Village Idiot

Has he even scored a goal from open play this season? So much for the Championship's top goalscorer.

Funny stat about Real Madrid this season: 1) If they scored first, they have always won the game 2) If the opposition scored first, they have always lost the game 3) All their draws have been 0-0 This is across all competitions.

Never happened in the story of La Liga, closest was Real Sociedad in the 80s, they lost game 37! We will lose at some point though, this is already our longest unbeaten stretch since the start of a championship.

This guy's strike rate is canny. I have to find a minutes/goal stat for him, although he's been more prolific in the cups. I think he should get a run of games attacking on the left in place of Henry. Thierry just hasn't been at it at all this season where as Pedro looks dangerous every time he's on the pitch. Guardiola is a confessed admirer of Henry (since before he joined Barça), so he cuts him a lot of slack. But I agree. We are fortunate with Pedro's emergence, given Henry's huge slump since last season.

Good to hear that Messi with the fourth, (and where's that wanking smilie again)

Messi gets his 100th goal for Barça, 3-0. Sevilla has 5 minutes to score a couple for Niel's bet.

Looks like the Barça - Sevilla referee has sent off one of the stewards.

This guy's strike rate is canny. I have to find a minutes/goal stat for him, although he's been more prolific in the cups.

Hell, Palop doing it again. He should have left Valencia way sooner than he did, he would have had a great career.

1-0 dodgy own goal, but I'll take it!

Dave, do you have a problem with math? We play 38, halfway the tournament is week 19. If we win today, we'll be 5 over real after 18 games. So whatever happens next week, we'd be top. I understand that, it's the repeated insinuation on Sky that after this game they've already reached the halfway point. It's daft. Something lost in translation I guess, the "Winter Championship" as we call it is a bit of a deal in Spain, since whoever was top after 19 games has ended winning the whole thing something like 90% of the time (can't remember the exact figure)

Dave, do you have a problem with math? We play 38, halfway the tournament is week 19. If we win today, we'll be 5 over real after 18 games. So whatever happens next week, we'd be top.

Zlatan misses a sitter...

Exactly, halfway is 19 games, and we would have 5 points over them.

Xabi Alonso looks so pissed off, he's Real Sociedad through and through he must be losing to them in this way. Now let's see if we can do the business and get us a bit of a gap!

Iraizoz is immense tonight. He's a great keeper, mind, would be in the Spanish squad since long if it had not been for the fact we have a dozen great keepers.

Sevilla's crippled by injuries. I know their pain. Well. Not literally. IIRC Renato and Adriano were carrying slight knocks, so I guess Jiménez is being conservative with them. Plus Fabiano is flat out injuried.

Sevilla's crippled by injuries.

Argentine commentator here in the latino sports cable channel saying that "Real Madrid needs Gago"

f***ing hell, this is reminding me of the good old times when the San Mamés game was the scariest of the whole La Liga calendar, Bilbao are playing like psychos, they'll be lucky to finish with 11.

Got good odds on that? 3-2 works for me.

Llorente, get innnnn 1-0

Athletic de Bilbao - Real Madrid about to start, and Real are putting all their new stars in their natural positions for the first time: Benzema upfront, Kaká in the hole and Cronaldo on the right. Watch Javi Martínez for Athletic tonight, future Spain star.

Early days yet but he is giving every indication he can more than cut it in this league. Hope he keeps it up, LA Galaxy wouldn't consider a permanent move, would they? It's actually up to the league, iirc. They own the player rights outside the US. I guess it will depend on what Donovan wants, and if you can meet the fee (if Altidore - who's useless at this level - carried a 10 million bucks tag, you can imagine how much they'd want for the prize jewel).

Some dodgy math there.