In-form Malaga make the tough trip north this weekend, where they will be hosted by Deportivo at the Riazor. November brought mixed feelings for both clubs; some shaky form followed by vast improvement in all aspects of the gamepretty well sums up the situation. This weekend is the perfect chancefor both teams to get back ontrack and improve on their current league positions.With both sides out for the win, it will be nothing short of an open and exciting encounter.
Happy Depor Days
There has been a complete renovation at the Depor camp. The side that looked so heavy and uninspired during the early stages of the competition have shown their strong mentality in winning back the hearts of their supporters.
Thousands of fans shouted for the exit of Miguel Angel Lotina; a man who came under very heavy fire during mid-October. The humble coach kept his head down and continued working - the fruits of his work are now being seen.
Despite only managing a draw against Polish minnows Lech Poznan on Thursday night, Deportivo were clearly the better side, dominating the field inside-out. Lotina fielded some fringe players, allowing the benchwarmers a chance to show their worth.
Winning four out of five in the league is just what Depor needed to get their Liga campaign back on track. Their excellent run of form saw them boost into 7th place, temporarily fending off competition from sides like Valladolid and Malaga. They are currently level on points with Atletico Madrid, and a good result this weekend could see them overcome their rivals and rise further into 6th place.
The last time Depor faced Malaga was back in 2006, when the Turkos won the game 2-1. The statistics are even more encouraging for Depor, as they have lost to Malaga only once in the last nine years.
Deportivo will march onto the field with their heads raised high, and their fans will cheer them all the way.
Mixed Up Malaga
Like their opponents, Malaga have had their fair share of good form too. The humble Andalucían outfit have beenup to standard recently, succeeding in producing exactly what is expected of them.
Back-to-back losses against Real Madrid and Barcelona are hardly something to cry about. Malaga were excellent against Villarreal, and showed their never-say-die attitude by finding a crucial goal in the closing stages of the game.
They dominated play and allowed their opponents no space in midfield. Save a defensive blunder and brilliance on behalf of Giuseppe Rossi, it was a solid all-round performance.
Malaga demolished Osasuna last weekend, scoring both winning goals in the last ten minutes of the game. The Boquerones started strongly and found the net twice in the first half. The second half was a different story, with Malaga losing all concentration and simply deciding to sit back.
It was a crazy three minutes, with Osasuna firing a quick double after the 80th minute, only forLuque to cancel out their goals one minute later. Eliseu put the game to bed in the final minute with a perfect finish, to cap off what was arguably the craziest Liga game thus far.
Malaga haven't beaten Depor in over nine years, and will do their best to pull one over their Galician counterparts.
FORM GUIDE
Deportivo
04/11/2008Lech Poznan-Deportivo 1-1 (UEFA Cup)
30/11/2008Almeria-Deportivo 0-1 (La Liga)
27/11/2008Deportivo-Feyenoord 3-1 (UEFA Cup)
23/11/2008Deportivo-Athletic Bilbao 3-1 (La Liga)
16/11/2008Atlético Madrid-Deportivo4-1 (La Liga)
Malaga
30/11/2008 Malaga 4-2 Osasuna (La Liga)
23/11/2008 Mallorca 2-2 Malaga (La Liga)
16/11/2008 Malaga 2-2 Villarreal (La Liga)
09/11/2008Real Madrid 4-3 Malaga (La Liga)
01/11/2008 Málaga 1-4 Barcelona (La Liga)
TEAM NEWS
Deportivo
Lotina has a generally fit squad to choose from. No major injuries or set-backs means that he will field a generally solid team.
Probable Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Aranzubia -Pablo, Castro, Piscu, Luis -Sergio, Rodríguez -Lafita, Verdú, Riki-Bravo.
Malaga
Antonio Tapia has found his favourite eleven and will stick to it. Navil Baha is in sensational form and should retain his place up front. Duda and Luque should take the wings to widen the play. Arnau's safe hands will make sure he stands between the posts.
Probable Starting XI (4-3-3):Arnau - Jesus Gamez, Helder Rosario, Welington, Javier Calleja - Miguel Angel, Apono, Eliseu - Duda, Baha, Luque
PLAYERS TO WATCH
DeportivoDepor play as a unit, making it very hard to single out one player who will sine. Ivan Riki has found his rhythm and is improving game by game. Also, his midfield partner Lafita has made himself irreplaceable after his performances at the UEFA Cup. He will work very hard to break down Malaga's attacks and hit them hard on the counter.
Malaga
No other player to watchthan young Moroccan startlet Nabil Baha. The forward has been stunning of late, making himself one of La Liga's latest discoveries. Not only does this youngster play with extreme skill, he plays with his spirit, making him an indispensable asset to his team.
PREDICTION
These games are usually very interesting to watch but hard to predict. The Riazor is one of the most difficult stadiums in Spain to play in, but Malaga are a stubborn side who have a very clear line of vision. Goals will come at any minute, but the spoils will be shared in the end.
Deportivo 2-2 Malaga
Feras Saad, Goal.com
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