Zaragoza vs Mallorca preview - Zaragoza desperate for victory - Lanzaro

Posted Sunday, December 11, 2011 by PA

Real Zaragoza head into their clash with Real Mallorca needing to win to lift some of the gloom around the club, according to defender Maurizio Lanzaro.

The Blanquillos are currently rooted to the foot of the Primera Division table with just 10 points to their name, and face a Mallorca side five points above them at La Romareda.

And Italian Lanzaro knows a win is a must if he and his team-mates are to get their season going, which in turn would ease some of the pressure on under-fire manager Javier Aguirre.

"Zaragoza does not deserve the situation where we are, because we have a team which can be much better," the 29-year-old told a press conference streamed on his club`s official website.

"We need a win and to play to the death. It is a very crucial game for the team."

The game is Zaragoza`s last home league fixture before the Christmas break.

"We cannot allow ourselves to be worse than we have been," Lanzaro added.

His side have not won in seven, though, with their last success coming against Real Sociedad in mid-October, and they come up against a Mallorca outfit unbeaten in four.

They drew 2-2 with Granada in midweek, scoring the only goal of a 30-minute clash that was played owing to the abandonment of the meeting between the two three weeks ago after a linesman was injured.

Mallorca`s Kevin Garcia has returned to training after undergoing surgery on a thigh injury two months ago, but he is not expected to be back in competitive action until January at the earliest.

Zaragoza, whose last match was also against Granada - a 1-0 defeat in their case - welcome Efrain Juarez and Javier Paredes back into league action following one match bans. Paulo Da Silva is injured, though.