Spain

Sometimes it seems to me like beIN Sports is actively working to safeguard LaLiga from American viewers. Much of the television network’s coverage since 2012 — rather than celebrating a golden era that’s included Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo going head-to-head in sport’s greatest individual and team rivalry — has been hellbent on being as unappealing as possible.*

*I’m not talking about the commentary partnership of Phil Schoen and Ray Hudson here. They’re the best. 

Back in January, Pep Guardiola was asked by a reporter if he thought Sergio Agüero was the world’s best No. 9. Guardiola’s response was classic: “The best is Messi. Messi is (the best) number nine, number 10, number 11, number seven, number six, number five, number four…” 

Real Madrid took a seven-point lead at the top of LaLiga following a 1-0 victory over Athletic Club with Barcelona still to play its game in hand later Sunday. With only four matches remaining for Los Blancos, a 34th league title — and first in three years — beckons for Zinedine Zidane’s men.

Today’s victory wasn’t without controversy in the eyes of Blaugrana supporters as Real earned a second-straight 1-0 victory courtesy of a Sergio Ramos penalty. 

Atletico Madrid stayed firmly on course to secure Champions League football next season after two goals by Alvaro Morata and a late strike from Koke gave them a 3-0 home win over struggling Mallorca in LaLiga on Friday.

The result left Atletico third on 62 points from 34 games, five ahead of fourth-placed Sevilla and eight in front of fifth-placed Villarreal who both have a game in hand.

Mallorca have a only slim chance of avoiding relegation as they remained third-bottom on 29 points from 34 games, five behind 17th-placed Celta Vigo who have played a game less.

MADRID — Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos kept his nerve to score a late penalty and secure a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Getafe on Thursday for a sixth consecutive La Liga victory to take his side one step closer to winning the title.

Ramos coolly passed the ball into the net to break the deadlock in the 79th minute after Dani Carvajal was felled by the trailing leg of Getafe's Mathias Olivera, who was earlier denied a penalty after being knocked over by Carvajal.

MADRID — Real Madrid have taken the final step towards officially launching their women's team after the Spanish soccer federation approved a deal to merge with CD Tacon, the club said in a statement on Wednesday.

Real agreed to absorb Tacon last year after they were promoted to the top division of Spanish women's soccer, a move that was approved by the club's members at last year's general assembly.

Álvaro Cervera arrived in Cádiz after a three-year spell with Tenerife. It was mid-April when he took the job as manager, the season nearly over. Cervera was able to guide Cádiz CF to a fourth-place finish and promotion to the Spanish second division after six arduous years in the third tier. Four years on, El Submarino Amarillo is on the brink of a return to the promised land of LaLiga.

An important game in the LaLiga relegation picture beckons as 18th-place Mallorca takes on 17th-place Celta Vigo on Tuesday.

Mallorca is still winless since the restart, having faced a tough stretch on the schedule which pitted the side against Barcelona, Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao. The Balearic Islands-based team, co-owned by retired basketball player Steve Nash, has taken just one point since play resumed in a draw against fellow basement dwellers Leganes. 

Barcelona coach Quique Setién has said he does not always see eye-to-eye with his squad as their LaLiga title bid threatens to unravel following Saturday's 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo.

Second-placed Barça trail Real Madrid by two points with six games to go and face a grueling match at home to third-placed Atlético Madrid on Tuesday which they need to win to stay in close contention in the title race.

"It's true that you often have arguments with players as you do in everyday life and that's nothing new," Setién told a virtual news conference on Monday. 

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema produced an audacious back-heeled assist for Casemiro to score as they beat Espanyol 1-0 away on Sunday to capitalize on Barcelona's slip-up a day earlier and move two points clear at the top of LaLiga.

Brazilian midfielder Casemiro slid to the ground to guide the ball home on the stroke of halftime after being played in by a stroke of genius from Benzema, who dragged the ball through the legs of the defender marking him to find his team mate.