CASILLAS READY FOR TITLE BATTLE

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has ruled out the possibility of a comfortable stroll to the Primera Liga title for his side, believing they have the toughest run-in of the three main contenders.

With eight games to go, Madrid hold the upper hand after beating Sevilla 3-1 on Sunday to establish a six-point lead over second-placed Villarreal and a seven-point advantage over Barcelona.

However, that buffer could prove crucial if Casillas' assessment of the three clubs' run-in is correct, with the Spain international saying: "From my point of view, I think we have a more difficult fixture list than the other teams, although it is true that Villarreal now have to go to Sevilla, who have now lost two games in succession."

Among the teams Madrid still have to face are Racing Santander, Real Mallorca, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao - who are currently four of the five most in-form teams in the division along with Villarreal - plus other matches against Barcelona and Real Zaragoza.

"We have to try and not lose our advantage and we know that we have to continue winning games to be champions," Casillas added in comments reported by his club's website.

"Right now there are 24 points to play for and if we win 18 we are champions, which is what we are going to fight for."

Casillas also threw his support behind coach Bernd Schuster, who has come under fire after a disappointing start to 2008 which has seen Madrid lose half of their 18 competitive matches and get knocked out of both the Champions League and Copa del Rey.

When asked if he thought it was good news that Madrid president Ramon Calderon told that Schuster he would be continuing as coach next season, Casillas said: "Yes, I think that's good for all.

"A little stability is not a bad thing for anybody and neither for Real Madrid.

"He has achieved a level of stability at the club, as there have been many changes, including a change in coach and new players.

"For a coach to hear this from the president is very good for the confidence of the coach and his plans.

"Even though we are out out of other competitions such as the Copa del Rey and Champions League, right now in the league the team are very well-placed and a title is very important for us and above all for the fans."

La Liga - Luis Fabiano denies Madrid reports

Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano has declared that the following weeks will be "key" as he decides whether to stay at the club, amidst reports linking him with a move to Real Madrid.

The Brazilian - who leads the Liga scoring charts with 22 so far this season - is in talks over a new deal and moved to quell rumours about a transfer to the Santigo Bernabeu.

"We are talking and hoping to do something," he said. "I love Sevilla, I want to continue here and we are trying to sort it out.

"My agent has spoken with nobody at Real Madrid."

The former Porto hit man is still waiting, however, to see if Sevilla can qualify for Europe next season, which will be some achievement after a poor start to the season which included the death of team-mate Antonio Puerta and the departure of coach Juande Ramos to Tottenham.

"We are not going to throw in the towel, we're going to keep going until the end," he adeed.

"We now have eight finals and Sevilla have enough quality to get into the Champions League.

"It's going to be tough but if we win seven matches we have a chance."

Sevilla lie sixth the La Liga, five points behind Atletico Madrid and Racing Santander, both of whom have 50 points.

Soccer-Primera Liga reports

MADRID, March 29 (Reuters) - Brief reports of Primera Liga matches played on Saturday:

REAL BETIS 3 BARCELONA 2

Barca looked to be cruising to an easy win when goals from Bojan Krkic and Samuel Eto'o put them 2-0 up after 15 minutes, but Betis turned the tables with a superb second half display.

Brazilian forward Edu headed Betis's first goal shortly after the hour although he missed a penalty soon after.

Spain defender Juanito made it 2-2 moments later with a stunning volley on the turn and Edu clinched an unlikely win with a great strike 12 minutes from time. - - - -

VILLARREAL 3 ATLETICO MADRID 0

Villarreal took full advantage of Barcelona's slip-up to take second place in the standings with a high-class display against a shoddy-looking Atletico.

Midfielder Santi Cazorla put the home side ahead when he drilled the ball into the net late in the first half.

Nihat Kahveci made it 2-0 before the break when he poked in at the far post after a slick passing move and completed the rout with a pinpoint finish midway through the second half.

Playing on Sunday (kickoffs 1500 GMT unless stated):

Almeria v Levante

Deportivo Coruna v Real Murcia (1700)

Getafe v Osasuna

Espanyol v Racing Santander

Real Madrid v Sevilla (1900)

Recreativo Huelva v Athletic Bilbao

Valencia v Real Mallorca

Valladolid v Real Zaragoza (Reporting by Simon Baskett, editing by Ken Ferris)

Koeman calls for home improvements

Valencia coach Ronald Koeman is looking for an all-too-rare home success when his side welcome Real Mallorca to the Mestalla on Sunday.

The air of despondency surrounding the fallen Spanish giants this season has been lifted in the last 10 days following impressive back-to-back 3-2 victories over Barcelona and Real Madrid.

However, with the team in 11th place in the Primera Liga standings and only seven points above the relegation zone, Koeman knows there is still plenty of work to do if they are to avoid a nervy end to the campaign.

One of the areas Koeman is looking to improve on is Valencia's form at the Mestalla, where Los Che have won just four of their 14 league games this season and lost seven - a record which is the second-worst in the division behind bottom club Levante.

"There have been many games at home where we have lost too many points. We have to address this situation and these are three very important points," said Koeman ahead of the visit of Mallorca.

"Despite the two wins against great teams we need to be very focused on this battle.

"It is important to have the same attitude that we have had recently and this must be the path to follow."

Valencia defender Emiliano Moretti added: "The game against Mallorca will be very important. There are a lot of points left to move up the table."

The good news for Valencia is that they have never lost at home to Mallorca in the league, winning 15 of their 20 meetings against the Balearic Island side down the years.

The bad news though is that Mallorca defender Jose Carlos Nunes is determined to see his side end that record this weekend.

"The statistics are not favourable that's true, but they are only numbers and statistics are there to be broken," he said.

"We will try to finish the game with the three points but we know it will not be easy due to the way Valencia are now.

"We hope to make history on Sunday."

Mallorca have lost just twice in the league since the winter break and last weekend's 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna saw them move five points clear of the drop zone.

However, Gregorio Manzano's men now face a daunting run of games against La Liga superpowers Valencia, Real Madrid and Sevilla, with the possibility of being dragged back into the relegation dogfight if things go against them.

"They are three very difficult battles, but we must think of each game individually," Nunes said.

"We have 37 points and if we beat Valencia then everything will look well regarding our chances of survival. We know what we are playing for and we will try to play a serious game and win the match."

Mallorca defender Sergio Ballesteros is suspended for Sunday, but Ariel Ibagaza and Angelos Basinas return from bans, while for Valencia, Vicente Rodriguez, Carlos Marchena, Nikola Zigic, Santiago Canizares, David Albelda and Miguel Angel Angulo are all missing for various reasons.

SCHUSTER WARY OF SEVILLA THREAT

Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster knows his side can ill afford a second successive setback in front of their own fans as they welcome Sevilla to the Bernabeu on Sunday.

Madrid were seven points clear at the summit heading into last weekend's matches, but a shock 3-2 home defeat to Valencia saw that advantage reduced to four points by second-placed Barcelona.

And that gap could be down to one point by the time Schuster's men take the field against Sevilla if Barcelona beat Real Betis on Saturday night on what could prove a key weekend in the race for the Primera Liga title.

Like Valencia, Sevilla have struggled for consistency this season but Schuster is under no illusions just what a threat the Andalusian side can pose.

"They are a dangerous team that can score at any time and this will be an important game after our match against Valencia," said Schuster.

"Both sides seem similar, but Sevilla are better than Valencia this season. We can't allow the three points to escape from us.

"We've talked about the (Valencia) game and analysed it, and we did a lot of good things, such as controlling the match throughout. But we also made some mistakes that cost us the game. We expect the game with Sevilla to be very similar."

Madrid suffered a blow in the build-up to Sunday's match when centre-back Pepe was ruled out through injury, and he joins Ruud van Nistelrooy and Christoph Metzelder in the treatment room.

Pepe's loss means Gabriel Heinze is set to join Fabio Cannavaro in the centre of the Madrid defence, with Schuster confirming that Sergio Ramos will not return to his old position at the heart of the back four.

"Ramos will continue to play as a right-back on Sunday. I think he is important there, as he has proven for both for us and for Spain," said Schuster, who has also left Roberto Soldado, Michel Salgado, Javier Balboa and Jordi Codina out of his squad to face Sevilla.

However the Madrid defence line-up they are likely to be in for a busy night's work as they look to contain one of the most attacking sides in Europe, led by La Liga's leading scorer Luis Fabiano who has netted 22 times already this season.

The Brazil international has been tipped to move away from Sevilla this summer, and Madrid have been one of the clubs closely linked with the in-form hitman.

Commenting on those reports, Luis Fabiano was quoted as saying in the Spanish media on Saturday: "It would be important to be able to play for a club such as Real Madrid. But I am calm, and we are going to wait until the end of the season (to see what happens).

"I am 28 and I have contract until 2008 with Sevilla."

Sevilla missed a great chance to move into the Champions League places last weekend, but they slumped to a 2-1 home defeat against fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.

Manolo Jimenez's side are now in sixth spot, but striker Frederic Kanoute believes they can get their European hopes back on track at the Bernabeu.

"Real Madrid haven't been consistent of late and we can take advantage of that," he said.

Ivica Dragutinovic is sidelined after undergoing an operation, while Enzo Maresca serves the first game of a four-match suspension following his red card for head-butting Sergio Aguero last weekend.

La Liga Preview: Villarreal – Atlético Madrid

It’s the battle of Champions League hopefuls as third take on fourth. Villarreal welcome Atlético Madrid to the Madrigal in what is a massive clash for each side.

Both teams have taken significant steps in recent weeks towards securing a top four finish in La Liga and a win for either side this weekend could go a long way in confirming their ticket to Europe’s blue ribbon competition.

Homing In On Their Target

Villarreal have reignited their season over the past two months after a slump towards the end of 2007. They have now gone eight league games without defeat, winning five of them, to successfully consolidate their third place position. It’s the kind of dazzling form that saw them gallantly challenge perennial favourites Real Madrid and Barcelona for top spot in the early parts of the campaign.

And with the big two stumbling in recent weeks, the humble Valencian-based outfit are once again back within an earshot of the summit as they sit just two points behind Barça and a further four to league leaders Real Madrid. All of a sudden, they’ve inexplicably found themselves in the title hunt, albeit as clear outsiders in this three-horse race. But their main aim really is to ensure that they book a place in the Champions League for next term, a target that they are on course to achieving.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have been fortunate enough to take on fairly easy opposition in their last few round of matches. Other than the visit to Barcelona three weeks ago, in which they clinched a stunning 1-2 triumph, their four other adversaries were all struggling sides placed well outside of the top ten at the time of meeting.

Be that as it may, El Submarino Amarillo have cashed in expertly, raking in 13 points from those last five games. But they will now face a much sterner test of their Champions League credentials when they lock horns with direct rivals Atlético Madrid on Saturday.

A win for Villarreal will put them well poised to seal at least third position in the final standings come the end of the term, whilst at the same time all but confirm a ticket to Europe’s glamour competition for only the second time in their club’s history. Moreover, it will give them sufficient breathing space to the chasing pack below and allow them to focus on maintaining their challenge for the league title.

Back On Track

Atlético Madrid, like their opponents on Saturday, are also looking to make their second appearance in the Champions League since the competition’s change of format and name in 1992.

A topsy-turvy few months for Los Colchoneros have seen them drift in and out of the top four but three wins in their last four games have enabled them to stamp their mark on that final Champions League spot. None of those wins, however, were more crucial than the surprise 1-2 victory at Sevilla last week. The triumph gave the capital club a five point buffer to the Andalucians – although they are only three ahead of Racing Santander in fifth – and effectively handed Atleti the advantage in the head-to-head record should the two sides fail to be separated by their points tally at the end of the season.

The win also comes as a huge psychological boost for an Atlético side who have never quite been able to perform against opponents of their own calibre, but a recent win over another big gun, Barcelona, has proven that perhaps they are starting to become Champions League material after all.

Inconsistency, however, still remains an insoluble issue for coach Javier Aguirre and had it not been for the team’s patchy form, they could have been right in the thick of things in the title race. As a case in point, they were unable to build on the high of that sensational 4-2 win over Barça four weeks ago as they crashed to a 2-1 loss at relegation-threatened Real Zaragoza in the following game.

With eight more rounds still to go after this weekend, anything short of a smooth, solid run towards the finish line could potentially undo all the hard work the rojiblancos have put into their season to finally join Europe’s elite club.

FORM GUIDE

Villarreal

Mar 23 UD Levante vs Villarreal 1-2 (LA LIGA)

Mar 16 Villarreal vs Real Zaragoza 2-0 (LA LIGA)

Mar 09 Barcelona vs Villarreal 1-2 (LA LIGA)

Mar 02 Villarreal vs Osasuna 0-0 (LA LIGA)

Feb 24 Athletic Bilbao vs Villarreal 1-2 (LA LIGA)

Atlético Madrid

Mar 22 Sevilla vs Atlético Madrid 1-2 (LA LIGA)

Mar 16 Atlético Madrid vs UD Levante 3-0 (LA LIGA)

Mar 08 Real Zaragoza vs Atlético Madrid 2-1 (LA LIGA)

Mar 01 Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona 4-2 (LA LIGA)

Feb 24 Osasuna vs Atlético Madrid 3-1 (LA LIGA)


TEAM NEWS

Villarreal

French winger Robert Pirès signed a contract extension in midweek to stay with the Yellow Submarines for another year. Although he is a key component in the squad, his place in the starting XI has come under threat over the past two games and he could once again start from the bench this week.

Guillermo Franco, who was the hero last week when he netted the winner against Levante, has made a full recovery from niggle in his right knee and he could be favoured for a start upfront this week. Competition will be fierce, though, with Giuseppe Rossi back in the squad after returning from the hugely successful Euro U-21 qualifiers with Italy in midweek, where he scored twice.

Pellegrini’s only real injury concern is with defender Pascal Cygan, who is doubtful as he nurses a bout of tendonitis in his right knee.

Probable Starting XI (4-4-2): Diego López – Javi Venta, Gonzalo, Godín, Capdevila – Cazorla, Senna (c), Eguren, Matí Fernández – Guille Franco/Rossi, Nihat

Atlético Madrid

Winger Simão Sabrosa is certain to miss the trip to Vila-real due to a muscle pull in his left thigh which he picked up while on International duty with Portugal. Thiago Motta will also be sidelined as he continues his battle with his troublesome knee problems, while Juan Valera also looks set to be omitted from the squad due to a lack of match fitness after a recent muscular injury.

The good news for Aguirre, however, is that Raúl García is back in the squad. The holding midfielder suffered a sprained ankle last week against Sevilla but has since made a full recovery and even played for a full hour in midweek for the Spanish U-21 side.

Also returning to the side is Italian goalkeeper Christian Abbiati, who has shrugged off an ankle knock and he should get the nod ahead of Leo Franco between the sticks.

Probable Starting XI (4-4-2): Abbiati – Antonio López, Perea, Pablo, Pernía – Maxi (c), Cleber, Raúl García, Luís Garcia – Forlán, Agüero

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Villarreal – Diego López

The ex-Real Madrid second choice goalkeeper has been a revelation this season. Although he didn’t do too well against his former club, conceding three times in a 3-2 loss, he will have a chance to make amends against his old city foes from Madrid. Indeed, the 26 year old will have to pull off another man-of-the-match performance in order to stop Atlético’s back in form frontline.

Atlético Madrid – Diego Forlán

The former Villarreal top scorer will be out to plot the downfall of his erstwhile employers. Along with his strike partner Sergio Agüero, the fearsome duo has struck 25 goals between them and they will be only too keen to add on to that prolific haul. They will be the main threat to Villarreal not just in this game, but for the remainder of the season as they try to snatch away third place.

PREDICTION

This is a match up tailor-made for Villarreal. In their last three outings, they have shown just how devastatingly effective they can be with their counter-attacking play. It’s a style that will severely trouble Atlético, who have had a tendency to play reckless attacking football at times. Unless Atleti change their approach for this game, the hosts should have the advantage in this encounter.

Villarreal 2–1 Atlético Madrid

La Liga Weekend Preview: Round 30

Saturday 29 March 2008 (all times local)
20:00 Betis - Barcelona
22:00 Villarreal - Atlético Madrid
Sunday 30 March
17:00 Almería - Levante
17:00 Valladolid - Zaragoza
17:00 Getafe - Osasuna
17:00 Recreativo - Athletic
17:00 Espanyol - Racing
17:00 Valencia - Mallorca
19:00 Deportivo - Murcia
21:00 R. Madrid - Sevilla

Real Betis Balompié - FC Barcelona

It seemed as if the weekend's opening match will be played at the Vicente Calderon in distant Madrid, but now it may in fact take place at the Ruiz de Lopera.

Betis are operating under a temporary home stadium ban after a bottle was launched at Athletic keeper Armando a fortnight ago, but so voiciferous (and in many ways valid) were their complaints to the Spanish FA over being moved that it seems like the game will be played at home for now.

The blaugrana travel to Seville with captain Carles Puyol fit and ready to play, but Gaby Milito is now out of action. Of Ronaldinho, there is no sign,a dding further credence to the idea that this is his last season in Catalunya.

Villarreal CF - Club Atlético de Madrid

Next up is a real European challenge match as the rojiblancos travel to Vila-Real.

The Yellow Submarine look to have a Champions League place all but sewn up, but they will have learned from Espanyol that one bad run is all it takes to end top four dreams, and Atleti will be eager to be the ones to dish it out.

The rojiblancos themselves are still preening after that victory over Sevilla in what was the first of two vital European clashes for the capital side; a win here, or even a draw, will put them in a commanding position heading into the run-in.

Diego Forlan will travel to come up against his old side away from home for the first time and will be sure of a great reception.

UD Almería - Levante UD

Almeria won't quite be able to be the ones to send Levante down, but they can all but confirm relegation for the granota side with a home win.

Still, they'll be more concerned with their own fortunes than those of the Valencians. They're in tenth place and six points off the Intertoto Cup place, and it looks as if that'll be a bridge too far for them.

But they're inching ever closer to the magical safety cut-off point of 42/43, which they could wrap up with a home win.

Real Valladolid - Real Zaragoza

Two sides still with some way left to go in the battle for survival go head-to-head at the Zorilla.

Zaragoza were held to a draw by Almeria last week, while the Pucela found themselves roundly thrashed by Barcelona, but it is the immediate concern of this game that will dominate all thoughts, not what's in the past.

At the moment the lions are one point ahead of their Sunday hosts, who are in turn only out of the dropzone on mere goal difference.

It's been three seasons since the two sides met in the top flight, but in that campaign Zaragoza prevailed twice to force the Pucela towards the drop...

Getafe CF - CA Osasuna

On-form Getafe stumbled last week with an uninspiring 1-0 loss at Athletic, but now have a second victory over Osasuna firmly in mind.

The Azulones are preparing for an epic UEFA Cup showdown with Bayern Munich, but just as important is Liga survival: four more points should all but guarantee it, but this season's close enough that it may take more.

Osasuna will know that only too well. They're five points behind the boys from suburban Madrid and need to start climbing up the table, but their poor away form - and eight goals on their travels all season - won't help.

Recreativo de Huelva - Athletic Club Bilbao

Recre occupy the third relegation spot and are in real danger of joining Murcia and Levante in the fall if they don't get their act together quickly.

These two clubs are two of the more historical entities in the Spanish game, but it is the visiting side that has the more successful history. Still, the Decano will feel that they are also good enough to stay up, although they need to start proving it with results.

Athletic are commonly regarded as being too big to go down, but they too need to set about proving it. Thankfully for them, they've largely done so this season, and a win here could well see them safe.

RCD Espanyol - Real Racing Club

Two of the unfancied sides that sit on the brink of European football go head to head here, but one is far happier than the other.

Marcelino's Racing picked up a routine win over Recre last week to leapfrog the Pericos, who in turn lost out 4-0 to Murcia in what was a dire match.

It now looks as if Espanyol, who were at one stage set for a top four ending, will now do well to finish 7th: they must show their fans here that they have what it takes to continue the challenge.

Valencia CF - Real Mallorca

So too must Los Che. They're almost clear of the relegation threat, but it now looks as if their only path to Europe is via the Copa del Rey.

Not that this makse this game any less important. Coach Ronald Koeman is in some ways fighting for his job, while he is also eager to impress the hard-to-please home support at the Mestalla.

Mallorca are two points behind the Valencians but will nonetheless fancy their chances of picking up at least a point, given that they've drawn on the road eight times this season.

Deportivo La Coruña - Real Murcia

Murcia's stunning 4-0 win over Espanyol was, incredibly, their first win since January 6th and their first point since February 3rd, but it smacks of being too little, too late.

Javier Clemente's men need to go unbeaten between now and the end of the season to really stand a chance of remaining in the top flight, and a trip to the Riazor is vital.

Depor are themselves keen to avoid relegation, and indeed have done well to claw clear of the dropzone since New Year, although last week's loss at Mallorca has set hearts racing in Galicia.

Real Madrid CF - Sevilla FC

Finally, Madrid welcome Sevilla to the capital as they seek both revenge for defeats in both the Supercopa and the Liga earlier in the season.

The blancos have incredibly won just two of their last eight games in all competitions, losing all others, and as such a visit from the Seville side comes at just the wrong time.

The Andalucians, meanwhile, have their own sorrows: last week's defeat to Atletico sees them five points off a Champions League place, and defeat here could even put their UEFA Cup plans in jeopardy.

Gudjohnsen: We Can Win La Liga

The Blaugrana are currently four points behind Real Madrid heading into week 30 of the Primera Division and the gap could be down to one point by the end of the weekend if Barcelona beat Betis and if Los Merengues lose against Sevilla.

Gudjohnsen is confident that his side can go all the way to knock Real off top spot.

“I am sure that we can win La Liga and we must think that we can do it,” the striker told Marca.

“I’m certain that there will be plenty of opportunities for us to trim the gap to Madrid.

“We can put huge pressure on Real if we win on Saturday, If we win all the pressure will be on them.

“However it’s important that we think about us and that if we win all our games then we would be the champions. “I think that we can make history this season and we need the three points.

“We are professional and we have the hunger and desire to win, there are still two titles that we can win."

Gudjohnsen also spoke about Ronaldinho’s troubles thus far this season.

“I think Ronaldinho is unhappy because he does not play, however I would prefer not to talk about the subject,” he said.

Barcelona will be hoping for maximum points against Betis and no doubt their fingers will be crossed for Sevilla causing an upset against Los Blancos.

Spanish Debate: Is Schuster Really Staying?

In case you missed it, the boss' words were as follows:

"Ramón Calderón has told me that even if we do not win the league, I will continue at Real Madrid because this is a project and we are building a team.

"We are now waiting for the second half of the plan to be put into action this summer and, anyway, I am convinced that we will win the league.

"I have the complete confidence of my president and I do not need anything more."

You can see the logic. It wasn't too long ago that received wisdom in the Spanish press was that Frank Rijkaard (and Ronaldinho) would have their desks and lockers at Camp Nou cleared by New Year's Day. Now that Madrid are struggling too, it's Bernd's turn to be linked with the chop.

But rumours of discontent from within the Bernabeu itself, not just the offices of Spanish journalists, are becoming slightly less muted. And these could render Bernd's words somewhat premature.

What's Going Wrong?

Well, there's the obvious. Madrid are inconsistent.

They're out of the Champions League and the Copa - more on that later - but despite Barcelona's repeated stumblings in the Liga, they're not yet home and dry domestically, either. Indeed, they've lost as many as they've won since the New Year, give or take, and a run-in without Ruud van Nistelrooy is looking very bleak indeed.

Sure, Bernd's had injuries to deal with - but so have Barcelona, Sevilla, Valencia, Atletico Madrid... most teams, in fact, except Villarreal and Racing Santander, who have managed once again to keep their squads largely intact for the entire season. (But that's a subject for another day.)

Off the pitch, he's far from popular with the media, and there is talk that the president is starting to lose confidence in the man, so much so that Marca - hardly an organ of dissent and insubordination, at least not usually - claims that president Calderon told sporting director Predrag Mijatovic in apparent confidence that "something has to change, or we're sunk." Even Bernd's official website found room to criticise him, Marca gleefully added, leaving one to wonder exactly who is on the coach's side.

'Even If We Win'

Of course, despite these problems, the fact remains that Madrid are on course for a Liga title, and only a spectacular collapse will see them fail to get it. As such, the "I'll remain even if we lose" part of Schuster's declaration seems a little bit redundant.

In fact, it's not.

Whether or not Schuster stays at the Bernabeu after the league comes to an end and the smoke clears is probably not contingent on the state of the Liga. Fabio Capello, after all, masterminded a brilliant comeback last season (ably helped by Barcelona's inability to stop leaking goals, of course), yet despite his hoisting the trophy aloft on the final day, he was out on his ear.

The only achievement that could have absolutely guaranteed his presence next season was the Double, but the Champions League dream is - again - in tatters. Even a Copa double was a bridge too far. The Liga? It's esential, but it's almost a formality. It'll always be essential, and winning it with the current squad will be seen as a bare minimum.

In the end, the results probably won't mater. Instead, what will make or break Schuster's Madrid career is not the final destination, but the way he gets there.

Attitude Adjustment

In this sense, it may be time for the fiesty German to show a bit of humility.

We're debated before about Bernd's attitude towards the press (see our March 6th article here) but some facts bear repeating. He is not liked by many. While he is without a doubt an intelligent man - and blessed with a dry sense of humour - he has alienated more than a few already with his outbursts. Even his allies in the media wouldn't have taken kindly to his walking out on a press conference after a near-miss at Recreativo.

On the pitch, it's also time for him to rethink things a little. Against Valencia, two moments of magic from Raul gave his side the goals, but without Ruud van Nistelrooy, they looked largely toothless otherwise. Royston Drenthe and Roberto Soldado - two players with so much to prove, but so little time - sat idly by as the match cried out for some dynamicism on the flank and a predator in the box. Again, maybe this comes down to humility: Bernd has made it 110% clear that he doesn't rate Soldado, but when you lack your spiritual 'number 9', it's maybe time to give your actual number 9 a chance.

It may have come too late. Soldado, to continue with his example, is demoralised, and although he is thus unlikely to speak out in support of his coach, his revelation that it's Manolo Ruiz who does the technical talking is a telling one. While Schuster is no doubt correct to maintain an aloof air - being friends with your players is seldom a good idea, after all - the idea that he is disconnected from them is questionable, particularly at such a crucial time. How much can he really be involved in a recovery if his isn't the voice that makes everyone sit up and pay attention? Even after the horrible defeat at Deportivo, it was apparently Raul and Guti that were most vocal in the post-mortem, and not the coach.

Correct Decision?

So, it's maybe not quite as clear cut as Bernd is putting across.

Yet there is something sympathetic about his words. Real Madrid are, or at least should be, looking to build for the future, rather than undertaking slap-dash shopping sprees and having to make new managerial appointments each summer. Sticking with the devil they know could at least give the team a bit of consistency heading into next season.

It might also help to give Bernd a bit more input into transfer matters. It seems that he was to a huge extent lumbered with some last-minute additions to the squad, as well as a couple of youngsters whom he didn't really want. A more coherent transfer strategy all round would help Madrid enormously, and being able to sit down in the weeks before the transfer window opens - even before Euro 2008 - with the manager, sporting director, technical secretary and president all in the same room, rather than one of them yet to be employed, would be of huge benefit.

But it may just be too late for all that.

La Liga Team Of The Week: Round 29

The La Liga title race simply refuses to go according to plan. Just as Barcelona looked set to break down, Real Madrid did them an umpteenth favour. Well, actually it was Ronald Koeman's Valencia that blew the title race open for the Catalans.

And for once, Barcelona managed to overcome their gremlins and pick up a win, beating Valladolid 4-1 thanks to some great work from Bojan Krkic.

Villarreal motored into contention for the title with a 2-1 win over Levante, while Atletico stunned Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan to consolidate their fourth place.

Racing Santander continue to surprise, and moved further up the table after beating Recreativo, with Espanyol dropping into seventh after a rather shocking 4-0 defeat at the hands of Real Murcia.

Real Zaragoza were held at home by brave Almeria, who sit comfortably in the top half, while Mallorca rode on Juan Arango's wonder-goal to pick up a narrow win against Deportivo.

Elsewhere, Real Betis and Athletic Bilbao picked up narrow 1-0 wins against Osasuna and Getafe respectively, wins that see them claw away from the drop zone.

Goalkeepers

Timo Hildebrand (Valencia): To put it simply, the German put in one of the most incredible goalkeeping displays of the season to pave the way for Valencia's famous win at the Bernabeu.

Defenders

Andoni Iraola (Athletic Bilbao): Had Jamie Gavilan - and anyone else who dared take him on - in his pocket all evening, and displayed his usual ebullience in attack for the Basques.

Alvaro Mejia (Real Murcia): Had his work cut out against the likes of Raul Tamudo and Luis Garcia, but barely let his opponents get a sniff of goal as his teammates went on a rampage at the other end.

Juanito (Real Betis): The Betis skipper has had a very poor season, but was spot on for once as they pulled three points clear of the drop zone.

Cesar Navas (Racing Santander): With Garay out injured, the onus was on him to quell the attacking threat posed by Florent Sinama-Pongolle. Did it commendably to help Racing into fifth.

Midfielders

Abel (Real Murcia): The Seville born midfielder was the star of Murcia's show as they hit four past Espanyol to give their survival hopes a much needed boost.

Andres Iniesta (Barcelona): Yet again, the midfielder was Barcelona's most impressive player on the pitch, scoring the all-important second goal after the break and being involved in most of Barcelona's good moves.

Matias Fernandez (Villarreal): The prodigous Chilean put in a man-of-the-match performance to guide Villarreal past an improved Levante side, and to within six points of leaders Real Madrid. 

Forwards

Bojan Krkic (Barcelona): The prodigous youngster had his best game in a Barcelona shirt yet, setting up Samuel Eto'o with a cross after some good work on the left, and then scoring twice in the second half to put the game beyond Valladolid. With some more composure, he could easily have had a couple more.

Raul (Real Madrid): The Merengue skipper was perhaps one of the few Madrid players who could keep their heads high on Sunday. A fabulous display up front to rattle Valencia almost single-handedly. A pity his teammates let him down.

David Villa (Valencia): A typically mobile display from the Spanish international, leaving Cannavaro for dead more than once, and forcing Pepe into a couple of tactical fouls too. A smart goal followed up with a crisp penalty to lay the foundations of his team's win.

Hildebrand

Iraola     Mejia     Juanito      Navas

   Iniesta      Abel      Fernandez

Krkic    Villa      Raul 

Honourable Mentions

Samuel Eto'o is the first to deserve mention for one of his better displays of the season, which included a well-taken goal early on and a selfless assist for Bojan later. Murcia's Ivan Alonso also came close to making the team for a brace that stunned Espanyol. Sergio Aguero was also in impressive from against Sevilla, once again.

Valencia's Ivan Helguera also had a superb second half after an early error against Raul, while Mallorca's David Navarro also did very well against Depor. In midfield, Athletic's Fran Yeste and Almeria's Jose Ortiz put in commendable displays.

See Also:

Cruyff: Barcelona Can Win At The Bernabéu

Robben Slams Liga Disciplinary Committee

Cruyff: Barcelona Can Win At The Bernabéu

Dutch master Johan Cruyff wrote in his weekly column in El Periódico de Catalunya that FC Barcelona are still in with a great chance of the Liga title...

The blaugrana have cut the deficit at the top of the Liga to four, and with one match against leaders Real Madrid still remaining, Cruyff believes it possible for that gap to be overturned entirely.

He wrote, "It's not necessary to throw away the Liga for the Champions League... How many Liga games are left? Nine matchdays? 27 points.

"Madrid are just four points ahead. Everything is open and nothing is lost. Not only that, but if we can win at the Bernabeu then it'll be one point - and why not? We can have a better goal difference. This isn't a crazy scenario."

Barça are out of the Copa - something that he believes can work in the side's favour.

"Imagine that Barcelona had managed a late goal at the Mestalla (in the semi-final) to go through to the final," he mused.

"The same scenario, the same match, the same failures, but a late goal in extremis to the final.

"In the end they get there, but lose: they play well but have a habit of losing it. Then what? When do you play the Champions League quarters? Immediately prior to the Cup final... Now things are clearer.

"Let's be positive. Who can do something to straighten Barça's direction? Players and coaches. Goodbye, Cup. OK. There are two titles left and it's time to go for them. Throw nothing overboard. Be who you are, recognise what's missing, and remove excuses."

Positivity

Indeed, there are two titles left to fight for - and he expects at least one of them.

"I don't know if this is the case for the current Barça, but in theory, the ones who would go for a second year without winning anything would have a huge failure," he said.

"In their favour is that there is no going back for the other side. Barça won at Valladolid, but Madrid lost, and it's back down to four points.

"The key to success? Playing as a team. I'm not talking about movement and running, because they're already doing that: too much, and mistiming it, in fact.

"I mean that we need to go back to basics. The goalkeeper must save; the defenders must defend; the mdifielders must do as they do and the forwards pick it up. The central midfielders? One or two taps, then get the ball up front quickly."

Robben Slams Liga Disciplinary Committee

The Dutch star returned to the field last Sunday after one month on the sidelines following a hard tackle by Alvarez for La Liga strugglers Recre during Madrid's 3-2 win.

The Huelva defender was only suspended for one game, a decision Robben classifies as "shameful".

"It seems that you can break someone's leg, have a one-game suspension, and it is like nothing happened," he said. "Anyway, after the game, he said he was sorry, I accepted his apologies."

"I have suffered many hard tackles in my career, but this was the hardest one."

Robben believes that the Disciplinary Committee should send out a strong message to prevent such tackles from happening.

"If Alvarez had hit me two centimeters lower, he would have broken my leg, nine months out," the Dutch international concluded.

La Liga - Rijkaard backs below-par Ronnie

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has spoken out in support of his out-of-sorts Brazilian star Ronaldinho, who has missed the Catalan giants' last three games with a mysterious muscle injury.

The former FIFA World Player of the Year has had a difficult season, playing just seven full matches in La Liga, but Rijkaard insists he still has faith in him.

"Above all I consider him a great person with a great character," he told Spanish sports daily AS.

"And more than his football qualities he has given a lot to his team-mates, to the club and to the fans.

"I don't want to say that there's a relationship, but after so many years working together I hold him dear and I always want well for him.

"I respect him a lot."

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder sat out Barca's 4-1 victory over Valladolid on Sunday, and was also absent for the Copa del Rey defeat at Valencia in mid-week and the 2-2 draw in Almeria last weekend.

He was sent for scans after complaining of a pain in his left thigh, but the club released a statement saying that no injury could be found.

Rijkaard, however, refused to criticise his player.

"The player has some pains and we hope that he will recover as soon as possible," the Dutchman said.

"We have to believe the player. Ronaldinho has given a lot to Barca."

Robben Criticises Liga Disciplinary Committee

Henry - who made decisive appearances off the bench in Barça's last two games - was less impressive today, but it didn't matter as youngster Bojan Krkic put in an electric performance along with the likes of Andres Iniesta and Samuel Eto'o to seal the 4-1 victory.

With Real Madrid falling to a bizarre home defeat - their second in a row - closing the gap to four points, Henry now eyes a clean sweep for the Blaugrana as they attempt to snatch first position from the current, clumsy title holders.

"There are nine games to go and we have to try to win all of them," said Henry.

Full-back Gianluca Zambrotta chimed in, hailing the team's resilience for overcoming a lacklustre first half to end up cruising to victory.

"We played a good game, with some problems in the first half but we came out for the second with a strong mentality," said the full-back.

"We're happy with the goals in the second half.

"We're very happy for Bojan."

La Liga Round-Up

Ronald Koeman did his old side Barcelona a favour by leading Valencia to an impressive win at the El Santiago Bernabeu.

David Villa gave Valencia the lead on 33 minutes with a cool finish, but the advantage proved short-lived with Raul drawing Real level just two minutes later.

Real skipper Raul turned the game on its head with his second on 56 minutes, but Valencia refused to lie down and hit back through Villa's penalty on 67 minutes after Fabio Cannavaro fouled David Silva in the box.

Valencia stunned the home fans a minute from time when Angel Arizmendi skipped past Cannavaro down the right and beat Iker Casillas at his near post to give Valencia the points.

Barcelona are now just four points behind Real after Bojan Krkic inspired them to a comfortable 4-1 success over Real Valladolid at Camp Nou.

Samuel Eto'o opened the scoring for the home side on 24 minutes when he volleyed home from close-range, but Valladolid drew level six minutes later with Jonathan Sesma converting from the penalty spot.

Barca restored their lead two minutes after the break, with Andres Iniesta finding the net.

Bojan added a third on 62 minutes when he scored from an acute angle and he grabbed his second of the contest six minutes from time after the goal was put on a plate for him by Eto'o.

Villarreal remain in third, spot two points behind Barcelona, after a 2-1 win at basement boys Levante.

Matias Fernandez fired Villarreal in front 27 minutes only for Miguel Angel to hit back for Levante on 64 minutes.

Guillermo Franco popped up with the winner for Villarreal seven minutes from time, to keep them on course for a place in next season's UEFA Champions League.

Real Murcia celebrated their first win under Javier Clemente with a thumping 4-0 victory over Espanyol.

Ivan Alonso broke the deadlock on 36 minutes and he grabbed a second straight after the restart to put Murcia in control.

Further goals from Abel (63) and Richi (84) put the game beyond a shell shocked Espanyol.

Racing Santander moved above Espanyol into sixth spot with a 2-0 win over struggling Recreativo Huelva.

Recreativo faced an uphill battle after Martin Caceres was sent off on 64 minutes and Racing made them pay with two late goals from Sergio Orteman (81) and Ebi Smolarek (90).

Real Betis eased their relegation worries with a crucial 1-0 win at Osasuna.

Former Liverpool man Mark Gonzalez scored the only goal of the game on 52 minutes, with Javi Garcia seeing red for Osasuna in the final minute.

Real Zaragoza remain in trouble after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Almeria.

Zaragoza suffered a blow on the hour mark when Gabi was sent off, but they still took the lead on 68 minutes courtesy of Ricardo Oliveira's goal.

It looked like being enough for Zaragoza until Alvaro Negredo grabbed a last-minute leveller for Almeria.

Athletic Bilbao climbed further clear of trouble at the wrong end of the table with a narrow 1-0 win over Getafe.

Veteran winger Joseba Etxeberria proved to be the hero for Bilbao with the only goal of the game just before the half hour mark when he turned in Asier del Horno's cross.

The win inflicted Getafe's first defeat in seven games and sees Bilbao leapfrog them in the table on goal difference.

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Soccer-Primera Liga reports

MADRID, March 22 (Reuters) - Brief reports of matches played in the Primera Liga on Saturday:

REAL MALLORCA 1 DEPORTIVO CORUNA 0

Mallorca striker Juan Arango eased his side's relegation fears when his free kick from wide out on the right flew over a huddle of defenders, bounced in front of keeper Dudu Aouate and ended up in the net midway through the first half.

Deportivo, who were a shadow of the side that beat Real Madrid 1-0 last weekend and remain in trouble, suffered an additional blow when striker Riki was sent off for picking up a second booking deep into stoppage time.

- - - -

SEVILLA 1 ATLETICO MADRID 2

Atletico took an important step towards earning a place in next season's Champions League with a first win in over 15 years at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Argentine forward Maxi Rodriguez put Atletico in front with a precise shot midway through the first half and although Diego Capel hit back for Sevilla at the start of the second, Sergio Aguero secured the win with a clever finish before the hour.

The match between the two sides was a typically fiery affair and Sevilla substitute Enzo Maresca was sent off just over six minutes after stepping on the pitch for headbutting Aguero.

Playing on Sunday (kickoffs 1600 GMT unless stated):

Athletic Bilbao v Getafe (2000)

Barcelona v Valladolid

Levante v Villarreal

Osasuna v Real Betis

Racing Santander v Recreativo Huelva

Real Madrid v Valencia (1800)

Real Murcia v Espanyol

Real Zaragoza v Almeria (Reporting by Simon Baskett; Editing by Ed Osmond)

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La Liga Preview: Barcelona - Real Valladolid

La Liga Preview: Barcelona - Real Valladolid

With the treble dream washed down the drain, Barcelona will now have to go all out and win either of the two remaining titles still in play to avoid a second straight trophy-less season.

A good way for them to put the Copa del Rey setback behind is to turn their attention back to La Liga, where they can start by blowing off steam against Sunday's visitors, survival strugglers Real Valladolid.

The Hunter And The Hunted

Thursday evening's 3-2 defeat at Valencia in the King's Cup effectively ended Barcelona's hopes of an illustrious treble. Not only that, it also extended their poor run of results to just one miserly win in six competitive games, including three successive Liga outings without a victory.

It's a run that has seen them fall behind on league leaders Real Madrid instead of overtaking them, despite the capital club's own woeful streak of late. But all the dropped points have given the Blaugrana something else to worry about now: being hunted down by third place Villarreal.

Frank Rijkaard's side go into this weekend's round of matches a mere two points ahead of the Yellow Submarine, despite enjoying a cushion as comfortable as eight points just four weeks ago. Suddenly, the threat of losing second place has become more palpable than the prospect of climbing into first place.

All the lingering question marks over Barça's team spirit, unity, character and leadership will be put under the microscope this weekend as they aim to bounce back from the Copa elimination in midweek. Rijkaard's tactical planning will again be the major talking point in the lead up to Sunday's meeting with Real Valladolid, after the Dutch boss failed to steer his side to a sufficient result at the Mestalla to qualify for the cup final.

The Catalans will have to start making up for all the ground that they lost in the league over the past three rounds if they are to stay alive in the title hunt or at least ensure they maintain second spot to guarantee an automatic Champions League berth next term.

Although they have what looks like a fairly straightforward sequence of games in the coming weeks, including trips to Betis and Recreativo and a home tie against Getafe, the culés do have to pray and hope that their title rivals Madrid suffer at least two major blips in the very near future.

With every passing week, the pathway to the league title will grow tighter and tighter and with the club still engaged in the Champions League, it will become even more difficult psychologically and physically if the arrears to the top is not reduced soon.

Back To Their Struggles

Real Valladolid have once again found themselves floundering away in the drop zone as they look set to resume their battle for survival after enjoying a momentary escape from the strenuous dogfight for a few weeks.

A stellar start to 2008, where they won the first three league games of the year, sent them rocketing up to 7th in the standings and presumably clear of any substantial threat by the end of January. But the Pucelas were quickly brought back down to earth, and down the ladder, after a disastrous run of form from February onwards.

José Luis Mendilibar's side have won only once out of their last eight league games, five of which ended in defeat. That streak could very well be prolonged when they travel to the imposing Camp Nou and face a possible backlash from Barcelona.

Even though the Blanquivioletas are a healthy nine points clear of 19th placed Real Murcia, they are virtually locked down in the relegation threshold in 18th, levelled on 32 points with Recreativo and separated only by their superior goal difference. But the two sides will lock horns in the final game of the season and if things stay exactly the way they are come Matchweek 38, they will engage in an intriguing battle where the head-to-head record will settle matters.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona

Mar 20 Valencia vs Barcelona 3-2 (COPA DEL REY)

Mar 16 UD Almería vs Barcelona 2-2 (LA LIGA)

Mar 09 Barcelona vs Villarreal 1-2 (LA LIGA)

Mar 04 Barcelona vs Celtic 1-0 (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)

Mar 01 Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona 4-2 (LA LIGA)

Real Valladolid

Mar 16 Valladolid vs Osasuna 0-0 (LA LIGA)

Mar 09 Athletic Bilbao vs Valladolid 2-0 (LA LIGA)

Mar 02 Valladolid vs Racing Santander 0-1 (LA LIGA)

Feb 24 Real Murcia vs Valladolid 0-1 (LA LIGA)

Feb 17 Valladolid vs Mallorca 1-1 (LA LIGA)

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

A piece of good news for the Barça fans is that Lionel Messi is making good progress on his hamstring injury and is expected to return to action within four weeks. However, Deco is still out with a calf strain and Oleguer Presas is nursing a fractured hand. Giovani dos Santos, Santi Ezquerro and Rafael Márquez are all also expected to be sidelined while Eidur Gudjohnsen could be a doubt due to abdominal annoyances.

Ronaldinho has resumed normal training but whether or not he will play any part in the game remains to be seen. Gabi Milito is suspended after last weekend's sending off for a double booking, but Andrés Iniesta has been cleared to play after the Appeals Committee rescinded his yellow card against Almería, leaving him with only four bookings for the season.

Probable Starting XI (4-3-3): Valdés – Zambrotta, Puyol (c), Thuram, Abidal – Xavi, Yayá, Iniesta – Bojan, Eto'o, Henry

Real Valladolid

The promoted minnows could not have picked a worse time to have their two key centrebacks ruled out. José García Calvo is certain to be sidelined with a knee ligament injury while his sidekick Iñaki Bea is doubtful with a sprained left ankle, although he has returned to light training on the pitch.

Midfielder Ángel Vivar Dorado is also racing against time to regain full fitness after a recent injury, but the club's mid-season arrival Marcos Aguirre, on loan from Argentine side Lanús, has been forced to return to his home country to sort out some bureaucratic paperwork. Barring any complications, he is expected to rejoin his teammates on Saturday and he could yet play a part in the game.

Probable Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Asenjo – Cifuentes, Baraja, Bea/Alexis, Marcos (c) – Rubio, Borja – Sisi, Victor, Sesma - Llorente

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Barcelona – Samuel Eto'o

The Cameroonian hasn't been his sparking self this season. Even though he is still scoring regularly, he hasn't been ripping defences apart at will like he normally does. But the last time the Blaugrana took on a relegation-threatened side, Levante, Eto'o smashed in a stunning hat trick and the Camp Nou die hards will be hoping he dishes out the same treatment to Valladolid.

Real Valladolid – Borja Former Real Madrid players have been plotting Barça's downfall all week long and the 27 year old will get a shot at that himself this weekend. Although it is unlikely the defensive midfielder will get too involved upfront in his team's goalscoring ventures, he will play an absolutely instrumental role in helping his team stem Barcelona's attacking tide.

PREDICTION

The last time Valladolid played one of the league's big two, they were walloped 7-0. You just have to assume that they have learnt the mistake of trying to fight fire with fire and indeed, ever since that defeat the Castilian outfit have tightened up at the back. This can only mean that Barça will need their attacking firepower dialled up to the max and that Rijkaard will need to come armed with more than just a single-minded game plan. 

Barcelona 2–0 Real Valladolid

See Also

Barcelona Most Injured Team In La Liga

La Liga Weekend Preview: Round 29

La Liga Weekend Preview: Round 29

Saturday 22 March 2008 (all times local)
20:00 Mallorca - Deportivo
22:00 Sevilla - Atlético Madrid
Sunday 23 March
17:00 Barcelona - Vallaolid
17:00 Levante - Villarreal
17:00 Murcia - Espanyol
17:00 Osasuna - Betis
17:00 Racing - Recreativo
17:00 Zaragoza - Almería
19:00 Real Madrid - Valencia
21:00 Athletic - Getafe

RCD Mallorca - RC Deportivo La Coruña

Mallorca's unbeaten run - albeit one mostly consisting of draws - came to an end at Espanyol last weekend, but they'll hope to get back on track against Deportivo.

The A Coruña side have themselves been in a decent bit of form of late, with three wins in their last four taking them up to 34 points, level with the Barralets.

Dani Guiza, still on cloud nine after another Spain call-up, has recovered from a training knock in time to make the squad. Depor, meanwhile, will welcome back Cristian Wilhelmsson after the same.

Sevilla FC - Club Atlético de Madrid

Saturday's late-night clash is arguably the weekend's biggest. A win for the hosts will see them rejoin the Champions League fray for the first time since September, and knock Atleti out of the top four.

However, Kun Aguero and his merrymen will look to repeat the last scoreline between the sides: a 4-3 home win at the Vicente Calderon.

That game was thrilling for the neutral - if embarassing for any defensive purists - and the two sides may be called upon once more to put on such a show.

However, both the rojiblanco coach and Manolo Jimenez will no doubt prefer a quieter evening.

FC Barcelona - Real Valladolid

Barcelona could cut the gap between themselves and Real Madrid to four points - albeit temporarily - should they overcome the Pucela at Camp Nou.

It's been a bad week for the blaugrana, with a 2-2 draw at Almeria being followed up with a vastly disappointing defensive display at the Mestalla, with FCB thus falling from the Copa del Rey semi-finals for the second time in two seasons.

Valladolid, meanwhile, managed a 1-1 draw against Barça on their own patch earlier in the season, but they haven't won here in seven Liga attempts, the last one coming way back in 1997.

Levante UD - Villarreal CF

Two consecutive defeats have seen Levante slip back down to thirteen points clear of safety, and as such the survival dream is looking ever dimmer for the Valencia-based side.

However, there's a bit of local pride to play for as Villarreal come calling, particularly since the granota side will be eager to avenge the 3-0 away loss from earlier in the season.

The Yellow Submarine seem to be a good bet for third spot, and they've already started strengthening in anticipation of a Champions League campaign. Apparently they're also chasing Chelsea's Claudio Pizarro, displaying their ambition.

That could unsettle their current strikeforce, but it's just as likely that it could spur Nihat, Rossi and Tomasson into proving that they're worthy of a starting spot next season.

Real Murcia - RCD Espanyol

Murcia boss Javier Clemente will come face to face with one of his many, many former sides as he looks to keep the Pimentoneros up.

Under Lucas Alcaraz his side managed a 0-0 draw at Montjuic earlier in the season, but the outspoken coach will surely be aiming for something a bit more substantial this time: after all, it's nine points to safety.

Espanyol got back to winning ways - and kept their Champions League dreams alive - with a 2-1 triumph over Murcia last week, but they've still not yet rediscovered their early season consistency.

CA Osasuna - Real Betis Balompié

Nobody needs to tell either of these two sidse about inconsistency. Osasuna may have managed a four-game unbeaten run, but they're still not entirely clear of relegation; indeed, they're just two points clear of Betis, who are themselves only safe on goal difference.

Betis actually won this fixture 2-0 last season, but they're still reeling from being slapped with a two game closed-door order after some moron threw a bottle at Athletic 'keeper Armando last week.

All the same, there is something of a bunker mentality about the Beticos at present, and they'll look for their third away win of the season.

Real Racing Club - Recreativo de Huelva

Racing, meanwhile, lost out to Getafe in the Copa del Rey semi-final midweek 4-2 on aggregate, and while they complained about Getafe's goal at the Sardinero, ultimately they did not quite do enough to win.

One wonders if they can take their frustrations out on Recre, who are still 18th despite beating Murcia last week in that vital six-pointer.

The Huelva outfit have been dogged by inconsistency all season, though, and haven't won here in three top flight attempts.

Real Zaragoza - UD Almería

Zaragoza felt hard-done-by after narrowly losing out at Villarreal last week, but it's time for them to convert their hard-luck stories into results before relegation troubles swallow them whole.

One thing that will help their cause is that they've amazingly lost just twice at the Romareda all season, this being in spite of the fact that they've shipped 18 goals there.

Almeria, meanwhile, are high in confidence after holding Barcelona at the weekend, and are still in the hunt for the lower reaches of the European zone, although a tendency to draw or lose on their travels doesn't help much.

Real Madrid CF - Valencia CF

Valencia couldn't be happier after their advancement to the Copa del Rey final, and one presumes that Madrid might be somewhat pleased, too.

For not only did the blancos' rivals lose out on a final place, but now Los Che can seek European football through a knockout contest, lessening the severity of their Liga problems.

But that's just one way of looking at it. The far more plausible alternative is that the Mestalla men are chomping at the bit to avenge Real Madrid's 5-1 mauling of them earlier in the season.

The Bernabeu side haven't been overly convincing of late, such as when they lost out to Deportivo last week, and without Ruud van Nistelrooy it remains to be seen how they'll fare here.

Athletic Club Bilbao - Getafe CF

Finally, Athletic will look to build on last week's abortive but awarded 2-1 win over Betis as Getafe come calling.

The Azulones have made their second consecutive Copa del Rey final - quite a feat for a club their size - but tiredness could yet tell at San Mames.

They did win the last meeting between the sides by two goals to nil, but prior to that they haven't managed a victory in the last four.

The Lions, meanwhile, are one point clear of the relegation zone after embarking on a good run of form since the New Year. Can they keep it up?

SOLDADO SHRUGS OF VAN NISTELROOY LOSS

Roberto Soldado believes Real Madrid have the strength in depth to cope with the loss of fellow striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as they prepare to welcome Valencia to the Bernabeu on Sunday.

Real's defeat at Deportivo last weekend saw their lead at the top of the Primera Liga table cut to seven points and their title hopes were dealt a further blow this week with the news that their talisman will be ruled out for around six weeks.

That cloud has a silver lining for Soldado, who could be given his chance to shine for the team.

"Ruud's injury is bad for all of us," Soldado told www.realmadrid.com. "But there are 25 of us and we're all capable of starting.

"The doors may have opened a little more for me. I was given the chance to start last weekend and I have been working hard so that I get another chance to play.

"We wish him all the best and hope that he recovers as soon as possible in order to help us down the home stretch of the season.

"We're all worried because Ruud is a very important player. In spite of Ruud's injury, we're hoping to win our forthcoming matches and maintain our lead."

Valencia have only won one of their past five matches and were humiliated by Real back in October when they were thrashed 5-1 - with Van Nistelrooy scoring twice.

But Real have been in stuttering form of late, losing three of their past five games.

Second-placed Barcelona will be keen to take advantage of any slip up as they welcome relegation-threatened Real Valladolid earlier in the day.

The absence of key playmaker Lionel Messi has clearly taken its toll on the Catalan giants as they have failed to make up ground on faltering Madrid in recent weeks.

Valladolid recorded a credible draw with Barca at home and, level on points with 18th-placed Recreativo Huelva, they will be eager to improve upon that result and push away from the drop zone.

Villarreal will have a keen eye on that game as, two points below Barca, victory at rock-bottom Levante could see them move into second place.

While all the talk has been about Barca and Real for the title, Villarreal have been quietly racking up the points and the Primera Liga run-in now could be a three-horse race.

The most exciting clash at the bottom of the table sees Real Betis travel to Osasuna in a relegation six-pointer.

Osasuna are two points above their opponents in an incredibly tight bottom half of the Primera Liga table.

In-form Getafe travel to Athletic Bilbao hoping to continue their remarkable run.

Getafe are undefeated in their past 11 matches - a run which has propelled them up the table to eighth place and seen them reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup as well as a second consecutive Copa del Rey final.

Elsewhere on Sunday Racing Santander host Recreativo Huelva, Real Zaragoza play Almeria and Espanyol travel to Murcia.

Saturday's matches see Real Mallorca welcome a Deportivo La Coruna side full of confidence after beating Real Madrid last weekend, while Sevilla could leapfrog above their opponents Atletico Madrid into fourth place.

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Arminia still waiting for a win

La Liga - Ruud season doubt with op

Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy could miss the season run-in due to ankle surgery.

After several weeks suffering a niggling injury in the right ankle due to synovitis, the Netherlands hit-man will be sent for an operation that, while not definitively ending his campaign, is likely to see him return in pre-season.

"Ruud van Nistelrooy will today be sent for an exploratory operation on his right ankle to further investigate the chronic synovitis he has been suffering," the club said on their website.

"This op will be performed in Amsterdam by ankle arthoscopy specialist Dr C.N. van Dijk, following consultaion with the medical staff of Real Madrid."

It had initially been thought that he would be able to feature after a period of rest, but he swelling worsened in recent days and the player was not even in the match squad for the defeat to Deportivo at the weekend.

Van Nistelrooy, 31, first felt pain during the defeat to Getafe three and a half weeks ago. He is Real's second top scorer with 12 Liga goals this season and is expected to miss around two months of football.

Los Merengues lead the Primera Division by seven points from Barcelona with ten games remaining.

David Villa could quit La Liga at the end of the season

Valencia striker David Villa has put Spurs on alert by admitting he could quit La Liga at the end of the season.

The £20million-rated hitman has had a disappointing campaign with only eight goals in 19 League games so far.

But he is still being monitored by Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester United because of his exploits in previous seasons.

Struggling Valencia are now unlikely to qualify for Europe and Villa has admitted that the club's underachievement has made him consider his future.

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He said: "I have always been aware when offers have arrived for me and I will always make a decision on what's best for my career.

"Though, of course, everything will be done with the consent of the club.

"I have to think about my future and what I am going to do.

"I will be listening to all offers that come in."

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La Liga Team Of The Week: Round 28

It was a weekend that saw the top two clubs in Spain slip up yet again, Real Madrid losing to Deportivo on Saturday, and Barcelona responding by throwing away the lead twice to succumb to a draw to Almeria.

Valencia followed suit, and were comfortably beaten by Sevilla, the 2-1 scoreline not doing justice to the Andalucians. The result saw Manolo Jimenez's boys go fourth for the first time this season.

Villarreal move to within two points of Barcelona on the back of a 2-0 defeat of Zaragoza, while Espanyol took up fifth after pipping Real Mallorca thanks to a brace from Luis Garcia.

Atletico dropped down to sixth, and needed to respond. Respond they did, beating Levante 3-0 to storm back into fourth place, Simao and Diego Forlan playing a starring role.

The most exciting match of the weekend took place in Huelva, Recreativo riding on Florent Sinama-Pongolle's brace to beat Murcia 4-2.

Racing Santander drop into seventh after losing 2-1 to Murcia, while Athletic Bilbao were leading Betis by a similar scoreline before the game was called off. In the remaining game, Osasuna put in a solid display to pick up a draw away to Valladolid.

This week's best line up in a 3-4-3 with no represntatives from Barcelona, Real Madrid or Valencia.

Goalkeeper

Diego Lopez (Villarreal): An absolutely earth-shattering display from the former Real Madrid man. The kind of form he was in, Zaragoza could have played for another 90 minutes and not scored.

Defender

Pulido (Almeria): The former Getafe man's dominance frustrated Barcelona, and his wonderfully taken header hurt the Catalans just when they looked set to take charge. Was not to blame for the two goals conceded.

Cruchaga (Osasuna): The 33-year-old put in a fine display against Valladolid, dominating everything in the air to keep the home side's barrage from resulting in a goal. Earned his side a valuable point.

Lopo (Deportivo): There was not enough service for Raul and Soldado, but what little there was came to nothing thanks to an assured display from the former Espanyol man, who is finally showing some consistency this season. He is supposed to be another one of the players being watched by a certain Juande Ramos.

Midfielders

Simao (Atletico Madrid): A man of the match display against Levante, chipping in with goals and assists to take his team back into the top four. Arguably his best showing in an Atletico shirt yet.

Corona (Almeria): Born Miguel Ángel García Pérez Roldan, the 27-year-old was, in short, the man who brought about Barcelona's downfall. Every single time he sent a ball into the Barca box, there was panic. Has been the corner-stone of Almeria's dominance from set-pieces this season, and has perhaps not received enough credit.

De Guzman (Deportivo): Was all over the Real Madrid midfielders, giving Guti no time, and Sneijder no space. Not a surprise then than there was practically no creativity from Los Merengues. Won every 50-50 tackle in the middle of the pitch, and has been in terrifying form for almost a month now.

Lafita (Deportivo): The Zaragoza-owned winger was rampant every single time he had the ball. Skinned Heinze on one flank and moved to the other side and skinned Miguel Torres. The race for his signature is hotting up.

Strikers

Fabiano (Sevilla): Scored his 30th and 31st goals of the season, the first of them with an absolutely stunning free-kick, to set up Sevilla's domineering win over Valencia at the Mestalla.

Forlan (Atletico Madrid): When he strikes, Atleti win. It is as simple as that. He may have scored with simple tap-ins, but it is all about popping up in the right places at the right times.

Nihat (Villarreal): One of those evenings when everything the Turk touched turned to gold. Displaying mobility that reminded one of his Real Sociedad days, he toyed with Roberto Ayala and Paredes, splitting the Zaragoza defence open at will.

Diego Lopez

Cruchaga Pulido Lopo

Lafita Corona De Guzman Simao

Fabiano Forlan Nihat

Luis Garcia got himself another brace to lead Espanyol past Mallorca, while Florent Sinama-Pongolle's double guided Recreativo his four past Murcia.

In midfield, Almeria's Felipe Melo made Xavi look surprisingly ordinary, while Villarreal's Marcos Senna performed superbly against Peter Luccin, winning the midfield battle and dictating play. Sevilla must once again thank the ever improving Diego Capel for his creativity, while Deportivo's Christian Wilhelmsson also impressed against Real Madrid.

Between the posts, Espanyol's Lafuente put in a quality display. Recre defender Poli had a great game against Murcia, while Atletico's Mariano Pernia was hugely involved in his team's 3-0 win.

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Defeat from the jaws of victory

Ten-Man Barca Held By Almeria

n a spirited contest at the Mediterraneo, the blaugrana twice took the lead, but Almeria's discipline and ability from set-pieces saw them through.

So too did Gabi Milito's late sending-off, which took place in the context of a match that saw the hosts pick up no bookings while the visitors amassed five.

Barcelona lined up in their usual 4-3-3, but one heavily modified by injury. Ronaldinho missed out while Lionel Messi tended his own knock. Toure Yaya, meanwhile, was also on the treatment table.

Thierry Henry, meanwhile, sat on the bench to allow Iniesta into a left-forward position. In turn, Eidur Gudjohnsen joined Edmilson and an on-song Xavi in midfield.

Almeria are also practioners of a 4-3-3, albeit with a more aerial flavour. Crusat and Juanma Ortiz started on either side of Negredo up front, while Juanito went toe-to-toe with Edmilson in central midfield.

In any case, Barcelona enjoyed most of the early possession, but found themselves battled to the hilt by an Almeria side eager to take their second big-name scalp of the season after having already beaten Real Madrid.

Still, Barcelona's pressure eventually paid off when Andres Iniesta carved out a fine opening goal on the quarter hour mark.

The midfielder, clearly relishing his advanced role, conducted a fine excursion down the left before cutting inside and stinging Diego Alves' gloves with a low shot. While the 'keeper did get a touch to it, Bojan Krkic was on hand to toe-end the rebound into the back of the net.

While Iniesta was the architect, credit must also go to Bojan for his energy and positioning, and he continued to impress heading further into the half.

However, so too did Almeria, who moved the ball from defence to midfield with pace and height in order to counteract the Barcelona threat from having the ball on the deck.

Indeed, it was the aerial threat that resulted in the equaliser just after half time. The Mediterraneo men won a corner which Corona floated in to the edge of the six-yard box. With marker Lilian Thuram nowhere, former Getafe defender Ruben Pulido glanced a fine header past Valdes to make it 1-1.

With the home fans willing them on, Almeria again pressed on, with Corona's rocket of an effort ten minutes from half time flying just over Valdes' bar.

Mané, too, came close, but the half almost ended in Barcelona's favourite as the effervescent Xavi set up Bojan for a one-on-one from the narrow angle, which Diego Alves did well to save.

Heading into the second period, both sides had their chances, but it was the introduction of Thierry Henry for Edmilson ten minutes after the break that made the difference.

The French forward received the ball from Xavi out on the left, where he mazed his way past Aitor Lopez Rekarte before cutting the ball back for Samuel Eto'o at the near post. The Cameroonian centre-forward duly netted, and Barcelona had the advantage.

The match had already had a few bad-moments, but only Puyol had picked up a yellow card before the referee began to stamp his authority on the match with quickfire bookings for Iniesta and Milito around the hour mark.

After some end-to-end action involving a Negredo header and a Henry near-miss, the latter of these was to prove decisive as Gabi Milito picked up his second yellow card of the evening.

Barcelona's going down to ten men necessitated a tactical change, with Bojan coming off for Sylvinho as Abidal moved into the centre of defence.

It seemed to pay off as the hosts found themselves contained - until four minutes from time.

The equaliser came from yet another corner. Corona drifted the ball in from out wide, shifting it in for Kala Uche to make it 2-2.

Injury time arrived with Barcelona eager to net the winner, but in fact Almeria had done enough for the draw.

Pepe Extends Madrid's Riazor Hoodoo

Deportivo La Coruña 1 - 0 Real Madrid

A Pepe own goal was enough to give Deportivo La Coruña a deserved victory and extend Real Madrid's run without a win in Riazor to an incredible 18 years.

The Portuguese international defender was helpless as the ball deflected off his knee and past Iker Casillas midway through the second half.
Bernd Schuster opted to leave Robinho on the bench and gave Roberto Soldado his first start in the league and the coach may be criticised for such a move.
But the Brazilian made little impact when he did eventually come on, but then his teammates had already failed to impress as they struggled to create anything of note.
Madrid enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening half,  but Dudu Aouate was basically a spectator for the majority of the game in the Depor goal.
The home team did not exactly test Casillas in the opening 45 minutes either, but certainly had chances to extend their advantage as the second half continued.
Having spent the majority of the season entrenched in a relegation struggle, the turnaround at the Galician club is impressive as they looked organised and adventurous.
In the first period Depor did sit back and allow Madrid to come at them before breaking away to apply pressure at the other end and the tactic worked well.
The visitors rarely looked cohesive and Soldado and Raúl up front offered little movement to allow Guti to find them with his vision and range of passes.
Depor's first shot of the night came in the second minute as Xisco took aim from distance, but after that there really were no clear chances before the break.
Even after half time chances were few and far between until the breakthrough came and when it did it was after a spell of Depor pressure that finally caused a mistake.
Felipe eased past Miguel Torres on the left wing and his cross was deflected inside Casillas' near post by Pepe with 57 minutes on the clock.
Depor's confidence rose in front of a full Riazor crowd and they looked even more likely to add to their advantage when Bernd Schuster took off Heinze in order to add more players going forward. Casillas was called into action as Guardado broke clear twice and looked test the Madrid keeper with a low drive and a crafty long, but neither could beat him again. Sneijder had Madrid's only real shot of the half from just outside the area, but it flew wide and Depor appeared to sense victory long before the final whistle.

Schuster: Barcelona Are Lucky In The Champions League

Los Blancos were knocked out by Italian side Roma at the last sixteen stage and the coach insists that the Blaugrana have had lucky draws in Europe's elite club competition.  

"Celtic is not Roma, we have not had the luck right from the start," Schuster told Sport ES.  

"We haven't had the luck on the pitch as well as with injuries and thus we were not really able to have an impact in the Champions League."  

The German however did not want to go into further discussion, afraid that he would be criticised for moaning about the situation.  

"If I speak then everyone will begin saying that the German is crying and making excuses.  

"The club knows very well the situation before hand as well as now, there have been moments which have affected us but people have not seen them clearly."  

Schuster also spoke about the rumours which suggested he would get the chop for being eliminated from the Champions League.  

"I don't think that someone's future can be decided by losing a certain game during the season, I think this would be ridiculous. 

"It's necessary to pay more attention to the team and to the situation we are in, if we look at other teams, history will tell you that they begin to win major honours in the second or third year.  

"It's about putting in the hard work and creating a competitive team and then the trophies will arrive," concluded the Merengues coach.  

La Liga Weekend Preview: Round 28

Saturday 15 March 2008 (all times local)
20:00 Betis - Athletic
20:00 Recreativo - Murcia
20:00 Deportivo - Real Madrid
22:00 Valencia - Sevilla
Sunday 16 March
17:00 Villarreal - Zaragoza
17:00 Valladolid - Osasuna
17:00 Getafe - Racing
17:00 Espanyol - Mallorca
19:00 Almeria - Barcelona
21:00 Atletico - Levante

Real Betis Balompié - Athletic Club Bilbao

Betis' decent run of form came to a sudden end with a 3-0 thrashing in Santander last week, but Paco Chaparro will have warned his troops that a repeat performance at home won't be tolerated.

The players will know that, of course - the passionate Betico fanbase is never shy about expressing such things.

Athletic, meanwhile, have their own die-hard fanbase back home, and that's helped them towards something resembling mid-table security so far this season.

Away from home, they find the going much tougher, having lost over half their road fixtures. What's more, they lost this fixture 3-0 last season...

Recreativo Huelva - Real Murcia

Recre, meanwhile, are reeling after a 7-1 loss to Mallorca last week. It was very much a humiliating evneing, but they have a chance to make amends here against Murcia.

Indeed, despite that calamitous result, the Huelvans can lord it up over the Pimentoneros, who haven't won since their January 6 victory over Osasuna at home.

They've been victim of some poor refereeing at times, but their problems are also of their own making: low confidence and uninventive play have seen them slip to eight points off the safety zone.

Recre, meanwhile, are also in the relegation zone, albeit six ahead of Murcia. They'll hope that the Javier Clemente-inspired fightback - that Murcia feel will be around any day now - is a bit longer in coming, because defeat at home could change things drastically.

Deportivo La Coruña - Real Madrid

Speaking of home wins, it's been seventeen years since Madrid managed to overturn Depor at the Riazor, with the A Coruña men having in fact won the last four meetings there.

It doesn't really bode well for Bernd Schuster's men heading into this one - even the manager himself lost out there last season with Getafe.

Depor, for their part, are more than psyched up for the encounter, with midfielder Jonathan De Guzman promising to go without sex should his team pick up a favourable result.

Teammate Sergio, meanwhile, is content simply to try his best to avoid relegation, an eventuality that Depor are two points clear of.

Valencia CF - Sevilla FC

Valencia are in trouble. Again.

President Juan Soler has just stepped down - whether that constitutes "trouble" is in the eye of the beholder, of course - and things are once again poor on the pitch. After a brief revival, Los Che have now gone five games without winning, four of them in the Liga.

Sevilla, meanwhile, ground out a win over Levante last week, and are just two points off the Champions League spots.

However, this week has seen them beset by speculation regarding a managerial change and a summer exodus of star players. Both revelations have been vehemently denied by president Del Nido, but we'll see how it goes.

Villarreal CF - Real Zaragoza

Zaragoza, meanwhile, are in high spirits as they travel to meet Villarreal. They're now three, count 'em, three points clear of relegation after their win over Atleti last week.

Sure, it's not exactly their top-six challenge of last year, but it'll do as the new boss finds his feet.

Villarreal, meanwhile, are themselves on cloud nine after their brave win at Camp Nou to severely dent Barcelona's title hopes while strengthening their own Champions League ambitions.

It now does seem as though Manuel Pellegrini has his charges back on track, and just in time, too: they're just four points off second place now.

Real Valladolid - CA Osasuna

Valladolid fell to 17th after their 2-0 loss at Athletic last week, and they're just two points off relegation. Still, the Pucela can leapfrog Osasuna if they pummel the Pamplonans here.

The rojillos, however, do not pose a massive threat on their travels, having hit just eight away goals all season - only Levante have fared worse - with eight points to go with them.

The two haven't met here in La Liga since 2003-04, when the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The season before that, though, Osasuna picked up a fine 2-0 win away from home in week 36 to help seal a place one point above their hosts.

Now, as then, both teams are eager to break the 45 point barrier to virtually guarantee survival.

Getafe CF - Real Racing Club

Getafe will be preening after their 1-0 home win over Benfica midweek, a result that sees them through to the last eight of the UEFA Cup.

That's a feat that no other Spanish side has managed this season, but the Azulones cannot rest on their laurels. For not only are they not yet safe from relegation, but they also need to keep an eye on the Santander side.

Racing lost out 3-1 here in the Copa first leg, but will be out for revenge, as well as a massive psychological boost for their match with Geta at the Sardinero midweek in the return leg.

They'll be sick of the sight of each other by next Thursday...

RCD Espanyol - RCD Mallorca

Next up, Espanyol will attempt to get over their disappointment of defeat to Real Madrid next week with a home match against Mallorca.

The Pericos have fallen way out of the Champions League places, and are now only on the fringes of European football as they occupy the Intertoto Cup spot - something of a fall from a team that so nearly topped the table earlier in the season.

Mallorca picked up that fantastic 7-1 win over Recre last week with all sorts of fine performances. They did it without Pereyra, too, which is jsut as well, for the Argentine was this week sold off to Lokomotiv Moscow.

In any case, the two sides managed a 2-2 draw at San Moix earlier in the season - that would no doubt suit the visitors more than the hosts.

UD Almería - FC Barcelona

Moving on to early evening, and Barcelona must get on track if they're to keep their Liga challenge on the front burner.

The blaugrana could potentially be eleven points behind by this juncture - alternatively, they could make it five by the end of the evening. So much depends on how Real Madrid fare, after all.

But that's no cause for keeping one's eye off the ball. After all, Almeria beat the champions 2-0 here earlier in the season, and remain the highest-places of all the newly-promoted sides.

They may not score any, but their record of just eight goals conceded at home is the best in the Liga, an accolade shared with Racing and, of course, Barcelona.

Club Atlético de Madrid - Levante UD

Finally, Atleti will look to put last week's disaster in Zaragoza behind them with what should be a routine win over Levante.

It should be, but Levante have shown that they're not out of it yet. Sure, they're twelve points off safety, but they have "only" lost three of their last seven, and ran Sevilla close last week.

Atletico, meanwhile, won the fixture at the Ciutat de Valencia earlier in the season, and in front of an expectant home crowd, must surely manage the same again.

By this time on Sunday they could potentially be in seventh place, too, so the onus may be on them to win in order to claw back a top-four place.