It has been a stuttering start to the New Year from all-conquering Barcelona and the treble winners hope for their first win of the year today at promoted Tenerife.
Barcelona were let off the hook last weekend when their 1-1 home draw against Villarreal went unpunished — as Real Madrid drew 0-0 at Osasuna — so they still hold a two-point lead over their rivals, but confidence was dented further by Tuesday’s 2-1 Kings Cup first-leg defeat to Sevilla at the Camp Nou.
“We have had an unlucky start to 2010, failing to win either match, but there is no need to panic,” midfielder Sergi Busquets said. “The results will start coming very soon and we’ll be playing for all the titles at stake.”
PHOTO: AFP
Barca must do without top-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic through suspension, but Argentine Lionel Messi will be back.
The club are also boosted by the return of Argentine centerback Gaby Milito, who played his first competitive match since April 2008 against Sevilla after cruciate knee ligament injuries.
Tenerife have a decent home record, losing just two of their eight matches and are the only promoted side not in the bottom three, although they are only two points above the drop zone.
Real had a midweek rest having already exited the Kings Cup and after a scoreless draw at Osasuna the league’s top-scorers hope to get back on the goal trail with a home victory over high-flying Real Mallorca today.
Real boss Manuel Pellegrini must do without the suspended duo of Lass Diarra and Sergio Ramos for the Mallorca visit, but Brazilian Kaka may return as he recovers from a groin injury.
Mallorca have won eight out of eight at home to move fourth in the table, but are poor travelers, with just one win on the road, although coach Gregorio Manzano pointed to the fact that the islanders won 3-1 at the Bernabeu last season.
“I can see us winning at the Bernabeu just like we did last year and other times before,” Manzano said.
If Mallorca can get a point or pull off another big win in Madrid it would leave them as the team with the only perfect home record in the league.
Valencia, six points behind second-placed Real Madrid, have are at bottom side Xerez today.
Xerez are eight points from safety and overworked goalkeeper Renan Brito, on loan from Valencia, hopes to get one over on his old side.
“It is going to be strange for me because it is the first time I have faced my old teammates,” Brito said.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
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