FCBARCELONA.CAT

06.02.2010 17:07

Spanish League Preview Week 21

Nick Bedson

La Liga's two newest bosses face tough debuts this weekend, with Onesimo taking Valladolid to Valencia on Saturday and Garrido taking his Villarreal team to Mallorca on Sunday. Madrid also play on Saturday, kicking off 2h after Barça against Espanyol

Valencia are now 8 points adrift of Madrid and 13 below Barca and they need a win on Saturday to stop the title race becoming a two horse race. Valladolid are just a point above the drop zone and have won just once on the road this season, but Valencia’s David Silva reckons the visitors will be “more dangerous” in their first game under new boss Onesima. Juan Carlos Garrido has just as tough a game in his first match in charge of Villarreal, visiting Mallorca who have won all of their 9 home games in the league this season and will be determined to bounce back from their defeat to Jerez last week.

Ray of hope for Jerez?

That win for Jerez still leaves them 6 points adrift at the bottom of the table, but ahead of their trip to San Mames on Sunday, Bilbao’s Andoni Iraola warned: “Mallorca are above us in the league and Jerez will come boosted by their win and with the hope of climbing out of the relegation zone, but we are at home and we have to make it clear from the start to them that they’ll not get an easy ride from us”. Immediately above Jerez are Tenerife and Zaragoza. The Canary Islanders travel to Osasuna who’ve won their last three league games, whilst Zaragoza who’ve signed 7 players including the ex-Barca player Edmilson during the winter transfer window, will be looking to build on last week’s win against Tenerife and surprise Seville, fresh from their Cup Semi Final first leg win over Getafe, when they visit the Romareda on Sunday.

Espanyol visit Madrid

Real Madrid will again be without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo for their home game against Espanyol , who themselves travel without Moises, Nakamora and Callejon, whose transfer from Madrid included a clause forbidding him from playing against his ex-club. Sixth place Deportivo travel to in-form Malaga, whilst Sporting are away to Almeria and in the final game of the weekend, Racing entertain Atletico Madrid just 72 hours after losing 4-0 to them in the first leg of the cup semi final.