Saturday
Sporting (18th) v Real Madrid (1st) - 18.00 (all kick-offs local time)
One of the seasonâÂÂs finest moments came during the AS awards ceremony dinner held on Monday - not the usual location for hi-jinks and fun. A mischievous tyke had decided to put Cristiano Ronaldo and Atlético Madrid president Enrique Cerezo together on the same table, just two days after the Rojiblancos - and Luis Perea in particular - had dished out a bit of punishment to RonaldoâÂÂs ankle during SaturdayâÂÂs derby.
The general argument between the pair can be summarised as âÂÂyour mob are a dirty bunch,â more or less followed by "well you lot started it and are worse", although the Atlético president failed to remember MarceloâÂÂs name, something that canâÂÂt be said of a section of his clubâÂÂs more racist support. But the confrontation was all about RonaldoâÂÂs icy stare - a gaze not even Paddington Bear could hope to equal.
LLL Prediction - Away win
Racing Santander (20th) v Villarreal (12th) - 20.00
ItâÂÂs been an undeniably lousy, forgettable week for both clubs. Héctor Cúper resigned from Racing along with his coaching staff after just one win from 13. Cúper handed in his notice to the administrators currently running Racing, before releasing a statement through the press advising that he âÂÂdidnâÂÂt want to hurt the club any more.â The slight piece of good news for Racing is that by resigning, Cúper gave up the payment which would have been due had the the Argentinean been sacked.
Villarreal lost 2-1 to Málaga on Monday and then had NilmarâÂÂs agent making it very public indeed that his client wanted out. âÂÂNilmar wants to win a title, something that wonâÂÂt happen at Villarreal,â complained Horacio da Hora who said Roma have been sniffing around. âÂÂVillarreal are desperate for forwards now that Rossi is out so itâÂÂs difficult to negotiate at the moment,â whinged the BrazilianâÂÂs buddy.
LLL Prediction - Away win
Barcelona (2nd) v Levante (4th) - 20.00
La Liga Loca has gone all Mr T and is pitying the poor fools who sit on the Spanish FAâÂÂs Competition Committee. ItâÂÂs these sorry souls who will at some stage on Friday have to make a decision (none made at time of writing) on whether Gerard PiquéâÂÂs yellow for time-wasting on Rayo was deliberate and thus worthy of a two game ban or just the standard single match. Seeing as the referee didn't mention any naughty motives from the Barça defender in collecting his caution, the groupâÂÂs hands may be tied and the one match ban will stay.
If that is so, then the Madrid papers are likely to going nuts with the claim that the FA are backing Barça all the way whilst the Catalan press will be moaning that the laws of the game have not been followed and Piqué is being victimised due to Madridista pressure. LLL recommends sick leave from everyone involved until February.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Valencia (3rd) v Espanyol (9th) - 22.00
âÂÂAway from football, you arenâÂÂt going to hear about Miguel,â promised the disco-loving Valencia fullback back in September during a decent spell of form. It appears that if wasnâÂÂt for a dressing room mole that would still be the case. But instead a story broke early this week that the Portuguese overslept for the umpteenth time in his Valencia career and arrived late for SundayâÂÂs training - with a subsequent paddling from Unai Emery.
Marca report that the Valencia boss was so furious that this story reached the press that he gave the footballers a lengthy lecture about unity and other concepts that are largely absent from the Mestalla dressing room. Unfortunately, this private chat was also leaked meaning a tough week for the under-fire Valencia players.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Sunday
Atlético Madrid (10th) v Rayo Vallecano (11th) - 12.00
AtléticoâÂÂs current plight is not particularly enjoyable for the club or its fans, but it is not quite in the desperate terms reported by marauding midfielder Assunçao, who irritated the heck out of LLL by claiming that âÂÂthere are 25 finals left, if we pick up a lot of points we can be in the Champions League places.âÂÂ
With such crashing tedium and cliché, the Brazilian managed to both break the record of âÂÂx finals leftâ and state the bleeding obvious too.
Assunçao also revealed a new management structure at the Vicente Calderón club in discussing his contract situation. âÂÂMy future belongs first to God and then to Manzano and he decides.âÂÂ
LLL Prediction - Home win
Real Sociedad (17th) v Málaga (5th) - 16.00
For the first time in a month or so, the topic of whether la Real boss, Philippe Montanier would be fired or not wasnâÂÂt the talk of the town in San Sebastian. Instead, if the half-way line hero Iñigo MartÃÂnez.
The young Real Sociedad centre-back has now scored two goals from inside his own half, against Athletic Bilbao and on Sunday, Real Betis. An intrepid AS tracked down one of his former coaches in la RealâÂÂs youth set-up and probed him thoroughly on whether these long range roasters have always been part of the 20-year-oldâÂÂs armory. âÂÂThese huge shots havenâÂÂt been a surprise as heâÂÂs alway had a great strike on him, but it seems heâÂÂs saved them for la Primera,â chuckled Imanol Idiakez. MartÃÂnez himself claims that âÂÂif I get a third chance, I wonâÂÂt hesitate in giving it a go.âÂÂ
LLL Prediction - Draw
Osasuna (7th) v Betis (14th) - 18.00
The match that Betis boss Pepe Mel is likely to need to win to keep his job seeing as the Seville side have now managed to pick up just one point from the teamâÂÂs last nine games. Heck, Mel has even got support from a member of the clubâÂÂs administrators - the new thing in Spain, it seems - things are that bad. âÂÂThereâÂÂs absolute confidence that Mel is going to change the teamâÂÂs way of playing as he set it up and implemented it,â claimed José Antonio Bosch in management speak for âÂÂyou made the mess, now fix it.âÂÂ
LLL Prediction - Draw
Mallorca (15th) v Athletic Bilbao (8th) - 20.00
Well, it seems like thereâÂÂs some life in the old Mallorca dog yet. The Balearic club is one of many that are in administration, debts, no money, etc but it seems Mallorca could be rescued from their penury by a handsome stranger on horse. And clutching a cane too. But hopefully thereâÂÂs no mad hidden wife being kept in an attic.
Marca are reporting that parties from Arabian lands are interested in club - a nice place to park some yachts - and the ubiquitous agent, Jorge Mendes, is helping everyone get to know each other. More news will apparently be forthcoming after a creditors meeting in the middle of December.
LLL Prediction - Away win
Granada (16th) v Real Zaragoza (19th) - 21.30
As way of a bit of house-keeping, the final 30 minutes of GranadaâÂÂs suspended clash with Mallorca will take place on the 7th December at 19.30. Just so you know.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Monday
Sevilla (6th) v Getafe (13th)
In other foreign ownership news, the eventual takeover of Getafe is set for a big date in April when the final decision will be made on whether the romantic proposal made by the Royal Emirates Group last season to bond with the Madrid club will be followed by the football club being formally taken up the aisle, wedded and bedded. Or left at the alter, as happened when a meeting thought to be planned for October never took place.
LLL Prediction - Home win
