Saturday
Zaragoza (20th) v Villarreal (3rd)
It was a truly bone-warming, wonderful sight to see the greying flat-top of Javier Aguirre back in la Liga again taking charge of his new club against Getafe on Monday evening.
The Mexican manager had taken a sidestep from Spain to look after his national side in the World Cup having been sacked by Atlético just over a year ago, but has made a very welcome return to la Primera to take charge of the makeshift ship of Zaragoza - a club where he has awful lot of work to do if they are to stay up.
Another coach who is more secure in his life space this week is mean and moody Villarreal boss, Juan Carlos Garrido, who has had his contract extended to 2014. This hopefully means four more years of picking fights with his rival managers as he has managed to do with Pep Guardiola and Unai Emery in the last couple of weeks.
LLL Prediction - Away win
Sevilla (7th) v Getafe (12th)
Despite the best efforts of the air-shot supremo and Getafe goalkeeper, Jordi Codina, MÃÂchel the Manager managed to hang onto his job for just a little a bit longer after a mighty 1-1 draw at home against the leagueâÂÂs worst team, Real Zaragoza, on Monday night.
However, Getafe are still without a win in the league in four games, and the coach didnâÂÂt really seem to have the backing of the fans - those that turned up projected a few naughty-worded songs in his direction.
AS is speculating that former AlmerÃÂa man Hugo Sánchez is primed, pumped and ready to move into MÃÂchelâÂÂs hot seat, should the day come, with Getafe president, Angel Torres reportedly having fancied the Mexican back when the Coliseum club won promotion from la Segunda in 2004 before instead appointing Quique Sánchez Flores.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Atlético Madrid (6th) v Espanyol (4th)
Those of a gambling bent might see EspanyolâÂÂs hifalutin fourth place combined with AtléticoâÂÂs peculiar ways as a cheeky chance for an away win bet. TheyâÂÂd be wrong to do so. EspanyolâÂÂs Champions League berth has been built on a home record that sees six wins from six. And not much else.
Away from the Catalan capital, Espanyol are a useful as...well, Javier Arizmendi...with just one win, one draw and one goal scored on their travels.
Meanwhile Atleti club president, Enrique Cerezo, has been all with the âÂÂI donâÂÂt like to talk about referees but I do anywayâ by celebrating the Rojiblancos first spot-kick of the season, scored by Simao last week away at Real Sociedad.
âÂÂIâÂÂm the first to defend their job,â boasted the Atleti head honcho supportively. âÂÂExcept in the game against Villarreal. That was something else,â retorted Cerezo on match when Atleti felt they should have been given about ten penalties.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Sunday
Sporting (17th) v Real Sociedad (9th)
Because of the spit, spat and all the nonsense that took place between Sporting boss, Manuel Preciado and José Mourinho before their Primera clash a couple of weeks ago, the FAâÂÂs Anti-Violence Commission had announced that it was going to look into and report on the incidents. Strangely, that report and possible recommendation for punishment has been somewhat slow in coming, which means that José Mourinho is free to return to the touchline against Barcelona in the Camp Nou.
UEFAâÂÂs wheels move much faster, however, with the Madrid manager and four players being dragged to Nyon on Tuesday to answer the case raised by the sendings off against Ajax.
It seems that the clubâÂÂs lawyers as well as its players are going to be busy beavers, over the next few weeks.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Hércules (14th) v Levante (15th)
This weekâÂÂs Royston Drenthe news centres around his absence from the Hércules line-up, last week, in the defeat away at Espanyol. The big gap in the AlicanteâÂÂs sideâÂÂs aura was due to the Dutch winger suffering from a stomach ulcer. The blog knows how he feels coming to the end of Champions League, âÂÂyellow card-gateâÂÂ, World Cup bidding and Clásico week.
Get well soon.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Racing (16th) v Deportivo (13th)
There was even more good news for Deportivo, this week, with the side on a bit of a run at the moment to move the goal-shy Galician club into mid-table. Super striker extraordinaire, Riki, is ruled out until the end of the year having suffered an appendicitis, last Friday.
Despite this boost to DeporâÂÂs chances on Sunday against Racing and a streak that has seen three wins from four, maestro of misery and Depor boss, Miguel Angel Lotina, had to bring the euphoria down a notch or two by fretting over the possible departure of out of contract players next summer to balance the clubâÂÂs books.
âÂÂThe ideas (of reducing the debt) is very good...but staying in la Primera is key,â intoned Lotina.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Mallorca (8th) v Málaga (18th)
With Marca believing Manuel Pellegrini is the devil incarnate, the new Málaga boss unsurprisingly chose their rivals, AS, as his newspaper of choice for a bit of a chat on Thursday. And as ever, the great Chilean refused to strip to the waist and get down and dirty with some manly Marca booty-kicking, which the paper fully deserves.
âÂÂThey fulfill an important role in this country, across many areas from sporting to social,â opined Pellegrini on SpainâÂÂs football press. âÂÂIn many ways they have an economic function too but when they have the necessary objectivity, I have found they have been very respectful to me.âÂÂ
LLL Prediction - Draw
Athletic Bilbao (10th) v Osasuna (11th)
The âÂÂBasqueâ - in the Athletic selection policy sense of the word - derby sees one particular Osasuna player having a bit of a pop at the local rivals for their tendency to poach proud, Pamplona-born players and World Cup winners such as Javi MartÃÂnez and Fernando Llorente.
âÂÂYou canâÂÂt beat Athletic for the number of Navarrans they have,â joshed Osasuna captain, Patxi Puñal, on a squad that has nine players from the region as opposed to his own sideâÂÂs six, notes Marca, doing LLLâÂÂs work for it.
LLL Prediction - Home win
Valencia (5th) v AlmerÃÂa (19th)
Marcelino said no. Nestor Gorosito said no. Diego Simeone said no. All turned down the chance to manage AlmerÃÂa, this week, after the sacking of Juanma Lillo, making the blog suspect the club contract involved the words âÂÂconcertâ âÂÂenforced attendanceâ and âÂÂDavid Bisbalâ - SpainâÂÂs biggest and worst pop star and AlmerÃÂaâÂÂs most famous fan.
However, the man who took Tenerife up last season, then took them back down to la Segunda again, José Luis Oltra, said âÂÂyes, yes, yesâ to the role and signed his papers on Thursday.
The fourth-choice father of AlmerÃÂa then gave an early indication of the kind of football that local fans can enjoy this season, in the clubâÂÂs probable fight against relegation. âÂÂIâÂÂve not come here for people to say how prettily OltraâÂÂs AlmerÃÂa plays.âÂÂ
LLL Prediction - Home win.
Monday
Of course, all the talk should be about Mou v Pep, Messi v Ronaldo, Granero v Bojan. But whatâÂÂs really exciting the interest from LLL, this week, is wondering what the heckety-heck is going on between former Barça president, Joan Laporta, and an adult film star.
This very Catalan scandal began when naughty film femme fatale, MarÃÂa Lapiedra (WARNING - DO NOT GOOGLE AT WORK), became part of the campaigning for LaportaâÂÂs political party, Solidaritat Catalana por la Independència, ahead of this SundayâÂÂs local election. MarÃÂa even made a pop video which largely featured her lounging about in her undies singing the praises of the former King of Cataluyna.
But it seems that Laporta has got cold feet about the whole business and jettisoned poor old MarÃÂa. And Marca were more than happy to find out what went on between this very odd couple.
Lapiedra began the story with their first meeting. âÂÂLaporta looked at me with desire,â recalled MarÃÂa with relish having been introduced by a friend. âÂÂHe said that he liked my tattoo on my leg, and loved my eyes. He looked me up and down.âÂÂ
The actress who apparently does take an active interest in issues concerning Catalan independence said that her participation in the campaign was to show that Laporta was an open party for all. Until she was apparently dropped like a hot potato, that is.
âÂÂHe doesnâÂÂt even have the balls to call me (to get rid of me),â lamented MarÃÂa whilst posing on a bed for Marca, in a very small Barcelona top indeed.
LLL Prediction - Goalless draw
