A few days ago, Real Zaragoza president Eduardo Bandres said: “The Spanish league will be a matter totally and absolutely between two teams, among other things because the system for distributing television rights determines that it will be this way. It is unique in Europe and because of this the Spanish league is one of the most boring in Europe.”

The television channels would beg to differ, as they regularly run adverts or open their coverage of matches from La Liga claiming it is the ‘best league in the world’ with clips of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi running in the background.

But Bandres has a point. Five games in, and the table has an all-too familiar look about it. There are only two clubs left with a 100 percent record – Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Who has scored the most goals? Real and Barca with 16 apiece.

Who has conceded the fewest? Real with two. Barca have let in three.

Which clubs have the most money? Real and Barca are both working on budgets of over 400 million euros, three to four times greater than their nearest rivals. They rake in around half of the money earned from La Liga’s television rights, which are not negotiated on a collective basis.

At least Valencia’s David Villa bucks the trend in the individual goal-scoring charts, topping the rankings with six, but second behind him with five each are Ibrahimovic, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

There are four clubs expected to be mixing it at the top and competing for Spain’s other two Champions League qualification places: Sevilla, Valencia, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal.

Atletico and Villarreal are in the bottom three without a win from their opening matches, and are already 12 and 13 points adrift of Real and Barca respectively. Valencia have slipped down to seventh without a win in their last three outings.

Only Sevilla are putting up a fight, and they lie third with 12 points from a possible 15. They have a squad that boasts Frederic Kanoute, Luis Fabiano and Alvaro Negredo up front, with the likes of Jesus Navas, Diego Capel and Diego Perotti providing the bullets.

They have won six on the trot in all competitions and will provide Real Madrid with their stiffest test yet when Manuel Pellegrini’s side visit the Sanchez Pizjuan on Sunday. As things stand, this is Real’s most difficult league clash of the season outside of their home and away battles with Barca.

A victory for Sevilla could signal the start of a genuine challenge from the Andalucians, and add some much needed spice to the title race. A defeat would leave more people agreeing with Bandres.

PHOTO: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates his goal against Real Madrid, May 2, 2009. REUTERS/Juan Medina

Manchester United and Villarreal must find some misplaced form to get the away results they need in Wednesday’s Champions League second legs.

United, who visit Porto, have not looked like European and English champions recently and have a lot to do to reach the last four after last week’s disappointing 2-2 draw with the Portuguese side at Old Trafford.

Late goals by 17-year-old Federico Macheda scraped victories over Sunderland and Aston Villa in their last two Premier League games to keep them top following defeats by Fulham and Liverpool.

Jose Mourinho, Porto coach when they knocked Alex Ferguson’s men out on the way to winning the competition in 2004, said United are a very different prospect from the side who eliminated his Inter Milan last month.

“Manchester United are in great difficulty at the moment,” Mourinho told a news conference. “Porto went there, they played a good match and the result was fair. But the return leg is still open.”

Like United, Spanish contenders Villarreal also need a win or a high-scoring draw to progress after being held 1-1 at home by Arsenal. (more…)

So, here we go again. For the fifth successive season, Liverpool will face Chelsea in the Champions League.

Quarter-finals:

Villarreal v Arsenal

Manchester United v Porto

Liverpool v Chelsea

Barcelona v Bayern Munich

Semi-finals:

Manchester United or Porto v Villarreal or Arsenal

Barcelona or Bayern Munich v Liverpool or Chelsea

Liverpool will perhaps be marginal favourites in the all-English quarter-final after knocking Chelsea out at the semi-final stage in 2005 and 2007 but their fans will need no reminding that last season, when Chelsea got to play the second leg at home, it was the Londoners who came through.

This year? Once again, Chelsea will be at home for the second leg. Will that make the difference again?

Otherwise, Man Utd must be pretty pleased with a draw that pits the holders against Porto in the quarter-finals, with a possible semi-final to come against Villarreal or Arsenal (and Arsenal will be pretty pleased as well, you’d think … at least with the first bit).

All those expecting an all-English final, watch out for Barcelona, who should have too much for Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, with a clash against Liverpool or Chelsea up for grabs.

Barcelona v Man Utd in the final?

Spain overcame 44 years of underachievement on the international stage when they were crowned European champions at Euro 2008. Not only did they win the tournament, but their players, their style and their attacking ambition were hailed around the world.

However, that success appears to have had a detrimental effect on their domestic teams, who have traditionally been some of the strongest performers in Europe’s club competitions.

Last week’s Champions League and UEFA Cup results are some of the worst in recent seasons.

Nine-times European Cup winners Real Madrid were beaten 1-0 at home by Liverpool in their last 16 first leg, while both Villarreal and Atletico Madrid were held to score draws at home by Panathinaikos and Porto respectively.

Only Barcelona achieved what could be considered a positive result, coming from behind to draw 1-1 away to Olympique Lyon and it was hardly an impressive performance.

In the UEFA Cup they fared even worse.

The 2004 winners Valencia drew at home to Dynamo Kiev to go out on the away goals rule 3-3 on aggregate, while Deportivo Coruna were humbled 6-1 on aggregate by AaB Aalborg. The 2006 and 2007 winners Sevilla failed to make it out of the group stages along with Racing Santander.

It is the first time in 18 years (since the 1990/91 season) there is no Spanish representative left in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup.

This competition is often touted as an indicator of the strength in depth of particular leagues and this year’s Primera Liga does not appear to be a vintage one.

Leaders Barcelona are doing their best to make it exciting at the top, with their 12-point lead over Real Madrid down to four, but look beyond the top two and you’ll find third-placed Sevilla are a long, long way back, while fourth-placed Villarreal are closer to the relegation places (17 points) than they are to Barca (18).

Unless Barca, Real, Atletico and Villarreal buck up their ideas before the Champions League second legs, Spain could be bemoaning an even more calamitous scenario.

PHOTO: Dynamo Kiev’s Betao (R), Carlos Correa (2nd R) and Eremenko celebrate a goal near Valencia’s Vicente Rodriguez (L) during their UEFA Cup soccer match at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia February 26, 2009. REUTERS/Heino Kalis

Less than a year after being forced out of Villarreal, who tired of what they said were his excessive privileges and lack of commitment, Juan Roman Riquelme is at the centre of a similar storm at Boca Juniors.

A sequence of listless performances from the enigmatic number 10 prompted public criticism from team mate Julio Cesar Caceres. And it all sounded very familiar.

“Riquelme appears to be saturated mentally,” said the Paraguayan central defender. “In some games, he gives the appearance that he is running, in others he is passive.”

Those were the only really cutting comments in an otherwise fairly tame assessment, yet Riquelme was furious.

For a player whose interviews rarely offer anything more insightful than “I’m happy to be in the team and it’s going to be a difficult match”, Riquelme immediately popped up on Fox Sports to launch an outspoken attack on Cacares. (more…)

Last time Manchester United were drawn in the same Champions League group with Villarreal in the 2005-06 season, most fans and pundits predicted a stroll into the last 16 of the competition with Lille and Benfica also looking as little more than stepping stones for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.

United finished bottom of the group and bowed out of Europe before the winter break after a dreadful run including a pair of 0-0 draws with Villarreal while the Spanish side reached the semi-finals in their Champions League debut.

Should the English and European champions be worried that history might repeat itself after a third barren stalemate with Villarreal in this season’s Group E opener at Old Trafford on Wednesday?

Ferguson, who seemed unaffected by a largely lacklustre perfromance in his post-match comments, believes it was a mere glitch ahead of matches with Danish rivals Aalborg and familiar foes Celtic.

But United’s patchy start to the season, in which they have won only one match, suggests the early stages of their European title defence might turn out to be anything but a walk in the park. The Premier League also looks far from easy with a trip to Chelsea up next on Sunday.

Give us your thoughts.  

It is has already been dubbed the league title no one wants to win and with its succession of mishaps, slip-ups, fall-outs and injuries, this season’s Primera Liga plot has taken more twists than even the most low-budget Spanish afternoon soap opera.

Leaders and defending champions Real Madrid appear to be caught in a dangerous downward spiral, losing five of their last eight league matches, while Barcelona are struggling to take advantage of their arch-rivals’ errors.

Although they closed to within four points of Real at the top of the table after their flattering 4-1 win over Valladolid at the weekend, the Catalans have won just one of their last four games and continue to look unsettled and nervy when they take to the pitch.

Real, meanwhile, managed to pluck defeat from the jaws of victory against Valencia, losing out thanks to an 89th minute breakaway goal from former Atletico Madrid forward Angel Arizmendi.

Marca’s leading football correspondent Santiago Segurola described the match as an example of a new footballing genre called “epicomedia” - an unexpected reaction caused by a mixture of the epic and the comic.

The epic element came from Real’s frantic attempts to win the game by throwing everyone forward and peppering the Valencia goal with shots in the final 10 minutes. The comedy came from their defending, with Fabio Cannavaro conceding an unnecessary penalty and badly misjudging his attempt to stop Arizmendi before he snatched the win.

Barca should be rubbing their hands in delight at Real’s predicament, but instead they are suffering their own crisis of confidence. Defeat in the semi-finals of the King’s Cup at the hands of Valencia, speculation about a possible fall-out between Rijkaard and Ronaldinho, the absence through injury of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry’s failure to settle and continued defensive frailty mean that the Catalans appear as vulnerable as Real.

The weaknesses of the top two should have thrown the door open to more challengers, but of all the other possible contenders only Villarreal have managed to stay in the title race.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side are on a four-match winning streak, but they hardly set the world alight with their late 2-1 win at basement side Levante on Sunday.

The league title is there for the taking, but who will eventually triumph - an anxious Real, an unhinged Barcelona or an unfancied Villarreal?

PHOTO: Real Madrid’s Pepe gestures during their defeat by Valencia at the Bernabeu, March 23, 2008. REUTERS/Juan Medina