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European Football
Preview - 28 Sep 2007
Home comforts for Blanquillos
A quick look at last season's La Liga table tells us that Real
Zaragoza were victorious sixteen times in La Liga last season.
75% of those wins were gained on home soil. On Saturday they
host a Sevilla side that, despite going the distance in last year's
title race, achieved maximum points in less than one third of their
away games, suffering seven defeats. So why are Zaragoza
backable at 19/10?
Both sides are evidently far more comfortable playing in front of
their own supporters. Yet the away side have been cast as the
jollies, despite a run of three successive losses. Should we
really be reading anything into Zaragoza's 4-1 defeat in the Nou
Camp on Wednesday night? A result which the layers
appear to be basing their prices around. After all, Sevilla
were themselves beaten by Frank Rijkaard's men only four days
earlier. That defeat was followed by a surprising reversal at
home to struggling Espanyol.
Defeats at Arsenal and Barcelona were seen as merely a blip by most
observers, but the Espanyol result cannot be explained away so
easily. Juande Ramos' side looked particularly vulnerable in
defence, without the services of influential captain Javi
Navarro. Unfortunately for the Sevilla coach, Navarro is still
a couple of months away from full-fitness.
For all their weaknesses away from from home, Zaragoza are quite
simply a formidable side at La Romerada. As proven when
dispatching Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla themselves last
season. If anything, Victor Fernandez' side are even stronger
this time around, with talented Brazilians Ricardo Olivieira and
Matuzalem having been brought in to bolster the attack. Of
course, Gabi Milito has been missed at the heart of the defence, but
Fernandez has recruited the perfect short-term replacement in
Roberto Ayala. The Argentinian could return, having missed the
first-half capitulation against Barca with a sore knee.
Expect a match of high intensity, between two sides that have grown
to hate each other in recent seasons. Uruguayan defender
Carlos Diogo appears to relish this match-up more than anyone,
having been sent-off in both meetings last season. However,
the hot-headed right-back is unavailable due to a fractured hand,
which may just be a blessing in disguise. The aforementioned
Matuzalem is also out with a broken metatarsal. A blow for
Zaragoza, but one that could be countered by the niggling injury to
Freddy Kanoute, which has seen him training apart from his Sevilla team-mates
this week. Andres D'alessandro stands by to replace Matuzalem
if he can recover from a pulled muscle in time.
In short, Zaragoza should be backed at close to 2/1 at their own
place, given Sevilla's patchy form, charitable defending and
generally poor recent record outside of the Ramos Sanchez Pizjuan.
Take the early price, because it most probably won't be around this
time tomorrow.
Saturday 21:00. Real Zaragoza vs Sevilla
Recommendation: 3pts Zaragoza
at 19/10. Expekt.
Ilunga
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