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Spanish preview Zaragoza, Barca seek to exploit Deportivo's losing streak
Posted: Thursday January 20, 2000 11:58 AM
MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Deportivo La Coruna will be looking to break a bad luck streak this weekend that has dogged the team since last month and now threatens to topple it from first place. Going into this 21st round, Deportivo has only managed one draw and four losses since Dec. 19, and seeks a big, encouraging victory Saturday against No. 13 Betis to hush predictions that Zaragoza and Barcelona will overtake the Galician side. Deportivo has a 11-4-5 record with 37 points, two points ahead of Zaragoza and three in front of the Barcelona powerhouse. The side is coming off a 1-0 loss against second-division Osasuna in the Spanish King's Cup on Wednesday and a defeat against Alaves last weekend in the league. Coach Javier Irureta says the pressure is not getting to his team. "If you are first, the pressure is positive. It's no excuse. In the next game in the Riazor [Deportivo] stadium we'll have to fight to the death," Irureta said. Meanwhile, No. 2 Zaragoza couldn't have an easier game than Sunday's match against penultimate team Oviedo. For Zaragoza, this season has been a vast improvement over the 1998-99 campaign when they finished ninth. Meanwhile, defending league champion Barcelona welcomes 16th-placed Racing de Santander led by Salvador Ballesta, the league's top scorer with 18 goals. Barcelona will play amid rumors of Rivaldo's departure after President Luis Nunez said Wednesday the Brazilian should leave the Catalan team if he's not happy and has placed the price tag around US$70 million. Rivaldo feuded with Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal when he refused to play on the left wing days after he was named the European soccer player of the year and was left out of the lineup for two rounds. The Brazilian has not confirmed rumors he's received offers from other clubs. Lazio and Parma are reportedly courting Rivaldo, although he has said that he would not leave the club until his contract expires. On Sunday, Atletico de Madrid welcomes 18th-place Real Sociedad. After Atletico's mid-week victory in the King's Cup against second-division club Real Union, it's a clear favorite this weekend. Meanwhile, Real Madrid is hoping to build on its latest 2-1 victory in the league after the team came back from playing in the World Club Championship in Brazil where it finished a disappointing fourth. Although Madrid, 11th place with 30 points, appears to be playing better than a month ago, catching Deportivo won't be easy. How well Madrid performs Sunday against 10th-place Numancia could tell a lot about the team's fortunes. No. 5 Rayo Vallecano, whose surprise season shows few signs of ending, travels Sunday to the tourist outpost of the Balearic Islands to take on Mallorca. In others games Sunday, Athletic de Bilbao hosts Valladolid, Celta travels to Sevilla, Valencia welcomes Espnayol and Alaves goes to Malaga.
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