In his weekly column, Sky Sports Spanish football expert Guillem Balague reflects on Real Madrids derby defeat to Atletico Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldos controversial post-match comments, as well as answering your questions... I think people have taken the wrong end of the stick on Cristiano Ronaldo. Hes becoming a very easy target because people are not in love with him back in Spain - even a lot of Real Madrid fans.If you listen closely to what he says, hes not saying anything we dont already think. Hes saying he prefers to play with Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and the big names, rather than Jese or Lucas Vazquez. Obviously, there are better players in the squad. People may say is there a need to say that after an Atletico Madrid defeat, and perhaps the timing was not right - hence him tracking back on his words and trying to clarify them by saying he was talking about the physical side and the injuries.But if you keep listening, he is having a dig at the club about the pre-season that they had, in which they didnt prepare themselves properly for this season - which is something that not only Ronaldo but a lot of other players think. Cristiano Ronaldo caused controversy with his comments about team-mates He was having a dig at the way the squad has been built and he was having a dig at the doctors as well so there was a lot that he said but of course, most people kept the line about, If everybody was as good as I had been, we would be top of the table.Im not sure I even agree with that. I dont think hes been that good this season. I think his impact on big games hasnt been great. Antoine Griezmann scored the only goal as Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid The fact Real Madrid havent beaten any top-four team in La Liga for instance is proof of it and he hasnt been as effective as he was last season, even though he may have been scoring a similar amount of goals, he has scored in fewer games.To talk about himself as being much better compared to the rest, that is where he got it completely wrong. He is the star of the team so he should be the one raising his game in the big matches. Nobody else has been raising their game but he hasnt either so thats where he should have perhaps been a bit more humble. To talk about himself as being much better compared to the rest, that is where he got it completely wrong. Guillem Balague on Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrids defeat is basically confirming what we knew at least - and what I thought from the beginning - that Zinedine Zidane is not ready to take this job.Partly because the team he has to deal with is unbalanced and partly because he is not prepared for it. The most disturbing thing about him getting the job is the lack of respect for the process it takes you to become a manager at Real Madrid - as if anybody could do it. Talking points All the major talking points from the Madrid derby Well, Im afraid at the back of the mind of Florentino Perez, thats exactly what hes been thinking all along. I think these kind of results and that they havent improved since Rafa Benitez left - in the same amount of games, Rafas team had more points - all confirms that not anybody can do the job. Guillem Balague doesnt think Zinedine Zidane is ready to be Real Madrid manager It was all lacking in sharpness, lacking in hunger even and lacking in an active attitude that the players should have taken for a derby.All in all, and Ive been saying it all year, it looks like the end of an era here and I think Real Madrid are going to use the summer to make a lot of changes as Zidane said himself in the press conference, there will be a lot of changes in the summer - he said including the manager. Guillem answers your questionsDoes Marc Bartras future lie away from Barcelona or does Enrique have a plan - similar to (Sergi) Roberto? @MarkieHDI think Bartra will leave Barcelona in the summer. We dont know how good he is really, weve seen him play and hes got a touch of Gerard Pique but he hasnt got his intelligence and he doesnt build from the back so well. I think Pique is a much better centre-back and Bartra lacks the physical strength to come to England, or to do well in a top team at England. Balague believes Marc Bartra will leave the Nou Camp this summer Aymeric Laporte has been linked to Manchester clubs and Barcelona. Who is likely to sign him? @Shantanu3196Barcelona will have to decide where to put their money. If its in the renewal of contracts, then they may not have 40-50m to pay for a player like him. I know both Manchester clubs want him so it might be a matter for him to decide because they will be willing to pay the buy-out clause. It doesnt mean he will go because he has been linked to them in the past and he has decided to stay and renew his contract with Athletic Bilbao, so we will see.Could Riyad Mahrez become a Barcelona player? @stevemarriott67Definitely not, he is not a target for Barcelona.Do you think there is any area where Barcelona will look to strengthen in the summer? @domcox1990I think the centre-back position for sure and as I say, most of the money will go towards the renewal of the contracts so Im not sure how much money they will have. If they had 100m, they could go for Paul Pogba but they definitely dont have that kind of money.Do you think Valencia have a chance of winning a UCL place? @ODeolekar Valencias four game winning run came to an abrupt halt on Sunday No chance. It is too far away and the target should be to not get relegated and to do well in the Europa League. Will Zidane last until next season? Who are the candidates to replace him? @MADRIDISTABefore the Atletico Madrid game, the club said off the record that the plan was for Zidane to stay on and to start signing players, but after the derby, the message has changed a little bit and now it all depends on the Champions League so its not guaranteed that he will stay, but it is not easy to find a replacement either. Real Madrid are a manager eating machine. Also See: Atletico clinch historic Real win Ronaldo backtracks on criticism Madrid derby talking points Barca win to equal Real record Jeff Bagwell Jersey Large . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. Custom Jeff Bagwell Jersey . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. http://www.customastrosjersey.com/ . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. Custom Astros T-shirts . Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey last Sunday. The fine is the fourth this season for Goldson. He was fined $30,000 for a hit on the New York Jets Jeff Cumberland in Week 1. Cheap Astros Jerseys . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. CINCINNATI -- Billy Hamilton didnt use up all of his speed to beat the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.He had enough left to avoid the media after the game.Hamilton wasnt around to talk about dashing home on All-Star Jonathan Lucroys passed ball with two outs in the ninth inning, giving the Cincinnati Reds a 1-0 win over Milwaukee.Manager Bryan Price was more than happy to talk about the disruptive Hamilton.Billy is that guy, Price said. He affects the game. He changes the look of the game. He creates a lot of anxiety on the basepaths. That ball didnt get that far away from Lucroy. That ability of his to start and stop creates the opportunity.The speedy Hamilton drew a two-out walk from Tyler Thornburgh (3-3). Left-hander Will Smith relieved and walked Joey Votto.Hamilton stole third with Jay Bruce hitting, setting up the game-winning play. Smiths curveball glanced off Lucroys glove as Bruce swung and missed and rolled away to the catchers left.The ball didnt even reach the dirt track near the visitors dugout, but still was plenty far enough away for Hamilton to score easily.Thats what speed does, Smith said. It makes you freak out.It was originally scored as a wild pitch, then changed to a passed ball.The pitchers deserve better, Lucroy said. (Starter Zach) Davies deserved better. That cant happen. Thats minor league stuff right there. I shouldve caught it. If its in the air and I get a glove on it, Ive got to catch it.Tony Cingrani (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth for the win.Davies and Cincinnati starter Dan Straily each pitched seven impressive innings.Straily, who was 1-4 over his last five starts, gave up three hits, walked one and struck out four. He set down nine straight batters in one stretch and didnt allow a runner to reach second base until the sixth, when Jonathan Villar led off with a walk and stole his major league-leading 33rd base.Villar went to third on catcher Tucker Barnharts throwing error, but Lucroy grounded out to end the threat.I was able to throw my fastball where I wanted to, when I wanted to, Straily said. I felt good. The All-Star break is designed to allow us to refresh, and I really felt good today.Davies, recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs before the game, allowed four hits with no walks and five strikeoutss.ddddddddddddThe Reds got two hits on his first three pitches, putting runners at first and third, but Davies escaped.Four of his five strikeouts were called and he fielded four balls, only one hit sharply.Thats a really good example of knowing when Im locating and mixing it up, Davies said. I know its going right when theyre taking pitches and not getting good swings on balls.Milwaukee put runners at first and second with two outs in the eighth against Michael Lorenzen, but Ryan Braun grounded out.NOT SO FASTReds rookie Jose Peraza was caught stealing second by Lucroy with one out in the second inning. Peraza was 13-for-13 in his brief career going into the game, including 10-for-10 this season.STRUGGLING SUAREZReds 3B Eugenio Suarez went 1 for 3, leaving him 4 for 32 (.125) since his seven-game hitting streak was snapped on July 3 at Miami.CONSISTENT STREAKERVillar went 0 for 3 to see his hitting streak snapped at seven games, his fourth streak of that length this season. Seven games is his season high.POWER OUTAGEReds pitching was able to keep Braun in the ballpark for the entire three-game series, a rare luxury. The Milwaukee left fielder went into the series with 32 homers against Cincinnati, more than against any other team, and 19 at Great American Ball Park, more than at any other location.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: OF Hernan Perez didnt play, but manager Craig Counsell said he was available off the bench a day after leaving with a sore left foot, the result of a foul tip.Reds: RHP Caleb Cotham, whos been on the disabled list since May 31 with right shoulder inflammation, reported no problems after throwing 13 pitches, nine for strikes, in one inning of a rehab assignment with Double-A Pensacola on Saturday.UP NEXTBrewers: After a day off Monday, Milwaukee plays the first of 16 second-half games against the Pirates. RHP Chase Anderson (4-10) is the Brewers scheduled starter in the opener of a three-game series in Pittsburgh.Reds: Atlanta comes to town for a three-game series between the teams with the worst records in the majors. LHP Brandon Finnegan (4-7) is Cincinnatis scheduled starter in Mondays opener. ' ' '
