The Latest Football News and Opinions From 90 Minutes Online
La Liga: Barcelona versus the new Galácticos
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Written by Darren Douglas
After the summer that Real Madrid had it is little wonder that they have been touted as the team to beat for this season's La Liga. Naturally they are always considered amongst the favourites for any competition, history and reputation dictates it, but even by their own standards the summer of 2009 was a bold and expensive one.
For approximately £215m Real Madrid purchased four high-profile players; Kaká, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso. The most lavish spending spree in football history has put Real Madrid on a pedestal once again.
It was an international weekend, the final qualifiying matches on the way to the 2010 World Cup, but did the league stop so the few clubs who lost their top players to the national team got a fair break? No way!
In fact, they threw in an extra round because it happened to be a public holiday. Welcome to the haphazard beauty of the Brazilian championship (the Brasilerão), a little something like football used to be before the image police arrived, made everyone take themselves too seriously and spoiled all the fun.
Benfica float to top as ex-manager joins sinking ship
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Written by Ian Shine
Benfica kept up the sparkling form that saw them drub Everton 5-0 in the Europa League as they beat Nacional 6-1 in Portugal’s Liga Sagres.
Oscar Cardozo grabbed a hat-trick while Javier Saviola scored two and Nuno Gomes the other.
The result puts Benfica top of the Liga Sagres on goal difference, having scored a massive 30 goals in eight games while only conceding five. Braga occupy second after dropping their first points of the season against Rio Ave. They have a far inferior goal difference having scored only 13 and conceded four.
Middlesbrough shocked most football fans when they sacked Gareth Southgate on Wednesday.
Southgate managed to survive last season’s relegation and was doing well this season, having guided the club to within one point of the top of the Championship. So why did the axe suddenly fall?
90minutesonline spoke to Andy Morgan and David Meehan of ComeOnBoro.comabout the current situation, and a few other things besides.
After the summer that Real Madrid had it is little wonder that they have been touted as the team to beat for this season's La Liga. Naturally they are always considered amongst the favourites for any competition, history and reputation dictates it, but even by their own standards the summer of 2009 was a bold and expensive one.
