Barca should loan Turan to Grimsby

The action itself got off to a poor start, with Málaga deserving better against a tired looking Sevilla side, more active during the summer than their opponents. The 0-0 draw seemed to set the theme for the opening games, whose poor goal baggage (8 in 9 games) became the weekend’s common denominator. Then again, the opening match carried reminders of previous seasons, particularly the poor decision by referee Alvarez Izquierdo to disallow a home goal by Charles which looked perfectly legal to most onlookers, even those without glasses. Start how you mean to go on? The best thing that can be said about Spanish referees is that they are extremely consistent. Sevilla will play better. Málaga looked like they had a spring in their step and might surprise people this season.

The most eye-catching fixture of the opening batch was of course the Athletic vs Barcelona game on Sunday evening – the third time the teams were to meet in the space of 10 days. Barcelona’s pre-season defensive problems, with eight goals shipped in two matches against Sevilla and Athletic, looked like they might continue in the absence of Gerard Piqué, suspended for the game after questioning the morals of the linesman’s mother at the Camp Nou last week. Things looked bleaker when Dani Alvés went off injured in the 18th minute, although his replacement Sergi Roberto went on to be one of the Catalans’ best performers on the night. Indeed, the very fact that Barcelona kept a clean sheet must have been the thing that most pleased coach Luis Enrique, who also lost Sergio Busquets in the second half to a nasty-looking injury.

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Athletic were never likely to repeat the ecstasy of their 4-0 win last week in San Mames, probably because they had little else to learn about Barcelona, but Barcelona were able to reflect more carefully on how the lions had mauled them so savagely that night. Suffocating the in-form Benat was all they really did this time, so that his connection with Aritz Aduriz was cut off. Barcelona also played deeper, a tactic that stifled Aduriz, (their nemesis last week) but which also affected their own rhythm.  One should not read too much into this game – a test that Barcelona simply needed to survive. They looked slightly messy, with Andres Iniesta still switched off, and Leo Messi unable to get into the match with any degree of influence or consistency. The goal was wonderfully planned by Ivan Rakitic and Jordi Alba, and executed with aplomb by Luis Suarez, but apart from that you could argue that the hosts deserved a draw.  Oh, and Messi had a penalty saved by Gorka Iraizoz – only the 5th he’s missed in his career – but it was just as well because it wasn’t a penalty in the first place. As already mentioned, the referees have begun where they left off last season.  Is there an adjective that fits nicely between poor and incompetent?

Barcelona looked a little one-paced and short of inspiration without the galloping Neymar, and the metronomic qualities of Xavi now a distant memory. The energetic Pedro has gone too, and so Rafinha will need to impose himself a little more if he is to really fulfil his promise. The signing of Arda Turan in the close season was a master stroke, but of course he cannot play until January. Turan will restore some of the recently departed qualities and the fading influence of Iniesta by just being Turan. He doesn’t really fit into schemes, but tends to define them himself. Barcelona look like they will need something different, and he will certainly provide it. What a shame, however, that a player of his qualities is sidelined for five months, just because Barcelona need to stock up their cupboard. Turan’s bank manager and agent will be pleased of course, but the paying public should not be deprived of such a player, in order to swell the already bloated monopoly that Real Madrid and Barcelona continue to operate in La Liga. Couldn’t they just loan him out to Grimsby for a few months?

Not all Footballers are ruthless mercenaries. Class by Barcelona’s Arda Turan. pic.twitter.com/2fOJZUjY9I

— Nicky Allt (@NickyAllt) August 24, 2015

Talking of the more modest sides, the first of the promoted teams to try their luck in the new shining environs of the top flight were Las Palmas, absent since 2002. They did have an unbroken 19-year spell between 1964 and 1983, and so historically speaking are no strangers to this level, but a game at the intimidating Calderón was hardly the opening-day gift they might have been hoping for.

Still, with Atlético Madrid in semi-transition yet again after a busy summer of departures and arrivals, Las Palmas put up some stubborn resistance, only falling to man-of-the-moment Antoine Griezmann’s early (and deflected) free kick. Diego Simeone fielded Oliver Torres from the off, a player who looks like he’s just been left by his parents to begin secondary school. Torres spent last season at Porto, and did rather well. Much is expected of him, but he will have to work in order to supplant the popular (Fernando) Torres in the squad – a player in decline but a useful chap to have waiting in the wings. Atlético have replaced Mario Mandukic with the powerful and confident Jackson Martinez, another player who has cut his teeth in the Portuguese league. Next week they visit Sevilla, which should be interesting.

The second newcomers onto the stage were Sporting de Gijon, who of course were hosting Real Madrid on their big return. They’ve only been away for three seasons, and are an important club in the history of La Liga with a decent enough pedigree and some high finishes (third  in 1980). It’s a straightforward, no-frills club, and not the sort of place you’d want to visit for an opening game. Last season in Division 2, Sporting excelled in defence, but looked a little stodgy going forward, and so it proved against their illustrious visitors. They hit the bar with Antonio Sanabria’s header – the ball bouncing dramatically on the line but not crossing it – and repelled 27 shots from Real Madrid, proving that they might be hard to beat this season.

Real Madrid start the season with a 0-0 draw at Sporting and are already two points behind Barcelona and Atletico pic.twitter.com/mOxzL8IvrS

— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) August 23, 2015

Madrid’s busy pre-season, which took in a dizzying amount of air-miles, has not really revealed anything significant except the fact that Rafa Benitez obviously does not want Asier Illarramendi, and bought the useful-looking Mateo Kovacic to prove the point, giving him a run-out in the second half of the game at the Molinon. It also revealed that they might have a goal problem, not scoring in five of their nine pre-season games. The BBC was replaced by the JCB (Jesé, Cristiano and Bale) which for the uninitiated is a rough terrain forklift. That sounds much more appropriate for football than does an acronym which represents a medium of communication. I like the JCB, but it failed to yield any goals, perhaps because it lacked that touch of subtlety that Karim Benzema brings to the attacking operations and Sporting’s goalie (Ivan Cuellar) is rather good.

Real Madrid with Luka Modric, however, is a different prospect, and his perfect midfield prompting may yet see Madrid improve this season. Toni Kroos benefits from his presence too, and Kovacic’s offensive qualities will be a useful addition, if Isco has one of his phases and loses inspiration. Otherwise, Madrid looked fairly decent and shouldn’t start to worry yet about the fact that they’re two points behind Barcelona. Danilo and Keylor Navas also got to feature, and with James Rodriguez still to come, the mix doesn’t look too bad.

Betis snatched a late equaliser at home to Villarreal to draw 1-1 in their top-flight return, although they’d only been away for one season. Villarreal’s goal was scored by Roberto Soldado, back from his disappointing stay in the Premier League. Betis’ goal was scored by Ruben Castro – who else? It was his 105th goal for them since he joined in 2010, and he remains one of La Liga’s unsung heroes. It was a great game by all accounts, and at least produced a couple of goals. The only other game to see the net bulge decently was Levante vs Celta (1-2), but apart from that there was an extraordinary drought, with seven of the nine games producing only three goals.  In conclusion – an interesting start from several perspectives, but caution seemed to overcome ambition.  Let’s hope the goalkeepers aren’t smiling so much by the end of next weekend.