Football | La Liga | Real Madrid try to keep Barca at bay

Real Madrid try to keep Barca at bay

Real Madrid will be looking to maintain their near-perfect form when they turn their attention from the Champions League to the La Liga, where they host Osasuna.

Jose Mourinho's side maintained their 100% Champions League record when they beat Lyon on Wednesday night but they need to put that behind them when they return to domestic action.

Real enter the match top of the league with a perfect home record of four wins and just one defeat from 10 games all season against former surprise leaders Levante.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th goal for Real in just 105 games since his move from Manchester United.

The Portuguese insists the team must not get beyond themselves and told realmadrid.com: "We're more mature than last year and we're having a good run, but we must also take things slowly."

Team-mate Karim Benzema echoed his sentiments, adding: "We had a good season last year, but we're better now. We can still make progress and we continue to improve."

Marcelo and Kaka will definitely miss the game against eighth-placed Osasuna while Fabio Coentrao and Alvaro Arbeloa are both doubts.

Osasuna goalkeeper Andres Fernandez knows the magnitude of the task his side face, especially given they have yet to win away from home this season.

He told osasuna.es: "It's a very difficult game and we know their potential."

Jose Luis Mendilibar's side suffered at the hands of Real's title rivals Barcelona in September when they went down to an 8-0 defeat at the Camp Nou.

That is something Fernandez does not want to repeat.

"It was a miserable process," he said.

"It helped us to learn and not to do the same again."

The Sunday evening game sees Barcelona, one point behind Real, travel to Athletic Bilbao.

Pep Guardiola's side have yet to lose this season while their hosts are in mid-table, although they are improving after a poor start to the campaign.

Bilbao are led by Marcelo Bielsa, the former Argentina and Chile coach

Lionel Messi said of his fellow Argentinian: "I was not coached by him, but he is a person I admire for what he did with Argentina, Chile and Athletic.

"He is a technician who would have appreciated me."

Sunday sees Espanyol take on Villarreal, Sporting Gijon travel to Real Zaragoza and Rayo Vallecano host Real Sociedad.

Granada will want to build on their shock Sevilla victory when they face Racing Santander, with both teams on eight points, while bottom side Getafe take on Atletico Madrid.

Saturday

Valencia climbed above city rivals Levante to third in La Liga thanks to a comfortable 2-0 derby success.

Unfancied Levante had been top of the table before suffering their first league defeat away to Osasuna last weekend, a reverse which ended a seven-game winning run that included victory over Real Madrid.

As a result Juan Ignacio Martinez's side headed into the Valencia derby ahead of their city rivals for the first time since 1964 and with a record of four wins from four games at Ciutat de Valencia.

But Valencia were determined to reassert their authority and did so thanks to an own goal from Javi Venta and Tino Costa's free-kick, which also benefited from some assistance from the home side.

Real Betis ended their six-game losing streak with a creditable 0-0 draw at home to big-spending Malaga.

Pepe Mel's side had their goalkeeper Casto the thank for the point though as he expertly kept out the best chance of the game on 55 minutes when Salomon Rondon headed on target from close range.

It was also goalless between Mallorca and Sevilla, where visiting goalkeeper Javi Varas was the hero, making a string of fine saves.