Transfer Market Heats Up In ArgentinaAs usual, Argentina's big two Boca Juniors and River Plate are the club's who are making a stand in the transfer market. Not only have they appointed new coaches this season: Carlos Ischia and Diego Simeone, respectively, but their squads are taking some shape.
Boca Juniors may have offloaded teenage sensation Ever Banega to Valencia, but they have been reinforced by key playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, a player who guided them to the Copa Libertadores title last year.
Their other important signing was that of Lucas Castroman, who returned to Argentine football after a brief stint with Club America of Mexico.
Bitter rivals River Plate haven't had much to show for in recent years, but although they sold team-captain Fernando Belluschi to Olympiakos of Greece, they have reinforced their side with popular Uruguayan international striker Sebastian Abreu, who has played most of his career in Mexican football.
Earlier in the week they signed Gustavo Cabral from Racing Club, a highly-talented defender with a bright future.
2007 Clausura champions San Lorenzo have signed former Argentine international Diego Placente, while they have offloaded Gaston Fernandez, Osmar Ferreyra, and Walter Montillo.
While last season's Apertura champions Lanus, have only made one new signing, that of Ivan Macalik. But they are expected to make more incorporations in the coming weeks.
Uruguayan striker Diego Alonso has been Gimnasia de La Plata's only new signing to date, although they could close in on Guillermo Barros Schelotto of the Columbus Crew.
Hugo Tocalli's Velez Sarsfield have reinforced their squad with Patricio Perez, and Waldo Ponce, but have offloaded Mexican international Mario Mendez, who returned to Toluca.
Independiente have yet to make any new signings, as haven't Avellaneda rivals Racing Club. Both clubs will need to make some signings if they want to improve on poor campaigns last season.
La Liga Preview: Athletic Bilbao - SevillaAthletic Bilbao and Sevilla both go into Saturday's game off the back of mid-week draws in the Copa del Rey and looking to improve on their current league positions.
There is bound to be an excellent atmosphere inside the San Mamés for Bilbao's first home league game in 2008, as Joaquín Caparrós' side look to improve on their decidedly dicey league position, which sees them just one place and one point away from the relegation places.
Sevilla go into the match in 8th place in the league and will be looking to follow their convincing victory in last week's derby against Real Betis with an away victory at Bilbao, despite their lacks of options up front.
Mixed Reactions
After staying in the Primera Division by just one point at the end of last season, Athletic Bilbao were on the search for a new manager who could take the side forward and avoid a repeat of the relegation battles that have plagued the team in the last couple of years.
Bilbao's board elected to appoint Joaquín Caparrós, who had recently parted company with Deportivo La Coruña. The decision was met by some criticism in the local media, claiming that a Southern man such as Caparrós - born in Sevilla - could not begin to understand the Northern and Basque traditions that are at the heart of Athletic Bilbao.
Their Cantera policy, which sees them only recruit players from a Basque background, severely limits the players that a manager is able to target and Caparrós has had to try and improve results on the pitch with practically the same squad that survived on the final day of last season.
Unsurprisingly, results have not really improved and with the midway point in the season approaching, Bilbao find themselves in the same position they finished last season: 17th.
They lost their first league game of 2008 away to Racing Santander 1-0 despite having numerous chances to score. Their home form has been average so far this season and they will be looking to make the San Mamés the fortress it once was in the second half of the season.
Coming Back Together
Sevilla finished last season just five points away from eventual champions Real Madrid in third and were expected to be among the challengers for the 2007/08 campaign.
4-1 victories in both of their first two games seemed to confirm this belief, but they were followed by a poor run of results, which left Sevilla squarely in mid-table at the beginning of October.
Just a week after an away victory at Levante brough their poor run to an end, Sevilla's manager Juande Ramos resigned from his position to take up the vacancy at Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premiership.
Manolo Jiménez stepped up from the reserve team to take over first-team affairs and after a patchy start has steered Sevilla to a run of eight games unbeaten in all competitions.
Sevilla have been excellent at home, scoring ten goals in their last three league games at the Sánchez Pizjuán, but their away form has been less than great.
Jiménez will look to turn that around in 2008 and will see Saturday's tie with Bilbao as the ideal opportunity to get an away victory under his belt.
FORM
Athletic Bilbao
Recent MatchesMatch Result Date Championship
Athletic Bilbao - Espanyol 1 - 1 09/01/2008 COPA DEL REY
Racing - Athletic Bilbao 1 - 0 06/01/2008 LA LIGA
Athletic Bilbao - Murcia 1 - 1 23/12/2007 LA LIGA
Mallorca - Athletic Bilbao 0 - 0 16/12/2007 LA LIGA
Athletic Bilbao - Real Madrid 0 - 1 08/12/2007 LA LIGA
Valencia - Athletic Bilbao 0 - 3 02/12/2007 LA LIGA
Sevilla
Recent MatchesMatch Result Date Championship
Sevilla - Barcelona 1 - 1 09/01/2008 COPA DEL REY
Sevilla - Betis 3 - 0 06/01/2008 LA LIGA
Sevilla - Racing 4 - 1 22/12/2007 LA LIGA
Valladolid - Sevilla 0 - 0 16/12/2007 LA LIGA
Slavia Praha - Sevilla 0 - 3 12/12/2007 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Sevilla - Murcia 3 - 1 09/12/2007 LA LIGA
TEAM NEWS
Athletic Bilbao
Iraizoz, Aitor Ocio and Joseba Etxeberria are still out injured so the only change is likely to be a return to a 4-4-2 formation now that Aritz Aduriz is fully fit to partner Fernando Llorente up front.
Probable Starting XI: Aranzubia, Iraola, Ustaritz, Amorebieta, Koikili, Orbaiz, Lopez, Yeste, Garmendia, Llorente, Aduriz.
Sevilla
Arouna Kone, Seydou Keita and Fredi Kanoute are away at the African Cup of Nations; Ivica Dragutinovic and Luis Fabiano are suspended; Andres Palop, Alexandr Kerzhakov and Javi Navarro are injured.
Jiménez wishes to stick with his favoured 4-4-2 formation and with a lack of strikers is likely to move Renato forward from midfield to partner Javier Chevanton up front.
Probable Starting XI: De Sanctis, Daniel Alves, Mosquera, Escude, Crespo, Navas, Maresca, Poulson, Capal, Renato, Chevanton.
PREDICTION
Sevilla have struggled away from home so far this season and with so many attacking players unavailable, it is hard to see them scoring more than once on Saturday. Athletic Bilbao will be desperate to get a home victory to start a revival in the second half of the campaign, but despite their best efforts I can see this being a score-draw.
Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Sevilla
Clemente: Barça Must be More ConsistentThe former Spain coach thinks that although the Blaugrana may have a stronger squad than their arch rivals, they are not performing as well every week.
As last weekend's victory Real Zaragoza proved, Bernd Schuster's side can still find a way to victory even if they are not on top of their game, according to Clemente.
"I like Barcelona. They have the strongest squad in Spain, but the difference is that Madrid are now working better and are playing at a higher level," he said.
"Barça have a good team, but Madrid pulls out the performances and that is why they are seven points ahead.
"Madrid are very stable. It is difficult to see them dropping many points. When Barça play badly they lose, but Madrid do not."
Despite the gap at the top, Clemente can still see Barcelona making a challenge and does not believe that any other side will have a say.
"Barça are still serious contenders and have the chance to win the league. As I have said before, the race will be between Barça and Madrid," he continued.
"The only other team that could have competed economically is Valencia and they have fallen away.
"Atlético de Madrid are a great side but lack consistency. Espanyol are the big surprise and they are good up front, but they may not have the money required to bring in new players to add that extra something now."
Juande: We Have To Be More PositiveResults improved before Christmas when Paco Chaparro replaced Héctor Cúper at the helm and hopes were high that the team could edge back up the table.
The New Year has changed all that, however, and after losing to Valencia in the Copa del Rey and Sevilla in the league, Juande thinks that confidence needs to be restored.
"We have to remain positive as we are coming under more and more pressure with each day that passes and we do not achieve a good result," he said.
"Everyone must change their way of thinking."
After the defeat at home by Valencia in the cup in midweek, Betis were booed off the pitch by their own supporters as the frustration finally came out.
Despite not enjoying the experience, Juande claims that he realises why it happened and said that the team must ensure that it does not happen again.
"Nobody likes to be jeered, but is it understandable because we have been in this situation for two-and-a-half years," he continued.
"It is our duty to try and lift the fans again as all they want is to see us win."
Aguirre sets Atlético agendaClub Atlético de Madrid coach Javier Aguirre knows his side are "entering a very important phase" as they prepare to welcome Valencia CF to the Spanish capital on Sunday – the start of a pivotal week.
Challenge
Aguirre finished seventh in his debut season at the Vicente Calderón and began this term with the simple aim of improving on that return while negotiating a first UEFA Cup foray in eight years. With Atlético fourth in Spain and through to the UEFA Cup last 32 it is a case of so far, so good, yet the former Mexico national team manager knows it will count for nothing if that form does not continue. "The players have shown they have clear goals in their heads," said Aguirre. "In a short space of time we'll be playing for a lot, though. In the league we face teams like Valencia and Real Madrid [CF] and we also have key matches coming up in the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup."
Cup hopes
Their UEFA Cup meeting with Bolton Wanderers FC kicks off in mid-February, so for the next month the sole focus will be on domestic matters. First up Valencia, then Real Valladolid CF for the second leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 meeting - Thursday's first leg ended in a 0-0 draw - before the Madrid derby at the Vicente Calderón, and Aguirre knows he must beware of fatigue: "We'll be trying to share out the minutes among the players as much as possible; I think our squad is well balanced and able to deal with it."
Striking partnership
Well balanced it may be but an undeniable factor in Atlético's success this term has been a potent partnership between Diego Forlán and Agüero, players Aguirre says "look as though they've been playing together for years". The duo have registered 15 between them in the league this season, fed by a productive supply line of Luis García, Raúl García and Simão, and will need to be firing on all cylinders when Valencia arrive on Sunday keen to give a better account of themselves in the second half of the season than they have in the first.
Valencia task
Seventh, Valencia are nevertheless just seven points off a coveted top-four spot and coach Ronald Koeman will be aware that their record on the road has, at least, been impressive – Aguirre for one, is taking nothing for granted. "Valencia will be battling with us for the rest of the season," said the 50-year-old, who guided CA Osasuna to a highly creditable fourth-place finish in 2006. "I was surprised that they drew 0-0 with [UD] Levante last week but it shows that you can't write off any team." That includes Atlético.
Arizmendi: We Intend To Beat Atlético
Valencia's forward turned right-back Javier Arizmendi believes that his side have every chance of beating his former employers Atlético Madrid on Sunday night.
Valencia travel to the Vicente Calderón on Sunday having not won in La Liga since mid-November, but Arizmendi feels that the confidence within the squad is high and that they will be going into the game looking for all three points.
"We go with the plan to take the three points," he told Marca.
"It will be a complicated match but we go into it with much confidence; we are improving in defence and we must maintain this improvement."
Arizmendi has been used as a right-back in recent weeks and insists that he is "comfortable" with playing there, despite having played as a forward for most of his career.
"The important thing is to play and to help the team in their current position."
Having begun his footballing career at Atlético, Arizmendi will be looking to prove a point on Sunday night, having rarely featured for their first-team in the Primera Division and having spent the last few seasons on loan at Racing and Deportivo.
"Atlético gave me the opportunity to play in the top league, but each time I returned there it seemed less special."
Finally, Arizmendi was asked how new recruit Ever Banega was settling into training with his new team-mates and suggested that patience will be required if they are to see the best of the young Argentine.
"He is adapting little by little and it is not easy in its circumstances, but I see him with a great future," he concluded.
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