Who: Valencia (4th, 59 pts) vs. Real Zaragoza (5th, 55 pts.)
When: 2100 CET, 13th May 2007
Where: Estadio Mestalla, Valencia
With so much to gain for both sides, there is also so much to lose. Although the title may be practically out of reach, Valencia sorely need a win to all but guarantee Champions League football next season, while for Real Zaragoza, this is the last realistic chance to gain ground in the race for that all-important place in Europe's premier competition.
For Los Che in particular, a win would be a massive relief. Defeat, while not disastrous, would end even the faintest of title hopes, and put their Champions League qualification hopes in jeopardy. Zaragoza are simply not a side you can give an opening to.
A Vital Encounter
It's been an eventful month for both sides and, while Zaragoza's form has been the worse of the two, it is arguably Valencia who are under more pressure.
Star striker David Villa - a former Zaragoza man - is now attracting attention from most of the continent's top clubs; without European football and a credible title challenge to sustain him next season, he may find the lure of a new club too tempting to refuse. Valencia simply must finish in the top four, and a win here is vital towards achieving that goal.
For Los Che lie four points ahead of Zaragoza at the moment; with four games left to go after this one, a seven point advantage may prove insurmountable for the Aragonese men. Indeed, the Zaragozans have not had a top-four finish since the turn of the century, and the Champions League has proved elusive.
However, everyone at the club is eager to improve on their current European record; a UEFA Cup win in the sixties and a Cup Winners' Cup victory in 1995 are the sum total of Zaragoza's European achievements.
Valencia's European pedigree is slightly greater. Three UEFA Cup wins, a Cup Winners' Cup title and a Super Cup win in 2004 give the Valencians plenty of prestige. However, the big prize is the Champions League, and twice they've slipped at the final hurdle. To qualify once again would be great; to win would be greater.
In The Moment
European history will be forgotten when the two sides step out onto the pitch knowing the enormity of the task at hand. Valencia may have struggled in the early stages of the season, and Zaragoza may have hit a small rough patch just recently, but with the stakes as high as this, anything can happen.
That said, many feel the likelier result is a home victory. While Valencia are under immense pressure to win, they'll be buoyed by their 1-0 win over Zaragoza at the Romareda earlier in the season. Angulo's goal late in the first half was enough to bring the points back to the Mestalla, although it was far from easy; Zaragoza managed 10 shots on target in that tie and perhaps deserved at least a point.
But Valencia's dynamic attack line had done enough; coach Flores will hope for the same again, although it is set to line up differently this time. Vicente played on the left in that tie; due to injury, he's set to miss out, but Silva has made that position his own in recent months. Angulo may play again, just off Villa up front. Joaquin, rediscovering his form, should line up on the right in a formidable attacking setup.
However, they won't find it easy. The Zaragozan defence is nothing if not effective, although Valencia deserve equal credit here. Both sides have let in 32 goals in this campaign, or less than one goal per game. Zaragoza have a strong back line, guided by Gabi Milito, a formidable campaigner with four years of Liga experience to go with a 1997-2003 spell with Independiente in his native Argentina. A member of Argentina's World Cup squad, Gabi has had another top notch season.
There has been some shakiness, though. He was a part of the stuttering defence that let in two at Osasuna a fortnight ago, and only good goal-keeping kept the score goalless for both sides against Racing last week.
The attack is not to be sniffed at, either. Remarkably, the two clubs have identical goalscoring records, too - 47 goals in 33 games - and for the blanquillos, much of this is down to Gabi's brother, Diego. After a blistering start to the campaign, he was knocked off top spot in the Pichichi rankings by Ruud van Nistelrooy, and has endured a lean spell of late. His last goal came in the 1-0 win over Barcelona over a month ago. Ewerthon has picked up the slack since then, while Sergio Garcia Fuente spared Real's blushes with a last minute equaliser in the aforementioned Pamplona tie.
Club Connections
Even without the potential prize of Champions League football, both squads have a lot to prove. Indeed, the links between the pair run deep both on and off the pitch. David Villa, perhaps the most exciting talent on show, spent two seasons at La Romareda, racking up 31 goals in the process. Morientes, too, had played in Aragon almost a decade prior, scoring on 30 occasions for the blanquillos.
Silva has often been called the new Pablo Aimar, but the old Pablo Aimar is still very much alive and kicking, having left Valencia for Zaragoza at the start of this season. The younger of the two may draw more headlines, but Pablo has managed 13 league goals in 26 appearances so far this season, and is enjoying a superb campaign on the left side of Zaragoza's 4-4-2, one year into his four year contract.
Youth versus experience does not end there. Coach Quique Flores is one of the younger managers at the top level and can count some of today's more senior players as his peers. Indeed, he spent the last days of his playing career alongside Morientes at Zaragoza, before taking up coaching and, later, management.
And one man he'll know just as well is Zaragoza coach Victor Fernandez. Perhaps a role model of sorts for Quique Flores, Fernandez was one of Spain's youngest managers when he took charge of Zaragoza at the age of just 30 in 1990. He left the club in 1996, months before Morientes, staying in management with the likes of Celta and Porto before returning to his hometown club at the start of this season.
The two have had their ups and downs in management, and are seldom out of the limelight, but the time to reminisce and swap stories is not Sunday. This match is far too important for that, and both men know it.
FORM GUIDE
Valencia: Valencia's form has been typically volatile. Within a week, Los Che had overcome the shocking 1-0 defeat at Bilbao with a convincing 2-0 win over Sevilla. Real stormed to victory at the Bernabeu; since then, the Mestalla side have done enough to cement their Champions League place with two solid results. Throughout, they've done well in their own city, and indeed are the 3rd best home side in La Liga.
Last Five:
May 05 Deportivo La Coruna - Valencia 1-2
Apr. 28 Valencia - Recreativo Huelva 2-0
Apr. 21 Real Madrid - Valencia 2-1
Apr. 15 Valencia - Sevilla 2-0
Apr. 08 Athletic Club Bilbao - Valencia 1-0
Real Zaragoza: The 1-0 win over Barca at the start of the month was delightful, but the rest of April proved less than satisfactory. Only two late goals from Ewerthon gave the blanquillos victory over a poor Celta side; other than that, Zaragoza struggled greatly and go into this tie without a win in three weeks. Their away form is only just above average; they have the 8th best Liga record on the road.
Last Five:
May 06 Real Zaragoza - Racing Santander - 0-0
Apr. 29 Osasuna - Real Zaragoza 2-2
Apr. 22 Real Zaragoza - Celta Vigo 2-0
Apr. 15 Gimnastic - Real Zaragoza 1-0
Apr. 07 Real Zaragoza - Barcelona 1-0
TEAM NEWS
Valencia
Valencia's strength this season has come courtesy of a settled, strong lineup. Nonetheless, they managed a 2-1 win at Depor last minute without one of their most influential players and may have to do so again: Fernando Morientes cooled his heels on the bench following an injury and could yet miss out against Zaragoza. Angulo may once again take his place.
Elsewhere, David Albelda is fast returning to fitness, threatening last week's goalscorer Hugo Viana, while long-term absentee Ruben Baraja is battling for a place in the squad. Nonetheless, the core of the team may not change too much from last week, defensively-minded Marchena set to appear in midfield.
PROBABLE STARTING XI (Unconfirmed): Canizares - Miguel, Albiol, Ayala, Moretti - Joaquin, Albelda, Marchena, Silva - Villa, Angulo
Real Zaragoza
Another side with a settled first XI, the Zaragozans will need to make a change this week. Carlos Diogo is out suspended, but he has an understudy, Chus Herrero, set to take his place at right back. Central midfielder Celades lasted just forty-five minutes against Racing before being shown to the bench. It's unlikely that he'll keep his place.
However, Pique, the on-loan Manchester United starlet, is not guaranteed to regain fitness in time to play, meaning that it's a free-for-all for that midfield spot with Movilla and Longas battling it out. Up front, Diego Milito should play with either Ewerthon or Sergio Garcia.
PROBABLE STARTING XI (Unconfirmed): Cesar - Chus Herrero, Sergio Fernandez, Gabi Milito, Juanfran - D'Allesandro, Zapater, Longas, Aimar - Diego Milito, Sergio Garcia
KEY PLAYERS
Valencia: David Villa, David Silva
In the absence of Morientes, Villa carries the goalscoring flag for Valencia. Indeed, he and his usual partner are tied for 13 Liga goals this season, albeit Villa's total includes two penalties. How long the club can hold onto this rare talent remains to be seen. The player insists that he wants to stay, but surely nobody would grudge him ambition. He hopes, however, to fulfil those goals with Los Che.
Silva, out on the left wing, is still just 21 and in his first full season with the Valencia first team, yet he's already one of the biggest names in Spanish football. A successful campaign on loan at Celta last year was just the beginning; now, he's an internationalist and, moreover, a first-choice pick at the Mestalla. Great things are expected from him.
Real Zaragoza: Andrés D'Alessandro, Diego Milito
D'Alessandro is best known to English-speakers as the tiny Argentinian who spent six months at Porstmouth on loan from Wolfsburg. The English club were unable to retain him on a permanent basis, so his next port of call was Zaragoza, again on loan. The winger has adapted well to both club and city; clearly the Spanish climate is good for him as he's enjoyed a superb season so far. He may only have one league goal to his name, but his build-up play is well worth watching.
Many of his creations are converted by Zaragoza's main striker, Diego Milito. Another Argentinian, Diego is second-top scorer in La Liga so far this season with 19 strikes. Much like Villa, he's attracting the attention of other clubs, including the likes of Barcelona. For now, however, he's in a head-to-head battle with van Nistelrooy of Real Madrid for the Pichichi trophy.
Goal.com - Match Preview - La Liga Preview: Valencia - Real Zaragoza
Valencia 3-2 Espanyol
