La Liga - Getafe look to help Real

Eurosport - Thu, 16 Apr 10:04:00 2009

Getafe president Angel Torres is also a member at city rivals Real Madrid and he will be hoping his side can do the champions a favour by beating visiting leaders Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 La Liga Angel Torres, Presidente del Getafe - 0

The Catalans lost 2-0 at Getafe last season and drew 1-1 at the Nou Camp in November and more dropped points would breathe life into the championship race ahead of "El Clasico" between Real and Barca at the Bernabeu in a little over three weeks.

Barca top the table on 75 points with eight matches remaining, six ahead of Real, who play at relegation-threatened Recreativo Huelva later on Saturday as they try to stay in the hunt for a third consecutive league title.

"Our (Coliseum) stadium is not a place Barcelona like to come and we hope we don't fail and can energise the league," Torres (pictured) said.

Barca had not played well in beating Recre 2-0 at home last weekend and it was a chance for 14th-placed Getafe to put further distance between themselves and the relegation places, he added.

"They don't adapt well to our pitch and that's what we have to very much keep in mind."

Under coach Juande Ramos, Real have done all they can to keep pace with Barca, winning 14 and drawing one of 15 league matches since they lost 2-0 at the Nou Camp in mid-December.

Central defender Pepe said Getafe's spirits would be high after they won 1-0 at third-placed Sevilla last weekend.

"They want to play a good match against Barcelona and they will be feeling very confident," the Portugal international said.

Barca can still win three trophies this term - Spanish league and cup and Champions League - and influential midfielder Xavi said the team is in superb physical and mental shape as the season nears its climax.

"We are ready for a very tough month and a half," the Spain international said.

"For sure all the other teams will be gunning for us," he added. "We have to round off what we have been doing with trophies and we'll fight to win the three competitions although we know it will be very difficult."

Further down the table, a scrap has developed for the lucrative European places, with fourth-placed Valencia,

Villarreal in fifth, sixth-placed Atletico Madrid and promoted Malaga in seventh all within three points of each other.

Valencia captain Carlos Marchena said their match at home to Sevilla on Sunday was crucial to the financially-troubled club's hopes of playing in next season's Champions League.

"When you get a run of good results it gives you a lift and three straight wins have boosted our confidence," he said.

Bottom club Espanyol desperately need three points when they host Racing Santander on Sunday with seven separating them from safety.

Reuters

Comment 1 - 14 of 14

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  1. The whole La Liga is against Barca! Lot of cheats!­ Doesn't matter! Barca is the best!!! No question...­ ANTIMADRIDISTA!!!

    From damnsoldja, on Thu 23 Apr 12:49AM

  2. am seeing Gatafi stinck Barca ahead of the tittle race­ cause they have a skillful uche who can dazzle those­ weak, pregnant defenders of Barca. ha! ha! ha! they­ ain't seen nothing yet. From joe

    From chenor_kamara, on Fri 17 Apr 9:29AM

  3. haha, Thank you, A win is a win, The season b4 last,­ Real only won because of head to head, they were Level­ on Points

    This season is for BARCE. Trebble is­ coming.. Even if we loose to Getafe, No proble,.. on­ May 3rd, Barca will restore the 6 point lead anyways.­ Madshit 0-4 Barca Eto'o Hat-trick - and Messi­ Wonder goal.
    Watch and see.

    From TITUS N, on Fri 17 Apr 2:24AM

  4. lets those madshit fan speculate, Barca gonna win the­ liga, even if by a single point then let it be.. Barca­ gonna do double if not treble, thats for sure..!

    From carlamms, on Fri 17 Apr 1:17AM

  5. and you expect real madrid to win all the derbys??­ okay! and yes getafe causes barca problems but is not­ harder than bayern. and also causes problems to madrid­ especially uche who has scored almost every game­ against real madrid

    From Varnavas P, on Thu 16 Apr 9:48PM

  6. no i think it will be r madrid 84 and barASSholena 81

    From getachew44, on Thu 16 Apr 5:59PM

  7. by the end of this weak barca 75 r madrid 72 and see­ you the coming terrible weaks for barca just think of­ this first sivilla, then valencia then r madrid at last­ villareal and remaimber this till end after those­ matches that r madrid will be the leader with 6 points­ advantage r madrid 84 barca 78

    From zeray, on Thu 16 Apr 5:54PM

  8. getafi are harder than bayern all barca fan know it

    From zeray, on Thu 16 Apr 5:47PM

  9. that is not a surprise getafi is the team always cause­ problems to barca. little to refresh your memmory, have­ you forget last season when they diffited you or the­ one before when barca lost 4 0 in the cup or don't­ go far just remaimber this season's match in camp­ nou when kaita save you a..s..s from r.... and get draw

    From getachew44, on Thu 16 Apr 5:32PM

  10. Hey Tim, don't forget the king's influence in­ the 60's and 70's. Which team always got beat­ up by the police if they won against Real Madrid? You­ guessed it, Catalans did. And I am not even talking­ about Espanyol.

    Real MADSHEET is proud of that­ too... Sad excuse for a football team. It's one­ thing to be better and beat your opponent on the­ field(see Bayern at Barca a few days ago) but to­ actually pay off refs, clubs or physically abuse your­ opponents' players..... Only madsheet is capable­ of that

    From amirz, on Thu 16 Apr 5:05PM

  11. i never liked getafe

    From Varnavas P, on Thu 16 Apr 3:24PM

  12. Yea sure Tim LOL... u just hateing Real cause they won­ La Liga 2 times a row and now they still putting­ pressure on Barca, even if Barca has now the best team­ in the world.

    From marrin88, on Thu 16 Apr 2:48PM

  13. yeah right timmy boy

    From puksisins, on Thu 16 Apr 1:35PM

  14. I am sure Real Madrid have already promised Getafe a­ financial "incentive" to beat Barçelona. It­ is business as usual in La Liga. How do you think Real­ Madrid have won all those titles without the help of­ their friends; referees,opponents,Spanish FA ?

    From Tim, on Thu 16 Apr 1:23PM
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