体坛英语新闻：Spain's clubs eye points before international break

MADRID, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The last round of matches before the forthcoming international break will give every side in Spain the chance to take stock of their progress so far this season with each club having something to prove.

The round of games kicks off on Saturday night with Osasuna at home to Almeria. Almeria looked dead and buried a fortnight ago, but two wins in two games has suddenly given them life and probably saved coach Francisco Rodriguez's job.

Osasuna meanwhile looked to be improving under Javi Gracia, but a 5-1 defeat to Real Sociedad brought that recovery to a dead halt and they need a home win to gain confidence.

Friday also sees Granada entertain Malaga in a derby game with both sides looking for a win which will allow them to go into the break satisfied with their work over the past month.

Real Madrid are not playing well and their defense is chaotic, but their firepower in attack is not in doubt. Carlo Ancelotti's job against Real Sociedad is to try and find balance that will give the club's supporters confidence to believe they will be able to mount a serious title and European challenge rather than being a side that relies on Cristiano Ronaldo and the ever improving Gareth Bale.

Real Sociedad meanwhile want to continue their improved form which has seen them climb to seventh in the table.

Getafe and Elche play their game when Real Madrid have finished and Getafe need to end a run of two home defeats, while Elche know a win would leave them in a relatively comfortable position after struggling in the early games of the campaign.

The Primera Liga newcomers are without striker Manu del Moral, who is out for six weeks through injury, while Getafe's main problem is the pitifully low numbers of fans who turn up at their Alfonso Perez Coliseum for their home matches.

Athletic Bilbao coach, Ernesto Valverde is still searching for the recipe for consistent football with his side mixing convincing displays in front of their home fans with seemingly lackluster efforts away from home.

Athletic are unbeaten in the new San Mames Stadium and a win at home to Levante, who have an excellent away record will ensure they go into the break in fifth position in the table, which should serve to quiet the doubters. Many fans however, will be deligthed to enjoy their club's first Saturday kick off at home all season.

Saturday ends with Celta Vigo at home to Rayo Vallecano and both sides will be looking for the win that their attacking philosophies deserve but don't always deliver in a game that promises to be more exciting than their respective league positions could imply.

The remaining games on Sunday also have much to show us: Barcelona's results have at times been much better than their performances, while Betis' results have been far worse than expected leaving coach Pepe Mel on the verge of the sack. Their meeting in the Benito Villamarin Stadium could be decisive as Barca look to continue their unbeaten start to the season, while Betis need to climb out of the bottom three. A hostile crowd, motivated rival and bumpy pitch may make Barca's task harder than expected.

Meanwhile Atletico Madrid are hot on Barca's heels with just one defeat all campaign, but could face a banana skin away to fourth placed Villarreal, who are the revelation of the season in Spain. This game is a huge test of the credentials of both sides and any one of three results is possible.

Only one result will save Valencia coach Miroslav Djukic from an anxious couple of weeks when his side entertain his former club, Valladolid. Valencia's win in Getafe probably saved Djukic's job a week ago, but failure in front of their own fans would be a disaster at a club which sacked its director of football during the week.

Finally Sevilla look for their first away win in 22 games away to Espanyol. The home side look solid, well organized and aggressive, while Sevilla are not the sum of their parts. If that away run stretches to 23 games, Unai Emery is another man who faces an uncertain future.