La Liga Reflections: Week 21

And so Javier Aguirre got the sack. After two and a half years of being the coach of the third biggest club in Spain, of the club that has perpetually promised loads only to deliver little, of the club that after eleven heavily limping years eventually managed to crawl to the Holy Land they have labeled the UEFA Champions League on the penultimate day of the league season, the Mexican was given the 'dismissal letter' and waved a not so reluctant goodbye.

Atletico Madrid haven't won a match in 2009 in any competition and from a potential but unlikely league contender have been relegated to a UEFA Champions League spot chasing UEFA Cup straw clutching side. Before the weekend's match with Real Valladolid, there were rumours that Aguirre would be booted out should Atletico fail to win at the Estadio Vicente Calderon and for once, those rumours/reports turned out to be pitch-perfect.

On Monday it emerged that indeed Aguirre has had his contract at Atleti terminated, with the Mexican shouldering responsibility for the team's abysmal run of results.

Oh, as for the match, Atleti were as bad as they have been this year and lost 2-1 at home. Before the match, yours truly was assuring an Atletico supporting Goal.com colleague that they would win this weekend but for once (okay, for a multiple time) the predictions fell flat on their face.  

While the less illustrious half of Madrid was sinking into depression, the other half was basking in Raul glory. Real went on playing as they have been under Juande Ramos so far and exhibited a clinical and professional performance to defeat relegation candidates Numancia 2-0 away from home. Raul didn't play at all well in the match but he did score the goal that took his tally to 307 for Real Madrid in all competitions, equaling the record set by a certain Alfredo di Stefano.  

Raul is certain to break many more records in the future as at 31 he has at least five or six years left to offer to the club he joined only because former Atletico Madrid president late Jesus Gil scraped off Atleti’s youth system in the 1990s.  

And while Madrid, rather the White half of Madrid, was all over Raul with his record equaling goal, Catalunya was going all gaga over their Messiah Lionel Messi. Messi didn't start the match against a tricky Racing Santander side that are in the hunt for a UEFA Cup spot but in any case no one seriously expected Barca to slip up at El Sardinero.

But for nine minutes in the second half, they were actually trailing 1-0 but then on came the 21-year old El Diego II. He scored twice in 15 minutes and once again demonstrated just why he is the best player in the world and (perhaps) the most influential player in this fascinating Barcelona side.  

So Barca sustain their 12 point lead over second placed Real Madrid, whose style of football though has not impressed Di Stefano at all.  

The chase for the last two UEFA Champions League places is heating up. Sevilla have not been too impressive of late and although they have done okay with the results, their football has left much to be desired. On Sunday they were beaten 1-0 away at Sporting de Gijon, Diego Castro scoring in the 17th minute. Sporting were clearly the dominating side throughout the match and deservedly won the match and bagged the three points that keep them comfortably in 12th.  

Sevilla remain third but are now six points behind Real Madrid and only one ahead of Valencia, who defeated Almeria 3-2 at home, David Villa scoring twice. Villarreal though again stumbled as they lost 3-0 away at Deportivo al Coruna.

The Yellow Submarine are fifth in the table, three points off the top four and things are still in the doldrums for Manuel Pellegrini's men.

Things at the other side end of the tunnel too are getting exciting. The bottom three sides, Real Mallorca, Espanyol and Osasuna, have 17 points each. Mallorca and Osasuna were involved in a relegation six -pointer at Pampona on Sunday. A Walter Pandiani goal as early as the fourth minute was enough to hand Osasuna only their third league victory of the season. Espanyol drew 1-1 with Recreativo de Huelva in Barcelona while Numancia stay fourth from bottom with 20 points after their defeat to Madrid on Saturday.  

Real Betis's 2-2 draw with Getafe at home implies that they are 16th in the table, five points above the dreaded drop while Recrea are two points and one place ahead of them.  

As for the match of the weekend, it was on Saturday at San Mames in Bilbao. Host Athletic Bilbao twice went behind but clawed back to win the match in sensational fashion.

Albert Luque gave UEFA Cup chasing Malaga the lead in the third minute. Bilbao star Yeste equalized in the 37th minute. In the 63rd minute Lolo gave Malaga the lead again only for Llorente to make it 2-2 just eight minutes later. And then the Basque giants, possibly the last romantics in European football, won the match with only three minutes of normal time remaining as Susaeta scored his side’s third.

Bilbao are ninth while Malaga are eighth.  

Subhankar Mondal

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