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DEPORTIVO v ATLETICO MADRID
9pm, Saturday, Sky Sports Xtra
REAL MADRID v BARCELONA
7.30pm, Sunday, Sky Sports 1
Guillem Balague previews the La Liga matches that you will be able to see live on Sky Sports this weekend - which means the big one, Barcelona v Real Madrid. Ever wondered why it brings a whole nation to a standstill and splits it right down the middle? Well, let Guillem fill you in on the background and of course the problems playing on the minds of Rijkaard and Capello as they head for the cauldron that will be the Bernabeu come Sunday evening. He also answers your emails on Spanish football. Click on the link and send him a question!
[email]E-mail your La Liga questions to Guillem[/email]
REAL MADRID v BARCELONA [url=javascript:var target=window.open('http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid263777589','WhoareYOUbacking','scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,width=500,height=529');]Who are YOU backing - VIDEO[/url]
In recent Spain matches it has become very clear that the problem with the national team is that it is less and less symbolic of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
So, when there is interest around the national team, it does feel very artificial compared to the interest in both those two clubs, who of course meet on Sunday.
The Spanish football structure owes a lot to General Franco. That time was one when politicians, the government and the dictatorship were happy to let those two giants grow, with the intention of distracting everyone of course. That's why over the last 40 or 50 years, La Liga has been considered a matter of these two teams.
Everybody in Spain supports two teams. Usually their local team - although not always - and either Real Madrid or Barcelona. That is why it becomes a huge national event.
Some of the top intellectuals in Spain - and I won't bore you with their names - think that the country is only two things: The army, or the police, that keeps the nation together and the football! Everywhere else the feeling is that Spain is just a group of smaller countries. And this is what Real Madrid and Barcelona represent.
Barcelona have become very politicised by Joan Laporta in a very legitimate but ambiguous kind of way - they want to be local and Catalan but at the same time, want to be universal. It's a difficult combination but by Laporta doing that, more and more people are starting to support Real Madrid these days.Not only do they do that because of what they represent when it comes to playing football, the history of a club that had Puskas, Di Stefano and Gento, but also as a way to counteract this nationalistic (and universal) approach at Barcelona.
Many people feel Catalans are trying to destroy the unity of Spain, forgetting conveniently as I say, that that unity is made up of many smaller nations!
Another aspect is that, apparently, only 40 per cent of Catalans are Barcelona fans! Now, nobody in Spain will say that, because they think they're all Barcelona fans, but the background to this game has a few cliches that at some point - and in a bigger forum - should be challenged.
It shows you just how big this game is because I haven't even mentioned the football itself yet!
To do that means the Chelsea defeat for Barcelona in midweek and for Madrid, the victory over Steaua and the problems in their camp, of which there are still plenty, by the way!
I will give you a couple of tactical pointers before Sunday evening, one for each side to be concerned with.
First Barcelona. Frank Rijkaard got it wrong with his substitutions against Chelsea. He put out a three-man defence which was kind of questioned by the players in the second half.
A lot of them were looking for the ball to feet but they had no real presence up front. Eidur Gudjohnsen is doing a good job, but I still don't think he's on the same wavelength as everyone else.
As far as Real Madrid are concerned, they started the week with Fabio Capello allegedly threatening in front of the players to resign! Although that has of course been denied, after the Getafe defeat at the weekend and the lack of attitude everyone was talking about, the question a lot of fans and some sections of the media have been asking about this story is: how come it is only about attitude?
It was of course better against Steaua in the Champions League, but David Beckham started on the bench and I get the impression Capello doesn't really fancy him much.
My gut feeling is also that there is going to be a defining moment over the next month, or month and a half, when Capello will have to give him his chance. He will have to prove himself properly, or I have a hunch that we might start seeing, shall we say, some complications with his future at the club.
DEPORTIVO v ATLETICO MADRID
The special psychology of Atletico Madrid got a new test this week. They are called El Pupas - the ones who always get injured or the unlucky ones.
They feel throughout they're history that when they're about to taste glory, for instance in the European Championship, they always get unlucky and luck has not been on their side.
They are born of the philosophy that they always expect something to go wrong. And that is what happened this time: Maxi got injured with Argentina against Spain and some people are blaming it on the pitch in Murcia.I have talked to players and doctors and his family and they say it could have happened anywhere - even with a better pitch it would have been the same outcome - a cruciate injury.
Martin Petrov, the other winger, has also got a cruciate injury and they were operated on on the same day, by the same doctor, in the same hospital. Six months out for both is bad news for Atletico because Maxi was on top form.
As a team they don't produce great football, but those two are the type of players that could give them something extra and come up with the odd goal. They are going to have to find someone to do it without them. Sergio Aguero should be on the bench again, but could it be him, especially in the second half.
GUILLEM ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
BEST OF THE BUNCH
Hi Guillem. I was just wondering who you think have been the best four or five players in La Liga this season and who have been the best signings? Garry Piper
GUILLEM SAYS: The problem with this is, we haven't seen much of Sevilla, who are playing fantastically well. Of course David Villa of Valencia would be in my top four for sure, but I also think Iniesta is becoming a very important player for Barcelona. But at Sevilla I think there are two or three players who are making a big, big impact. Fredi Kanoute is definitely one, Adriano the left winger and Renato in central midfield are the others. Those five would be my top players right now.
ALL GO FOR ALDO?
Hello Guillem, I live in India and I see Spanish football and I am a big fan of your column! Could you just tell me what is going on with Aldo Duscher's future? Where is he going to end up? One day he is talking to Manchester United about replacing Roy Keane and the next day to Bolton Wanderers! From what I have seen he is yet to convince me he is capable of playing for a big club like United. What do you think and where will he end up? Vijay Kubal, India
GUILLEM SAYS: I am glad we have a following over in India, Vijay! Where is Aldo Duscher going to end up? Well, I don't think Deportivo are ready to renew his contract as yet, even though the coach Joaquin Caparros is pressurising them to get that new contract signed. There has been talk in the past about Manchester United from Duscher himself, saying he's had an approach. Then as you say, Bolton and also Newcastle cropped up, but nothing came up. I get the feeling he is just trying to push for another, better contract from Deportivo.
POR QUE 'GUAPA'
Just a quickie. Why is a nice bit of play, "guapa" as opposed to the masculine "guapo"? I'm trying to get to grips with the Spanish language! Neil Parish
GUILLEM SAYS: Well Neil, 'guapa' is something that our friend at Revista, Roberto Martinez came up with, followed by presenter Mark Bolton, who is always full of ideas. It should be, as you say, guapo if we are talking about movement, because 'movimiento' is indeed masculine. But if you are watching football and you see something that is very nice you say 'guapa', almost is if you are talking about the ball. The ball, or la bola, is feminine and that's probably why we call it guapa. I hope that has helped!
CRYING FOUL
I was surprised by your comments on Saturday night during the Atletico Madrid v Recreativo match regarding the diving/play acting culture in South American, Spanish and Italian leagues and how it's almost accepted as part of the game. Betis v Deportivo was another example of players going down too easily. Surely anyone in their right mind would feel frustrated at sight of all the acting that goes on and how it can ruin an otherwise good match? La Liga is the best league in the world but sometimes ruined by the acting that goes on, it's almost embarrassing to watch sometimes! Why is it accepted so much, I thought the Spanish football authorities were trying to stamp it out of the game? Derek O'Raw
GUILLEM SAYS: The simple fact is that players dive in Spain, they try to take advantage of the problems the referees have in not seeing everything. You talk about the Spanish authorities trying to stamp it out Derek, but I think you're analysing it from an English point of view, where fair play is much further up the agenda. Generally people of northern Europe are stronger and bigger physically and if you try to take that on in football they will always win. In Spain we are shorter and smaller, so we cannot fight on the physical side of things. So, we try to do something different and that is take advantage of the limits of a referee. That's what Jorge Valdano has been saying about Argentina and the same thing applies to Spain, Italy and even Greece. The cultures of society basically say that for many decades, even centuries, people who have taken advantage but don't get caught are deemed socially successful. But that is definitely changing, partly down to the globalisation of football and the campaigns for fair play to prevail. As a result there was a mixed reaction to Aguero's goal in Spain.
So who do the remaining 60% support?
