On Wednesday, defending champion Real Madrid was eliminated from the Copa Del Rey by their arch-rivals FC Barcelona. The two-legged tie featured all the reasons people love Spanish football (slick passing, good looking dudes, goals from open play, Leo Messi, well dressed coaches, and Cristiano Ronaldo) and a good chunk of the reasons people loathe Spanish football (refere-circling, diving, spinning around on the ground 90000 times, face-clutching, Cristiano Ronaldo, bad refereeing, xenophobia, and José Mourinho). The series came down to a couple key mistakes (sub categories: "key mistakes, Pepe" "key mistakes, Referee"), and included all the drama that occurs naturally when two sides that hate each other happen to take the pitch at the same time.
La Liga 2012, Week 20 Preview And Fixtures: Real Madrid Hoping To Overcome Copa Loss, Maintain Liga Lead
Let’s all cool off from the Clasico nonsense. And get ready for a couple of months of freaking out about every point as Real Madrid try to run away with the Liga.
So now, Real Madrid have to move on with their metaphorical lives, and focus on the competitions that are still viable to win (somehow I don't like their Copa odds). And with a terrible Zaragoza side rumbling into town, I like Madrid's chances.
Saturday, January 28
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
Over the week, Espanyol were eliminated from the Copa Del Rey by second division side Mirandés. I doubt they will be consoled by the fact that they were eliminated in the same round as Real Madrid; in fact, I doubt they will think about that at all. Instead, they’ll probably think about how they lost to a second division side in a TWO LEGGED TIE in the quarterfinals of a major competition.
Pick: 1-2 to Mallorca.
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
Athletic looked really strong last weekend as they took a 1-0 lead into the locker rooms at halftime against Real Madrid; they looked a helluva lot worse in the second half, as Madrid turned it up a notch to score four goals. But hey, there’s gotta be some consolation in that first half, especially in this ridiculous duopoly.
Pick: 0-2 to Bilbao.
Real Madrid vs. Real Zaragoza
20:00 CET (2:00 PM EST)
Last time Real Madrid played Zaragoza they scored six goals. The main difference between the matches? The previous one wasn’t in Madrid.
Pick: 6-0. Considering the way Madrid played against Barcelona, this one looks like a blowout.
Villarreal vs. FC Barcelona
22:00 CET (4:00 PM EST)
Depending on the result, Barcelona could head into El Madrigal with an 8-point Liga deficit. After a grueling couple weeks, and injuries to Andres Iniesta and Alexis Sánchez, it wouldn’t be shocking for the culés to mail one in here. Well, it would be pretty shocking if they don’t win. But they might only win by, like, two goals.
Pick: 1-2 to Barcelona.
Sunday, January 29
Real Betis vs. Granada
12:00 CET (6:00 AM EST)
Alright, saving the best for first. A strong showing in the Sevilla derby should allow Betis to at least imagine that they belong in Primera, while Granada are looking more and more like a one-and-done in the first division.
Pick: 0-0 to draw. Expect the unexpected.
16:00 CET (10:00 AM EST)
Levante may not be the against-all-odds third place side they were earlier in the season...but hey, they still play incredibly physical, defensive football. Be prepared to see some serious rolling around here.
Pick: 0-0.
Real Sociedad vs. Sporting Gijón
16:00 CET (10:00 AM EST)
Be prepared to hear both of these sides names’ a lot as the relegation battle heats up in Spain. Real Sociedad are currently only a few points above the relegation zone, while Sporting are firmly entrenched there. This, against all odds, could actually be a really important match.
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
I remember a time when a trip to Santander was a circle-your-calendar-in-red kind of day--a classic dropping points moment. I also remember a time when a trip to Santander meant a walk in the park against a relegation-level side devoid of any talent thanks to poaching and old age. Which one do you think is more recent?
Pick: 0-3 to Valencia.
Málaga vs. Sevilla
21:30 CET (3:30 PM EST)
One of the better matches of the weekend: new power Málaga looking to overtake traditional fourth- to sixth- place Sevilla in the Liga hierarchy. Plus, we have Ruud van Nistlerooy vs. Freddy Kanouté in the waaay past their prime but still useful striker battle.
Pick: 2-2 an eventful draw.
Monday, January 30
Osasuna vs. Atletico Madrid
21:00 CET (3:00 PM EST)
Atleti! They’re finally playing like I thought they would at the beginning of the season! But really, it’s a case of too little too late, as Atleti aren’t quite close enough to grab a spot in the top four. However...Osasuna is quietly sixth in the league, and sitting in the last European spot. Impressive. If Atleti can knock them off on Monday, then Atleti would catapult themselves into sixth place, and a spot in the Europa League. This could be an interesting match after all.
Pick: 1-2 to Atleti! Europe or bust!
