It has been a stuttering start to the New Year from all-conquering Barcelona and the treble winners hope for their first win of the year today at promoted Tenerife.
Barcelona were let off the hook last weekend when their 1-1 home draw against Villarreal went unpunished — as Real Madrid drew 0-0 at Osasuna — so they still hold a two-point lead over their rivals, but confidence was dented further by Tuesday’s 2-1 Kings Cup first-leg defeat to Sevilla at the Camp Nou.
“We have had an unlucky start to 2010, failing to win either match, but there is no need to panic,” midfielder Sergi Busquets said. “The results will start coming very soon and we’ll be playing for all the titles at stake.”
PHOTO: AFP
Barca must do without top-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic through suspension, but Argentine Lionel Messi will be back.
The club are also boosted by the return of Argentine centerback Gaby Milito, who played his first competitive match since April 2008 against Sevilla after cruciate knee ligament injuries.
Tenerife have a decent home record, losing just two of their eight matches and are the only promoted side not in the bottom three, although they are only two points above the drop zone.
Real had a midweek rest having already exited the Kings Cup and after a scoreless draw at Osasuna the league’s top-scorers hope to get back on the goal trail with a home victory over high-flying Real Mallorca today.
Real boss Manuel Pellegrini must do without the suspended duo of Lass Diarra and Sergio Ramos for the Mallorca visit, but Brazilian Kaka may return as he recovers from a groin injury.
Mallorca have won eight out of eight at home to move fourth in the table, but are poor travelers, with just one win on the road, although coach Gregorio Manzano pointed to the fact that the islanders won 3-1 at the Bernabeu last season.
“I can see us winning at the Bernabeu just like we did last year and other times before,” Manzano said.
If Mallorca can get a point or pull off another big win in Madrid it would leave them as the team with the only perfect home record in the league.
Valencia, six points behind second-placed Real Madrid, have are at bottom side Xerez today.
Xerez are eight points from safety and overworked goalkeeper Renan Brito, on loan from Valencia, hopes to get one over on his old side.
“It is going to be strange for me because it is the first time I have faced my old teammates,” Brito said.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
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