Why this Clasico could decide La Liga

On Sunday, Real Madrid and Barcelona meet in a game that could decide the outcome of La Liga, and Barça coach Tata Martino’s fate. For Madrid, it is a chance to cement their place at the top of La Liga, while for Barça it represents their last realistic shot at mounting a title challenge. Such is the crazy nature of Spanish football that despite a 7-0 win against Osasuna last weekend, the vultures are circling around the Camp Nou, and if Madrid were to inflict a heavy defeat on the Catalans, it would be the final straw for the directors of the Catalan club, who are said to be looking for a replacement for Martino already.

When these two sides met back in October, it was a very different story. Ancelotti was just finding his feet in the capital, and Madrid succumbed to a limp 2-1 defeat, barely threatening Victor Valdes’ goal. The Italian manager had named a defensive line-up, including Sergio Ramos in midfield, and it was clear that he didn’t yet know his best eleven. Star signing Gareth Bale paled in comparison with Neymar, and the general consensus was that Barça could have scored more. It seemed as if Tata Martino’s side were on the up, whereas there was still a lot of tinkering to do for Ancelotti.

What a difference five months can make. For now, talks of crisis have been subdued after Barça secured their passage to the last eight of the Champions League against Manchester City, but recent defeats against lowly Valladolid and Real Sociedad have put Martino’s position in jeopardy. Madrid, meanwhile, look a different team to the side that played against Barcelona in October. The attacking trio of Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo has finally clicked for Ancelotti, while the team’s defence has improved drastically. Diego López has conceded 26 goals in 28 games, putting him third in Marca’s Zamora rankings for the best Spanish goalkeeper in La Liga, and, while his heroics cannot be understated, this is also down to the solid back four that he has had in front of him.

But there is another reason that this Clásico has taken on so much importance. There is a third team involved. Traditionally Madrid and Barça have occupied the top two places before this clash, but this time the outstanding Atlético Madrid are ahead of Barcelona, in second place. Up until recently, Atlético could rightfully have considered themselves as the best team in Madrid this season, and they have certainly been more impressive than the Catalans. A glance at the points totals in La Liga shows why some have labelled this a three-team Clásico. Real are top with 70 points, while Atlético are second with 67 points, only one point ahead of Barça in third place. The margins for error are extremely tight, and, if Atleti were to win against bottom side Betis on Sunday, and Real Madrid lose against Barça, then they would go top again.

While some have predicted a heavy defeat for Barça, they still remain formidable opponents when it matters the most, as demonstrated in the recent performances against Manchester City and Osasuna last weekend, and they will certainly be no pushovers. However, Ancelotti was right when he said that his team ‘arrive in a really good moment’, and we can expect a Real Madrid performance far removed from the tentative display in October. This promises to be an intriguing Clásico.

Be afraid, Barça, be very afraid.

This article first appeared on Sabotage Times. 

By Tomás Hill López-Menchero

How Angel Di Maria re-invented himself

Di Maria has once again become a key player.

It was early in January. Real Madrid were playing Celta Vigo in La Liga, and the team had looked sluggish after coming back from the winter break. Recently Angel Di Maria had looked devoid of inspiration, and there were strong rumours that he would be sold, with a number of suitors lurking. The Bernabéu was keen to see the introduction of Bale, and, as Di Maria was taken off for the Welshman, boos could be heard in the stadium. The Argentine winger responded with a crude gesture, grabbing his crotch, and with that, his Real Madrid career was pronounced dead. Or at least, that was what most people thought.

                                

After the world-record signing of Bale in the summer, Ancelotti had a decision to make regarding Özil and Di Maria. He needed to sell a star player to cover Bale’s transfer fee, and so was faced with a choice between the two. Eventually, he opted to keep Di Maria, selling Özil to Arsenal, but it would be an uphill struggle for the winger to re-assert himself in the team. Bale was guaranteed a place in the starting line-up due to his transfer fee, and, with opportunities limited for Di Maria, it seemed increasingly as if he was on his way out.

Nobody could have envisaged the transformation that Di Maria has undergone since that seemingly fateful day in January. With Ancelotti switching to a 4-3-3 formation, the Argentine has re-invented himself as a box-to-box midfielder, and has returned to his old, tireless self, once again winning the hearts of the Bernabeu crowd. In the process, he has become one of Madrid's key players, and Ancelotti even admitted recently that he would have trouble picking the team when Sami Khedira comes back from injury. 

'Re-invent' is perhaps too strong a word to use. What Di Maria has done is adapt to a new system, vindicating Ancelotti's decision to keep him in the first place. He still displays all the qualities that he demonstrated on the left-wing, and has a relatively free role on the left side of midfield, alongside Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric.

Di Maria’s never-say-die attitude marks him out from the rest of his team-mates, and it was this determination that initially made him a fans' favourite. At times it is as if he never stops running, and his work-rate is impressive. The finest example of this industriousness came in the Supercopa two years ago (Spain's equivalent of the Community Shield), when the Argentine dispossessed Victor Valdes inside the area and slotted home. 

Although it could be argued that Valdes dawdled on the ball, the goal was largely down to Di Maria closing down the Barça goalkeeper and forcing him into a mistake. 

The Bernabéu is a harsh crowd, but thankfully Di Maria has restored his image in the eyes of most supporters. He deserves credit for having adapted to a new position so seamlessly, and perhaps Ancelotti was right to sell the less versatile Özil instead of him. If Di Maria can help deliver La Decima this season, all will be forgiven.

This article first appeared on Sabotage Times. 

By Tomás Hill López-Menchero

'It's Magic, you know'

The cups still matter.

Unfortunately, as Olivier Giroud slotted home Arsenal’s fourth in their victory over Everton, I couldn't help but feel a sense of Déjà vu. Another FA Cup quarterfinal, another three goal loss (though thankfully this year’s performance wasn't quite as utterly lacklustre and embarrassing as Wigan last year). Everton have not won a cup in my lifetime, the Capital One Cup – in any of its many sponsorship forms – has eluded the Goodison trophy cabinet since its founding (this year saw the mighty Fulham scathing through credit card glory, an honour bestowed last season to Leeds). In fact, many others and I could be forgiven for being completely disenfranchised and, frankly, bored with domestic knockout competitions. However, the last few seasons, despite the galling, depressing failure – just when your hopes are finally raised – have reinvigorated the cups, and my passion for them is stronger than ever.

I often feel many people are slightly greedy with what they desire from the cups. Some vent spleen when Premier League sides don’t play their very strongest eleven, others bemoan the lack of ‘giant-killings’ any more. But as we saw last weekend, the much-feted ‘magic’ of the FA Cup is still alive and kicking, just ask a Wigan fan – top teams can field strong sides, but can still be culled by lesser opposition, even in the latter stages of the competition. Man City started a team with Yaya Touré, Jesús Navas, Sergio Agüero, Samir Nasri and Álvaro Negredo, but Wigan nonetheless pulled off yet another coup in the cup, reminiscent of last year’s Martínez-inspired triumph at Wembley, similarly over City. The spirit of Dave Whelan’s leg lives on.

The FA has received much criticism for the use of Wembley as a semi-final venue. Their motives are evident and financial, and in previous years the placement has been impractical. But surely as a fan of Sheffield United, Hull, Wigan or even Arsenal, playing at Wembley (albeit in a semi-final), is still a major draw? And the famous venue is a partial contributor to what makes the cups so special – the memories, the occasion. Money has become integral to modern football, it is true, and Champions League qualification has evolved into the prized asset for many clubs, but success in traditional competitions is still incredibly important, particularly to long-suffering fans. What do Arsenal fans remember, what will they tell their grandchildren about – the time they beat West Bromwich Albion to finish fourth in the league, or the time they beat Chelsea or Man United at Wembley to win the FA Cup? Admittedly, it is an unoriginal and slightly clichéd argument, but for my part, it rings true.

The Capital One Cup is frequently disregarded as an irrelevancy, an assessment I find unfathomable. In my opinion, people sometimes forget how few trophies there are to win. If you're a Stoke fan, for instance, realistically you're never going to win the Premier League or Champions League – that leaves two cup competitions to win, a season. To ignore one half of feasibly acquirable trophies is slightly silly, especially from the view of someone paying extortionate money for a season ticket every year. Bradford getting to the final is perhaps an indictment for the importance some teams place on the competition, but it is also a fantastic advert for the irrepressible joy such adventures bring. The penalty shoot-out at Old Trafford between Man United and Sunderland was simultaneously one of the most entertaining and bereft-of-quality moments in football I can remember.

The Premier League is important, money is important, the Thai section of the club website nowadays is important too – but so still are the cups. The FA Cup is steeped in tradition, regularly exhilarating and shocking, and, like it or not – teams do still take it seriously. The Capital One Cup is a rollercoaster of a competition, and a trophy that should not be sneered at either. A deluded romantic I may be in this respect, but I'm sure many fans would agree. Come May another set of fans will be celebrating an unforgettable day out at Wembley – but Arsenal fans should be careful, they've not won it yet, and this is the cup after all...

By Alex Jennings

The rise of César Azpilicueta

Azpilicueta is Mourinho's new favourite.

When Jose Mourinho returned to Chelsea, few expected him to keep César Azpilicueta. The right-back had only demonstrated his worth for Chelsea in occasional flashes, and, behind Branislav Ivanović in the pecking order, things were looking gloomy for the young Spaniard.

Fast forward several months, and nobody could have predicted how things would turn out for Azpilicueta. He is now one of the most established players in Mourinho's new-look Chelsea side, having started 17 Premier League games this season, and has become a key part of the team. Instead of playing in his favoured position on the right-hand side of defence however, Azpilicueta has succeeded in displacing the stagnating Ashley Cole at left-back, and has adapted seamlessly to this new role. So much so, in fact, that he is now a Mourinho favourite.

In an interview last month, the Portuguese manager described how '11 Azpilicuetas would probably win [the Champions League] because football is not just about pure talent, football is also about character and personality, and Azpilicueta has all the traces of that winning personality'. High praise indeed.

Above all, Azpilicueta is a team player, and Mourinho has taken a shine to him for precisely this reason. Some have compared his situation to that of Álvaro Arbeloa, who, despite not being the most flashy of right-backs, was largely consistent during Mourinho's tenure at Real Madrid, and consequently became one of the manager's favourites. However, comparing Azpilicueta to Arbeloa is futile. It is true that Arbeloa occasionally played at left-back for Madrid, but that is about as far as the comparisons go. The Chelsea full-back offers much more in terms of attack, and arguably more in defence as well.

Azpilicueta has sometimes been criticised for this feature of his game, but it seems that his defending is improving at left-back, where he has rarely been caught out this season, making an average of 3.6 tackles every Premier League game. Attacking remains one of Azpilicueta's key strengths, but it is disappointing to see that the 24-year old has yet to register a single goal or assist this season in the league. On the other hand, it could be interpreted as a sign that Azpilicueta is adapting to his role as a team player. He has tended to stay back this season, preferring to leave the marauding to fellow full-back Ivanović. The signs point to Azpilicueta maturing and becoming a more complete player under Mourinho's tutelage.

Right-back has become a problem position for Spain recently, with Arbeloa declining and seemingly out-of-favour at Madrid, and so there is every chance that Azpilicueta could be called up for La Roja ahead of the World Cup if he keeps up his current form. Del Bosque is assessing his options at right-back in the run-up to the tournament, demonstrated in the way that he decided to play Azpilicueta against Italy on Wednesday. The Chelsea full-back was outstanding, and the likelihood is that Arbeloa is now an outside bet to make the Spain squad after Azpilicueta's performance. He faces stiff competition from the impressive Atlético right-back Juanfran to cement a place in the squad, but if he continues to mature in the way he has done over the last few months at Chelsea, a call from Vicente Del Bosque is highly likely.

César Azpilicueta has been one of Chelsea's unsung heroes this season. While he may not be the long-term solution to replacing Ashley Cole (Mourinho seems to be interested in signing Luke Shaw), it will be interesting to see whether he is moved back to his more familiar position in the future, or whether Mourinho sees his future at left-back . From looking as if he might be offloaded at the beginning of the season to becoming a key player, Azpilicueta is simply making the most of each opportunity.

By Tomás Hill López-Menchero

This article first appeared on Back Page Football.