By Khilen Mehta

As Barcelona stumbled again this weekend, Real Madrid took advantage of this slip up to move ten points clear at the top of the table. With just five games left this season, Real could mathematically seal the title next weekend if results go their way.Real sealed a 2-0 victory at Racing Santander at the weekend with goals coming in each half from Raul and Gonzalo Higuain in the final minute. Reports say that the home team threatened the Real goal many times but were thwarted on each occasion by the impressive Iker Casillas. In the end, Real’s class showed through and few can now bet against them clinching the title before the end of the season.This was a far cry from events in the Nou Camp, where Barcelona could only manage a 0-0 draw at home to Espanyol. At the end of the game, a group of 30 violent Barcelona supporters attacked the presidential box after the game and demanded changes to be made for next season. It seems time could be up for Frank Rijkaard and a host of players as the supporters brought out the white handkerchiefs at the end of the game, signifying their disapproval at the performance. Samuel Eto’o came out publicly and threatened to leave the club if the club experience another season like this one. He told RAC1 radio station, “in Spain my cycle has finished. I have touched the ceiling in Barcelona, so if I leave I will go abroad. I will go to whoever pays the most.”With a massive Champions League double header to come against Manchester United, it seems not even victory in the European Cup will be enough to convince some of the major players that this is not a club in turmoil.

By Khilen Mehta

In order to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the events of May 1808 and the start of the Spanish war of independence, the Prado has opened up a special exhibition to commemorate the works of Goya. The exhibition will fall within the framework of the commemorative programme sponsored by the National Committee for the Bicentenary of the Spanish War of Independence and visitors have the opportunity to witness more than 200 works of Goya.

The show will focus on the two great canvases of 1808 and 1809, which are currently being cleaned and restored, but will also analyse and focus on Goyas work in a broader context. More than 65 paintings will be loaned for the exhibition from other insitutions and private collections. These include Majas on the Balcony and Portrait of the Marchioness of Montehermoso, both from private collections; Friar Pedro de Zaldivia clubs Maragato the Bandit from The Art Institute of Chicago; The Capture of Christ from Toledo Cathedral, and a group of nine works loaned by the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid. All the paintings are essential to the theme of the exhibition and they will be used to further portray the context of the artistic development of Goya.

All in all, the quality of paintings on display is sure to make this one of the finest international art exhibitions on the works of Goya since the last one organised by the Prado in 1996.

Date:
15 April to 13 July 2008

Ticket prices
General entry: 6€
Reductions and free entry according to regulations
Advance booking for individual visitors: 9€
Free admission: from Tuesday to Saturday from 6 pm to 8 pm and Sandays from 5pm to 8 pm