Friends of Don Quixote: Iniesta Is The Missing Link

Posted Saturday, May 01, 2010 by Goal.com

Barcelona remains without the talented midfielder, as its prepares for a critical match against red-hot Villarreal on Saturday.

With Barcelona chasing a last-minute goal in the second leg of a Champions League semifinal tie, it was almost impossible not to harken back to last season in Stamford Bridge. But the goal never came this time around in large part because the hero 12 months ago was sitting in the stands in street clothes. Andres Iniesta sat out both matches against Inter-Milan and his presence was sorely missed.

The Catalan giants aren't quite as good as last year for a variety of reasons, including what ultimately proved to be a disastrous swap at striker. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was subbed out of both games against his former team early in the second half, while Thierry Henry has hardly featured in recent weeks. But arguably the biggest reason of all has been the lack of contribution from Iniesta.

In and out of the lineup all season due to injuries, Iniesta has been a shadow of the player who emerged as the second biggest star on the team last year behind Lionel Messi. But Pep Guardiola still counted on the 26-year-old to play a key role down the stretch, only for Iniesta to suffer another muscle injury – his fourth of the campaign – in training on April 13, ruling him out for up to a month.

His absence had a major impact against both Espanyol and Inter, as Barcelona struggled to break down tightly-packed defenses, and Guardiola certainly could have used him this weekend against Villarreal. While the Yellow Submarine are unlikely to bunker down, Barca will need every bit of firepower to match an impressive Villarreal attack, led by talented strikers Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar.

After missing time earlier this season because of the death of his father, Rossi has been in scintillating form of late, prompting Juan Carlos Garrido to employ a three-man attack. Pushing Nilmar out wide seemed like a risky maneuver, but the Brazilian has actually relished the opportunity to show off his full repertoire of skills, setting up a number of goals in recent weeks.

Nilmar scored the winner last Sunday against Racing Santander, as Villarreal came from behind to earn its fifth victory in six games. After underachieving for the better part of six months, the team is finally playing up to its enormous potential, and earlier this week Garrido – who replaced Ernesto Valverde back in February – was duly rewarded with a contract extension for next season.

This impressive run of games has Villarreal up to sixth place, in pole position to claim an Europa spot and within reach of the fourth and final Champions League berth. So Garrido's men won't be lacking for motivation on Saturday, but the stakes are even higher for Barcelona. Last week's victory against Xerez left the Blaugrana one point ahead of Real Madrid with four rounds remaining.

Any slip-up will likely mean missing out on the league title as well, as Real looks poised to win out, beginning with Sunday's home game against Osasuna. The big news for Madrid is Kaka's possible return to the starting lineup, while Gonzalo Higuain resumes his chase of Lionel Messi in the race for Pichichi. Higuain enters this weekend just two goals behind his fellow Argentine.

Elsewhere, Sevilla hosts Atletico Madrid with an opportunity to overtake Mallorca for fourth place, as Gregorio Manzano's side faces a tough away game at Athletic Bilbao. Getafe knocked off Sevilla last weekend and travels to Valladolid on Saturday, while Real Zaragoza takes on Deportivo at the Riazor. The other critical game in the relegation battle pits Tenerife against Racing Santander.

First Quest: Villarreal vs. Barcelona

Saturday, 4:00 p.m. EST, Gol TV

Barcelona must focus on retaining at least one of the three trophies captured last season, but the Catalan giants have dropped five of 10 games in El Madrigal. Andres Iniesta remains sidelined, while Xavi is expected to feature despite leaving practice on Thursday with muscular problems. The other good news is Daniel Alves' return from suspension after sitting out the Xerez match.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic found the back of the net last Saturday, but not before clashing with Barca fans, and it remains to be seen what kind of reaction he'll receive after his dreadful outing against Inter. Lionel Messi hasn't scored in three straight games, but remains in first place in the race for the Pichichi. Messi will play against a much-improved back line this weekend.

In addition to scoring important goals, Diego Godin has performed very well in the center of defense alongside Gonzalo Rodriguez. Juan Carlos Garrido must decide whether to insert Marcos Senna back into the starting lineup, which could mean sacrificing one of his three strikers, though dropping either Nilmar or Giuseppe Rossi would be ludicrous given their recent form.

Second Quest: Real Madrid vs. Osasuna

Sunday, 1:00 p.m. EST, ESPN 2

Kaka says he's not ready to play a full 90 minutes, but the Brazilian may not have a choice with both Rafael van der Vaart and Raul sidelined with injuries suffered last weekend against Real Zaragoza. The pair could be out for the rest of the season, which in Raul's case probably spells the end of his time in Madrid, but not before he scored the 228th league goal of his career, moving into third all-time.

Gonzalo Higuain trails Lionel Messi by just two goals in the race for the Pichichi, while the Merengues remain within striking distance of the La Liga record for goals in one season (107). Osasuna did hold Manuel Pellegrini's side to a scoreless draw in the first meeting back in January, but Jose Antonio Camacho doesn't seem too confident this time around.

Camacho reportedly plans to rest both Walter Pandiani and Javier Camunas for next week's home game against Deportivo. Midfielder Patxi Punal could be left out as well, placing an even greater burden on playmaker Juanfran. The 25-year-old has enjoyed a superb season, but shredding Madrid's defense all on his own would be a very tall order.

Ladies-in-waiting: Sevilla vs. Atletico Madrid

Sunday, 11:00 a.m. EST, ESPN Deportes

After scoring his first of two goals against Getafe, Luis Fabiano ran to the bench and proudly displayed the jersey of Ivica Dragutinovic, who recently suffered a career-threatening knee injury in training. The Serbian defender might be with the team in spirit, but his presence was sorely needed last week, as Sevilla turned in a dreadful outing at the back in the 4-3 defeat to Los Azulones.

The result left the Andalucians two points behind Mallorca for the fourth and final Champions League position, and Antonio Alvarez needs his defense to play better on Sunday when Atletico Madrid comes to town. Los Colchoneros will look to carry the momentum from their heroic Europa League triumph against Liverpool, as they take on Sevilla in a preview of the Copa Del Rey Final.

Ladies-in-waiting: Athletic Bilbao vs. Mallorca

Sunday, 3:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes

Athletic Bilbao needs a win to remain in contention for a European place, as Joaquin Caparros' side is two points behind Villarreal, and now trails Getafe on goal difference as well. Caparros will be pleased to return home after last Monday's scoreless draw against Osasuna, and Mallorca could be just the right opponent with all the problems Los Boquerones are dealing with.

Gregorio Manzano insists the bad feelings generated by Aritz Aduriz clocking teammate Alhassane Keita at the end of last week's 1-1 draw against Malaga have subsided, but it remains to be seen if the incident will impact Mallorca's chemistry. Manzano's side has won only twice away from home and needs something from this game with a visit from Real Madrid looming.

The Impertinent Curiosity: Other Games

Deportivo vs. Real Zaragoza

Malaga vs. Sporting Gijon

Valladolid vs. Getafe

Tenerife vs. Racing Santander

Xerez vs. Almeria

Espanyol vs. Valencia