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Sports

Wednesday September 23, 2009

Pellegrini turns free scoring Real on his former side

MADRID: Coach Manuel Pellegrini turns Real Madrid’s awesome firepower on his former club today when the free-scoring La Liga leaders travel to face Villarreal.

The Chilean rose to prominence at the modest east-coast club, playing an attractive brand of football and turning Villarreal into a fixture in European competitions. He left to head up Real’s new project in June.

Pellegrini’s team have made a strong start to the campaign netting 11 goals in their three wins from three, to top the standings on goal difference from champions Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored in every game so far but Pellegrini said that while the goals have been flying in, the team are not yet playing to the standard he expects.

“I don’t think it is a problem of adapting to a new system,“ he said after Sunday’s 5-0 rout of Xerez. “We have to improve but we aren’t doing badly.”

Striker Ruud van Nistelrooy will be out of action for up to six weeks after damaging his left thigh muscle, the La Liga leaders said on their website (
www.realmadrid.com) on Monday.

The Dutchman got injured scoring the final goal in Real’s 5-0 home win over Xerez on Sunday after coming on as a late substitute. He was making his first official appearance for the club after nine months out with a knee problem. — ReutersVillarreal are now coached by Ernesto Valverde, who led Olympiakos Piraeus to a Greek league and cup double last season, but they have yet to register their first win and lie 17th.

Barca visited Racing Santander yesterday and Bilbao fly to face Tenerife today.

Barcelona have scored only one less than Real with new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic also managing to find the net in every game so far.

The Swedish striker appears to have quickly settled with his new team and Barca’s 5-2 demolition of Atletico Madrid on Saturday was testament to their continuing good form.

Last year’s King’s Cup finalists Bilbao are La Liga’s only other side with a 100% record.

Their muscular and direct football will provide a tough test for promoted Tenerife, but coach Joaquin Caparros’s challenge is to keep his limited resources fresh, “due to the titanic effort the players need to put into every game.”

Atletico Madrid are still licking their wounds after the mauling they suffered at the Nou Camp, and a failure to register their first win of the season at home to Almeria today will set alarm bells ringing.

Abel Resino’s side are second-bottom with one point from a possible nine.

“The season has only just started and there is still too much in front of us for everyone to start feeling sorry for themselves,” Atletico striker Sergio Aguero said.

The Argentine international is a doubt after being substituted in Barcelona with a knock to the thigh. — Reuters

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