The Tower of Hercules in A Coruña, built in the 2nd century CE, is the oldest Roman lighthouse currently in service.

There will be a Spanish team in a European final, but it is not the team that many expected.  Atlético Madrid completed their strange and wonderful trip to the Europa League final with an extra time goal by Diego Forlán against Liverpool.  As per usual, Atlético did not win the second leg of their Europa League semifinal against Liverpool, losing 2-1, but for the third consecutive round, Los Colchoneros progressed on the away goals rule.  Normally, if a team only wins twice throughout its whole European campaign, it has a million to one shot of advancing to a European final.

Who better than the 2009-10 Atlético Madrid team to defy any logic.

Only receiving the parachute from the Champions League to the Europa League with a last matchday group stage draw against APOEL Nicosia, Atleti completed the Champions League group with zero wins and three draws.  Their only two wins in the Europa League knockout phase came against Galatasaray with a Diego Forlán goal at the death and against Liverpool with another Forlán late show goal.

Although standing a mediocre tenth in La Liga, Atlético looks forward to their hectic May schedule with two cup finals scattered among their final four league matches.  The 2009-10 Atlético Madrid team is reminiscent of the 2000-01 Liverpool team that won the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup, and the League Cup but only finished third in the Premier League.  Atlético would have certainly taken third place in La Liga, but cup triumph is in the forefront of their minds, and they will likely be a shell of themselves when they face Sevilla on Sunday afternoon.  Atlético has nothing for which to play in the league, and Sevilla continues to fight Mallorca and Villarreal for the final Champions League berth.

Do not be surprised if Sevilla runs over Atlético Madrid with ease.

Then there is that other Spanish team that competed in a European semifinal.  Barcelona failed in its attempt to win consecutive European Cups since the AC Milan teams of Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten completed the double in 1989 and 1990.  The vaunted attack could not break through Inter Milan’s brick wall, and now they have seventy-two hours to recover from their Champions League hangover to encounter a Villarreal outfit that has enjoyed a renaissance under their second trainer of the season, Juan Carlos Garrido.

After their disastrous start to the campaign, Villarreal has climbed to within four points of Mallorca for the final Champions League place, and while they have recently done well on their travels, Villarreal relies on its solid home record, earning thirty-nine of their fifty-two total points at El Madrigal.  Because they dug themselves such a cavernous hole early in the season, they cannot afford to lose any of their last four matches if they have any inkling of joining Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Valencia in the Champions League next season.

Barcelona could only muster a draw at the Camp Nou at the beginning of the new year against Villarreal because of an inspired performance by the Yellow Submarine, David Fuster in particular, so the question arising from this match is if Barcelona can recover and regain their wits about them to focus on their slim one point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga, or will Villarreal derail the already faltering Barça train with their new-found confidence and panache.

The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Note: ESPN 360 has rebranded itself as ESPN3.

May 1

Málaga vs. Sporting Gijón – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Real Valladolid vs. Getafe – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Tenerife vs. Racing de Santander – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 458

Deportivo La Coruña vs. Real Zaragoza – 11:55 AM on Gol TV

Espanyol vs. Valencia – 1:55 PM on Gol TV

Villarreal vs. FC Barcelona – 3:55 PM on Gol TV

May 2

Sevilla vs. Atlético Madrid – 10:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Real Madrid vs. Osasuna – 12:55 PM on ESPN2 HD/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Athletic Bilbao vs. Mallorca – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Unfortunately, the Xerez – Almería match at El Chapín will not be shown on US TV

The Plaça de Catalunya in Barcelona's city center links old Barcelona with modern Barcelona.

La Liga heads down the home stretch with five matches remaining, and Jornada 34 is littered with matches between the top and the bottom of the table.

FC Barcelona hosts Xerez at the Camp Nou in the early Saturday kickoff, and both teams are running opposite of their position in the standings.  Despite propping the ladder and laying six points away from relegation safety, Xerez has only lost one of their last seven contests, and they are playing with a vigor and desperation that has inspired a group of players that seemed resigned to dropping to the Segunda División as late as a couple of months ago.

As for Barcelona, Espanyol frustrated them in El Derbi Barceloní 0-0 last weekend, and then Inter Milan struck them with an unexpected upper-cut on Tuesday with a 3-1 upending of the current European champions.   Normally, the discussion about a Barcelona – Xerez matchup would center on how wide the final margin would be in favor of Barça, but the excellent form of Xerez combined with the “stumbling” and possibly unfocused Blaugrana side with the second leg of the Champions League semifinal in mid-week should create an intriguing juxtaposition between two drastically different teams.

Barcelona’s championship rivals Real Madrid travel to Aragon and encounter a Real Zaragoza team that needs to earn a few more points to disassociate themselves from the relegation fight.  Los Blancos took advantage of Barcelona’s slip at Espanyol when they defeated Valencia 2-0 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, and they sit one point behind the Catalans, prowling the landscape like a hungry wolf spying on its prey.  They cannot take Zaragoza lightly, however, because they have shared the points with Zaragoza in their last three matches at La Romareda, and if Real does not win their final five matches, any hope of snagging La Liga from Barcelona will be in vain.

Real Zaragoza comes into their match with Real Madrid in decent form, losing only one of their last five, including two draws against Athletic Bilbao and Mallorca and a 3-0 drubbing of Valencia.  Six points away from the magic forty point tally, José Aurelio Gay and his band of winter signings have turned Zaragoza’s fortunes around in the second half of the season.  Zaragoza gave a late scare to Barcelona at La Romareda in March, nearly overcoming a 0-3 deficit, and adding their anger from their 6-0 humiliation at Madrid earlier in the season, revenge will be in the forefront in the minds of the Zaragoza players on Saturday night.

Of all the teams in the relegation scrap, Málaga has done the least to ascend from the fight.  Winless in their last six matches, they visit the fortress known as the ONO Estadi on Sunday afternoon to meet a confident Mallorca side.  Mallorca continues to battle Sevilla for the final Champions League spot, and their fourteen for sixteen haul at home has been the surprise package of La Liga this season.  With Tenerife playing an Atlético Madrid team that could care less about their five remaining La Liga fixtures, Málaga will likely find themselves in the bottom three unless they can pull a monumental upset in Mallorca.

The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Note: ESPN 360 has rebranded itself as ESPN3.

Apr. 24

FC Barcelona vs. Xerez – 11:55 AM on Gol TV

Real Zaragoza vs. Real Madrid – 1:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Valencia vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 3:55 PM on Gol TV

Apr. 25

Almería vs. Espanyol – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Mallorca vs. Málaga – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Racing de Santander vs. Villarreal – 10:55 AM on Gol TV

Atlético Madrid vs. Tenerife – 12:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Getafe vs. Sevilla – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Apr. 26

Osasuna vs. Athletic Bilbao – 2:55 PM on DirecTV channel 456

Unfortunately, the crucial bottom of the table clash between Sporting Gijón and Real Valladolid at El Molinón will not be shown on US TV.

UEFA Champions League

Barcelona finds itself requiring a multi-goal win over Inter Milan to advance to the UEFA Champions League final in Madrid on May 22.  José Mourinho’s team made Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernández look pedestrian, and Inter took advantage of Barça’s normally efficient and effective back four.

As per usual after a loss, Barça had plenty to say about the referee and their opposition after the match.  This trait mars a truly historical team, who does not need to fall into this blame game nearly every time they fail to win.  Pedro Rodríguez complained how referee Olegário Benquerença interrupted the match with too many fouls, Sergio Busquets claimed that Barcelona dominated the match despite the scoreline, and the leader of the excuses, Xavi, reportedly shouted at Mourinho how Inter’s win was partly due to Benquerença’s bias for Mourinho since they are both Portuguese.

Excuses aside, Barcelona will feel confident inviting their Italian adversaries to the Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.  Even though they will expect Mourinho to keep the match at 0-0 for its entirety, the power of the Culés in the massive 98,000 stadium and Barça’s constant offensive pressure will test Inter Milan’s nerve and resolve to its outstretched ends.  The fate of Serie A in the Champions League for future years rests on Internazionale.

The German Bundesliga is on Serie A’s tail in the UEFA league coefficient, and with Bayern Munich and Hamburg fighting for European finals in the Champions League and the Europa League, the Bundesliga has a decent chance of replacing Serie A as the third-ranked league in Europe, thus earning four Champions League berths.  Serie A will lose one of their Champions League places if the league falls in the ranking to fourth, so not only the Inter die-hards of the Curva Nord will support Inter but all of Italy.

Apr. 27

Olympique Lyonnais vs. Bayern Munich – 2:30 PM on FSN HD and Fox Sports en Español (Lyon 0 – 1 Bayern Munich after the first leg)

Apr. 28

FC Barcelona vs. Inter Milan – 2:30 PM on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español (Barcelona 1 – 3 Inter Milan after the first leg)

UEFA Europa League

Atlético Madrid threw in the towel in La Liga many weeks ago, so their focus gazed upon their domestic and European cup exploits.  Atleti will face Sevilla in the final of the Copa del Rey, and through the first leg of the Europa League semifinal, they hold a tenuous 1-0 lead over Liverpool as they travel to Anfield on Thursday evening.

The volcanic ash spewing out from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland forced Liverpool to recreate their own version of the Steve Martin and John Candy comedy Planes, Trains, and Automobiles to reach Madrid, and while the Reds made no excuses about their journey to the Spanish capital, their ponderous and lethargic performance against Atlético Madrid would suggest that their travels directly affected their play.

Luckily for Liverpool, Atlético could not capitalize on most of their chances.  Los Colchoneros felt the absence of Sergio Agüero due to suspension, as even Diego Forlán’s goal was a product of a mishit from a few yards away.  Former Atlético players Maxi Rodríguez and native son Fernando Torres were unable to play for Liverpool, the former cup-tied and the latter due to knee problems, and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard created little inspiration as the match flew by with little consequence at either end of the pitch.

How typical for Atlético Madrid.  If they had won by two or more goals, it would have denied their fans, Los Colchoneros, to self-loathe and pessimistically look to the future.  Bottle the angst of the pre-2004 Boston Red Sox fans and the “lovable loser” moniker of the Chicago Cubs fans, shake it up with fury, and the football piety of Atlético Madrid supporters fizzes out.  And they would not want it any other way.

Apr. 29

Liverpool vs. Atlético Madrid – 2:55 PM on Gol TV (Liverpool 0 – 1 Atlético Madrid after the first leg)

Fulham vs. Hamburg – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 461 (461-1 for HD) (8:00 PM on delay on Gol TV) (Fulham 0 – 0 Hamburg after the first leg)

Last Saturday’s telecast of El Clásico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu was the highest-rated and most-watched program on Spanish-language cable television this year.

El Clásico was seen on ESPN Deportes by an average of 466,000 Hispanic homes and 783,000 Hispanic viewers.  As for the normal La Liga matches shown on ESPN Deportes every weekend, the live telecasts average 95,000 Hispanic households and 139,000 Hispanic viewers.

These figures are great news in the United States for ESPN Deportes and its Spanish-speaking population.  The Primera División de México, the Mexican football league, is by far the most watched football league for Hispanics in the United States, and for a foreign league to garner consistent support on a weekly basis can only help spread the popularity of La Liga and Spanish football throughout the United States.  Considering the fact that ESPN, DirecTV, and Gol TV cannot set their weekly schedules too far ahead because of the LFP’s policy of revealing kickoff times only seven to ten days before each round, ESPN Deportes has done well to attract this many viewers.

On hand, I do not have the ratings for Gol TV and its English language telecast of El Clásico, but with Gol TV as a bilingual channel, the number of viewers should be on par or even greater than those who watched Real Madrid -Barcelona on ESPN Deportes.

The Roman Theater in Málaga was discovered in 1951, and its origins date back to the time of the Roman Empire and Caesar Augustus.

With El Clásico in the rear-view mirror, La Liga continues forward with a mid-week round that will help shape the European and relegation battles.

For Real Madrid, a mid-week match should be good for them so that they can move on quickly from a mentally and physically draining edition of El Clásico.  With Barcelona holding a three-point lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over Real Madrid, Los Merengues know that any slip-up in their final seven matches will spell certain doom if they have any aspirations of reclaiming La Liga from Barcelona.  They journey to Andalucía and encounter an Almería side that were played off the pitch by Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Despite that setback, Juan Manuel Lillo has led Almería to a second-half renaissance and sit a comfortable eleven points above the drop zone.  He will have to right his defense that were dizzied by Athletic Club to counter an angry Real Madrid.  Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuaín, and their teammates will want to prove a point that they have not given up on the season, and Manuel Pellegrini knows that if he does not win out, the axe will likely fall on him.

A few weeks ago, the teams involved in the fight for the final Champions League spot and the two Europa League berths mired in mediocrity, as none of them seized the race by the throat.  Those same teams will regret not taking advantage of the previous situation because they now are all playing well with the season peaking to its climax.

Villarreal and Getafe currently stand as the first two teams outside of the final Europa League place, and they meet in the late Tuesday kickoff in a critical match that could eliminate the loser from European contention.  Getafe has only lost one of their last seven matches with a 3-3-1 record.  Getafe has adjusted well without Roberto Soldado as their lone striker.  Miku continues to deputize for Soldado, and Manu and Pedro León have stepped up to share the scoring load with Miku in Soldado’s absence.

After Real Madrid obliterated Villarreal 6-2 in late February, the Yellow Submarine has sailed smoothly in La Liga.  Villarreal has played even better than Getafe recently, losing only one of their last eight matches with a 5-2-1 record.  Juan Carlos Garrido shifted from Ernesto Valverde’s 4-2-3-1 to a more attacking 4-3-3, and their recent results speak for themselves.  The forward trio of Joseba Llorente flanked by Nilmar on his right and Giuseppe Rossi on his left has given stability to an attack that sputtered throughout the majority of the season.

Villarreal has only won twice in fifteen away matches this season, but they won their most recent away trip at Real Valladolid.  While Getafe is light years ahead of the supine Pucela, Villarreal’s confidence remains at a season high, and it will be the jobs of Derek Boateng and Fabio Celestini to disrupt Villarreal’s passing football in the midfield.

Athletic Bilbao, in opposition to Getafe and Villarreal, control their own destiny in terms of European qualification.  Two points ahead of Villarreal for the final Europa League spot and three points behind Sevilla for the final Champions League place, Joaquin Caparrós’ squad looks poised to return to Europe next season.  At this point of the calendar last season, the only objective was the Copa del Rey final because they were well behind the European spots as well as far enough above the relegation zone to be secure in the top flight.

Athletic Bilbao travel to the Mestalla on Thursday night to face a Valencia club whose seemingly inevitable third place finish has suddenly come into question.  Gutted by their elimination from the Europa League by Atlético Madrid, Los Che were a shell of themselves on Sunday when they lost to Mallorca 3-2, a score that hid their deficiencies that night.  Sevilla and Mallorca are only five points behind them for automatic qualification into the group stage of the Champions League, and Valencia cannot continue to dwell on their continental dismissal.

Valencia’s defense took another injury hit when Hedwiges Maduro was forced to leave the Mallorca game early, and when midfielder Manuel Fernandes filled in for Maduro in central defense, the results were horrific.  Already missing Bruno Saltor, Carlos Marchena, Jérémy Mathieu, Ángel Dealbert, and Miguel Monteiro, Valencia cannot afford to add Maduro to the training room staff’s responsibilities.

Although Éver Banega has apologized for his petulant behavior following his substitution in the second half of the Mallorca game, that ugly episode is an instance of the growing frustration in the Valencia squad over their recent poor play, and if they do not significantly improve by 10:00 PM local time on Thursday night, Athletic Bilbao will roll past them and give Sevilla and Mallorca a chance to move within two points of Valencia.

The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Note: ESPN 360 has rebranded itself as ESPN3.

Apr. 13

Real Valladolid vs. Sevilla – 1:45 PM on DirecTV channel 456

Getafe vs. Villarreal – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Apr. 14

Racing Santander vs. Espanyol – 1:45 PM on DirecTV channel 456

Osasuna vs. Málaga – 1:45 PM on DirecTV channel 457

Atlético Madrid vs. Xerez – 1:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Mallorca vs. Real Zaragoza – 1:55 PM on Gol TV

Barcelona vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Apr. 15

Almería vs. Real Madrid – 1:55 PM on Gol TV

Valencia vs. Athletic Bilbao – 3:55 PM on Gol TV

Unfortunately, the Sporting Gijón – Tenerife match at El Molinon will not be shown on US TV.

The Bellver Castle in Palma de Mallorca is the only circular style castle in Spain.

After a mid-week round of fixtures, there is no rest for the weary as another slate of weekend matches comes much more quickly than they would earlier in the year.  This last quarter of the year becomes a war of attrition, and those who consistently stay fit will reap the benefits as they take advantage of those squads that cannot keep their core players on the pitch.

Mallorca’s latest foe to challenge their home superiority comes in the form of FC Barcelona.  Los Barralets will not fear their closest neighbors, as the Blaugrana stands between them and three vital points in the islanders’ aspirations for European football.  Pep Guardiola will not let his team wander their minds toward its trip to London to face Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday.  Again in the position to post their results before Real Madrid, Barça will want to add more pressure to Los Blancos when Real Madrid plays in the late Sunday kickoff.

In that late Sunday kickoff, Real Madrid will host Atlético Madrid in El Derbi madrileño.  Recently, the rivalry has been in name only, as Atlético Madrid has not defeated Real Madrid in over ten years.  In one of those statistical oddities, since Los Colchoneros returned to the top flight in 2002, they forced a draw at the Santiago Bernabéu in every other year.  If the pattern persists, then Atlético should lose on Sunday, but this Atleti team has defied any logical reasoning or explanation this season.

While Atlético Madrid also has a Europa League match against Valencia on Thursday, they will not look ahead to that match when the preceding game is against their eternal enemies.  If they were facing a Real Valladolid or some other team at the bottom end of the table, Atlético Madrid would have likely waned in their concentration, but the double incentive of defeating their arch rivals as well as knocking them from the top of the table will give them an extra impetus to be the only team to conquer both Barcelona and Real Madrid this season.

At the other end of the league, Xerez invites Real Valladolid to El Chapín in a pivotal relegation six-pointer.  Valladolid has only won once in 2010, but that win came two weeks ago against Deportivo La Coruña.  With their 0-0 draw against Espanyol on Wednesday night, Valladolid currently rides a two-match unbeaten streak, a significant event for this team.  Only two points from safety, La Pucela could salvage a putrid season by starting with a triumph over Xerez.

Xerez has earned eight points in their last five matches, only three less than they gathered in their first twenty-three games.  Momo and Mario Bermejo, who scored twenty-nine goals between them in the Segunda División last season, are finally delivering the goals for Xerez in the top-flight, and their goalkeeper Renan, who is on loan from Valencia, has kept them from conceding many more goals.  Seven points behind Real Zaragoza for relegation survival with ten matches remaining is not the largest hill to climb, and while Xerez does not control their own destiny, the execrable play of the clubs ahead of them gives Xerez more than a strand of hope of pulling off the impossible.

The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Mar. 27

Mallorca vs. FC Barcelona – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Real Zaragoza vs. Valencia – 4:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Mar. 28

Espanyol vs. Sporting Gijón – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Osasuna vs. Almería – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Xerez vs. Real Valladolid – 10:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Deportivo La Coruña vs. Getafe – 10:55 AM on Gol TV

Villarreal vs. Sevilla – 12:55 PM on Gol TV

Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid – 2:55 PM on Gol TV

Mar. 29

Athletic Bilbao vs. Racing Santander – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 456

Unfortunately, the Málaga – Tenerife matchup at La Romareda will not be shown on US TV.

UEFA Champions League

Barcelona and Arsenal were drawn to face each other in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, and this rematch of the 2006 Champions League final pits two teams that thrive on maintaining possession and forcing their opposition to chase them around for the whole match.  The interesting question will be which team will hold the majority of possession and what that ratio will be.

If Barcelona has any weakness, they sometimes have trouble breaking down highly organized and disciplined defenses, e.g., Rubin Kazan, Chelsea, and Osasuna.  Arsenal’s defensive philosophy definitely does not fall into that category.  Arsenal expects to hold the edge in possession in every match they play, but chances are that Barça will win that battle.  If Arsenal can adjust to this and work more on the counter-attack, even at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, the north London club has a great opportunity to knock out the current European champions, but if Arsène Wenger sticks to his philosophy and tries to out-Barça Barcelona, expect a two-legged rout.

Mar. 30

Bayern Munich vs. Manchester United – 2:30 PM on FSN HD and Fox Sports en Español

Olympique Lyonnais vs. Bordeaux – 2:30 PM on Fox Soccer Channel

Mar. 31

Arsenal vs. FC Barcelona – 2:30 PM on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español

Inter Milan vs. CSKA Moskva – 2:30 PM on Fox Soccer Plus (5:00 on delay on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español)

UEFA Europa League

With three different countries each having two teams in the final eight of the Europa League, there was a better than fifty percent chance that a matchup between two teams from the same country would occur.  While the two English and two German teams avoided each other in the quarterfinal, there will be an all-Spanish affair in one of the quarterfinals between Atlético Madrid and Valencia.

Both coaches lamented facing each other at this stage of the tournament, but Unai Emery and Quique Sánchez Flores agreed that this meeting benefited La Liga because there will definitely be one Spanish team in the semifinals.

Valencia has been the more consistent team all year, and they have David Villa leading the line, the best and most dangerous player between the two teams.  In their two meetings in La Liga, however, Atlético Madrid had the upper hand.  In the first match, Valencia gave up a stoppage time equalizer to Maxi Rodríguez, and Los Colchoneros earned a point at the Mestalla.  In the second meeting, Atleti thrashed Los Che 4-1, which included a straight red card for Carlos Marchena because he imitated his of goalkeeper César Sanchez by slapping the ball away from Sergio Kun Agüero in the penalty box.

The edge in this matchup actually goes to Atlético Madrid because of their cup pedigree this year.  They have made the final of the Copa del Rey along with reaching the quarterfinals of the Europa League, and they seem to focus and play better when they face tougher competition.  Against the likes of Málaga, Almería, and other teams at the bottom half of La Liga, Atlético almost acts as though those matches are not important enough to give their full effort.  Against an upper echelon team like Valencia in a knockout situation, Los Rojiblancos will likely rise to the occasion, and Valencia needs to match this intensity if they want to reach the semifinals of the Europa League.

Apr. 1

Fulham vs. Wolfsburg – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 463 (463-1 for HD)

Standard Liège vs. Hamburg – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 464 (464-1 for HD)

Liverpool vs. Benfica – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 462 (462-1 for HD) (8:00 PM on delay on Gol TV)

Atlético Madrid vs. Valencia – 2:55 PM on Gol TV

Jornada 28 is only the second mid-week round of the La Liga season, the first occurring well back in late September.  Three teams in particular are glad that they get to play so soon: FC Barcelona, Getafe, and Xerez.  Xerez?   Yes, that same Xerez club that threatened to become the team to secure the fewest points in one campaign since La Liga went to a thirty-eight match season.

They have earned points in three of their last four matches, including their first ever road victory in the top flight at Málaga and a 2-1 win at home against Tenerife on Saturday.  They travel the short 90 km trip north to Sevilla on Tuesday, and while Xerez would almost be certain to lose at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in normal times, these are not normal times.

Manolo Jiménez’s reign as manager of Sevilla remains in the air, the players have not responded in a constructive manner since they surrendered a two-goal advantage to Real Madrid earlier this month, and they have not won a match in any competition since they broke Mallorca’s 100% home record on February 20.  A turnaround against Xerez seems inevitable, but Néstor Gorosito’s men can actually sniff a chance to stave off relegation for the first time all year, and if their Andalusian neighbors are able to snatch any points, Jiménez may not make it to the end of the week.

For FC Barcelona, they would one of the last teams to welcome a mid-week round on the surface because if they can negotiate past Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, they would endure a sixteen match stretch over the span of just fifty-six days.  All told, they would have a mid-week game along with a weekend match every week from March 14 to May 9.

Already a squad suffering with injuries in key positions, a full week of rest would appear to be on Barcelona’s wish list, but their building momentum has eerie parallels to last season, when they became the first Spanish team to win the treble.  While they will not defend their Copa del Rey championship, La Liga and the Champions League are well within reach, and with the scheduling in this round, Barcelona has the opportunity to put the pressure on Real Madrid, as Barcelona’s match against Osasuna is on Wednesday, and Real will have to wait until Thursday to respond to Barça’s performance.

As for Getafe, they need wins to creep into the European discussion, and they host the royalty of Madrid to their humble abode in the southern zone of the Madrid metropolitan area in the final match of the round on Thursday night.  Getafe’s impressive record against Real Madrid in the last five years, three wins and two draws in nine meetings, gives Los Azulones a shot of confidence against a Real Madrid side that has retained only one goal from the beginning of the season: conquering La Liga.

With Real Madrid’s eyes solely focused on winning the league, they cannot afford to drop any points with the pace that Barcelona set at the top of the table.  Los Blancos have caught up with the Blaugrana, but Getafe is Real’s thorn in their side, and Getafe manager Míchel will not miss an opportunity to impress Florentino Pérez and the Real boardroom should Manuel Pellegrini be relieved of his duties at the end of the season.  While former Real cantera product Roberto Soldado will not participate in this Madrid derby, other cantera products Adrián González, Miguel Torres, and Dani Parejo need no extra incentive to show up their former employers at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.

The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Mar. 23

Sporting Gijón vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Sevilla vs. Xerez – 4:55 PM on Gol TV

Mar. 24

Tenerife vs. Villarreal – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 456

Racing Santander vs. Mallorca – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 457

Almería vs. Real Zaragoza – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 458

FC Barcelona vs. Osasuna – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Valencia vs. Málaga – 4:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Mar. 25

Getafe vs. Real Madrid – 2:55 PM on Gol TV

Atlético Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao – 4:55 PM on Gol TV

Unfortunately, the Real Valladolid – Espanyol clash at the Estadio José Zorrilla will not be shown on US TV.

La playa del Sardinero, for which Racing Santander's stadium is name, is a popular and stunning beach at the north end of Santander that attract many tourists every year.

The final third of the season commences this weekend with a slate of matches that will likely impact European places more than the title race.  Both Real Madrid and Barcelona will face clubs at the bottom half of the table, and barring any catastrophes, they should fend off Sporting Gijón and Real Zaragoza, respectively, with relative ease.

The two most intriguing games involve those fighting for a top six spot.  Athletic Bilbao hosts Getafe at San Mamés in the early Saturday kickoff, and Los Leones‘ home record remains stellar with only three losses out of twelve and a win and a draw over Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.  The mediocre play of both Valencia and Sevilla has given a number of teams, including Athletic Club, justifiable hope that they could represent La Liga in the Champions League next season.

Athletic is only three points behind Sevilla for fourth place, and having last participated in the Champions League in 1998, their only time since the European Cup became the Champions League in 1992, they would want nothing more than to prove that their restrictive player policies can produce a team capable of mingling with the top teams in Europe.

As for Getafe, their recent poor results have caused the Madrid side to drift away from the European scrap, but their 3-0 demolition of Mallorca last weekend may have turned the corner for Míchel’s men.  Getafe is six points behind Deportivo La Coruña for that final Europa League spot, and while the gap is surmountable on the surface, the news that their ace striker Roberto Soldado will miss the next month and a half with a torn meniscus suffered in that win against Mallorca will dampen the mood within the dressing room.  Miku will likely deputize for Soldado as Getafe’s lone striker, and they will need him to fill Soldado’s sizable boots for the time being.

The other alluring match of the weekend sees Mallorca inviting Atlético Madrid into the “cauldron” that is the ONO Estadi.  Mallorca’s European hopes will be directly correlated to how they defend their home turf to close out the season.  Winning eleven out of twelve home matches is a wonderful accomplishment, but their appalling away record means that they will need a couple of victories at home over the traditional powers in Spain.  This mission starts on Sunday against an Atlético Madrid team who will take their Europa League momentum into this match.

Funny how Atlético Madrid rises to the occasion when the odds are stacked against them.  Earning a 2-2 draw against Sporting CP at the Estádio José Alvalade sent los colchoneros into the quarterfinals of the Europa League, and a domestic and European cup double is not out of the question.  Their poor away record in the league, however, combined with Mallorca’s superlative home record should equal three points for the islanders, but predicting Atlético’s performance from week to week would leave many gamblers owing their loan sharks everything they own.

Note: La Liga will have a mid-week round next week, and the preview for that will arrive on Tuesday morning.

Extra Note: ESPN will show a rare Saturday match with Real Madrid against Sporting Gijón.  Usually filled with college sports on Saturday, the start of the NCAA Tournament on CBS along with the Women’s NCAA Tournament on ESPN2 indicates that ESPN is wide open, and thus, the Real Madrid game that would be only seen on ESPN Deportes and ESPN 360 on Saturday will be available on ESPN Saturday and in high definition.

The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Mar. 20

Athletic Bilbao vs. Getafe – 12:45 PM on DirecTV channel 456

Deportivo La Coruña vs. Real Valladolid - 12:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Real Madrid vs. Sporting Gijón – 2:55 PM on ESPN HD/ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Espanyol vs. Sevilla – 4:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Mar. 21

Málaga vs. Villarreal – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Osasuna vs. Racing Santander – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Mallorca vs. Atlético Madrid – 12:00 PM on Gol TV

Valencia vs. Almería – 1:55 PM on Gol TV

Real Zaragoza vs. FC Barcelona – 3:55 PM on Gol TV

Unfortunately, the Xerez – Tenerife match at El Chapín will not be shown on US TV.

La Plaza del Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid is the largest bullring in Spain, and it is considered the most prestigious bullring in the world.

The thrilling race at the top of La Liga came to a head last weekend, when Barcelona dropped two points at surging Almería, and Real Madrid fought back from a 0-2 deficit to win against Sevilla in the second minute of stoppage time 3-2.  Now the two exemplars of Spanish football are tied for the lead on sixty-two points, fifteen points of third-place Valencia, who could only manage a 0-0 draw at home against struggling Racing Santander on Monday night.

Barcelona will play with two minds, as they play in the glamor match of the weekend against Valencia on Sunday while worrying about their second leg in the Champions League against Stuttgart three days later.  With Real Madrid only focusing on La Liga at this point, Barça cannot afford to drop points at this juncture of the season, even against a Valencia team that outplayed them in the 0-0 reverse fixture in October.

As for Real Madrid, the postmortem of their dismissal from the Champions League continues, as everyone has chimed in about Madrid’s performance against Olympique Lyonnais, from the players involved to the manager, the owner, and former players.  The Madrid press labeled their loss as an embarrassment, while the Barcelona press echoed the same sentiments in a more gleeful manner.

Although Real has a right to blush about being knocked out in the first elimination round of the Champions League for the sixth consecutive year, the media and the team has completely belittled the stellar performance by Lyon and the second half adjustments by Claude Puel to seize the result in the Santiago Bernabéu.  Of course no one will deny that Real should have scored twice more in the first half, especially Gonzalo Higuaín’s open-netter that hit the post, but a team that is worthy of winning Europe’s most prestigious competition converts those chances, and Real Madrid did not.

Los Blancos visit Real Valladolid in the late Sunday kickoff, and if Madrid is not careful, their Champions League hangover could filter into this match against a team fighting for top-flight survival.

The other two intriguing matches of the weekend include the late Saturday kickoff between Sevilla and Deportivo La Coruña, where they are two of the four teams fighting a battle royale for the fourth Champions League spot, and the traditional 5:00 PM Sunday kickoff between Almería and Málaga, two teams that have turned their seasons around from certain relegation to relative mid-table security.

The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Extra note: the main ESPN channels will carry their first La Liga match in over a month with Barcelona against Valencia, so catch this important clash on ESPN2 in high definiton.

Extra extra note: the United States will go into daylight savings time on Sunday, but Europe will not go into daylight savings time until March 28, so for the next couple of weeks, the US times for these matches will be one hour later than normal.

Mar. 13

Getafe vs. Mallorca – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Sporting Gijón vs. Athletic Bilbao – 1:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Sevilla vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 3:55 PM on Gol TV

Mar. 14

Almería vs. Málaga – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Racing Santander vs. Real Zaragoza – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Villarreal vs. Xerez – 11:55 AM on Gol TV

FC Barcelona vs. Valencia – 1:55 PM on ESPN2 HD/ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Real Valladolid vs. Real Madrid – 3:55 PM on Gol TV

Mar. 15

Atlético Madrid vs. Osasuna – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Unfortunately, the Tenerife – Espanyol match at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López will not be shown on US TV.

UEFA Champions League

The ramifications from Real Madrid’s elimination are still being felt throughout Spain, but there are still two La Liga teams in the tournament that have a chance to carry the flag for Spain.  Stuttgart bested Barcelona through many parts of the first leg, but despite that, Stuttgart conceded the away goal and face avoiding a negative result at the Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.  Barcelona hopes this will be déjà vu all over again because last season in the first knockout round, they scrapped their way to a 1-1 draw at the Stade de Gerland against Lyon before convincingly ousting them in the second leg at home 5-2.  Knowing that they have a legitimate shot to defend the trophy at the Bernabéu, the blaugrana will have all the motivation they need to succeed on Wednesday.

Sevilla will encounter a similar situation to Barcelona, as they play a crucial domestic league match against Deportivo La Coruña before battling CSKA Moskva on Tuesday.  Los Nervionenses are the betting favorites to proceed to the quarterfinals, and the fitness of CSKA will be tested on Tuesday because they sent out their best eleven against FK Amkar Perm on Friday in their first Russian Premier League match of the season.  CSKA midfielder Mark Gonzalez will be sure to get the rudest of ovations in the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán since he scored the equalizer in Moscow, but more pertinent to the Sevilla fans, he was a Real Betis player.

Mar. 16

Sevilla vs. CSKA Moskva – 3:30 PM on Fox Soccer Channel (Sevilla 1-1 CSKA Moskva after the first leg)

Mar. 17

FC Barcelona vs. Stuttgart – 3:30 PM on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español (FC Barcelona 1-1 Stuttgart after the first leg)

UEFA Europa League

Atlético Madrid and Sporting Clube de Portugal played to a drab 0-0 draw at the Vicente Calderón on Thursday, but there were a couple of flash points, as two Sporting defenders, Leandro Grimi and Tonel, received red cards and will not be available for Sporting in Lisbon next Thursday.

Los Colchoneros had a man-advantage for more than an hour and a two-man advantage for the final few minutes, but as they are wont to do this season, they do not perform well when circumstances fall their way.  Now they face the cauldron that is the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon in the second leg, but Atleti can take comfort knowing that they were able to win at Galatasaray to advance to this round, one of the most fearsome teams to play at home in all of Europe.

Valencia’s match at the Mestalla vs. Werder Bremen had every ingredient of an enthralling match; beautiful, flowing football, offensive aggressiveness from both teams, controversial calls, multiple yellow cards, a red card, wonderful saves, and golden chances spurned.  All of this equaled a 1-1 draw that gives the advantage to Werder Bremen as they return to the Weserstadion on Thursday.  Juan Mata and David Villa uncharacteristically flubbed on significant opportunities, and just like Real Madrid did in the first half of their second leg against Lyon, those missed chances could come back to haunt Los Che by the end of this tie.

Mar. 18

Werder Bremen vs. Valencia – 1:45 PM on DirecTV channel 463 (463-1 for HD) (Werder Bremen 1-1 Valencia after the first leg)

Sporting CP vs. Atletico Madrid – 4:00 PM on Gol TV (Sporting CP 0-0 Atlético Madrid after the first leg)

The Sevillana, one of the variants of the iconic Flamenco style of dance that the city of Sevilla made famous, normally gets confused with the traditional Flamenco dance.

The marquee matchup of the weekend is the late Saturday kickoff between top four teams Real Madrid and Sevilla.  The reverse fixture in early October was one of the matches of the season, and while Sevilla’s title chances faded away during the dregs of mid-season, they still lie fourth in the league, they have the away-goal advantage in their Champions League tie with CSKA Moskva, and they made it to the final of the Copa del Rey.  Their second leg with CSKA will not commence until March 16, whereas Real’s second leg with Lyon occurs on Wednesday, four days removed from this important La Liga match.  Real will likely field their strongest eleven against Sevilla, but how that will affect their performance against Lyon will be unknown until Wednesday night.

Another compelling match this weekend pits Atlético Madrid visiting Aragon to face Real Zaragoza at La Romareda.  With their glamorous conquests of Barcelona, Valencia, and Galatasaray comes their disappointments against Málaga, Almería, and Racing Santander, all within the span of one month.  Where Zaragoza has something for which to play (top-flight survival), Atlético’s hunger in La Liga waned eons ago.  A true iconoclast of conventional thought, however, Atlético Madrid may just play at the level they perform against top teams to show the doubters that they do not play to the level of their competition (Logic with this team does not work, so any maniacal theory fits in this situation).

The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Mar. 6

Deportivo La Coruña vs. Tenerife – 11:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Almería vs. FC Barcelona – 1:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Real Madrid vs. Sevilla – 3:55 PM on Gol TV

Mar. 7

Espanyol vs. Villarreal – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Mallorca vs. Sporting Gijón – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Osasuna vs. Getafe – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 458

Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Valladolid – 12:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Real Zaragoza vs. Atlético Madrid – 2:55 PM on Gol TV

Mar. 8

Valencia vs. Racing Santander – 2:55 PM on Gol TV

Unfortunately, the Málaga – Xerez matchup at La Rosaleda will not be shown on US TV.

UEFA Champions League

Staring elimination in the first knockout round for the sixth consecutive season, Florentino Pérez and Real Madrid did not assemble this second galáctico generation to bow out unceremoniously yet again.  A 1-0 deficit to overturn at the Santiago Bernabéu hardly constitutes as an overbearing chore on its own merit, but the expectations set by the Madridistas, the board, and the players’ own internal goals have Los Blancos in a more anxious situation than all of their past five Champions League failures combined.

Barring any injury in this weekend’s top-four clash with Sevilla, Real Madrid will have a nearly full squad from which to choose against Lyon.  The only significant injury issue for Los Merengues is Karim Benzema’s hernia.  Although he most likely would not start ahead of Gonzalo Higuaín, he can be a great option off the bench if Madrid still needs a goal with half an hour or less remaining.

Although it would be pusillanimous to blame Manuel Pellegrini should Real Madrid fail to advance to the quarterfinals, there would be little surprise if the generally capricious nature of the Real Madrid brass decided to fire him at the end of the season, regardless of his results in La Liga.

Mar. 10

Real Madrid vs. Olympique Lyonnais – 2:30 on Fox Soccer Plus (5:00 PM on delay on Fox Soccer Channel)

UEFA Europa League

With Wolfsburg and Anderlecht enervating what little vitality Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao contained in their respective second legs, Atlético Madrid and Valencia will have to carry the torch for La Liga in the Europa League.  Romelu Lukaku, the Anderlecht 16-year-old wunderkind, torchered the Bilbao defense throughout the match, the pinnacle of his contributions being the fourth minute goal that gave his side the edge in the tie.  Unsurprisingly, he caught the eye of some top European clubs, including Barcelona and Real Madrid.

For Atlético Madrid, the wave trajectory continues, as they head up their highest amplitude this season.  Wins over Barcelona, Valencia, and Galatasaray within the past few weeks gear Los Colchoneros into their most important matches of the season.  They will not reach any of the top four spots in La Liga to secure a Champions League berth, and with Sevilla virtually guaranteeing themselves a spot in European competition next season, Atlético Madrid will grab a Europa League spot due to reaching the final of the Copa del Rey.  Thus, the Europa League is Atleti’s most important objective until the Copa del Rey final, whose date is still up in the air.

Atlético Madrid’s opponent in the Round of 16, Sporting CP, can commiserate with Los Rojiblancos because their season has not met expectations as well.  Although they stand fourth in the Portuguese Liga, they are nine points behind FC Porto for the final Champions League place with only nine matches remaining.  Like Atlético, however, their most impressive results occurred in the past few weeks, with their victories over Everton in the Europa League and a shock 3-0 depredation of FC Porto.  A team with Miguel Veloso, João Moutinho, and Liédson can never be underestimated despite their uneven results in their league.

Valencia had to break through one of the great goalkeeping performances in recent European history when they finally blasted Stijn Stijnen’s brick wall in extra time to defeat Club Brugge in the Round of 32.  With the lineup of teams in the Europa League Round of 16 nearly as strong as the final 16 in the Champions League, Valencia’s tie with Werder Bremen is one of the star attractions of this round.  It matches the third-ranked attack in La Liga versus the third-ranked attack in the Bundesliga.  With both teams having the affinity to play better in the counter-attack, it will be interesting to see which team decides to take the majority of possession and how they react to this responsibility.

Mar. 11

Atlético Madrid vs. Sporting CP – 12:45 PM on DirecTV channel 462 (462-1 for HD) (8:00 PM on delay on Gol TV)

Valencia vs. Werder Bremen – 3:00 PM on DirecTV channel 462 (462-1 for HD)

Elogio del Horizonte (Eulogy to the Horizon), one of the famous works of Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida, stands sentry over the Gijón coast.

After a less than impressive performance by the Spanish Armada in European competition, these teams return to their domestic responsibilities in order to regain their confidence.  Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao traveled to Wolfsburg and Anderlecht, respectively, and became punching bags for those teams as both Wolfsburg and Anderlecht scored four goals on their visitors.  They never had a chance, and both Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao exited the UEFA Europa League with a silent whimper.

The three Spanish representatives in the UEFA Champions League failed to display their prowess in Europe’s most glamorous club competition but still maintain the upper hands in their ties.  Although Real Madrid faces a one-goal deficit against Olympique Lyonnais, they return to the Bernabéu in the second leg, and they have won every single match there this season.

Sevilla visited frigid Moscow and secured the away goal in a 1-1 entertaining draw.  Mark González, a former rival of Sevilla when he played for Real Betis, scored the goal of the round with a wonder strike from thirty yards that froze Andrés Palop to even the score, but Sevilla still controls the tie as they return to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.

FC Barcelona’s attacking intimidation took a significant hit against Stuttgart because the Germans did not relegate themselves to playing with ten or eleven men behind the ball.  Barcelona will always have a dominant possession edge, but the chances they created were few and far between, whereas Die Roten could have easily scored two or three more goals with a slightly better touch in the penalty box.  This match is akin to Barcelona’s first leg against Lyon in the Round of 16 last year, where they struggled but managed to squeak out a 1-1 draw away from home.  When they came home to the Camp Nou, they demolished Lyon 5-2 in a match that was not close as the score indicated.  The Catalans hope to reincarnate those same spirits this year, but this Stuttgart team seems determined to become the giant-killers of the round and defeat the reigning European champions.

The two teams that actually played well were Atlético Madrid and Valencia, although both needed late winners to advance to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League.  An otherworldly performance by Club Brugge goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen kept the Belgians into extra time, but the persistence of David Villa and Pablo Hernández eventually broke the brick wall to score twice in extra time to advance to the next round.

Atlético Madrid controlled their match against Galatasaray, but the match looked prime to go into extra time until Caner Erkin received his second yellow card for a late challenge on Juan Valera.  Diego Forlán converted on an ingenious pass from man of the match José Antonio Reyes in the 90th minute to send Los Colchoneros into the second knockout round.  Both Atlético Madrid and Valencia will play against each other in the late Sunday kickoff, and a prediction for how Atleti will perform against Los Che is a useless exercise given their completely incomprehensible form from one match to the next.

The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Feb. 27

Getafe vs. Real Zaragoza – 11:55 AM on Gol TV

Tenerife vs. Real Madrid – 1:55 PM on Gol TV

FC Barcelona vs. Málaga – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Feb. 28

Real Valladolid vs. Mallorca – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Sporting Gijón vs. Osasuna – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Racing Santander vs. Almería – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 458

Villarreal vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 10:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Sevilla vs. Athletic Bilbao – 12:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Atlético Madrid vs. Valencia – 2:55 PM on Gol TV

Unfortunately, the Xerez – Espanyol match at El Chapín will not be shown on US TV.

International Friendly

Next Wednesday is the last international date before the end of the club season, and national team managers will use these friendlies more as a training regimen than anything else.  Spain will play France at the Stade de France, and while Raymond Domenech bled some new blood in his 23-man squad, Vicente del Bosque featured little change.  What is most significant is that Álvaro Negredo keeps his spot over Fernando Llorente, and Jesús Navas’ excellent play has kept his place in the squad.  A winning formula over the past three years, del Bosque need not change for the sake of change.

France vs. Spain – 3:00 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360