La Liga preview: Barca aim to extend record run

Barcelona will travel to Sporting Gijon on Saturday hoping to extend their record-breaking La Liga winning streak to 17 matches.

On Sunday, Barca broke the La Liga record for wins in succession when they eclipsed the great Real Madrid team of 1960-1961 with a 3-0 triumph over Atletico Medrid thanks to a hat-trick from the prolific Lionel Messi.

The club has also recently been lifted with news that manager Pep Guardiola is set to renew his contract for another year.

Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta said that Guardiola would renew on February 22 and that he had always wanted to stay.

“We knew that Pep wanted to stay, because he’s always said that. We are aware of his value as a coach and what he brings to us as a club,” Zubizarreta told the club’s official website.

Guardiola’s new deal will please Spanish striker David Villa, formerly of Sporting Gijon, who recently told the English press he believes their success is down to the ‘harmony’ in the dressing room.

But Sporting Gijon will not lie down for their more-fancied opponents and have been much-improved after a dreadful run through October, November and December.

After a goodt start to the season, Sporting won only one of 18 matches before a fight-back saw them go unbeaten in four, including three wins, but they were beaten last time out by Athletic Bilbao 3-0.

With the La Liga so competitive this year, despite sitting in 13th, Sporting Gijon could drop as low as second last if they lose and the significance of the fixture will not be lost on Manuel Preciardo’s side.

In the other Saturday fixture, Atletico Madrid host Valencia in a battle of two top-half sides at the Vicente Calderon.

Atletico, sitting eighth, are now 14 points behind fourth-placed Valencia and must win to keep any dreams of Champions League qualification alive.

After winning the Europa League and the European Super Cup within four months, Atletico have faded this season and have not been able to rely on the goals of Uruguayan Diego Forlan, who has struggled.

If Atletico are underachieving, Valencia are overachieving, with the Mestalla outfit having lost just one of their last 11 matches in all competitions, despite the club’s debt problems which were eased by the sale of Villa.

On Sunday, Real Madrid, seven points behind Barcelona, travel to Espanyol in a potentially tricky encounter.

There are signs Real’s attack is slowly improving, with Manchester City loanee Emmanuel Adebayor starting to find his feet at the club, netting his second goal for the Spanish giants in their 4-1 win at home to Real Sociedad last week.

A win is vital to keep the pressure on Barcelona and any failure to pick up three points will increase the pressure on Real boss Jose Mourinho.

In other fixtures, under-achieving Sevilla travel to Racing Santander while third-placed Villarreal are also on the road and will face Deportivo La Coruna.

Strugglers Levante and Almeria will battle while bottom-club Malaga, buoyed by gaining a point against Sevilla, host Getafe.

Real Sociedad will clash with Osasuna while Monday’s match pits Mallorca against the in-form Athletic Bilbao, who have not lost in the league since December.