ItâÂÂs a little like a game of taunting tig. This time last week the Madrid press were chuckling and cheerfully waving in BarcelonaâÂÂs direction after PepâÂÂs Dream Boys dropped points to Real Sociedad.
Some seven days later and the roles are reversed after MadridâÂÂs Levante let down. Meanwhile, neither side seems to have noticed that the mighty Valencia and Betis are currently running away with la Primera trophy.
Sarcasm certainly seems to the be current trend in the Spanish football world, after MourinhoâÂÂs claims before SundayâÂÂs match that his teamâÂÂs main goal this season was getting 40 points on the board - something that may be an issue if Madrid continue to struggle against sides that put it a tackle from time to time.
TuesdayâÂÂs edition of Barcelona based Sport returns the favour with a front cover begging Mourinho to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Joan Vehils writing that âÂÂthe damage Mourinho is doing to Real Madrid is proportional to the good Guardiola is creating at Barcelona.
"If Mou goes, the only thing that can happen is that Madrid improve. Conclusion: may Mourinho stay many years and if possible with Florentino as president.âÂÂ
Marca are preferring to avoid the whole nasty business of SundayâÂÂs meltdown and are continuing to insist that Neymar will arrive at the Bernabeu after the 2012 Olympics, having taken a medical last Friday. The wee Brazilian international is set to cost a gargantuan â¬60 million, with MondayâÂÂs edition reporting Neymar will earn â¬7 million a year on a six year contract. TuesdayâÂÂs Marca reveals that a clause in the contract that quite possibly doesnâÂÂt exist will give Neymar an extra million should he win the Balon dâÂÂOr.
Neymar himself has pointlessly protested that âÂÂIâÂÂve not signed anything with anyone,â and claims he was at a hospital on Friday to visit a family friend, but until Real Madrid thrash some minion side convincingly, stories about the current apple of Florentino PérezâÂÂs eye are going to run and run.
The Forces of Mordor do have the chance to achieve this with a trip to take on Racing Santander on Wednesday, but before that there are three matches taking place in la Liga to kick off a rare midweek round of action.
Osasuna have only had a few days to recover from their Camp Nou pummeling and face a trip to Sevilla. âÂÂI think we are going to react well,â mused manager José Luis Mendilibar. âÂÂThe good thing is that the next game is going very quickly which doesnâÂÂt give you any time to think about the last one.âÂÂ
Sevilla coach Marcelino is already rightfully nervy about facing a Osasuna in Pamplona, where they are traditionally strong and fairly brutal too. âÂÂOsasuna use their strengths very well at home,â warned Marcelino. âÂÂThey are a tough team and more so when they are going into the match after the huge defeat to Barcelona.âÂÂ
Real Sociedad host Granada in a match that isnâÂÂt all that exciting really aside from seeing whether the visitors can build on their first goal and first points in SaturdayâÂÂs win over Villarreal. And speaking of the Yellow Submarine, Villarreal are currently in all sorts of trouble having picked up just one point from nine to leave the Champions League outfit in the relegation zone.
Villarreal have a very good chance to lift themselves out of it in TuesdayâÂÂs late game which is the visit of Mallorca. âÂÂWe can play much better as we have footballers not giving their best,â warned manager, Juan Carlos Garrido, ahead of the clash - a game that LLL feels will be a Barcelona style crushing of their Balearic visitors.
