Camp Nou cracker - Balague
Three live La Liga games this weekend - and Guillem has high hopes for Barca-Zaragoza!
VALENCIA v ATHLETIC BILBAO
8.30pm, Saturday, Sky Sports 2
OSASUNA v REAL MADRID
5.55pm, Sunday, Sky Sports 2
BARCELONA v REAL ZARAGOZA
7.55pm, Sunday, Sky Sports 2
Guillem Balague previews the La Liga matches that you will be able to see live on Sky Sports this weekend - which means the big three on your screens.
First up Valencia entertain Blibao, then on Sunday Real Madrid make the trip to Osasuna and Barca take on Zaragoza in what promises to be a Camp Nou cracker.
He also answers your emails on Spanish football. Click on the link and send him a question!
E-mail your La Liga questions to Guillem
VALENCIA v ATHLETIC BILBAO
We know all about the problems Bilbao have, because I've dealt with them in the past.
To refresh your memory, they are a team that is too young and it's not a good generation of players for them - but that comes from bad planning as much as bad luck.
Andoni Iraola and Yeste are their two main talents but there is not enough elsewhere to keep the side in that top 10, so they are going to struggle all season.
Valencia on the other hand, made a really strong start, but have gone down hill big time.
People are blaming injuries and that have lost a few players - Asier del Horno is still injured, David Albeda is still injured, Mario Regueiro got injured in the cup and now Jaime Gavilan is injured.
But I think there's more to their problems than just that. The football they play is far too direct for the players they've got.
They don't use their midfielders well and Joaquin is still struggling.
Like I say, they made a strong start physically, but now they are going to find themselves struggling a little bit, and I wonder if one day, they are going to be found out and whether or not Quique Sanchez Flores has actually planned their season well enough.
I've just got back from Valencia and what is certain is that people in the stands and even some people within the club, want to get rid of the coach.
Watch this space, because if they have two or three bad results, they may well make the most of it and get rid of him.
OSASUNA v REAL MADRID
What usually happens with sides like Osasuna is that they put all their eggs in one basket, as they did last season to get into the Champions League.
They didn't spend much money, in fact they hardly spent any, although they've got a new striker in Roberto Solgado, from Real Madrid funnily enough.
But they've genuinely accepted that the Champions League was not their league - they got knocked out early - and have since struggled in both the UEFA Cup and La Liga.
As goalkeeper Ricardo has said, this Osasuna outfit is not a side to be competing in two or three competitions.
But they should recover and by January or February, they will be able to put all their efforts into probably the only competition they are left in. Which will be the league!
We won't see many changes from Real Madrid from what we've seen recently, which means Guti and Mahamadou Diarra continuing in central midfield.
Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy might even play together up front as it was in the Copa del Rey on Thursday. The likelihood though is that that combination will be used at home rather than away.
Whatever the side is, the simple fact is that they deal with these sort of matches better than they used to in the past.
But their football is not that great. They lost against Celta and although they are improving despite that result, the way they are playing is still not making the supporters happy.
David Beckham is dealing with the situation as well as he can, accepting the fact that he will only play in the cup, but he scored in midweek and I do feel that within a month he will be in the starting line-up again.
BARCELONA v REAL ZARAGOZA
This is going to be a great match!
Both teams love playing offensive football and both teams give you a chance.
Barcelona's main problem this season is that they haven't found the defensive solidity of the past: they leave too much space and that's now being taken advantage of by the other teams.
Maybe Zaragoza are better-placed than others to actually not just hurt them a little, but a lot, and maybe even take the three points away from the Camp Nou.
They do attack really well with Pablo Aimar, Diego Milito, Ewerthon, Sergo Garcia or even Oscar to call on.
They are a really good offensive team, but like Barca, they are weak at the back.
It might not be good news for either coach, but for you at home it is. I'm expecting plenty of goals here!
GUILLEM ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
GETTING SHIRTY
I have just visited Barcelona for the first time, and I really enjoyed the city. I wanted a souvenir and thought a Barca shirt too obvious so decide to get an Espanyol shirt instead. Can you tell me me why I couldn't get one? I tried all over. On the Rambla they laughed at me and said 'Espana - Si, Espanyol - No'. In El Corte Ingles I could have bought Mallorca, Getafe, Deportivo, just about every team except Espanyol. Is there some dark secret I am not aware of? Ian Laws
GUILLEM SAYS: Well Ian, one of the things that happens with Espnayol is that sometimes they feel like foreigners in Barcelona - and I don't even mean the second team, sometimes they feel like the fifth team! That is one reason, another maybe that the marketing policy of Espanyol just has to improve. Keep an eye on Revista de la Liga though, because a few things might happen and we might be in store for a few surprises from Espanyol over the next few months. Eventually one day, the programme will have to explain why Espanyol, is such a small team! By the way, for all of you who love Barcelona, they not the underdogs any more either. They are now the stats quo - so revise your thinking about the local derby, please!
THE STAR DAVID
I've been watching La Liga for several seasons and am now fully convinced that David Villa is pound for pound the best striker in Europe. What is your opinion on Villa and his chances of ever joining the English Premier League? John Kidd
GUILLEM SAYS: It might come as a surprise to know that David Villa was kicked out of training on Friday! I was actually there to see it and it proved again that yes, he has got lots of potential, but he's very young and has a lot to learn. His attitude has to change in the sense that he's got to be mentally strong and not let things affect him the way they do currently do. He shouldn't drop his shoulders and moan like in training on Friday. He did something that the coach didn't like and instead of apologising and correcting it, he got upset and booted the ball away, so Quique Sanchez Flores sent him to the showers. Yes, he does have the potential, but he still has a lot to learn. And he is still not the best striker in Europe by a long way!
