Malaga hosts buoyant Barcelona in Spanish league.
Malaga hosts buoyant Barcelona in Spanish league. Malaga faces the daunting prospect of a visit on Saturday from a buoyant Barcelona, which will be seeking its seventh straight Spanish league victory and 11th in all competitions.
With Pep Guardiola at the helm, Barcelona has made its best start to a season under a new coach since the 1970-71 season when the Catalan team was under Vic Buckingham of England.
Barcelona has scored 35 goals this season, including 6-1 wins over Sporting Gijon and Atletico Madrid and 5-0 victories over FC Basel and Almeria.
Guardiola, who replaced the fired Frank Rijkaard in July, is trying to keep a lid on the euphoria enveloping him and his players.
“This is an unreal situation and what is important is for us to maintain the values we work at every day,” the 37-year-old former Barcelona midfielder said. “There are a lot of better coaches than me.”
Guardiola is benefiting from his decision to retain striker Samuel Eto’o after initially declaring the Cameroon international surplus to requirements.
Eto’o has scored nine goals to top the league scoring chart alongside Valencia’s David Villa, with three coming in the opening 23 minutes against Almeria last weekend for the fastest hat trick in Spanish league history.
Barcelona will be without left back Eric Abidal after the France defender limped out of training Thursday with a right knee injury.
However, Malaga will be quietly confident of springing a surprise after winning its past four matches, including last week when it ended Sevilla’s unbeaten record this season to rise to sixth place.
The promoted side’s recent form is all the more impressive as it gained just one point from its opening four matches.
After eight rounds, Barcelona is second with 19 points, above defending champions Real Madrid on goal difference and one point behind leader Valencia. Villarreal is fourth with 18, one more than Sevilla.
On Saturday, Valencia hosts Racing Santander and Villarreal visits Athletic Bilbao. On Sunday, Madrid travels to Almeria, with Sevilla playing at Valladolid.
Victory over 17th-place Santander will ensure that Valencia continues its best ever start to a season.
Valencia midfielder Ruben Baraja has dismissed suggestions that his undefeated team’s success is due to none of its rivals up to now regarded as top-notch sides.
“I think that our progress has been really good and no one can take that away from us. We’ll have the chance to play against the big teams and we’ll see then how the team shapes up,” Baraja said.
Madrid aims to extend its undefeated league streak to eight games when it meets ninth-place Almeria.
Defender Sergio Ramos is hopeful of regaining his place after apologizing for his recent criticism of Madrid coach Bernd Schuster’s tactics.
Schuster omitted the Spanish international from Sunday’s 3-2 win over Bilbao, but Madrid sports director Predrag Mijatovic said the affair was now concluded.
“He knows he made a mistake and everything is now sorted out. Sergio is a very important player and we have to try to avoid this happening again,” Mijatovic said.
The champions will welcome back Ruud van Nistelrooy from suspension. In his absence, the Dutchman has been replaced as the team’s top scorer this season by Gonzalo Higuain, who collected two goals against Bilbao.
Almeria striker Alvaro Negredo, who scored 13 league goals last season after leaving Madrid and another five this campaign, will miss the chance to face his former team due to suspension.
The division’s only other unbeaten team, Villarreal, will aim to bounce back against 19th-place Bilbao following Wednesday’s humiliating 5-0 Copa del Rey defeat against third-division Polideportivo El Ejido.
Villarreal owner Fernando Roig said he felt “ashamed” of his team, while coach Manuel Pellegrini will also be concerned that his has now conceded 12 goals in its past three matches.
Sevilla has also hit a rough patch, having followed up its loss against Malaga with a surprise 1-0 defeat against third-division Ponferradina in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Former Spain coach Jose Antonio Camacho will be anxious to avoid a fourth winless match following his appointment when last-place Osasuna plays at one of his former clubs, Espanyol.
Other games this weekend are: Atletico vs. Mallorca; Recreativo Huelva vs. Getafe; Gijon vs. Numancia; and Real Betis vs. Deportivo La Coruna.
