Thaindian News

By Duncan Shaw
Madrid, Sep 21 (DPA) Real Madrid and Barcelona face difficult away matches in the Spanish Liga Tuesday and Wednesday.

The twin giants have both won all three of their opening games - the same as revelation team Athletic Bilbao - but will now have to work harder to keep intact their 100-per-cent records.

The midweek matches kick off on Tuesday with sixth-placed Sevilla at home to Mallorca, who are joint fourth with Valencia.

Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez will have to decide which of Alvaro Negredo and Frederic Kanoute to drop - both of whom scored against Osasuna on Saturday - in order to make room for the in-form Luis Fabiano.

“That is the kind of problem that any coach would enjoy,” said Jimenez Sunday.

Later Tuesday Barca face a Racing side who are ninth. As usual, coach Josep Guardiola has arranged for Lionel Messi and company to fly out on the very morning of the match, in order to give his players more time to rest at home with their families.

Guardiola is likely to give Thierry Henry a rest, putting little Andres Iniesta in his place down the left wing.

Iniesta has not started a game for four months, since tearing a thigh muscle.

The big game Wednesday sees Real away to Villarreal, where they have lost twice in the last three seasons.

Real are top of the table on goal difference, as a result of Sunday’s 5-0 slaughter of bottom team Xerez, in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored two more goals.

Ronaldo is joint top of the scorers’ chart with David Villa of Valencia, both on four goals.

Real’s Ruud Van Nistelrooy is likely to be out of action for a couple of weeks. The Dutch veteran, who was out for 10 months after a knee ligament operation, came off the bench and scored the fifth goal against Xerez - but pulled a muscle in his left calf in the process.

Real will again be without suspended defender Pepe.

Villarreal have just two points, their worst start to a season since 1998. However, midfielder Santi Cazorla said on Sunday that “I am sure that we will give Madrid a really hard game.”

Also Wednesday, high-flying Bilbao will be away to Tenerife, whilst Valencia face Getafe and troubled Atletico Madrid are at home to Almeria.

Atletico have just one point to their name. Failure to convincingly beat Almeria will bring the wrath of the Estadio Calderon don on embattled coach Abel Resino.