Liga Preview: Levante-Barcelona
5/14/2005 1:41:00 AM
This is it! A Schuster-less Levante are all that separate Barcelona from a League title that has been a long time coming. Since winning the League six times in the nineties, a six year drought is finally looking to be over.
The directors, support staff, and the injured/suspended players are all making the trip to Valencia, none willing to miss out on celebrating the Championship win. Traditional title celebrations upon the team’s return to Catalunya have also been planned in detail.
Real Madrid want to delay all that, but their recovery might have come a little too late. Defender Helguera commented this week that he found the early preparations for celebrations insulting, but there is little he or his team can do. A Barcelona win will be enough, regardless of how Mardid fare against Sevilla.
Amidst all this euphoria around them, the players have been adamant that there remains a job to be done, even if they have one hand on the trophy. And the composed Rijkaard has handled both sides of it particularly well, by saying that it is the fans’ right to plan celebrations, and the players’ duty to not let it affect them while the mission isn’t accomplished.
Barcelona would know they only have to fear themselves, and need to stay honest to avoid any wrong turns. They could be champions even before stepping on the turf if Sevilla beat Real, but even a draw against Levante will be an embarrassment and sour celebrations somewhat.
With Beletti suspended after a fifth yellow at the Mestalla last week, a defensive shuffle could see Deco, Xavi and Iniesta start in midfield, as Barcelona look to split Levante open. That will be particularly good news for the strikers, with Guily needing one goal to get the ten goals he had promised for the season, and Eto’o fighting for ‘Pichichi’.
The Cameroon international will look to add to his 23 goals, and Valdes will want another clean sheet, as the ‘Pichichi’ and ‘Zamora’ would be the perfect icing on a very tasty cake. Ronaldinho has promised to let the African player of the year take any penalties that might come their way, while Deco has come out claiming that one of the goals awarded to him actually grazed the heel of Eto’o.
There is also the small matter of his ex-club Mallorca counting on him to put goals past their rivals in the relegation battle. And Eto’o has promised to remember his old team while on the pitch.
Eto’o and Valdes have, however, insisted that they would rather be Champions than ‘Pichichi’ or ‘Zamora’, and there have been indications that Eto’o might yet push ‘Ronnie’ to take the penalties. It is also a clear indication that the two share something special.
LEVANTE’S RELEGATION WOES
Hosts Levante are three points from the drop zone, and are finding it increasingly hard to fend off a charging Mallorca outfit, who have trimmed the gap down from ten points. After a great run at the start of the season which saw them sixth after ten matches, Schuster’s team have picked up just 16 points from the last 25 matches.
It became a little too much for the board last week, and Schuster was finally sacked after obtaining just one point from seven games. New coach Jose Luis Oltra has since decided that dropping Manchev and Ian Harte is the way to go about avoiding the drop.
Add to that the fact that Sergio Garcia is suspended, and it leaves them with a second division side against Barcelona, with due respect to Felix Ettien. The way things are going, it might just be where they find themselves in three weeks.
FORM GUIDE
Levante: LDLLLL
Los Ches’ neighbours have clearly lost the plot since April, and are in free fall. Mallorca coach Hector Cuper must be surprised he is still thinking of survival after being 10 points from safety three weeks back. Jose Luis Oltra will have to do something pretty special to change the momentum.
Barcelona: DLWWWW
The defeat at the Barnebau can still be seen on their form book, but that’s just about it. They have scored 10 and conceded none one their way to four consecutive victories, the biggest coming at the Mestalla last week.
TEAM NEWS
Levante: Oltra has decided that pretentious stars Manchev and Ian Harte have been pampered a little too much by Schuster, and left them out of the squad. He will start with Gustavo Reggi in place of the Bulgarian forward, and play Pablo Pinillos instead of the Irish international.
Barcelona import Sergio Garcia is suspended in after seeing red last week, and Oltra will pack an extra player in the midfield, and play with just one up front and Alberto Rivera behind, to make life difficult for the Catalans.
Barcelona: In Beletti’s absence, Rijkaard will try out Oleguer at right back, meaning youngster Damia will have to stay on the bench. Marquez shifts into defense alongside skipper Puyol, while youngster Iniesta comes in to accompany Xavi and Deco in midfield.
The Spanish under-21 international has come on in leaps and bounds this season, and earned Rijkaard’s faith. He remains the only player to have participated in all matches this season, in all competitions.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Levante: Felix Ettien
The Ivory Coast international caught the attention early in the season, only to let everyone down, and Levante’s form has followed pretty much the same pattern. In the absence of Manchev and Garcia, he looks like one of the few who could inspire Levante to save themselves from humiliation.
Barcelona: Samuel Eto’o
With the team rallying around his ‘Pichichi’ challenge, and with his old team-mates from Mallorca counting on him, the Cameroon international has everything in place for a great performance.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Levante: 4-5-1. Mora – Alexis, Jesule, Culebras, Pinillos – Ettien, Nacho, Rivera, Diego Camacho, Juanma – Reggi.
Barcelona: 4-3-3. Valdes – Oleguer, Puyol, Marquez, van Bronkhost – Xavi, Iniesta, Deco – Guily, Eto’o, Ronaldinho.
PREDICTION
They gave Barcelona a run for their money at Camp Nou, but those were clearly different days. After Barcelona’s impressive away wins against Malaga and Valencia, Levante will be lucky to avoid a humiliation.
Levante 0 – 3 Barcelona
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