Madrid, Oct 28: Real Madrid will go back to the top of the Spanish first division, at least for 24 hours, if they can win at Real Zaragoza today.
However, the big question is, will the reigning Spanish champions take a risk on David Beckham?
A strained right hamstring meant the England captain missed Real's scrappy 3-1 win over Racing Santander on Saturday, when they only salvaged three points thanks to two goals in the last 12 minutes from Raul Gonzalez.
"I feel fit enough to travel, I'm not getting any pain," Beckham said on Sunday, although a final decision was to be made later.
If Beckham is deemed unfit, at least to start, then his replacement will be either Esteban Cambiasso or Jose Maria 'Guti' Gutierrez.



Beckham has become a talismanic figure for second-placed Real in the short space of time he has been in the Spanish capital but Zaragoza's La Romareda stadium has long been a happy hunting ground for them.



Real have won on 22 of their 50 league visits and also hold the accolade of inflicting the worst ever home defeat on Zaragoza when they won 7-1 there during the 1987-88 season.



One man who believes that Zaragoza will upset the odds is former Real Madrid winger Savio Bortolini, whose five years at Real were punctuated with a series of contract and pay disputes.



"I'm motivated to beat Real and I know the rest of the team are," said Zaragoza's Brazil international.


Bureau Report