Points from the Weekend

LA LIGA

Match of the Week: Real Sociedad 1-1 Athletic Bilbao

Real Sociedad had to settle for a point in the Basque derby as Athletic Bilbao held out after being reduced to ten-men.

Carlos Vela put the hosts ahead after just three minutes before a second-half strike from Oscar de Marcos levelled things.

Aymeric Laporte saw red for a second bookable offence leading into the final ten minutes but Sociedad didn’t do enough to trouble a determined Bilbao defence.

The clash lacked its usual intensity; perhaps due to the sides’ mid-table positions and poor form leading into the fixture.

David Moyes’ positive start to his time at the Anoeta came to a crashing climax against Villarreal last weekend – the Yellow Submarine thumped Sociedad 4-0. At the same time Athletic handed Cordoba their first La Liga win since 1972, adding more fuel to the belief that the team are over-reliant on Aritz Aduriz.

Both sides needed three points: Athletic to close the gap on the top-four after an inconsistent start and Sociedad in order to escape a relegation battle. And it was the latter who looked the more likely to achieve their aim based after the opening minutes.

A mere three minutes in and the Anoeta erupted.

Carlos Martinez’s cross found Alfreo Finnbogason but the under-pressure Icelandic striker couldn’t direct his header. Gonzalo Castro collected the ball and dipped a short cross into the box, reaching Vela as he dashed through the Bilbao defence. Gorka Iraizoz struggled to stop the close-range header and it slipped over the line.

Both teams had chances to score from headers. A deep cross from Athletic found Aduriz and Mikel San Jose unmarked in the box – both tried to head the ball and as a result it ended up running out for a goal-kick. Sociedad’s effort came from an unlikely source: Inigo Martinez found himself in space to meet a corner but his header was a real defender’s effort.

Finnbogason has had a hard time finding the form that made him one of the Eredivisie’s most dangerous marksmen last season. For the second time he reached a good cross from Carlos Martinez, and for a second time he couldn’t direct his header at the Bilbao goal.

There were also signs of defensive problems for both teams. Enaut Zukibarai flapped at more than one cross and dropped to the grass holding his face in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure on his goal. At the other end the Bilbao defence didn’t do enough to stop Sociedad making dangerous passes – Iraizoz came to their aid a number of times.

The opening 35 minutes had been a tepid affair: shots on target had been limited and both sides looked eager to keep things careful at the back rather than taking risks. It made for a quietened atmosphere.

Vela seemed the one attacker determined to make something happen. In the 37^th minute the Mexican darted past four Bilbao players, refusing to concede possession, and forced a decent save from the keeper. His brilliant performance – at times lighting up a tedious game – continued his return to form. The change in manager seems to have had an effect on him in particular.

Athletic had the more promising start to the second-half. A free-kick caused chaos inside the Sociedad box as the home defence failed to clear the ball. Iker Muniain tried to capitalise but he blasted his shot out for a goal-kick.

Despite Athletic’s dominance of possession after the restart, the visitors forged few chances. Aduriz looked isolated as the lone-striker and the Sociedad defence used their numerical advantage to limit his space on the odd occasion he found himself on the ball.

Sociedad almost doubled their slender lead on the counter-attack. Xabi Prieto spearheaded the charge and found Castro, who curled a cross into the box. San Jose did an excellent job marking Finnbogason – he tracked him during his entire run through the Bilbao half – and put enough pressure on the striker to force a goal-kick.

Athletic’s start to the second-half eventually provided dividends. Markel Susaeta delivered a beautiful cross that curled over the defence and reached the far-post. De Marcos took the scenic route into the box but took just one touch as he hammered the ball straight into the roof of the net.

The equaliser seemed to quieten the match again as both teams kept things tight. Sociedad started to push for a lead with 15 minutes remaining, and Finnbogason forced a quick save from Iraizoz.

Sociedad then found an extra incentive to heave on the pressure. Laporte earned a second booking and Bilbao started to defend in numbers to battle a Sociedad attack desperate for three points.

The energy inside the Anoeta picked up as the supporters urged their team to snatch a late winner. Sergio Canales almost did: his free-kick refused to dip and bounced off the crossbar. He had another chance in the final moments of time added-on but directed his shot straight at the keeper. Sociedad couldn’t find the late goal.

Defence is crucial for Almeria to stop relegation battle

Juan Ignacio Martinez has a challenge on his hands. Francisco’s time in charge at Almeria ended during the week; the result of a win-less streak in La Liga stretching back to late September – eight matches and just a couple of points gained – and a 5-2 humbling from Eibar. The result left Almeria in 17^th, on equal points with the three teams in the relegation zone – the perfect time to welcome Real Madrid.

You wouldn’t need to be Nostradamus to predict the result – Los Blancos ran out 4-1 victors – but Martinez, as prepares to take charge of the team, will have seen enough signs to suggest that Almeria’s relegation isn’t guaranteed.

Madrid have steam-rolled team-after-team during their 20-match winning streak. But despite the scoreline suggesting the sort of dominant performance we’ve come to expect from Carlo Ancelotti’s side, Almeria put up a more resolute defence than most teams.

Almeria began at a high-tempo and Sebastian Dubarbier had a decent chance to put the hosts ahead – he hesitated and settled for a corner. Madrid soon settled and found their usual rhythm.

The hosts remained solid in defence and Los Blancos seemed disjointed up-front: Ronaldo was anonymous for large periods of the match, Benzema didn’t put himself in good positions, and Bale kept over-hitting his crosses and missing his chances. But the league leaders possess talent all over the pitch and Isco demonstrated that just after the half-hour mark.

The versatile midfielder cut inside and curled a delicious ball straight into the top corner. Another moment of Real creating something from nothing. But Almeria didn’t go into defence mode: the hosts struck back.

An amazing strike can often be defined by the reaction it generates from the supporters. About one second after Verza’s thunderous effort bounced off the inside of the netting, the sound of shock and disbelief echoed around the stadium. Iker Casillas had no chance, and Almeria found themselves on equal terms with the league leaders.

But the spell of scoring still hadn’t ended. Bale reached Toni Kroos’s short cross and tucked an accurate header into the bottom corner from range.

With 30 minutes remaining Verza had the chance to equalise for a second-time. Marcelo conceded a penalty – he should have earned a second booking – and the Almeria midfielder had the chance to possibly end Real’s streak. The shot, however, was tame. Casillas oozed confidence as he pushed the ball out of the box.

Almeria pushed for an equaliser but like Real seem to keep winning, Ronaldo seems to keep scoring. He latched onto Benzema’s pass and directed the ball into the net. A second came soon after. Dani Carvajal completed an excellent solo-run and pulled the ball back for Ronaldo to tap-in. He’s on 25 in La Liga.

The result sent Almeria into the relegation places on goal-difference. If Elche defeat or pick up a point against Deportivo they’ll reach the bottom of the league table. But if Martinez can keep Almeria defending well and make them continue to trouble defences, there is hope that Almeria aren’t destined for a season in the Segunda.

SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP

Is John Hughes about to shake things up?

Inverness’s undefeated streak at home came to an end on Saturday, as Partick Thistle – the same team that ended their unbeaten start to the season in September – cruised to a comfortable 4-0 win.

Graeme Shinnie had a tough game as Partick focused their attacks on his area. In the 12^th minute some quick passes put Christie Elliot past the left-back and gave him the space to cut a cross straight into the box. The Inverness defence failed to stop the onrushing Ryan Stevenson from running in and sliding to push the ball past a furious Dean Brill.

The veteran striker added his second before the half-time mark. A quick counter-attack caught out the sleeping Inverness defence – Josh Meekings was the only one offering any cover – and Gary Fraser and Stevenson soon outnumbered the lone defender. Stevenson trapped a quick pass from Fraser and hit a first-time shot into the top-corner just a millisecond before Shinnie charged across his path.

Brill pulled off a couple of excellent saves to stop Partick extending their lead before Fraser and Stevenson alternated roles – the latter making the assist. He found space on the right-flank and directed a perfect cross into the box. David Raven offered Fraser too much space and the attacking midfielder made a simple header to add Partick’s third.

The fourth and final goal was the only one not to involve Stevenson. Stuart Bannigan’s corner found Conrad Balatoni and the centre-back had an easy time outmuscling Meekings and heading past an outstretched Brill.

John Hughes suggested after the match that perhaps he’d been too loyal to certain players. It’s not that surprising a comment due to the fact that Inverness have used only five defenders in the league this season: Raven and Shinnie have featured in all 16 games in the RB/LB positions and Meekings has been ever-present at centre-back; Warren missed just one match and that handed Carl Tremarco his single start in the league. Even the centre-midfield pairing of Ross Draper and Grey Tansey has featured in every league match this season. Hughes has kept a familiar team in a familiar shape.

This has an obvious advantage: the team know each other and are the best in their respective positions. It’s difficult to know if this has been a big reason behind their great season so far – the Jags are still second in the table – but it must have certainly helped. It’s clear that Inverness have a smaller team that most and Hughes has done well using the tools at his disposal – especially after he came under criticism for not signing a single player during the summer. And there’s also the point that the changes could back-fire. What if the new player doesn’t settle in the side and disrupts a balanced unit? Might the replaced player lose confidence after being dropped? It’s a difficult decision for Hughes – perhaps his first major challenge of the season – but changes might need to be made.

Dundee United defence needs to tighten up

Dundee United never looked like taking all three points in the ‘New Firm’ derby. On the rare occasion the Arabs penetrated the Aberdeen box the Dons defence kept tight and offered little space for movement. Such solid defending limited United to just one shot on target over the 90 minutes. And while the Dons had just one more shot than their opponents, Derek McInnes’s men made their chances count.

Niall McGinn’s inviting free-kick found David Goodwillie unmarked and ahead of the group. The former United striker’s darting header had pace but it was directed straight at Cierzniak. The Polish stopper palmed the ball rather than catching it and Adam Rooney capitalised on the error to put the visiting side ahead.

The entire United defence could be criticised for the second. Jonny Hayes’ looping cross caught out the sleeping back-line and found Peter Pawlett, who tapped the ball into the path of Andrew Considine as he reached the touch-line. As the move was taking place four United defenders surrounded Pawlett and left Considine with enough space to pick out Rooney at the other side of the box. Cierzniak can’t be blamed for attempting to close the space on Considine but the defence reacted so slowly as the ball trundled through to the striker. Rooney found himself unmarked and directed the ball into the empty net.

Both goals came from either poor defending or an error from the keeper. And these sort of defensive performances are becoming a problem for Jackie McNamara’s side – the same issues almost cost them a three goal lead against Ross County last weekend.

In that match John Souttar botched a clearance and the ball found Yoann Arquin in the box. Despite a terrible first-touch and three defenders closing him down Arquin still found enough room to curl a quick shot past Cierzniak. A second could have come minutes later as the keeper charged out of his net and tried to challenge the County striker. Arquin could have hit the deck for a penalty – and it’s likely he would have been sent off – but he stayed up and Paul Paton had to be at his best to stop a goal. In the final moments of the game Arquin again found enough space to add another. Luckily for United, County’s resurgence came too late and they held out for three points.

If United are to challenge for second place – Inverness are ahead and Aberdeen are level at the moment – McNamara desperately needs to re-organise his defence, otherwise it could be enough 3^rd or 4^th place finish for the Arabs. And with in-form Celtic visiting Tannadice next weekend, United could be in for a hammering.

Questions for the Weekend

Can Cordoba escape the relegation zone?

Cordoba won a match; an actual game of football; with 90 minutes and 22 men and all that; and three points at the end of it. Athletic Bilbao’s form heading into the contest offered little suggestion that Los Califas would stun the San Mames and end their long hunt to achieve a win in La Liga – something they hadn’t done since 1972. But 23 minutes into the match Nabil Ghilas pressed Athletic’s defence into conceding possession, capitalised on their high-line to run into acres of space, and slotted the ball past Gorka Iraizoz. Some 67 minutes of football later and Cordoba were celebrating ending their 42-year wait.

The crucial three points propelled them to 18^th in the league – Elche and Deportivo trailing – and brought them onto level points with Almeria. The club lead the league in terms of draws – seven so far – and those points, once a marker of their inability to win matches, could be important come the end of the season. This weekend they welcome Levante to the Estadio Nuevo Arcangel with the aim to escape the relegation zone.

Lucas Alcaraz’s side have dropped to 15^th in La Liga after a promising start. While Levante have only lost one match from their last five, three have also been draws – a surprise 2-1 victory over Valencia stopped them from drifting into the relegation zone. The fact that results from both sides read like binary code suggest that it’s going to be a tight game with little to separate the teams.

One element that could make the difference is the psychological effect of Cordoba’s deserved win. The fact that those three points eluded them for so long, and the disappointment of conceding late goals as they did against Getafe, must have affected their confidence. Some critics doubted they’d win a match this season – did that thinking penetrate the squad? All that negativity is gone now, but the fantastic feeling of breaking that run remains. Cordoba should turn that into confidence and play Levante with the knowledge that they can win. It’s important that they do so this weekend.

While Almeria’s visit from Real Madrid means it’s unlikely the 17^th place team are going to be collecting points, Deportivo and Elche’s clash means at least one of the sides will leap-frog Cordoba – both if it ends level. Losing another match and dropping back to the foot of the table would be devastating for Cordoba’s morale.

Will Hamilton’s poor form continue against Dundee?

The Accies’ undefeated streak came to a disappointing climax against Dundee at the end of October. Perhaps an element of familiarity came into play – Hamilton picked up just two points from their four meetings with the Dees in the Championship last season – but the result appears to have had a knock-on effect that Alex Neil’s side have struggled to shake.

Hamilton have lost three of their last five matches – including the Dundee game – as they were humbled for a second time this season at the hands of Inverness and could count themselves lucky to concede just three as Aberdeen routed them at Pittodrie. While a comfortable 3-0 victory against hapless St Mirren and a point from a spectacular 3-3 draw with Partick Thistle means they aren’t in danger of dropping out of the top six soon – sixth and seventh place Kilmarnock and Dundee are six and seven points off respectively – their dire performance against the Dons seemed reminiscent of their debut defeat to Caley Thistle.

One month separated Hamilton’s dominant performance in October, which resulted in a 3-0 win, and the disjointed display which led to their 3-0 humbling last weekend. Neil’s side offered little in attack – a mere three shots on target compared to Aberdeen’s six – but poor defending ultimately cost them. Ash Taylor had little trouble heading in a corner, Niall McGinn capitalised on some clumsy passing before chipping Michael McGovern, and a blatant penalty resulted in the third – there were no positives to be taken from the game.

Dundee’s win in October ended a poor run of results for the club, and since then the Dees have earned seven points from five matches. Considering Inverness’s form and Celtic’s usual dominance, tight 2-1 losses to both clubs are not terrible results; although Paul Hartley would have been frustrated Dundee didn’t make more of their chances. Victories against other top-six sides – Aberdeen and Kilmarnock – mean they’re now one point off a place in the top-half of the table.

Alex Neil will be hoping for such a run for his Hamilton team if they can beat Dundee on Saturday.

Points from the Weekend

QUICK NOTE: A shortened version this week because of the Scottish Cup, and because the Almeria/Rayo game I planned on viewing wasn’t on TV for some reason. All things back to normal next weekend.

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MATCH OF THE WEEK: VALENCIA 0-1 BARCELONA

A 93^rd minute strike from Sergio Busquets earned a determined three points for Barcelona, who keep within touching distance of league-leaders Real Madrid.

Both teams put in dedicated performances and Valencia, in particular, missed numerous chances to take the lead before Barcelona’s late corner.

Diego Alves pulled off a brilliant reflex save to stop Neymar’s close range header – both he and his Barca counter-part were in top-form throughout – but couldn’t do anything as Busquets smashed in the rebound.

A controversial offside decision almost cost Barca crucial points, as the linesman chalked off Luis Suarez’s tap-in earlier in the match.

The Catalan club, although unlucky with that decision, could count themselves fortunate to reach half-time with eleven players on the pitch. An ever-so-slight headbutt by Neymar, which sent Nicolas Otamendi crashing to the grass, is the sort of action which has earned quick dismissals in the past.

The match began at a furious tempo – no surprise considering their unique rivalry – as late challenges and dangerous tackles started being traded. Chances were rare; tackles were not.

Jeremy Mathieu marked his return to the Mestalla by earning the first card of the match: an ill-timed slide cutting through Antonio Barragan.

The first shot on target came from Rodrigo, as he cut inside from the left and thumped an effort straight at Claudio Bravo.

Suarez almost sent Barcelona into the lead minutes later. A brilliant raking pass found Neymar in the box, the Brazilian pushed the ball back into the path of the onrushing Suarez, and the Uruguayan had a free-shot at goal from yards out. Diego Alves pulled off a magnificent reflex save, pushing the ball over the crossbar and denying Suarez his first league strike.

Tensions then began to boil over. Lionel Messi completed one of his tantalising dribbles through the centre of midfield and released a through-ball to put Neymar in a great position. A tremendous last-ditch challenge from Otamendi pushed the ball out for a corner – the action didn’t end there.

The Los Che defender, believing Neymar over-reacted, put his head near his fallen-opponent’s. The Barcelona striker didn’t react but ever-so-slightly knocked Otamendi – the excuse the imposing, 6ft 2inch German defender needed to hit the grass. Three cards ended up being handed out during the ensuing chaos: none to the men involved in the incident.

The match remained quiet until the final seconds of the first-half. A swift counter-attack and a through ball found Andre Gomes in front of Bravo. The attacking midfielder dragged the ball around the keeper, but didn’t have enough space and his shot slammed into the side-netting. Nuno remained huddled-over, head in his hands, as the referee called for the break.

Suarez had a fantastic chance in the 57^th minute, troubling the usually-reliable duo of Shkodran Mustafi and Otamendi and luring Alves out his six-yard-box. The Uruguayan rushed and left himself in a tight angle, and his shot bounced off the netting. Had he taken more time, it would have been advantage Barcelona.

Suarez thought he’d opened his league account after some indecisive defending from the hosts. A blocked effort led to some chaos inside the box, and the ball landed at the feet of the unmarked former Liverpool striker. Suarez diverted the ball past Alves and began celebrating to the sound of a silenced Mestalla. However, he soon found himself furiously shaking his finger at the linesman – he’d been judged offside.

Sofiane Feghouli had another cracking chances moments later. A counter-attack exploited space on Barcelona’s right side, leaving the French winger with time to pick his shot. Instead, Feghouli smacked his shot straight at Bravo, and Nuno lashed out at Valencia’s dugout in sheer frustration. A lack of clinical finishing had cost Valencia a deserved lead. As disappointing as Valencia had been in taking their chances, Bravo had been immense for Barca, and he proved himself the visitor’s hero of the night as he stopped Negredo’s curling shot soon after.

Both teams looked shattered as the clock reached 90 minutes, as the sides traded possession and attempted to stir up one final moment of all-out-attack. The match reached 93 minutes all square.

But the game didn’t end 0-0. Messi chipped a cross into the box and Alves pulled off an amazing, last-ditch save to stop a close-range header from Neymar. Busquets came thundering in and smashed a shot into the roof of the net. The Valencia players, determined for so long, fell to the grass in despair; Nuno and the Mestalla raged over the last-minute strike; and Barcelona celebrated a crucial three points.

CARLOS VELA CRUCIAL FOR MOYES

One of the benefits David Moyes has in his quest to rejuvenate Real Sociedad is the fact that the team does boast genuine talent – this team features many of the same players who reached the Champions League a year ago. Sociedad need an injection of belief and determination – something lacking under Jagoba Arrasate – and the Scotsman appears to be delivering on that. Carlos Vela exemplified that on Friday evening.

The Mexican winger was in tremendous form last season, regarded as one of the best players outside of the top three clubs. His 16 goals and 12 assists in La Liga helped Sociedad reach the Europa League, and so his dip in form at the beginning of this campaign has had a large impact on the Txuriurdin’s fortunes. On Friday evening, however, he demonstrated his potential once again and more than doubled his goal tally in the league.

A rare headed goal opened the scoring for the hosts. Carlos Martinez whipped in a ball from the right-flank, finding Vela in the centre of the box. The Mexican made a simple header from an unmarked position, sending the ball darting past Tyton and putting Sociedad into the lead minutes into the match.

The second came from a brilliant pass and some solo work from Vela. Xabi Prieto cut through Elche’s defence with a long, incisive pass, and sent Vela charging through the opposition’s half. He used his sheer speed to burst ahead of the two remaining defenders, latched onto the pass, and rolled his shot into the bottom-left corner.

And he completed the hat-trick after 53 minutes. Martinez cut a pass inside to Vela, who dribbled into the box and smashed his effort through the legs of his marker and into the net.

In the three goals Vela demonstrated the sort of qualities he’s been lacking this season: confidence, that crucial final touch, and the sort of dynamism and ability to create something from nothing that not many attackers can boast.