Pro Eleven Headline News
Leader Barcelona faces Valencia
Spanish league leader Barcelona bids to continue its spectacular form and increase its advantage over a title rival when it hosts third-place Valencia on Saturday.
Riding on a 19-game unbeaten streak in all competitions during which it has scored a stunning 58 goals, Barcelona is now four points clear at the top and hopeful of its third championship in five years and its first silverware since 2006.
However, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, who was runner-up to Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo in this week's European player of the year awards, predicts his side will be tested by a Valencia side which has not lost away all season and lies just five points back.
"It will be a tough match," Messi said. "We need to stay calm and keep producing the play which we have done all season," said Messi.
The Argentina forward will have increased responsibility as his striking partner Samuel Eto'o is suspended for the match.
Eto'o, the league's top scorer with 14 goals, picked up a fifth yellow card of the season last Saturday during the 3-0 win at Sevilla and misses the chance to face his closest challenger in the scoring chart, Valencia's David Villa, who has netted 12 times this campaign.
The match at Camp Nou stadium will unite the league's two youngest coaches — Barcelona's Pep Guardiola and Valencia's Unai Emery — both of whom are in their first seasons in charge of big clubs.
After 13 games, Barcelona has 32 points, four more than its closest pursuer, Villarreal.
Villarreal will be wary of 12th-place Getafe, which followed up a 1-1 draw at Barcelona two weeks ago with an emphatic 3-1 win over Real Madrid last Saturday.
Saturday's match will be Villarreal's first in the league at its El Madrigal stadium since its humiliating 3-0 defeat against Valladolid on Nov. 22, the small-town side's first league loss since May.
"We'll be trying to avoid the mistakes we made against Valladolid. Getafe has shown its a great team and has very fast players who are dangerous on the counterattack," Villarreal's Spain defender Joan Capdevila told the club's Web site.
Lying six points adrift in fourth place, Madrid begins a vital period with a home game against fifth place Sevilla on Sunday. Coach Bernd Schuster's side then faces Barcelona, Valencia and Villarreal in its following three matches.
While the defending champion has won only twice in five league games, Schuster will not be sacked "barring a catastrophe," Madrid president Ramon Calderon said this week.
"I don't believe the coach is to blame. With these players he won the league and I have great faith in him," Calderon was quoted as saying by sports daily Marca on Tuesday.
Schuster's hopes of completing a second season in charge have been hampered by a host of injury problems.
Central defender Pepe and midfielder Mahamadou Diarra won't play until the New Year, while midfielder Wesley Sneijder, together with defenders Gabriel Heinze and Miguel Torres, is also sidelined on Sunday. Midfielder Ruben De La Red has not appeared since collapsing during Madrid's Copa del Rey game at Real Union on Oct. 30.
With Ruud van Nistelrooy sidelined for the rest of the season, Madrid signed the Dutchman's compatriot, Klaas Jan Huntelaar this week although the striker will not make his debut until January.
Madrid will be relieved to welcome back winger Arjen Robben, defender Fabio Cannavaro and forward Gonzalo Higuain from injury to face Sevilla.
The difficulties of the 31-time league champion worsened on Wednesday when Miguel Gonzalez resigned as the head of the club's youth development, alleging that Calderon had displayed a lack of interest in his work.
Sevilla, which has 24 points, has lost 18 and drawn one of its past 20 league visits to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The Andalusian side has been in inconsistent form with two wins from its past six league games although the team was boosted by a 3-0 win over Partizan Belgrade in the UEFA Cup on Wednesday. Luis Fabiano scored twice but will be suspended on Sunday.
Espanyol's new coach Mane Esnal will aim to end the run of four league defeats which cost his predecessor Bartolome Marquez his job after less than six months in charge last Sunday.
Esnal, Espanyol's 12th coach in 12 years, will lead the 17th-placed team at mid-table Real Betis on Sunday.
In Sunday's other games, it's: Sporting Gijon vs. Atletico Madrid; Mallorca vs. Recreativo; Osasuna vs. Valladolid; Deportivo La Coruna vs. Malaga; Numancia vs. Almeria; and Racing Santander vs. Athletic Bilbao. Herald Tribune
Lazio's Inzaghi: First Milan, Now Inter
Lazio attacker Simone Inzaghi is looking forward to this weekend’s Serie A clash against Inter and is confident that the team can obtain a good result.
The Biancocelesti are coming off a good performance and result against Milan in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, and they will be hoping to repeat this result against the Nerazzurri.
"It was a satisfying result," he admitted. "The Coppa Italia is a competition which at first is snubbed, but we want to win it and we saw this against Milan.
"To win we must give 100% and hope that they make mistakes. However, the win against Milan proved that nothing is impossible.
"We are preparing ourselves to be at our best and we are ready to reward our fans with another great satisfaction."
Inzaghi has been at Lazio since 2005, except for last season when he was on loan to Atalanta. Goal
Mascherano Wants Liverpool To 'Win Ugly'
Javier Mascherano today insisted that Liverpool must get back to winning ways after two consecutive draws have left their early season form faltering.
The Argentine midfielder sat out Monday night's draw with West Ham United at Anfield, but looks set to return to the Reds' starting line-up tomorrow at struggling Blackburn Rovers.
Liverpool still hold a one-point advantage over Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table, but recent performances have left a tangible air of disappointment and frustration at Anfield. Some Liverpool fans are beginning to worry that the Reds will not be able to sustain their title challenge and they will be left disappointed once again in their 19-year quest to bring the league title back to Merseyside.
And Mascherano has urged his team-mates to take a somewhat more 'basic' approach to the game, and ensure that they collect the three points every time they can.
“Sometimes it is important to win even though you haven’t played as well as you can because you have to show that you can find solutions when it is not easy," said the Argentinian, before stressing once again that it is winning itself that counts, not the style or manner of the victory.
The player is convinced that he and the rest of the Liverpool squad can adjust though, and continue to improve as they look to recapture their winning form.
"We have done this before and we know that we can do it again because the points are the most important thing. We are not worried though. We have to improve but we also know that we have the players to do that.
"The main thing in this league is just to win and keep on going. We are top of the table and we have been doing a good job but we can do better." -Goal
