An unlikely dream of joining Europe’s elite were improved by a draw with Real but the fact they wanted more said muchThe first time anyone noticed Jaime Mata he was standing there half-naked and even then no one really cared for long. He was a galáctico, sure, but not that kind of galáctico. A university student studying business and international commerce, he was also a pretty average striker at his local club Pegaso Galáctico in Spain’s Tercera División, which despite its name is a long way below the third division: there’s a Second; a Second B, 80 teams spread across four regional divisions; and then Third, with 366 teams in 18 provincial groups. Pegaso were in trouble, so Mata and...
A frantic Russian roulette-style finale created madcap drama but the worst possible result for the relegation rivalsWith time and hope slipping away, the game changed. “There was nothing else for it,” said the Rayo Vallecano coach Paco Jémez, “so you go: ‘come on then, let’s play Russian roulette. See if we get lucky.’” A few metres to his right, standing by the bench beneath a blackening sky, Huesca manager Francisco Rodríguez had pretty much the same idea and so did the twenty-two desperate men before them, plus the 10,542 people watching from the stands, chests tightening. “The league was leaving us,” the Huesca manager admitted and they weren’t alone: the league was leaving them both, which is why they ran...
Exhilarating, passionate and very sevillano, Saturday’s derby saw Joaquín Caparrós oversee another triumph over BetisSomewhere in the middle of the smoke and the bodies, Sevilla’s bus began its 640-metre journey, slowly opening a path through the palms hammering at its side. Police vans escorted it along Calle Luis de Morales and, as the crowd parted, fireworks turning everything red, fans saw their manager sitting on the front row. Joaquín Caparrós wore a slightly manic smile, shook his fists, applauded, and thumped at the window. Outside, some ran to keep up. There wasn’t far to go: the bus turned left, left again and drew to a halt in front of the 480-square-metre, 200,000-tile mosaic, the finest façade in football, with its...
It was billed as the title decider, but Atlético Madrid were no match for the league leaders in a race now all but endedIt was half past 10 on 6 April, still six weeks and seven matches from the end of the season, when Barcelona’s fans started to sing about being champions and no one thought it particularly presumptuous. A minute earlier, Luis Suárez had scored the first, skidded on his knees across the grass waving his shirt around his wrist and was engulfed by his teammates, just lying there when he was at last let loose, taking it all in, top held in his outstretched hand. Now, 90 seconds later, a sudden snap of Leo Messi’s ankle and they’d...
Man City’s quadruple bid continues in FA Cup, Fabinho can prove his worth to Liverpool and a pivotal Klassiker in GermanyBrighton are unlikely to go into their first FA Cup semi-final since 1983 with high expectations. Chris Hughton’s players produced an incredible comeback to beat Millwall in the previous round, but they know the odds will be heavily stacked against them when they face Manchester City, who have already won three games at Wembley this season. City remain on course for a historic quadruple after 13 consecutive wins in all competitions and while Sergio Agüero is doubtful after picking up a minor injury at Fulham last Saturday, Pep Guardiola’s side have been boosted by the return to fitness of Kevin...