02.01.2011 17:03

Spanish League Preview –Week 17

Nick Bedson

Following the short Christmas break, week 17 of the La Liga will finally be played over 2nd and 3rd January, with Barça one of the earlier kick offs on Sunday and Real Madrid closing the games at 22.00 on Monday.

The clash between fourth and fifth placed Valencia and Espanyol is one of the highlights of this round of games, whilst Villarreal are at home to Almeria and the big spending Malaga travel to fellow bottom three club Sporting.

Fight for Fourth Spot

Valencia and Espanyol are only separated by goal difference and they meet at Mestalla on Sunday in a repeat of the 2010 opener last January, when Valencia won 1-0. Espanyol have only won twice at Valencia in the last ten years, but with Emery missing the suspended Soldado and Navarro, as well as the injured Miguel Angel, Tino Costa and David Albelda, this has to be a good chance for Pochettino’s team to win back a Champions League spot and put the derby disaster behind them. Villarreal are five points clear of Valencia, who they meet in the Cup in midweek, and host Almeria on Monday without their injured leading scorer Nilmar and Spanish midfielder Marcos Senna. Almeria, however, are fourth from bottom, having won just twice on the road, against Villarreal’s home record of seven wins and just one draw and Juan Carlos Garrido’s team should be able to take the points and keep up some pressure on Madrid, who they visit next weekend.

Madrid hit by defenders’ suspension

Mourinho’s team, eight points clear of Villarreal, face city neighbours and Getafe on Monday. Without their two regular centre backs, Pepe and Carvallho who are both suspended and with Getafe, coached by ex-Madrid idol Michel, coming into the game on the back of eight games without defeat, this could be a tough start to the New Year for Madrid. The other Madrid team, Atletico, are in sixth spot, ahead of Getafe on goal difference and just two behind Espanyol, going into Monday’s game against Racing, whilst the other challenger for a UEFA spot, Bilbao, could go momentarily into the top four if they beat Deportivo in Sunday’s opening game at the San Mames.

Mallorca and Seville in need of points

Mallorca and Seville both began the season with European hopes themselves, whilst Hercules and Osasuna were more realistically looking to avoid a relegation fight, but after 16 games there are just two points between the Islanders(21 points) and Hercules (19), who meet at the ONO Stadium on Monday, and three between Seville(20) and Osasuna(17) who play at the Sanchez Pijuan on Sunday. Mallorca have won just two of their last seven games, including a 1-2 win over Seville, who have lost four games on the trot following that defeat. Both Hercules and Osasuna have terrible away records, with Hercules win at the Nou Camp the only victory the two have managed between them on the road, but this week’s games offer them a great chance to improve on that.

Big spenders in six-pointer in Gijon

Malaga’s big spending over Christmas has brought Enzo Maresca, Martin Demichelis, Sergio Asenjo, Ignacio Camacho and Julio Baptista to the struggling South Coast team, but Pellegrini will not be able to field any of his signings for the six-pointer against next to bottom Sporting on Sunday. The two teams lost 19 of their 32 games before Christmas and with Zaragoza, who this week sold Jermaine Pennant to Stoke and are at home to Real Sociedad on Monday, just a win behind them in last place, both will want to avoid losing game number 20.