It’s hard to pick who of these sides has been the bigger let down to date- their records have been identical in all save for goals conceded. Both lost derbies in the last couple of games- the hosts to Levante last time out, the visitors to Sociedad in week 6. Both won their other games, but the opposition were Zaragoza and Osasuna- two sides who have looked utterly clueless.
At least we can set apart some of the reasons why they’ve struggled. Valencia can justifiably point a spate of injuries in September, but are nearing a full quota now; only Sergio Canales is missing for them. Fernando Gago was excellent in both of Argentina’s recent qualifiers.
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| Best of enemies? Bielsa and Llorente |
By contrast, Athletic’s problems have been largely self-made, and morale in the camp is low. The recent video footage of Bielsa’s training bust up with Fernando Llorente hammered this point home. With their star striker alienated, the only saving grace is that their summer recruit from today’s opponents, Aritz Aduriz, has chipped in with four goals.
Another plus is Ander Herrera’s return to fitness. He showed in flashes what Athletic had been missing in the win at Osasuna. But in what looks a tallest man contest between two midgets, you would have give the edge to the hosts. Anything less than a win will lead to further questioning of Mauricio Pellegrino’s managerial pedigree. Andrés Guardado has made a disappointing start to his time at the Mestalla and will need to up his game here.
Deportivo v Barcelona (22:00 CET)
It’s fair to say Barcelona will be strong favourites here, but traditionally they tend to play within themselves after international weeks and I don’t expect this to be a walkover. Depor’s lowly position is at odds with their level of performance, which has generally been impressive. But they’ve struggled to pick up wins and if we set aside their 5-1 thumping at the Bernabéu in week 6- where they played much better than the scoreline suggests- they were below par in their loss at Rayo last time out, and will have been disappointed with the 2-0 loss to Sevilla in their last outing at the Riazor.
Once again it’s going to be a decidedly makeshift defence for Tito Vilanova. But after going with the likes of Alex Song and Adriano in the centre alongside Mascherano of late, I expect a more orthodox selection in Marc Bartra this time. Martín Montoya had an excellent game against Real Madrid. With Dani Alves out for the rest of the month, the Spanish under-21 international can make a case for a regular spot on the right.
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| Martín Montoya: ready to step up |
Depor have the capability in attack to test them, and Nelson Oliveira’s pace off the bench is a useful weapon. But as ever, the question is whether they’ll be given a platform of possession.
David Villa could return the first XI given Alexis Sánchez’s inconsistency and gruelling schedule with Chile. Pedro put in a stunning display against Belarus, where a hat-trick of chipped goals merely provided extra gloss. The ability to go inside or out will prove a challenge for Laure and Aythami on Depor’s left side.
Iniesta was saved for the France game, but withdrawn as a precaution in the Calderón where at any rate he didn’t look sharp. Fábregas is likely to get the nod in midfield here.
