Spanish League Preview Week 14

Nick Bedson

Real Madrid face a tough test as they try to bounce back from Monday’s defeat when Valencia visit the Bernabeu on Saturday, At the other end of the table, the bottom two meet in Almeria.

Real Madrid face a tough test as they try to bounce back from Monday’s defeat when Valencia visit the Bernabeu on Saturday, At the other end of the table, the bottom two meet in Almeria.
Villarreal will be looking to take any advantage of more Madrid misery as they look to cut the distance between third and second with a win at home to Seville, whilst fourth placed Espanyol will be favourites to maintain their great home record when they entertain Sporting.

Almeria are at home to Zaragoza, whilst two more teams down at the bottom, Racing and Malaga meet in another six-pointer at La Rosaleda.

Valencia set test for Mourinho
After Monday, Madrid desperately need to show they can bounce back, but for the game against Valencia Mourinho will be without the suspended Sergio Ramos and Carvalho for the game, as well as injured striker Higuain. Valencia are lying fifth and are unbeaten since the start of November. Villarreal and Valencia drew 1-1 earlier this month and Villarreal now sit five points behind Madrid in third ahead of their home game against Seville, whose midweek European defeat meant they have lost all three of their last games, slipping to eighth, seven points adrift of their hosts on Sunday.

Catalan Cup boost for Espanyol
Fourth placed Espanyol’s win in the Catalan Cup on Wednesday should set them in good stead when they take on Sporting at Cornella on Sunday. Sporting are fourth from bottom and have yet to win on the road this season, picking up just two points and scoring only three times, whilst Espanyol have won all their home games so far. Mallorca’s recent run has taken them to sixth spot and on Sunday they travel to Getafe whose midweek draw in Odense means they are out of the Europa Cup, a considerable disappointment after last week’s encouraging win at Seville. Atletico Madrid are level with Seville and a point behind Mallorca, but after last week’s defeat at home to Espanyol and the midweek European defeat to Aris Salonika, they urgently need the points when they visit struggling Levante in Saturday’s opening La Liga game.

Bottom two meet in Almeria
The clash between Almeria and Zaragoza has to be a must win game for both teams, who’ve managed just one win each so far this season, whilst Racing’s win over Deportivo last week was their first in four and Malaga, who they play on Sunday, have lost their last two games. Zaragoza are bottom on 8 points, one below Almeria with Malaga on 19 and Racing up in 15th with 14 points.

Basque derby in Donosti
In the weekend’s other game, Bilbao play their second Basque derby game in a week when they travel to Real Sociedad and Atletic striker Fernando Llorente believes his team are favourites: “these game are always very intense, but I think we have a great team and we have to go out for the three points”.