Sporting Gijon vs Racing Santander preview - Preciado dismises pact talk

Sporting Gijon coach Manuel Preciado has rejected talk of a pact with Racing Santander ahead of the Primera Division clash.

Sporting and Racing are two northern clubs with close ties and, with the Cantabrians already safe, speculation has been rife that an agreement may be reached for the home side to win tomorrow's game and claim the points they need to secure survival.

But that, says Preciado, is rubbish.

"We haven't lost at El Molinon in the whole second half of the competition and now it seems that, without a pact, we can't beat Racing - it's absurd," he said.

Sporting currently have 43 points, four more than 18th-placed Zaragoza, and Preciado believes that total will probably suffice in order to avoid the drop.

"I think it will be enough - no team has ever gone down with 43 points," he said.

"But we want to make sure with a win on Sunday and if we could do that, it would be a good way to close out what has been a difficult season for us."

Midfielder Diego Castro, whose future is uncertain, is doubtful for the game with an injury.

Racing have secured survival thanks to three straight wins in the last two weeks, but coach Marcelino Garcia Toral wants his side to go to El Molinon to win all three points.

"I don't want Sporting to go down," he said.

"But we will go there and cause them as much difficulties as we possibly can."

Oscar Serrano and Gonzalo Colsa remain sidelined.