Match Report: Espanyol 1 Mallorca 2

Espanyol’s hopes of European football next season took another blow as Mallorca came from behind to win 2-1 at El Prat.

Pierre Webo and Emilio Nsue got the goals for Michael Laudrup’s side - who also missed a penalty - move into the top half of the table only four points off a European slot.

The visitors started well against an Espanyol side who had regained some of their confidence with a comprehensive win over Real Sociedad last weekend. And they could have been ahead within the first 10 minutes, Jordi Amat fouling Webo inside the area but Carlos Kameni denied ‘Chori’ Castro from the penalty spot.

The hosts responded well and went ahead on 18 minutes. As so often this season José Maria Callejón was the creater sliping Álvaro Vázquez through to fire past Dudu Aouate.

Mallorca should have been on level terms before half-time but Nsue’s effort was wrongly ruled out for offside.

The visitors were much the stronger in the second period and were deservedly level on 62 minutes, the veteran Webo claiming the goal that his all round display deserved with a thundering header from Sergio Tejera’s free-kick.

With the game now stretched there were chances at both ends but it was Mallorca who struck the decisive blow with eight minutes remaining. Kameni parried Akihiro’s shot and Nsue was on hand to bury the rebound.

Espanyol remain seven points behind Villarreal and will slip down to sixth if Athletic Bilbao beat Real Zaragaoza in La Romareda tomorrow evening.

FT: Espanyol 1 (Álvaro Vázquez 18) – Mallorca 2 (Webo 62, Nsue 82)

Match Report: Espanyol 0 Real Madrid 1

So, at the end of an amazing weekend ‘hay liga’ - but how Real Madrid had to fight to make it so.

1-0 away to a side struggling since the loss of key players in January may not seem that impressive. But given the circumstances this was undoubtedly the biggest result and performance of Jose Mourinho’s time as manager at the Bernabéu.

After Barcelona’s 1-1 draw in Gijon last night the pressure was on Mourinho’s men to cut the gap at the top to five points. After two minutes the pressure had been ratcheted up at least another five points. A long ball through the middle found José María Callejón who poked the ball past Iker Casillas and in traditional Callejón style fell to the ground. Contact was minimal but probably just enough to deserve a foul and a red card for the Spanish captain.

Yet, with 10 men for 91 minutes Real were resilient in defence (protecting their young substitute goalkeeper, Antonio Adán, exceptionally well), broke with vigour and pace and if it hadn’t been for Carlos Kameni in the Espanyol goal (or arguably more accurately Emmanuel Adebayor’s finishing) Real could have had as many goals as they had players.

In the end it was stand-in captain Marcelo who got the only goal as Espanyol struggled to make the extra man count throughout the 90 minutes.

However, they could have been ahead on 13 minutes. Javi Marquez’s volley from the edge of the area deflected just wide, and from the resulting corner the same player’s drive was spooned over his own crossbar by Adebayor.

Real then began to take control. Marcelo and Sami Khedira fired in warning shots that deflected just over and Kameni bundled wide respectively, before the Brazilian full-back made the breakthrough on 24 minutes.

Cristiano Ronaldo, doing what he so often doesn’t, faking the shot to pull the defence out of position and playing in Marcelo who fired forcefully past Kameni at the near post. The goalkeeper may be slightly disappointed to have conceded given the angle of the shot but it was hit with such ferocity it is hard to be critical.

And within a minute it was nearly two. Adebayor passing up the first of his many chances with a drive that Kameni parried away to safety.

The Togolese was released in behind the Espanyol defence again eight minutes before half-time by a wonderful pass from Xabi Alonso. However, after seeing off the defender and settling himself Adebayor only contrived to spoon the ball up onto the top of the bar.

Kameni had to be on guard again to deny Ronaldo just before the break as Real’s pace on the counter was proving too much for a makeshift Espanyol backline.

In the second-half the pace and intensity of the game remained but without the same level of incident and goalmouth action. Real seemed happier to sit deep and less quick to throw bodies forward on the counter. Meanwhile, despite having more possession Espanyol lacked any sort of cutting edge in the final third. After all the talk about his contract situation in the week, Pepe more than earning his money with a fine display of aggressive defending.

Both Callejón and Ronaldo then fired across goal when a cut back to teammates in better positions might have been the better option.

With 10 minutes to go Mourinho sent on Lassana Diarra for Mesut Ozil. The Portuguese coach obviously hoping that an extra destroyer in the midfield could see the game out. The only problem for Mourinho was that his real destroyer was playing as the frontman as time and again good work by Ronaldo was not capitalised on by Adebayor.

With nine minutes to go the Portuguese winger exchanged passes with the Manchester City loanee before laying the ball across the six-yard box; Kameni getting down well to block Adebayor’s attempt to pass the ball into the net. Judging by Mourinho’s reaction he just wished he had got that number 9 in January…..oh wait.

Two minutes later and it was confirmed that Adebayor was trying to give his Portuguese teammate and coach a coronary. More good work by Ronaldo (maybe this is why he doesn’t normally pass) setting the former Arsenal man free on goal but again he was denied by the body of Kameni.

Joan Verdú then nearly nicked a point for the hosts with their best attempt of the second-half. His fine attempted chip though was well pouched by Adán.

While the plaudits will rightly go to the visitors this was a huge missed opportunity for Espanyol. Villarreal’s defeat earlier in the day had opened the door back into the Champions League race but without Osvaldo in attack and Victor Ruiz in defence they look a pale shadow of the side that did so well through the first 19 games of the season.

Not that Mourinho, Marca or the rest of the Madristas will care about that. Should the 31 times Champions somehow make it 32 come May, this weekend will have been the turning point.

Pressing and Pedro the secret keys to Barca’s success

During Barcelona’s 5-1 demolition of Espanyol on Saturday one of the Champions’ many fabled characteristics shone through – the pressure and pressing they put on the opposition backline.

A point often missed amongst the eulogising of Barca’s passing and movement is that the one of the cornerstones to their philosophy of dominating possession is how quickly they can win it back. This tactic has been employed by Pep Guardiola from his first match in charge and has been highlighted as the major difference between his and Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona that similarly shone between 2004 and 2006, winning two consecutive league titles and the 2006 Champions League.

Such intensive pressing high up the pitch does have its drawbacks. In particular it forces the next two bands of midfield and defence to push up and deny space between the lines. As a result Barca’s defensive line is often preposterously high for a team so often in control of the game – as demonstrated by Espanyol’s goal on Saturday when the visitors were leading 3-0.

However, by pressing those that are generally more uncomfortable in possession (defenders) so vigorously it also allows Barcelona to win back possession in dangerous areas of the pitch. As Sid Lowe remarked at half-time on Saturday, what was most impressive about this Barca side was its aggression and character.

One player who has demonstrated these qualities more than most this season is Pedro Rodriguez. Pedro’s brace on Saturday took his tally for the season to 11, his ninth in nine games, yet it was his all round play that caught the eye.

Playing in a more central position as Leo Messi dropped deeper to receive the ball in a ‘false nine’ position. Pedro’s link-up play, running in behind and closing down was exceptional. His first goal was made by a sublime first touch from an uncharacteristic hoof out of the Barca defence. Once it was in his stride, he laid the ball back for Messi before spinning in behind the defence, running onto Messi’s perfectly weighted through ball and finishing clinically. His second demonstrated his hunger and striker’s instinct. In a remarkably similar movement to his goal against Real Madrid, after again exchanging passes with Messi, he streaked past two defenders to tap in the rebound after Carlos Kameni had parried Messi’s original attempt.

Last season he scored 22 goals, including the amazing achievement of scoring in all six competitions Barca took part in, and important ones too. The one that sealed the title at the Bernabeu, the one that rescued the World Club Cup in the 90th minute against Estudiantes, the away goal in the San Siro against Inter in the Chmapions League semi-final. Yet, somehow it always felt that he was ignored and overshadowed in a team of star names. Many saw his success as merely a by-product of playing alongside Messi, Xavi, Andres iniesta, Dani Alves et al. He only just sneaked into the Spanish World Cup squad but, once there, proved pivotal when he got his chance to play in the latter stages, particularly against Germany in the semi-final.

Summer transfer rumours linking Robinho, Juan Mata and David Silva with an arrival at the Nou Camp also seemed disrespectful to a young man who, Messi apart, had the most successful debut season of all of the current first team’s La Masia graduates.

So far this season though any lingering doubts have been categorically dispelled. With Messi operating more and more as a deep, central forward and David Villa using his intelligence to break the defensive line from a wide-left position, as he did to such devastating effect with two goals against Espanyol and Real Madrid, Pedro’s exceptional pace offers a different dimension. As he plays narrower on the right his contribution to his side’s tight interplay around the box has developed remarkably, as shown by his involvement in the first two goals against Real Sociedad last weekend, and by playing slightly infield he allows the rampaging Alves more space to bomb in to.

Ultimately, the crucial point is that the 23 year-old from Tenerife is no longer a weak link in a devastating front five, comprising Villa, Messi, iniesta and Xavi. Rather he is a key component in that devastating quintet. 42 goals in the last 10 games is testament to that. An aggregate score of 34-2 in the last eight is even more so.

At the moment there is no stopping Barca at home or abroad. Whether any Mourinho magic can stop them come May remains to be seen but my Christmas bonus would definitely be on Barca.