The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ESPANYOL

  • Late Messi brace win Catalan derby

    Lionel Messi scored twice to earn Barcelona a 2-0 derby win over Espanyol and send them 13 points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday.

    With second-placed Atletico Madrid travelling to Alaves later in the day, the champions took advantage of the chance to extend their lead.

    A dull match was decided by Barcelona’s No. 10, who lofted home a free kick after 71 minutes and slotted in from substitute Malcom’s cross towards the end.

    Read also: Wasteful Bayern stumble in title race as Dortmund win late

    Messi, who now has 40 goals in all competitions this season, suffered criticism in his native Argentina after withdrawing from a friendly against Morocco because of a groin problem, but was hailed by Barcelona fans after taking them one step closer to retaining the title.

    “The important thing is that [Messi’s] on our side, he scored a great free kick and without doubt having him is always an advantage for us,” said midfielder Sergio Busquets.

    “Espanyol were ultra-defensive and it made it hard to find spaces. We had opportunities but they didn’t go in.

    “We had to work for it but in the end, we took our chances and the result was justice for what happened in the game.”

    Ernesto Valverde started Messi along with Luis Suarez, who had recovered from an ankle sprain.

    But the duo and Philippe Coutinho were kept quiet in a tight first half, with Espanyol’s five-man defence not giving the South American trio any space.

    With Malcom’s introduction in the final half hour, the game began to open up.

    The Brazilian winger had a cross-shot tipped wide by Diego Lopez, with Coutinho firing over the bar as Barcelona pushed for a winner.

    The Catalans were short on inspiration until Messi produced a cheeky dinked free kick, which midfielder Victor Sanchez could not keep out on the goal-line, before tucking home his second on the break.

    Barcelona were far below their fluid best but two moments of skill from talisman Messi secured three points from an otherwise forgettable game.

    “I advise you to enjoy Messi while he’s here, he’s such a unique player,” Espanyol coach Rubi said.

    “When he’s not there, you really notice it. He’s very good and that’s that. I had the luck to see him for a year in training (in 2013 at Barca under Tito Vilanova).”

  • Barca’s Dembele suffers another hamstring injury

    Barca’s Dembele suffers another hamstring injury

    Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele has suffered another hamstring injury and will be out of action for between three and four weeks, the La Liga leaders said on Monday.

    The French winger, signed last year from Borussia Dortmund for a fee which could rise to 147 million euros, suffered a hamstring tear in September that kept him out until January.

    Dembele featured in four games after returning, starting one, before suffering a new problem in the 4-2 win over Real Sociedad on Sunday.

    “Tests have confirmed that the player has suffered a hamstring injury of the semitendinosus muscle that does not affect the area operated on earlier in the season,” Barcelona said in a statement.

    Dembele will miss King’s Cup and La Liga matches, but should return before the Champions League last-16 clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Feb. 20.

    Captain Andres Iniesta, who was on the bench against Real Sociedad, also has a problem in his right calf and is a doubt for the King’s Cup match at Espanyol on Wednesday.

    NAN

  • Demichelis to retire at end of season

    Demichelis to retire at end of season

    Malaga defender Martin Demichelis announced on Monday he would retire at the end of the season.

    The 36-year-old left Manchester City last summer and joined Espanyol, before starting his second spell at Malaga in January.

    His final game, if selected, will be Sunday’s home match against Real Madrid, who could win La Liga.

    Demichelis, who also play in midfield, won 51 caps for Argentina and also played for River Plate and Bayern Munich.

    “Unfortunately this day comes to us all. I’ve been deliberating it for some time, as I have always been very worried about the end of a professional football career.

    “I am grateful to the profession, and in this case Malaga in particular, because they extended my career as a professional footballer,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Martin Demichelis played 106 times for Manchester City between 2013 and 2016.

  • Pillars battle Espanyol, Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa tourney

    Pillars battle Espanyol, Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa tourney

    Kano Pillars will feature in an invitational tournament in South Africa that will attract Spanish La Liga side, Espanyol, South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaiser Chiefs, officials have announced.

    This year’s Amanxamalala Mzanzi International Cup (AMIC 2016)is a charity cup that identifies with 40 charity organisations in South Africa.

    “Both the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the League Management Company (LMC) have approved our participation in the tournament,” disclosed Pillars management board member, Hassan Abdullahi Garo. We will be good ambassadors for Nigeria football.”

    A delegation of 35 players and officials will depart the country for the competition next month.

  • Espanyol’s Casilla joins Real Madrid

    Espanyol’s Casilla joins Real Madrid

    Espanyol has agreed a deal for goalkeeper Kiko Casilla to join Real Madrid, the Catalan club said on Friday.

    The 28-year-old Spain international arrives following the departure of Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas to Porto and will provide competition for Keylor Navas and the inexperienced Fernando Pacheco in the first team, Reuters reported.

    “Espanyol and Real Madrid have reached an agreement in the last few hours for the transfer of Kiko Casilla,” Reuters quoted the Catalan side as saying in a statement on its website.

    The deal is reported to involve a payment of around six million euros ($6.54 million) by Real, who retained a 50 percent ownership of Casilla — a product of its youth academy — after he moved to Espanyol in 2007.

    Casilla has made one appearance for Spain, in November last year when he came on as a second-half substitute in a 1-0 defeat to World champions Germany, but was not included in coach Vicente del Bosque’s latest squad.

     

  • Espanyol punish ‘absentee’ Wakaso

    ANOTHER Nations Cup star has been punished in Spain, as African stars across Europe continue to miss the deadline given to them for return to club duties.

    New Ghanaian goal scoring sensation, Mubarak Wakaso, was fined and ordered to train away from his teammates by Espanyol, after returning late from the Africa Cup of Nations.

    Wakaso was in action for Ghana at the competition until last weekend’s third place play-off defeat to Mali and was due back a couple of days later.

    However, he only returned to Catalonia on Thursday and has subsequently been fined and told to train by himself until otherwise instructed.

    The 22-year-old told reporters upon returning to Spain that a fever had been the reason for his delay and that he had already informed Coach Javier Aguirre of this.

    However, reports on Saturday are that Aguirre and sporting director Oscar Perarnau told the player of their annoyance at his actions, before sending him off to train alone, accompanied only by one of the coaching team.

  • AFCON friendly: 10 Barca, seven Espanyol stars listed

    AFCON friendly: 10 Barca, seven Espanyol stars listed

    • 7pm is kick-off time 

    Head Coach of Catalonia side, Johan Cryuff, has listed 10 players from Spanish La Liga leaders Barcelona for the international friendly against Nigeria’s Super Eagles this evening. He has also picked seven players from Espanyol FC, whose ground will host the encounter.

    The list made available to the Nigerian delegation on arrival in Barcelona has Barcelona first choice in goal, Victor Valdes, Xavi Hernandez, Carlos Puyol, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Martin Montoya, Sergio Roberto, Christian Tello and Marc Bartra all listed from the Catalan giants.

    From Espanyol, there will be Joan Verdi, Joan Capdevilla, Sergio Garcia, Kiko Casilas, Raul Rodriguez, Victor Sanchez, and Sergio Tejera. Others in the team list are AC Milan’s Bojan Rkic, Getafe’s Alvaro Vazquez, Jordi Amat and Francesco Medina ‘Piti’ both of Rayo Vallecano and Red Bulls Zalburg’s Jonathan Soriaro.

    “These are big names no doubt but our players know that names don’t play football these days, we will just go out there and give our best against them”, Head Coach Stephen Keshi said.

    The match time has also been brought forward, as it would now be played at 7pm, Nigerian and Spanish time from 9pm that it was earlier slated but the venue remains Espanyol FC home ground in the Catalan city.