LALIGA – Page 51 – Football Flame
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Barcelona turmoil continues as Arthur refuses to play in Champions League

Arthur Melo of FC Barcelona controls the ball during the Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 1, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. Barcelona's turbulent season has taken another turn after their midfielder Arthur Melo told the club he does not wish to play for them anymore. The 23-year-old is currently in his native Brazil following the conclusion of the La Liga season, but he was expected to return for the conclusion of Barca's Champions League campaign. Quique Setien's side face Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 tie on August 8, with the scores level at 1-1 following the first game in Italy. If they are victorious they will then take part in a mini-tournament held in Lisbon between August 12-23, where the quarter-finals, semi-fin...
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LALIGA

Barcelona reject Celta’s Rafinha offer – report

Rafinha of Celta Vigo celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the Liga match between RC Celta de Vigo and Deportivo Alaves at Abanca-Balaídos on June 21, 2020 in Vigo, Spain. Barcelona have rejected Celta Vigo’s offer of €10 million for Rafinha and are holding out for €16m for the 27-year-old. Rafinha has spent the season at Balaidos and did enough to tempt Celta into trying to land him permanently but the club can’t meet his asking price, according to Mundo Deportivo. Coach Oscar Garcia was keen to keep hold of Rafinha but their offer has been rejected, and the report reckons the midfielder could now head to Serie A. MD claim one unnamed Italian club have already been on the phone to discuss Rafinha’s availability but aren’t likely to meet the €16m price either. ...
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LALIGA

Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery named manager of Villarreal

Unai Emery, coach of Sevilla kisses the trophy after the UEFA Europa League Final match between FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and FC Sevilla on May 27, 2015 in Warsaw, Poland. Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been named as the new manager of La Liga side Villarreal. The Spanish outfit have handed Emery a three-year deal to succeed Javier Calleja, who left the club earlier this week. Emery, 48, who led Villarreal's rivals Valencia into the Champions League earlier in his career, has been out of the game since parting company with Arsenal last November. The announcement sees Emery return to his native Spain, where he also enjoyed success with Sevilla, winning the Europa League three years in succession before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2016. A statement from Villarreal rea...
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LALIGA

Leganes relegated, Messi claims golden boot again

Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides second goal during the Liga match between Deportivo Alaves and FC Barcelona at Estadio de Mendizorroza on July 19, 2020 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. La Liga champions Real Madrid signed off with a 2-2 draw at Leganes, which saw the hosts relegated. Leganes had to win to stand a chance of overhauling Celta Vigo, whose draw at Espanyol proved enough to keep them up by a point. Los Blancos - who had secured the league title on Thursday - took the lead through a header from captain Sergio Ramos. Bryan Gil equalised just before half-time, but Marco Asensio put Real back in front early in the second half before Roger Assale's 78th-minute goal set up a tense finale, but there was to be no late drama. Zined...
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LALIGA

Real Madrid wins La Liga title as Benzema net twice to defeat Villarreal

Real Madrid's players celebrate winning the Liga title after the Spanish League football match between Real Madrid CF and Villarreal CF at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Valdebebas, on the outskirts of Madrid, on July 16, 2020. Real Madrid were crowned La Liga champions for the 34th time on Thursday after Karim Benzema scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Villarreal, winning the title with one game to spare. Benzema's double included a second-half penalty at the empty Alfredo di Stefano Stadium as Madrid moved seven points clear to end Barcelona's two-year hold on the trophy. Barca had to prevail against Osasuna at home and hope Madrid slipped up but their fading challenge ended with a 2-1 defeat at Camp Nou, despite a brilliant Lionel Messi free-kick. It means Madrid claim thei...
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LALIGA

Real Madrid one win from La Liga crown after beating Grenada

Sergio Ramos of Real Madird gestures after a tackle against Darwin Machís of Granada during the Liga match between Granada CF and Real Madrid CF at on July 13, 2020 in Granada, Spain. Real Madrid need one victory to secure La Liga after they held off a second-half comeback from Granada on Monday to win 2-1 and move four points clear of Barcelona. With two games left, Madrid will be crowned champions if they beat Villarreal at home on Thursday (tomorrow) regardless of how Barca fare at the Camp Nou against Osasuna.  But they were made to sweat by a Granada team that are gunning for Europe and have been arguably the division’s surprise of the season after being promoted from second tier last year. Ferland Mendy and Karim Benzema looked to have set Madrid on course for a comfo...
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Sevilla beat Real Mallorca to move closer to Champions League

Lucas Ocampos of Sevilla celebrates with Munir El Haddadi and Sergio Reguilon after scoring his team's first goal during the La Liga match between Sevilla FC and RCD Mallorca at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on July 12, 2020 in Seville, Spain. Sevilla closed in on Champions League qualification as they won 2-0 against Real Mallorca at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Lucas Ocampos opened the scoring with a 41st-minute penalty that was awarded, via VAR, for a handball by Alejandro Pozo, and Youssef En-Nesyri added a second in the 84th minute. A fourth successive LaLiga win for Julen Lopetegui's fourth-placed men leaves them level on points with third-placed Atletico Madrid and nine clear of Villarreal in fifth, who host Real Sociedad on Monday. Mallorca, meanwhile, have dropped ...
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Antoine Griezmann set to miss rest of La Liga season with injury

Antoine Griezmann of FC Barcelona warms up prior to the La Liga Santander match between Real Valladolid v FC Barcelona at the Estadio Municipal Jose Zorrilla on July 11, 2020 in Valladolid, Spain. Antoine Griezmann could miss the rest of the Spanish league because of a muscle injury. Barcelona said tests conducted on Sunday showed that Griezmann has a right thigh injury that will keep him sidelined. The club did not say how long the Frenchman is expected to be out, but he is not expected to fully recover for Barcelona's last two league matches. It also remains unclear if he will be fit for the team's Champions League game against Napoli in August. Barcelona is one point behind Spanish league leader Real Madrid, which visits midtable Granada on Monday. Griezmann was substitu...
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LALIGA

Barcelona beat Real Valladolid 1-0 to keep LaLiga title race alive

Arturo Vidal of Barcelona scores his team's first goal during the Liga match between Real Valladolid CF and FC Barcelona at Jose Zorrilla on July 11, 2020 in Valladolid, Spain. Arturo Vidal scored for Barcelona to beat a feisty Valladolid 1-0 on Saturday and keep the pressure on leader Real Madrid as the Spanish league approaches its climax. Barcelona closed to within one point of Madrid, which has a game in hand, as it tries to defend a title it has won for two consecutive years. Vidal scored in the 15th minute after being set up by Lionel Messi, who, like most of his teammates, had a discreet outing at Valladolid’s Jose Zorilla Stadium empty of fans for health precautions for the pandemic. Madrid plays at Granada on Monday. Its final two matches are against a Villarreal fightin...
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Sevilla fight back for 2-1 win against Athletic Bilbao

Ever Banega of Sevilla celebrates 1-1 with Munir El Haddadi of Sevilla during the La Liga Santander match between Athletic de Bilbao v Sevilla at the Estadio San Mames on July 9, 2020 in Bilbao Spain. Sevilla beats Athletic Bilbao 2-1 in the Spanish first division on Thursday, moving closer to a Champions League berth. The come-from-behind victory in Bilbao left Sevilla tied on points with third-place Atletico Madrid and increased its gap to fifth-place Villarreal to six points with three rounds to go. Only the top four qualify for next season's Champions League. It was the third league win in a row for Sevilla. It had drawn four straight before that. Ninth-place Athletic, which lost ground in the fight for a Europa League spot, opened the scoring through Ander Capa in the 29th b...
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Barcelona defeats Espanyol 1-0 to keep title hopes alive

Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona scores a goal to Diego Lopez of RCD Espanyol during the Liga match between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol de Barcelona at Camp Nou Stadium on July 8, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona kept its title hopes alive with a 1-0 win in the city derby against Espanyol in the Spanish league on Wednesday, sealing the rival's relegation for the first time in nearly three decades. Luis Suarez scored the winning goal early in the second half to move Barcelona within a point of leader Real Madrid and send Espanyol to the second division after 26 straight seasons in the top flight. Real Madrid can reclaim a four-point lead with three rounds left with a home win against relegation-threatened Alaves on Friday. Madrid, seeking its first league title in three years, has a ...
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LALIGA

Manuel Pellegrini reportedly set to coach Real Betis

Manuel Pellegrini Former Real Madrid and Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini is set to take over at La Liga side Real Betis from next season, Spanish newspaper El Pais said on Wednesday. The report in El Pais said the Chilean, 66, has agreed to sign a two-year contract with the option of a third year with Betis, who sacked coach Rubi last month. One of Spain's best-supported clubs with more than 50,000 season ticket holders, Betis are currently 14th in La Liga, nine points above the relegation zone. A report in newspaper Marca said the club wishes to wait until they have mathematically guaranteed their status in the top flight before announcing they have hired Pellegrini. Pellegrini won the Premier League title with City in 2014 as well as two League Cups and had successful s...
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LALIGA

Sevilla 1-0 Eibar: Lucas Ocampos helps hosts strengthen grip on fourth place

Paulo Oliveira of Eibar and Lucas Ocampos of Sevilla in action during the Liga match between Sevilla FC and SD Eibar at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on July 6, 2020 in Sevilla, Spain. It was a night to remember for Sevilla forward Lucas Ocampos in the Spanish league on Monday. The Argentine led his team to a crucial victory by scoring the winning goal early in the second half and making the winning save deep in stoppage time while replacing his team's injured goalkeeper. The 1-0 victory over Eibar strengthened Sevilla's grip on fourth place and kept the team on track to secure the final Champions League berth. With four rounds to go, Sevilla opened a six-point gap to fifth-placed Villarreal, who lost to Barcelona on Sunday.  Sevilla were within two points of third-placed At...
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LALIGA

Sergio Ramos scores another penalty as Real Madrid take step closer to title

Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid celebrates 0-1 with Rodrygo of Real Madrid during the La Liga Santander match between Athletic de Bilbao v Real Madrid at the Estadio San Mames on July 5, 2020 in Bilbao Spain. Real Madrid took a huge step towards the title after moving provisionally seven points clear of Barcelona at the top of LaLiga thanks to a late Sergio Ramos penalty at San Mames on Sunday. Zinedine Zidane’s side went four ahead of Barca on Thursday after a Ramos spot-kick secured a 1-0 win at home to Getafe and the captain repeated the trick in this match after Marcelo was fouled by Dani Garcia. The Brazilian went flying in the area with 68 minutes gone and play initially went on, but the referee decided to consult the screen at the side of the pitch after a VAR check as the left-b...
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Valencia held to a 2-2 draw at Granada

Manu Vallejo of Valencia CF scores his teams first goal during the Liga match between Granada CF and Valencia CF at Mestalla Stadium on July 04, 2020 in Granada, Spain. Valencia were held to a 2-2 draw in the Spanish league at Granada on Saturday. The result ended Valencia’s three-game losing streak but extended its winless run to four matches. It has won only one of seven matches since the league resumed and is ninth in the standings, in danger of missing out on European action next season. Granada grabbed a late equalizer with Fede Vico’s free kick in the 86th minute. It had opened the scoring with a penalty kick converted by Carlos Fernandez in the 61st, but the visitors quickly rallied with goals by Manu Vallejo in the 63rd and Goncalo Guedes in the 68th. Vico’s free kick wen...
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Alvaro Morata nets brace to help Atletico Madrid to 3-0 win over Mallorca

Atletico Madrid's Spanish forward Alvaro Morata (L) challenges Real Mallorca's Serbian defender Aleksandar Sedlar during the Spanish League football match between Atletico Madrid and Mallorca at the Wanda Metropolitan stadium in Madrid on July 3, 2020. Alvaro Morata scored twice to lead Atletico Madrid to a 3-0 win over Mallorca and extend their strong finish to the Spanish league on Friday. Diego Simeone’s team has long been out of the title race being disputed by leader Real Madrid and second-placed Barcelona, which they trail by eight points. But Atletico is one of the hottest teams as LaLiga ticks down before it shifts focus to the Champions League final eight to be played in Portugal next month. In March when the league was halted, Atletico were struggling to secure a Champi...
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LALIGA

Lionel Messi reportedly Unwilling to renew Contract at Barcelona

Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona waves to the crowd prior to the Joan Gamper trophy friendly match at Nou Camp on August 04, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi has called off negotiations over renewing his contract with the club and is ready to leave the Catalans when his current deal expires in 2021, according to a report by Spanish radio station Cadena Ser on Friday. The report said Messi and his father Jorge had begun discussing renewing his last deal with the club, which was signed in 2017, but that he no longer wishes to stay at the Camp Nou. The report added that Messi is angry about leaked media reports that appeared to make him seem responsible for events at the club, such as the January sacking of coach Ernesto Valverde, and that he is frustrated about the...
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LALIGA

Karim Benzema’s moment of magic sends Real Madrid two points clear of Barcelona

Karim Benzema of Real Madrid assists teammate Casemiro for their side's first goal during the Liga match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid CF at RCDE Stadium on June 28, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. A moment of magic from Karim Benzema gave Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol that moved them two points clear of Barcelona at the top of LaLiga. Zinedine Zidane’s side came into this match having watched Barca drop points in a 2-2 draw away to Celta Vigo on Saturday and made the most of the opportunity, taking a firm grip of the Spanish title race. The breakthrough at the RCDE Stadium came on the stroke of halftime, with Benzema back-heeling a pass through the legs of an opposition defender to set up Casemiro for a close range finish into an empty net. That proved to be the decisive ...
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Espanyol dismiss current manager Abelardo Fernandez

Head coach Abelardo Fernandez of RCD Espanyol looks on prior to the start the La Liga match between CA Osasuna and RCD Espanyol at El Sadar Stadium on March 08, 2020 in Pamplona, Spain. Espanyol have sacked coach Abelardo Fernandez, the third manager they have dispensed with this season, as they fight to extend their 26-year stay in La Liga. Fernandez was appointed in December after David Gallego and Pablo Machin were each dismissed, but despite a positive start since play resumed following a three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic, Thursday's 1-0 defeat at Real Betis proved the last straw. "Espanyol announce that Abelardo Fernandez has been relieved of his duties as first team coach," the Barcelona club said in a statement. "This decision has been taken due to the team...
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Real Madrid ease past Mallorca to take over at the top

Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring the 2-0 during the La Liga match between Real Madrid and RCD Mallorca played at Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium on June 24, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. Real Madrid eased to a 2-0 home victory over Real Mallorca thanks to goals in each half from Vinicius Jr. and Sergio Ramos to stay in charge of the La Liga title race ahead of Barcelona. Brazilian youngster Vinicius opened the scoring with a cool finish in the 19th minute after missing an earlier chance and he hit the crossbar later in the first half. Captain Ramos doubled Madrid's lead with a superb free kick, curling the ball over the wall and into the top corner to score his eighth goal of the league season and his 10th in all competitions. Real's fourth win in a row since the season r...
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