Another LaLiga match day comes to an end. Real Madrid continue on a steady pace to lift the championship. Both Girona and Barcelona win their respective matches and remain on the chase of the team based in the capital, while Atlético de Madrid say goodbye to any remaining chance and their Champions League qualification begins to be in jeopardy. At the bottom of the standings, a win for Cádiz makes the fight to avoid relegation red-hot. Here we go with the 28th match day edition of LaLiga Overtime.
LaLiga Overtime – Match Day #28:
‘O Rei’ Juan Miguel:
Cádiz were on a more than tight situation. They began the weekend five points deep into relegation positions and they had not won a match since the 1st of September. To make things worse, the upcoming test was challenging to say the least. Simeone‘s Atlético de Madrid visited the Nuevo Mirandilla Stadium with the intention of holding on to their last chance of challenging for the league title, even if it was very minimal.
Cádiz resurfaced. And they did so thanks to one of the signings they made during LaLiga‘s winter transfer window. Juanmi made his way back to Spain in order to redeem himself after a short stay in Saudi Arabia. And not only did Juanmi return, but so did ‘O Rei’ Juan Miguel.
The player born in Málaga has landed on his feet in the team managed by Mauricio Pellegrino and has racked up three goals since his arrival. This time around, a brace to keep the Andalusian side in the race to avoid relegation. Cádiz are still standing thanks to ‘O Rei’. As a result, he deserved a mention in this week’s edition of LaLiga Overtime.
Disaster struck away from Metropolitano:
Simeone’s Atlético de Madrid faced an exciting season after finishing the previous campaign strong. In spite of not landing their desired signings, the ‘colchoneros’ had a good start to the season and have been the only team to defeat Real Madrid. But they have only achieved such performance at home (they are the best host in the championship) as, away from Metropolitano, every match has turned into a nightmare.
Out of 14 LaLiga away matches, they have been defeated in seven occasions. The ‘rojiblancos’ have only scored 15 points away from their home ground (16 less than Real Madrid) as they rank eighth in said metric. Each of Atlético de Madrid’s visits has resembled a medieval torture. Meanwhile, they have seen their chances of winning the championship fade away as a result of their abysmal performance in enemy territory.
The ‘Groguet’ giant:
Last summer, Villarreal were dismantled. The departures of Nico Jackson, Pau Torres and Samu Chukwueze weakened the ‘Groguet’ side substantially. The start of the season was particularly rough, as a disfunctional team went from Quique Setién to Pacheta in an attempt to solve a dramatic situation. Neither worked. The signings made to replace the previously mentioned players also failed to match the performance of their predecessors. But there has been one exception: Alexander Sørloth.
The Norwegian forward has been the answer to Villarreal’s problems in many of their matches. He has proven himself as a very complete player. After scoring 12 goals in a solid campaign at Real Sociedad, he makes an incredible duo with Gerard Moreno and has already recorded 13 goals this season, thus shattering his previous record.
A clear example of the connection between him and the Spaniard lies in the match against Real Betis. Another hard-fought victory by the Yellow Submarine, who managed a titanic victory that brings them closer to European football positions. They will give their all to qualify behind the lead of the Norwegian giant.
Translated by Nuño Alonso.
Main image: Edit by Pablo Benítez.
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