Racing Santander v Osasuna Preview

Santander v Osasuna Preview

Racing Santander winger Luis Garcia has urged his team-mates to do everything they can to improve their dismal home record.

Los Verdiblancos have a terrible record at El Sardinero having lost all three of their matches in front of their own fans this season, conceding nine goals and scoring just two.

All six of their points this campaign have been collected on the road but Garcia is hoping to reward the fans against Osasuna on Sunday.

He said: "We want to pick up the three points against Osasuna to give some joy to the fans who deserve it for their behaviour with the team, especially in the past two games against Valencia and Real Zaragoza.

"We shouldn't put any pressure on ourselves for not having won in El Sardinero but rather we have to think that at home, with the support of our fans, we can't drop the three points."

Last weekend's 2-2 draw at Zaragoza was Racing's third draw of the season and will at least give the Cantabrians some confidence as they came back from two goals down to rescue a point in the last 10 minutes.

And Garcia wants more of the same in the upcoming games.

"The team are getting better bit by bit and we have to continue working in this vein," he added.

Racing should be full-strength again for tomorrow's match and there may be a place in the starting line-up for youngster Sergio Canales, who featured as a substitute against Zaragoza and is reportedly interesting the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The 18-year-old has a slight knock but coach Juan Carlos Mandia is confident both he and Marc Torrejon will be fit for tomorrow's clash.

In contrast to Racing, Osasuna look in good shape after last weekend's 3-0 win at home to Atletico Madrid.

That was the third success in seven games for Jose Antonio Camacho's side and saw the northerners move up to ninth place in the standings.

Osasuna have not fared too well away from the Reyno de Navarra and have lost two of their three away games

Defender Miguel Flano has urged his team-mates to do better on the road to prove they are worthy of a place in the top half of the table.

"I think we have to go out there with the same attitude and the same intensity," he said.

"It's a game in which to move a step forwards, to prove our position and consolidate it.

"The team have shown they know how to react in adverse situations, but when the situation has not been so dangerous we have not managed to get the result calmly.

"Now is the moment to prove we are good and that we can look upwards.

"We have to travel to Santander with the idea of being ambitious."

Camacho is set to name a more or less unchanged line-up for that match, with Roversio likely to miss out once again through injury.

Ludovic Delporte and Jokin Esparza are also still out but Dady could come back into the squad after being given the green light by the medical staff following five weeks on the sidelines.


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