Tough Stretch For Barca - Football (Soccer) News And Picks

Tough Stretch For Barca
By Tim Robertsoni
Posted: 3:00 am PDT 2007-01-07

Barcelona should be well rested after the Christmas break. Given their January fixture list, they need to be.

Resuming their Primera Liga campaign three points behind leaders Sevilla but with a game in hand, the Catalans face seven games before the end of the month, starting with a tough trip to Getafe on Sunday.

They also face a two-legged Copa del Rey tie with Alaves, and league games against Espanyol, Gimnastic, Real Betis and Celta Vigo.

"I have often said that it is in games like these that the league is decided," said striker Eidur Gudjohnsen of the Getafe fixture.

"It is very important to be leaders. We have a game in hand on Sevilla, but there are a lot of games this month, which will use up a lot of our energy. But if we win those games, we will be leaders again."

That is easier said than done as Barca's injury list has grown - not shrunk - over the last two weeks.

They were hoping to have striker Samuel Eto'o back from a knee injury, and although the Cameroon international is progressing rapidly, this game is too soon for him.

Now he has been joined in the treatment room by Rafael Marquez, while suspensions will also deny Coach Frank Rijkaard of the services of Deco and Ronaldinho - that means three vital cogs in the Barca machine are missing.

Also out are Gianluca Zambrotta, Lilian Thuram and Lionel Messi - making a trip to play a team ninth in the league even tougher.

The injury list could mean Javier Saviola gets a rare chance in the first team. The Argentina international has been linked with a move away from the Camp Nou this winter, and may well see this game as an opportunity to put himself in the shop window.

Just a couple of years ago he was among the most highly rated young strikers on the planet, but he has hardly been given a sniff of late and his career has drifted with loan moves to Monaco and Sevilla.

With so many problems, it is difficult to see whether the winter break has been good for Barca or not, although France winger Ludovic Giuly insisted that those players who are fit will come back fresher.

"We were very tired at the end of the year after so many matches and trips," he said. "The holidays were great for recovering a bit. Now we are keener than ever to start the New Year well."

Getafe have lost only once at home this season - although they finished the first half of the season on a poor run with two defeats following a string of draws that saw them fall back in the race for Europe.

That is the quick explanation as to why WagerWeb.com is offering them at +400 in this one, while Barca are -163 to take all three points at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

The principle problem for the Madrid club has been a lack of goals - they have scored only 11 in 16 games this season, prompting them to make an early move in the transfer window with a loan move for Latvia's record goal-scorer Maris Verpakovskis, who joins on a six-month loan from Dynamo Kiev.

Further deals are likely to follow with the club linked to Argentinian forward Leandro Romagnoli and Nigerian prospect Sunday Stephen, but neither will arrive in time to play in this game.

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