Primera División: The Spanish Defense

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A lot of fighting, a lot of cramp in the top game in the Spanish league

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Juan Manuel Serrano Arce / Getty Images

Top game in Spain, that actually means automatically: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona or at least Atlético Madrid.

But where so much is different at the moment, certainties are disappearing in football too.

When the league leaders met third on Sunday evening, the match was actually Real Sociedad against Villarreal.

The two surprise teams turned out to be blockbusters, but then a bit overwhelmed.

Perhaps it was also due to the double burden with the Europa League: Real Sociedad didn't even send their entire team onto the pitch for the big occasion, those are the times too.

In any case, in the end there was a performance-based and rather unspectacular 1: 1.

Both clubs at least held their positions.

And so the table picture in La Liga is reminiscent of times like those last seen in Spain at the beginning of this millennium, when a whole bunch of clubs were often promising in the race until spring.

Deportivo La Coruña became champions in 2000 and Valencia in 2002 and 2004.

But then a duopoly between Barcelona and Real Madrid began, which was only interrupted once, in 2014 by Atlético.

Another team last had real title chances with Sevilla in 2007.

In 2020 Sociedad's Adnan Januzaj said on the question of a candidacy: "It's still very early to say anything."

But also: "This season is looking good."

Table is still distorted for weeks

His team from San Sebastián is currently leading with 24 points from eleven games ahead of Atlético (23/9), Villarreal (20/11), Real Madrid (17/10) and Sevilla (16/9), FC Barcelona (14/9) ) is seventh.

The table will remain distorted for even longer because the participants in the European Cup finals entered later and the missed games will not catch up until the new year.

But under this sextet it should be decided.

There are of course reasons for the new equilibrium.

As the parallels to Italy or England with also broad top groups and surprising table leaders (Milan, Tottenham) suggest, the atypical Corona rhythm is probably one of them.

If Real Madrid are duped by Alavés at home like at the weekend (1: 2) and only scored one of the last nine possible points or if Barça only clinched their second win in their last seven games with a 4-0 win against Osasuna, culminates in Spain but also a gradual development.

The switch from individual to centralized marketing of television money from 2016 onwards has made the league's middle and substructure wealthier and therefore more competitive.

At the same time, Barça and Madrid are stuck in upheavals.

They are further away than ever from the times when they triumphed with 100 out of a possible 114 points, united the top ten of the world footballer's choice in their Clásicos and set tactical standards with the coaches Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho.

Defending well is the order of the day

As a result, almost every game is open - but that doesn't mean it's a good one.

On the contrary, the often opulent football in La Liga is becoming more and more security-oriented.

Many outsiders do not use their new resources for cheerful attack, but defend all the more suspiciously.

Real, on the other hand, became champions last season with the fewest goals since 2007. And promoted players are watching closely how their predecessors Getafe and Granada even reached the Europa League in a robust and compact way.

Cádiz is currently in sixth place - with nine goals from eleven games.

If you don't make mistakes yourself, you can't lose, and if you catch your opponent at one, you can even win: this is how many coaches approach them.

As a result, the goal average fell dramatically, from 2.94 per game in the 2016/2017 season to 2.69 (17/18), 2.59 (18/19) and 2.48 (19/20) to 2.42 in the course of the season so far - despite the sharp increase in the number of penalties since the introduction of the video referee.

Spain clearly occupies the bottom offensive position among the five major leagues.

In this respect, the top game on Sunday also offered an accurate transfer.

The statisticians of the broadcasting TV station counted four scoring chances, three for Sociedad and one for Villarreal.

Both goals came from penalties.

In each case, the defenders had not even thwarted dangerous situations, but had just gone into the duel too eagerly.

The national strikers Gerard Moreno for Villarreal (6th) and Mikel Oyarzábal (33rd) converted, after the equalizer hardly anything happened.

San Sebastian relies on the old star

Real Sociedad is one of the exceptions to the trend towards the "Spanish Catenaccio" ("Marca"), alongside less well-placed clubs such as Betis Sevilla, Celta Vigo or Levante.

As the only team besides Barcelona, ​​the Basques have an average of two goals of their own per game.

A number of academy players - eight professionals from the starting line-up against Villarreal came from their own youth - like the club's own coach Imanol Alguacil, ensure speed and verve.

However, the master of ceremonies is a veteran, David Silva, 34, acquired from Manchester City. And he was canceled on Sunday.

Against the well-staggered Villarreal of coach Unai Emery, who also returned to the league after stints at Paris St. Germain and Arsenal, Sociedad ultimately lacked less will to attack than ideas and precision.

The championship lead was defended for the sixth time in a row.

They haven't been that good since losing a title race against Real Madrid on the last day of the match in 2003.

The glory days of the beginning of the millennium - in San Sebastián they would have little objection to a revival.

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