Comments
There are no comments.
Add Comments
Madrid minnows Leganes get their reward for an unlikely promotion to La Liga when the might of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar grace the 11,000-capacity Estadio Butarque today.
Leganes have made a fine start to their first season in the Spanish top-flight, winning at Celta Vigo on the opening weekend and holding Champions League finalists Atletico Madrid to a 0-0 draw at the Butarque.
However, Leganes face an even tougher task in stopping a rampant “MSN” of Messi, Suarez and Neymar fresh from scoring six of Barca’s seven goals in a Champions League rout of Celtic in midweek on their first start of the season together.
Barca were in no mood for complacency on Tuesday after a shock 2-1 home defeat to another newly promoted side, Alaves, ended their perfect start to the La Liga season last weekend.
Leganes defender Pablo Insua says the Alaves result gives the hosts hope. “We have to do everything right and have luck,” Insua told Marca.
“We saw how Alaves did it and it is clear it can be done, but the circumstances are not the same.”
Barca boss Luis Enrique started Messi and Suarez on the bench for Alaves’s visit to the Camp Nou after their duties in South American World Cup qualifying.
Enrique won’t make the same mistake twice, but could rotate in defence and midfield ahead of Wednesday’s blockbuster La Liga clash with Atletico.
Messi scored a hat-trick whilst Neymar bagged four assists and goal against Celtic as the “MSN” took their combined early season tally to 13.
Neymar hopes to break the incredible 131-goal record they set last year. “To play with Messi is very easy,” the Brazilian said on Thursday.
“We understand each other very well, as does Suarez. We always try to help each other to ensure everything works out well.”
Record-chasing Real
Barca’s defeat to Alaves means they are playing catch-up to Real Madrid after just three games.
Madrid have made a perfect start to the campaign and can set a club record of 16 La Liga wins with victory at Espanyol tomorrow.
The European champions needed a sensational late fightback to start their Champions League defence with a win on Wednesday as Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata scored in the final minutes to turn around a 1-0 deficit against Sporting Lisbon.
“My dream is to be a success here,” said Morata, who rejoined the club in June after a two-year spell at Juventus.
“A goal like that, at home, in the Champions League, was a dream since I was a kid.”
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Leganes v Barcelona (1200), Atletico Madrid v Sporting Gijon (1515), Eibar v Sevilla (1730), Las Palmas v Malaga (1945)
There are no comments.
SPORT Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.
TECHNOLOGY Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education
CULTURE Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions
ARABIA The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged
ARABIA Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
ARABIA The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.
ECONOMY Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.
