A thrilling final weekend of the Spanish soccer season is in store, with four teams fighting relegation and two vying for the final UEFA Cup spot.
Incredibly, all six sides are in action against each other in three high-stake matches tomorrow evening.
Real Mallorca have won five consecutive matches to mount a late charge for a UEFA Cup place lying just a point behind Racing Santander. Spanish international forward Daniel Guiza has been a major factor behind their push, taking his season’s tally to 26 goals and he leads the goalscoring charts.
Mallorca host Real Zaragoza tomorrow hoping to better Racing’s result and sneak into Europe, but Zaragoza lie third from bottom in the standings and need to win and hope other results go their way to stay in the top-flight. Zaragoza’s plight is surprising when you consider they finished sixth last season and were even talking of Champions League soccer in pre-season.
Osasuna are a point above Zaragoza, but face a tricky trip to a Racing team desperately trying to cling on to the final UEFA Cup berth. Recreativo Huelva are level on points with Osasuna and entertain Valladolid who are only two points from the drop in a nerve-jangling relegation dogfight.
Elsewhere Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard takes charge of Barcelona for the last time in today’s trip to relegated Real Murcia, with reserve team coach Pep Guardiola taking over in the summer. Rijkaard will not be the only departure from Camp Nou, with Portuguese midfielder Deco and Cameroon forward Samuel Eto’o confirming that they want to leave the club.
“Apart from being a great coach he is a great person,” Deco said of Rijkaard. “Personally I don’t want to be somewhere where I am not wanted. My affection for Barca will never change and I hope the club prospers because it deserves to.”
Brazilian star Ronaldinho, who last played at the beginning of March, is also certain to leave under a dark cloud after his partying antics appeared to take priority over soccer. Barca lost 3-2 against Mallorca after leading 2-0 last weekend and can now surrender third to Atletico Madrid who are level on points.
After sealing a Champions League place for the first time in 12 years, Atletico Madrid can go for third when they face Valencia tomorrow.
Valencia have qualified for Europe by lifting the Kings Cup, but are likely to lose Spanish star David Villa in the summer. Sevilla are also in the UEFA Cup, but are struggling to hang on to stars Seydou Keita, Daniel Alves and Luis Fabiano.
Fabiano will be fired up for tomorrow’s home match against Athletic Bilbao as he tries to add to his 24 goals and overtake Guiza in the race for the Pichichi crown.
Champions Real Madrid round off their season with a home match against relegated Levante tomorrow. Real are already thinking of next season and Dutch international Wesley Sneijder believes the team are capable of pushing on and winning a Champions League and league double next season.
“It has been a great season and next season we can win the league again and the Champions League,” Sneijder said.
Jonas Vingegaard on Tuesday claimed the overall Vuelta a Espana lead while Jay Vine earned the stage 10 victory for his second triumph of the race. Two-time Tour de France winner Vingegaard overhauled Torstein Traen’s lead to head the general classification by 26 seconds from the Norwegian, with Joao Almeida third and trailing the Dane by 38 seconds. Vine put in an unmatchable performance on the final climb to finish ahead of Spanish Movistar riders Pablo Castrillo and Javier Romo. “Back in red, I’m happy with it, it’s a beautiful jersey,” Vingegaard said. “I’m happy with how the day went,
RIVALRY: Carlos Alcaraz lost his previous two matches against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, in the Australian Open quarter-finals this year and Paris Olympics final last year Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday dazzled at the US Open to make the semi-finals before Novak Djokovic of Serbia danced his way through to book a New York showdown with the Spaniard that would mark the latest chapter in their generational rivalry. Former champion Alcaraz produced yet another entertaining display at Flushing Meadows to dismantle 20th seed Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 at a sunbathed Arthur Ashe Stadium, securing his place in the last four without dropping a set this year. “Sometimes I play a shot that I should not play in that moment, but it’s the way I love
The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up a brief visit to Brazil on Friday with a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but despite the defeat, the team outshone their divisional rivals in the fight for the hearts and minds of Brazilian fans. In Sao Paulo for just the second-ever NFL game in the city, Chiefs players — especially quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce — were treated as major celebrities throughout their stay, turning Corinthians Arena into a scene reminiscent of the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. Before kickoff, crowds of fans gathered around the Chiefs’ tunnel, eager to catch a
New Zealand stayed firm at their Eden Park fortress to claim an attritional 24-17 win over South Africa in a heavyweight clash between the world’s top two rugby sides yesterday. Under pressure after conceding a first-ever defeat on Argentine soil against the Pumas two weeks ago, the All Blacks responded with a performance of grit and discipline to stretch their unbeaten run at their Auckland stronghold to 51 matches. Two well-taken tries by Emoni Narawa and Will Jordan set up a 14-3 lead at halftime before Quinn Tupaea grabbed a third five-pointer for the hosts 13 minutes from time. Well-held for most of
RSS