04.05.2010 11:57
Spanish League Preview Week 36
Nick Bedson
With just three games left to play, the only thing decided is that Barca and Madrid will occupy the two top spots, but the European and relegation places are still up in the air and this week’s games could decide the fate of more than one team.
Real Madrid travel to fourth placed Mallorca to close the midweek fixtures tomorrow night and all
eyes are certainly fixed on their dog fight with Barca at the top – a battle that all the
Barca players and staff are insisting will go right down to the wire- but the rest of the league is
almost as tight, with eight teams involved in the relegation struggle and at least one Champions
League spot still up for grabs.
Mestalla game key at both ends
The game at the Mestalla between Valencia and Xerez could decide two places, with the home
team needing a win to confirm third spot and the visitors desperate to take something from the game
to keep their options of salvation open – conceivably a defeat could seal relegation.
Valencia have won seven and drawn just one game in their last eight at home, whilst Xerez’s
fightback has been helped by away wins at Malaga and Atletico Madrid and draws at Sporting and
Seville , with just two defeats in their last six games on the road. Seville will have one eye on
goings on in Mallorca, as they go into their game at Racing just two points behind the Balearic
team. Racing themselves are deep in the relegation fight, just a point above Tenerife who beat them
on Saturday. Seville, who host Barca on Saturday, will be without the injured Fernando Navarro,
Luis Fabiano and Diego Perotti.
Valladolid hope
With Tenerife, Xerez and Racing all facing tough trips, Valladolid will be hoping to take
advantage when they visit Atletico Madrid, whose performance against Seville at the weekend seemed
to suggest they had switched their focus away from La Liga and onto their two upcoming cup finals.
Valladolid are just three points ahead of bottom club Xerez, but again just three off Racing in
16th, who they play on Saturday. Malaga are a point below Racing and also face a difficult away
game at Bilbao, though Caparros’ team seem to have run out of steam in their bid for a
European spot having won just one game from their last six and failed to win their last two at the
normally solid San Mames. With their last two games at Getafe and a final day visit from Real
Madrid, this could be Malaga’s last realistic chance to take points.
Salvation beckons for Zaragoza
Zaragoza are a point ahead of Racing will be looking to take all three points at home against
Espanyol and hopefully lift themselves out of the relegation battle, knowing that with trips to
Xerez and a final home match against Villarreal, they have very little margin for error. Sporting,
a point ahead of Zaragoza, are at Getafe and with just one win in their last eight games, their
form certainly makes them a possibility for the drop. Almeria have also seen their late season dip
in form drag them down into the basement battle and they host a Villarreal team who will want to
bounce back after last Saturday’s thrashing to confirm their sixth spot. Finally, Osasuna are
still mathematically not safe, but they are bound to be boosted by Sunday’s performance, if
not the result, at the Bernabeu and will fancy their chances in Pamplona against the plummeting
Deportivo, whose defeat against Zaragoza on Saturday was their sixth in their last ten games, with
just three points taken from the 30 on offer.