LaLiga faces its last 10 match days with a lot to unravel. The 29th week has witnessed the resurrection of many of the teams at the bottom of the standings, such as Celta, Rayo Vallecano and even Almería. Up top, Real Madrid are still cruising and Barça clinched a great victory against Atlético de Madrid, whose Champions League spot is in danger. Here we go with this week’s edition of LaLiga Overtime.
LaLiga Overtime – Match Day #29:
Manager replacements seem to work out:
Two managers made their debut this week. Claudio Giráldez got promoted from Celta Fortuna to help the Galician side regain their identity. And he did just that. A brave and proactive squad took the pitch at Sánchez-Pizjuán. A team featuring academy players who understand the ideology of the club better than anyone. A squad that came back against a club like Sevilla, thus marking the beginning of a promising era.
The other debutant was Pepe Mel. A man who has been in all kinds of situations arrived at a desperate Almería side. They had not been able to win a single match after 28 fixtures. The dishonor of being the worst team in the First Division cast a shadow over the Andalusian city.
Pepe Mel took it upon himself to give Almería fans their first bit of joy of the season. A goal by Léo Baptistão ended the curse. After the match, the city chanted “olé, olé, olé, Pepe Mel”.
João Félix returned to Metropolitano… and did it again:
The saga between João Félix and Atlético de Madrid is a never-ending story and this match day was the latest episode. The Portuguese forward arrived at Metropolitano for the first time since his departure. His welcome was hostile, as expected. Many fans showed their dissatisfaction with the behaviour of the Portuguese attacker by vandalizing his plaque in the surroundings of the stadium. Inside the temple of the ‘rojiblancos’, the whistles were deafening.
João is not going through his best moment at Barcelona. Xavi, who believed in his talent from the start, uses him as more of a catalyst off the bench than a key player. Irregularity has been a staple throughout all of his seasons in Spain. He seems to lack the necessary motivation, but when he has it, he is a world-class player. And Xavi knows that.
That is the reason why he gave Félix a chance at Metropolitano. And the player loaned by Atlético made the most out of it. He scored his second goal in two matches against his former team. João did it again in front of Simeone’s upset expression.
What if Guruzeta is Spain’s number ‘9’?
The shadow of Aritz Aduriz has been lurking over Athletic Club since his retirement. The striker was the differential goalscorer for ‘The Lions’ and none of his successors have matched his production. It seemed like an imposible mission, but one player has picked up right from where the legendary striker left off. His name is Gorka Guruzeta.
‘Guru’ is one of the critical players in an Athletic Club side that are in contention to qualify for the upcoming Champions League and has become essential for Ernesto Valverde. This week, in the Basque derby against Alavés, he scored a brace to settle ‘The Lions’ in the zone that grants access to Europe’s most prestigious club competition, a performance deserving of a mention in this week’s edition of LaLiga Overtime.
In addition, he proved that he is the best partner for the Williams brothers once again. A spectacular season defined by his 13 goals that has lead many to believe that Guruzeta could be a candidate to wear Spain’s number ‘9’ jersey.
Translated by Nuño Alonso.
Main image: Edit by Pablo Benítez.
At ELXIIDEAL we have a great opportunity to advertise your business via our website and social media network.
