El Gran Derbi: Joaquin vs Navas
by LaLiga March 12, 2021 March 12, 2021 News / Opinion
When the captains shake hands just before the kick-off in El Gran Derbi this season, it's an encounter between two true club and city symbols: Real Betis' Joaquín and Sevilla's Jesús Navas are already bona fide legends for their respective institutions.
They're record breakers. Joaquin, for example, is the second all-time top appearance maker in LaLiga Santander, second only to the great Andoni Zubizarreta, and the most tenured active player in the league. Jesus Navas, meanwhile, has made more appearances for Sevilla in both LaLiga and all competitions than anyone in history.
These two players are all-time icons as they've achieved so much for their teams. They represent the values of their respective clubs and their returns to Spanish football, in 2015 for Joaquín and in 2017 for Navas, have been a welcome addition to one of the most anticipated fixtures in LaLiga Santander and European football: the Seville derby.
This will actually be just the ninth time they'll meet in the Seville derby, but their derby rivalry dates all the way back to 2005. The two Spaniards first took each other on in this fixture in the 35th round of the 2004/05 season, a match with huge implications for European qualification as Real Betis' 1-0 victory ultimately earned them Champions League qualification as they finished fourth, two points ahead of sixth-placed Sevilla.
There hasn't been a single draw yet in the derbies when these two players have both been involved. Joaquín has been on the winning side four times and headed in the winner for a 1-0 win in the first meeting of the season 2018/19 (their last victory), while Navas has tasted derby day glory four times against Joaquín, including in last season's 2-0 win at the Sanchez-Pizjuan. Joaquin missed out on this season's first meeting in January (1-1).
This is 39-year-old Joaquín's 21st season in professional football and 34-year-old Navas' 18th. They've been starring in LaLiga Santander for so long that Joaquín actually faced current Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui once in 2001 when the tactician was a goalkeeper for Rayo Vallecano, while Navas made his Sevilla debut before his club had ever won a European trophy. They now have seven of them.
These two players have been stewards of their clubs for almost two decades. Even though they both spent some time at other clubs and abroad, they have always remained supporters of their teams and have always been tuning into El Gran Derbi, even if from a sofa in Florence or Manchester. Now they're both back and in the thick of it.
LaLiga's Week Preview
LaLiga Santander Matchday 27 preview: Derby fever grips Valencia and Seville
Not only is Matchday 27 important because the business end of the season has arrived, but this round is also huge because there are two historic derbies taking place on Friday and Sunday night. In Valencia, Levante UD and Valencia CF will continue their rivalry and, down south in Seville, the latest battle between Sevilla FC and Real Betis will take place with qualification for Europe on the line.
The derby atmosphere begins from the very start of this round, as the Friday night fixture at 21:00 CET is the clash between Los Granotas and Los Che at the Ciutat de València. Their first meeting of the 2020/21 season was all the way back in the first matchday and that game was a thriller, as Valencia twice came from behind to win 4-2.
On Saturday night, there is another derby as Atlético de Madrid face opposition from within the capital for the second weekend in a row. After drawing 1-1 with Real Madrid last weekend, the league leaders now face the short trip to Getafe CF. This is a fixture that has brought Atleti a lot of joy in recent years as Diego Simeone has faced the Azulones 18 times as coach, enjoying 16 wins and two draws while seeing his team score 34 total goals while, incredibly, conceding zero. It's an incredible stat and it will be put to the test again this weekend.
Then, at 9pm CET on Sunday night, there is a huge fixture as Sevilla FC and Real Betis square off at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. With the former currently in fourth on 48 points and the latter in sixth on 42 points, this another game with major European qualification implications.
More than that, though, it is one of world football's most electric derby matches. Seville is a city that breathes football and these two teams have been rivals for over 100 years, splitting the city into one red half and one green half on derby day. The fact that the captains Jesús Navas and Joaquín represent their clubs so well is yet another reason why this fixture has been so special in recent seasons.
LaLiga's week review
by LaLiga March 9, 2021 March 9, 2021 News / Opinion
Derbies aplenty in LaLiga Santander, presidential elections at Barcelona, a new signing at Elche… It's been a busy week in Spanish football and here's all you need to know to stay up to date.
Spoils shared in the Madrid derby
Football fans around the world were focused on the Madrid derby on Sunday afternoon as Atlético de Madrid welcomed city rivals Real Madrid to the Wanda Metropolitano. Goals from Luis Suárez and Karim Benzema saw the teams share the spoils in a 1-1 draw, ensuring the LaLiga title race remains as tight as ever as we enter the final third of the season.
Joan Laporta is elected Barcelona president
Sunday was presidential election day at Barcelona, with former president Joan Laporta winning the vote and returning to the top seat of the Camp Nou boardroom. He took a 54.28% share of the total votes cast, while Víctor Font picked up 29.99% and Toni Freixa 8.58%.
Barcelona to face Athletic Club in the 20/21 Copa del Rey final
In a busy week in the Catalan capital, perhaps the most momentous moment of Barcelona's week was their epic comeback victory in their Copa del Rey semi-final against Sevilla. A stoppage time Gerard Piqué goal took the tie to extra time, during which Martin Braithwaite scored the winner. In the other semi-final, Athletic Club also won in extra time, overcoming Levante UD. It'll be Barcelona vs Athletic Club, then, in the 2020/21 Copa del Rey final.
Pablo Piatti returns to LaLiga Santander
There was a new arrival in Spanish football's top division this week as Elche CF signed free agent Pablo Piatti, who had most recently played with Toronto FC. The Argentine winger has lots of experience at this level, having previously played for UD Almería, Valencia CF and RCD Espanyol, scoring 48 LaLiga Santander goals across 294 matches.
Valencia edge a thrilling derby against Villarreal
Matchday 26 got going with a derby in the Valencian Community, as Valencia welcomed Villarreal to Mestalla. Although Villarreal led for most of the game, Los Che mounted a late comeback as a Carlos Soler penalty and a Gonçalo Guedes blast earned them a 2-1 win that will feel extra sweet.
Records at Real Madrid
Real Madrid's Monday night draw with Real Sociedad last week saw a couple of their players hit impressive milestones. Vínicius, still just 20, made his 100th appearance for the first team, and scored the equaliser in the 1-1 draw. Toni Kroos, meanwhile, made his 309th appearance to mean he has now overtaken Uli Stielike as the German with the most matches in club history.
Another Player of the Month award for Messi
Lionel Messi has won LaLiga Santander's Player of the Month award for February, after scoring seven goals across his five league fixtures. This is the eighth time that the Argentine star has won this award since its launch in 2013, and his first since February 2020.
Valencia CF coach Javi Gracia, about the clash against Villarreal CF
by LaLiga March 5, 2021 March 5, 2021 News / Press Release
Ahead of their next clash in LaLiga against Villarreal CF (Saturday 4am Malaysia Time), Valencia CF trained for the last time at Paterna sporting venue in order to ultimate the tactical details for the upcoming game.The coach Javi Gracia has talked on a press conference about how they are going to face the game after the tough defeat they suffered in matchday 25 against Getafe CF. He has said the players are ambitious and ready to play well and get the victory they need to recover good feelings.The only confirmed absence for this fixture is Mouctar Diakhaby, who has to deal with a one-game suspension due to the red card he saw in the last LaLiga game. On the other hand, Denis Cheryshev and Cristiano Piccini still don't have the medical all clear and their presence in the game will depend on them receiving it before it or not. In any case, coming from their physical issues, it's impossible to imagine they could make it into the game as Gracia said to the media.
PRESS CONFERENCE WITH JAVI GRACIA:
"I DON'T KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE RESULTS MUST BE BETTER, AND ON THE OTHER HAND I ALSO SEE THAT IN THE LAST FIVE GAMES, IN WHICH I THINK WE HAVE PLAYED TWO REALLY BAD GAMES, IN THAT NUMBER OF GAMES WE HAVE BEEN THE EIGHTH TEAM WITH THE MOST POINTS. I AM NOT CONSOLED BY THE FACT THAT OTHERS ARE WORSE THAN US, BUT WE DO COMPETEAGAINST TEAMS. IS THERE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT? YES. DO WE NEED TO BE MORE AMBITIOUS? YES. DO WE HAVE TO IMPROVE OUR RESULTS? YES, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GIVE POSITIVITY TO ALL THE WORK THAT THE TEAM DOES EVERY DAY, WHICH DOES NOT TRANSLATE INTO GOOD RESULTS, BUT I AM CONVINCED THAT IN THE NEXT GAMES WE CAN PLAY BETTER, GET BETTER RESULTS AND BE IN A BETTER SITUATION".
"WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT US, WHICH IS TOMORROW'S GAME AGAINST AN OPPONENT THAT I THINK HAVE A STYLE OF POSSESSION AND WHO WE ALREADY FACED IN THE FIRST ROUND AND I THINK IT WAS PRETTY EVENLY MATCHED. WE WERE BEATEN, THEY MADE IT 1-0 WITH THE PENALTY, THEN 1-1, WE SCORED FROM A STRATEGIC PLAY, AND THEN WE WERE 2-1 DOWN WITH A SHOT FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX THAT WENT WIDE, BUT WE ALSO HAD OUR CHANCES IN THAT GAME. WE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE A GAME THAT WILL BE HARD-FOUGHT AGAIN AND WITH ALTERNATIVES".
"GONZALO HAS DONE THE WHOLE WORKOUT AND HE'S FINE, I THINK IT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TREATMENT AT THE END OF THE WORKOUT BUT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM. CHERYSHEV HAS BEEN STRUGGLING WITH A CALF INJURY FOR SOME TIME NOW, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN QUITE OPTIMISTIC THAT HE WOULD BE FIT SOON. LAST WEEK HE WAS TRAINING, BUT AGAIN HE HAD DISCOMFORTS IN THE SAME PLACE THAT PREVENTED HIM FROM PROGRESSING IN HIS IMPROVEMENT. TODAY WE ARE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, HE IS WORKING BUT HE IS STILL NOT WELL. I THINK HE WILL BE READY SOON BUT IT WILL DEPEND ON HIS EVOLUTION IN A PLACE WHERE HE HAS ALREADY HAD PROBLEMS. PICCINI HAS A PARTICULAR SITUATION, HE COMES FROM A SERIOUS INJURY, HE IS TRYING TO RECOVER WELL".
Valencia CF vs Villarreal CF: a 'new' historic rivalry
There is a derby atmosphere in the Valencian air right now, in the city and across the Valencian Community region on Spain's eastern seaboard. As well as the city derby coming up between Levante UD and Valencia CF in the middle of March, but there's also a meeting between Valencia CF and Villarreal CF at Mestalla this coming weekend.
This clash comes at a time when the recent trajectories of the two clubs haven't exactly lined up with their historical records. Villarreal CF may be a relative newcomer in Spain's top division when considering the entire history of the league, but they've become a LaLiga Santander regular over the past two decades and have often competed in European competition, making it to the Europa League time and time again and even into the Champions League. That's what happened last season as their fifth place finish in 2019/20 earned them their latest European ticket.
Los Che, on the other hand, didn't qualify for Europe last season. Traditionally, though, they've boasted strong squads and currently have talented players who want to climb the LaLiga Santander standings and return to the top spots, the ones that bring national and international prestige. The regional derby against Villarreal CF is always a good opportunity to make such a statement, for the morale that a derby win can bring and for the points that can have a great effect on the standings.
Ironically, few teams know and understand Valencia quite like Unai Emery's side. As well as the coach himself, there are five players in the current Villarreal CF first-team squad with a past at Valencia. Just this past summer, the Yellow Submarine signed both Francis Coquelin and Dani Parejo, the former Valencia CF captain, from their neighbours. They have joined Raúl Albiol, Jaume Costa and Paco Alcácer, who also know what it's like to call Mestalla home and who experienced some great moments during their time in white. On the other side of the divide, Denis Cheryshev and Gabriel Paulista are currently in the Valencia CF squad but previously wore yellow. Before them, the likes of Roberto Soldado, Carlos Marchena, Víctor Ruiz, Javi Fuego and Andrés Palop all spent time at both these east coast clubs.
ATHLETIC CLUB DE BILBAO-VILLARREAL PARTIDO
From historic 'germanor' to a serious rivalry in just a few years
The movement of players has marked the change in the relationship between the two clubs, from one of 'germanor' – the Valencian word for brotherhood – to one of increasing rivalry. Villarreal have even started to compete with Valencia in the transfer market. The Jorge López transfer in 2003 marked a before and after, seeing him move to Valencia from Villarreal after the player put pressure on the Yellow Submarine's directors to authorise the move. Then there was Fabián Ayala, one of the best defenders in Spain in the early 00s, who didn't renew his Valencia contract so that he could go to Villarreal for free – though he eventually ended up playing for Real Zaragoza instead.
On the pitch, the clashes between the two clubs intensified from 2004 onwards, when Valencia eliminated Villarreal from the UEFA Cup with a goal from Mista. Since then, the sporting rivalry has grown continuously and there was another memorable moment in 2011 when it was Villarreal who knocked their rivals out of a competition, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to send Los Che packing from that year's Copa del Rey with a 4-2 win. One year later, it was Valencia who sunk Villarreal down to LaLiga SmartBank level with a Jonas Gonçalves goal in a 1-0 win on the penultimate matchday of the 2011/12 season.
After spending just a single season back down at LaLiga SmartBank level, Villarreal have remained in the top division ever since and have enjoyed some memorable results at the home of their rivals. Across 2016 and 2017, Villarreal won three times in a row at Mestalla with Roberto Soldado leading the line for them. The team in yellow have really grown since their last promotion back into the top division and have only once finished below sixth over the past seven seasons. This consistency and strength has made them a reference for football in the Valencian Community and they have truly become a rival that can look Valencia in the eyes.
A derby for the Valencian Community crown
The recent performances of these two institutions contrasts with their history, as Villarreal didn't enjoy their first top-flight season until 1998. Even though they slipped back out of the top tier on two occasions since then, their leadership stuck to their plan each time and they achieved bounce-back promotions. That has allowed them to keep dreaming of European football. Even though their city has a population of just 50,000 – around half of whom could fit in their 23,500-capacity Estadio de la Cerámica, the tallest building in the city – this team managed to reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2005/06 and were a penalty away from the chance to go to the final.
Valencia, conversely, have been one of the classic clubs of Spanish football's top division and are one of just nine teams to have crowned themselves champions of LaLiga Santander, while they haven't suffered a relegation since 1985. Although they won the Copa del Rey title as recently as in 2019, they haven't enjoyed the solidity and consistency of their regional rivals in recent years. Despite the different histories of these two clubs, the balance in this derby is much more even than their respective trophy cabinets would suggest. This regional rivalry match has, therefore, become one of the hottest fixtures around in recent years, one that stands out for all football fans.
Watch Valencia CF vs Villarreal CF live this Saturday at 4am on beIN Sports.
Five things you may not know about the Madrid Derby
With the city of Madrid boasting two of the very best teams in Spanish and European football history, the capital city rivalry is an exciting and fascinating one. So much history… but here are five things you might not know about the fixture.
1. Atlético were formed in reaction to Real Madrid
A group of Basque students living in Madrid attended the first ever Copa del Rey final in 1903 between Bilbao's Athletic Club and Madrid FC, the team that would go on to become Real Madrid. They disliked the way Madrid FC played and 18 days later created a Madrid-based subsidiary of Athletic… which would go on to become Atlético de Madrid.
2. Atlético once went 14 years without a derby win, but it's a very different story now
Between 1999 and 2013, Atlético de Madrid endured derby hell. They didn't win in 25 meetings with Real Madrid, until the arrival of Diego Simeone eventually changed their fortunes. Since that rojiblancos victory, the derby balance has shifted; they've won 9 of the 30 derbies played since then, while also drawing 10 and losing 11 (all competitions). The record in LaLiga Santander is 4 victories and 4 defeats in 15 derbies.
3. Atletico fans began the tradition of celebrating at Cibeles fountain, not Real Madrid!
During the 1970s, the tradition of celebrating titles with fellow fans of your team at certain points in the city began to emerge in Spanish football. The Cibeles fountain, located in the very centre of Madrid, emerged as an ideal meeting point for such fans and though today closely associated with Real Madrid it was actually Atleti fans to first started to hold their celebrations there, after a LaLiga title win in 1977. Over time, other fans began to copy them and it became the fan meeting point in the city for title wins; throughout the 1980s, Real Madrid fans would celebrate the victories of the iconic Quinta del Buitre generation there. By the time Atletico won another title in 1991 – the Copa del Rey – Cibeles had become so closely associated with Real Madrid that their fans decided to move their celebrations 600 metres down the city's Paseo de la Castellana avenue to Netptune's fountain.
4. This used to be a bigger fixture than ElClasico
Today Real Madrid's arch rivals are FC Barcelona but the Madrid derby was a bigger deal in the first couple of decades after the Spanish Civil War ended in 1939. As the all-time great Alfredo Di Stéfano once said: "Forget Barcelona… the team that can frustrate us is Atlético."
5. Nine of Atlético's Copa del Rey wins have come at the Bernabéu
Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu stadium is, funnily enough, a very special place for Atlético de Madrid fans. Los Colchoneros have won the Copa del Rey on 10 occasions, with a remarkable nine of those successes coming at their arch rivals' stadium. Of their 10 cup final successes, only the 1996 victory against FC Barcelona was held at a different ground: Real Zaragoza's La Romareda.
Watch Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid this Sunday at [LOCAL TIME] on [LOCAL BROADCASTER].
The Madrid's Derby: Zidane vs Simeone
The two coaches have met several times as coaches in the Madrid derby, while their head-to-head rivalry goes back to their playing days.
Zinedine Zidane and Diego Simeone will take their places in the Wanda Metropolitano dugouts for the Madrid derby on March 7th with a long history of rivalry between the two.
The French and Argentine icons have met in the Madrid derby on 13 occasions, 12 times as coaches and once as players. Beyond the Spanish capital, they also faced off against each other a further eight times during their playing days in Italy where Zidane played for Juventus and Simeone represented Inter Milan and Lazio.
Their one Madrid derby meeting on the pitch
These two players' high-profile careers in the Spanish capital only just overlapped, providing only one direct derby match-up, in December 2003. Neither will forget the game in a hurry; it was the night that the great Ronaldo Nazario scored the fastest goal in the fixture's history (16 seconds) to send Real Madrid on their way to a 2-0 win.
Simeone played at centre back that night instead of his usual midfield role. Zidane set up in the middle of the park and played a part in the build-up to the goal, which neither Simeone nor his former long-time coaching assistant German 'El Mono' Burgos, Atleti's goalkeeper that day, could do anything about.
That encounter turned out to be the final meeting between Zidane and Simeone as players and tilted the balance in favour of the Frenchman. Their final head-to-head record as players, taking into account their appearances in Serie A, ended with four wins for Zidane, two draws and three wins for Simeone.
The rivalry moves to the dugout
That 2003 derby came at a time when Real Madrid completely dominated the fixture. Real Madrid went from 1999 to 2013 without losing to their neighbours but Simeone was the man to turn the tide, leading his side to victory in the 2013 Copa del Rey final. From that day on the initiative looked to be in Atleti's hands, and Zidane actually lost his first derby as Real Madrid coach: a 1-0 reverse at the Bernabeu in 2015/16.
Today Zidane has the edge with six victories, four draws and two defeats in his head to head with Simeone. That second defeat, though, didn't really feel like a loss for Zidane as it came in the second leg of their 2016/17 Champions League semi-final: Real Madrid advanced to the final on aggregate anyway.
The European Cup final between these two tacticians also fell in Zidane's favour, as Real Madrid won the 2015/16 Champions League final in Milan against their city rivals on penalties.
Interestingly, the four draws between these coaches have all come the league. There have been eight LaLiga Santander meetings between the coaches, with the first being an Atletico win, the second going to Real Madrid win, then four finishing with the spoils being shared before Los Blancos edged the two last derbies: 1-0 in the Matchday 22 of the season 2019/20, and 2-0 in the first derbi this season.
It promises to be another tight affair when these two giants meet again on March 7th, the 14th meeting between these two LaLiga icons – in particular with LaLiga title on the table and Atleti riding high in the table as standalone leaders.
A huge LaLiga Santander matchday took place over this past weekend, just after some thrilling European matches involving Spanish sides. Off the pitch, there have been award nominations and boardroom moves too. All of that and more is discussed below.
LaLiga Santander leaders get back to winning ways
Atlético Madrid had had a tough February, winning just one of their five games across all competitions before their game against Villarreal CF on Sunday night. After back-to-back losses, one against Levante UD in LaLiga Santander and one against Chelsea in the Champions League, they needed a positive result and got one, winning 2-0 away at the Yellow Submarine. Diego Simeone's side still have a cushion at the top of the table.
Ferland Mendy's sensational strike
Real Madrid returned to European action this past week and they did so with a win, overcoming Atalanta 1-0 away from home in their Champions League last 16 first leg. It was left-back Ferland Mendy who produced the winning goal, doing so in style in the final moments of the match. That gives Los Blancos a good result to defend in the second leg later in March.
Granada's historic night in Naples
The 2020/21 season is Granada's first ever in European competition and they're still alive, reaching the Europa League last 16 after overcoming historic Italian side Napoli 3-2 on aggregate. Their win in Naples will go down as one of their best ever moments and made the front page headlines across Spain the following morning. Meanwhile, Villarreal CF also progressed to the last 16 by beating RB Salzburg, while Real Sociedad bowed out away at Manchester United.
Real Betis win the Andalusia Day derby
Sunday February 28th was Andalusia Day and there was an Andalusian derby in LaLiga Santander to celebrate it, with Real Betis making the short trip to take on Cádiz. As these two colourful teams met under the Sunday afternoon sunshine, it was an even contest for the most part. But, a late goal from Juanmi saw Real Betis earn a 1-0 win to make it an extra special Andalusia Day for them.
LaLiga Santander Matchday 25 preview: A blockbuster weekend lies ahead
by LaLiga February 26, 2021 February 25, 2021 Opinion
Matchday 25 of the 2020/21 LaLiga Santander season is set to be a momentous one as the top six sides in the standings face off against each other. Leaders Atlético de Madrid visit sixth-placed Villarreal CF at 9pm CET on Sunday night, while second-placed Real Madrid host fifth-placed Real Sociedad at the same 9pm CET time slot on Monday night. Before that, fourth-placed Sevilla FC welcome FC Barcelona, third-placed, to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán at 4.15pm CET on Saturday.
The first of the weekend's three blockbuster matches is the Saturday afternoon showdown between Sevilla FC and FC Barcelona. These two teams have already met each other twice this season, having played out a 1-1 draw in LaLiga Santander at the Camp Nou in October and having just met in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals at the start of February when Sevilla secured a 2-0 advantage.
Sevilla haven't finished above the Catalan club in the end-of-season standings since 1969/70, but they have an excellent opportunity to achieve that this year as Julen Lopetegui's side were ahead of this weekend's opponents until this Wednesday. The Rojiblancos are in an excellent run of form as they have won their past six matches in league play and haven't conceded a single goal in the past five of these fixtures.
With Moroocan keeper Bono in goal and with a solid central defensive partnership of Diego Carlos and Jules Koundé, Sevilla have, along with Atleti, the joint-best defensive record in the division with just 16 goals conceded. Barça, though, boast Lionel Messi and there is no team that the Argentine has scored more frequently against in his career than Sevilla, with a mindblowing 37 goals from 41 games. It'll be thrilling to see who comes out on top.
Villarreal CF vs Atlético de Madrid is the next of the weekend's heavyweight bouts, a match between two teams desperate to return to winning ways. Villarreal have been struggling of late in LaLiga Santander and are winless in their past six league matches. Atleti, meanwhile have only won one of their past four games and have already dropped the same number of points in the second half of the 2020/21 season as they did in the entirety of the first half.
Atleti dropped points against Villarreal earlier this season when they played out a goalless draw in the Spanish capital. They meet again this weekend knowing it will be a fascinating tactical battle as Unai Emery and Diego Simeone are two of the best coaches in European football. It'll be interesting to see how this footballing chess match plays out on Sunday night.
The last fixture of Matchday 25 is also one of the best, with Real Madrid hosting Real Sociedad on Monday evening. They played out a 0-0 draw when they met in the Basque Country earlier in the season, but their matches before that had been very entertaining. In their seven previous meetings before this season, there were 4.4 goals per game on average across four Real Madrid wins and three Real Sociedad wins.
Making this showdown even more exciting is the fact that La Real's Alexander Isak is the most in-form striker in LaLiga Santander right now. The Swedish forward has scored in each of his past six league outings, netting a whopping nine times. With the reigning champions missing several players, especially in defence, Isak will look to take advantage in this match that could significantly influence the title race and the push for Champions League qualification.
LaLiga unites with UNAOC on ONE HUMANITY campaign to promote global change
by LaLiga February 25, 2021 February 25, 2021 News / Opinion / Press Release
Both organizations join forces to promote and raise public awareness around social responsibility
Madrid , February 25 2021 – LaLiga and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) have signed a global memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which they will work together to promote and raise public awareness around social responsibility for the next two seasons (21/22 and 22/23).
Both organizations will work to promote and raise public awareness around social responsibility through different projects and tools. The pillars of the agreement will be promoting education, combating racism and discrimination based on religion, belief, ethnicity or gender, social integration and gender equality.
By signing the MoU, both institutions have agreed to work together on a set of promotional activities with the launch of the first communication campaign titled "ONE HUMANITY. The inspiring video includes passionate and strong messages from key players of the following LaLiga clubs: Real Madrid CF , Real Sociedad, Athletic Club, Deportivo Alavés, SD Huesca, CA Osasuna, RC Celta, Atlético de Madrid, Levante UD, Real Betis, Granada CF, Sevilla FC, Valencia CF, and Elche CF.
Both organizations will amplify their projects globally through their communication channels . As part of the MoU, UNAOC will also support LaLiga with its CSR and educational projects worldwide.
A signing ceremony took place at LaLiga's headquarters in Madrid, with the the presence of Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga, and Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative for UNAOC.
Moratinos commented on this new partnership: "It is an honor to work with LaLiga on this strategic alliance, to help promote a better society, especially through the most loved sport in the world, football. It is my hope that this deepened cooperation between UNAOC and LaLiga, a world leader in leisure and entertainment, helps us build a greater community and provides us with a great deal of value."
Javier Tebas added: The transmission of values through all our international alliances is vital and this strategic collaboration with UNAOC is a great example. Together with UNAOC and the involvement of all our participating clubs, I am positive that we will achieve our goals to foster and spread awareness around equality, diversity, and social responsibility."
By signing this Memorandum of Understanding with UNAOC, LaLiga continues to bolster ties with the world's most important organisations and institutions on an international stage. The new agreement is a further demonstration of LaLiga's commitment to developing the love of football all over the globe.