Posted by Joseph Zucker

It was a bit of a drab weekend in Spain. A total of 21 goals were scored in the nine matches over the weekend. You didn't even get to watch the dismantling of clubs by either Real Madrid or Barcelona. The teams 4th-7th in the table will be disappointed because by leaving points on the table, they either failed to take a hold of a Champions League place, or in Levante’s place, create some space from the 5th-place team.

Athletic Bilbao 3-3 Espanyol (Match of the Week)

This match saw the 5th- and 6th-ranked teams facing off Going into the week, this was the match that was highlighted by all of the neutrals, and it did not disappoint. For Bilbao, it was an opportunity both Espanyol and Levante and claim the 4th spot. Bilbao dominated much of the match, but it didn’t show on the scoreline. Although they went up 1-0 on the strength of an Oscar goal in the 26th minute, Romaric of Espanyol equalized after an unlikely goal in the 33rd minute. Vladimir Weiss made it 2-1 to Espanyol in the 48th minute with what is probably the goal of the week.

Athletic, though, stormed back to make it 3-2 after goals from Fernando Llorente and Javi Martinez. It looked like three points were in the bag for them. That was, until Martinez slipped and allowed Juan Albin an open shot on goal, which he finished a minute into injury time. It was definitely a point gained by Espanyol and two points lost for Bilbao. If you have ESPN3, go and watch the replay because it was a very thrilling game.

Levante 1-1 Racing Santander

Much like Bilbao, Levante will be kicking themselves for letting an equalizer cost them two points. It was a really good opportunity for Levante to have made up some ground on Valencia at third place. Also, it could have increase some breathing room between themselves and the clubs on the outside looking in on Champions League qualification. You have to wonder if Levante are beginning to run out of steam. They’ve now gone six games without a win and have Real Madrid on Feb. 12th. If this is it for Levante, it’s been a great run for the club.

Mallorca 1-0 Real Betis

It was a very well played match for Mallorca. After a free kick from Gonzalo Castro put them up 1-0, it was pretty much smooth sailing from there. Although they didn’t have the majority of possession, Betis failed to get a shot on target. They weren’t helped after Mario was sent off for picking up a second yellow. However, Mallorca saw two players sent off after both Ivan Ramis and Víctor Casadesús when they both received two yellows as well.

Getafe 0-1 Real Madrid

Madrid maintained their seven-point lead atop the La Liga table following a win against Getafe. They really bossed the game throughout. You could see the frustration on the Getafe players as they committed needless fouls. Six players for Getafe were booked. Sergio Ramos headed in what would prove to be the winning goal off a corner in the 18th minute. Getafe almost went up early into the match when Diego Castro put a volley over the net from about three yards out. It was the closest Getafe would come to finding the net. You have to credit Getafe Miguel Moya because he performed very well when called upon.

Barcelona 2-1 Real Sociedad

It was a dream first league start for 20-year-old winger Cristian Tello. He opened the scoring with a goal in the 8th minute. Following that goal, Barca had a bit of a tough time the rest of the way. Lionel Messi doubled the lead in the 72nd, but Carlos Vela then halved the deficit two minutes later. When you look at the possession numbers (Barcelona had 71% percent.), it would seem as if Sociedad were simply outclassed. That wasn’t necessarily the case. Victor Valdes had to make a couple of good saves to keep Sociedad from equalizing prior to the Messi goal.

Sporting Gijon 1-1 Osasuna

Inaki Tejada made his managerial debut for Sporting, but he failed to get the club any closer to safety after picking up only a draw against Osasuna. It shouldn’t be considered a bad result, though, with Osasuna sitting ninth in the table. Gonzalez Carmelo opened the scoring for Gijon with a goal following a fabulous cross from Nacho Cases in the 32nd minute. Dejan Lekic equalized in the 77th minuted. For Osasuna, the story is much the same as every other mid-table club. It’s very packed right now and every victory means getting closer to fourth place.

Sevilla 1-2 Villarreal

Villarreal finally escaped the drop zone after picking up all three points against Sevilla, which was also the Yellow Submarines’ first away win of the season. It was a bit of a microcosm for Villarreal’s season. Borja Valero gave them the lead in the 21st minute, but an own goal from Bruno a little over 10 minutes later made the scoreline 1-1. It was a frustrating match for both teams because they had very good chances to go up, but just couldn’t find the back of the net. In the 81st minute, Javier Camuñas gave Villarreal the much-needed win. They seem to be playing much better and receiving the new-manager bump from José Francisco Molina. A late win like this could really kick the rest of their season on.

Real Zaragoza 1-2 Rayo Vallecano

For Zaragoza, it was their 13th loss in 21 matches. On only 12 points, they seemed destined for relegation. Things started so well for Zaragoza, too, after Hélder Postiga put them up in the 33rd minute. It was a lead they would maintain for 42 minutes, until Diego Costa leveled things up in the 75th minute. Michu then scored the winner in the 82nd minute. It was a heartbreaking defeat for Zaragoza, and it’s now 14 matches they’ve gone without a victory.

Atlético Madrid 0-0 Valencia

Going in, you had to know this match wasn’t going to be pretty on the eyes, and in that respect, it didn’t disappoint. Interestingly enough, both teams had an equal amount of goals scored, 31. And that number would remain the same after 90 minutes. There were a total of four shots on target between the two teams, and quite honestly, there wasn’t a whole lot of action. The closest either team came to scoring was in the 65th minute when Radamel Falcao had a shot blocked off the line by Adil Rami. It was a great job by Rami to be in position to make the block. It was really difficult for either club to gain a serious advantage. Atleti supporters may look at the result as a continuation of the good run under Diego Simeone, but it looks like two points lost. As the last match of the weekend, the club had a golden opportunity as a win would have put them in 4th place.