Real Madrid's defeat at Villarreal on Sunday dominated headlines because that is what Real Madrid's defeats do. The focus is on the vanquished giants and whether they will change their manager, but they were beaten by an excellent team who have now beaten both of the big Madrid teams at home by a single goal.
Not only did Villarreal win, they did it playing the type of expansive football that has been their hallmark for the last decade. Madrid observers said that their team could not get going – that is because the ‘Yellow Submarine’ did not let them. Congolese forward Cedric Bakambu, who signed from Turkish side Bursaspor for €7 million (Dh28.2m) in August, was a handful for Sergio Ramos and set up strike partner Roberto Soldado for a deserved eighth-minute opener. That after club stalwart Bruno Soriano had won the ball from Luka Modric as Villarreal pressed high.
Local boy Bruno, 31, has been at El Madrigal since childhood. The defensive midfielder and heart of the team stayed with the club when they were relegated in 2012 when, given he has been talented enough to play six times for Spain, he could have easily moved.
Though born in France whom he played for up to Under 20 level, Bakambu chose to play at full international level for Congo and made his debut earlier this year. He has nine goals so far this term for his club and scored twice in the previous week as Rayo Vallecano were defeated 2-1.
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On Sunday, Madrid had a spell of pressure after half-time, but Villarreal’s defence stood firm. Another African, Ivorian defender Eric Bailly who signed a year ago from Espanyol, could easily play for a bigger club. With Bailly, 21, on him, Cristiano Ronaldo did not manage a single shot on goal for the first time in a game this season. The whole Madrid team only managed a solitary shot on target, the lowest total all season.
Full-back Bailly was bought for €5.7m after Villarreal sold Gabriel Paulista to Arsenal for €15m. Villarreal are smart in the transfer market. They used to buy still-young, fading stars like Diego Forlan and Juan Riquelme. Now they buy – or loan – the most promising young players from Primera Liga clubs who do not have their €55m annual budget. Espanyol are a selling club and could not refuse the money for Bailly, where he had immediately impressed in only five games. Victor Ruiz, their last promising defender, also found his way to Villarreal.
Another central defender, Argentine Mateo Musacchio, 25, stood out against Madrid. He joined Villarreal’s B team in 2009 and has returned from injury last season to play at a high level. Like midfielder Manu Trigueros, he has spent more than half a decade at the club. This experience gives them the stability and a platform to integrate loan signings.
Brazilian forward Leo Baptistao is on loan from Atletico Madrid while Denis Suarez, played for Barcelona, Manchester City and Sevilla before signing a four year deal in August. Only 21, he has got a promising future.
Further stability comes from their manager Mercelino Garcia Toral, 50, in his fourth season at the club, the second longest serving in the Primera Liga after Diego Simeone.
Villarreal headed the league for the first time in their history earlier this season after winning five and drawing one of their six opening games. Distracted, they suffered consecutive defeats to lowly Levante and at home to highflying Celta, but they are found form again to lie currently fifth, only three points behind Madrid.
The Celta defeat was their only one at home from eight games. Away form is more suspect with a measly five goals and two wins, but Villarreal are also making steady progress in the Europa League. They have drawn Napoli in the last 32, a team they eliminated in the 2010/11 competition.
Villarreal are in a good place. Best of all, they play great football and are not afraid to attack the best sides.
Comment: Barcelona cannot afford to rest easy
Barca’s players learned that Real Madrid had lost at Villarreal during their 13-hour flight east to Japan for the Fifa Club World Cup. Enmity burns between Gerard Pique and every Real Madrid supporter, with Pique a regular goader on social media. He is adding fuel to a fire and in his mind it is a joke, but it can also become a distraction.
However, Barcelona had no reason to gloat over their own achievement this week. Coasting 2-0 against Deportivo La Coruna, they began to ease up and think about the trip to Yokohama. For the second time in 2015, the Galicians came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2.
In May, it meant Depor stayed in the league. In December, it kept them in the top six ahead of Sevilla. Draw specialists Depor (8 of their 15 games) have been one of the successes of this season. Becoming the first team to avoid defeat at Camp Nou adds to their credentials, but they should have never been in the game after Lionel Messi, who has had charges dropped against him in one of his tax cases, and Ivan Rakitic had put Barca two in front after 62 minutes. Their weaknesses are few, but Barca have conceded 10 of their 29 goals this season in the last 19 minutes of games, with manager Luis Enrique blaming his substitutes for the slip. He is yet to beat a Galician team in his three matches in charge of Barca.
The Catalans will likely slip to second behind Atletico Madrid at the top of the league this weekend as they do not play in the league, but their immediate priority is to end an incredible 2015 by being crowned world champions. Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande, winners of the 2015 Asian Champions League, await them this Thursday in Yokohama in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup. The winners face the victors of the River Plate (Copa Libertadores winners) v Sanfreece Hiroshima (Japanese champions) semi-final, played on Wednesday in Hiroshima.
Guangzhou caused a surprise, beating Concacaf champions Club America, from Mexico, 2-1 on Sunday. America had played Barcelona in the 2006 semi-finals, when Barca missed out on a first world title after losing to Internacional of Porto Alegre 1-0 in the final.
Barca aim to be world champions for the third time following successes in 2009 and 2011, though Neymar has a thigh injury is unlikely to play on Thursday.
Barca’s players are trying to overcome jetlag which, judging by the numbers of photos of the Yokohama skyline they are posting at all hours, they are struggling with, but they are clear favourites and could expect their big test to come against possibly River Plate on Sunday.
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Antoine Greizmann: Atletico Madrid do not the have a Neymar, Messi, Suarez or Ronaldo, but they do have Antoine Greizmann, who has matured into one of the Primera Liga's best attackers. He got the winner as Atletico overcame an in-form Athletic Bilbao side to go joint top with Barca.
The Frenchman has scored more winning goals than any other player in the league this season. Atleti also do not have a prolific forward like Forlan, Aguero, Falcao or Costa. Their 22 goals from 15 games is paltry and their second-highest goalscorer Saul Niguez has only four, but Griezmann’s eight league goals have pushed them to the top.
Real Betis v Sevilla, Spain's hottest inter-city derby, is on Saturday. It is the first Sevillan derby for two seasons following Betis's return to the Primera Liga. They have done well and are comfortable in mid-table, though last week's 1-0 defeat at struggling Las Palmas to a 92nd-minute goal hurt. Sevilla are seventh but have yet to win away. There is a strong incentive for the home team: Betis would go above Sevilla if they win.
What else?
Espanyol dismissed Sergio Gonzalez after the weekend defeat at Celta Vigo. Espanyol are still a creditable 12th, but they have picked up only two wins in their last 11. He has been replaced by former player Constantin Galca, a Romanian who was at Espanyol as a player. Galca impressed at Steaua Bucharest last season.
Also, Gary Neville’s first away game as Valencia boss was not short of incident. Los Che went a goal down to Eibar and then had a man sent off, before getting an 86th-minute equaliser. Neville was pleased given the circumstances on a tight pitch in the league’s smallest stadium. Valencia stay eighth and, with players returning from a lengthy injury list, will be expected to beat Getafe at the Mestalla on Saturday.
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