 1D
Comment: They managed to chip away two very valuable points from Sevilla for their fight to survive in La Liga. They will play against Barcelona after the rest, can they seriously pose and danger to the Cataln team?
19 (18) Recreativo de Huelva 3-4-9; 1L
Comment: After winning twice in a row they were thrashed against Deportivo. Still there are some games ahead of them that can prove essential; namely games ahead of them can provide many points that could prove very valuable for them in the struggle to scale up the ladder. This is their last train to catch.
20 (20) Osasuna 2-6-8; 1W
Comment: Osasuna seems to love Getafe; metaphorically of course. They won three times so far this year. Twice in La Liga and once in Copa del Rey. And guess three times who they knocked out from the Copa del Rey… surprise, surprise, you’re right, Getafe… this tells something about this team’s mentality… they can win when they find themselves in a must-win situation; it seems Getafe is unfortunate to come across them precisely at that kind of time.
M.L. King
