Back on the victory trail

Finally we are back on the victory trail. After a few weeks without winning, this last weekend we were strong again at Stamford Bridge to beat Wigan 4-1. Those 3 points are very important in order to keep the gap with teams such as Tottenham and Arsenal -both won as well- and approach to Manchester City.

Unfortunately for me, I was not 100% fit because of a virus. I was feeling unwell since I came back from Qatar and in the two days before the match, with typical flu symptoms, although I’m starting to feel better and better. Still I was able to play a few minutes and enjoy, for example, Marko Marin’s first goal as a Blue (congratulations my friend!).

As I said before, last week was a busy one, one of those that I like, and I was able to visit one more country: Qatar. Once there I had the chance to know the Aspire Academy: massive sports facilities for Qatari kids as well as a team made of future legends of football from around the world. They are given education, and get access to fantastic facilities all in the same complex. Involved in this project are several world class players such as Raúl (who visited us along with his kids), as well as some technical staff from Spain, showing that our sport has no boundaries.

But the main reason to go to Qatar was our friendly game against Uruguay. I played the first half and I felt really well on the pitch. It’s always a pleasure to play with these team mates that make football look easier. We won 3-1 in my friend Azpilicueta’s debut with the senior team (what a great week for him that ended with a superb performance against Wigan). On our way back to Spain we felt as we had played on a perfect football pitch

So the last seven days have been busy, but this week is going to be the same. This coming Thursday we play in the Europa League at Sparta Prague trying to get a positive result for the second leg. There are also Champions League rounds this week, like the one between Manchester United and Real Madrid. A massive game where the Reds, always competitive, are facing a Real Madrid on fire following their victory against Sevilla (4-1, spectacular Cristiano).

Chelsea-Wigan

Still in la Liga, Valencia -also playing Champions this week- got three valuable points at Vigo as a boost prior to their match vs PSG. Valdez is a very important player for Valencia, especially in the last minutes! Isco was another key player in the last weekend, scoring Málaga’s two goals against Levante that show how skilled he is…

In Barcelona, Barça beat Getafe 6-1 thanks to a sensational Iniesta (passes, ball control, one goal…); and in Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, with their easy going, attacking football style, beat Atlético 2-1. As I mentioned before, Rayo’s season is commendable.

Back to the UK, here is my weekly recommendation about London: Marylebone High Street. Just five minutes off Oxford St, it offers a nice break in the busy Central London, a quite walk and a nice atmosphere with plenty of cafés and pubs where you can ‘switch off’

By the way, now that I have finished the second season of ‘Homeland’ and the third one has not been released yet, which TV series do you recommend? There are still many trips ahead this season…

A big hug to all and thanks for your comments; it’s a better way to start the week!

Juan

PS: Happy Chinese New Year, the Year of the Snake! You are a lot supporting us from China and I didn’t want to forget about you! Enjoy!