Girona stole the exhibit when a lot more, profitable a 7-goal thriller with Atletico Madrid.
But they keep powering True Madrid who are constructing their period, not just on Jude Bellingham’s targets, but on the defensive rock that is Antonio Rudiger.
In other places things get no better for Sevilla, homegrown Athletic are in the Champions League places, and Mason Greenwood will serve a suspension after a pink card that had as significantly to do with a referee displaying he understood English than any dissent deserving of an immediate dismissal.
Here’s 10 matters we discovered from the first spherical of matches in 2024.
Barcelona are 7 details off the speed and their abysmal initial-half type is to blame
Your browser does not guidance iframes.
Slow starters Barcelona throwing absent the league
Barcelona would be 14th if game titles lasted 45 minutes and if their to start with half performances never improve they will be observing the title race by means of binoculars.
To their credit rating they pulled a a lot greater next performance out of the ruins of their first 50 percent display and received the late objective that moves them inside seven points of leaders Real Madrid and Girona.
No much more Mr Great Man for less than pressure Xavi
Xavi has obviously made a decision that he has absolutely nothing to lose by performing items his way.
Right after months of leaving Robert Lewandowski on the pitch and using off players who deserved it much less he eliminated the Polish forward with 20 minutes nonetheless to enjoy from Las Palmas.
Barcelona were brighter with out him specially when 18-calendar year-aged Vitor Roque arrived on and confirmed rate and motion lacking in the previous Bayern ahead.
Ramos has his Harry Redknapp minute
Try to remember when then-Portsmouth manager interrupted an interview to rollick one particular of his gamers for sending a stray ball straight at him – ‘No question you’re in the ****ing reserves’ he bellowed.
This wasn’t pretty as comical but Ramos was mid-post match interview when he started shouting at a enthusiast out of shot: ‘Show a little bit of a regard we are talking. Regard the club, regard the badge, respect the individuals.’
The spectator, angered by yet another Sevilla defeat was drowning out Ramos’ job interview with criticism of the club’s board just before Ramos turned his ire on the indignant lover.
Sergio Ramos hit back at a lover who interrupted his submit-match interview. Sevilla are 16th in the desk, a person stage earlier mentioned the fall zone
Greenwood has a lousy ref day
Spanish match official Jorge Figueroa Vazquez has a fair amount of English – we observed it from Authentic Madrid when he warned Jude Bellingham: ‘be careful with me’.
He was a tiny more than-eager to exhibit it off when he despatched Greenwood off in Getafe’s defeat on Tuesday.
Unsatisfied at not staying awarded a totally free-kick right after receiving several kicks the Manchester United loanee turned to the referee and counting on his fingers the variety of situations he had been kicked then turned absent with a last ‘f*** sake’.
The referee wrote in his match report that he’d listened to ‘F*** you’.
The straight crimson was in excess of the best – it also provoked the phrase f*** currently being recurring over and more than once more in the adhering to hours on Spanish radio as pundits debated the linguistics.
Mason Greenwood was despatched off immediately after expressing ‘f*** sake’ – but the referee believed he heard ‘f*** you’
Absent sort costing Simeone a title tilt
Atletico Madrid have now missing 4 away on the bounce for the very first time under Diego Simeone.
The only consolation this time was that it arrived versus the most on-sort group in Europe.
Girona ended up fantastic once more and now have one particular stage less at the 50 % way stage than they managed in the whole of previous season.
There was also an Alvaro Morata hat-trick to cheers Simeone but it’s commencing to seem like the league is over and above them.
Ivan Martin acquiring what he deserves
‘You can con the push and you can con the followers but you just can’t con your own staff-mates,’ mentioned Girona mentor Michel when requested about unsung hero Ivan Martin whose 91st purpose moved the staff back again degree on points with leaders Authentic Madrid.
Girona gamers enjoy the 24-yr-outdated midfielder who never ever rather built it at Villarreal.
Antonio Rudiger is keeping with each other an injuries-strike True Madrid defence and is 2nd only to Jude Bellingham in general performance amounts
Rudiger is Authentic Madrid’s other player of the year
Jude Bellingham is operating absent with it but if there a 2nd location in Actual Madrid’s player of the period competitiveness then Antonio Rudiger would have it sown up.
Serious Madrid have only conceded 11 aims so considerably this season and it’s that report that sees them top rated forward of Girona who have transported a lot more than twice as many (24).
Rudiger is keeping alongside one another a defence robbed of the injured Eder Militao and David Alaba – he’s the cause why Ancelotti has dominated out a winter season window defensive signing.
Small club curse strikes
Las Palmas have Barcelona appropriate-back again Julian Araujo on financial loan and the huge club exercised its correct to prevent him playing against them.
One particular of the consequences was felt in harm time of Barça’s get over Las Palmas when Daley Sinkgraven, who had come on at appropriate again, inexplicably pushed Ilkay Gundogan as he experimented with to head the ball in at the back again put up.
He could possibly have got away with a subtle shoulder to shoulder but the barge was too obvious for the referee to overlook – Araujo may well have been smarter.
Girona not the only La Liga miracle
If Athletic Club with their ‘local gamers-only’ rule take care of to get into the top rated 4 this year it will be just about as deserving of applause as Girona creating it into Europe.
At the halfway level they are fourth with their very best details return in the first 50 percent of a time in 40 several years.
Athletic Club, who only discipline gamers born or brought up in the Basque Country, are battling for a Champions League spot
Rafa on the increase
Celta Vigo climbed out of the base a few with a earn in excess of Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis. ‘It’s large phase ahead,’ Benitez explained just after Celta’s 3rd acquire of the year.
The earn intended they moved to 16 details and are now at the rear of Sevilla on goal-distinction by itself.
Ramos and corporation are now one stage earlier mentioned the drop-zone, and on their sixth manager in two seasons.