Lionel Messi says the departures of Ronaldinho and Deco are a major factor behind Barcelona’s resurgence under new coach Pep Guardiola, as they go for a seventh straight league win at Malaga today.
Brazilian international Ronaldinho and Portuguese playmaker Deco became legends, but left in the summer with AC Milan signing Ronaldinho and Deco going to Chelsea. Barcelona have prospered in their absence.
“Without Ronaldinho and Deco our play and team has changed and we have all benefited,” Messi told newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. “At Barcelona the coach changed, so did the mentality of the side and new players came full of enthusiasm.”
PHOTO: EPA
Barcelona, with Messi and nine-goal Samuel Eto’o in inspirational form, have churned out six straight wins to stay a point behind leaders Valencia. But promoted Malaga will be no pushover, having won four games in a row to reach the dizzy heights of sixth.
It is tight at the summit with the top five teams separated by just three points and Spanish fans are hoping for an exciting title race after last season when Real Madrid cruised to a second successive title.
Valencia lead the way after making their best ever league start with six wins and two draws and they can retain top spot with victory over Racing Santander today.
Champions Real are a point behind the leaders going into tomorrow’s match at Almeria.
All the talk has surrounded Spanish international Sergio Ramos, who was dropped to the bench last weekend after criticising manager Bernd Schuster for using a system that asks too much of him. The rift seems to have been healed, but Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze said it was not wise of Ramos to air his views in public.
“Any home truths must stay in the dressing room because that is the most sacred place for players,” Heinze told Spanish television channel TVE.
Villarreal have their problems on the pitch with last weekend’s 4-4 draw with Atletico Madrid — when they led 4-2 against 10 men — followed up by a midweek Kings Cup humiliation by little-known Poli Ejido.
Villarreal are two points off the top, but if they are to fight for the title manager Manuel Pellegrini will have to solve defensive problems — with his team conceding nine goals in their last two matches — for the Bilbao game.
Sevilla also tasted Kings Cup defeat Ponferradina in midweek, but are well-placed in the league, three points off the top in fifth.
Injuries have ravaged Sevilla of late, but coach Manolo Jimenez may be able to call upon midfielders Aldo Duscher and Enzo Maresca for tomorrow’s trip to Valladolid.
Atletico Madrid showed real character to rescue a point in their high-scoring draw with Villarreal last weekend, scoring twice in the final minutes, but they are a full 10 points behind Valencia going into today’s home match against Real Mallorca.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
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Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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