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09/13/2006
Ronaldinho and Real looking for health checks
By Phil Minshull
Madrid - Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Spanish league champions and runners up last season, will be hoping to bounce back after their less-than-convincing starts to the season two weeks ago.
Barca won 3-2 at Celta Vigo but their winner only came two minutes from time and they will be looking to be firing on all cylinders against visitors Osasuna on Saturday.
However, it has hardly been a week of ideal preparations for Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard, who lost 10 of his players to international duty.
| I just hope Ronaldinho returns healthy |
"I just hope Ronaldinho returns healthy," said Rijkaard through gritted teeth earlier this week.
The Dutch coach has been critical over the demands made on his star player by the Brazilian football authorities.
Osasuna were last season's surprise side in Spain and finished the season in fourth place but crashed 3-0 in the Nou Camp in the corresponding fixture 11 months ago.
This time around, they are determined not to leave Barcelona empty-handed.
| 'I am sure we are going to win titles this season' |
"I'm motivated to do well in this game because of the traditional rivalry (with Barca) that there was when I was at Real Madrid. I would feel the same regardless of who I was playing with if I was to face this team," said Osasuna's on-loan striker Roberto Soldado.
The highly-rated Soldado was the second most prolific scorer in the Spanish second division last season, playing for Real's reserve team, and also scored on several important occasions for the big boys.
For their part, Soldado's former club ground out a 0-0 score bore at the Santiago Bernabeu to Villarreal in their opening match and are out to get their first goal of the season against newly-promoted Levante on Sunday.
"Against Villarreal, we played against a team that knew each other well and we have new players that are still getting to know each other but I am sure we are going to win titles this season," commented Real's new coach Fabio Capello on Thursday.
Capello is optimistic that Ronaldo, who had an indifferent World Cup and who has been injured this summer, can still make the difference after three trophy-less years for Real.
"Very shortly we'll have Ronaldo back and I'm sure he's going to score 25 goals this season. What I've seen of Van Nistelrooy is also phenomenal. he's adapted very quickly to Spain," added Capello, commenting on his two main forwards.
Real's deadline day signing Jose Antonio Reyes, acquired on-loan from Arsenal, trained for the first time with his new team mates on Thursday and his appetite to make an immediate impact was obvious to everyone.
"I'm going crazy waiting to pull on the Real jersey," said the Spanish international striker on Thursday, his hunger whetted by being left on the bench for the entirety of Spain's two internationals during the last week.
Sevilla are the league leaders after the first week on the basis of their 4-0 thrashing of Levante.
Last season's Uefa Cup winners, who many pundits predict could make a serious challenge for their first league title since they won their one and only previous championship in 1946, defend their pole position at Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Fixtures
Saturday
Barcelona vs Osasuna
Atletico Madrid vs Valencia
Sunday
Real Betis vs Atletico Madrid
Getafe vs Racing Santander
Gimnastic Tarragona vs Celta Vigo
Levante vs Real Madrid
Real Mallorca vs Deportivo La Coruna
Real Sociedad vs Sevilla
Villarreal vs Recreativo Huelva
Real Zaragoza vs Espanyol.
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