Hola! and welcome to Spain for your weekly catch up with the Basque Boys. We’re off and running in season six, and have already secured our first silverware of the season in the Spanish charity shield. What will this week hold? as we start by hosting Barcelona…

We twice lead, but De La Peña is like a little annoying fly that won’t go away, that’s now five in five against us for him! We should have won really, but a point is better than nothing I guess. The eagle-eyed among you will notice that we now have a home background image of the San Mames (and yes, it’s from 1998!)

To European matters, and it’s a business-like home win against Spartak, who aren’t exactly Russian to threaten our goal. Rangers beat Villa in the other game, but we’re still top and in good shape.

It’s a bright start at Zaragoza, with Perez on target inside ten minutes, but it soon all goes pear-shaped. Gálvez likes scoring against us, and him and their other José condemn us to our first league defeat of the season.

Cup time, and Perez nets for the second game running to put us ahead at Real Madrid. Real addressed their keeper shortage by signing Christophe Revault, who typically gets man of the match, but even despite a late disallowed goal, we take a 1-0 lead to the second leg.

Antandec are in town, after splitting their summer between the grove and the flat they share with Cat Deeley. They’re as charitable as ever, letting us help ourselves to three goals and the points – they really are good eggs.

Wednesday night arrives, and it’s the return visit of Rangers, where a win will all but see us through to the quarters. I’m still annoyed at them for robbing us of two points last time, but we get revenge and then some.

Oviedo are Onopko-less, and their keeper tries to put in a super performance, but we’re not having it, no way José. We cruise to victory, and their goal is the first we’ve conceded in four games, much better from the back line.

A Real Madrid double-header now, starting with the Copa Del Rey second leg. We’re on the back foot from the off, and Oli duly makes us pay, but Porrini is dismissed, and De Pedro hits a pearler of a free kick to send us through.

The draw shovels yet more shit in our face…

Real return a few days later in the league. They’re already six points ahead of us, so we could really do with winning this, and win we do, comfortably! It’s no more than we deserve, but apparently it’s a shock defeat for them…

It’s nice to be back in England for the first time in a while, and a point is all that’s needed at Villa Park to see us through with a game to spare. They have the better of the game, so I’m happy with a point, and to the quarters we go.

This is not good news, I have no cover for him, and we’ve already seen what happens when I play a normal DMC in that right-sided position. Good job the transfer window reopens soon…

Basque derby time, and Sociedad beat us for the first time in three years. We can do little more from an attacking perspective, with sixteen shots on target, but Bengt Andersson is absolutely on fire, the blonde bastard.

Despite that loss, I still scoop the November manager of the month award…

Sevilla are two points below us, so it would be nice to increase that. We deservedly lead, and then they equalise with their first shot on goal. Arenaza gets his second to win it, but it wasn’t actually as close as the score line suggests.

The second string get a run-out in Russia, with Idiakez making the most of a rare start. The result is immaterial, but we finish the group games unbeaten, and make it through to the quarter finals for the second season running.

We get Bayern in the quarters, which isn’t the worst draw. Somehow Salernitana have made it this far, and I would have preferred them, but they got Man Utd, and the other ties are Monaco vs Juventus, and Porto vs Real Madrid.

Our keeper has been fantastic, and is now Spain’s number one, so I’m gutted to see this, but Leighton is a more than able deputy…

Elche provide little resistance. We have a goal disallowed after seven minutes, but it’s plain-sailing from then on, with a goal for Laslandes, a couple for De Pedro, and Arenaza’s tenth of the season in all competitions.

Our final match this week is away at Levante. The hosts start brightly, and are unlucky not to go ahead. I’m starting to think it’s one of those days, but eventually, their wastefulness is punished by messrs Arenaza and Guerrero.

So we’re almost at halfway, and we’re right in the mix, two points behind Barca, and four behind leaders Real Madrid. The top two play each other next, so hopefully Barca win, and if they do, and we win at Logrones, there’ll be two points separating the three of us. Could Barca’s days of running away with it be over?

Thank you for reading as always, I do hope you’ll join us again next week, as we resume our title defence, take on Barca in the Copa Del Rey, and then head to Germany to face Bayern Munich in the champions league quarter finals, should be fun. Adios, amigos!

Have you opened today’s door? Check out the CM9798 Advent Calendar here