What: Spanish La Liga
Who: Valencia vs Real Madrid
When: Saturday 19th November, 2011, at 21:00 UK time
Where: Mestalla, Valencia, Spain
Litmus Test
As football in Spain prepares to enter crucial times, Valencia welcome leaders Real Madrid in what is the weekend’s most mouthwatering La Liga clash. With Los Che just four points away from the visitors, a win would surely shuffle the league deck and add flavour to a system that has been labelled a duopoly.
Valencia have been in good form recently, with their last defeat all the way back on 19th October against Bayer Leverkusen and a derby victory over Levante before the international break fresh in the side’s thoughts. However, the heavy 6-3 defeat Los Che suffered against Real Madrid at the Mestalla last April left a scar, one that striker Roberto Soldado admits he is eager to erase as he prepares to meet his boyhood club.
“Not all the players who were there last year are still here, but the result really hurt and we haven’t forgotten about that game yet”, said Valencia’s top goal-getter. “We have learned our lessons from the loss last term. We now know how to take them on though and we will do a lot better."
Nonetheless, the 2004 La Liga champions will have a hard night: Jose Mourinho’s team are greatly improving, receiving praise week-in and week-out for their wonderful play. Overconfidence could cost Valencia dearly.
Lead to Defend
Barcelona’s draw with Athletic Bilbao a fortnight ago, coupled with Real Madrid’s 7-1 demolition of Osasuna, meant that the capital club leapfrogged their Catalan rivals to sit top of the league standings. With just weeks before the much-anticipated Clasico between the two, every point won is priceless.
Los Blancos’ impressive win over Osasuna was the team’s strongest statement of intent under Mourinho so far this season. The Portuguese tactician has famously declared time and time again that his teams always perform better in his second campaign in charge. And former superstar Zinedine Zidane – now director of football under president Florentino Perez – believes Real Madrid have established themselves as a competitor to Barcelona – and are now even perhaps the stronger side.
“The gap between Madrid and Barcelona has been cut”, commented Zidane. “There is a big difference compared to last season. I think we are at the same level, if not better, than Barcelona."
Mourinho will be lifted by the news that both Kaka and Ricardo Carvalho have returned to training. The Brazilian has found form recently, while the former Chelsea man has been out for well over a month with a troublesome back injury, although his appearance against Valencia is far from guaranteed.
Recent form
Valencia:
Valencia 3-1 Getafe (29/10; La Liga)
Valencia 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen (01/11; Champions League)
Levante 0-2 Valencia (05/11; La Liga)
Real Madrid:
Real Sociedad 0-1 Real Madrid (29/10; La Liga)
Lyon 0-2 Real Madrid (02/11; Champions League)
Real Madrid 7-1 Osasuna (06/11; La Liga)
Key absences
Valencia: Ever Banega; Sergio Canales; Hedwiges Maduro; Ricardo Costa (doubt)
Real Madrid: Marcelo; Ricardo Carvalho (doubt); Angel di Maria; Esteban Granero (doubt); Kaka (doubt)
Players to watch
Valencia – Roberto Soldado: The former Getafe man has been scoring with ease since the beginning of the season, being at the heart of Valencia’s impressive charge. Whether Los Che can break the de-facto ruling elite in Spain is open to debate. To land a blow here however, Soldado must be at his immaculate best.
Real Madrid – Cristiano Ronaldo: Following some goal-shy weeks, Ronaldo returned with a brace against Lyon and Bosnia-Herzegovina (for Portugal) and a hat-trick against Osasuna. The forward is desperate to break his own goalscoring record of 40 league strikes, and has every chance of doing so.
Match Prediction
There is no doubt that Valencia will go in to this match with a lot of confidence, but given the way Real Madrid have been playing, it will be hard for the hosts to clinch the win, let alone a single point.
Jose Mourinho will want to keep the three-point gap separating the side from Barcelona intact, or even increase it. Valencia 1-3 Real Madrid.
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