LA LIGA | ROUND 34 WEDNESDAY NIGHT GAMES FINAL RESULTS

Spanish Football Liga continued tonight with 5 scheduled games of Round 34. Here are all the final results along with the goalscorers.

Real Madrid defeated in "trouble" (relegation candidate) Almeria securing the 3 points & holding the second Liga position just 2 points behind current leaders FC Barcelona.  The final result was 3 - 0 but the team looked sloppy & they needed to work to win, while Almeria put in a good performance but failed upfront to convert.

Real Madrid gave Navas, Illaramendi, Coentrao & Jese a run from the start & team showed & suffered their lack of playing time. The goals for Real Madrid came from a spectacular 45th min James Rodriguez crack shot, followed by an own goal from Almeria defender Dos Santos in the 48th min & Arbeloa in the 84th min. 

Real Madrid has two difficult Liga games coming up - Sevilla FC & Valencia CF - were a draw or a loss could give FC Barcelona the Liga title.

Eibar hosted Sevilla FC & lost 1 - 3. Sevilla FC are currently in a "sweet moment " with their Football & go into their next game against Real Madrid full of confidence. The goals for Sevilla came through Carlos Bacca who scored twice - 6th & 14th min - & Reyes in the 64th min. For Eibar their only goal came thanks to Piovaccari in the 51st min.

Celta de Vigo managed the victory in the very last moment of their game against Malaga FC. Both sides were competitive & worked their opportunities, but Celta managed the 3 points when Nolito scored in the 89th min. Final result 1 - 0.

Villarreal did not make things easy for Atletico de Madrid tonight. A defensive mistake by Bailly was needed to allow Atletico de Madrid substitute Fernando Torres to exploit & score in the 64th min to give a 0 - 1 victory to the visitors. Important win for Atletico in their objective to secure the prized 3rd place Champions League ladder position. Rivals Valencia CF also has that same position on their plans list.

Important win for Elche 4 - 0 over Deportivo A Coruña in their attempts to stay alive in La Liga next season & climb out of their financial problems. The goals fell in the following order:

• Jonathas 5th min, 1 - 0
• Lomban (penalty) 20th min, 2 - 0
• Rasalic 54th min, 3 - 0
• Rodrigues 90th min, 4 - 0

Round 34 of La Liga continues tomorrow with the last two scheduled games.

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LA LIGA | ROUND 34 TUESDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

Mid-week Spanish Football action with three games scheduled tonight of La Liga. Here are all the final results along with the goalscorers.

FC Barcelona hosted Madrid Club Getafe & steamrolled them. One way Football traffic with a couple "surprise" chances from the visitors. The final result was FC Barcelona 6 - Getafe 0 gaining another 3 ladder points maintaining them in top ladder position. Barça now leads Real Madrid - which plays tomorrow - by 5 points with the Madrid a game less. The goals fell in the following order:

• Messi (penalty) 10th min, 1 - 0
• Luis Suarez 25th min , 2 - 0
• Neymar 28th min, 3 - 0
• Xavi 30th min, 4 - 0
• Luis Suarez 40th min, 5 - 0
• Messi 47th min, 6 - 0

All the goals were executed with style & if you can catch the highlights you will be delighted.

The Suarez - Neymar - Messi forward line has already 102 goals this season & Messi is just 1 goal behind the current leading Liga goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid who has 39 goals.

Athletic Club Bilbao & Real Sociedad played out the Basque Region derby & as expected hard fought with controversy, including penalty & a red card. The first goal went to Bilbao with red card included to Real Sociedad player Mikel Gonzalez which Aduriz scored the penalty in the 50th min. Real Sociedad with 10 men came back to equalize through De La Bella in a fantastic goal around the 59th min mark. Final result 1 - 1 draw.  

Levante won 1 - 0 last placed Cordoba further hampering hopes of the latter of avoiding relegation to the Spanish 2º division. The winner came in the 41st min through Barral who gave his team the 3 points.

Wednesday, more Round 34 Liga games.

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JAVIER "CHICHARITO" HERNANDEZ | EVERYONE WILL HAVE THEIR FAME

It was the pop-culture artist Andy Warhol who claimed... "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes", making this claim in the context of our mass media & hyperconnected society. Well Football has smiled in the last week on Real Madrid on loan Mexican forward Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez catapulting him from obscurity to front page media stardom where 15 mins is relative.

The Mexican is on loan to Real Madrid from his Club Manchester United, basically he does not fit in there & he was given a "way out" in Spain. Real Madrid took the offer because they needed a "substitute" for their Nº1 striker Karim Benzema, the Club thought why not, cheap & could be handy.  Real Madrid made it clear his role & the Mexican has sat virtually all season on the bench with a handful of appearances & plenty, plenty of warming up along the sideline to see how he never was put on in the end. The situation was frustrating for Chicharito who claimed in Mexico that all he needs is the confidence of his Coach Ancelotti & a few games to prove his worth. 

Football destiny had it that both Gareth Bale & Karim Benzema got themselves injured & in the most delicate moments of the season for the Club, Champions League quarter-final knockout stage. Without a true forward Real Madrid called onto Chicharito to do his stuff, the main reason Real Madrid accepted the loan from United. The Mexican did not disappoint scoring the winning goal in the 87th min to eliminate Atletico de Madrid from Champions & scoring two goals in Liga last weekend in an uphill game against Celta de Vigo that ended in victory for Real Madrid keeping their League title aspirations still intact. The Mexico has responded to the challenge, taken his opportunity by the throat & is the "star of the moment". Well done, an example of professionalism, hard work & belief in oneself for youngsters & team-mates alike. The man is reaping in the fruits of his labour & it is well deserved.

Said this, Real Madrid has a tough decision to now make. The Spanish Football Club has to communicate to Manchester United if they wish to buy the Mexican; the deadline is 30th of April. The media hype & the pressure from interested third parties (overseas & Mexican sources) are giving fuel to the debate internally if Real Madrid should buy Chicharito for 25M€, that is his transfer price. 

Latest news is that Real Madrid has no intention of paying 25M€, many believe Javier Hernandez is a good striker but not the forward that a giant like Real Madrid needs or should place their goal hopes on. Added to this, Manchester United Coach Louis Van Gaal commented basically that he did not really understand all the fuss & that Chicharito has no place at Manchester United. Unfortunate words as it give Real Madrid negotiating powers.

Real Madrid will not take up the buying clause & will wait to see developments. If Chicharito continues "filling in" well with goals & if Real Madrid do well in Champions League - well is get into the final, better is winning it - the Spanish Club may get back to Manchester United & negotiate a new deal, a deal that will be way lower than the 25M€ transfer fee now asked for by the English Club. Real Madrid has time on their side.

If Javier Hernandez does stay - perhaps an extended year of loan - next season his place will still be on the bench, a plan B or C when the top strikers (Benzema, Bale & Ronaldo) cannot play. 

While all the variables are currently in play & the future travels into the unknown the Mexican is surfing a dream wave that he should enjoy & experience. This same wave may never pass again & Football has a way, very easy way, of taking & later drowning those it chooses. Lets hope Chicharito is a good & strong swimmer.

Stay tuned!

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ENGLISH PREMIER BEST 11 PFA AWARDS | 2 SPANIARDS ON LIST

The "Professional Footballers Association" (PFA) of the English Premier League announced their “Best XI Team” for season 2014 – 2015. Congratulations to the two Spanish International players who have be named & included: David De Gea (Manchester United) & Diego Costa (Chelsea FC). See the full list of players in the diagram below:

It is a great honour for them both, especially Costa in his first season in English Football, & indirectly for Spanish Football.

The rumours mount that Manchester United goalie De Gea could move to Real Madrid next season. Manchester United has reportedly offered the Spanish goalie to renew his contract with a huge 14M€ + deal that has not been taken up as yet. This is fuelling all sorts of speculation.

Stay tuned!

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LA LIGA | ROUND 33 SUNDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

La Liga continued today with Round 33 scheduled matches. Here are all the final results along with all the goalscorers.

Malaga FC hosted Deportivo A Coruña & the end final result of a 1 - 1 draw doesnt do much for each. Malaga was lucking for the 3 points to give them some chance of the Euro ladder positions, while Deportivo needs desperately points to get out off the relegation zone. The goalscorers were Amrabat for Malaga in the 46th min, & Riera in the 59th min for Depor.

Vital victory by Almeria 2 - 0 over Eibar with the 3 points gained taking them out momentarily from the relegation zone of the La Liga ladder. The goals came from Thievy in the 8th min & Verza in the 68th min when he converted a penalty. 

Eibar drops & now must be weary of avoiding slipping into danger if they are not careful.

Sevilla FC keeps looking towards the European ladder positions ( & even Champions League awaiting tomorrows Valencia CF result) winning 2 - 0 Madrid Club Rayo Vallecano. The goals came from Iborra in the 17th min & Carriço in the 43rd min converting a penalty. Rayo Vallecano had goal opportunities but - as with all season - was not effective enough upfront.

Celta de Vigo pushed & nearly put "La Liga" title definately away from the Real Madrid grasp after palying a fabulous match but losing 2 - 4. Real Madrid scrapped through this encounter & mantains the Club in second place & just 2 points away from current Liga leaders FC Barcelona. 

Celta showed iniciative from the kick-off & troubled a "weak" Real Madrid defence that was not coordinated with their midfield at all. Young Illaramendi will be again put under the microscope as he was not up to the occasion , while Isco is going through a minor slump in form. 

Celta opened & surprised the visitors in the 9th min through a Nolito goal, but Real Madrid answered with a Toni Kroos equalizer in the 15th min. It would be the trend for Real Madrid , the individual talents of their top players would save the day on repeated occasions tonight. 

Real Madrid Mexican forward Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez again started & took his opportunity in big style. This is his week & he put Real Madrid ahead with his teams second goal in the 23rd min. But Celta untroubled equalized in the 28th min when Santi Mina split the Real Madrid defence & scored. Celta kept attacking & against the grain James Rodriguez whipped a ball that touched a Celta defender in the 44th min to put Real Madrid back ahead & go off half time with some tranquility.   

The second half was Celta mostly attacking & putting the visitors continously on the back foot. It was looking more like Celta would score for a draw & wipe clear the Liga title hopes for Real, when Chicharito controlled a Ramos pass in the 73rd min & scored the fourth & the sealer. 

Real Madrid Coach Ancelotti put on Pepe placing him with Marcelo in the midfield to secure the result & limit the Celta attacks. Real managed to do so & took the 3 points from a game that saw Celta perform better. Close call for Real Madrid who remains "alive" in Liga

Monday night round 33 match:
Valencia CF - Granada

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LA LIGA | ROUND 33 SATURDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

Spanish Liga Football tonight with matches scheduled of Round 33. Here are all the final results along with all the goalscorers.

Last placed on La Liga ladder Cordoba hosted Athletic Club Bilbao in the Friday night round 33 opener. The final result was another "nail to the coffin" for Cordoba losing 0 - 1 to Ath Bilbao. Sloppy match from Bilbao with Elche having their chances of scoring, but Bilbao was effective & won with the 55th min Bernat goal.

Beforehand a danger game for FC Barcelona against local city rival RCD Espanyol. Barça is currently top spot of the Liga table with Real Madrid just 2 points away & this match was a "must win" situation. 

They managed the objective winning 0 - 2 after a great 1º half that included goals from Neymar in the 17th min & later Messi in the 24th min. Things complicated themselves when Barça defender Alba was sent off directly with a red card after protesting with the referee. With 10 men down Espanyol took the iniciative but failed to turn things around thanks to a solid Barça defence & their own lack of finishing powers. 

Barça has half a foot into the Liga title this season.

Elche in deep relegation & financial troubles visited Atletico de Madrid licking their wounds after being eliminated from Champions mid-week. Their 3 - 0 victory helped heal wounds & consolidated the 3rd Liga position currently in dispute with Valencia CF. 

Elche managed to keep out Atletico the 1ºst half , thereafter the home team dominated. Antoine Griezmann scored twice - 54th min & 76th min - sending a messaje to Coach Simeone after being substituted in Champions. While the other goal came from Raul Garcia in the 62nd min.

Getafe fell to Levante 0 - 1 by the only goal scored in the 34th min by Victor Casadesus. Important 3 points for Levante in their attempts to stay far away as possible to the relegation zone of the Liga ladder. With their win they jump to the 15th position.

Real Sociedad 0 - Villarreal 0 Final result. Goal disallowed - rightly to Villarreal inclued.

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - EUROPA LEAGUE SEMI FINAL DRAW - MATCH UPS

The draw for the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE & EUROPA LEAGUE semi-finals match-ups was celebrated in UEFA H/Q in Nyon with the following results.

The semi-finals for UEFA Champions League are

• FC Barcelona - Bayern Munich : first leg 5/6 May, second leg 12/13 May
• Juventus FC - Real Madrid CF : first leg 5/6 May, second leg 12/13 May

On paper Barça got the stiff stick being matched with Bayern Munich, while Real Madrid "in theory" will face the "less strongest" of the other three representatives. Said this, all 4 are difficult & very competitive playing in these types of games were form is not the only factor & many a time luck come into play.

What the draw does open the door to is the possibility of a Spanish Football Final in Berlin, a repeat of last year which would reconfirm the supremancy of Spanish Soccer.

The semi-finals for the Europa League are

• Napoli - Dnipro
• Sevilla FC - Fiorentina 

The 1º leg is the 7th of May & 2º leg the 14th of May. 

In this competition all 4 are in great form while Italian Football has the chance to get back to the highest levels of European Football with a "hypothetical" all Italian Final. No doubt the Spanish Football representative will be working to assure this does not happen & that Sevilla reaches the Final in Warsaw.  

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ZENIT 2 SEVILLA FC 2 (SEVILLA FC WINS 4 - 3 AGG) | EUROPA LEAGUE

Near scare in St Petersburg (Russia) for Sevilla FC in the Europa League 2º leg return match against Zenit. But the Spanish Football Club managed to get itself together & steer themselves into the semi-finals after eliminating the Russian tonight on a 4 - 3 overall aggregate. 

Sevilla Fc took to Russia a 2 - 1 result in their favour from the 1º leg game. The Spanish team could not have started tonights return encounter better after Carlos Bacca converted a penalty in the 6th min. However, Zenit began turning things around & progressively put Sevilla FC on the back foot.

The second half started with Zenit scoring in the 48th min through Rondon after a Sevilla FC goalie mistake from Beto. Things then got real interesting when Zenit Brazilian player Hulk saw Sevilla goalie Beto off his line & scored from 30 mts, another goalkeeping mistake that put Zenit ahead & the match into extra-time. 

Sevilla goalie Beto then turned from "Villain" into "Savoir" making a couple of incredible saves to keep his team alive. Sevilla Coach Emery reacted & put on Gameiro, & in the 85th min the Frenchman turned a counter-attack into a goal to qualify Sevilla FC. 

Close call for the Spaniards were anything could have happened tonight. Final result tonight  Zenit 2 - Sevilla FC 2 (Sevilla wins 4-3 on aggregate).

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REAL MADRID 1 ATLETICO MADRID 0 | REAL MADRID THROUGH TO SEMI-FINALS

Real Madrid managed in extremis to qualify for the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after defeating Atletico de Madrid 1 - 0 (1-0 aggregate). Hard game of Football with extreme intensity, solid positioning on the tactical front & towards the end controversy after Atletico was left with 10 men. The added blemish was perhaps the last 10 minutes when Atletico put on the physical play that was not up to their image.  

Said this, with hindsight Real Madrid always put forward the initiative while Atletico de Madrid perhaps sinned of being too speculative. Risky strategy that was paid dearly when Mexican & Real Madrid forward Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez broke the grid lock after a CR7 - James Rodriguez play that found Hernandez who tapped in the ball in the 87th min for the winner. 

Other stats to bear in mind are 66% ball possession by Real Madrid with more than 16 goals attempts (At Madrid around 5) & Atletico de Madrid goalie Olbak their best player with numerous saves. This should give you an idea that Real Madrid deserved the victory solely on the basis that they looked for it from the kick-off. 

The controversial moment was the sending off in the 76th min for a double yellow card Atletico Madrid midfielder Turan Arda after dangerous play on Sergio Ramos. The video reply shows that it was not as bad as it looked in "real-time" & perhaps the second yellow card was harsh & not necessary at all. With Atletico de Madrid down to 10 men Real Madrid did have more spaces & later did come the winning goal. Atletico was overcome by "emotion" & lost control "mentally" of the match. 

Although Chicharito had scored his teams goal, a goal from Atletico Madrid in the remaining time ( +5 extra time) would have been enough to get them through with the away goal rule. Instead of concentrating on this fact, the visitors poured out their frustration with psychical Football that was counter productive.  

Real Madrid Coach Ancelotti half surprised us all before the match lining up Sergio Ramos as a midfielder. The experiment worked today - due to the win - & was effective not for the Football displayed by Ramos but by his leadership pulling his team onward to find the win. In this aspect the "Ancelotti Experiment" worked well. Other names to mention are James Rodriguez, Kroos & Isco who ran their hearts out along with Varane who was simple spectacular as usual.

Lastly, a dream moment for Mexican Chicharito who has not had the best season & has spent most of his time in Madrid on the bench. The man is a hard worker, humble & tonight is the hero of Real Madrid with his winner. Football once again creates stars & dreams when you least expect, or when you believe in yourself enough. 

Atletico de Madrid go out of the competition with their heads high as they put in a brave & noteworthy show. However, as mentioned, they speculated too much & paid the price. 

Real Madrid joins fellow Spanish Football Club FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich & Juventus as the last four remaining teams only awaiting now to know their match ups in semi-finals. At this stage-phase of Champions League all 4 are the "creme de la creme" of European Football & its all up for grabs.

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POSSIBLE TEAM LINE UPS REAL MADRID - AT MADRID | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE qUARTER FINAL

The 1º st leg UEFA Champions League quarter - final finished 0 - 0. Tonight Real Madrid hosts city rival Atletico de Madrid in the 2º leg return match with everything still open. Mayor game for both sides, Real Madrid has not the Liga title assured & Champions League is the only current viable title left for them in this season. While Atletico de Madrid sits fighting for third spot on the Liga table & remembers how the Champions League title slipped from their fingers in the last second in last years Final precisely at the hands of Real Madrid.

Real Madrid goes into this game "technically" weakened. They have lost key players like Modric, Bale & Benzema to injury, plus Marcelo to yellow card accumulation. For Atletico de Madrid it is all the contrary & goes in with their "Gala team" & with all men available. Atletico de Madrid are slightly favourites.

The speculation on the starting line-ups, especially Real Madrid, are big talking points pre-match today both in media & on the street. Real Madrid Coach Ancelotti has to practically reorganize the team & everyone has an opinion. The decision by Ancelotti is super important for a super important match as not only is the Clubs continuation in the competition in play tonight but perhaps the job of Ancelotti as Real Madrid Coach.

Spanish Sports paper "Sport" has elaborated the above infograph & speculates on the most probable starting 11 line-ups for Real Madrid & Atletico de Madrid tonight. 

The Atletico de Madrid starting 11 seems clear:

Oblak, Juanfran, Miranda, godin, Siquiera, Gabi, Tiago, Koke, Arda, Griezmann & Mandzukic.

The Real Madrid starting 11 has been deduced with what Ancelotti has available at hand:

Casillas, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Coentrao, Kroos, Illaramendi, Isco, James, Chicharito & Cristiano Ronaldo.

There is debate pre-match if this is the definite 11 as some think Khedira could go in for Illaramendi or Pepe could take a midfield position as done under Mourinho in past occasions. Either way it is speculation & rumour with the final 11 players of each teams announced officially 45 mins before the match.

Top match, perhaps the most important of the season for both Clubs where there can only be one winner. May the better team win.
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FC BARCELONA 2 PSG 0 | BARÇA INTO SEMIS WITH 5-1 AGG Q/FINAL WIN

Spanish Football Club FC Barcelona defeated 2 - 0 Paris St Germain tonight in their 2º leg UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE return quarter-final match, thus eliminating PSG with a total aggregate score-result of 5 - 1. Its the 8th time in the last 10 years that Barça reaches the semi-final stage of the European competition & they look optimum. 

Above is a team photo of the FC Barcelona starting 11 tonight & it is their "Gala line-up" - with exception of goalie Claudio Bravo who is for La Liga. 

Paris St Germain went into this 2º leg return game with Ibrahimovic & Veratti back & with some hope that they may be able to turn around the 1 - 3 result from Paris. But after the kick-off it became clear that things would be difficult for PSG as Barça took control. Pressure Football, rapid passing & an inspired Andres Iniesta broke through in the 14th min to find Neymar who scored the opener. It was demoralising for the French. 

PSG gave Barça goalie Stegen little work & it was not long until Dani Alves hooked a pass into the goal square to find Neymar who headed the second in the 33rd min. This was the definite final nail in the PSG "coffin" & put things into the "almost impossible realm".

FC Barcelona changed & rested Iniesta in the second half to give Xavi Hernandez a run & extend his record games in Champions League. With this it was business as usual for Barça which control PSG in the 2º half & could have scored some more goals. As a spectator Paris St Germain was somewhat disappointing, however the early Barça goal must have solidly hammered their spirits.  

Tomorrow the other Champions League Q/Final is on show with Real Madrid playing Atletico de Madrid after the 1º st leg gave a 0 - 0 result. Top match which could give the next opponent that Barça could face in the semis. Stay tuned!

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HECTOR MORENO CHOICE IS ARSENAL FC

According to local Spanish Sports press RCD Espanyol Mexican defender Hector Moreno will be heading off to the English Premier League next season. There are two English Football Clubs competing for the services of Hector Moreno, Tottenham Hotspurs & Arsenal FC.  

The Mexican player has made up is mind & has chosen Arsenal FC as his next destination & Club. Arsenal has been following the defender for months & is willing to offer the Spanish Football Club Espanyol 20M€ in transfer fee. Offer hard to refuse.

Stay tuned!

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LA LIGA | ROUND 32 SUNDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

Four games of Round 32 of the Spanish Liga played today with the following final results & goalscorers.

Madrid Club Rayo Vallecano made a huge step forward to their endeavour of assuring their place in Liga next season defeating Almeria 2 - 0. All the opposite with Almeria which is just out of the relegation zone on goal difference with Deportivo.

The goals for Rayo came through Amaya in the 22nd min & Miku in the 89th min.

Granada are in the relegation zone & in serious danger of being dropping out of La Liga this season. However they managed to pull off a draw & a point from Sevilla FC after drawing 1 - 1. The protagonist was Granada player Mainz who scored for his team in the 15th min then scored an own goal in the 69th min to allow Sevilla Fc to equalize. Thats Football! 

Sixth placed Villarreal hosted last placed Cordoba & felt the "desperation" & "want" of the visitors playing their Liga survival for the next season.
Fierce resistance which gave a 0 - 0 final result & shared points. Bravo Cordoba.

Eibar hosted Celta de Vigo & lost 0 - 1. The winner for Celta came from a penalty in the 40th min which Nolito successfully converted.

Monday night Round 32 game:
Elche - Real Sociedad

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CRISTIANO RONALDO | 5 SEASONS STRAIGHT HITTING THE 50 GOALS MARK

Like him or dislike him, there are cold facts that transcend human emotions. While the debate echoes continuously if Portuguese Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is or not the "Best Football-Soccer Player in the World",  yesterday he reached another spectacular milestone that differentiates from the rest.

His 93rd min goal against Malaga FC in La Liga yesterday tallied his 50th goal this season in all competitions. The incredible feat is that it is the 5th season in a row that Cristiano Ronaldo hits or surpasses the 50th goal mark:

Season 2010/11 (53 goals), 
11/12 (60), 
12/13 (55), 
13/14 (51) 
14/15 (50, for the moment!)

The fact is it´s just amazing & perhaps hard to be seen again when we all get older & look back at it all. There is not doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is the ultimate goalscoring player - or lovingly said "Goalscoring Machine". Others like Ronaldo - Brazilian, Van Basten, Hugo Sanchez, Di Stefano, Messi etc & etc, may have look/ed "more elegant" but do not have the power or intensity of Cristiano Ronaldo. It is like watching 100 Elephants charge at once towards the goal from a defender/goalkeeper perspective. Plus it is relentless from kick-off to the final whistle, a spectacle to witness independently of your "emotional" Football preferences.

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LA LIGA | ROUND 32 SATURDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

La Liga was back in action with all the big Spanish Football Clubs scheduled today in Round 32. Here are all the final results along with all the goalscorers.

Levante played RCD Espanyol in the Friday night Round 32 kick off match. The final result a valuable 2 - 2 draw for Levante & a step back for Espanyol in their attempts to climb into the Euro positions of the Liga ladder. The goals came in the following order:

• Lucas Vazquez 17th min, 0 - 1
• Simao 20th min, 1 - 1
• Caceido 45th min, 1 - 2
• Casadesus 86th min, 86th min.

FC Barcelona hosted Valencia CF & managed a very important 2 - 0 victory to keep themselves ahead of rival Real Madrid in the Liga ladder. Valencia took a minor step back as the loss of points allows 3rd placed Atletico de Madrid to open up a 4 point gap after the latter won their game today. 

The final 2 - 0 result is not an accurate picture of the match, as Barça suffered for the 3 points with Valencia intense all match but failing to convert their numerous chances. Valencia deserved more, at least a draw result, but as mentioned they were unlucky, missed clear opportunities & Barça goalie Claudio Bravo was inspired. The FC Barcelona goal keeper stopped a penalty the 10th min from Valencia Captain Parejo, just after Luis Suarez opened the scoring in the 1st min. 

From here to the end of the match we witnessed a great match with Valencia always looking for goal & putting Barça on the back foot on many occasions. The physical effort by Valencia tired them out towards the end allowing Barça to control the match & Lionel Messi to score his teams second goal in the 93rd min.

Deportivo A Coruna in the relegation zone of the Liga ladder hosted Atletico de Madrid looking for the 3 points to consolidate their 3rd ladder place & open up a gap with Valencia especially after the latter lost today. The final result was a 1 - 2 win to the visitors which had a relatively comfortable match until they "dozed" off towards the end as Deportivo attempt to turn things around. The home team was awarded for their efforts when Oriol Riera pulled one back in the 78th min & nearly equalized when Lopo hit the post a few minutes later. 

Earlier Antoine Griezmann scored twice, the opener with a lovely overhead shot in the 5th min & another in the 21st min. 

Costly & difficult win by Real Madrid 3 - 1 over Malaga FC. Three points won but Gareth Bale injured in the 3 rd min with a pull in the left calf muscle & later in the 2º half Modric off with a knock on the knee. Worrying as they are 2 key players & the Club meets At.Madrid next Wednesday in the decisive Champions League quarter-final.

Malaga gave a fight & fright tonight especially in the 2º half when they played better & had numerous opportunities to score & even to equalize the encounter. The individual class of the Real Madrid players had to come to light & save the day. 

Real Madrid went ahead in the 24th min when a Ronaldo free-kick found Sergio Ramos who scored. From here & onwards it was end to end Football with opportunities going to both teams. Cristiano Ronaldo failed a penalty in the 66th min but James Rodriguez made up in the 68th min with an excellent left foot goal. 

Malaga FC was not daunted & continued attacking & were rewarded in the 70th when Juanmi tapped in his teams goal. Real Madrid were wobbly & it looked more like Malaga would equalize. Progressively Real Madrid settled their game & controlled the pace of the match & in the 92nd min Cristiano Ronaldo scored from a Chicharito pass to seal things.

A close call for Real Madrid which will be closely monitoring Bale & Modric to see the extend of their injury. Although Bale looks out for the upcoming Champion League match.

Athletic Club Bilbao hosted Madrid Club Getafe winning 4 - 0. Getafe held out until defender Velazquez caused a penalty & was sent off with a red card leaving the visitors with 10 men. 

Aduriz scored the penalty in the 45th min & again in the 46th min when the second half started. Later team-mates Ibai Gomez - 79th min - & Susaeta - 87th min - got themselves some goal action each.

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SEVILLA FC 2 ZENIT 1 | FINAL RESULT EUROPA LEAGUE 1º LEG Q/FINAL GAME

Europa League 1º leg quater-final action tonight with with current Champions Spanish Football Club Sevilla FC hosting Russian Club Zenit. The final result 2 - 1 to Sevilla FC making a huge comeback in the second half after Zenit went ahead first in the 1º half of the game.

Entertaining, intense & a very tactical match that we saw tonight. The Russians were solid & very concentrated in the first half & were rewarded scoring first in the 29th min through Ryazantser. Zenit blocked & kept out the Sevilla attempts to equalize & looked more like scoring a second.

However, Sevilla FC Coach made some changes in the second half - M´Bia, Denis Suarez & Bacca - that revolutionized the side & lifted their Football. Zenit paid for their efforts in the first 45 min physically & dropped in intensity.

Denis Suarez took on the responsibility & began to call the plays making Sevilla arrive more & more at the Zenit goal. The opportunities began to appear & it was not long before the equalizer came through a Bacca header in the 72nd min. Sevilla kept up its momentum & the second goal ( & winner) arrived in the 87th min when Denis Suarez shot from outside the box. The goal lifted the "roof" off the "Ramo Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium".

Deserved win for Sevilla FC after a memorable & excellent second half showing Football, courage, heart & pride. The Russians however do take a valuable away goal back to Russia & this quarter-final tie is not yet closed & still wide open for both sides.

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PSG 1 FC BARCELONA 3 | FINAL RESULT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1º LEG Q-FINAL

Spanish Football Club FC Barcelona travelled to Paris for their UEFA Champions League 1º leg  quarter-final match against Paris St Germain & come back home with a comfortable advantage for the return leg game. The final result was 1 - 3 in favour of Barcelona with most of the damage being done by the Spaniards in the second half.

Strange game at times with favourable swings to both sides & moments of frustrating balance. The French had important players out like Motta, Veratti & Ibrahimovic, but were again badly hit tonight when Captain Thiago Silva had to leave in the 20th min due to injury. His replacement David Luiz lasted what he physically could & in the second half was "danced" around in the Barça goal occasions. It was clear the Brazilian defender was not 100 % recovered from his injury.

FC Barcelona went ahead first when Neymar scored in the 19th min.  It seemed Barça would run away but PSG managed to put its Football together to created clear opportunities. The French had chances to equalize but both Pastore & Cavani were imprecise & off target. Opportunities that the French would pay for dearly later in the match.

Paris St Germain started the second half well with Barça looking somewhat tired & "offbeat". Again PSG failed to consolidate their dominance & in a brilliant 67th min play by Luis Suarez - nutmeg included on Luiz - the Uruguayan scored the second for Barça. A moral punch in the PSG face which gave wings to the Spanish team.  

However, PSG persisted & Cavani nearly responded with a power driver that Barça goalie Ter Stegen stopped through pure reflex. The third came in the 79th min when Luis Suarez again "danced" David Luiz & fired home into the right top corner. 

It looked like a "song & dance" session was to end the match in favour of Barça, but PSG defender Van Der Weil let loose a shot that deflected off Barça defender Mathieu to score the French teams only goal in the 83rd min. A goal that manages to allow a small glimpse of some hope for the return leg match in "Camp Nou" next week. 

To conclude, Barça goes away in the drivers seat with a huge advantage, while PSG was unlucky with injuries & missed chances they failed to convert. Said this,  the end result is just & Barça deserve to go away with the win.

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PSG - FC BARCELONA | POSSIBLE STARTING 11 TEAM LINE-UPS | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

UEFA Champions League action continues tonight with the other Spanish Football representative FC Barcelona on show tonight. Barça travel to Paris to play their 1º leg Quarter-final match against Paris St Germain.

As habitual pre-match there is plenty of talk on what will be the starting 11 line-ups of both teams. Spanish Sports paper "Mundo Deportivo" put forward a diagram (above) where they speculate on the possible starting teams for tonights game:

Paris St Germain: Sirigu, Van der Weil, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Maxwell, Rabiot Cabaye, Matuidi, Lavezzi, Pastore & Cavani.

FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Adriano, Pique, Mascherano, Alba, Busquets, Ratikic, Iniesta, Neymar, Messi & Suarez

On paper Barça looks the more formidable & perhaps is favourite for this game. Paris St Germain has two important players missing,  in midfield Veratti & forward Ibrahimovic. Said this, PSG could have a card up its sleeve after we saw yesterday the supposedly injured David Luiz appear in training. 

Top match assured. 
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AT MADRID 0 REAL MADRID 0 | FINAL RESULT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1º LEG Q-FINAL

The UEFA Champions League 1º leg quarter-final - & city of Madrid derby - between Atletico de Madrid & Real Madrid ended in a 0 - 0 final result. Bit of a anti-climax perhaps but lets not forget that it is a 2º leg affair, that is 120 mins of Football. In hindsight it is a just result as Real Madrid dominated the first half & Atletico de Madrid the second half.  

Intense 90 mins with plenty of battles & the occasional physical knock between players that may have gone a bit far. Ramos & Mandzukic had their moments with the latter receiving an "accidental" elbow that caused the Atletico forward to bleed from the eyebrow. Real Madrid players Carvajal also received some "loving attention" from Mandzukic & later team-mate Raul Garcia continued to pick away at the Real Madrid defence. Normal stuff from these two rival teams both with high stakes at play. 

Two players stand out for me & each from a team. Atletico de Madrid goalkeeper Oblak was outstanding & made 4 crucial saves in the first half to keep his team alive during the best performance from the visitors. The second player who was colossal was Real Madrid defender Rafael Varane, flawless tonight in defence & dangerous in attack. 

Real Madrid goalkeeper Casillas had little to do up till the 80th min when Atletico de Madrid lifted gears & attacked a tired Real Madrid. Casillas made two - three saves that kept out Atletico de Madrid & managed to maintain things even till the end. 

Yellow cards to Atletico de Madrid Suarez & Real Madrid Marcelo, both will miss next weeks 2º leg return game due to yellow card accumulations. 

In conclusion, entertaining game where the only thing missing were the goals. However, both teams were thinking more the 120 mins than the 90 mins & the game was very strategic with plenty of tactical & physical Football on show. 

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AT MADRID - REAL MADRID | POSSIBLE STARTING LINE-UPS | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

It is a replay of the last UEFA Champions League Final in Lisbon, Spanish Football Clubs Atletico de Madrid & city rival Real Madrid play tonight the 1º leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. 

Apart from last years Final where Real Madrid scored via Sergio Ramos in the last second to force extra-time & later win 4 - 1, Atletico de Madrid has not lost to Real Madrid this season & one can say that Coach Simeone has the "psychological" upper-hand on Coach Ancelotti.

However, lets be realistic, Football has´nt a past & anything could occur in the present. One of the pre-match talking points & speculations is the possible starting 11 team line-ups.

courtesy of Mundo Deportivo

Spanish Sports daily "Mundo Deportivo" gives us today an info-diagram where they speculate on the possible starting 11 players for each teams:

Atletico de Madrid : Oblak, Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Gamez, Mario, Gabi, Koke, Arda, Griezmann & Mandzukic.

Real Madrid: Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Kroos, Modric, James, Bale, Benzema & Cristiano Ronaldo

On paper the speculated line-ups look reasonable with perhaps a doubt in Atletico if Tiago is more suited to Mario.

We will all be out of any doubt 45 mins before kick off when teams hand in their official starting line-ups list.

Huge match not to be missed, with a quick reminder that we are talking about a 2 leg quarter-final.

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VALENCIA CF 3 LEVANTE 0 | LA LIGA ROUND 31 MATCH RESULT

Last scheduled match of Round 31 & of La Liga between Valencia CF & Levante in the Valencia Regional derby. The final result went 3 - 0 to Valencia CF which reduces to just 1º point the gap with third placed Atletico de Madrid on the Spanish Liga classification table. Competitive battle happening for the third position place as its a direct ticket for Champions League next season & Sevilla FC currently 5th is also close behind the two mentioned Clubs.

Valencia CF scored their goals through Paco Alcacer in the 15th min, Feghouli 35th min & Alvaro Negredo in the 94th min. However, once again controversial referee decisions accompanied Valencia with another Alcacer goal not given when legitimate & the given Feghouli goal in reality not valid.

But with the victory & the three points in the bag Valencia CF will not be so critical & outspoken this time. Levante hang in the relegation zone of the Liga ladder & are entering the desperation stage of the season as they need urgently wins & points to stay alive in La Liga for next season.

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LA LIGA | SPANISH FOOTBALL | ROUND 31 SUNDAY GAMES RESULTS

Spanish Football continued today with 4 games of Round 31 - La Liga - scheduled. Here are the final results along with all the goalscorers.

Madrid Club Getafe managed to comeback & draw their game with Villarreal 1 - 1. Villarreal went ahead first through Uche who transformed a penalty in the 51st min, to which Getafe managed to equalize in the 63rd min through Diego Castro. The bad news of the game was the serious injury to Villarreal player Musacchio who broke his ankle.

RCD Espanyol managed a close 1 - 0 victory over Athletic Club Bilbao. Very even game that could have gone either way & was decided by the "genius" of Espanyol Captain Sergio Garcia in the 39th min with his goal. Espanyol overtake Bilbao for 8th place on the Liga ladder.

Real Sociedad drew 2 - 2 with Deportivo A Coruña. The visitors under new Coach Victor Sanchez managed to comeback twice to equal things. The goals fell in the following order:

• Xabi Prieto 32nd min penalty, 1 - 0
• Lucas 39th min penalty, 1 - 1
• Chori Castro 57th min , 2 - 1
• Toche 77th min, 2 - 2

The second Real Sociedad goal from Castro was a  beautiful volley worth a watch around the online video channels if you get a chance.

Bottom placed Cordoba received a blow from another "relegation contender" Elche losing 0 - 2 from goals from Enzo Roco in the 42nd min & Pasalic in the 69th min.

Monday Night round 31 schedule match:
Valencia CF - Levante.

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LA LIGA | ROUND 31 SATURDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

Spanish Football continues again this week with Round 31 of Liga with 5 top matches scheduled. Here are all the final results along with the goalscorers.

Real Madrid hosted Eibar with the former resting Casillas, Carvajal & Benzema, while Kroos & James were out on card suspension & Bale out injured. This allowed Arbeloa, Illarramendi, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Jesé & goalie Navas a chance to start & show their stuff. In the end a fairly comfortable game for the locals which managed to win 3 - 0 & three points so not to lose the tail of current Liga leaders Barça. Added to all this, the match allowed important regular players a chance to rest for the upcoming Uefa Champions League 1ºst leg quarter-final game against Atletico de Madrid next Tuesday.

Eibar put in a good first 15 mins but Real Madrid then took over the game creating chances which lead to the Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick goal in the 20th min & the "Chicharito" headed goal in the 30th min. The former could have scored more but a chance was disallowed, while CR7 failed to reach a sitter. 

In the second half Real Madrid began thinking in the upcoming Champions League game & began resting players like Modric, Ramos & Marcelo, allowing Eibar some ball control. But it lasted until Jese scored the third goal for Real Madrid in a great individual play in the 82nd min. 

Malaga FC hosted Atletico de Madrid & managed to turn things around & push the visitors for a 2 - 2 draw result. Relatively bad result for Atletico as they have Valencia CF breathing down their 3ºrd place on the ladder "neck". 

At Madrid start well, in control & soon were ahead when Griezmann scored in the 24th min. But Malaga managed to equalize from a corner in the 36th min when Fernando Torres scored an own goal. 

Malaga began to trouble Atletico & frustrated the visitors with mistakes putting their defence under pressure. So much so, that Malaga got ahead in the 70th min through Samuel. Atletico de Madrid was seeing how their third place could be in danger when Griezmann scored the equalizer in possible off-side in the 77th min. A "life-saver" for the visitors with Malaga not happy at all with the referee decision. 

In the end shared points in a great game of Football.

Important slip by current Liga leaders FC Barcelona after drawing 2 - 2 away against Sevilla FC. The difference between them & second placed on the ladder Real Madrid is now just 2 points & Barça plays Valencia CF next week.

Sevilla FC made a heroic comeback after being 0 - 2 down in the first half & practically dominated all the second half. Sevilla FC will not be totally happy with the final result as they "let off the hook" Barça failing numerous chances. 

FC Barcelona started well, strong & it was not too long before the goals arrived. Lionel Messi scored in the 13th min with a wonderful left foot the found the far left post & Neymar scored the second from a free-kick in the 31st min that the goalie did not even see. It seemed Barça was on a roll to score more, but they missed opportunities allowing Sevilla FC to regroup & again believe in themselves.

The crucial moment came in the 38th min when Sevilla FC midfielder Benega scored from outside the area in the 38th min. The second half was a siege on the Barça goal until just on the field sub Reyes found a team-mate on the wing who crossed onto another sub Gameiro who scored the equalizer in the 84th min. FC Barcelona then did its best to hold on & avoid the loss. 

Great entertaining Football with a result that puts the Liga title race "on fire" again.

Celta de Vigo squashed Madrid Club Rayo Vallecano 6 - 1 & even though Rayo scored through Manucho in the 23rd second mark. So many goals in this match that better list them, with Celta player Santi Mina scoring 4 goals:

• Manucho 23 seconds , 0 - 1
• Larrivey 5th min, 1 - 1
• Santi Mina 20th min, 2 - 1
• Larrivey 37th min, 3 - 1
• Santi Mina 40th min, 4 - 1
• Santi Mina 50th min, 5 - 1
• Santi Mina 56th min, 6 - 1

Bottom of the Liga ladder battle between Almeria & Granada both needing points to attempt to stay in La Liga next season. Tonight Almeria won 3 - 0 Granada with goals from 

• Tomas 45th min, 1 - 0
• Espinosa 58th min, 2 - 0
• Tomas 87th min, 3 - 0

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