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FBL-ESP-LIGA,PREVIEW
Real Madrid face last-place Huesca in battle of large and little
MADRID, Dec 7, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Luka Modric has been voted the best player
on the planet and Real Madrid crowned European champions three times in a row
but in Huesca on Saturday they will meet a team from the opposite end of the
ladder.
Madrid’s stars gathered in Paris on Monday, dressed in shiny black suits
and bow-ties, to watch their midfield magician collect the Ballon d’Or, ahead
of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“He is at his peak,” Real coach Santiago Solari said. “That makes it even
more beautiful.”
From the Grand Palais on the Champs-Elysees, they head this weekend to
northern Spain and Alcoraz, Huesca’s recently-expanded stadium with a
capacity of just over 7,000, in a town of little more than 52,000 people.
There, they face La Liga’s bottom club, on seven points from 14 games, but
Huesca’s ascent began far lower down than that.
The majority of their 58-year history has been spent between the third and
fourth tiers. They were languishing in Segunda B as recently as 2015.
Promoted to the top flight for the first time at the end of last season,
Huesca prepared by overhauling their squad, but on a shoe-string budget, with
a mix of players from the lower divisions, promising youngsters and old heads
from abroad.
They changed coach too, twice, after Rubi was poached by Espanyol, who are
now seventh. He was replaced by Leo Franco, who only lasted until October.
Then in came Francisco, who is yet to see a victory.
Some of te promotion team remained, including top scorer Alex Gallar. He
joined in 2017 after spells at Cultural Leonesa, Hercules, Cornella and
Mallorca’s B team, all four sides in the third tier.
“When I came here, it was not the main objective to go up to the top flight
but we did it,” Gallar said. “It was a very good decision to come here.”
One of his three goals this term came against Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Huesca scored twice there, including the opener, but Barca finished with
eight.
This, though, will be Huesca’s first time hosting either of Spain’s two
grandees and a chance for the fans to ponder on how far their team has come.
“We have seen people are behind us despite the results and pushes us to
turn it around,” Francisco said last week. “Our home has to be a fortress.”
In the summer of 2013, Real Madrid bought Gareth Bale for a world record
100 million euros while Huesca signed seven players, all for nothing.
Madrid are in good form and Bale, again, has a point to prove. He came off
in the second half of last weekend’s win over Valencia, rubbing his thigh,
while Santiago Solari said afterwards he was “exhausted”.
It was Bale’s tenth La Liga game without scoring, even if that run masks
some decent performances under Solari, including two goals and an assist in
the Champions League.
“Bale is working well,” Solari said on Wednesday. “He’s fine.”
Real’s victory over Valencia, on the back of beating Roma in Italy, means
the 3-0 defeat to Eibar following the international break seems more like a
blip amid six wins from seven matches.
Despite changing coach this season, a scoreless drought that lasted more
than eight hours and being thrashed by Barcelona, Madrid are only five point
off the top.
That they remain just about in touch is down to one of the most error-
ridden title races in recent memory. Last weekend, Barca, Sevilla, Atletico
Madrid and Alaves could all have finished the round in first but only two of
the top six managed to win.
Barcelona were one of them. On Saturday, Ernesto Valverde’s side visit
their Catalan rivals Espanyol.
Atletico host Alaves, who have finished every weekend in the top six since
round five. Sevilla are away to Valencia, a side that last season finished
fourth but now sit 14th.
Friday (all times GMT)
Leganes v Getafe (2000)
Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Alaves (1200), Valencia v Sevilla (1515), Villarreal v
Celta Vigo (1730), Espanyol v Barcelona (1945)
Sunday
Eibar v Levante (1100), Huesca v Real Madrid (1515), Real Sociedad v Real
Valladolid (1730), Real Betis v Rayo Vallecano (2145) Monday Athletic Bilbao
v Girona (2000)
BSS/AFP/MRI/0834 hrs