Cracking Weekend in Spain

I should say this has been a cracking year in Spain, and last weekend was testimonial to the same. Saturday saw Real Madrid hosting Espanyol at home and though Espanyol manager mentioned that he would be fielding a weaker sider as they are playing the UEFA cup final mid week. It just was Walter Pandiani's night for 45 minutes. Fabio Cannavaro was presented with the Player of the year award in from of 78,000 screaming Madrid fans, but it was not a night Cannavaro or the Madrid defence would even want to talk about. Pandiani scored his first in the 15th minute and by half time had already completed a hat-trick. The goals he scored reminded me of the ones that Lionel Messi scored when Madrid played a cracking 3-3 at the Nou Camp. He drifted wide utilizing space left by both the Wing backs. In between Van the Man scored another to his tally of 20+ goals this season to head into the dressing room at 1-3 at half time.

Fabio Capello as i have always said is a smart man, he removed Torres and got Helguera in. Helguera switched places with Sergio Ramos. Roberto Carlos though defensively still out of sorts proved why he is the best attacking Left back in the world. When he setup Van Nistelrooy with a glancing header the LB was inside the Espanyol Penalty box. Espanyol did their homework on Guti and his role for Madrid. they stifled him with 2 players marking him, so Capello took him out and replaced him with Reyes. And Reyes obliged scoring one and setting up another the match killing 89th minute goal that Higuan scored. It was Raul to make it 2-3, then Reyes to make it 3-3 and then when everybody was thinking of settling for a draw up comes Higuain with a wondefully earned goal. This guy is a youngster with promise. The Bernabeu fans who were silent at halftime and maybe a section Booing them, it was time to party knowing that it was a critical 3 points.

Sevilla won and still following Madrid & Barca close on the heals. To make it a better weekend Barca could only muster up a Draw at home against Betis.

With four games left, no one can afford to slip....