Spain Versus Zaragoza

Ever get the feeling that nobody likes you? That's how it's going to feel for Zaragoza this weekend when they take on Recreativo: as Liga Review discovered while trying to feed an interview with Xavi, back to London, from a racetrack, in the rain ....

There's not been the usual amount of posting activity on here over the last couple of days, for the simple reason that La Liga Review has been a bit busy with some 'proper' work. Consequently there have been none of the usual postings where we look at what rubbish is being written in the Spanish football press and dismiss it as, um, rubbish.

Today was spent interviewing Xavi Hernandez, followed by then spending two hours, in the rain, at the Circuit de Catalunya while various people tried to feed the interview back to London via satellite. Why I had to go to a racetrack in the middle of nowhere to do it, I have no idea.

What I did manage to find out was that it is not a good idea to be talking on a mobile phone, in the pouring rain, with a producer barking gobbledegook down the line something about transponglers, symbol rates, polar bear stations and parabolickers - which might as well have been in Latin - while Felipe Massa is revving up a Formula 1 racing car several feet away just in case his engineers didn't hear it the last time.

Apparently these F1 types are practicing: practicing what, I didn't manage to work out, but it seemed to involve a lot of revving up, clambering out of the car, looking at a computer, getting back in and doing some more revving up. However, there were about 100 people watching this, debating it intensely and scratching their heads and talking frantically on phones in between revving - so it clearly meant something to somebody somewhere.

What does all this have to with La Liga?

Well, it was on the way back to Barcelona that the taxi driver pointed out something that La Liga Review found very interesting, which is usually a good sign that nobody else will, but anyway.

Roberto, the taxi driver, pointed out that almost half the Spanish league will be desperately hoping that Zaragoza are beaten by Recreativo on Sunday: not because everybody has anything against a team that leaves behind three points whenever they pay a visit, but because at least ten Primera Liga clubs could mathematically, still be relegated pending Zaragoza's result on Saturday.

At first I though poor Roberto had lost his mind, attributing it to the after effects of spending two hours in the rain with his eardrums being blasted out.

However, it turns out that he is right.

We've been writing for weeks that 42/3 points guarantees Primera Liga safety. Not so.

Having tested the Taxi drivers theory out, it seems that 45 points could be what's needed to guarantee survival .

Sixth placed Sevilla have 51 points, Almeria in seventh have 45. In theory, all the clubs beneath sixth place still face the threat of relegation.

Zaragoza, in eighteenth place have 34 points with six games remaining. If they beat Recreativo on Saturday, then with 37 points and 15 left to play for, their are a lot of clubs above them watching anxiously.

One of those clubs is Osasuna , and with 40 points, they will be hoping desperately that Recreativo beat Zaragoza on Saturday . Speaking on the radio this evening - and probably what alerted Roberto the Taxi driver to this fact - Osasuna coach Cuco Ziganda said: "If Zaragoza beat Recreativo, that's going to have a lot of people very worried, and none of us is safe until we have at least 45 points."

The fact that half the league will be rooting for Zaragoza's opponents on Saturday has not gone unnoticed by Recreativo coach Manolo Zambrano: " I think it must be the first time in history that so many teams are behind us. Every team that is in danger, except Zaragoza, will be wanting us to win."

"Maybe someone could lend us a defender, as we are a little short in that department," quipped the Recre boss making the most of his sudden popularity. Roberto thought it was funny.

It would seem, therefore, that not only do Zaragoza face the very real threat of relegation, they also find themselves in the unenviable position of being the most unpopular team in Spain right now - not to mention the fact that they face severe financial difficulties should they find themselves in the segunda division - but that's another story for another day.

Don't take our word for it, have a look at the league table, just 11 point separate seventh from the drop zone with 18 points up for grabs.

The top of the table may have turned in to a bit of a damp squib - but the bottom of La Liga looks like its set up for a thrilling finale.