Saturday
Sevilla (10th) v Levante (19th)
A rather manic sounding Marca are claiming that Real Madrid should have had 19 penalties this season, so Merciful Zeus - LLL can only imagine what would have been written in the paper if José Mourinho and the club had suffered the same treatment that Levante have been receiving from the men in black (or yellow) in recent weeks.
Offside goals being given against them, iffy penalties to the opposition and last but by no means least, a quickly taken free kick and subsequent goal disallowed for the Valencia side against Zaragoza, last week, as the dithering official wasnâÂÂt quite ready.
LevanteâÂÂs eternally frustrated coach Luis GarcÃÂa reacted to the most recent slight by flapping his arms about on the touchline shouting âÂÂitâÂÂs a goal! ItâÂÂs a goal!â not without good cause. However, this evil, most heinous of acts the likes of which we do not wish to see in the game, as the Beeb would probably pontificate, has landed GarcÃÂa in hot water with the Spanish FA who gave him a two match touchline ban.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Barcelona (1st) v Racing Santander (14th)
Soon to join Málaga in the money bags stakes are the unlikely figures of Racing Santander, with the Cantabrian club leaving other buyable targets such as Getafe standing in the rain with their mascara running as they're picked up by a mysterious foreign type, instead.
The gentleman in question is from India and goes by the name of Ahsan Ali Syed and apparently is a billionaire whose âÂÂdream has always been to own a club and watch them play.â It was very nearly Blackburn Rovers, last summer, before they eventually chose other suitors - perhaps because of a BBC investigation into Ahsan Ali SyedâÂÂs financial affairs - but it seems that Racing have now captured his heart.
The deal worth â¬21m is set to go through on Monday with the current Racing president, Francisco PernÃÂa, claiming that a place in Europe is the eventual goal for the club. But as is the nature of all things in la Liga, the blog already suspects that this may be a story thatâÂÂs one to watch for all the wrong reasons.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Valencia (4th) v Málaga (16th)
YouâÂÂd have thought that the Valencia bosses would be spiffed to pieces about the job that Unai Emery is doing at the club having guided the men from Mestalla into the Champions League, last season, and into the knock-out stages this time around.
But it would appear not as EmeryâÂÂs contract is due to run out at the end of the year and as yet there has been no movement with club president, Manuel Llorente, on extending it, says the madcap manager who also reveals that their relationship is fiery to say the least. âÂÂI speak with the president a lot, sometimes with a smile on my face and other times with a knife between the teeth. HeâÂÂs the same.âÂÂ
Meanwhile, striker Roberto Soldado revealed that Saturday night could be a very good one indeed for Lady Soldado, should he find the back of the net against Málaga. âÂÂWhen I score my body demands satisfaction after,â smutted the former Madrid forward.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Sunday
Sporting (17th) v Atlético Madrid (6th)
Due to a very untimely bout of stomach flu, LLL wasnâÂÂt able to get to the Vicente Calderón in the end for ThursdayâÂÂs Copa del Rey clash. But it did hallucinate wildly that Diego Forlán was in the blogâÂÂs flat forcing it to barf on a regular basis. Which is something that doesnâÂÂt happen every day.
LLL Prediction - Draw
Zaragoza (18th) v Deportivo (13th)
And itâÂÂs a big thank you to Jermaine Pennant for the wonderful story that enforced everyone's preconceptions of top-flight footballers - far too rich for their own good - after forgetting about his Porche and leaving it in the car park of ZaragozaâÂÂs railway station for five months, so desperate was the winger to get out of Spain and into Stoke last summer.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Getafe (9th) v Espanyol (5th)
SaturdayâÂÂs dreadful 4-0 home defeat to Real Sociedad has lead to a period of severe navel-gazing at the Coliseum over the ridiculously topsy-turvy nature of GetafeâÂÂs campaign with the side following four league wins at the end of 2010 with four three defeats and a draw in the new year including a Copa Del Rey loss to Betis.
âÂÂSometimes weâÂÂre like a childrenâÂÂs team, capable of the best and the worst,â noted a solemn Adrián Colunga.
LLL Prediction - Home win
AlmerÃÂa (20th) v Osasuna (15th)
A big LLL pat on the back to AlmerÃÂa who have made it into the Copa del Rey semifinals after doing the universe an enormous favour and disposing of Deportivo in their two legged tie. The blog just hopes that more than 3,000 home fans turn up to watch AlmerÃÂa take on Barcelona - the amount that bothered to get off their backsides a week ago in the home leg against Miguel Angel LotinaâÂÂs men.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Real Madrid (2nd) v Mallorca (8th)
José Mourinho has shown this week that he is the big dawg to Jorge ValdanoâÂÂs puppy, once and for all. When the Madrid boss complained on Wednesday that he didnâÂÂt like receiving messages from the clubâÂÂs Director General in the press, the Argentinean should have opened a can of whup-ass on his employee. Instead, Valdano claimed that, âÂÂmy turn of phrase was not interpreted as a message, that was not my intention.âÂÂ
MourinhoâÂÂs response was to claim after the 1-0 win after Atleti that there were no guarantees of him staying for another year at the Bernabeu. âÂÂA lot depends on the cooperation,â mused the soon to be departing Madrid manager.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Villarreal (3rd) v Real Sociedad (11th)
Real Sociedad midfielder, Antoine Griezmann is picking up quite a collection of goal celebrations. His first was to run to a car parked by the pitch in La Anoeta and pretend to drive off in it. The FrenchmanâÂÂs most recent was to feel the wrath of Getafe fans by celebrating his strike by pointing to the Basque flag on his sleeve whilst running past the stands.
âÂÂI made a mistake and said everything that had to said on it and thatâÂÂs that,â claimed Griezmann, this week.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Monday
Athletic Bilbao (7th) v Hércules (12th)
It was a fine week for happy-clappinâ âÂÂJokÃÂnâ Caparrós as it saw the hyper-active Athletic Bilbao boss reaching the halfway point of his fourth season in charge of the Basque battlers to become the longest serving coach of the club in eleven years.
âÂÂItâÂÂs unusual to be with a team for so long in this sport and profession,â admitted the Andalusian coach. âÂÂItâÂÂs felt like a short time, though, as IâÂÂve been enjoying myself.âÂÂ
Over in Alicante, the Hércules footballers are waiting to see if yet another promise from the clubâÂÂs bosses over a payment date is set to be broken with outstanding salaries supposedly being handed over before the end of the week.
âÂÂWhat we want is more information. They owe us money and it is the club who should be talking, not us,â explained Hércules forward, Tote - suggestion that a boisterous, spirited performance away from home may not be on the cards for his side on Monday night.
LLL Prediction - Home win
