Saints coping just fine
THEY MAY HAVE LOST STARS, BUT LIE AHEAD OF LIVERPOOL WIN COULD SEE BARCA TAKE TOP SPOT
LONDON – Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren left Southampton hoping for bigger things at Liverpool but when they return to their former club in the Premier League on Sunday they will look enviously at their former teammates.
Southampton are fourth in the table while Liverpool have endured an indifferent season and lie seventh, four points adrift of Ronald Koeman ’ s side.
After six months and 25 games, the weekend brings the reverse fixtures of the first matches of the campaign. When Koeman lost his first competitive game in charge of Southampton 2-1 at Anfield it looked as though the season might unfold as most pundits had predicted.
The south-coast club looked destined to struggle after an exodus of leading players and the loss of manager Mauricio Pochettino. But Southampton have defied the doom-mongers, coping admirably with the loss of Lallana, Lambert and Lovren to Liverpool as well as Luke Shaw to Manchester United and Calum Chambers to Arsenal.
Brendan Rodgers ’ s side have struggled to recapture their scintillating form of last season but are unbeaten in nine league games ahead of the trip to St Mary ’ s.
Arsenal, one point behind Southampton in fifth, visit London rivals Crystal Palace tomorrow, while sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur host West Ham United at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
Leaders Chelsea held on for a 11 draw at Paris St Germain in their Champions League last-16 first-leg tie on Tuesday and will hope for an easier ride at home to second-bottom Burnley.
Champions Manchester City, trailing Chelsea by seven points in second, host Newcastle United. Louis Van Gaal tasted defeat in the first competitive game of his managerial reign at Manchester United and will want to avenge the Old Trafford loss when his third-placed team go to Swansea City tomorrow. – TOMORROW: Swansea v Man United; Crystal Palace v Arsenal; Chelsea v Burnley; Aston Villa v Stoke; Sunderland v West Brom; Hull v QPR; Man City v Newcastle, 7.30pm SUNDAY: Tottenham v West Ham, 2pm; Everton v Leicester, 4.05pm; Southampton v Liverpool, 6.15pm. MADRID – Luis Suarez ’ s stunning goal last weekend was outshone by the exploits of hat-trick man Lionel Messi, but the bicycle-kick strike could be just what the Uruguay forward needed after a stuttering start in Spain.
Suarez has earned praise for his hard work and creativity – he has made five assists in Spain ’ s top flight – but it was for his proven scoring ability that Barca lured him from Liverpool in the close season.
The 28-year-old has another chance to impress the fans at the Nou Camp in tomorrow ’ s game at home to Malaga, and Barca will climb above Real Madrid, who play at Elche on Sunday, into top spot if they avoid defeat.
Coach Luis Enrique should have Andres Iniesta, who missed the Levante game due to a bout of flu, available after the Spain playmaker returned to training on Wednesday.
Barca are looking to bounce back after they failed to win major silverware last season for the first time in six years.
They are on the verge of a spot in the King ’ s Cup final and through to face Manchester City in the Champions League last 16 and have a chance of repeating their historic treble under former coach Pep Guardiola in 2009. “We ’ re in a posi- tion to win it all,” Iniesta said this week. “We ’ re coming off a down year and that has really served as a motivator for us,” he added.
Champions Atletico Madrid, six points adrift of Barca in third, will look to rebound from last weekend ’ s 2-0 reverse at Celta Vigo when they host Almeria tomorrow. Fixtures Tonight: Getafe v Espanyol Tomorrow: Barcelona v Malaga; Cordoba v Valencia; Atletico v Almeria; Deportivo v Celta Vigo
Sunday: Real Sociedad v Sevilla; Athletic Club v Rayo; Villarreal v Eibar; Elche v Real Madrid. –