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| Iker Casillas © Action Images |
Fresh from winning his 100th Spain cap, goalkeeper Iker Casillas returns to club duty with Real Madrid insisting they mustn't start thinking about the 'Clasico' against Barcelona in ten days' time.
Real sit a point behind champions Barcelona going into
Saturday's home match against Racing Santander and Casillas
believes Real can't start getting ahead of themselves.
"The president (Florentino Perez) has made a great effort for
this season and we have to keep looking forward, not to the
Champions League final at the Bernabeu (Real's home ground) or the
game against Barcelona, but the next game against Racing
Santander," said Casillas, who reached the 100-cap mark in last
weekend's friendly against Argentina.
Despite heavy summer investment, Real won't be matching
Barcelona's treble of last season after they were knocked out of
the King's Cup by third-division Alcorcon in new coach Manuel
Pellegrini's first major setback.
Pellegrini has had a public row with 33-year-old veteran Guti -
who could be on his way out of the club after 14 years of service -
but insists he has a good rapport with his players.
"It is a great group and I have a good relationship with the
players. I know what I am doing," said the Chilean coach.
Racing hope the appointment of new coach Miguel Angel Portugal
can lift the players for the Real trip after the club parted
company with Juan Carlos Mandia.
Cristiano Ronaldo has said he is ready to return against Racing
following an ankle injury but Pellegrini is likely to choose to
give the Portuguese star more time with the game at Barcelona on
the horizon.
Barcelona are unbeaten in the league this season, with eight
wins and two draws from their first ten games, but have a tough
trip to San Mames to face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday night.
"It is vital we win in San Mames and gain more confidence," said
Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes.
"It's important to retain the lead not just over Real Madrid but
any team."
Bilbao were well beaten by Barcelona in the King's Cup final and
then the Spanish Super Cup final.
Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has only just returned from
injury but has been the talk of the game after his controversial
role in France's World Cup qualifying play-off draw with Ireland on
Wednesday.
Henry's blatant handball set up William Gallas's decisive goal,
which sent France to the World Cup on aggregate at Ireland's
expense despite furious protests from the visitors.
Sevilla are the only team who look capable of keeping pace with
the top two, lying four points behind pace-setters Barcelona ahead
of Saturday's trip to Tenerife.
"The squad we had two seasons ago was good and won titles (Uefa
Cups in 2006 and 2007) but I think the current squad has even more
quality," said Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute.
In other matches, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal both need to
start collecting wins if they are to mount a challenge for a
Champions League spot this season.
Atletico languish fourth from bottom - 14 points off the top
four - and have a difficult trip to fifth-placed Deportivo La
Coruna on Saturday, while Villarreal are two points better off and
host Valladolid on Sunday.
With two Champions League hopefuls floundering, Valencia have
taken full advantage to climb up to fourth after going 11 games
unbeaten in all competitions. They travel to Pamplona to face
Osasuna on Sunday.
Fixtures
Saturday (1700GMT unless otherwise stated)
Deportivo La Coruna v Atletico Madrid
Tenerife v Sevilla
Real
Madrid v Racing Santander (1900GMT)
Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona
(2100GMT)
Sunday (1600GMT unless otherwise stated)
Villarreal v Valladolid
Xerez v Sporting Gijon
Espanyol v
Getafe
Real Mallorca v Almeria
Malaga v Real Zaragoza (1800GMT)
Osasuna v Valencia (2000GMT)
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