Thursday, April 3, 2008

La Liga Weekend Preview: Round 31

Saturday 5 April 2008 (all times local)
20:00 Osasuna - Recreativo
22:00 Mallorca - Real Madrid
Sunday 6 April
17:00 At. Madrid - Almería
17:00 Levante - Valladolid
17:00 Zaragoza - Betis
17:00 Athletic - Espanyol
17:00 Racing - Deportivo
17:00 Murcia - Valencia
19:00 Sevilla - Villarreal
21:00 Barcelona - Getafe

CA Osasuna - Recreativo de Huelva

Osasuna will look to build on their weekend win over Getafe as they welcome Recre to Navarre.

The rojillos are almost safe from relegation, and a win here will take them up to 40 points. 42-43 is generally seen as the cut-off, and coach Cuco Ziganda will have earmarked this as one of the games in which victory is expected.

Recre, meanwhile, sit in the third relegation spot on 33 points. Should they avoid defeat here then they'll leapfrog Real Zaragoza, albeit probably temporarily.

Still, what a morale boost that would be, although they must do it without the suspended Sinama-Pongolle and Bouzon.

RCD Mallorca - Real Madrid

Mallorca have stunned Madrid this season already, but they'll need to up their game if they're to repeat in the Liga what they achieved in the Cup.

The Barralets are out of that competition, of course, but being able to focus on the Liga has served them well. They're into the top half now after that stunning win at Valencia last week, and relegaton should easily be avoided.

The champions, meanwhile, can stretch their lead at the top of the table to ten points, pending Barça's match with Getafe on Sunday evening.

But while Mallorca are famed for their home form, Madrid have won four out of their last five Liga games here.

Club Atlético de Madrid - UD Almería

Atleti will look to atone for their 3-0 thumping at Villarreal against Almería, but they'll know not to be complacent.

The Mediterráneo men have already held the rojiblancos to a 0-0 draw this season on their pown patch, and have one of the best defensive records in the Liga.

Javier Aguirre's men are still dreaming the impossible dream of a Champions League spot, and will need to wrap up all three points so as not to risk Racing leapfrogging them.

Levante UD - Real Valladolid

Levante are all but down, but they can both delay the inevitable and stick their oar in elsewhere in the relegation race with a home win here.

The granota side have shown remarkable spirit since the New Year, but it's not going to be enough - the most they can expect is to keep it together so as to build morale ahead of the new season.

The Pucela, of course, ran away with the Segunda title last season, but they're finding their return to the top flight pretty tough. A win here would ease their worries considerably...

Real Zaragoza - Real Betis Balompié


... and transfer them to the blanquillos.

For a team that wanted to challenge the top four, sitting out of the dropzone on the slimmest of margins alone is simply unacceptable.

Still, all talk of self-pity aside, the Aragon men have won this fixture three times in succession: it goes without saying that they want all three points, not just one.

Betis needed to wait until the last minute to avoid relegation last season, but the dramatic win over Barça last week almost sees them safe. Two more wins will do it.

Athletic Club Bilbao - RCD Espanyol

The Lions could only manage a draw against Recreativo, but they are nonetheless top half: a win here would all but guarantee survival.

Unthinkably, it'd also draw them to within three points of the perequitos, who were roundly thrashed 3-0 by Racing last week - on their own patch, no less.

It's a tough end to the season for Ernesto Valverde's men, and one in which they need to prove their worth, although San Mames isn't the easiest place to do so.

Real Racing Club - Deportivo La Coruña

Nor is El Sardinero, yet it is to Santander that Depor must travel as they seek to build on their recent good form.

Miguel Lotina's 5-3-2 has paid dividens since the New Year and the A Coruña men are almost safe, but Racing's defence is the best in the entire Liga at home, having let in a mere eight strikes so far.

Dudu Aouate at the other end will look to spoil the party for his former club as they look to do the unthinkable by scaling the European heights.

Real Murcia - Valencia CF

Murcia are likely to join Levante in relegation, but there is no way that a Javier Clemente side is going anywhere without a fight.

His embattled pimentoneros face pretty much the only club in Spain that he hasn't managed, Valencia, in an important game for both sides.

Los Che aren't clear of relegation themselves, but no doubt they have one eye on the Copa del Rey final in a fortnight's time.

In the meantime, though, winger David Silva has thrown his weight behind troubled boss Ronald Koeman, stating that the squad would die along with the coach. Try winning a game for him instead, eh?

Sevilla FC - Villarreal CF

In what may well be match of the weekend, Sevilla welcome on-form Villarreal to Andalucia knowing that defeat would quite probably consign them to a place outside the top four.

The rojiblancos are five points behind the Champions League spots and are running out of time, although midweek transfer rumours involving Daniel Alves won't help to settle them down. Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, is still suspended: he won't be back until Matchday 34.

The Yellow Submarine are actually in second place and have all but secured a Champions League berth; a win here will essentially confirm it. And with other top-half sides tumbling in their wake in recent weeks, who would say that they can't grind out a win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan?

FC Barcelona - Getafe CF

Finally, Barcelona are likely to welcome back Ronaldinho for this vital clash at home to Getafe.

The blaugrana have endured a torrid time of late, but back on home soil against a mid-table club is where they specialise, and they'll seek a morale-boosting win.

Geta may have a fine record on their own patch against Barça - including that 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final win last year - but they tend to struggle at Camp Nou. Still, the big occasion no longer troubles them: just look at Thursday's 1-1 draw away to Bayern Munich for an example of that...