Calling all Madridistas to the West Coast!

Pre-season friendly time is nearly upon us and some fantastic news, Real Madrid is returning to the West Coast of the USA. They will be based at UCLA for pre-season training and staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

They will play three friendlies. The first date, just recently announced, is Saturday July 16th LA Galaxy v Real Madrid in Los Angeles at the LA Coliseum. The second date is Wednesday July 20th is Chivas Guadalajara v Real Madrid in San Diego at Qualcomm Stadium as part of the World Series of Football. The last and final date is still to be determined. Tickets on sales are still pending.


Real Madrid plans to be on the West Coast from July 11th through July 24th - 15 days!!! Four more days than last year!


The team will then fly back to Europe to play Hertha Berlin on July 27th. Thereafter they will then fly to China for two friendlies on August 3rd against Guangzhou Evergrande FC and August 6th versus Tianjin Teda FC. Afterwards the players will return home for the Santiago Bernabeu trophy against Schalke and go straight into the double header Super Copa against Barça (August 14th and 17th). The start of the season will be the weekend of August 20-21, early, due to Euro 2012.

Phew! How exhausting! Los Merengues have a full pre-season schedule with plenty of frequent flyer miles.


Mourinho loves So Cal and UCLA, and I for one am elated to welcome Mou, the RM staff, and the boyz back to Cali.


So if you are interested in some RM magic with some R & R in Southern California, c'mon down! If you are a local or from the surrounding areas, let's party! You know that I will be there, once again, to support the club, and gather, meet and share war stories with Madridistas!

Please contact me if you are participating or getting together for this Merengue extravaganza: @eu_forzafutbol on twitter, medelliae on facebook or medelliae@gmail.com!

While I am on this topic, I wanted to let you that one of my dreams is to start an official Real Madrid penya in the Los Angeles area. It really is a shame that we don't have an LA chapter of supporters to share interests, get together for games, and celebrate our love for the biggest club in the world. I mean there is a fabulous RM NYC penya that works closely with the club. Heck, there is even a LA Cule penya. But no RMLA penya? How can this be?

I am serious, I want to bring together our passionate fans to debate, discuss and celebrate the richness of El Madrid! If you want to be part of the LA RM Penya, please contact me as well.

It's going to be a great summer for Los Blancos fans. Hala Madrid!

Update: ~ 05.20.11: Real Madrid v Philadelphia Union Saturday July 23rd!! Just announced.

Update ~5.21.2011: Go to our Real Madrid LA Peña facebook page!

Summer Exodus Abroad?

The Spanish Player's Union (AFE) recently announced that there were 300 unpaid players, the majority in Second division and that if nothing is going to change, a strike would be eminent the first week of the 2011-12 season.

The Spanish economy is not getting any better. Unemployment is at an all time high at 20%. The Euro continues to lose buying power. Spanish club indebtedness is at an all time high. Meanwhile, a potential labor strike is looming once again because teams are not paying their players timely, or at all.

Rumors continue to persist that a mass exodus of Spanish players abroad will occur this summer. Spaniards are quite versatile and very adaptable on the pitch as well as to other cultures. Players from all levels, from the stars to journeymen to canteranos and veterans are playing in England (Jose Enrique), Greece (David Fuster), Ukraine, Romania, Hong Kong, Turkey (Guiza) and the Middle East (Yeste). More are expected in Germany (Jurado), France (Azpilicueta), Italy (Victor Ruiz), Portugal (Javi Garcia), Holland, and Russia. Hey, even Sergio Koke, Malaga canterano, fresh from Aris in Greece, and still only 27, is playing in the MLS at Houston Dynamo!

But Spain are the World Champions, with the two biggest and best club teams in the world! Spain has arguably the best youth and coaching development in Europe. How could this happen?

Well, both players and coaches want a guaranteed paycheck and are attracted to the quality of life abroad. Many countries or cultures respect the privacy of players and coaches much more than in Spain, where the daily paper is big business. Some argue that cheaper South Americans and African players are squeezing out the journeymen. Whereas big name foreigners are also squeezing out the marquee players from the top teams in Spain. This is especially the case when only Real Madrid and Barcelona can afford you - see David Silva. More Spanish and ex La Liga coaches are moving abroad and making it easier to move. Ernesto Valverde and Manolo Jimenez are working in Greece, while Juande Ramos is plying his trade in the Ukraine. Bottom line with such a short sporting life, it makes career and family sense.

The perfect case in point is Schalke in the Bundesliga where you have the star veteran, Raul, journeyman, Jurado, and canterano from a smaller club who had little chance of 1st team Primera football, Sergio Escudero. I totally expect to see more and more transfers abroad this summer. But it just doesn't sit right with me. Frankly I am torn. Global experience is good for the game, coaches and players. But what ever happened to the best league in the world? Shouldn't the best league retain and promote their own players?

What do you think? Will this happen? Is this good or bad for Spanish football? I want to hear from you.

SPOTLIGHT ON YOUTH: International Callups and more

U-21 Friendlies vs France and Belarus

Spain U-21 coach Luis Milla has the luxury of calling up two different squads to each game. What can I say but the Spanish clubs are doing an amazing job at producing the next generation of footballers. The game against France will be played March 24th away and will not be the usual suspects. The game on March 28th will be a home fixture in Madrid and will be comprised of the best eleven.

Below are the team selections for each game:

France Fixture; Lots of Yellow Submarines and Merengues

Goalkeeper: Diego Mariño (Villarreal), Joel Robles (Atletico),

Defenders: Carles Planas (Barca), Daniel Sánchez Ayala (Derby County), Kiko Femenia (Hercules), Nacho (RealMadrid), Marc Bartra (Barca), Mario Gaspar (Villarreal)

Midfielders: Francisco Mérida (Atletico), Álvaro Vázquez (Espanyol), Recio (Malaga), Sergio Canales (R. Madrid), Asier Illarramendi (R. Sociedad), Iago Falqué (Villarreal), Nacho Camacho (Malaga)

Strikers: Daniel Pacheco (Liverpool) , Juan Carlos (R. Madrid), Rodri (Sevilla).


Belarus Fixture: the Usual Suspects and very Blaugrana

Goalkeepers: David De Gea (Atletico) , Ruben Miño (Barca)

Defenders: Mikel San José (At. Bilbao), Alberto Botía (Sporting), Álvaro Domínguez (At. Madrid), Andreu Fontás (Barca), Dídac Vilà (Milan)

Midfielders: Thiago Alcántara (Barca), Martín Montoya (Barca), Rubén Pérez (Depor), Dani Parejo (Getafe), Jonathan Viera Ramos (Las Palmas), Jordi Alba (Valencia), Ander Herrera (R. Zaragoza).

Attackers: Iker Muniain (At. Bilbao), Bojan Krkic (Barca), Adrián (Depor), Emilio Nsue (Mallorca), Diego Capel (Sevilla).


The One that Got Away

Many of you may have noticed that there were three Spaniards on the pitch playing for Schalke 04 when they beat Valencia in the round of 16 game in Germany. We all know Raúl and Jurado, but the new shining star at left back was young 21 year old Sergio Escudero. Escudero was a canterano at Real Murcia, who Schalke purchased for $2.5M Euros this past summer. Real Murcia, now in the third division, is experiencing deep financial troubles and this transfer was manna from heaven. But what concerns me is why didn't any of the Spanish leagues' Sporting Directors identify this diamond in the rough? Why wasn't their an offer on the table from a Spanish club? What happened to the great scouting networks? Why did the youngster have to leave Spainfor Germany to find fame and fortune? This is very worrisome indeed. On the positive side, at least he is being mentored by Raúl and Jurado.


U-17 European Championships Mini Tournament

Youth Football at the National level is an extremely important part of development of future generations. Even though one could say that U-17s are still very rough and immature, the RFEF and coaches take it very seriously. The U-17s will need to play three consecutive games this week to qualify for the U-17 European Championships. Spain's under 17 side have been drawn together with Belgium, England and Northern Ireland in Elite round group 5. Matches will take place in Belgium from 26 to 31 March, with the winners going through to the finals in Serbia.

Coach Gines Melendez' roster is as follows:

Goalkeepers: David Gómez Vázquez (Deportivo La Coruña), Alfonso Herrero Peinador (Real Madrid).

Defenders: Carlos Garrido Serrano (Sevilla), Diego Caballo Alonso (Real Madrid), Antonio Luque Quintero (Sevilla), Sergio Menéndez Fernández (Sporting Gijón), Óscar Arroyo Font (Espanyol).

Midfielders: Denis Suárez Fernández (Celta Vigo) Iker Undabarrena Martínez (Athletic Club) Pol Calvet Planellas (Barcelona), Federico Vico Villegas (Córdoba), Pablo Iñiguez de Heredia (Villarreal).

Strikers: Gerard Deulofeu (Barcelona) Iker Hernández Ezquerro (Real Sociedad) Raúl de Tomás Gómez (Real Madrid) Saúl Ñíguez (Atlético Madrid) Iván Sáez Jiménez (Real Madrid) Moisés Gómez Bordonado (Villarreal).

Interesting four players from Los Blancos.



Futbol Draft 2011 ~ The Second Cut

Futbol Draft 2011 came out with their next "cut" honoring the best youth players in Spain. They took down the list from 132 to 77. The best in each position will be honored at the end of the season at a gala event. Take notice of the players already playing in the first team of their respective clubs, players called up to the U-21s and U-17s as noted above. De Gea, Thiago, Canales, Isco, Morata, Bojan and Juan Domínguez are some of the talents selected. The future Spanish National Team of 2020? Perhaps. Youth development aka la cantera is truly on the rise in Spain.

DRAFT 77

GOALKEEPER: David De Gea Quintana- At.Madrid, Aitor Fernández Abarisqueta -At.Bilbao, Alex Sanchez Benítez- Zaragoza,
Joel Blazquez Robles- At.Madrid, Edgar Badia-Espanyol, Adrian Orton Vaño -Villarreal, Diego Mariño Villar-Villarreal

RIGHT BACK: Hugo Mallo-Celta Vigo, Joel Johnson-Valencia, Albert Blázquez Robles-Espanyol, Daniel Carvajal Ramos-R. Madrid, Martin Montoya Torralbo-Barcelona, Mario Gaspar Pérez-Villarreal, Moises Jimenez Nieto-Sevilla

LEFT BACK: ,Jon Aurtenetxe-At.Bilbao, Eric Saborit-At.Bilbao, Carles Planas Antolínez-Barcelona, Diego Alonso Caballo-R. Madrid, Antonio Manuel Luna-Sevilla, Antonio Luque Quintero-Sevilla, Victor Alvarez Delgado-Espanyol

CENTRAL DEFENDER RIGHT FOOTED: Marc Bartra Argal-Barcelona, Jonas Gimeno Ramalho-At.Bilbao, David Rochela Calvo-Dep. Coruña, Iqnasi Miquel Pons-Arsenal, Sergio Gómez Sola-Barcelona, Bernardo Victor Cruz-Córdoba, Jose Ignacio Fernandez 'Nacho' -Real Madrid

CENTRAL DEFENDER LEFT FOOTED: Marc Muniesa Martínez-Barcelona, Israel Puerto Pineda-Sevilla, Jorge Pulido Mayoral-At.Madrid, Ekhi Senar Rekondo-Osasuna, Jon Aranda Goenaga-R. Sociedad, Jordi Amat Maas-Espanyol, Iñigo Martínez Berridi-R. Sociedad

RIGHT SIDED MIDFIELDER: Jorge Resurrection (Koke)-At.Madrid, Sergio Roberto Carnicer-Barcelona, Oriol Romeu Vidal-Barcelona, Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta Etxeberria-At. Bilbao, Ruben Pardo Gutierrez-R. Sociedad, Iker Undabarrena Martinez -At.Bilbao, Jon Miquel Toral-Arsenal


LEFT SIDED MIDFIELDER: Fran Merida Perez-At. Madrid, Rafael Alcantara Do Nacismento-Barcelona, Ignacio Camacho Bartola -Malaga, Asier Illarramendi Andonegui-R. Sociedad, Alejandro Fernandez Iglesias -R. Madrid, Sergio Alvarez Diaz-Sporting Gijon, Jose García del Pozo "Recio"-Malaga


RIGHT WINGER: Sergio Gonten Gallardo-(Keko)-Girona, Kevin Lacroix Coscolina-Zaragoza, Fran Pastor Bautista-R. Madrid,
Francisco Femenía (Kiko)-Hercules, Juan Miguel Jimenez-Juanmi-Malaga, Ezequiel Calvente Criado -Betis, Julián Luque Conde -R. Santander

LEFT WINGER: Iker Muniain Goñi-At.Bilbao, Iago Falque Silva-Juventus, Pablo Sarabia Garcia-R. Madrid, Daniel Pacheco Lobato -Liverpool, Gerard Lazarus Deulofeu-Barcelona, Juan Carlos Pérez López-R. Madrid, Jesse Rodriguez-R. Madrid


SECOND STRIKER: Sergio Canales Madrazo-R. Madrid, Thiago Alcantara Do Nascimento-Barcelona, Francisco Román Alarcón (Isco)-Valencia, Alejandro Serrano (Mino) -Sp. Gijon, Juan Dominguez Lamas-Dep. Coruña, Denis Suarez Fernandez-Celta, Luis Alberto Romero Alconchel -Sevilla


CENTER FORWARD: Bojan Krkic Pérez-Barcelona, Guillermo Fernández Hierro-At. Bilbao, Borja González Tomas (Baston)-At.Madrid, Alvaro Vazquez Garcia-Espanyol, Álvaro Morata Martin-R. Madrid, Francisco Alcacer García -Valencia, Jairo Morilla Rivero-Sevilla

UEFA Champions League: The Closers

With the draw for the final eight teams announced this week, most fans of La Liga probably let out a sigh of relief: Barcelona square off against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, while Real Madrid face a tough but not exactly daunting opponent in Tottenham Hotspur. All eight teams have earned the right to be in the quarter-finals, so what can we glean from their performances so far? Which teams have the wherewithal to endure the next round of tests and go beyond? Let's take a closer look at the most vital factor, the goals, courtesy of ESPN Soccernet.

As my pseudonym implies, I'm quite fond of examining numbers. The hidden part, the middle name as it were, is that I delight in extrapolating information from those data. But one thing I am not is a coach. I'm not going to write an article on how critical it will be for Shakhtar to neutralize Lionel Messi, because what advice could I give my hypothetical defender, a player who would probably be less agile and, well, hungry? Try to keep up with him? Double-team him and hope he doesn't produce a highlight reel? No, I'm going to take a holistic approach instead and keep my focus on the team-level. I'm going to outline performance over the last eight Champions League matches for each team, and then I'll discuss where the offensive and defensive strengths and weaknesses lie. Every team has a chance of winning, and the situation in any game can take a U-turn in minutes. (Just ask Bayern Munich about Inter.) So what can a cross-examination of goalscoring tell us? More than you'd guess, and I'd like to start with offense. Below, you can see in which leg of the match each team has scored (GF = Goals scored), and below that, the percentage of goals that have come in those legs, by team.

To keep things tight, once you've taken the offense into account, take a look at a similar defensive breakdown (where GA = Goals against):

THE BIG PICTURE

Real Madrid vs. Tottenham -
Offensively, both teams excel in second-half play, so look for the most action then. In Madrid's case, los Merengues appear to come out for the second half ready to coast, but then go off to the races from minutes 61-75, the phase of a match that can crush opponents' hopes of a comeback. Most importantly, though, the final two phases of the match are the only ones in which Madrid have broken down defensively, and this pattern would feed right into Tottenham's strengths. Not only have the Hotspur bagged more goals in the second half than any other team, but they also have a knack for scoring in the final leg -- exactly when Madrid are most vulnerable in the back. Notice that Tottenham also have their best defensive numbers in the final third of the match.

For Madrid to win in style: Score early, when Tottenham are most prone to allowing goals. Take a lead into halftime, and initiate an all-out barrage of shots from minutes 61-75. Don't wait till the last minute to score, and don't sit on an early lead.

For Tottenham to win in style: Go toe-to-toe with the highest-paid team in sports for 45 minutes. Come out in the second half as though the first 15 minutes were the last of the Champions League final. Score a goal and get ready to trade punches. Counter-attacking will be key.

Chelsea vs. Manchester United -
Chelsea tend to start slowly, then spring to life, then come out from the locker room ready to put the game to bed, whereas Man U are opening and closing specialists, whose strength is earning the lead and not allowing the other team to take it away. Let me emphasize, however, that both teams have given up very few goals, so expect tight play. One goal could be the difference in either match.

For Chelsea to win in style: Rob the Red Devils from establishing an early lead, and really put them on the ropes with a goal in minutes 16-30. Take a lead into half-time and stick with the game plan on the way back onto the pitch, i.e. take away the initiative when it would least be expected.

For Manchester United to win in style: Put league hopes on hold and prove that even a weakened back line can hold off the best. Wait for the right opportunity and pounce in the second half, when the Blues are wearing down. The rest is like clockwork.

Barcelona vs. Shakhtar Donetsk -
Both teams hit the back of the net more often in the second half, and in fact, neither one has grabbed a lead in the first 15 minutes. Since both sides have scored 18 goals, you should anticipate an energetic pace from the second phase of the game onward, despite the fact that Barcelona will almost certainly dominate possession and work the ball back and forth in their trademark manner.

For Barcelona to win in style: Nearly everyone is expecting a win already, but to win in style, Barça should either score immediately or, at the very least, score in minutes 16-30 and carry a one- or two-goal lead into the half. From the restart, continue to find spaces and work against the numbers by keeping a clean sheet in the last phase, tied for their lowest point defensively, and Shakhtar's best offensively.

For Shakhtar Donetsk to win in style: Play as though there's nothing to lose, because they've already defied expectations. In other words, stick with attacking football as much as possible. Above all else, avoid coughing up an early lead, which could set off a complacency trigger.

Inter Milan vs. Schalke -
Unlike the case with the other teams, this is a tale of two halves, with Inter clearly being stronger in the first and Schalke in the second. As Samuel Eto'o's 3rd-minute goal from the last match attests, Inter come out of the gates ready to go, often taking the early lead. Schalke operate like a typical German side in that open play isn't the norm, but this is not to say Die Königsblauen lack attacking options or creativity.

For Inter Milan to win in style: Don't assume this German side is the same as the last, and don't carry a sense of relief (from last-minute drama) into the match. Score early and score again, particularly right before the half. Continue to defend strongly immediately after the break, but remain composed in the final 15 minutes.

For Schalke to win in style: Score first, which could put Milan into alarm-mode too soon and cause a burnout. Hold firm on defense when typically the weakest, from minutes 16-30 and 76-90. Score in the second half from minutes 61-75, when Inter tend to score the least but play the best defensively.

Although it's true that eight matches don't tell the whole story, they provide enough information to establish noticeable patterns. Tottenham clearly rely more on offensive production than, say, Man U. Which style of play suits your fancy? Who do you think will go through to the semi-finals? For my part...

But wait, I almost forgot my name. It isn't Mr. Prognosticator, after all.

Data Head writes for Fantasy Football Stats, covering the details of both the English Premier League and La Liga Yahoo! Fantasy Football games.

Champions League: Schalke 3-1 Valencia CF

What did we learn from the 3-1 drubbing of Valencia CF in Germany as Felix Magath's troubled side did one over on Unai Emery's? We learned that this is, as yet, not a finished product for neither Unai Emery nor Los Che. We learned that they had at least an extra-time assured in Germany with Ricardo Costa's 16th minute header and they held that for 23 minutes until Farfan's slotted an unbelievable goal from the set-piece; the other two goals were padding on an already full cake. We also learned that Manuel Neuer is better than Guaita behind respective goals, or at least on this stage, and that Schalke's Felix Magath still has something to show inexperienced coaches like Unai Emery.

More importantly we may yet see the day, that after a decade or more of neglect by the Spanish Football Federation, second-tier clubs in Spain start costing them European slots as a Federation. This is still early days, we have some other clubs ready to step in if Valencia are not capable of carrying the torch for representatives of this Other Liga, but it is no fluke that a club like Schalke who are 10th and 31 points behind leaders Dortmund in the Bundesliga have been able to knock third seed Valencia out of the Champions League.

Valencia fans will focus on what wasn't called, some dubious non-penalties and some missed chances, but the answer is more complicated than the after-effects of one half or two matches. It is not so much that the German League is competitive, far more competitive than their Spanish counter-parts, and that the revenue sharing is more equal accordingly, but that there is so much more parity both in financial and sporting terms in Germany. In the Bundesliga everyone has a shot; not so much in Spain. That may be the key difference in approach.

Valencia may have been content to side with Barcelona and Real Madrid with their watered-down financial proposals to include secondary teams in the Spanish league contracts, but it may be worse for them in the long run. The league title is a pipe-dream. Everyone knows that the rich in Spain will get richer, but does anyone care if the Spanish seconds can't compete with their equals in other leagues? If anything, I hope that's not the lesson to be learned here.

La Liga vs Europe: FIRST BLOOD

We are back from the break. Nice as it may have been, most of us couldn't wait for battle to resume amongst the Gladiators on the Big Arena of Europe. La Liga's Gladiators return to the big stage in their quest for the ultimate prize for club football's quintessential trophy. So we begin our analysis / predictions for the 1st leg of battle, starting with the Europa League...


Napoli vs Villareal: For neutral lovers of La Liga and Serie A, these two teams have a huge followings. I believe this game has the ability to turn into one of the best games of the year. Both teams move the ball in a sweet manner and play very attractive football. Villareal holds a slight edge over Napoli in the fact that they possess a more complete squad and did very good not to lose any key performers despite the huge offers that came their way in January. It remains to be seen if Nilmar will be fully fit to join his strike partner Rossi in the first leg, but the rest of the squad has comfortably delivered without the Brasilian striker. This game should boil down to little details like first goal, the ability to maintain discipline etc, I'll stick my neck out for a draw in this one.



Sevilla vs FC Porto: How the mighty have truly fallen! Sevilla honestly look like Getafe right now. They can't deliver back to back victories and they do not seem to have an established goal that they want to achieve. I doubt they would be able to stop Porto. That said, they did add some key players to their squad during the winter market. I'm not sure on Rakitic ( whose price was a huge steal), If he is eligible to play, then Porto would be looking at a much different Sevilla. He clearly would be one to deliver the services that Sevilla strikers have been praying for. That said, Porto are in good form, got a bigger squad and have the Portuguese factor working for them (Braga already dealt with Sevilla). It would be hard for Sevilla to knick a draw in this one, which is the best result scenario I see Sevilla achieving.



To the Champions League, where the Gladiators are ready to spill blood, 3 games against teams from the big 5 leagues of Europe. It should be fun!


Arsenal vs Barçelona: Let's visit one of Europe's most popular cities London. As the Gunners try to prove that they are Men who can stop the Blaugrana assassins from blowing them to pieces. Can Arsenal in all fairness achieve such a feat? Well in football they say "Never say Never" until the final whistle is blown..... but I say a big NO, not this Arsenal side which is still no different from the past Arsenal teams. They have the same problem of not knowing what to do with possession and they do not play like a team that has the capacity to withstand Barsa's pressure. Their defense is not at par with teams such as Valencia, Villareal or Madrid and these are defenses that Barsa has bursted through. But maybe this might just be their lucky day and their defense could stand strong and Barcelona would just forget that it's a champions league game...... Barcelona wins 3-1.



Olympique Lyonais vs Real Madrid; This is a match a lot of Madridistas been waiting for. This game has become one of the most regular fixtures in the Champions League. It has been a matchup for 5 straight seasons. It makes one wonder if the gods of the game were trying to correct an anomaly. Lyon has had it good for the past 4 seasons and funny thing is that their performances have continued to dwindle every season after wins against Madrid. Right now Lyon has lost it's fear factor in Ligue 1 and it seems to be rubbing off on them in Europe. But they still are a formidable opponent, come rain or shine. Meanwhile Real has this jinx that they need to put to rest, and with Barcelona currently blowing away at the top of La Liga, Real might just put more attention and focus on the Champions League. The Loss of Higuain is still being felt, but the still got huge assets in the attack with Benzema and Adebayor. They both have experienced the Lyon firepower and know how Lyon plays. Lyon have also lost Makoun to the EPL. He was quite a handfull in their midfield. This game has been following a strange trend over the last four seasons...... 3-0,2-0,1-0 this might be a sign that Lyon dominance of Madrid has come to an end and Mourinho's men could finally break the Lyon cycle and round of 16 jinx at the same time. I predict the first leg will end in a draw or Real Madrid victory.



Valencia vs Schalke: Lastly we look at the toughest game of the knockout stage (Yes i said it and stand by it), Two teams currently in the shadows of the bigger boys in their various leagues and not having the best of seasons. Valencia has had a better league campaign so far when compared to her German counterparts, Valencia had a strong performance in the group stage and could have easily topped their group, if their coach was willing to show more guts. Now they are in the knockout stage and it's a do or die affair, now, no time to play safe, Los Che need that result at home before going to Deustchland which is no friendly place for any team to visit and earn an easy result. Los Che didn't lose any key starter in the transfer market, which is another good sign for them. Schalke lost Rakitic and Jones. Right now the momentum should be with Valencia but Schalke do bring to the table some players who do know La Liga inside out and have tasted victory in the Mestalla. Raul, Mertzelder, Jurado and even Huntelaar do know what the Mestalla has to offer and Raul has poached a few goals in same staduim. But still Valencia should be able to worsen things for Felix Magath's side and get that victory. 2-0 or 3-1 to Los Che is my prediction.



Final round up: In summary, I believe after the first leg matches, 4 of La Liga's Gladiators will have one foot in the next round of the knockout phase.

Article by Rapheal Harry for Forza Futbol.