Real look to haul Huesca in Liga

Madrid, Dec. 7: Luka Modric has been voted the best player on the planet and Real Madrid crowned European champions three times in a row but in Huesca on Saturday they will meet a team from the opposite end of the ladder.

They head this weekend to northern Spain and Alcoraz, Huesca’s recentlyexpanded stadium with a capacity of just over 7,000, in a town of little more than 52,000 people.

There, they face Spanish league’s bottom club, on seven points from 14 games, but Huesca’s ascent began far lower down than that.

The majority of their 58year history has been spent between the third and fourth tiers. They were languishing in the second division as recently as 2015.

Promoted to the top flight for the first time at the end of last season, Huesca prepared by overhauling their squad, but on a shoe- string budget, with a mix of players from the lower divisions, promising youngsters and old heads from abroad.

Madrid are in good form and Bale, again, has a point to prove. He came off in the second half of last weekend’s win over Valencia, rubbing his thigh, while Santiago Solari said afterwards he was “exhausted”.

That they remain just about in touch is down to one of the most error- ridden title races in recent memory.

Atletico host Alaves, who have finished every weekend in the top six since round five. Sevilla are away to Valencia, a side that last season finished fourth but now sit 14th. Barcelona visit their Catalan rivals Espanyol in another match. — AFP

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