La Liga Weekend Preview: Round 12

Sat Nov 22, 2008 (all times local)
20:00 R. Madrid - Recreativo
20:00 Villarreal - Valladolid
22:00 Sevilla - Valencia
Sun Nov 23
17:00 Mallorca - Malaga
17:00 Osasuna - Almeria
17:00 Numancia - At. Madrid
17:00 Racing - Espanyol
17:00 Sporting - Betis
19:00 Barcelona - Getafe
21:00 Deportivo - Athletic

As if things could get any worse for Real Madrid! Not only are they five points off the pace at the top, but now they have to meet Recreativo at home.

"But that's a good tie, surely," you may say. Well, sort of. While Madrid are hot favourites, they are also under absolutely immense pressure to win - and to win well.

If you think back to Christmas 2006, too, you'll remember the Huelva man putting three past the blancos at the Bernabeu. What odds Christmas coming early for the Andalucians again?

They'd be doing Villarreal a favour if they unwrapped their presents in the capital, for the Yellow Submarine are two points ahead of Madrid at present and could make that five with a win over Valladolid.

The Pucela may be this season's surprise package at home, but their road form is lamentable: five losses with just one goal scored displays amply just why they're lower half fodder at present.

And then there's the clash of Sevilla versus Valencia, the wheels having well and truly come off Unai Emery's miracle wagon. Two defeats to lower-half sides have left Los Che in something resembling the doldrums: if Juan Soler was still president Emery would probably have been sacked by now.

Meanwhile over at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan there's no sign of Manolo Jimenez going anywhere, Jose Maria 'The Mekon' Del Nido once again emerging from his presidential lair to tell the media that he, as always, knows what he's doing. The thing is, he's probably right.

Moving ahead to Sunday, Mallorca will continue down their wayward path as Malaga take a short jaunt over the sea to the Balearics.

The Barralets were subject to a takeover bid from an English consortium; this has, of course, failed miserably, so uncertain times await at San Moix.

Malaga, one of my tips for relegation, have been considerate enough to quit their period of good form: with no wins in five, and an Copa aggregate defeat to - well, that's convenient - Mallorca sitting on their shoulders, this will be a tough one for them.

Then Osasuna - still winless after all these years - welcome Almeria for the kind of clash that has TV executives thankful that it wasn't picked for the live slot.

That attitude is all-pervasive, but it's actually unfair: Almeria, the darlings of last season, are still playing decent football and are sitting in a respectable 8th place. Osasuna... well, as they've scored just three goals all season, you can draw your own conclusions.

Numancia and Atletico Madrid then square off for a match that is, on the face of it, a stick-on for a goal frenzy.

Atleti are the conceding-est side in the top six, along with Madrid, while the Soria outfit have shipped more than any side except Sporting.

Depending on which version of the rojiblanco team shows up, we'll see the bulk of the goals at one end or the other. Obviously.

Racing welcome Espanyol to the grim, grim city of Santander next - well, at least it's better than Montjuic - for a 'clash of the underachievers.'

The perequitos are just three points above the dropzone, while Racing's four game unbeaten run came to a merited end at Betis last week.

It's a game in which nerves may trump hearts, and fans of pure, flowing football may wish to look elsewhere.

Perhaps they'd want to go to Gijon, where Sporting entertain Betis.

As mentioned, the rojiblancos ship goals with untamed enthusiasm, and Betis have finally - finally - hit form.

Much of that is down to Achille Enama, the tenacious midfielder, but Sporting have some stars of their own to contend with.

In fact, Mate Bilic is showing signs of being this year's Joseba Llorente: the best forward of the bunch from a newly-promoted side.

Next up, struggling Getafe travel to Camp Nou for what should by rights be a total skelping.

It's not that the Azulones can't beat the big sides: Real Madrid have come a cropper at their hands as recently as last season, while Barcelona need not be reminded of a massively humiliating Copa loss here in 2007.

Yet they are far more comfortable at home, they are not playing well, their manager is under pressure... oh, and Barcelona are awesome.

The blaugrana are still toying with the Liga as a cat might with a one-legged mouse, and it's hard to see anything other than a massive home win.

Finally Deportivo meet Athletic for another clash of the underachievers.

Athletic gained a bit of breathing room last week with an unspeakably crucial victory over Osasuna, but the Riazor may be a tougher hunting ground for them.

Overall these two sides, though, have an extremely close Liga record. Depor have emerged as winners 28 times to the Lions' 26, with a further 22 draws.

Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com