Barca and Atletico on verge of making Spanish history
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid both have the chance to make history in the eighth round of matches in the Spanish Primera Liga football this coming weekend.
|Last Updated: Oct 03, 2013, 07:46 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Madrid: Barcelona and Atletico Madrid both have the chance to make history in the eighth round of matches in the Spanish Primera Liga football this coming weekend.
Both sides go into their matches with seven wins from their first seven league games and the chance to make it eight wins from eight, something no side has ever done in the history of the Spanish league. Both will be optimistic they can set a new record start to the campaign.
Fate has dictated that Barca can be the first side to set this new record given that Tata Martino`s side play their home game against Valladolid Saturday night, while Atletico`s match at home to Celta is at mid-day Sunday.
Barca will be without Leo Messi, who is sidelined with a muscle problem and coach Tata Martino will make some changes to the side which battled to a 1-0 win away to Glasgow Celtic in the Champions League Tuesday and there is a chance that Carles Puyol could be among the substitutes after returning to full training.
Atletico Madrid have enjoyed an incredible week after beating local rivals Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and then following that up with a vital Champions League win in Porto.
Diego Costa was suspended in midweek and the club`s top scorer will be raring to go against a Celta side which has lost its way in recent weeks following a bright start to the season.
The mid-day kick off should assure a packed house and a celebratory atmosphere in the Calderon, but one things for sure is that Atletico coach Diego Pablo Simeone will not allow his players to let up their efforts for an instant.
Real Madrid took the pressure off following last weekend`s defeat with a 4-0 midweek win against a weak Copenhagen side, but will face a much tougher task away to battling Levante on Saturday.
Levante have only lost one game all season, and although that was a 7-0 thrashing in the Camp Nou, coach Joaquin Caparros has installed the Valencia based team with the same spirit all of his sides have.
Madrid are without the injured Gareth Bale, but Isco will return in midfield, while Angel de Maria has been in good form of late.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.