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La Liga Focus - Best of the rest
Saturday 05 December 2009
With the world’s eyes fixed solely on the Camp Nou this week, La Liga’s other title contenders were given an opportunity to sneak in unnoticed and claim a place among the coveted ‘Top Two’. But, as is customary, the chance was wasted, with Spain’s great rivals left to continue their oligopoly at the summit of the table.
Had Sevilla beaten lowly Málaga at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, they would find themselves level on points with the Galácticos of Real Madrid. Instead, they were two goals behind at half-time, only to stage an unlikely comeback courtesy of a brace from Luís Fabiano. Valencia, meanwhile, would have climbed to third, just one point behind Madrid and three behind league leaders Barcelona, but they too were left to rue missed chances after conceding a late equalizer against Mallorca in a match they had dominated.
So what chances do the ‘Best of the Rest’ have in upsetting the natural order and breaking Barca and Madrid’s interminable vice-grip on the league title?
Historically, the picture doesn’t look bright. The last time a side other than these two giants triumphed in La Liga was when Rafael Benítez’s Valencia stormed to victory in the 2003/04 season. But while it may give some encouragement, the statistics flatter the league’s nearly-men. Since then, the ‘Top Two’ have strengthened while the rest have drifted into obscurity, mirrored in the fact that in the five seasons following Valencia’s win, only once has a side other than Barca and Madrid featured in the top two positions in the final league standings.
Valencia’s young title winners have since faded, the likes of Pablo Aimar, Vicente and Carlos Marchena displaying little of the talent that set them apart from Europe’s elite five years ago. Deportivo La Coruña, having finished in the top three for five consecutive seasons between 1999 and 2004, were also subject to a sudden decline in form and stature. Sevilla, meanwhile, were still cutting their teeth in the top division having been promoted to the top flight in the 2000/01 season, alongside Villarreal and Atlético Madrid, who were struggling to establish themselves as contenders in one of Europe’s toughest competitions.
So while the rest of the league toiled, Spain’s two battling titans were investing in the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o. This, coupled with the vast difference in size between the Camp Nou, the Bernabéu and the rest of the league’s stadiums, allowed Barca and Madrid to rise to an almost unassailable position as the league’s dominant forces with little opposition or resistance.
But with four sides within five (net) points of the lead, could this be the season that one of the league’s ‘other teams finally breaks into the coveted ‘Top Two’?
If there is any hope, it must surely lie with Valencia. Los Che, having started slowly with just seven points after five matches, have played some scintillating and, at times, breathtaking football to climb up to fourth place in the league. They boast the services of the league’s top scorer and Europe’s most sought-after front man, David Villa, who leads an attacking line featuring the irrepressible David Silva and Juan Mata. They face Madrid at the Mestalla on Sunday December 13, in what will be a massively important encounter.
But while Valencia have been lauded for their attacking play, Sevilla too have produced some excellent displays and are just six points behind leaders Barcelona, having played one match less. Their impressive early run has included wins over Villarreal and Real Madrid, while they sit at the top of their Champions League group with qualification for the knockout stages guaranteed. With the talents of Luís Fabiano, Álvaro Negredo and Jesús Navas at hand, they look as likely as anyone to claim a place among the league’s elite.
Elsewhere, the league’s usual Champions League contenders have faltered. Villarreal, who spent three weeks as the division’s bottom club, have regained a level of acceptable form, but are ultimately paying the price for their early troubles. Atlético, meanwhile, are yet to wake from their slumber which has seen them spend most of the campaign in the relegation zone. A 4-0 win over Espanyol at the Estadio Vicente Calderón came as a welcome relief for the struggling club, but they still lie in 17th place with many rivers yet to cross.
Atlético’s form has surprised most, who, with one eye fixed on a team-sheet bursting with international stars, must wonder where it has all gone wrong for the club for which many had such high expectations. Maxi Rodríguez, Sergio Agüero, José Antonio Reyes and last year’s Pichichi winner Diego Forlán all featured in the side which beat Espanyol at the weekend, furthering the mystery surrounding the club’s untimely demise. Los Indios will most certainly understand that they must wrestle themselves from this freefall if they are to escape long-lasting ramifications. The topic of Sergio Agüero’s future has again reared its head recently, as speculation over a move to one of Europe’s elite grows with every poor performance. Chelsea seems the most obvious destination for the star, who will be keen to secure European football in seasons to come. But the London club will also face competition from the bottomless pockets of Real Madrid and Florentino Pérez.
Of course, discussions of Agüero’s future are, at best, speculation. But it is almost assured that if Atlético continue to struggle, it will be only a matter of time before some of the club’s biggest stars seek moves away from the club.
Further afield, Atlético are part of group which ultimately look incapable of distinguishing themselves as genuine title contenders. Sevilla and Valencia will most certainly carry a threat, but as the ever-widening gulf between the league’s top two and the rest of the back continues to grow, it seem unlikely that this campaign will break tradition and crown a champion hailing from outside of Barcelona or Madrid.
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