The Hindu : Chance for Djukic to shut out bitter memories

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 19, 2002

Sport

Sport - Football

Chance for Djukic to shut out bitter memories

MADRID April 18. Yugoslav defender Miroslav Djukic will attempt to shut out some bitter memories when he plays for Spanish league leader Valencia against his former side, No. 3 Deportivo de La Coruna, in the standout clash of this weekend's 35th-round.

Just over eight years ago, Djukic played an ill-starred role in Spanish soccer history when his dramatic penalty miss against Valencia in the dying moments of the final game of the 1993-94 season deprived Deportivo of its first league title.

Djukic's suffering was only assuaged six seasons later when Deportivo won the league, three years after he had departed for Valencia.

A 36-year-old reserve player these days, Djukic won a recall four weeks ago following an injury to Argentine international Roberto Ayala and now finds himself appearing in another highly charged encounter between the two sides.

``I know I won't be taking any penalties on Sunday. While I still feel great affection for Deportivo, this is a vital game and there's no room for sentiment. A win for us would be really important,'' the former international said.

Valencia, with 63 points, leads Deportivo by two points. No. 2 Real Madrid has 62.

With four rounds remaining, the game at Valencia's Mestalla stadium will have a huge bearing on the Spanish title race.

A Valencia victory would be a serious blow to the visitor's chances of winning its second league title — and the league and Copa del Rey double.

In contrast, a home defeat would lift Deportivo above Valencia, whose hopes of lifting its first league title for 31 years would be badly hit.

Deportivo will be without suspended Brazilian midfielder Mauro Silva and striker Diego Tristan, the league's leading scorer on 19 goals, who strained a thigh muscle during preparations for Spain's World Cup warm-up match in Northern Ireland on Wednesday.

Valencia may lack its Argentine forward Pablo Aimar, who was forced off with a knee injury Wednesday during his country's game with Germany the same day.

The weekend's league program is overshadowed by Madrid's imminent Champions League semifinal against its archrival FC Barcelona.

With the first leg to be held at the Camp Nou on Tuesday, Madrid will hope to avoid being distracted when it hosts bottom-place Tenerife on Saturday.

Vicente del Bosque's side badly needs a victory after it slumped to a 3-1 defeat at struggling Osasuna last weekend.

Tenerife has never won a league game at the Bernabeu stadium nor has its coach Javier Clemente, who has been charge of seven first-division clubs during a 22-year career.

Clemente, the former national coach from 1992-98, said that his team will play on the defensive.

``It would be suicide to try and take Madrid on at its own game. Our job is to make sure that Madrid can't display its skill and speed. But to do so we will need to play brilliantly,'' the Basque coach said.

Madrid's Spanish international midfielder Ivan Helguera, who has played recent games in defense, misses the encounter through suspension with Francisco Pavon likely to return.

Lying six points behind Valencia, fourth-place Barcelona still clings to a faint title hope although its league efforts will be directed principally at securing a berth in the Champions League next season by finishing in the top four.

A win from its visit on Sunday to No. 5 Celta, which lies three points behind, would go a long way to fulfilling that aim.

Celta, which has lost its last two matches after establishing a four-game winning streak, needs a victory to move closer to its first Champions League place.

``The game is vital. It will decide whether we depend on ourselves or on others for the rest of the season,'' Celta coach Victor Fernandez said.

Barcelona's Argentine goalkeeper Roberto Bonano is expected to return after recovering from the effects of his collision with Panathinaikos' Emmanuel Olisadebe in the Champions League quarterfinal on April 9.

Other 35th-round matches are; Espanyol vs Villarreal; Alaves vs Zaragoza; Athletic de Bilbao vs Sevilla; Las Palmas vs Rayo Vallecano; Valladolid vs Osasuna; Real Betis vs Real Sociedad; and Malaga vs Mallorca. — AP

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