FCBARCELONA.CAT

17.04.2010 12:30

Spanish League Preview Week 33

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Real Madrid face another big game on Sunday when third placed Valencia visit the Bernabeu.

Of the other teams battling for European spots, Mallorca entertain Osasuna on Monday, Bilbao are at home to Zaragoza on Sunday and Seville play Sporting at the Sanchez Pijuan on Saturday night. There are also key games at the other end of the table with Jerez hosting Racing, Valladolid at Malaga and Tenerife at home to Getafe.

Another big game at the Bernabeu

With Barca kicking off 24 hours ahead of them, Madrid will again feel the pressure, as they face Valencia in the 150th league game between the two clubs. Madrid have won 56 of the 74 games in the Bernabeu, with Valencia coming out on top nine times.

Last week’s defeat against Barca was the first game Madrid had failed to win at home this season, whilst Valencia travel on the back of a grim away run of just one win and two draws in their last eight away games. Madrid centre half Raul Albiol has finally been freed to play against his old team after the Spanish League disciplinary committee rescinded the yellow he picked up midweek.

Race for fourth still on

Mallorca are 7 points adrift of Valencia, but with Monday’s game against Osasuna their fourth at home in the last six matches, they are still in with an outside chance of catching Valencia, who apart from visiting the Bernabeu, also have to go to Villarreal and Espanyol , as well as hosting relegation strugglers Jerez and Tenerife, who’ll be desperate for points.

Seville are just a point behind Mallorca and they have the chance to leapfrog them for 48 hours at least, when they entertain Sporting in the first of the weekend’s games at 18.00 on Saturday.

Six-pointer in Malaga

Valladolid’s new boss Javier Clemente seems to have galvanised his team and their win over Seville in midweek left them just four points off Malaga, who they visit on Sunday. Tenerife meanwhile, will be looking to build on their midweek success in Gijon and close the gap on Malaga, whilst Jerez continue to maintain their hopes of a great escape when they play against Racing, themselves just three points ahead of Malaga – the Santander team’s first game against the bottom three in the next six games.

The other fixtures this weekend see Villarreal attempt to revive their European hopes after their midweek defeat when they entertain Atletico Madrid, whilst Deportivo and Almeria meet in what looks to be a mid-table dead rubber.