The pick of he first round will be the game in La Coruna, and with a good reason. Deportivo has been regular in European competitions over the last fifteen years; they won two Copa Del Rey, and have been very competitive in many Champions League campaigns, and after two poor seasons, they played some good football in the second part of last season and announced the arrival of better days for the club. Real needs no special introduction just to say that they won the league and the Super Cup, but haven’t won in La Coruna for sixteen years.
The players will be hoping to continue their great run against the ‘Kings”. Just by appearing at Riazor, let alone their good performance in the Super Cup against Valencia, Real will make bring a lot of fans to this game. Deportivo kept the team from last season, and also brought some new players, mainly Mista and Ze Castro. Coach Lotina who was the key figure for ensuring survival for Deportivo, and behind the good performances at the end of the season, is still leading the team. That is the guarantee that the team will now, even stronger, continue to nurture the style of play that nearly brought them UEFA Cup place. Their opponent is the favourite, as they have more experienced players, but the home team and the fans are aware of their team’s quality, and they are confident Deportivo will triumph.
If there is one field that Real is not fond of, it has to be ‘Riazor’. As we have already mentioned, Real hasn’t got a single win since 1991/1992, as they have lost most of the games since, and some by a big margin. Real simply does not like to play Deportivo, and the fact that they lost few games at ‘Bernabeu’ proves that. The win in the Super Cup against excellent Valencia, or in other words display of class, when Real managed to score three goals with ten players, is the testament of their strength. The only setback in the club is the situation regarding Robinho’s probable transfer to Chelsea. And Real has never had so much troubles finding the replacement. David Villa extended his contract, while Diego Capel will not join either. Still the club from Madrid has so many star players that it would be ridiculous to think that inability to sign some player could be a problem for the team. The win in La Coruna will be important to start the season the way they ended the last one. Everybody is ready, Schuster will have almost full squad to choose from, and a fierce battle with Lotina’s soldiers is expected.
This will be a very interesting match and also the derby of this round. If we look at the tradition Depor is the clear favourite, but this doesn’t have to mean anything. Real will have to break the tradition some time, they are in good form, and that could be this Sunday. Away win.