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Barcelona hoping for more Messi magic
MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona got a lucky break last weekend when they scraped a home win over Real Mallorca to move four points clear at the top of the table after Sevilla and Real Madrid both lost.
With just eight games to go, Barca are aware that lifting their third successive Spanish title is in their own hands and they will be hoping to maintain their advantage at Villarreal on Sunday.
The big question among Barcelona fans is, can teenage phenomenon Lionel Messi produce some more of the magic which led to his 'wonder goal' in the Spanish Cup semi-final against Getafe on Wednesday.
Messi's goal, the second in Barca's 5-2 victory, was a near carbon copy of the famous strike by his compatriot Diego Maradona for Argentina against England in the 1986 World Cup, starting in his own half and going past four defenders.
The superlatives never stopped on Thursday with Spanish sports daily Marca leading the way.
"What planet did he come from?" asked the newspaper.
"I think it's the best goal I've seen in my life," added Messi's Portuguese international team mate Deco.
"I'm proud that people are comparing my goal with that one of Maradona's but I'm still learning," reflected Messi, making people wonder what he will be capable of in the future.
Messi should soon be a potential World Player of the Year but Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard also has his two-time former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho available again.
The Brazilian missed the 1-0 win over Real Mallorca last Sunday with a fever but finally returned to full training on Thursday.
Sevilla are in second, four points behind the reigning champions, and will face relegation-threatened Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
Earlier this season, most pundits would have predicted an easy win for the UEFA Cup semi-finalists but Sevilla have started to show the strain of being the only Spanish team to still be contesting three titles.
Athletic have also improved significantly in recent weeks and could preserve their historic status as one of only three clubs - Barcelona and Real Madrid being the others - to have been ever-present in the Spanish first division.
Real themselves are one place further back in third and face a huge battle against fourth-placed Valencia on Saturday.
"Against Valencia we are playing to stay in the title race. If we lose I think we will only be in contention for a place in the Champions League," said Real club captain Raul earlier this week.
One man Real will be playing close attention to is the Valencia striker Fernando Morientes who, despite recovering from a shoulder dislocated on international duty last month is still finding the net with ease.
Morientes spent eight seasons at Real Madrid and won three Champions League titles, among many other accolades, while at the Spanish giants.
"There's more than just three points at stake. Both teams want to win to boost our morale. The result of this game could be the difference between finishing first or fifth at the end of the season," said Morientes.
"It would also be very special to score in the Bernabeu," added the 31-year-old striker, who diplomatically avoided using the word revenge.
Morientes, a close friend of Raul, was widely perceived to have been shabbily treated by the Real management who loaned him in successive seasons to Monaco and Liverpool in 2004 and 2005.
David Beckham finally should be fit to play after being out of action for five weeks with a knee injury but the former England captain is likely to start on the bench.
Real will be without defenders Ivan Helguera and Alvaro Mejia after they were both sent of in last Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Racing Santander.
Saturday (Kick off in GMT)
Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid (1800)
Real Madrid v Valencia (2000)
Sunday
Deportivo La Coruna v Osasuna (1500)
Espanyol v Real Betis (1500)
Levante v Getafe (1500)
Real Mallorca v Gimnastic Tarragona (1500)
Recreativo Huelva v Racing Santander (1500)
Real Zaragoza v Celta Vigo (1500)
Sevilla v Athletic Bilbao (1700)
Villarreal v Barcelona (1900)
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