At the end of the current season Atheltic Bilbao's historic San Mames stadium will be closing its doors for the final time ahead of the club completing their proposed move into their new stadium the Nuevo San Mames for the 2013/14 campaign.
As such, 2012/13 will be Bilbao's 100th and final season at La Catedral, with building work almost complete on the three sides of their new home that are due to open up in time for next season.
Manchester City told to stump up for Martinez and Garcia - originally posted on
Soccerlens.com
Roberto Mancini was vocal in the need for Manchester City to strengthen their squad in the
aftermath of his side's 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday, but the Premier League champions will
not get any of their targets for cheap.
Real Madrid will begin the defence of their Primera Division title at home to Valencia whileÂ
Barcelona, runners-up last season, are in action against Real Sociedad.
The fixtures for the 2012-13 season were released on Tuesday morning and the opening weekend, on
August 18 and 19, sees Jose Mourinho's men pitted against Los Che, who finished third last season
and appointed Mauricio Pellegrino to replace Unai Emery as coach in May.
Real Madrid will begin the defence of their Primera Division title at home to Valencia while
Barcelona, runners-up last season, are in action against Real Sociedad.
The fixtures for the 2012-13 season were released on Tuesday morning and the opening weekend, on
August 18 and 19, sees Jose Mourinho's men pitted against Los Che, who finished third last season
and appointed Mauricio Pellegrino to replace Unai Emery as coach in May.
Real Madrid wrapped up their 32nd La Liga title with a win over Athletic Bilbao at San Mames on
Wednesday evening and, in among all the frolicking and Mourinho-tossing, there was a wee
flashpoint involving Bilbao's Javi Martinez and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Real Madrid wrapped up their 32nd La Liga title with a win over Athletic Bilbao at San Mames on
Wednesday evening and, in among all the frolicking and Mourinho-tossing, there was a wee
flashpoint involving Bilbao's Javi Martinez and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mission accomplished: It's been pretty much done and dusted for a week or two now, but Real
Madrid assured their 32nd La Liga title and their first in four years with a win over Athletic
Bilbao at San Mames last night.
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid 0-3 Highlights 2012 Higuain Ozil Ronaldo Goals Video is a post
from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid 0-3 Highlights 2012 Higuain Ozil Ronaldo Goals Video is a post from
Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid 2012 ( Bilbao Real
Madrid VIDEO BELOW) Final score and result:- Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid 0-3 ( Higuain, Ozil,
Ronaldo) San Mames, Bilbao- 2 May, [.
After three years of wait, Real Madrid eventually bring the La Liga title back to the capital
city after confirming their season effort at San Mames stadium this midweek by trashing Athletic
Bilbao 3-0.
Although there's still two more games left to play, Madrid's victory kept their seven points gap
with Barcelona intact, so considering there's only six more possible points that Barca could earn,
Jose Mourinho's side are mathematically un-catchable by the Blaurgrana.
Real Madrid star striker Karim Benzema was his team's protagonist on their 2-0 victory over
Sevilla as he scored two goals in the game that made Madrid's La Liga title gets inch closer.
The French international revealed that getting back into winning ways after their elimination
from Europe wasn't easy but everyone at Los Blancos are getting over that disappointment as they
now there's a title at stake just around the corner.
This was a hugely entertaining match. End to end breathless action at the San Mames as each team
went at each other. There was no let up in the second half. Athletic took an early lead through
Mikael Susaeta as the Basques pulled level on aggregate.
An 89th minute Fernando Llorente toe poke was enough to see Athletic Bilbao through to the
Europa League Final in Bucharest on 6th May, overturning Sporting's 2-1 lead from the first leg in
Lisbon last week.
A rip-snorting first half saw Athletic open the proceedings through Markel Susaeta, Llorente
bringing down a cross with his chest and stepping aside for the little winger to lash home.
Spanish duo Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid will face off in the Europa League final slated
for May 9th after defeating Sporting Lisbon and Valencia respectively in last night's semi
finals.
Bilbao were 4-3 winners over Sporting while Atletico had a 5-2 aggregate win over Valencia.
Athletic Bilbao managed to fulfill their ambition in reaching the Europa League final this
season after successfully turning their 2-1 deficit in the first leg with a 3-1 victory over
Portuguese representatives, Sporting Lisbon, at San Mames stadium.
Marcelo Bielsa's side should be thanking their main striker, Fernando Llorente, for the success
as the Spanish international was the one who netted in the decisive goal only two minutes from
time.
The all Iberian showdown between the Lusos and the Basques kept up the Europa Cup's fast growing
reputation of put whatever you're doing down and enjoin (an amalgam of join + enjoy) the thrill a
minute, eyeballs to the wall, non stop, box to box action on display by some of the world's best
talent.
As we wrote earlier in the week, the Athletic Bilbao-Schalke tie was the only was that was
pretty much wrapped up after the 1st leg, with Athletic's 4-2 win in Germany.
Straight off the bat: What a brilliant two-leg's worth of European football. 180 minutes of
full-tilt, whirligig football with ten goals to show for it none of them shabby in the
slightest.
After racking up a 4-2 headstart in Gelsenkirchen, Bilbao had the second-leg
frighteners put up them when Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's low drive (his 10th goal in the competition and
42nd of the season) put Schalke ahead at the San Mames to bring the Germans back into the tie- only
for Ibai Gomez to equalise on the night with a superb curling effort to re-establish the Basque
side's aggregate lead four minutes into the second half.
Que maravilloso! Following their victories yesterday, Atletico Madrid, Athletic
Bilbao and Valencia are all through to the Europa League
semi-finals with Sporting Lisbon taking up the final spot.
Athletic Bilbao ended a 35 year wait as they despatched of Schalke 6-4 on aggregate with a 2-2 draw
at the San Mames tonight to reach the Euriopa Cup Semi's where they will face Sporting Lisbon who
despatched of Metalist Kharkiv 3-2 on aggregate 1-1 on the night.
German club Schalke 04 last night suffered an embarassing 4-2 home defeat to Athletic Bilbao in
the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinals. The Basque side were heading for a draw after
Raul's two goal haul drew the match level on 2 a piece but late strikes from Oscar De Marcos and
Muniain put the tie beyond Schalke.
I had not watched the first leg of the UEFA Europa League match where Athletic Bilbao to everyone's
surprise defeated Manchester United 2-3 at Old Trafford. Tonight's match, in San Mames in Bilbao, I
nevertheless managed to see. And I saw what I had read about: a great Athletic Bilbao team that was
superior to a too- disillusioned Manchester side.
Manchester United lost a second successive game to Athletic Bilbao to crash out of the UEFA
Europa League 5-3 on aggregate in Basque Country.
United may have regained first place in the Barclays Premier League but their woes against La
Liga's seventh place team continued following during tonight's 2-1 defeat, which followed a 3-2
loss at Old Trafford last Thursday.
Sir Alex Ferguson remained upbeat after Manchester United were beaten 3-2 at home by Athletic
Bilbao on Thursday night, but the side need to return to form and victory when they face West Brom
on Sunday. With Manchester City two points ahead of the Red Devils, a win against the Baggies at
Old Trafford is a necessity.
David de Gea was less than impressed with the defence last night after a bizarrely awarded
freekick threw the defence off guard.
The Spanish keeper pulled off a couple of great stops, which were fitting with his recent form,
with Sir Alex Ferguson claiming de Gea has kept us in the competition.
Barça, Juve, Arsenal, Man City chase Fernando Llorente - originally posted on
Soccerlens.com
Athletic Bilbao's 27 year old striker Fernando Llorente has become the center of many transfer
speculations with rumors stating clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona, Juventus,
Manchester City and Tottenham after the man.
Probably the most entertaining quarter-final on display with a plethora of attack minded players
on both sides. Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Raul, Jose Manual Jurado for Schalke while the Basques had
Fernando Llorente, Oscar De Marcos, and Iker Munian.
It was Huntelaar in great form this season lashing a shot past Gorka Iraizoz who raised
Schalke's hopes for an upset win at San Mames.
Many commentators have concluded that the heart and soul of European football lies in the Europa
Cup and those who saw this match will have little to disagree with that statement. Schalke at home
at the Veltins got another scintillating display from Raul, who is probably secretly relieved he's
not part of the Real Madrid circus anymore.
Sir Alex Ferguson reflected on a "disappointingyear" after Manchester United were unceremoniously
dumped out of Europe byAthletic Club at San Mames on Thursday (Live soccer betting: 4/7 Manchester
United - Premier Leagueoutright bet365).
The reigning Premier League champions were given a harsh lesson on home soil inthe first leg when
Marcelo Biesla's high-energy La Liga outfit ran outcomfortable 3-2 winners.
Real Madrid sealed their 32nd league title with a 3-0 win over Athletic in their third to last
match of the season. Athletic's Javi Martinez was sent off in the 72nd minute for his second
handball and after the final whistle blew and Madrid began their celebration at the San Mames,
Martinez re-emerged to have a chat with Cristiano Ronaldo.
