25/09/2004
Preview: All eyes still on Real Madrid in La Liga

While Madrid hope to convince against Atletic de Bilbao, Valencia and Barcelona will be set to battle for the first position of the Primera Division against respectively Racing Santander and Mallorca.

Athletic de Bilbao vs Real Madrid

After three narrow 1-0 wins and a defeat by Espanyol, Real Madrid, now led by coach Remon, aim to finally impress, as they take on Athletic de Bilbao in Basque Country. The 'Galacticos' will still be missing French midfielder Zinedine Zidane, and Santiago Solari is added to the injury list after a bad landing during the match with Osasuna on Tuesday. Owen, Woodgate, Cйsar and Borja are all sidelined as well.

Ronaldo will be starting up front, with support of Fernando Morientes and Raul, as they attempt to break through Athletic's defense. The hosts only have two points from four matches, despite taking a secure 2-0 lead against Valencia in the second game. The Basques will start with Del Horno and Urzaiz, while Lacruz is out injured.

Valencia vs Racing Santander

Claudio Ranieri has done well so far, reaching three wins and a draw with Valencia, including the impressive 1-5 victory against Deportivo on Wednesday. The reigning champions will still be without playmaker Pablo Aimar, as the Argentinian is recovering from an injury suffered last week.

The attack will be spearheaded by the Italian forward Marco Di Vaio, who has impressed with four goals so far in the Spanish season. Racing Santander needed until Wednesday to clinch their first win of the season, 1-0 against Real Sociedad, and face the difficult task to repeat that performance in Valencia on Sunday.

Mallorca vs Barcelona

FC Barcelona came back from behind against Zaragoza to claim a 4-1 win on Thursday, and will now travel to the island of Mallorca, where Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o meets again with his former team. Eto'o was responsible for two of the goals scored against Zaragoza, and will be looking to add more to his tally.

The Catalans have a small defensive problem however as both Gabri and Silvinho won't be able to participate due to injuries. Gabri is expected to be out for six months, while Silvinho is sidelined for four weeks. The two will be replaced with Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Juliano Belletti.

Deportivo La Coruna vs Real Betis

Champions League contenders Deportivo have four points so far, the same amount as Saturday's opponents Real Betis. The team of coach Irureta will be trying to overcome the crushing defeat by Valencia, and hope for a few good moments for striker Walter Pandiani, the only player to put a ball past Valencia goalkeeper Caсizares this week.

Betis Sevilla, with Edu and the international player Joaquнn, needed until the fourth match of the season to finally beat an opponent, with Athletic de Bilbao as victims. At Riazor, both teams will be able to count on the services of all players, as nobody is injured or suspended.

Espanyol vs Malaga

Espanyol had one of the best starts of the 2004-2005 seasons, earning seven points from three matches before chrashing to their first defeat against Getafe this week. The club from Barcelona were strong against Real Madrid and currently take the fourth position in La Liga.

Malaga are respectable opponents however, having defeated both Mallorca and Numancia this past week. The Andalusians face Espanyol with their two new strikers, Paulo Wanchope and Marcio Amoroso, who seem to be having a good influence on the team's capabilities.

This weekend's Liga fixtures
All matches Sunday 17:30 CET unless noted

Atletico Madrid vs Villarreal, Saturday 18:00 CET
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid, Saturday 20:00 CET
Deportivo La Coruna vs Real Betis, Saturday 22:00 CET
Espanyol vs Malaga
Numancia vs Albacete
Osasuna vs Getafe
Valencia vs Racing Santander
Zaragoza vs Levante
Mallorca vs Barcelona, Sunday 19:30 CET
Sevilla vs Real Sociedad, Sunday 21:30 CET

25.09.2004 19:42 +0400
soccerway