SPANISH PRIMERA - Game 2
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SPANISH PRIMERA
Saturday, 01 September 2007
Levante - Murcia
Zaragoza - Racing
Sunday, 02 September 2007
Barcelona - Athletic
Atlético - Mallorca
Villarreal - R Madrid
AlmerÃa - Valencia
Valladolid - Deportivo
Betis - Espanyol
Getafe - Recreativo
Osasuna - Sevilla - postponed
Villarreal will look to continue their remarkable Primera Liga winning streak this weekend when Spanish champions Real Madrid make the trip to El Madrigal. Villarreal won their final eight games of last season and then began the current campaign with a thumping 3-0 away win over local rivals and title hopefuls Valencia.
It is a hugely impressive run by the 'Yellow Submarine', who this week further strengthened their squad with the addition of Spain right-back Angel Lopez, and they will be brimming with confidence heading into the Real match. However, the team's Argentinian defender Fabricio Fuentes insists they are taking nothing for granted against Bernd Schuster's men, saying: "We need to forget the good results we have obtained.
"What has happened has happened and now we begin a new game against a new team and everything changes. "We will try to obtain the win, although it will not be easy." Despite looking shaky in pre-season and still re-shaping their squad just days before last weekend's league opener, Real started the defence of their title with a deserved 2-1 derby win over Atletico Madrid.
Real boast a fine record against Villarreal in the top flight, winning nine of their 16 encounters down the years and losing just once. However, that one defeat came at El Madrigal last year, and Real will have to be on their guard if they are to avoid becoming victim number 10 for in-form Villarreal.
The week leading up to the second round of Primera Liga matches has been overshadowed by the tragedy involving Sevilla wing-back Antonio Puerta. The 22-year-old Spain international passed away in hospital on Tuesday after collapsing during last Saturday's home league game against Getafe. Sevilla, who won that match 4-1 to claim top spot after week one, had been due to play Osasuna this weekend but that game has now been postponed.
Barcelona will be hoping to get their campaign up and away after being held to a goalless draw at 10-man Racing Santander on the opening weekend. They host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, but coach Frank Rijkaard will be without prolific striker Samuel Eto'o, with the Cameroon marksman set to be sidelined for around two months with a groin injury.
Valencia will be seeking to put their miserable result last weekend to the back of their minds when they go to newly-promoted Almeria. In contrast to Valencia, Almeria will be looking to build on their impressive 3-0 win at Deportivo La Coruna.
La Liga's two other promoted clubs,Real Valladolid and Real Murcia, will also be chasing a second successive win this weekend. Valladolid, who downed UEFA Cup finalists Espanyol last weekend, are at home to Deportivo, while Murcia go to Levante buoyed by their superb home triumph over Real Zaragoza.
In this weekend's other matches, Zaragoza host Racing, Espanyol go to Real Betis, Recreativo Huelva are at Getafe and Atletico Madrid welcome Real Mallorca to the Vicente Calderon. -
Match on Tv Channel 21
Sunday, 02 September 2007 - (Mon Morning)
Villareal vs Real Madrid - 3:00am - (Live) -
Villarreal 0 - 5 Real Madrid
As at 84' minute -
Primera Liga reports
Brief reports of matches played in the Primera Liga on Sunday:
ALMERIA 1 VALENCIA 2
Almeria had Valencia against the ropes until two minutes after the restart when Spain striker Fernando Morientes fired in from the edge of the area. The visitors held the lead until the 63rd when Almeria striker Alvaro Negredo headed in from a corner. Valencia's Italian defender Emiliano Moretti poked in the winner from a flicked on free kick 10 minutes from time.
ATLETICO MADRID 1 REAL MALLORCA 1
Mallorca broke away to score through striker Daniel Guiza in the 19th minute to leave the Primera Liga's second highest spenders struggling until fullback Mariano Pernia struck from the edge of the area in the 77th.
BARCELONA 3 ATHLETIC BILBAO 1
Barca's Brazilian forward Ronaldinho scored with a free kick in the eighth minute and added a penalty in the 35th after Thierry Henry went down in the area. Bilbao pulled one back when midfielder Markel Susaeta volleyed in a poor clearance from Victor Valdes in the 70th, but Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure scored a controversial third for Barca two minutes later. Barca had Mexican defender Rafael Marquez sent off and Bilbao lost defender Koikili to a straight red in the closing stages.
GETAFE 1 RECREATIVO HUELVA 1
The game swung Recre's way when Getafe had midfielder Mario Cotelo sent off after some play acting from visiting striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle in the 65th minute. The French striker went on to put Recre ahead on a break in the 85th, but in the final minute Getafe striker Manu del Moral headed an equaliser from a free kick.
REAL BETIS 2 ESPANYOL 2
Espanyol striker Luis Garcia turned in Pablo Zabaleta's pull-back in the 33rd minute and then spun to lash in a spectacular second in the 42nd. Betis finally found a way past Espanyol's Cameroon keeper Carlos Kameni when striker Fernando looped in a header six minutes from time. A minute later, Brazilian striker Rafael Sobis rounded Kameni for the equaliser.
VALLADOLID 2 DEPORTIVO CORUNA 2
Centreback Jose Antonio Garcia Calvo headed Valladolid in front from a corner on the stroke of halftime but Uruguayan striker Sebastian Taborda headed Depor level in the 54th. A cool touch and finish from the impressive Sisi restored Valladolid's lead in the 72nd, before Depor striker Riki's clever lob ensured parity again in the 78th.
VILLARREAL 0 REAL MADRID 5
Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder set up Raul for the opener in the 39th minute with a long pass and added the second himself with a free kick that went in off the post in the 48th. Sergio Ramos crossed low for Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to add a third in the 50th and Sneijder drilled a shot inside the post in the 73rd. Real's counter-attacks ran Villarreal ragged and midfielder Guti curled in a fifth with 10 minutes left.
Played Saturday:
LEVANTE 0 REAL MURCIA 0
After last week's impressive 2-1 win over Real Zaragoza in the season opener, promoted Real Murcia will be the happier of the two sides with a point away from home at the end of a dull encounter.
REAL ZARAGOZA 1 RACING SANTANDER 1
Zaragoza ran up against some inspired goalkeeping from Racing goalkeeper Tono and fell behind when midfielder Oscar Serrano fired in from a half-cleared corner in the 55th minute. They drew level when Roberto Ayala's powerful header from a corner in the 75th was deflected across the face of goal for Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira to net his second of the season.
Osasuna v Sevilla - postponed -
watched abit of villareal vs real madrid, must say their attack is quite strong, tho villareal dfend halfheartedly after they went down 0-3. wesley sneijder is good
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yeah, sneijder is good
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wesley sneijder may be good but just imagine when they add Robben to their team...
Robben is the most creative Dutch player currently... -
i always thought van der vaart was the most creative dutch player
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wow madrid kept a clean sheet