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Friends Of Don Quixote: King's Ransom
The latest round of Copa Del Rey action featured some remarkable results that could impact the La Liga race as well.
Jan 15, 2010 4:39:00 AM
By David Mosse
If Barcelona goes on to win another league title many in Spain will point to Wednesday's Copa Del Rey elimination at the hands of Sevilla as a pivotal moment in the campaign. Dropping out of the competition does ease the calendar a bit for a team already showing signs of fatigue in recent weeks.
But something was lost on Wednesday, an aura of invincibility that has served the Blaugrana well this season. Pep Guardiola recognized the importance of protecting this mystique, which is why he put out his best possible lineup. Well, with one notable exception: any lineup that includes Thierry Henry instead of Pedro can no longer be considered Barcelona's strongest team.
Sevilla had plenty to gain as well, and Manolo Jimenez responded by picking the best players he could from a depleted roster. Jimenez relied heavily on the brilliance of Jesus Navas, who kept Barca honest with some incredible runs from his own half. But veteran goalkeeper Andres Palop made the biggest difference, coming up with a number of key stops down the stretch.
Palop kept everything out except for a perfectly placed shot by Xavi midway through the second half. The 1-0 defeat was all Sevilla needed to overcome the Catalan giants after last week's 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou, and to overcome Barcelona in a two-legged tie should breathe new life into a team that has struggled for weeks in the league, just in time for another clash with Barcelona on Saturday, this time in league play.
For Guardiola and Jimenez, the decision to go all out was fairly easy, but other managers around Spain faced a much tougher call, particularly those not blessed with very deep squads. The most fascinating encounter took place at the Riazor between Valencia and Deportivo, two teams also battling for a spot in the Champions League next season.
Needing to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg, Unai Emery opted to leave David Villa on the bench at the start of the match. It didn't matter early on against a Deportivo side missing several starters, as Los Che jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind a pair of goals from Nikola Zigic. But when the hosts came storming back to even the score in the second half, Emery was forced to react.
Villa came on with seven minutes remaining in search of a winning goal, but it was far too late and Valencia crashed out of the competition in stunning fashion. Next up for Miguel Angel Lotina's side will be a match-up against Sevilla that should determine the next Copa Del Rey winner, but don't count out Atletico Madrid after its rousing comeback against Recreativo.
Stuck in a proverbial no-man's land this season -- too far behind to challenge for a Champions League berth, but not in any serious danger of relegation -- Atletico has every reason to chase after a trophy its crosstown rivals haven't captured since 1993. Sergio Aguero is hungry to win something with the club before his inevitable departure this summer.
Real Madrid may have enjoyed the extra rest the past two weeks, but the return of the Copa Del Rey did dredge up memories of that unthinkable defeat to Alcorcon back in October, the lowest point of the season for Manuel Pellegrini. The third-division side put forth another valiant effort in this round, falling to Racing Santander despite soundly outplaying Los Verdiblancos over both legs.
The other bit of news somewhat overshadowed by all the midweek action was the firing of Xerez boss Jose Angel Ziganda. He becomes the fifth manager to lose his job this season, and will be replaced on an interim basis by Antonio Poyatos whose debut comes on Sunday against Real Zaragoza.
First Quest: Barcelona vs. Sevilla
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
For the first time since taking charge over a year ago, Pep Guardiola has to prepare for a match in the aftermath of being knocked out of a competition. He can field his strongest lineup with Zlatan Ibrahimovic back from suspension after missing last week's thrashing of Tenerife, and Victor Valdes set to return after making way for Jose Pinto in the Copa Del Rey clash.
The Swede is hoping to recover from a dismal outing on Wednesday, though he did find the back of the net in the first leg between these two sides. Sevilla comes to town with its spirits high, despite the grim news on the injury front. Diego Perotti is set to miss out on Saturday and Luis Fabiano will be sidelined for at least another couple of weeks.
Sevilla announced this week defender Sebastien Squillaci underwent surgery on his right ankle in a bid to return before the end of the month. With the all the absences, Manolo Jimenez needs big games once again from Navas and Palop, as well as Serbian midfielder Ivica Dragutinovic, who put forth an imperious performance on Wednesday.
Second Quest: Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Madrid
Saturday, 2:00 p.m. EST, Gol TV
It didn't take long for Real Madrid to make its move, as the Merengues are reportedly on the verge of sealing a deal for Racing sensation Sergio Canales. The 18-year-old would presumably spend next season on loan with his current club before heading to Madrid in 2011. Whether he will ever get to line up alongside Raul is very much up in the air.
The captain hasn't started a league match since October 24, and while the injury suffered by Gonzalo Higuain against Mallorca that will sideline the Argentine for three weeks could be Raul's opportunity, word is Manuel Pellegrini is leaning towards giving Karim Benzema a shot on Saturday. Lassana Diarra and Sergio Ramos both return from suspension, and Xabi Alonso should be available as well.
Athletic was fortunate to salvage a draw against Malaga last week, but Joaquin Caparros' side comes home where it can be very tough on the visiting big boys -- Barcelona was held to a draw in San Mames back in November. Caparros is considering utilizing influential midfielder Fran Yeste from the start, which could push Markel Susaeta into an advanced role in place of Gaizka Toquero.
Ladies-in-waiting: Mallorca vs. Deportivo
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
Mallorca staged a dramatic comeback of its own against Rayo Vallecano to advance in the Copa Del Rey. Striker Victor Casadesus was the hero with two goals, but he limped off late in the match and his status for Sunday is unknown. Center back Ivan Ramis made his first appearance since returning from injury and will likely partner captain Nunes against Deportivo.
Gregorio Manzano's side has collected full point at home this season, but Depor could represent the toughest test yet. The Galician club hasn't surrendered a goal in three league matches and moved one point ahead of Mallorca for the final Champions League spot with a victory over Osasuna last week. Miguel Angel Lotina did lose, however, Andres Guardado for up to eight weeks in that game.
Ladies-in-waiting: Valencia vs. Villarreal
Sunday, 3:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
Villarreal lost some momentum this past week with a draw against Almeria in the league and a Copa Del Rey elimination at the hands Celta Vigo. The Yellow Submarine will look to rediscover its form at the Mestalla where Valencia has dropped plenty of points this season, but Ernesto Valverde has issues at the back with central defenders Gonzalo Rodriguez and Javi Venta both unavailable.
Midfielder Sebastian Eguren could be pressed into action at an unfamiliar position to cover for them. Not good news when going up against David Villa and the emerging Nikola Zigic, who might be given another chance in an attempt by Unai Emery to foster a little a bit of chemistry between his two strikers. Valencia enters this round in third place and winners of two in a row.
The Impertinent Curiosity: Other Games
Osasuna vs. Espanyol
Malaga vs. Getafe
Racing vs. Valladolid
Real Zaragoza vs. Xerez
Almeria vs. Tenerife
Atletico Madrid vs. Sporting
“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.
For more on Spain click ahead to Goal.com's Spain homepage
If Barcelona goes on to win another league title many in Spain will point to Wednesday's Copa Del Rey elimination at the hands of Sevilla as a pivotal moment in the campaign. Dropping out of the competition does ease the calendar a bit for a team already showing signs of fatigue in recent weeks.
But something was lost on Wednesday, an aura of invincibility that has served the Blaugrana well this season. Pep Guardiola recognized the importance of protecting this mystique, which is why he put out his best possible lineup. Well, with one notable exception: any lineup that includes Thierry Henry instead of Pedro can no longer be considered Barcelona's strongest team.
Sevilla had plenty to gain as well, and Manolo Jimenez responded by picking the best players he could from a depleted roster. Jimenez relied heavily on the brilliance of Jesus Navas, who kept Barca honest with some incredible runs from his own half. But veteran goalkeeper Andres Palop made the biggest difference, coming up with a number of key stops down the stretch.
Palop kept everything out except for a perfectly placed shot by Xavi midway through the second half. The 1-0 defeat was all Sevilla needed to overcome the Catalan giants after last week's 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou, and to overcome Barcelona in a two-legged tie should breathe new life into a team that has struggled for weeks in the league, just in time for another clash with Barcelona on Saturday, this time in league play.
For Guardiola and Jimenez, the decision to go all out was fairly easy, but other managers around Spain faced a much tougher call, particularly those not blessed with very deep squads. The most fascinating encounter took place at the Riazor between Valencia and Deportivo, two teams also battling for a spot in the Champions League next season.
Needing to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg, Unai Emery opted to leave David Villa on the bench at the start of the match. It didn't matter early on against a Deportivo side missing several starters, as Los Che jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind a pair of goals from Nikola Zigic. But when the hosts came storming back to even the score in the second half, Emery was forced to react.
Villa came on with seven minutes remaining in search of a winning goal, but it was far too late and Valencia crashed out of the competition in stunning fashion. Next up for Miguel Angel Lotina's side will be a match-up against Sevilla that should determine the next Copa Del Rey winner, but don't count out Atletico Madrid after its rousing comeback against Recreativo.
Stuck in a proverbial no-man's land this season -- too far behind to challenge for a Champions League berth, but not in any serious danger of relegation -- Atletico has every reason to chase after a trophy its crosstown rivals haven't captured since 1993. Sergio Aguero is hungry to win something with the club before his inevitable departure this summer.
Real Madrid may have enjoyed the extra rest the past two weeks, but the return of the Copa Del Rey did dredge up memories of that unthinkable defeat to Alcorcon back in October, the lowest point of the season for Manuel Pellegrini. The third-division side put forth another valiant effort in this round, falling to Racing Santander despite soundly outplaying Los Verdiblancos over both legs.
The other bit of news somewhat overshadowed by all the midweek action was the firing of Xerez boss Jose Angel Ziganda. He becomes the fifth manager to lose his job this season, and will be replaced on an interim basis by Antonio Poyatos whose debut comes on Sunday against Real Zaragoza.
First Quest: Barcelona vs. Sevilla
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
For the first time since taking charge over a year ago, Pep Guardiola has to prepare for a match in the aftermath of being knocked out of a competition. He can field his strongest lineup with Zlatan Ibrahimovic back from suspension after missing last week's thrashing of Tenerife, and Victor Valdes set to return after making way for Jose Pinto in the Copa Del Rey clash.
The Swede is hoping to recover from a dismal outing on Wednesday, though he did find the back of the net in the first leg between these two sides. Sevilla comes to town with its spirits high, despite the grim news on the injury front. Diego Perotti is set to miss out on Saturday and Luis Fabiano will be sidelined for at least another couple of weeks.
Sevilla announced this week defender Sebastien Squillaci underwent surgery on his right ankle in a bid to return before the end of the month. With the all the absences, Manolo Jimenez needs big games once again from Navas and Palop, as well as Serbian midfielder Ivica Dragutinovic, who put forth an imperious performance on Wednesday.
Second Quest: Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Madrid
Saturday, 2:00 p.m. EST, Gol TV
It didn't take long for Real Madrid to make its move, as the Merengues are reportedly on the verge of sealing a deal for Racing sensation Sergio Canales. The 18-year-old would presumably spend next season on loan with his current club before heading to Madrid in 2011. Whether he will ever get to line up alongside Raul is very much up in the air.
The captain hasn't started a league match since October 24, and while the injury suffered by Gonzalo Higuain against Mallorca that will sideline the Argentine for three weeks could be Raul's opportunity, word is Manuel Pellegrini is leaning towards giving Karim Benzema a shot on Saturday. Lassana Diarra and Sergio Ramos both return from suspension, and Xabi Alonso should be available as well.
Athletic was fortunate to salvage a draw against Malaga last week, but Joaquin Caparros' side comes home where it can be very tough on the visiting big boys -- Barcelona was held to a draw in San Mames back in November. Caparros is considering utilizing influential midfielder Fran Yeste from the start, which could push Markel Susaeta into an advanced role in place of Gaizka Toquero.
Ladies-in-waiting: Mallorca vs. Deportivo
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
Mallorca staged a dramatic comeback of its own against Rayo Vallecano to advance in the Copa Del Rey. Striker Victor Casadesus was the hero with two goals, but he limped off late in the match and his status for Sunday is unknown. Center back Ivan Ramis made his first appearance since returning from injury and will likely partner captain Nunes against Deportivo.
Gregorio Manzano's side has collected full point at home this season, but Depor could represent the toughest test yet. The Galician club hasn't surrendered a goal in three league matches and moved one point ahead of Mallorca for the final Champions League spot with a victory over Osasuna last week. Miguel Angel Lotina did lose, however, Andres Guardado for up to eight weeks in that game.
Ladies-in-waiting: Valencia vs. Villarreal
Sunday, 3:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
Villarreal lost some momentum this past week with a draw against Almeria in the league and a Copa Del Rey elimination at the hands Celta Vigo. The Yellow Submarine will look to rediscover its form at the Mestalla where Valencia has dropped plenty of points this season, but Ernesto Valverde has issues at the back with central defenders Gonzalo Rodriguez and Javi Venta both unavailable.
Midfielder Sebastian Eguren could be pressed into action at an unfamiliar position to cover for them. Not good news when going up against David Villa and the emerging Nikola Zigic, who might be given another chance in an attempt by Unai Emery to foster a little a bit of chemistry between his two strikers. Valencia enters this round in third place and winners of two in a row.
The Impertinent Curiosity: Other Games
Osasuna vs. Espanyol
Malaga vs. Getafe
Racing vs. Valladolid
Real Zaragoza vs. Xerez
Almeria vs. Tenerife
Atletico Madrid vs. Sporting
“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.
For more on Spain click ahead to Goal.com's Spain homepage
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