Barcelona seek club record victory

Last weekend's 2-1 victory over Sevilla equalled the league leader's 11-game run in the 1955-56 season, when they managed 10 domestic wins and one in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup.

Barcelona have scored 34 and only conceded four goals during their league and Champions League streak, leading midfielder Rafael Marquez to conclude the defending champions are "on a higher rung than last season".

"We've got to keep on piling up the points. If we can break records that's even better but we must always keep our minds on the next game, the most important one," Marquez said.

The defending champions look unlikely to be troubled by Cadiz, who have gained only two points from their last seven games and have slipped to 16th place.

Barcelona will be without injured midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Mark van Bommel, although the team will be boosted by Marquez and Deco returning from suspension.

Coach Frank Rijkaard's team heads the standings with 34 points, ahead of Osasuna on goal difference. Real Madrid are next with 28, two more than Villarreal, Deportivo La Coruna, Valencia and Celta Vigo.

Barcelona's closest challengers meet Sunday when Osasuna visits Madrid, for which coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro will make his home debut.

Lopez Caro, who became Madrid's fifth coach in the past 2 1/2 years when he replaced the fired Vanderlei Luxemburgo on Dec 4, guided his team to a morale-boosting 2-0 win at Malaga last weekend.

Madrid will again lack injured captain Raul Gonzalez and defender Jonathan Woodgate, while Zinedine Zidane is a doubt with an ankle problem.

Osasuna's Raul Garcia said despite their continuing upheaval, Madrid were "still one of the best teams in the world".

"It's going to be a hard game even though Real Madrid is going through a pretty bad patch. A lack of concentration in this type of clash can cost you the game," the teenage midfielder said.

This weekend's other 16th-round games are: Villarreal vs Getafe; Celta Vigo vs Deportivo La Coruna; Sevilla vs Real Sociedad; Espanyol vs Zaragoza; Athletic Bilbao vs Real Betis; Alaves vs Valencia; Mallorca vs Atletico Madrid; and Racing Santander vs Malaga.

Raúl Awaits Green Light To Train

Real Madrid skipper Raúl says he is eager to resume light training, but must first wait to hear if surgery is necessary for his injured left knee.

"I expect to work extremely hard for the rest of the year, although I'm waiting to hear from the doctors," said the veteran forward. "I hope I don't have to have surgery because I'm eager to start some ball work and running."

"The one positive is that I get to spend more time at home," said Raúl, who recently celebrated the birth of twins with his wife.

Real Madrid fires Luxemburgo

"The board has taken the decision that Vanderlei Luxemburgo will not continue in charge of Real Madrid on the basis of a report by the managers of the club's sports section. The club has been in contact with both Luxemburgo and Raul Gonzalez, captain ofReal Madrid, to inform them," Madrid said in a statement.

The Brazilian is the fifth coach to leave the club in the past 2 1/2 years, during which it has failed to win a major trophy.

Real Madrid CF 1-0 Getafe CF

Madrid got back to winning ways in the Spain on Saturday with a Ronaldo strike on 17 minutes giving them their first league victory in three, following a draw and a defeat in their last two games. The goal for the Brazilian striker was particularly sweet as it marked his return from injury in a game that Madrid finished with ten men after having David Beckham dismissed after an altercation with Getafe striker Riki.

Coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo, who was on the wrong end of some criticism from the home fans despite the win, was without the services of Jonathan Woodgate (thigh) and club captain Raúl González (knee) because of injury, while defender Sergio Ramos was serving a one-match suspension.

Luxemburgo admitted: "I have no doubts that the Bernabéu isn't happy. I'm not happy, I'm happy with the result, but not with the way we played. After Beckham's dismissal in the second half, we backed away. With so many injured players we've been looking for players to get more rhythm. Zinedine Zidane, for example, was playing better today. It's time to win and to calm down again. The draw against Real Sociedad [de Fútbol] and this victory have helped us recover."

Perez confident Real can still challenge Barca

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is confident his team will recover from their poor start to the season and challenge Barcelona for the league title.

"We have all been surprised by what has happened so far this year," Perez told television programme Formula Marca. "We have probable got a better team than ever before, certainly the most well balanced one."

Real spent 90 million euros ($105.9 million) on new recruits in the close season, including Brazilian striker Robinho and Spain defender Sergio Ramos, but they lie in sixth in the table, six points behind leaders and arch-rivals Barcelona.

The Catalans, who crushed Real 3-0 at the Bernabeu last month, have also dominated the year's major individual awards.

Barca forward Ronaldinho was named European Footballer of the Year and has been shortlisted along with team mate Samuel Eto'o for FIFA's world player award.

Perez insists, however, that Real are the bigger club and that his side's disappointing showing can be explained by a lack of continuity.

"What with the late arrival of the new signings, injuries to 12 players and international call-ups, we've had too many disruptions," he said. "If we don't have any more injury problems we can make this into a winning team."

Leading players such as Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Raul and David Beckham have suffered injuries, but Perez dismissed suggestions part of the problem was his insistence that the big signings play as often as possible.

"The coach has complete freedom to do what he thinks fit," he said.

"What is clear, though, is that it doesn't make sense to sign the best players in the world and then leave them out, unless they are injured or have lost form. But I have never told a coach which players should play."

HEAVY PRESSURE

The side's poor run has put Real boss Vanderlei Luxemburgo under heavy pressure, with fans and the Spanish media calling for his head.

Perez, however, believes coaching Real Madrid needs specialist skills making it different from any other job.

"There is no other team that has so much talent, and administering that talent and magic and bringing it together is not an easy task," he said.

"There are lots of people who are capable at coaching Valencia, Barcelona or Atletico (Madrid) and maybe not so many who are capable of coaching Real.

When asked if Luxemburgo would still be in charge of the club next season, Perez replied: "At the moment no one is questioning Luxemburgo. If I answered differently it would mean we didn't have any faith in him."

Perez said the coach had not asked him to sign any new players during the January transfer window, but added that if Raul's knee injury proved serious then they would recruit a new striker.