Real Madrid and Zinedene Zidane will have to start the new year with two points behind league leaders Barcelona, after failing to grab all three points against a resilient Athletico Bilbao side in their Sunday's league encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu. The game ended in a 0-0 scoreline, despite Los Blancos hitting the woodwork several times. Madrid now have 37 points and are sitter in the second position on the log. This slight slip hands their rivals Barcelona a little breathing space to consolidate their quest of a treble this campaign. You will recall that the catalan side defeated Alaves 4-1 at the Camp Nou on Saturday, which put pressure on Zidane's side to replicate same feat and close the gap, if they must keep the league pursuit alive. Madrid played very well against Barcelona on Wednesday that many thought Bilbao wouldn't be a hard nut to crack, however, football most times defy our predictions. Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon appears to be my man of the Match, as he stood between Madrid and the 3 points. The shot stopper made lots of sublime safes to ensure his side shared in the Spoils. With Kroos, Nacho and even Luka Jovic hitting the woodwork, it may be apt to conclude that the god of soccer was far from Madrid today. It's unfortunate that Zidane will to end his year like this, but it's one of those stuffs we see.
Lazio Beat Sarri Again To Claim The Italian Supercup
I really don't know what's going through Maurizio Sarri's mind and that of the entire Juventus squad, but I'm pretty sure they won't be proud of themselves so far. I'm still wondering why Juventus had to sack Massimiliano Allegri for Sarri, because it appears the Old Ladies are losing grip on their domestic dominance, a reputation and dreadfulness that Allegri has built for years. On Sunday, the Italian Champions went against Lazio who are the Coppa Italia winners in a bid to decide who lifts the Italian Super Cup. The match which is usually played abroad was played in Saudi Arabia, and it was a tight encounter that left spectators glued to the end. Lazio were unfazed by the presence of the Portuguese star boy Ronaldo, and left no stone unturned in their quest to lift the trophy. The game which ended 3-1 in Favour of Lazio saw Sarri recording a second defeat to Lazio this season after being also beaten in the league match which was played on the 7th of Dec. The Coppa Italia winners drew the first blood just after 17 minutes of play with Luis Alberto opening the floodgates with a sublime finish. However, as expected, Juventus fought back and it didn't take too long for them to level the scoreline before halftime, thanks to Dybala's equaliser which left the scoreline at 1-1 before break. The second half started with Juventus appearing more threatening, however their inability to convert their chances left them open to Lazio's surprise. Two second half goals from Lulic and Cataldi put the game beyond the reach of Sarri's side.
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