Latest La Liga News

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KOME CONFIDENT FOR TENERIFE

Tenerife midfielder Daniel Kome insists they can beat high-flying Sevilla at the Heliodoro Rodrguez Lopez on Saturday.

The Canary Islands team have found life difficult this season on returning to the Primera Division and have already lost six times this term.

However, they lie three points clear of the relegation zone thanks largely to their impressive home form.

Tenerife take to the Heliodoro once more knowing that they face the toughest of tests against third-placed Sevilla, but Kome insists the result is not a foregone conclusion.

"We are playing at home, and with the support of our fans, we can secure the victory," he said.

"Equally we are not on the best run, but the good results will come."

Tenerife's previous game at the Heliodoro saw them let slip a two-goal advantage to draw 2-2 with rock-bottom Malaga.

Thataround their season and has urged his team-mates to go all out for a morale-boosting win.

He said: "It's true that picking up the three points against Sevilla will help us a lot morally.

"I don't know what the coach will decide. Here we all try to give the maximum possible."

Jose Luis Oltra has an almost full squad to choose from but Kome is rated as a doubt after suffering a knock while training with the Cameroon team.

Sevilla travel to the Canary Islands in buoyant fashion and will be expecting to bag an eighth league success of the season.

They are flying high in third place, four points behind leaders Barcelona and three adrift of second-placed Real Madrid.

Coach Manolo Jimenez is proud of what his team are doing and believes the rest of Spain is now beginning to sit up and take note.

"I concentrate on my team," he said. "That Omar is talking about his immense desire to beat Sevilla signifies something that has cost us a lot to achieve, and that is for them to respect us as a big team, as much as they respect Madrid and Barcelona.

"That motivates us. I am confident in my players,

because we have serious options of winning in Tenerife."

It is a severely depleted Sevilla squad that travels to Tenerife, however, with Jimenez's men decimated by injuries.

Captain Andres Palop has remained in Seville and will be replaced between the sticks by Javi Varas with youngster Dani Jimenez coming into the squad as cover.

Like Palop, Adriano and Drago, who are both carrying knocks too, have also been left behind as a matter of precaution and they have been replaced by Marc Valiente and Redondo.

Lautaro Acosta returned to action for Sevilla in a recent friendly but the midfielder's injury nightmare continues and Jimenez revealed he is likely to undergo surgery.

Julien Escude suffered an injury in France's World Cup play-off with Ireland on Wednesday and will be out for up to a month while Arouna Kone, Federico Fazio and Aldo Duscher are also sidelined.



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FLORES PLEASED WITH AGUERO


Sergio Aguero demonstrated his commitment to Atletico Madrid's cause by missing Argentina's match with Spain during the international break, according to Quique Sanchez Flores.

Aguero has been continually linked with a move away from the Rojiblancos, with Chelsea among those ready to table a £40million bid during the forthcoming January transfer window.

But with Atletico struggling domestically, Aguero was not required by Argentina during the international friendly, to the relief of Sanchez Flores.

"He's a highly committed player to his profession and his club," Sanchez Flores, who has recovered from swine flu, told the club's official website.

"It was tough for him to miss the Spain-Argentina match, and he did all that was possible not to force it.

"Kun (Aguero) did something that was very important, which was to take care of himself and get better to stand up for Atletico Madrid."

Atletico will be seeking to end their miserable run at Deportivo La Coruna, having accumulated seven points from 10 games this season, with just a solitary victory at home to Real Zaragoza on October 3.

Sanchez Flores was cleared by doctors to take charge of the final training session in the build-up to the Deportivo contest after recovering from swine flu.

Diego Forlan missed the session, but the striker, who played as Uruguay secured their World Cup finals place with a draw against Costa Rica in midweek, was named in the squad.

Simao, who helped Portugal prevail in their play-off with Bosnia, was also named, but Jose Antonio Reyes is doubtful with 'muscular problems', while Tomas Ujfalusi was not considered due to illness.

Captain Antonio Lopez believes performances in the 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao and in the 3-2 loss to city rivals Real Madrid before the international break prove Atletico are capable of arresting the slide.

"Right now, we've taken a first step by cleaning up our image a little bit thanks to the good games played against great teams," said Lopez.

"Now the important thing is to win matches and see if we can string together several consecutive victories."

Deportivo coach Miguel Angel Lotina expects Atletico's barren run to end soon and he is concerned his team could be on the receiving end.

"They're one of the grand teams and they're coming to La Coruna in need of points," he told his club's official website, www.deportivo-la-coruna.com.

"We have some players out and some doubts. When you're missing players, others who are working hard get their chance, and beyond the absences the important thing is to keep our personality. That's what concerns me."

Deportivo will be without Sergio (suspended), Juca (thigh), Angulo (knee) and Bodipo (groin), while there are doubts about Daniel Aranzubia (thigh) and Lassad Nouioui (hamstring).

Aranzubia has not trained since Tuesday after a collision with Antonio Tomas that affected a muscle on his right thigh.



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PORTUGAL LOOKS FOR REACTION


New Racing Santander coach Miguel Angel Portugal insists it is possible to get his second spell in charge off to the best possible start, with a good result at Real Madrid on Saturday.

Racing have won just once all season and sit above the relegation zone on goal difference alone after 10 rounds of the championship.

That miserable run saw the club axe coach Juan Carlos Mandia and reappoint Portugal who enjoyed a promising first spell at the club, before leaving in 2007 to work as technical secretary at Real Madrid.

Portugal returns to the Bernabeu and although he is aware of how difficult his task is, he remains confident his team are not certainties for a hefty defeat.

"I'm conscious of the fact that I'm returning to Racing because things haven't gone well," he said. "I'm very excited to be returning to a team where I was treated very well and that needs now to react.

"I think we can do that in the Bernabeu where we have a game in which we can move forwards with dignity.

"With the base that we have we can have a good season and take the team forwards.

"The squad is good, we are only lacking a bit of luck and I am convinced that by working hard it can give sufficiently more than what they have done up until now."

Edu Bedia and Ivan Bolado are injured, while Manuel Arana is also carrying a knock and has not been included in the squad.

Jose Angel Crespo, Oriol, Laszlo Sepsi and Toni Moral have all been left behind by Portugal.

Madrid will be looking to bounce back following a disappointing few weeks before the international break.

They were hugely criticised after crashing out of the Copa del Rey at the hands of Second Division B side Alcorcon.

Having gone down 4-0 in the first leg, Madrid could only win the second match 1-0 at home.

However, in the league they sit just a point behind Primera Liga leaders Barcelona - who they meet the following week - and the Spanish giants will be overwhelming favourites to see off Santander comfortably.

Madrid have won all five of their home matches this season and another victory would see them top the table at least temporarily, with Barca not playing until later that evening, but coach Manuel Pellegrini is not taking anything for granted.

"All Real Madrid's games are very important," he said. "We are playing in front of our fans and we want to put on a good spectacle.

"Let's hope tomorrow we can give our fans a display which can allow them to be pleased with the result and the team's performance.

"We all know the importance of the game against Barca, but we are a mature team. For us, now what is most important is tomorrow's game.

"Then we have a match against Zurich. Once we have passed these two obstacles we will think about the game against Barcelona."

Cristiano Ronaldo resumed training with his team-mates today but the Portugal international is still not fit enough to feature tomorrow.

Guti remains injured while Ruud van Nistelrooy and Lassana Diarra are also sidelined.

Sergio Ramos is suspended following his red card in the victory over Atletico Madrid but Raul Albiol returns to the team after serving his one-match ban.



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FLU-HIT DUO MISS BILBAO CLASH

Barcelona duo Eric Abidal and Yaya Toure have come down with swine flu and will play no part in their side's Primera Division clash at Athletic Bilbao.

The virus has hit clubs across Spain in recent weeks, but Barca had been unaffected until now.

Both Abidal and Toure were diagnosed with the virus on Friday and are expected to be out of action for several days as Barca look to avoid a spread of the infection.

Coach Pep Guardiola said: "What we have to do is try to make sure it spreads to the least amount of people possible.

"We have isolated them and I hope they get over it quickly - it was something that could happen and it has happened."

In the absence of France left-back Abidal, summer signing Maxwell will start in defence, while Guardiola has an array of midfield options to cover for the loss of Toure.

Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also out through injury and the Swede's absence could mean Thierry Henry starts in the centre forward role.

Henry played all 120 minutes of France's World Cup play-off against Ireland in Paris on Wednesday night, and remains at the centre of a media storm following his role in his country's controversial winner.

Henry clearly controlled the ball with his hand before squaring for William Gallas to score, and could be in for a hostile reception in Bilbao.

Basques have long been considered to have a strong bond with the Irish and the home fans could make their feelings known to the Frenchman tomorrow night.

Henry may, though, have do make do with a place on the bench as Guardiola is not keen on starting players when they return tired from international duty.

In that case, youngster Bojan Krkic will come in for a rare league start.

"He has a marvellous future ahead of him," Guardiola said.

Meanwhile, Gabi Milito is definitely out.

The Argentina defender made his long-awaited comeback from injury this week following a year-and-a-half on the sidelines when he appeared for Barca in a friendly played behind closed doors.

But the centre-back is still not deemed ready to return and will not travel to Bilbao.

Seydou Keita is back, though, after recovering from a minor injury, and may start in the absence of Toure.

Despite several notable absences, Guardiola says there will be no excuses for failure to win in Bilbao.

"We'll have 11 on the pitch and seven on the bench, and that's that. I don't want excuses or whining," he said.

With several players missing, Guardiola has called youngster Jonathan Dos Santos - younger brother of Spurs' Giovani - into the squad for tomorrow night's match.

Barca currently lead the Primera Division by a point from fierce rivals Real Madrid after 10 rounds of the championship and have yet to lose a match in the league this term.

Athletic, meanwhile, began the season in style, winning their first three matches to sit joint top alongside Barca and Real Madrid.

The Basques then dropped into the bottom half of the table after picking up just one point from the next five games, but have won their last two since then to move back up to eighth place.

Joaquin Caparros' side now sit just a point behind sixth-placed Mallorca after 10 matches.

And the coach insists he is looking for a win tomorrow.

He said: "We can't be happy with a draw - we have to aim as high as possible and go for a win.

"We will have to play with a strong tempo from the start and maintain that balance for the 90 minutes."

Caparros will wait until tomorrow lunchtime until deciding on the fitness of his doubtful players.

Of those, Gorka Iraizoz and Gaizka Toquero are expected to be fit, but Fernando Llorente may miss out and Iker Muniain is almost certain to be sidelined. Aitor Ocio is also missing.

Veteran forward Joseba Etxeberria will be keen to score against Barca, having netted against every other Primera Division outfit but never against the Catalans.



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ABIDAL AND YAYA TOURE HAVE SWINE FLU


Barcelona have confirmed midfielder Yaya Toure has also contracted swine flu along with defender Eric Abidal.

The club revealed on Friday morning that Abidal had been diagnosed with the virus and that Toure was undergoing tests after developing similar symptoms.

And they have now confirmed the Ivory Coast international does indeed have swine flu.

"Eric Abidal and Toure Yaya have viral-like symptoms with fever and general discomfort," read a statement on FCBarcelona.cat. "Relevant tests have been carried out on both players and these have confirmed that it is swine flu.

"This Friday at midday the club's medical services informed that Eric Abidal had swine flu and in the afternoon the tests carried out confirmed that Toure Yaya was also suffering from it.

"The medical services are working following the protocols established by the health department isolating the players, carrying out symptomatic treatment and giving appropriate hygienic measures."

It is further misfortune for Abidal who was struggling to recover from an injury picked up during Saturday's World Cup play-off between France and the Republic of Ireland.

The news comes as a big blow for Barcelona who have a tough week ahead with a Champions League clash with Inter Milan sandwiched between Primera Division matches against Athletic Bilbao and second-placed Real Madrid.

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TAMUDO BACK FOR ESPANYOL


Raul Tamudo could return to the Espanyol side for the Catalans' Primera Division clash at home to Getafe on Sunday, but Ivan De La Pena has picked up a fresh injury and will be out of action for around two weeks.

Tamudo has featured in just two league games for Espanyol this season and looked unlikely to appear ever again for the Barcelona-based outfit following an unseemly dispute with the club over his contract in recent weeks.

However, the veteran striker has made peace with his employers - at least for now - and returned to action in the Copa del Rey second leg match against Getafe before the international break.

Espanyol's all-time record appearance holder and goalscorer was unable to inspire a revival in that match, after the Catalans had lost the first leg 2-0, but looks set to have the chance to gain revenge when Mauricio Pochettino's men face the same opponents on Sunday, this time in the league.

And Tamudo, the only player to have represented Espanyol on the pitch in all three of the club's stadiums, will hope to score his first-ever goal at Cornella-El Prat.

However, he will not benefit from the creative qualities of his long-time provider De La Pena, who is out with a fresh problem and misses the match.

De La Pena has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons and the Espanyol captain will be out for around two weeks with a calf strain this time.

Meanwhile, Luis Garcia has been struggling with a stomach problem, although the Spain forward should be fit in time to face Getafe.

Ferran Corominas is definitely sidelined, though, as the striker continues to recover from a long-term injury.

Espanyol went on a seven-match unbeaten run in the league recently, but that came to an end with a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Sporting Gijon before the international break.

The Catalans were also rocked by their Copa del Rey exit to Getafe following a 2-0 defeat in Madrid and a sterile 1-1 draw at Cornella in the second leg, but defender Javi Chica believes things will be different tomorrow.

"That was a 180-minute tie and that changes everything," he said on Thursday.

"They came here with a very positive result from the first leg and that allowed them to play a certain way in our stadium, but the league is very different and I'm convinced we will see a very different encounter," he added.

Chica says Espanyol are keen to return to winning ways in the league as well after dominating at Sporting, but ultimately ending up with nothing.

"I think we can win and I'm convinced that we will - we are working really well and we should not be down just because of a couple of bad results," he added.

"We have to trust our playing philosophy which for the moment has given us good results," he said.

Espanyol currently lie in ninth place with 13 points, one more than Getafe.

Michel's side have been impressive at times this season, but erratic on other occasions.

The Madrid-based side have won four matches in the league, but have also lost six - including the past two - and dropped to 12th place after losing 2-0 at home to Deportivo La Coruna before the international break.

But following their recent success in the Copa del Rey against Espanyol, coach Michel admits he will employ the same gameplan tomorrow.

"Our gameplan will be identical to the one we used in the cup," he said yesterday.

"The idea was to treat it like a league match and that's how it worked out - we went for the match, got ahead and had control of the play; that's what we are going to try and do, independent of the competition we are playing in."

Mario Alvarez is available again after recovering from a bout of gastroenteritis, but Dani Parejo misses out after picking up an injury with Spain's under-21 side.

Fabio Celestini is also out.


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MALAGA DUO ON A HIGH

Malaga duo Duda and Edinho will hope to cap a memorable week by following up their World Cup play-off success with Portugal with a Primera Division victory over Real Zaragoza that could lift the Andalusian side off the foot of the standings.

Duda and Edinho were both part of the Portugal squad that recorded a 2-0 aggregate victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina this week to book their spot in next year's World Cup finals, but the two players know they must now forget about that and focus on club matters.

Malaga started the season with an impressive 3-0 victory over Atletico Madrid but since then they have picked up just two points from nine games, leaving them propping up the table.

Midfielder Duda, who played both matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina, said: "Now it's time to put the World Cup to one side and think about what's in front - Sunday's game and that's it.

"It's a very important match, we know that, it's at home and if we win it would be big boost for morale for the games that are to come.

"The team is in good spirits. It's always the same despite the results, we feel strong and with the desire to show that we don't deserve to be down there at the bottom.

"Now every match is a 'final', but with hard work I'm sure that we can win our games."

Striker Edinho, who played the last 17 minutes of Portugal's play-off second leg on Wednesday, added: "I'm tired and happy, we suffered but it was worth it. The objective of reaching the World Cup is completed, and now I want to help Malaga get out of this situation quickly.

"We need to stay confident in ourselves, be united, and we have the Portuguese national team as an example; we showed a lot of unity and spirit, and at Malaga we are going to do the same."

Youngster Edu Ramos is sidelined, but otherwise Malaga coach Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz should have a full-strength squad available for the match against promoted Zaragoza, who are currently 13th in the standings with 11 points.

Malaga have already tasted success against their northern rivals this season, having knocked Marcelino's side out of the Copa del Rey recently on the away goals rule.

Zaragoza will be hoping to avenge that exit this weekend, but they have picked up just one point from their five away games this season and have conceded 16 goals in the process - the worst record in the division.

With both sides not in the best of form - Zaragoza have lost five of their 10 fixtures so far - Marcelino admits he is not expecting a classic encounter at La Rosaleda this weekend.

"The game will be difficult, ugly, rough, physical and without many chances. Whoever is more clinical in the area will win," said Marcelino, who is set to be without Diogo, Braulio and Peter Luccin through injury, while Pablo Amo is doubtful. Javier Arizmendi is available again, though.



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XEREZ LOOKING UPWARDS


Xerez coach Jose Angel Ziganda has classed Sunday's clash against Sporting Gijon as a "very important" match for his side as they look to move out of the relegation zone.

Xerez, playing in the top flight for their first time in their history, have had a tough introduction to life in the Primera Division and after 10 rounds they have accrued just one win, three goals and six points.

That tally means they are second-bottom of the standings going into this weekend's fixtures, but a victory over Sporting would see them move out of the bottom three provided both Atletico Madrid and Racing Santander fail to win their games.

"We have to take points from this match. The team is training very well but the results haven't arrived. We are capable of winning. It would give us a lot of confidence to win this match, and it would move us in the right direction," said Ziganda.

November is being described as a crucial month for Xerez as they play three theoretically winnable matches against Real Valladolid, Sporting and Getafe, before then meeting Spanish powerhouses Barcelona and Atletico in their opening two games in December.

Ziganda, whose side started off the month with a goalless draw at Valladolid, insists he is taking things one game at a time though and not looking beyond the Sporting match.

"Is the month of November going to be key? I'm only thinking about this game against Sporting," he said.

"The priority is to win and then we will see how things are with regards to other results. For us it's a very important match. With two wins we could get away from the bottom, this is our real objective."

Ziganda knows it will not be easy, however, against a Sporting side who have enjoyed a fine start to the season.

Manuel Preciado's side are seventh in the standings after picking up 16 points so far, and they have taken 11 of those points in their last five games.

"They (Sporting) are a team who do not have any superstars but they do things well. They work hard on their youth system, and have spent a long time with the same coach," Ziganda said.

"He (Preciado) is a coach who has trained and fought in many places. He works well and calmly. He is getting great performances out of his squad.

"I'm only thinking about winning, I'm adamant about that. It's important that we pick up a good result."

Sporting's fine league form means they could move level with fifth-placed Deportivo La Coruna if results go their way this weekend.

However, the Asturian side suffered a setback in the Copa del Rey just before the international break when were knocked out of the fourth round by second division Recreativo Huelva following a penalty shoot-out.

Diego Castro misses out through injury against Xerez and is set to be replaced by Carmelo Gonzalez in what remains a strong Sporting line-up.



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SENNA BOOSTS VILLARREAL HOPES


Improving Villarreal look set to have talismanic midfielder Marcos Senna back to full fitness as they attempt to climb further away from the Primera Division relegation zone this weekend.

Senna's last appearance in the league came against Malaga on October 25, but the veteran midfielder featured in the Copa del Rey success against Puertollano just prior to the international break, and he used last weekend to further work on his fitness.

The Brazilian-born Euro 2008 winner feels he is now fully fit, but admits the real test will be if he manages to get through Saturday's match against Real Valladolid unscathed.

"This game means a lot for us. We will see after the game if I'm 100% because the demands are always a little more when you are in a competitive match. I hope that I can have a good game and, after that, continue with normality," he said.

Senna's expected return to league action is a further boost for Villarreal as they look to continue their recovery from a dismal start to the season.

The Yellow Submarine found themselves propping up the table after failing to win any of their opening seven games, and that form, combined with two defeats in three Europa League games, meant the pressure was firmly on coach Ernesto Valverde just a few months after replacing Manuel Pellegrini.

However, in their last six competitive games, Villarreal have picked up four victories to climb up to 16th in La Liga, revive their Europa League hopes and progress through to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.

During that run Villarreal have also netted 15 goals, ending a barren spell that had seen them net just twice in their previous six matches.

"It seems we've got rid of the feeling that we needed to create a lot of chances to score," said a relieved Valverde.

"This is good because our strikers have gained confidence and what we have to do now is continue creating opportunities.

"This is a game which is very important because if we win we will go into the other games before Christmas with much more belief. We've picked up good results, but we are still down at the bottom of the table and we must not be over-confident.

"Valladolid will be an uncomfortable opponent for us to face."

Valladolid lost four of their first seven matches this season in a very disappointing start to the campaign for Jose Luis Mendilibar's side.

The Castilians are unbeaten in the league since then, defeating Deportivo La Coruna 4-0 before recording back-to-back draws against Espanyol and Xerez.

Despite the team's recent improvement, though, Valladolid have only won twice in the league all season and are just three points clear of the drop zone ahead of the trip to El Madrigal.

Pedro Lopez and Fabian Canobbio are both doubtful, but Jacobo Sanz and Luis Prieto should recover from their respective problems in time. Sisi is back in training following six weeks on the sidelines, but is unlikely to return yet.




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MANZANO KEEPING FEET ON THE GROUND


Real Mallorca may be flying high near the top of the Primera Division standings following an excellent start to the season but coach Gregorio Manzano is not letting that distract him from the club's first big priority - avoiding the drop.

Mallorca have had a habit of starting seasons slowly in recent years, but this term the Balearic Islanders have got into their stride immediately and after 10 rounds they are sixth in the table with 17 points.

They are also one of only three teams, along with top two Barcelona and Real Madrid, to boast 100% home records in La Liga and, having also beaten Real Valladolid in the Copa del Rey, they could make it seven competitive wins out of seven at their Ono Estadi fortress against mid-table Almeria.

It is a great position for Mallorca to be in at this stage of the season and some fans may be dreaming of a possible European adventure next season.

However, Manzano's focus is not currently fixed on developments at the top of the table, but on what his side's good form could mean for their hopes of staving off relegation.

"Picking up three points against Almeria would put us halfway towards safety and that's a big thing," he said.

"As well as that, we would open up a gap of around 10 points with a groups of teams who are near the bottom of the table and this is also important."

He added: "There is no bigger motivation for this game than the fact that we could practically be halfway towards our principal objective before the start of the season, and to obtain 21 points from 11 games is something that could allow us to think about other things if we continue in this manner."

More good news for Manzano, whose side progressed through to the last 16 of the cup after knocking out Valladolid on the away goals rule, is that five-goal striker Aritz Aduriz is available again after missing four of Mallorca's last five matches.

"He is our top goalscorer and I hope that when he returns he continues doing as well as before he was injured," said Manzano.

Almeria beat Osasuna 2-0 before the international break to move up to 11th place and now hold a five-point gap to the relegation zone.

Hugo Sanchez's side have struggled on their travels though, taking just four points from a possible 15, and that combined with Mallorca's formidable home form means the Andalusians are definitely underdogs heading into the match.

Midfielder Hernan Bernadello believes his side can still get something out of the trip however, saying: "It will be hard, but if we play like we did against Atletico Madrid (2-2) or Malaga (2-1 win), we can get a positive result in Mallorca."

Chico was injured in the win over Osasuna, but has recovered during the international break and will be available, but Henok Goitom is still sidelined and Fabian Vargas is out with a long-term problem.





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EMERY WANTS AGRESSIVE VALENCIA Osasuna v Valencia


Valencia coach Unai Emery has urged his side to impose themselves on Osasuna in what looks like a tough fixture for his fourth-placed side.

Emery's men have lost just one of their 10 Primera Division games so far this season but the coach believes they will be tested to the full by the Navarrans, who have already beaten Atletico Madrid and drawn with Barcelona at home.

"The crowd are very close to the pitch, almost on top of you, and it takes personality to get something out of this environment," Emery told the club's official website.

"Osasuna are a team who play a direct game, with a lot of pressing. They are an uncomfortable team to play against.

"We know all this and we must exploit our strengths and impose ourselves on the field. Our tactics must be right too, they decide a lot of games."

Los Che have won four of their last five games, and the coach has been boosted by the news that his international contingent have all returned from national team duty uninjured.

"They have all arrived back safely and adapted quickly back to club football with Valencia," he said.

"It is important to see how these players are physically. Once we have analysed that, and looked at our opponents, we'll decide on our most competitive XI.

Young midfielder Michel has a virus and is resting at home, while Vicente and Nacho Gonzalez have taken part in individual training routines as they continue to work on their rehabilitation from injury.

Juanfran is back in the Osasuna fold after recovering from flu and is relishing a difficult game at the Reyno Navarra and has targeted a similar performance to those the side managed in wins over Atletico Madrid and Sporting Gijon and the draw against champions Barcelona.

He told his club's official website: "Valencia have a great team. (David) Silva, (David) Villa, Pablo and (Juan) Mata are players of the highest level, but we also have players who are dangerous, who can create chances and who can hurt the opposition.

"It's clear that we have to play like we did against Sporting, Barcelona and Atletico. We have to play at a really high level and go for it from the first minute.

"Despite the casualties, the team have trained well. Nothing is going to affect our performance on Sunday."

Juanfran's fellow midfielder Ruper is also recovered from an illness, while Hungarian midfielder Krisztian Vadocz has also spent time at home this week trying to get over a gastrointestinal problem.

Iranian duo Javad Nekounam and Masoud Shojaei are back in Pamplona after international duty.

French midfielder Ludovic Delporte and defender Nacho Monreal look set to miss out against Los Che.




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SEVILLA HOLD ON FOR VITAL VICTORY

Sevilla survived a late Tenerife fightback to hold on for a 2-1 win and consolidate third place in La Liga.

Manolo Jimenez's side took control just after the half hour when Diego Perotti struck the opener. Renato then doubled their lead three minutes after the break and the three points looked guaranteed.

But there were some nervous moments for the Andalusians late on after Nino pulled a goal back with 15 minutes still left on the clock.

In truth, Sevilla should have had the points wrapped up by then. They almost took the lead after two minutes when Abdoulay Konko sent a close-range header just wide of the target.

Ten minutes later Frederic Kanoute found himself one-on-one with Sergio Aragoneses, but the Mali forward shot weakly and straight at the Tenerife goalkeeper.

Sevilla looked dangerous every time they went forward.

Former Spurs midfielder Didier Zokora was working tirelessly in midfield and wingers Jesus Navas and Perotti were a constant threat.

And through those two the first goal arrived after 32 minutes when Navas - capped by Spain for the first time in the friendly win over Argentina last weekend - sent a perfectly-weighted cross to Perotti, who finished easily from close range.

Tenerife almost equalised just before the break but Pablo Sicilia headed just wide from Juanlu Hens' free-kick.

The home side appealed for a penalty three minutes after the interval but the referee waved play on after Marc Valiente was adjudged not to have been fouled by Navas.

And Sevilla went straight up the other end of the pitch and struck a killer blow with a second goal moments later.

Kanoute crossed for Luis Fabiano, who unselfishly laid the ball back for Renato and the Brazilian midfielder crashed an unstoppable drive past Aragoneses from the edge of the area.

It looked to be all over and probably should have been as Navas and Renato missed decent chances to make it three.

But Sevilla were made to work for the points after Nino pulled a goal back in brilliant style with 15 minutes left.

The Tenerife striker met Juanlu's cross with a superb volley which gave Sevilla goalkeeper Javi Varas absolutely no chance.

Tenerife piled men forward but Sevilla defended bravely and held on for a fully deserved three points.



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DEPOR SNATCH LATE WIN

Andres Guardado struck a dramatic last-minute penalty to give Deportivo La Coruna all three points in a lively clash with Atletico Madrid, condemning the visitors to a third straight defeat under new coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

Deportivo have enjoyed an excellent start to the season and came into the game in fifth place in La Liga.

But they looked to be in trouble early on as Sergio Aguero struck after just three minutes to give Atletico a much-needed boost.

Miguel Angel Lotina's side came back into it when Diego Colotto equalised after 20 minutes and, just when the game appeared to be heading towards a stalemate, Pablo brought down Alberto Lopo and Guardado kept his cool after Atletico's fierce protests - which saw Cleber Santana sent off and Sanchez Flores race onto the pitch - to coolly fire the winner.

After taking over from the deposed Abel Resino, Sanchez Flores said he hoped Atletico would be in the top seven by Christmas.

But the former Valencia coach lost his first two matches in charge and Atletico remained in the relegation zone before this game.

Sanchez Flores was laid low by swine flu this week but recovered in time to take his place in the dug-out.

He left Diego Forlan on the bench after the Uruguay forward played in both World Cup play-offs for his national side against Costa Rica this week.

He was replaced in attack by Florent Sinama-Pongolle but it was his strike partner Aguero who set the visitors on their way with a fine strike after three minutes.

The Argentina forward robbed Lopo on the edge of the box and lashed a brilliant drive past Daniel Aranzubia to give Atletico the perfect start.

But that was to be the best moment of the evening for the visitors.

Depor equalised after 20 minutes when Colotto crashed a header past Sergio Asenjo from close-range following a corner.

The home side then looked to have won a penalty three minutes after the break, but the linesman had raised his flag for offside and Atletico breathed a sigh of relief.

But the Galicians were well on top now and bombarded Asenjo's goal throughout the second half.

Juan Rodriguez twice came close while Asenjo did well to save from Lassad Nouioui and Guardado almost grabbed the winner with two minutes left.

The Mexico winger was frustrated that time, but his chance would come soon afterwards as Deportivo were awarded a penalty in the last minute.

Cleber Santana protested and made a hole in the penalty spot, which earned him a booking, and the Brazilian was sent off shortly afterwards as he continued to dispute the referee's decision.

Sanchez Flores came onto the pitch and Aguero was furious with the fourth official as chaos reigned.

But it was to no avail as Guardado kept his cool to fire home the penalty.



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MADRID MASTER RACING

Real Madrid continued their fine start to the Primera Division season with a steady if unspectacular home win over Racing Santander.

Gonzalo Higuain scored the only goal of the game in the 22nd minute as Madrid made it 28 points from a possible 33 from their 11 games so far.

It was not the most convincing of performances by Madrid, but the three points will be what concerns coach Manuel Pellegrini most ahead of an important week that sees them play FC Zurich in the Champions League and then travel to the Nou Camp to face Barca next weekend.

Cristiano Ronaldo may be back for those two games, but he was missing again tonight as Madrid failed to build on a good start that could have seen them leading 4-0 inside the opening half-hour.

Xabi Alonso's low drive hit the far post before Kaka saw a curling effort that was destined for the top corner superbly tipped over by Tono.

Alvaro Arbeloa was also denied by the woodwork when his attempted cross cleared Tono but rebounded back off the crossbar, and from the loose ball Royston Drenthe stung the palms of the Racing custodian.

That was in the 21st minute but Madrid only had to wait 60 seconds more to take the lead.

Tono could only push Kaka's low cross out as far as Ezequiel Garay, whose header back into the six-yard box was volleyed into the roof of the net by Higuain.

That looked set to be the goal that would open the floodgates, especially considering the 10-minute purple patch that had preceded it, but far from hammering home their superiority, Madrid seemed to take their foot off the gas.

And they might have paid for that if Racing had made the most of two half-chances just before the break, with Pedro Munitis and Luis Garcia both blazing high over the crossbar from decent positions.

Madrid still held their narrow lead going into the interval though, and they thought they had made their second breakthrough 10 minutes into the second half.

A good move involving Alonso, Marcelo and Kaka resulted in Karim Benzema turning home Esteban Granero's low cross via the crossbar.

But while Benzema and some of his team-mates celebrated in front of the fans, nobody seemed to have noticed the lineman's flag had gone up.

Television replays suggested it was a marginal decision, but the strike was ruled out and Madrid's search for that important second goal continued.

Kaka came close but his header was saved by Tono, who then produced a brilliant stop to deny Higuain in the 70th minute.

It was actually a heavy pass from Tono that had given Madrid the opportunity, with Drenthe getting to the ball in front of Henrique before passing inside to Higuain, but the Racing custodian redeemed himself with a superb one-handed block.

While they only held a one-goal lead, Madrid could never be comfortable and they had a brief scare with 15 minutes to go when Racing teenager Sergio Canales fired past Iker Casillas, but that effort was also ruled out for offside.

It proved Racing - under new coach Miguel Angel Portugal, the former Madrid technical secretary - still posed a threat, but that effort was as close as the Cantabrians would come to an equaliser as the hosts held on for the spoils.



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BARCA HELD IN BILBAO

Barcelona will head into El Clasico next weekend in second place in the Primera Division after being held to a draw at Athletic Bilbao.

Pep Guardiola's side kicked off the clash at San Mames having relinquished top spot to Real Madrid, who beat Racing Santander 1-0.

The Spanish and European champions looked on course to reclaim their place at the summit when Dani Alves opened the scoring in the 54th minute, but substitute Gaizka Toquero levelled matters nine minutes later and Athletic held on for a point.

Barca were without the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic and swine flu victims Yaya Toure and Eric Abidal. Rafael Marquez was also missing and has undergone tests to determine whether he too has the virus.

Despite those absentees, Guardiola opted to rest club captain Carles Puyol and Thierry Henry, who has had three days in the spotlight after his blatant handball secured France's path to the World Cup finals at the expense of the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday night.

Athletic were boosted by the presence of Spain striker Fernando Llorente, who had been a major doubt with a hip problem.

Lionel Messi brought the first save of the match from Gorka Iraizoz in the fifth minute, the Athletic stopper getting down well to his left to make a routine save from the forward's 20-yard left-footed strike.

Dimitro Chygrynskiy produced a brilliant ball in the 13th minute to the right for Pedro, who cut inside full-back Lertxundi Koikili but could not get his shot away.

Messi passed up an excellent chance in the 16th minute after being put through by a neat pass from Xavi. His superb first touch set up the opportunity but Iraizoz came out well to keep out his attempt to slot in the opener.

The diminutive Argentinian then turned provider, crossing for Seydou Keita, whose downward header struck the outside of the foot of the post on its way wide.

Messi required treatment on a nick under his eye after 20 minutes following a high challenge from Fernando Amorebieta - which went unpunished - but he was not about to let that diminish the influence he was having on the pattern of the game.

He capitalised on some slack Athletic defending just before the half-hour, making up an unlikely amount of ground and battling his way to the touchline when he could easily have gone down under a coupe of challenges. His sublime cross with the outside of his left boot found Xavi at the far post but he was unable to convert.

But the best chance of the first half fell in stoppage time to the hosts. Fran Yeste produced a perfect cross from the right for an unmarked Javi Martinez, but he could only direct his far-post header back across Victor Valdes' goal and wide.

That miss proved costly for the hosts when, nine minutes after the restart, the deadlock was broken by Dani Alves. Xavi squeezed an angled pass through to the Brazilian, who produced a calm right-footed finish across Iraizoz

and into the bottom-right corner.

However, Barca were ahead for less than 10 minutes before Athletic restored parity. Llorente beat Chygrynskiy in the air and flicked on for Toquero, who had been on the field for less than seven minutes as a replacement for Pablo Orbaiz but despatched a clinical right-footed shot into Valdes' top-right corner.

Gerard Pique headed over from Xavi's cross 12 minutes from time as Barca pushed for the winner.

The visitors again went close when a deflected effort from Xavi on 83 minutes flew just wide.

The Spain midfielder then made way for Henry, who was given a frosty reception following the controversial events of midweek.

But the France forward failed to inspire a winner, leaving Barcelona a point behind Madrid heading into next Sunday's meeting with their arch rivals at the Nou Camp.




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HIGUAIN NOTCHES REAL WINNER Spain


Real Madrid continued their fine start to the Primera Division season with a steady if unspectacular 1-0 home win over Racing Santander on Saturday night.

Gonzalo Higuain scored the only goal of the game in the 22nd minute as Madrid made it 28 points from a possible 33 from their 11 games so far as they stayed top of the pile by a point.

Barcelona will head into El Clasico next weekend in second after being held to a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao.

Pep Guardiola's side kicked off the clash at San Mames having relinquished top spot to Real Madrid.

The Spanish and European champions looked on course to reclaim their place at the summit when Dani Alves opened the scoring in the 54th minute, but substitute Gaizka Toquero levelled matters nine minutes later and Athletic held on for a point.

Sevilla survived a late Tenerife fightback to hold on for a 2-1 win and consolidate third place in the table.

Manolo Jimenez's side took control just after the half hour when Diego Perotti struck the opener. Renato then doubled their lead three minutes after the break and the three points looked guaranteed.

But there were some nervous moments for the Andalusians late on after Nino pulled a goal back with 15 minutes still left on the clock.

Andres Guardado struck a dramatic last-minute penalty to give Deportivo La Coruna all three points in a lively 2-1 success over Atletico Madrid, condemning the visitors to a third straight defeat under new coach Quique Sanchez Flores.





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MESSI MAKES FABREGAS PLEA

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has urged Cesc Fabregas to come to Camp Nou and become the "greatest midfielder in the world".

"Everybody at Barcelona knows about Cesc Fabregas," Messi said in The People.

"He is one of the greatest midfield players in the world and the sort of player who would suit the Barcelona style of football.

"If he chooses to leave Arsenal I am sure it would be for Barcelona.

"And, if there is any doubt, I would like to say to him this is the best football club in the world - and if he came here I am sure he would become the greatest midfield player in the world within three years.

"If he came now he could learn off players like Andres (Iniesta) and Xavi, who are the best central midfield pairing in the world."

Fabregas, meanwhile, has hailed the methods of Arsene Wenger.

"He speaks to each player after team meetings and tells us what he expects of us at every level," Fabregas told the News of the World.

"He's always told me I need to be better at defending. I know I've got a lot to learn and a lot to give to the team in that area.

"I know it's a point I should be stronger in if I have the ambition to be a complete midfielder. And I have to keep working on my passing, improving with every day.

"He'll never be 100 per cent happy. And if he sees that you've reached a certain level, he'll come and see you about it and show you a video to tell you where you can do better."

Arsenal have made a fine start to their Premier League campaign, although Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Sunderland left them eight points adrift of leaders Chelsea.

Fabregas is confident the Gunners can challenge for top spot but admits it will be difficult in an increasingly competitive division.

He said: "The Premier League is a competition I really want to win. It's very special and a dream I want to fulfil.

"To be champions of England would be one of the best moments in my life, for sure.

"It's difficult to say who'll win it right now. Of course there are teams like Manchester City and Tottenham, for whom things are going well. It will be difficult.

"Chelsea seem to be very strong. Manchester United too, as always. They don't have Ronaldo or Tevez but they're always a great team fighting for titles. It won't be easy at all."


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GETAFE DOUBLE UP

Getafe struck two late goals to beat Espanyol in the Primera Division this 2-0 and get the better of the Catalans once again after recently knocking the Barcelona-based outfit out of the Copa del Rey.

Espanyol were keen to gain revenge following that cup exit and had most of the play in this match, but the Catalans were unable to avenge that disappointment with goals and Getafe took all three points thanks to strikes from Francisco Javier Casquero and Pedro Rios in the last 12 minutes.

Getafe beat Espanyol 2-0 at home in the first leg of the teams' cup tie and secured passage to the next round of that competition with a professional 1-1 draw at Cornella.

Coach Michel said he would employ exactly the same gameplan in this match to stifle Mauricio Pochettino's side.

But the locals, with Raul Tamudo restored for only his third league start following a bitter contract row with the club, looked dangerous early on and almost went ahead after 10 minutes, when Ivan Alonso headed against the post following a corner.

Jose Callejon and Tamudo missed good chances with tame efforts later on in the half as Espanyol looked to turn their superiority into goals.

But Getafe were defending well and had their moments in attack, too.

Adrian Gonzalez came close after half an hour, but was frustrated as Javi Chica got in a crucial block.

The two teams went in on level terms at the break and that was probably about fair, although Espanyol will have felt they should have done more with their possession.

And if the first half was poor, the second period was a dull and insipid affair.

Neither side looked likely to score at all as the game wore on and a draw seemed the most probable outcome.

Espanyol looked slightly more dangerous and created a couple of half chances with 10 minutes left.

First, Ivan Alonso drilled a low shot wide of the target, and then substitute Ben Sahar blasted a fierce effort just over the bear.

That woke the crowd up, but they will not have liked what came next as Getafe took the lead after 78 minutes.

Espanyol keeper Carlos Kameni could only spill Roberto Soldado's shot and Casquero - praised by Michel this week for his fine performances of late - was on hand to slot home the rebound from close range.

Espanyol, having seen their unbeaten seven-match run ended with a loss at Sporting Gijon before the international break, were now staring another defeat in the face.

The Catalans tried to come back, but Getafe were well on top now and Manu Del Moral should have made it two when he fired wide with only Kameni to beat.

But Getafe duly wrapped up the points in added time, when Pedro Rios headed home Manu's cross to kill off Espanyol and seal a fine win for the Madrid-based outfit.

The win sees Getafe move above Espanyol (ninth) into 10th place after 11 rounds of matches.



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WE SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE

Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini felt the narrow scoreline in his side's 1-0 win over Racing Santander was not a true reflection of the dominance they enjoyed in the match.

Madrid were made to sweat until the final whistle as they failed to build on Gonzalo Higuain's 22nd-minute goal, but in the end the big-spending Spanish giants secured a victory which lifted them to the top of the Primera Division standings.

It was not a spectacular performance from Madrid but they created enough opportunities to have had a much more comfortable night, with Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa hitting the woodwork early on and Racing goalkeeper Tono performing heroics to deny Kaka and Higuain among other opportunities for the hosts.

Pellegrini said: "We had the chances to have got a better result, but we didn't convert them.

"We had a fairly decent game despite the fact that Racing got a lot of men behind the ball.

"The team started off playing very well. Despite what the scoreline says, it was not a tight game.

"There have been days when we've played worse and we've scored more goals. We've played neither well or badly."

The victory continues Madrid's hugely impressive start to their league campaign, which is already one of the best in their history.

With 11 games gone they have now accumulated 28 points, scored 27 goals and conceded just eight.

They are also back on top of the standings after erstwhile leaders Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao last night.

Goal hero Higuain said: "The team played well. Little by little we are finding the right path and the victory was important.

"We had a lot of chances and we are going away happy.

"Our goal is to get the most out of all the games until Christmas, win them all and go into the week off as high as possible."




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FIERY STALEMATE AT MALAGA

Malaga continue to prop up the Primera Division standings after playing out a fiery draw with fellow strugglers Real Zaragoza in a match which saw both teams finish with 10 men.

Zaragoza took the lead just after half-time when substitute Ewerthon slotted home from the penalty spot but Malaga salvaged a point thanks to debutant Ivan Gonzalez's towering header in the 74th minute.

In between those two goals, both teams lost a player to early baths, with Zaragoza defender Javier Paredes picking up his second yellow card in the 59th minute and Malaga centre-back Weligton following him two minutes later after being shown a straight red.

On top of those dismissals, there were also nine other yellow cards in a match that threatened to boil over towards the end.

Although they managed to avoid an eighth defeat in 11 matches this season, the result was not enough to lift Malaga off the foot of the table and they remain a point adrift.

For promoted Zaragoza - who almost stole the win after hitting the post during seven minutes of injury-time at the end - the draw sees them move five points clear of the bottom three and marginally improves a dismal away record that had seen them lose four of their previous five games on the road, whilst only drawing the other.

After a goalless first half of few chances, visitors Zaragoza took the lead in the 49th minute through Ewerthon, who had entered the action in the 11th minute due to an injury to Javier Arizmendi.

Ewerthon got the chance to score his second goal of the season after Angel Lafita went crashing in the area under a challenge from Malaga goalkeeper Gustavo Munua.

The Malaga players looked far from impressed with the decision, presumably believing Lafita had gone down far too easily, but Ewerthon was not about to waste the opportunity, putting just enough power on his penalty to beat the outstretched hand of Munua.

Malaga received a boost soon after that, though, when visiting defender Paredes picked up two bookings in the space of eight minutes to leave his team a man down.

However, the home side enjoyed their numerical advantage for just two minutes before they too were reduced to 10 men when Weligton saw red for violent conduct.

Fortunately for the home side, they were still able to claim a point despite that setback thanks to Ivan, who was called up from the youth team for this match.

Albert Luque sent over an outswinging corner from the left which Zaragoza goalkeeper Javier Lopez Vallejo started to come for and then stopped, and Ivan took advantage by climbing above his marker and powering his header into an unguarded net.

The closing stages of the match provided plenty of incident, with chances at both ends and an extended fracas that resulted in those extra seven minutes at the end of the game.

And Zaragoza almost made the most of that added time as Lafita's stabbed shot struck the post before the sliding Gabi fired the final chance over the bar when unmarked at the far post.




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