History has a way of repeating itself and this may yet be proved once more at the Bernabeu.
Spanish National Team Coach, Luis Aragones has issued a note of warning against declaring Real Madrid as La Liga champions well ahead of the decisive final match day.
Real's opponents are Mallorca, a club which the experienced coach recalls to everyone's memory that Real has traditionally found difficult to defeat. Aragones warns:
Mallorca are a good side and they have not lost at the Bernabeu for five years now and can continue this trend over the weekend. They have even beaten Madrid twice and one of such moments was under me and also under Manzano. These figures show that Mallorca are very capable of producing similar past results in Madrid.
Speaking on Barcelona's chances against Nastic, Aragones was very optimistic:
All hope is not yet lost. Anything is still possible. Barca must brace up and rise to the occasssion. The last word on the La Liga title has not been heard yet.
FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes - Zambrotta, Thuram, Puyol, Gio - Iniesta, Xavi, Deco - Messi, Eto´o, Ronaldinho - Manager: Frank Rijkaard
Match Preview:
Basque outfit Real Sociedad (19th/27 points) host La Liga leaders FC Barcelona (1st/62 points) in a crucial encounter at Aneota tonight.
While both team´s situations could not even be more different, they both need the 3 points desperately. FC Barcelona have to win to secure La Liga´s top spot after this weekend and could mount a lot of pressure on the two direct rivals, FC Sevilla and Real Madrid, who meet at Bernabeu tomorrow.
Real Sociedad had a bad start to the season, not being able to win one single match un til the middle of December. Coach Jose Mari Bakero had been sacked and replaced by former Espanyol coach Miguel Angel Lotina. Lotina managed to stabilize the defence but the team managed only to score 28 goals in 32 matches. In a period of 6 weeks from mid-January to the end of February Real Sociedad scored only 1 goal. Fortunately, their fortune changed and the Basques won 3 out of their last 5 games and gained hope again, to avoid the drop. There are only 3 points difference from safety.
Frank Rijkaard will be without Deco and therefore edmilson will probably start instead. Zambrotta will start on the right, with thuram and Puyol as partners in central defence. Not sure, if Sylvinho or gio will start as left backs. With Deco out, Edmilson is in, who will anchor the midfield, partnerred by Xavi and Iniesta. The attacking line is set: Messi, etto´o and Ronaldinho.
Real Sociedad will have Darko Kovacevic and Mikel Aranburu back in the team. Kovacevic will spearhead the Real Sociedad attack and Mikel Aranburu will bring some steel to the Sociedad midfield trying to step the Barca engine already at the middle of the pitch.
My Prediction:
Today is D-Day and a loss of points forbidden. Barca have shown some away weakness, but to become Spanish Champions for the third consecutive time, the team has to win at Anoeta. If not there, where? Real Sociedad's Anoeta stadium has proven to be a happy place for FC Barcelona as they have lost only 3 games in 13 visits since the stadium opened in 1993. Barca coach Rijkaard has yet to lose a game in San Sebastian. But a draw is definetely not on my agenda and not enough this time.
It would be a perfect situation, to come back with 3 points to Catalunya, knowing, whatever the result tomorrow in Bernabeu will be, that Barca will still be top of the League.
I have the sneaking feeling that it will be easier than people will belive. I can see Barca winning comfortably and extending the lead to 3 points to Sevilla and 4 points to Real Maddrid, because the Anadalucians and the Merengues will draw tomorrow!
Spanish football daily "MARCA" have claimed yesterday that FC barcelona striker Javier Saviola has agreed a Bosman move to Real Madrid. The report is amusing, considering that Saviola spoke out in February that he could never join Real Madrid, under no circumstances.
MARCA, an anti-Barca paper "par excellence", who hits out on any opportunity, has started a fiece campaign since the Merengues came a bit closer in the table to arch-rival FC Barcelona. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that that the Merengue paper is trying to unrest the dressing room by doubting Saviola´s commitment in the final stage of the Spanish Championship race.
Rival Madrid daily "AS" instead, suggested that R.C.D Mallorca have offered Saviola a very lucrative € 10 Mill. deal to join the islanders in the summer. Mallorca is offering a € 4 Mill. signing on fee, plus € 2 Mill. per each of the 3 years of the contract.
So much about the contradicting Saviola rumours coming from Madrid.
So far, Saviola has been linked with a most likely move to Juventus in the summer, if he is not staying at Barcelona. However, the player's new agent, Diego Queiruga, who Marca meant to have reached the verbal agreement on Saviola´s for a Real Madrid move has since told Barcelona based SPORT that their is no truth in the story.
a few days ago, Barca´s technical secretary Txiki Begiristain claimed that Barca would soon table an offer to Javier saviola. Usually, well informed Catalan Television channel TV3 even reported that FC Barcelona will table their offer as following: € 2 Mill. per season plus up to € 1.5 mill. on incentives.
FC Barcelona´s Italian star Gianluca Zambrotta spoke to Saviola before his official after training press conference and revealed:
It's a joke or a lie. Saviola is only thinking about doing a good job until the end of the season.
Video Highlights: Saturday 07/04/2007 20:00 (GMT +1): La Liga, Match Day 29 REAL ZARAGOZA - FC BARCELONA 1-0 (0-0)
La Romareda, Barcelona – Attendance: 30.000
Referee: Medina Cantalejo
Goals:
1-0 D. Milito 57´
Real Zaragoza (4-4-2): Cesar – Diogo, Pique, Gabriel Milito, Juanfran – Aimar (Lafita 87´)), Celades (Movilla 58´), Zapater, D'Alessandro – Sergio García (Nery 77´), Diego Milito - Manager: Victor Fernandez
FC Barcelona (3-4-3): Valdes - Thuram, Puyol, Oleguer (Gio 72´) - Xavi, Marquez (Zambrotta 46´), Iniesta, Deco - Giuly (Gudjohnsen 66´), Messi, Ronaldinho - Manager: Frank Rijkaard
Despite their 0-1 deafeat at La Romareda against Real Zaragoza on Saturday night, the Blaugrana stay top of La Liga. Barca is still 1 point ahead of Sevilla, who disappointed in their 0-0 draw at home to Racing Santander on Sunday afternoon. Real Madrid won their home match at Bernabeu 2-0 against Osasuna and closed the gap to Sevilla and Champions FC Barcelona. The Merengues are now only 1 point behind Sevilla and 2 points behind Barca.
Valencia was defeated by Atletico Bilbao (0-1) and is still 6 points behind the leaders but has been overtaken by Real Zaragoza (6 points behind).
The next 4 weeks will be crucial, who will stay in the race for the title. Sevilla, Real Madrid and Valencia all play each other. The pressure is high, because no team can afford a drop points.
Mallorca are a good side and they have not lost at the Bernabeu for five years now and can continue this trend over the weekend. They have even beaten Madrid twice and one of such moments was under me and also under Manzano. These figures show that Mallorca are very capable of producing similar past results in Madrid. 
