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| Atlético’s Gabi Fernandez tussles with Neymar during these side’s Copa del Rey quarter-final clash. Photograph: Alberto Martin/EPA |
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Celebrated summer: Neymar and Fernando
Torres will compete to express the most delight about scoring a goal in
the Spanish capital this evening Photo: REC, GETTY IMAGES
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Follow live commentary of the La Liga match between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona at Vicente Calderón on Sunday 17 May 2015 at 18.00 BST
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ATLÉTICO 0 BARCA 0
ESPANYOL 0 REAL MADRID 0
29 min
Messi is, once again, sent down in several painful installments. That must get a bit annoying after a decade or so, surely. Pedro, soon after, goes into the book for a foul on Gimenez.
26 min
Some minor Shockwave issues here, you won't be interested to hear. Back up and running, though, and this game's tempo is being hampered by the heat, it seems.
23 min
Lionel Messi is placed unceremoniously on his backside by Gabi. From the free-kick, Oblack races off his line to pluck the ball out of the blue Madrid sky.
19 min
Messi streaks forward (fully-clothed, I should clarify) and his pass almost releases Pedro, who would have been one-on-one with Oblak. Margins.
17 min
76% possession for Barcelona so far. Of course, if it falls below 70%, a bomb is automatically primed and Keanu Reeves has to come and make sure nothing terrible happens.
15 min
That early Atletico storm now officially weathered, Barcelona continue their hunt for a potentially title-securing goal. Their movement is typically waspish up front, even without 33% of their famed attacking trio.
13 min
CHANCE! Rakitic swings over a cross from the right and Lionel Messi, granted the freedom of the Atletico box, heads it straight at Oblak.
12 min
First glimpse of Barca's attacking rhythm. Neymar and Iniesta combine on the edge of the area before Messi picks up the ball and fires a shot into the midriff of Oblak.
10 min
ANOTHER BRAVO SAVE! Griezmann, it emerges, was offside anyway but Bravo wasn't to know that and instinctively flings himself to his right to palm away a top-spun half-volley. Barcelona under siege at the moment.
8 min
WHAT A SAVE! Claudio Bravo claws away a seemingly goalbound header from another Atletico corner.
6 min
Fernando Torres is bundled to the ground by Iniesta, and Diego Simeone is out of his comfy pitchside seat. Atletico force an early corner, which Barcelona struggle to clear.
4 min
It's over 30 degrees in Madrid (or just under 90 degrees, if you're old-school) and Barcelona are keeping the ball in the shade, quite sensibly.
3 min
Sky's Gerry Hamilton describe's Barcelona's squad as "a great bunch of lads". Such an underrated co-commentator, I say.
2 min
Barcelona's kit really is sensationally hi-vis.
1 min
Here we go! Atletico get the game started, exactly at the same time as Real Madrid's game at Espanyol.
AS IT STANDS: 1) Barcelona 90pts 2) Real Madrid 86pts
17.56
Handshakes are being completed, Barcelona are resplendent in Hazchem yellow, and kick-off is moments way...
17.50
Sky's Scott Minto joins the lads in the Crystal Maze's lesser-known Spanish Restaurant Zone:
17.40
Please do email your thoughts on La Liga's title race to adam.hurrey@telegraph.co.uk or condense them into 140 characters and channel them to @FootballCliches.
17.20
Every day is a double-denim day if you play for Barcelona:
17.07
Here are the teams - Fernando Torres starts for the hosts, Luis Suarez is absent for the champions elect:
Atletico: Oblak, Juanfran, Godin, Gimenez, Siqueira, M.Suarez, Gabi, Koke, Turan, Griezmann, Torres
Barcelona: Bravo, Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba, Rakitic, Iniesta, Busquets, Pedro, Messi, Neymar
17.01
Good evening. I've dragged myself away from such domestic English spectacles as Bristol Rovers bringing on a sub goalkeeper for a penalty shootout and Phil Jones falling over to tackle Olivier Giroud with his head to bring you live coverage of Barcelona's bid to secure the La Liga title from the reigning champions Atletico Madrid. With two games remaining, Barca sit four points clear of Real Madrid - who simultaneously face Espanyol - so a win for Luis Enrique's side would guarantee a 23rd league title.
I'll make sure to keep you updated with events from both matches, and how they affect the final throes of the title race.
I should also point out - with the keenness of a man who has just double-checked it on Wikipedia - that, if the two sides finish level on points after the final game, it would go down to head-to-head goal difference and Real would triumph by one solitary goal.
12.00
Adam Hurrey will be here from 17.00 to talk you through a possible league-winning evening for Barcelona in Madrid. Real take on Espanyol in Barcelona knowing that they must better Barcelona's result to maintain any hope of regaining the title.
In the meantime, why not re-live Barcelona's frightening Champions League exploits in midweek with Henry Winter's match report:
The footballing gods are smiling, laughing, revelling in the prospect. They are having their way, having guided one of their own, Lionel Messi, to the final of the Champions League in Berlin on June 6. The most accomplished footballer in the world, a winning blend of glorious talent and prodigious work rate, now graces the most important match of the year.
“Messi is just incredible,” reflected his former coach at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola, now shaping Bayern Munich’s destiny. “He is really strong, really fast, and back to his best just as when I used to train him. He is the best player of all time. I can compare him with Pele.” Or Diego Maradona. Messi deserves mention in such legendary company.
• Bayern Munich 3 Barcelona 2; agg 3-5: as it happened
Audiences around the globe, and particularly in Europe, are used to Messi the goalscorer, the elegant disabler of defences. Here at Bayern, it was Messi’s other qualities, his creativity, his appetite for contributing to team orders, pressing opponents, that so impressed.
Messi was magical. Again. Truly, it is a privilege to be following football in the age of this fabulous Argentine. It is not simply the artistry, agility and intelligence that he brings to moves time and again, shredding defences and conquering keepers with such elegance. It is the work off the ball, hounding Juan Bernat and Bastian Schweinsteiger here, making sure Bayern laboured to progress down their left.
“We had to make sure they didn’t surprise us,’’ said Barcelona’s coach, Luis Enrique, explaining a system that at times was 4-1-4-1 with Messi and Neymar covering their respective full-backs, Dani Alves and Jordi Alba. “We forced the opponent to attack us so they had to take some risk,” continued Enrique, giving an insight into his strategy for withstanding Bayern surges than hitting quickly on the break, pouring into the gaps.
Bayern’s need for goals ensured they pushed up and their defence was simply not good enough to combat attackers of the quality of Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar. Suárez was selflessness personified, running hard, taking passes from Messi and setting up both of Neymar’s first-half goals which really killed off the tie.
“It goes without saying that they have great individual qualities,’’ said Enrique of his front three. “They are very good together, work together well, and it is very difficult for opponents to control these players.”
Enrique was embraced by Guardiola at the final whistle and then praised. “Luis Enrique does really good work,’’ said Guardiola. “I want to pay a big compliment to Barcelona. I hope in Berlin they can win their fifth Champions League. They do a good job. Barcelona are very strong at the back.”
collected from:http://www.telegraph.co.uk//http://www.theguardian.com
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