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Friends Of Don Quixote: Riazor Sharp
Deportivo is out to prove it can compete with the big boys again when it hosts Barcelona in the marquee match of the weekend in Spain.
Dec 4, 2009 1:37:41 AM
By David Mosse
Success is nothing new to Deportivo La Coruna. For much of the 1990's and early 2000's, the Galician club was the equivalent of what Sevilla has now become. With a fraction of the resources, Deportivo president Augusto Cesar Leindoro put together some terrific teams that frequently went toe to toe with Real Madrid and Barcelona, earning admirers throughout the country.
One league title, back in 2000, actually represents a disappointing return for a club that knocked on the door so many times during that period -- Miroslav Djukic's penalty miss in 1994 is one of the enduring moments in the history of La Liga. Deportivo came in second on four occasions. It also captured the Copa Del Rey twice and the Spanish Supercup three times.
But the club has suffered through some lean years of late, slinking back into mid-table obscurity. Deportivo hasn't finished higher than seventh since the 2003-2004 campaign. Which is why this season must be considered a comeback of sorts, as Depor enters Saturday's showdown against Barcelona at the Riazor level on points with Valencia for fourth place.
In his third season in La Coruna, manager Miguel Angel Lotina has built a very competent side that looks capable of returning the club to the Champions League, where it had become a fixture for the first half of this decade, even reaching the semifinals in 2004. And Lotina has done so without a major superstar, relying instead on solid defense and timely goals.
Deportivo has notched five 1-0 victories in the league, thanks in large part to the play of center backs Alberto Lopo and Diego Colotto, as well as veteran goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia. Lotina's team is especially difficult to break down at home. The Riazor has always been one of the great fortresses in Spain. Just ask Real Madrid, which hasn't won there in 18 years.
Most of the inspiration up front comes from striker Ivan Riki and Mexican winger Andres Guardado. But also playing a key role is left back Filipe Luis, the latest Brazilian to succeed at the club following the likes of Mauro Silva, Bebeto, Rivaldo and Djalminha. Filipe Luis could easily be suiting up for Barcelona this weekend, as the Catalan giants made a big push to land him last summer.
After one of those long, drawn out transfer sagas, Leindoro eventually managed to hold on to the 24-year-old, forcing Barcelona to settle for the much inferior Maxwell. Filipe Luis has insisted all week he has nothing to prove to his opponents on Saturday, but the truth is the match does offer an opportunity for both him and his teammates.
Beating Barcelona would crown an excellent first half of the season, and send a message to the rest of the league that Deportivo means business. A highly-anticipated clash against one of the big boys at a packed Riazor Stadium. For fans in La Coruna, it must feel like old times.
Elsewhere, Almeria figures to provide a soft landing for Madrid after the defeat to Barcelona, but Hugo Sanchez's side does have a habit of playing tough away from home, as it proved in a 1-0 loss to Barca at the Camp Nou earlier this season. And Manuel Pellegrini will be without the injured Kaka, who had arguably his best game for the club last Sunday.
Valencia heads to Bilbao, hoping to preserve its record as the top visiting team in La Liga, while Sevilla will want to avoid another slip-up, after settling for a draw against Malaga last week. Manolo Jimenez's side hosts Valladolid. Villarreal can make it four wins in a row at home against Getafe on Sunday, and Atletico Madrid is in search of a second consecutive victory at Xerez.
First Quest: Deportivo vs. Barcelona
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench to score in each of the last two games, but should make his first start in nearly a month. The Swede capped off Wednesday's 2-0 win over Xerez with a delightful chip over the goalkeeper. Just minutes earlier, he threaded through a perfect pass to Andres Iniesta, who somehow fired wide from five yards out.
Barcelona is now five points clear at the top, but Pep Guardiola will want to see his side step up in a tough away game, as the champs have already been held to draws by Valencia, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao. Sergio Busquets returns from suspension, which means Yaya Toure, who has complained about a lack of playing time, likely goes back to the bench.
Deportivo is unbeaten in its last four at home, including a 1-0 win over Sevilla. Miguel Angel Lotina's side also played Madrid tough at the Bernabeu back in the first game of the season, but a match against Barcelona must be considered the ultimate test. Midfielder Sergio Gonzalez impressed last week against Racing, but will need to put forth an even bigger effort on Saturday.
Second Quest: Athletic vs. Valencia
Sunday, 3:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
Valencia has been the best visiting team in La Liga, but the trip to Bilbao will not be easy, as the home side is brimming with confidence. Athletic has three wins in its last four games, including a 4-1 away victory over Almeria last time out, which included three goals off set pieces, each set up by midfielder Fran Yeste. Striker Fernando Llorente scored for the first time since September.
Meanwhile, Valencia boss Unai Emery must be pleased with the recent form displayed by Joaquin, who found the back of the net twice in Wednesday's victory over French club Lille. He will be counted on to play a bigger role with David Silva sidelined. Miguel reappeared against Lille, having been frozen out the past couple of weeks for arriving late to a practice.
One player who was spared any midweek exertions was David Villa. El Guaje will be eager to return to the field, after his wastefulness last week partially contributed to Valencia dropping points at home against Mallorca. Villa did pick up his league-leading 10th goal of the season.
Ladies-in-waiting: Villarreal vs. Getafe
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. EST, Gol TV
Villarreal needs to start winning away from home if it intends to make a serious run up the table, but taking care of business at El Madrigal has allowed the yellow submarine to right the ship somewhat and distance itself from the relegation zone. Ernesto Valverde's side has won its last three at home, benefiting from Giuseppe Rossi's improved form of late.
Then again, the victories have come against Malaga, Tenerife and Valladolid. Not exactly murderers' row. Getafe figures to pose a tougher test, thanks in large part to the presence of Roberto Soldado. The former Real Madrid reject struck a sensational hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Xerez last week, and will be hoping to pick up where he left off against a shaky Villarreal back line.
Ladies-in-waiting: Real Madrid vs. Almeria
Saturday, 2:00 p.m. EST, Gol TV
Hugo Sanchez likely views this game as an audition, as the Mexican very much wants to manage Real Madrid someday. But the magic he displayed last season in helping Almeria soar up the table appears to have worn off slightly, and Sanchez will have his work cut out for him on Saturday at the Bernabeu. Almeria has lost three of its last four league matches.
Madrid actually emerged from El Clasico with a renewed sense of optimism. Kaka misses out with a groin injury, but Cristiano Ronaldo should return to the starting lineup. All eyes will be on Karim Benzema, as the Frenchman's lousy form has been the subject of much discussion this week. He also made headlines by crashing his Audi into a tree last Sunday night,
The Impertinent Curiosity: Other Games
Sevilla vs. Valladolid
Xerez vs. Atletico Madrid
Espanyol vs. Racing
Malaga vs. Osasuna
Mallorca vs. Real Zaragoza
Tenerife vs. Sporting Gijon
“Friends of Don Quixote” appears Friday mornings on Goal.com. Also check out “Men of La Mancha” on Monday mornings, as David Mosse recaps the action from the weekend.
Success is nothing new to Deportivo La Coruna. For much of the 1990's and early 2000's, the Galician club was the equivalent of what Sevilla has now become. With a fraction of the resources, Deportivo president Augusto Cesar Leindoro put together some terrific teams that frequently went toe to toe with Real Madrid and Barcelona, earning admirers throughout the country.
One league title, back in 2000, actually represents a disappointing return for a club that knocked on the door so many times during that period -- Miroslav Djukic's penalty miss in 1994 is one of the enduring moments in the history of La Liga. Deportivo came in second on four occasions. It also captured the Copa Del Rey twice and the Spanish Supercup three times.
But the club has suffered through some lean years of late, slinking back into mid-table obscurity. Deportivo hasn't finished higher than seventh since the 2003-2004 campaign. Which is why this season must be considered a comeback of sorts, as Depor enters Saturday's showdown against Barcelona at the Riazor level on points with Valencia for fourth place.
In his third season in La Coruna, manager Miguel Angel Lotina has built a very competent side that looks capable of returning the club to the Champions League, where it had become a fixture for the first half of this decade, even reaching the semifinals in 2004. And Lotina has done so without a major superstar, relying instead on solid defense and timely goals.
Deportivo has notched five 1-0 victories in the league, thanks in large part to the play of center backs Alberto Lopo and Diego Colotto, as well as veteran goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia. Lotina's team is especially difficult to break down at home. The Riazor has always been one of the great fortresses in Spain. Just ask Real Madrid, which hasn't won there in 18 years.
Most of the inspiration up front comes from striker Ivan Riki and Mexican winger Andres Guardado. But also playing a key role is left back Filipe Luis, the latest Brazilian to succeed at the club following the likes of Mauro Silva, Bebeto, Rivaldo and Djalminha. Filipe Luis could easily be suiting up for Barcelona this weekend, as the Catalan giants made a big push to land him last summer.
After one of those long, drawn out transfer sagas, Leindoro eventually managed to hold on to the 24-year-old, forcing Barcelona to settle for the much inferior Maxwell. Filipe Luis has insisted all week he has nothing to prove to his opponents on Saturday, but the truth is the match does offer an opportunity for both him and his teammates.
Beating Barcelona would crown an excellent first half of the season, and send a message to the rest of the league that Deportivo means business. A highly-anticipated clash against one of the big boys at a packed Riazor Stadium. For fans in La Coruna, it must feel like old times.
Elsewhere, Almeria figures to provide a soft landing for Madrid after the defeat to Barcelona, but Hugo Sanchez's side does have a habit of playing tough away from home, as it proved in a 1-0 loss to Barca at the Camp Nou earlier this season. And Manuel Pellegrini will be without the injured Kaka, who had arguably his best game for the club last Sunday.
Valencia heads to Bilbao, hoping to preserve its record as the top visiting team in La Liga, while Sevilla will want to avoid another slip-up, after settling for a draw against Malaga last week. Manolo Jimenez's side hosts Valladolid. Villarreal can make it four wins in a row at home against Getafe on Sunday, and Atletico Madrid is in search of a second consecutive victory at Xerez.
First Quest: Deportivo vs. Barcelona
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench to score in each of the last two games, but should make his first start in nearly a month. The Swede capped off Wednesday's 2-0 win over Xerez with a delightful chip over the goalkeeper. Just minutes earlier, he threaded through a perfect pass to Andres Iniesta, who somehow fired wide from five yards out.
Barcelona is now five points clear at the top, but Pep Guardiola will want to see his side step up in a tough away game, as the champs have already been held to draws by Valencia, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao. Sergio Busquets returns from suspension, which means Yaya Toure, who has complained about a lack of playing time, likely goes back to the bench.
Deportivo is unbeaten in its last four at home, including a 1-0 win over Sevilla. Miguel Angel Lotina's side also played Madrid tough at the Bernabeu back in the first game of the season, but a match against Barcelona must be considered the ultimate test. Midfielder Sergio Gonzalez impressed last week against Racing, but will need to put forth an even bigger effort on Saturday.
Second Quest: Athletic vs. Valencia
Sunday, 3:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
Valencia has been the best visiting team in La Liga, but the trip to Bilbao will not be easy, as the home side is brimming with confidence. Athletic has three wins in its last four games, including a 4-1 away victory over Almeria last time out, which included three goals off set pieces, each set up by midfielder Fran Yeste. Striker Fernando Llorente scored for the first time since September.
Meanwhile, Valencia boss Unai Emery must be pleased with the recent form displayed by Joaquin, who found the back of the net twice in Wednesday's victory over French club Lille. He will be counted on to play a bigger role with David Silva sidelined. Miguel reappeared against Lille, having been frozen out the past couple of weeks for arriving late to a practice.
One player who was spared any midweek exertions was David Villa. El Guaje will be eager to return to the field, after his wastefulness last week partially contributed to Valencia dropping points at home against Mallorca. Villa did pick up his league-leading 10th goal of the season.
Ladies-in-waiting: Villarreal vs. Getafe
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. EST, Gol TV
Villarreal needs to start winning away from home if it intends to make a serious run up the table, but taking care of business at El Madrigal has allowed the yellow submarine to right the ship somewhat and distance itself from the relegation zone. Ernesto Valverde's side has won its last three at home, benefiting from Giuseppe Rossi's improved form of late.
Then again, the victories have come against Malaga, Tenerife and Valladolid. Not exactly murderers' row. Getafe figures to pose a tougher test, thanks in large part to the presence of Roberto Soldado. The former Real Madrid reject struck a sensational hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Xerez last week, and will be hoping to pick up where he left off against a shaky Villarreal back line.
Ladies-in-waiting: Real Madrid vs. Almeria
Saturday, 2:00 p.m. EST, Gol TV
Hugo Sanchez likely views this game as an audition, as the Mexican very much wants to manage Real Madrid someday. But the magic he displayed last season in helping Almeria soar up the table appears to have worn off slightly, and Sanchez will have his work cut out for him on Saturday at the Bernabeu. Almeria has lost three of its last four league matches.
Madrid actually emerged from El Clasico with a renewed sense of optimism. Kaka misses out with a groin injury, but Cristiano Ronaldo should return to the starting lineup. All eyes will be on Karim Benzema, as the Frenchman's lousy form has been the subject of much discussion this week. He also made headlines by crashing his Audi into a tree last Sunday night,
The Impertinent Curiosity: Other Games
Sevilla vs. Valladolid
Xerez vs. Atletico Madrid
Espanyol vs. Racing
Malaga vs. Osasuna
Mallorca vs. Real Zaragoza
Tenerife vs. Sporting Gijon
“Friends of Don Quixote” appears Friday mornings on Goal.com. Also check out “Men of La Mancha” on Monday mornings, as David Mosse recaps the action from the weekend.
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