FCBARCELONA.CAT

12.01.2008 11:06

Murcia looking to keep surprising

Roger Bogunyà

Ninth in the league, Murcia is one of the surprise packages of the season and have managed to stay well clear of relegation trouble without ever particularly attracting attention.

Murcia were one of the three sides to be promoted last season, along with Valladolid and Almería. Not much was expected of them, and their players are hardly what you would call household names. But that is one of their strongest points, they are undoubtedly the silent danger of the championship.

Catching teams by surprise

Much of this comes down to the great job manager Lucas Alcaraz has done since joining the club at the start of last season. In a year and a half he has taken the club back to the top flight and the side which celebrates its centenary this year is now in the top half of the table. He has done especially well in finding the right places for the new signings last summer, Mejía, De Lucas, Baiano, Goitom, Pablo García y Regueiro, and others.

Experience

Some of these, such as Notario and Movilla, are already fairly well known in football circles. In fact, most of the players have accumulated quite a lot of experience, meaning Murcia do not play like the typical small club. Their game is intense and involves direct counter attacks, but they also like to gain possession and pass the ball around.

Just one away win

But Murcia is a side that likes to play at home, and when they leave the Nueva Condomina they have failed to pick up many points, with 4 defeats, 4 draws and just one win, which was at Valladolid (1-4) against a side that played the whole second half with just nine men.

In form

Murcia come to the Camp Nou in top form, and have no desperate need of points for survival. They haven’t lost in three games, collecting 7 of a possible 9 points, their best run of the season. But they are already out of the Copa del Rey, a competition they have never won, having lost 2-0 to Osasuna last week.