Ronaldinho and his teammates look to end the year top of La Liga. (Action Images / Yuriko Nakao)By Phil Minshull
MADRID (AFP) - Spanish giants Barcelona will be looking to bounce back, after the disappointment of losing the World Club Cup final to Internacional, by beating Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Thursday. The game brings an end to the Spanish first division for the year and, having started 2006 on top of the league, Barcelona will want to end it on a high note.
"We've got this game to make sure that we forget about what happened against Internacional," said the Catalan side's star striker Ronaldinho.
"Now we've got to hold our heads up high and get on with fighting for the league and the Champions League," added Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes in the wake of their 1-0 loss to the Brazilians in Yokohama on Sunday.
Barcelona are currently second in La Liga, one point behind Sevilla who took over at the top after a 3-1 win at Recreativo Huelva on Sunday, but the reigning Spanish champions have one game in hand over last season's UEFA Cup winners.
The problem for Barca is that they face Atletico at a time when they are having a good run of form.
They lie in fourth place, the highest position they have been for nearly two seasons.
Atletico have also turned recently into Barca's Black Beast', the Spanish phrase for a bogey team that always haunts you.
Last year, Atletico were the only team to beat Barca in their Nou Camp stadium and also hammered them in the Spanish capital.
"We've done well in the Nou Camp in recent years but we are well aware that things can always change. However, we are going to Barcelona with lots of confidence. We are not afraid of them anymore," said Atletico's Spanish international striker Fernando Torres.
Torres certainly has no reason to be nervous. He has scored against Barcelona on the last four occasions the two teams have met.
Atletico coach Javier Aguirre was also licking his lips, despite Sunday's lacklustre 1-0 win over local rivals Getafe, at the possibility the Beast' can put the bite on Barca once more.
"If we are fourth playing like this then, if we can play well again at Barca, we can take them apart," said Aguirre.
Sevilla can ensure they end the year on top of the Spanish first division if they beat struggling Deportivo La Coruna at home on Wednesday.
The Andalusia side won their one and only previous championship in 1946 but they are starting to feel that the La Liga trophy might come south after a 61 year absence.
"First place is the only place this team should be," said Sevilla coach Juande Ramos on Sunday.
The big problem for Sevilla is suspensions. They will lose Aitor Ocio, Antonio Puerta and Jose Luis Marti for the visit of Deportivo, who languish in 15th, just three places above the relegation zone, after their 2-0 home defeat by Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
There have been widespread calls for the sacking of Deportivo coach Joaquin Caparros but at least he will be assured a warm welcome in Sevilla.
Caparros was the Sevilla coach for five years before moving to Deportivo in 2005 and he steered the club out of the second division in 2001.
Real Madrid are third, just two points in arrears of Sevilla and one behind their bitter rivals Barca.
The 29-times Spanish champions play host to Recreativo Huelva on Wednesday and hope to have Italy's World Cup captain and central defender Fabio Cannavaro available to play.
Cannavaro was sent off after receiving a second yellow card during Real's 1-0 win at Espanyol on Sunday because the referee judged that he had handled the ball but television pictures support the player's claim that it only hit him in the face.
If Real are successful in their appeal then Cannavaro will play but otherwise Alvaro Mejia is likely to take his place.
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