GOOD DAY
Mad Sammy EtoâÂÂo
âÂÂWeâÂÂre all quite fed up,â complained the crestfallen presenter on TelemadridâÂÂs football round-up show on Sunday evening. âÂÂBarcelona keep on winning.âÂÂ
If their remarkable streak achieves nothing more than annoy the heck out one of the most objectionable TV stations on the planet, then La Liga Loca is more than happy to see PepâÂÂs Dream Boys continue on their winning ways until the end of time.
SundayâÂÂs 3-1 win over Sporting was very much by-the-book and owed a great deal to a brace from Samuel EtoâÂÂo who has now racked up 21 goals in 21 games. But so consistently good is the Cameroonian striker that this remarkable goalscoring rate has gone fairly unnoticed.
Business as usual for Barca
Pep Guardiola was complaining during the week that the sideâÂÂs rhythm had slacked off a little, but thatâÂÂs no surprise considering the ferocity of their forward play and the constant Copa Del Rey action.
ItâÂÂs probably a good idea for the side to use their 12-point lead over Madrid to put their feet up by giving the likes of Keita and Hleb a game or two and rest a bit for the Champions League, due to restart at the end of the month.
Juande Ramos
The Madrid press are still up in arms over the general tedium of watching Real these days - letâÂÂs just say people are calling for âÂÂPay Not to Viewâ for their games - and Juande Ramosâ ultraconservative ways.
But hey-ho, itâÂÂs now seven wins on the trot, no alarms and no surprises and whatâÂÂs more, itâÂÂs just one goal conceded in that period.
Is it time for some mealy-mouthed columnists back in Blighty to start reassessing JuandeâÂÂs reign over Spurs? Especially in light of Martin JolâÂÂs fairly impressive work at Hamburg.
Gonzalo HiguaÃÂn
While most Brit-based pundits will be focussing on Arjen Robben over the next couple of weeks as the Liverpool game inches ever closer, it could well be an Argentinean striker - little known outside of Spain - who could be the big source of danger to the Scousers.
HiguaÃÂn is never going to be a Villa-esque 25-goal-a-season mean machine, but he is in fine form at the moment and has produced a bunch of assists and goals (13) since the start of the season.
The one stinky note is that he has yet to score outside of the Spanish capital with 12 of his goals coming at the Bernabeu, and the other one at the Vicente Calderón.
HiguaÃÂnâÂÂs form is so good, it can even withstand playing next to the less than rampaging Raúl and is keeping the gormlessly-gorky Huntelaar firmly on the bench.
Atlético Madrid
If Javier Aguirre wasnâÂÂt in some kind of state of grace on Sunday - or wandering and weeping around Ikea - heâÂÂd have been hurling and burling at the television, watching AtletiâÂÂs 3-0 win over Recreativo.
After five defeats and two draws in 2009, the rojiblancos decided to both stitch up their former boss and suck up to the new one with a tidy win, thanks to Kun and Forlán getting their act together again.
âÂÂHow long will this attitude last?â ponders Iñako DÃÂaz-Guerra, just itching to answer his own question with âÂÂabout a week.âÂÂ
Back in business: Forlan and Aguero
Jonathan Sesma
Don't know him? He's Valladolid's left winger â in terms of football only, as far as the blog knows.
(Then again, politics and the Spanish sporting press donâÂÂt always mix. When Real MadridâÂÂs Miguel Torres started speaking about his hopes for Barack Obama and fears over the global financial situation in an interview with Marca over the weekend, the journalist quickly cut him off to ask him who his best friend in the dressing room was. Iker, in case you are curious.)
Anyway, Sesma. The Canary Islander was by far the best player against Atlético last weekend and popped up with an assist and won a penalty against Athletic in a 2-1 victory on Sunday. He even got Fran Yeste sent off in comedy fashion, by getting shoved to the ground when blocking a free kick.
Osasuna
Before, they were just ugly and brutish. Now, theyâÂÂre still ugly and brutish. But picking up points. And Hallelujah to that.
Paco Chaparro
On a slow day, the Betis boss is an excitable little fella, but when he leads his side to a victory in the Sánchez Pizjuán for the first time since 1996, then potty Paco is likely to lose his marbles.
And thatâÂÂs exactly what he did with a fine fist-pumping performance to the home crowd during the 2-1 victory.
âÂÂI want to dedicate this win to all the Andalusians who have stoically born the bad results,â said the manic manager after the game.
Salva Ballesta
One of La Liga LocaâÂÂs big dreams - aside from getting its internet working again - is to see a forward line of Walter Pandiani and Salva Ballesta. It would be enough to send shivers up the spine of even the toughest-talking central defenders.
The Málaga forward began SundayâÂÂs game against AlmerÃÂa on the bench and watched his team go 2-0 down. In the second half, he was thrown on to the pitch and popped up with two goals to help lead Málaga to an extraordinary comeback and a fine 3-2 win.
BAD DAY
Sevilla
Oh dear. A third defeat in a row for Sevilla and a home loss against Betis thrown in for good measure. âÂÂIt would not be a lie to say that it all went down hill after the hour,â admitted Manolo Jiménez both on SaturdayâÂÂs match and La Liga LocaâÂÂs general work ethic.
Sevilla sunk by city rivals (again)
Valencia
Hells bells. WhatâÂÂs wrong with this less than dynamic duo? SundayâÂÂs 1-0 loss in the hellmouth of Osasuna was ValenciaâÂÂs fifth away defeat in a row. And it raises some sneaky suspicions that the clubâÂÂs less than healthy financial circumstances may have forced the squad onto part-time contracts to make ends meet.
Getafe
A home game. Against Espanyol. Must do better.
Julien Faubert
âÂÂNi fu, ni faâ wrote Marca on the West Ham manâÂÂs debut. Quite.
Faubert: âÂÂNi fu, ni faâÂÂ
Espanyol, Mallorca
The two bottom dwellers both took the lead in games against Getafe and Deportivo. But they both lost them to draw their respective ties. Espanyol have not won a game since round nine and now face Sevilla, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Villarreal. They could have the finest new stadium in La Segunda at this rate.
Numancia
It was four defeats from four against the teams now being faced by Espanyol. NumanciaâÂÂs real fight against relegation starts now.
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