Ewerthon Set For Espanyol Switch

The Brazilian forward has fallen out of favour at VfB Stuttgart and had expressed his desire to return to Spanish football as soon as possible.

Espanyol were desperate to find a new goalscorer following the injury to Raúl Tamudo that will keep him out for at least two months.

Real Zaragoza loaned Ewerthon to Stuttgart last summer and they have given the loan move the green light, although it is Stuttgart that have the final say.

The 26-year-old former Borussia Dortmund stiker's agent Gerrard Poschner flew into Barcelona on Sunday to finalise an agreement with Espanyol's sporting director Paco Herrera and coach Ernesto Valverde and the player will follow 24 hours later.

Ewerthon is behind numerous players for a place in Armin Veh's Stuttgart side and had already been told that the club were not going to be taking up their option to buy him in the summer.

Espanyol's capture of the striker appears to have put an end to reports that Georgios Samaras was set to move to Montjuïc from Manchester City.

Valencia Ease Past Betis Into Quarter Finals

In spite of the first leg advantage, coach Ronald Koeman was taking no chances for the return game as he lined up his strongest available team that included new signing Éver Banega in midfield alongside big hitters Joaquín, David Silva and Vicente.

Los Ché took charge of the match from the opening whistle and it didn’t take long for them to extend their overall lead.

In the 9th minute, Emiliano Moretti got to the end of a long cross to nod the ball to Nikola Žigic, who ghosted in behind the Betis defence and pipped second choice keeper Espinosa Casto in the air to head home his fourth goal in as many Copa games.

The visitors never looked to be in the contest as they showed little attacking enterprise despite needing to score two goals just to tie up the aggregate score.

If anything, it was the home sides who continued to press forward and only some poor finishing by the Valencia frontline kept Paco Chapparo’s side in the hunt.

David Silva had a penalty claim turned away by the referee five minutes before the interval and two minutes later, Betis finally had their first real chance infront of goal.

Fernando slipped a through ball past a sleeping Valencia defence to Caffa but with just Timo Hildebrand to beat, the midfielder cracked his shot against the woodwork.

That close call came just at the right time for the hosts as they went in to regroup at the break. They began the second half by once again controlling proceedings as they looked neither in a hurry nor in danger of losing the lead. Vicente drilled a stinging shot just inches wide on 49 minutes and moments later, Joaquín raced on to Baraja‘s pass but an alert Casto dashed out of the box to clear the danger.

The game was put to bed in the 67th minute when a sublime through ball by David Silva released Vicente and the winger screamed towards goal miles ahead of any Betis defender before coolly rifling a low shot past Casto to make it 2-0 on the night.

Los Verdiblancos now needed three goals to stand a chance of advancing to the next stage and on 77 minutes, Juanito gave the Andaluz side a glimmer of hope when he rose high to meet Xisco’s cross and thumped an unstoppable header past Hildebrand.

Chapparo’s charges suddenly came alive and on 83 minutes, Jose Mari outjumped Marchena in the box to get to the end of Rafael Sóbis’ cross, but his sharp header was denied by a reflex save from Hildebrand. The German keeper had to be alert for the remainder of the game as Betis lay siege to his goal from all sides.

It was indeed a tense final few minutes for the Ché faithful but Koeman’s men held on for the 2-1 win to record a resounding 4-2 aggregate scoreline.

Copa Del Rey Round-Up: Racing Thrash Zaragoza, Extra-Time At Espanyol

Tuesday 15 January 2008 (all times local):
21:00 Barcelona 0 - 0 Sevilla (1-1 agg.) (report)
Wednesday 16 January
20:00 Espanyol 1 - 1 Athletic (2-2 agg.) Latest Score
20:00 Levante 0 - 1 Getafe (0-4 agg.)
20:00 Racing 4 - 2 Zaragoza (5-3 agg.)
20:00 Valladolid 1 - 1 Atletico (1-1 agg.)
20:00 Villarreal 1 - 0 Recreativo (1-1 agg.) Latest Score
21:00 Real Madrid (1) L - L (2) Mallorca
22:00 Valencia (2) L - L (1) Betis

Two matches are still in extra-time - check back for an update after the games at Villarreal and Espanyol conclude!

RCD Espanyol 1 - 1 Athletic Club

Espanyol and Athletic fought out an entertaining stalemate that saw the hosts reduced to ten men.

Luis Garcia put the hosts on track for qualification after ten minutes by bundling into an empty net. The striker had been put through by Jonathan Soriano, who in turn had capitalised on Aranzubia's parry from a Lola effort.

Del Horno almost leveled things with a fine long range effort ten minutes later, but for the most part, Espanyol were on top, even after going down to ten men.

Luis Garcia's harsh red card for what was adjudged to be an elbow did not faze the hosts. Indeed, Aranzubia needed to be at his best just before half time to prevent Valdo from capping off a superb team move.

But Athletic were able to rally in the second period, with Llorente scoring a near-mirror image of Espanyol's goal, pouncing on Lafuente's spilled ball after an Iraola shot.

Tamudo beat two players before taking a last-minute shot, but his effort went wide, and extra time loomed.

The squads, mindful of Liga commitments and the sheer cost of risk, began the time added on in cagey fashion. However, the tie was thrown wide open when Luis Prieto was sent off, rendering the game 10 versus 10.

This match is ongoing.

Levante UD 0 - 1 Getafe CF

A poor crowd assembled at the Ciudad de Valencia to watch a foregone conclusion play out before their eyes. Getafe qualified in the end, and did so with a greater margin of victory than any of their counterparts.

Young Pepe Pla had the first good chance for the hosts, but Getafe were superior in the first half, although Kepa twice found himself unable to apply the finish to decent chances.

However, after the break, Michaelangelo showed that these Levante youngsters had a point to prove when his effort hit the post.

But it was an ex-Valencia youth who was to make the difference. Jaime Gavilan gave Geta a 64th minute lead after being slotted through by Nacho on the counterattack.

That was enough to end what was a poor game, and also to conclude Levante's faint chances of silverware this season.

Real Racing Club 4 - 2 Real Zaragoza

New coach Garitano saw exactly what he had to contend with in this game as his blanquillos threw away the lead against a spirited Racing side.

Ricardo Oliveira continued his fine goalscoring run with the openersx minutes in, tapping home from close range after Munitis and Oscar helped to fox Coltorti.

But Mohammed Tchite hit back a quarter hour later with a superb header from Colsa's equally convincing cross.

That leveled the tie: Oriol Lozano's half-hour mark strike put Racing in the lead, and in some style: Jorge Lopez's cross was deftly converted by the defender.

Then, midway through the second half, Oscar Serrano put the tie all but beyond doubt with a wonderful left-footed effort.

Diego Milito stretched fully to score his side's second with ten minutes to go, but there was no time left for his side to score the winning goal.

But Ezequiel Garay put the tie beyond doubt with a last-minute penalty. Garitano, then, has his work cut out.

Real Valladolid 1 - 1 Atletico Madrid

Atleti made up for their wastefulness in the first leg by taking a deserved aggregate win from the Pucela.

Valladolid started well, with Llorente coming dangerously close to giving the hosts the lead, but Luis Garcia and the rest of the rotated Atleti midfield eventually began to establish a rhythm.

This paid off when Sergio 'Kun' Aguero hit an absolute corker just after the interval. The young Argentine linked up beautifully with Luis Garcia before breaking through to go one-on-one with Alberto and fire home.

Joseba Llorente made it 1-1 not long afterwards following a neat assist from Fabian Estoyanoff, but the visitors were still up on aggregate.

Villarreal CF 2 - 0 Recreativo de Huelva

Villarreal's early lead was not enough to prevent extra-time at the Madrigal after what was a rather dull game.

Marcos Senna hit a tenth minute opener early on to level the tie on aggregate. The Spanish international midfielder headed in his first competitive goal of the season after Nihat's neat cross.

From there, the Yellow Submarine were on top, but found it difficult to assert their superiority in the final third. Indeed, Recre had the next good chance of the first half - their only one - when Jesus Vazquez came close with a header.

Fuentes came off injured for the hosts after Aitor had done so for the Decano, with these knocks worrying the respective managers. On the pitch, there was little action as full time approached, with a half-chance for Rossi as dangerous as it got.

Extra-time was inevitable, and it duly came. However, it was nothing if not eventful, for Giuseppe Rossi managed to cap off a fine counterattack after good work from Godin.

Thus it was advantage Villarreal, but one goal from Recre would have turned the tie in their favour.

And they almost got it, but not before Rossi missed a penalty. The young Italian tapped the ball straight at Barbosa after Caceres fouled Pires, but Caceres almost reedemed himself seconds later when he hit the bar with a truly special volley.

This match is ongoing.

Ricardo: Now's The Time To React

Osasuna 'keeper Ricardo has told Marca that the squad - young and old - must unite to save the side's season.

The Pamplonan outfit lie one point off safety, with Ricardo saying, "Everyone has to go through new experiences during their athletic career, and now comes the challenge of taking this team through a tough situation.

"Young people have to deal with it, and their spirit of survival will keep us afloat. Meanwhile, experience shows you that something within you is triggered that can make you play to a better level during these times."

The stopper, who had his 36th birthday on New Year's Eve, continued by defending coach Jose Ziganda.

"He's undoubtedly a great manager," said the former Manchester United stand-in.

"The technical team is doing a phenomenal job. Regarding responsibilities, I believe that we all have the responsibility to take us forward. There's still time to go forward - we have time to react.

"The fans? The crowd is always with us, and on Sunday we'll have the chance to demonstrate that unity."

Even if the fans do their part, Ricardo admits that the goalscorers and providers must do theirs.

"We're capable of creating three or four great chances in each game," he sighed, "but we can't seem to get a clear shot on goal.

"Murcia and Racing have not been superior to us, but they've beaten us. Look at the calendar - each game's different and each action is different. Football's just a game and, within this game, the ball doesn't always go where you want."

Ricardo arrived at the Reyno de Navarra in 2005 after a year's loan at Racing.

Hildebrand Gifts Atlético Victory

Los Colchoneros were celebrating at the end, but they were made to work very hard to clinch victory after the visitors laid siege to their goal in the closing minutes.

Sergio Agüero netted the only goal of the game after Hildebrand came for a cross and dropped it at the striker's feet having made a number fine saves early on.

In an intense encounter in Vicente Calderón it took just one error to split the two sides, but Valencia will take heart from their spirited performance.

Atlético defended stoutly, while the visitors may wish that they had started with the team that eventually finished the game.

Koeman chose to begin with no recognisable striker up front as Nikola Zigic was named on the bench and Javier Arizmendi continued his role as a makeshift right-back in Miguel's absence.

The system left Valencia short of options going forward and allowed Atlético to take advantage as they created several chances in the opening few minutes of the match.

During the space of three first half minutes Hildebrand staked his claim for man-of-the-match as he made three impressive saves to keep the away team level.

In the 14th minute he denied Antonio López by tipping his free-kick on to the post, then saved Raúl García's close range effort and completed his hat-trick with a flying stop to keep out a long ranger from Agüero.

At the other end Ángel Montorro and Juan Mata had chances but failed to truly trouble Christian Abbiati in the Atlético goal.

Then Hildebrand went from hero to villain as he came to claim a high cross from Luis Perea, but flapped at the ball and it fell to the feet of Agüero who rolled it across the line.

The keeper looked to appeal for a foul as he was obstructed from reaching the centre, but it was Iván Helguera who had impeded his path.

Valencia lifted their game after the goal, but without a conventional forward were unable to play down the wings and the midfielders were forced to move forward themselves to make chances.

It was not until a minute before the break that Arizmendi finally caused Abbiati to make a meaningful save as he rose to meet a Joaquín cross and nod goalwards.

Atlético then lfited their game as they appeared to realise that one goal may not be enough and Raúl García went close.

At the other end Zigic, who came on after the break, then struck the frame of the goal as he hammered a shot towards the roof of the net, only for Abbiati to take the slightest of touches and steer it onto the bar.

Raúl García fired just wide as Atlético had a rare sortie forward in the final quarter of an hour before Helguera then had a hat-trick of chances to level in the closing moments.

As the clock ticked down the former Real Madrid defender headed just wide, then nodded against the right-hand post, before rounding the game off by shooting against the other post from eight yards.

Villarreal Edge Deportivo In Seven-Goal Thriller

Villarreal got back on track with a home win - but it was far from easy for them. Indeed, Depor were ahead on two occasions, only to be swept back by the Yellow Submarine's attacking style.

The hosts had Nihat and Rossi up front once more, and were to be rewarded by three goals between them. Depor, meanwhile, were misfiring up front yet again, meaning that a defender and midfielder were to find the scoresheet instead of a forward. It was a youthful back line that contested this one, and they started well, but were in the end to ship four.

The hosts started strongly enough, but Depor had clearly come with the plan of hitting on the break, and some good movement from Riki began to spook the ailing home defence.

That's not to say that Villarreal didn't have the odd chance to get forward, mostly borne of Pires, but he was constantly met with a Galician wall of defence. As such, Depor's counterattacking policy paid off when they took an early lead.

It came from the spot after Coloccini's cross to Pablo Amo found the latter fouled at the back post by Josemi. Up stepped Sergio, and it was 0-1.

Still, Villarreal knew that this type of game warranted nothing less than all three points, and Nihat wasted no time in securing the equaliser.

Granted, Rossi had the ball in the net, but his penalty came after Adrian fouled the Turk in the box.

Deportivo's defensive wall stood firm for the rest of the half, and indeed outdid itself early in the second by allowing Pablo Amo to get forward and score the leader.

The defender tapped home from close range after Adrian's corner found Riki, who half-volleyed the ball through the crowded box towards the defender.

Villarreal's defending was once again suspect, but yet again they were to be bailed out by some attacking ambition. Nihat made it 2-2 in the 65th minute after Senna's parried shot ran loose to be bundled home, Depor's solid back line finally being toppled from open play.

That seemed to dampen the visitors' spirits, for four minutes later, Nihat scored the best strike of the game, Cazorla teeing him up for a spectacular finish after a corner.

On came Bodipo to try to rescue the game for the A Coruna men, but the die was cast when Pablo Amo was sent off after fouling substitute Tomasson in the box. The Dane himself converted the penalty, and it was all over.

Well, not quite. The excellent Andres Guardado popped up one minute into stoppage time to once again punish the home defence with a tremendous effort from the edge of the box, but it was too late to seal a point.

Valverde Curses "Worst Match Of The Season" After 1-0 Almeria Loss

Ernesto Valverde wouldn't mince words after his side succumbed to a late goal at the Mediterraneo.

"That was our worst game of the championship so far," he spat.

He went on to add that his side's trademark attacking teamplay was nowhere to be found, with only solo efforts giving the home defence anything to worry about.

Not one to leave anyone out, the boss added that Almeria were also far from impressive, and that their victory was narrow.

According to Valverde, a goal could have come from anywhere, depending on who made the error, and it just so happened that it was his side that did so.

Almeria had no Copa action midweek while Espanyol played a tiring game on Wednesday, but Valverde would not accept this as an excuse.

Spanish Cup brings misery to Madrid

The Copa del Rey last 16 first legs brought gloom to the Spanish capital on Thursday with Real Madrid CF losing 2-1 at RCD Mallorca and Club Atlético de Madrid drawing 0-0 at home.

Arango winner
Gonzálo Higuain levelled the scores for Madrid within a minute of them going behind to a goal from Uruguayan striker Óscar Trejo in Mallorca after a corner, but they had no response when Venezuelan midfielder Juan Arango restored the Balearic side's lead, beating Polish goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek for a second time four minutes into the second half.

Atlético held
Atlético were left to rue some wasteful finishing as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Real Valladolid CF. Diego Forlán and Luis García were both guilty of glaring misses in an open game, but it could easily have been worse for Javier Aguirre's side, with second-choice goalkeeper Ismael Falcón producing a fingertip save to deny winger Sisi a late winner.

Riga Likely To Be Back Against Madrid

Levante emphasized work in the attack during Friday’s training session, as they prepare for the important clash with league leaders Real Madrid on the weekend.

The good news for the struggling club is that Ghanaian striker Mustapha Riga is more than likely to return to their starting eleven for the vital match.

Riga had a brief conversation with Levante coach Giovanni de Biasi, and then joined the rest of the squad in training.

In the training session De Biasi mixed his regular starters with the reserves. On one side he had Manolo, Alvaro, Robuste, David, Ettien, Tommasi, Viqueira, Courtois, Iborra and Riga, while on the other he had Armando, Serano, Rubiales, Juanma, Berson, Miguel Angel, Saul, Leon and Geijo (as well as Arveladze).

Players who didn’t take part included Javi Fuego and Christian Rigano, while youngster Pepe Pla returned to the club’s youth team.

Juande: We Have To Be More Positive

Results improved before Christmas when Paco Chaparro replaced Héctor Cúper at the helm and hopes were high that the team could edge back up the table.

The New Year has changed all that, however, and after losing to Valencia in the Copa del Rey and Sevilla in the league, Juande thinks that confidence needs to be restored.

"We have to remain positive as we are coming under more and more pressure with each day that passes and we do not achieve a good result," he said.

"Everyone must change their way of thinking."

After the defeat at home by Valencia in the cup in midweek, Betis were booed off the pitch by their own supporters as the frustration finally came out.

Despite not enjoying the experience, Juande claims that he realises why it happened and said that the team must ensure that it does not happen again.

"Nobody likes to be jeered, but is it understandable because we have been in this situation for two-and-a-half years," he continued.

"It is our duty to try and lift the fans again as all they want is to see us win."

La Liga Preview: Athletic Bilbao - Sevilla

Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla both go into Saturday's game off the back of mid-week draws in the Copa del Rey and looking to improve on their current league positions.

There is bound to be an excellent atmosphere inside the San Mamés for Bilbao's first home league game in 2008, as Joaquín Caparrós' side look to improve on their decidedly dicey league position, which sees them just one place and one point away from the relegation places.

Sevilla go into the match in 8th place in the league and will be looking to follow their convincing victory in last week's derby against Real Betis with an away victory at Bilbao, despite their lacks of options up front.

Mixed Reactions

After staying in the Primera Division by just one point at the end of last season, Athletic Bilbao were on the search for a new manager who could take the side forward and avoid a repeat of the relegation battles that have plagued the team in the last couple of years.

Bilbao's board elected to appoint Joaquín Caparrós, who had recently parted company with Deportivo La Coruña. The decision was met by some criticism in the local media, claiming that a Southern man such as Caparrós - born in Sevilla - could not begin to understand the Northern and Basque traditions that are at the heart of Athletic Bilbao.

Their Cantera policy, which sees them only recruit players from a Basque background, severely limits the players that a manager is able to target and Caparrós has had to try and improve results on the pitch with practically the same squad that survived on the final day of last season.

Unsurprisingly, results have not really improved and with the midway point in the season approaching, Bilbao find themselves in the same position they finished last season: 17th.

They lost their first league game of 2008 away to Racing Santander 1-0 despite having numerous chances to score. Their home form has been average so far this season and they will be looking to make the San Mamés the fortress it once was in the second half of the season.

Coming Back Together

Sevilla finished last season just five points away from eventual champions Real Madrid in third and were expected to be among the challengers for the 2007/08 campaign.

4-1 victories in both of their first two games seemed to confirm this belief, but they were followed by a poor run of results, which left Sevilla squarely in mid-table at the beginning of October.

Just a week after an away victory at Levante brough their poor run to an end, Sevilla's manager Juande Ramos resigned from his position to take up the vacancy at Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premiership.

Manolo Jiménez stepped up from the reserve team to take over first-team affairs and after a patchy start has steered Sevilla to a run of eight games unbeaten in all competitions.

Sevilla have been excellent at home, scoring ten goals in their last three league games at the Sánchez Pizjuán, but their away form has been less than great.

Jiménez will look to turn that around in 2008 and will see Saturday's tie with Bilbao as the ideal opportunity to get an away victory under his belt.

FORM

Athletic Bilbao

Recent MatchesMatch Result Date Championship
Athletic Bilbao - Espanyol 1 - 1 09/01/2008 COPA DEL REY
Racing - Athletic Bilbao 1 - 0 06/01/2008 LA LIGA
Athletic Bilbao - Murcia 1 - 1 23/12/2007 LA LIGA
Mallorca - Athletic Bilbao 0 - 0 16/12/2007 LA LIGA
Athletic Bilbao - Real Madrid 0 - 1 08/12/2007 LA LIGA
Valencia - Athletic Bilbao 0 - 3 02/12/2007 LA LIGA


Sevilla

Recent MatchesMatch Result Date Championship
Sevilla - Barcelona 1 - 1 09/01/2008 COPA DEL REY
Sevilla - Betis 3 - 0 06/01/2008 LA LIGA
Sevilla - Racing 4 - 1 22/12/2007 LA LIGA
Valladolid - Sevilla 0 - 0 16/12/2007 LA LIGA
Slavia Praha - Sevilla 0 - 3 12/12/2007 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Sevilla - Murcia 3 - 1 09/12/2007 LA LIGA


TEAM NEWS

Athletic Bilbao

Iraizoz, Aitor Ocio and Joseba Etxeberria are still out injured so the only change is likely to be a return to a 4-4-2 formation now that Aritz Aduriz is fully fit to partner Fernando Llorente up front.

Probable Starting XI: Aranzubia, Iraola, Ustaritz, Amorebieta, Koikili, Orbaiz, Lopez, Yeste, Garmendia, Llorente, Aduriz.

Sevilla

Arouna Kone, Seydou Keita and Fredi Kanoute are away at the African Cup of Nations; Ivica Dragutinovic and Luis Fabiano are suspended; Andres Palop, Alexandr Kerzhakov and Javi Navarro are injured.

Jiménez wishes to stick with his favoured 4-4-2 formation and with a lack of strikers is likely to move Renato forward from midfield to partner Javier Chevanton up front.

Probable Starting XI: De Sanctis, Daniel Alves, Mosquera, Escude, Crespo, Navas, Maresca, Poulson, Capal, Renato, Chevanton.

PREDICTION

Sevilla have struggled away from home so far this season and with so many attacking players unavailable, it is hard to see them scoring more than once on Saturday. Athletic Bilbao will be desperate to get a home victory to start a revival in the second half of the campaign, but despite their best efforts I can see this being a score-draw.

Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Sevilla

Spanish Debate: Real Madrid's New Year Blues

Real Madrid aren't in crisis. They're still top of the table, still in Europe, still in the Copa, and are licking their lips at the prospect of thumping Levante at the weekend.

But that does not mean that everything at the Bernabeu is perfect. Instead, fans will already be aware of a hint of the blues seeping into proceedings in the capital.

The nougat, champagne and ham have been put back in the fridge for another twelve months, but there are hints of a New Year hangover on the pitch already. The blancos only managed to sneak past Alicante in the Cup; the Liga comeback win against Zaragoza was perhaps ill-deserved; and a 2-1 Copa defeat at Mallorca on Thursday was far from ideal.

Admittedly, the Mallorca defeat was only a first-leg contest, and was borne partially of team rotation - in that sense, it can hardly be called disastrous. But as we enter the new year, perhaps something has changed since last.

That fine Clasico victory at Camp Nou is largely forgotten as the difficulties of the second half of the season take over. And the chief challenge is perhaps one of squad competition.

The team that started against Mallorca contained some unusual faces, but it may in fact begin to look more normal as winter progresses. Mamadou Diarra is off to the African Cup of Nations, leaving Gago as the de facto first-choice for central midfield. However, unless the young Argentine can recapture his form, Madrid will be largely bereft of Schuster's trump card - that defensive midfield solidity.

Without Diarra, the midfield could indeed leave the back line exposed. Gago, Sneijder and Baptista could marshall the middle of the park - or Guti could step in for the Dutchman. Either way, it's an attack-minded setup. (Raul and Robinho, meanwhile, have done better further up than they did against Mallorca.)

The back line hasn't been looking too clever of late, either. Again, the side was rotated for Mallorca, but Pepe and an out-of-position Sergio Ramos still lined up in the middle - it was hardly rookie stuff. That Jerzy Dudek only let in two was quite a surprise as the Pole impressed in a rare appearance.

Above all, the problem was one of lethargy, and it could be argued that this is only going to get worse. Fixture congestion is nigh-on unavoidable right now - nine games in four weeks is the plan for January, while the Roma encounter in the Champions League will make it around 15 in 7. That's not easy for any side, and with the likes of Sergio Ramos having played integral, almost ironman roles already in the early part of the season, another five months of non-stop action will doubtless take its toll.

Some players have already succumbed to injury, fatigue, or both. Arjen Robben needs no introduction in this regard, but the likes of Christoph Metzelder, Pepe, and Gabriel Heinze are - with varying levels of severity - struggling to keep themselves injury-free. That's a worry, given that Madrid's strength is in the constancy of its first eleven.

But there are bright spots. Chief among them is that Madrid, of course, played badly against Zaragoza but still won. If they can keep that relatively strong XI together, then that's the kind of result that they are always capable of.

Also, main title challengers Barcelona are, just like Madrid, fighting on three fronts, and virtually everyone who will have a say in the top four this season has at least two competitions to focus on at present: fixture congestion is not peculiar to the Bernabeu.

And although there is talk of the treble, one cannot help but suspect that few at Madrid would cry themselves to sleep if they were to be eliminated from the Copa in this round or the next. Schuster will almost certainly rotate his side again for the second leg, even though his team are chasing a result, and elimination is thus possible. But that would mean fewer matches, full weeks of training, and - above all - an avoidance of injury and tiredness ahead of the Champions League.

One cannot seriously imply that Real Madrid are destined to throw it all away. But let's not forget that both Sevilla and Barcelona surrendered table-topping leads last season during times of fixture congestion and squad changes, and that Barcelona's little travails around the turn of 2007 were dismissed as minor. Perhaps they were, but such problems can snowball quickly. (Just look at Valencia this season.)

As long as Bernd Schuster is aware of the dangers to come, then Madrid will most likely come through unscathed. But it could be a harsh winter in Castilla nonetheless.

Ustari Spanish Switch Ruled Out

It has been confirmed that Osky Ustari will not sign for another Liga club in the winter transfer window.

The young Argentine played his fifth competitive Spanish game for Los Azulones last night in the 3-0 Copa del Rey win over Levante, meaning that he is ineligible to play for any other club in the country this season.

The unsettled goalkeeper arrived at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez for a 7m euro fee this summer, making him the msot expensive signing in the club's history: however, with Roberto 'Pato' Abbondanzieri on form and Osky being error-prone in his early days, he's yet to make an impact.

It was mooted that Barcelona would attempt to sign the 21-year-old as cover for Victor Valdes, but now they must wait until summer if they do indeed have such a move in mind.

However, Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos is said to still be monitoring the situation with a view to a possible bid, with English clubs facing no such restrictions.

Copa Del Rey Round-Up: Recre Shock Villarreal, Geta Mash Levante

Recreativo 1 - 0 Villarreal


Recre narrowly prevailed in what was an eminently dull encounter in Huelva, but one that the home fans will nonetheless be happy with.

Just two minutes had gone when Martin Caceres headed home what transpired to be the winning goal, further denting the confidence of a visiting side whose form is fast deserting them.

That was enough to seal the win in what was a poor match - Victor Munoz and his men will hope for a similarly leisurely evening in the return match at the Mestalla.

Manuel Pellegrini's side, meanwhile, have been off the boil for too long, and must turn it around quickly.

Real Zaragoza 1 - 1 Racing Santander

Racing came from behind to grab a draw against ten-man Zaragoza, whose last chance of silverware this season now hangs perilously in the balance.

Things finally seemed to be looking up for the embattled blanquillos after Ricardo Oliveira floated home a free-kick 21 minutes in, and the home fans had cause to relax.

However, nothing is simple at the Romareda this season, and thus it proved when a Cantabrian side imbued by the energy of substitutes began to press forward.

This culminated in Sergio giving away a penalty and picking up a red card 15 minutes from time: Ezequiel Garay gratefully converted the spot-kick to take a vital away goal back to Santander.

Zaragoza seemed set to grab the winner when Oliveira was put clean through on goal ten minutes from the end, but the Brazilian failed to finish as visiting 'keeper Coltorti collapsed due to an apparent injury.

Luis Fernandez then picked up a red card for the visitors right at the death, but the restoration of parity came too late for Zaragoza to make an impact.

In any case, Victor Fernandez's side now need to score on the north coast.

Athletic Bilbao 1 - 1 Espanyol

Espanyol go into the second leg with a narrow advantage after Athletic failed to press their advantage at San Mames.

Athletic were the better side for the bulk of the game, but failed to really show it as a somewhat out-of-sorts perequito outfit still found the hosts easy enough to contain.

Indeed, Inaki Munoz's long range-effort was the closest Athletic came to scoring in the first period, although Fran Yeste should have done infinitely better when put clean through - he could only fluff his effort, much to former Lions' goalie Lafuente's relief.

Espanyol punished the hosts' profligacy in the second period with an opener from fringe striker Jonathan Soriano, who brought down a long ball nicely to fire past Aranzubia.

It took Markel Susaeta to bring things back to level terms twelve minutes from time after finishing off an intelligent counter-attack, but one feels that coach Joaquin Caparros would have wanted more from his team.

Real Betis 1 - 2 Valencia

Joaquin broke his former club's heart with an incredible double salvo just ten minutes into proceedings at the Ruiz de Lopera.

First, the winger got on the end of a tremendous counter-attacking move orchestrated by David Silva down the left, before adding his second soon afterwards following some good build-up play from Mata.

Betis pulled one back just after the interval when Mariano Pavone capitalised on Mata's poor clearance, and then Javier Arizmendi complicated things further for the visitors by picking up a second booking fifty minutes in.

However, Joaquin came closest to netting once more as the game drew to a close, leaving the verdiblancos with it all to do at the Mestalla.

See our full match report here.

Getafe 3 - 0 Levante


After a shaky start, Getafe emerged as clear first-leg winners over ailing Levante.

The Granota side had the best of the early play, with young Armando passing up a great chance early on after a period of pressure, but the hosts were able to take a fortunate lead into the break.

Juan Angel Albin's free kick sailed unopposed into the net just before the interval to crush the visitors' spirits.

As the game wore on, Levante faded badly, allowing Javier Casquero to finish from close range after a right-wing cross 73 minutes in, and Pablo Hernandez to bundle home a parried effort for a near-unassailable lead.

Despite that poor opening period, Getafe deserved their victory over a Valencian side that is surely now destined for an exit. However, Getafe cannot be overconfident, knowing that they overcame insurmountable Copa odds themselves to slash a 5-2 deficit against Barcelona to win 6-5 on aggregate last season...

Munitis Out For Two Months

Munitis was taken off after sixteen minutes of Racing's victory over Bilbao at the weekend due to picking up the injury in a collision whilst fighting for possession of the ball.

Javier Ceballos, coordinator of medical services for Racing, explained that the wrist will require resting for two months before Munitis can resume training.

"It will have to be two months without doing anything," he told Marca.

Munitis will not be able to train until the wrist is fully healed, but will instead be put on a fitness regime that allows him to stay in as good a condition as possible whilst he is out.

The injury leaves high-flying Racing with a slight lack of options in the attacking areas, although the fact that Mohammed Tchite came on for Munitis and scored against Bilbao at the weekend will be encouraging for their manager Marcelino.

Munitis struck up an excellent 'little and large' partnership with Nikola Zigic in Racing's run to a tenth placed finish in La Liga last season, but has largely failed to gain the same understanding with Ebi Smolarek, who was signed as Zigic's replacement in the summer.

Nevertheless, his loss will be a blow to Racing in the coming months as they aim to continue the excellent form that has seen them climb to sixth place in the Primera Division.

Schuster: Eto'o Is Cameroon's King

Real Madrid have lost Mahamadou Diarra to international duty, while Sevilla are minus Kanoute, Keita and Kone, but Samuel Eto'o remains at Barcelona.

The striker has been given special dispensation by Cameroon to play in his club's next two matches, versus Sevilla in the Copa del Rey and Murcia in the Liga, leading some to question why only Eto'o, and not others, was allowed to remain.

Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez believes that the Copa has been "distorted" due to the squad imbalance, but Real Madrid boss Bernd Schuster feels that it is down to the relative status of the players in question.

"It's a position problem," Schuster told Realmadrid.com.

"Eto'o is the King of Cameroon, but Diarra isn't the King of Mali yet.

"Eto'o is much more important to his country than Diarra or Kanouté are to Mali. He's got a good relationship with the King, who has more of a say than the manager.

"Managers want their players from day one, and they have a good team that may do very well. I understand that the manager wants his players now and not once the competition is underway.

"I would also make a big push, but we also have out own concerns. We just have to accept it."

Marcelo: We Can Win Everything

The Brazilian defender is confident mood ahead of the Last 16 tie, but he admits that the Balearic outfit will still be a tough side to bear.

Mallorca lost against Barcelona in the Ono Estadi on Sunday and will want to bounce straight back in the cup and Marcelo is ready for the challenge.

"We know they are hard to beat at home, so we have to work hard and play well," he said. "We have to have our minds focused on the Cup and do our best to win.

"The way we're playing, I think we can win everything, but we have to continue working hard."

With Fabio Cannavaro, Christoph Metzelder and Gabriel Heinze all out injured, coach Bernd Schuster will have to shuffle his pack.

"I worry about the players who are injured, but this is a great squad and we have other players who can play," Marcelo continued.

Mahamadou Diarrá has left to join the Malo squad for their pre-African Cup of Nations preparations and will be missed by Madrid.

"He's an important player, but like I just said, this is a great squad and someone can play in Diarra's place," the full-back added.

Finally, Marcelo was not prepared to calm the euphoria surrounding Iker Casillas after his incredible performance against Real Zaragoza.

"He was great, but not just against Zaragoza. He's been helping us out all year. He's one of the best in the world," he said.

"He's phenomenal in my opinion."

Spanish Debate: Are Sevilla Truly A Force In Spain?

As recently as this decade, Sevilla were considered the poor relations of Andalucia's biggest city. Until 2003, Real Betis had a larger average attendance than the rojiblancos, and in 2005 the verdiblancos finished two places above their city rivals in fourth.

Since then, though, Sevilla have eclipsed not only the Beticos, but even the likes of Valencia. By finishing above Los Che last season and reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League, they've certainly begun to look the part.

But we've seen short bursts of success before. Deportivo La Coruna, for example, were league champions in 2000, top-three finishers for the next four seasons, and regular knockout stage contenders in the Champions League. Now, they're flirting with relegation.

On the other hand, we've seen relatively unfashionable clubs establish themselves, if not as genuine challengers, then certainly top half fixtures. Villarreal, who are by most estimates a smaller club than Sevilla, have shown what prudent organisation and ambition can create as they rose from obscurity to Europe.

So which of these two paths are Sevilla more likely to take?

There is cause for thinking that it is the former. One glance at the Liga table suggests that all is not well. Eight defeats and 23 goals conceded in 18 games is hardly an enviable total for a side that lost only nine in total last season; at this stage in the 2006-07 campaign, indeed, Sevilla were top with two points to spare.

Now, they're mid-table, 18 points clear of the summit. The tragic death of Antonio Puerta, injury troubles and a managerial change - Manolo Jimenez in for Spurs-bound Juande Ramos - of course contributed to this total, but nonetheless it remains a disappointment.

Indeed, for all Sevilla's fine performances in Europe so far this season, they will do well to reach the Champions League spots, of which they are currently eight points short, before the season's end.

As such, there are worries about Nervion at the moment. However, there are, in my view, more reasons to be optimistic than there are problems.

For starters, things are actually getting better in the Liga. Sevilla have now gone five games unbeaten and have netted seven goals in their last two games, signalling a renaissance of sorts. A return from injury for most of the defensive line has helped in that regard, but so too, surely, did the confidence boost afforded by recent European successes.

The rojiblancos finished top of their Champions League group after defeating Arsenal, and now much be considered as not just UEFA Cup material but worthy guests at Europe's top table. A glance at the squad list would have suggested that anyway, but the proof is in the pudding, and Sevilla's players - after a 3-0 thrashing in their opening game - have shown their worth. Indeed, so much have they impressed that the IFFHS have once again - dubiously, say some - named Sevilla as Club of the Year for 2007.

Taking a longer view of the squad's prospects, it seems as if Sevilla have the kind of youth coming through that will help them adjust not only this season, but in years to come. The likes of Crespo and Fazio are just now breaking through to join the last big hit from the cantera, Jesus Navas, in the first eleven. These youngsters, combined with big-name veterans, are beginning to impress already, and as such there is a modest production line that will keep the side in talented players even if Sevilla can be outmatched in the transfer market by larger clubs.

On the subject of the transfer market, Sevilla actually have it quite good. Not all of the summer signings have worked out - Khalid Boulahrouz has been poor, Arouna Kone isn't quite operating at full potential and Tom De Mul has found little action - but there remain positive aspects to Sevilla's transfer activity.

Strangely, it relates to what they didn't do, rather than what they did. To wit, they refused to capitulate and sell star asset Daniel Alves.

Chelsea wanted Alves, and Alves wanted Chelsea, but despite a big-money bid from the Londoners, Sevilla told the player in no uncertain terms that he was going nowhere. Had a larger offer come in, he would probably have gone, but none was forthcoming, and the rojiblancos held their nerve.

Alves was visibly angry, and this showed in a series of less-than-perfect early season performances - and perhaps even in his deteriorating disciplinary record - but the old professional in him has resurfaced, culminating in a tremendous showing alongside Jesus Navas on the right flank against Betis in the Seville derby. He may have had his problems, but on his day he's one of the top right-sided players in the world, and this was abundantly clear on Sunday night.

Sevilla, for their part, can be proud at having managed to hold onto him. Combine his presence with that of the likes of Kanoute, and it's clear that the nucleus of an excellent side remains at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. They came through the summer relatively unscathed in that regard, with Ivica Dragutinovic turning down a lucrative move to Newcastle - "some things are more important than money" - and for this reason they must be taken seriously as a footballing force, rather than a selling club.

But as the cliche goes - well, almost - spend now, repent at leisure. Assembling such a side cannot have been cheap, and while Sevilla doubtless do not spend as much as Real Madrid, Barcelona, or perhaps even Atletico Madrid, their income is not as high, either. Deportivo are learning to their cost what even a few years of fiscal mismanagement can do to a club - bring it to the brink of relegation and ignominy - and the more pessimistic Sevillista may think that the same could happen to them.

In simple terms of fanbase, too, Sevilla have an advantage. Even during their Segunda seasons, they were frequently drawing 30,000 - more than title-winning Depor, and the likes of Real Zaragoza and Real Sociedad - and now average well over 40,000. Should they keep this level of support going, and work on their worldwide appeal, they can count on some loyal income in coming years.

The omens, then, are mostly good. Are they really the world's best team of 2007? Hardly. But they're certainly one of the better ones, and that doesn't look like changing anytime soon.

Zigic Next Target As Real Sociedad Shakeup Continues

New Real Sociedad president Inaki Badiola has restated his desire to land Valencia striker Nikola Zigic.

The Serb giant arrived at the Mestalla this summer but has had a mixed season so far, leading the Segunda Division outfit to believe that they have a chance of signing him.

The big-spending txuri-urdin have already landed Barcelona reserve Marc Crosas, and are apparently on the verge of signing highly-rated youngster Fran Merida on loan from Arsenal.

Zigic would complete the incoming trio, but could also potentially cause a managerial reshuffle.

Boss Chris Coleman has publicly stated his unhappiness at having his squad changed so dramatically without his input, with Badiola thus admitting that there is a potential replacement waiting in the wings.

He told the press, "We're going to meet with Zigic's agent in Valencia next week to discuss the matter.

"We also explained our project to [Chris Coleman], and asked for his support with it.

"We told him of our five high-priority signings, and our three Plan B targets.

"He understood what we want. We have a plan B in mind with [Javier] Irureta, but I hope that we can rise above it."

Irureta has been out of management since leaving Real Betis by mutual consent in December 2006. Previously, he spent two seasons bossing the txuri-urdin between 1995 and 1997, having left Athletic Bilbao after one year.

Afterwards, he coached Celta Vigo and then Deportivo La Coruna, with whom he enjoyed both domestic and European prestige, before signing on at Betis.

Wagner's Betis Nightmare Ends With Sao Paolo Move

Jorge Wagner has left Real Betis after securing a permanent transfer to Sao Paolo.

The Brazilian midfielder made just six starts and four substitute appearances in La Liga for the verdiblancos, failing to complete even one ninety minute league game during his tenure in Seville.

The attack-minded player arrived at Betis at the start of the 2006-07 season after being bought for 200,000 euros by then-coach Javier 'Jabi' Irureta, but failed to establish himself even under the man who signed him.

A series of managerial changes lessened Wagner's impact at the Ruiz de Lopera even further, culminating in his loan to Sao Paolo earlier in 2007.

Having recovered from an injury scare, the 29-year-old went on to impress at the Paulista, helping the side to the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Thus Sao Paulo were convinced to splash out 1.225 million euros for the left-sided player, securing him on a three-year deal.