Leaders Celta face stiff test at Cadiz

Iriney Santos (L) celebrates with Celta Vigo supporters after scoring against Seville on September 25. Celta Vigo are hoping to consolidate their position as Spanish league leaders when they travel to Cadiz on OCtober 2.

Few would have predicted that Celta Vigo would be the Spanish league leaders after the opening month of the season but the Galician club are hoping to consolidate pole position at Cadiz on Sunday.

Celta have never finished higher than fourth despite 44 previous campaigns in the top flight of Spanish football but so far this season they have notched up four wins out of five outings.

"But we face our toughest test of the season at Cadiz," admitted Celta's Brazilian midfielder Iriney Santos on Thursday.

"They can be very accomplished on their own ground, are very dangerous at dead ball situations and can counter-attack well.

"And they have some of the nosiest and most passionate fans in football," added Iriney, suggesting that there would be hardly any cheers for Celta in Cadiz's Ramon De Carranza stadium, which holds just 20,000 spectators.

Celta coach Fernando Vazquez has done a good job on his team which is not getting too carried away at this early stage.

"Our feet are on the ground, we know there is a long way to go," insisted Iriney.

"And we are also still 30 points short of ensuring our survival," joked Celta midfielder Borja Oubina, one of the revelations of the season.

Cadiz will be without their former Spanish international striker Oli Alvarez, who has been given special permission to miss the game and travel to Colombia to complete the necessary formalities to adopt a child.

In similar fashion to Celta, the sight of Getafe in second place, just one point off the top, is a huge surprise in only their second season of first division football.

The team from Madrid's southern suburbs will try to maintain their unbeaten start against fourth-placed Valencia on Saturday, with the 2003-04 champions also still yet to lose a game.

The match will mark the return of Valencia coach Quique Flores to Getafe, the club which he steered to survival last season against the odds.

However, the biggest cheer of the night could be for Valencia defender Amedeo Carboni, who at almost 40 years and six months will become the oldest player to appear in the Spanish first division if he plays.

Spanish giants Real Madrid have moved up to third after two consecutive wins but all eyes will be on how they will have recovered from Wednesday's 2-1 win in the Champions League against Olympiakos when they face Real Mallorca on Sunday.

Real coach Wanderley Luxemburgo gave his squad the day off on Thursday, citing fatigue after the game against the Greeks.

One man who should be refreshed though is Ronaldo, who was suspended on Wednesday, but who has already scored four goals on the domestic scene this season.

Ronaldo's Brazilian international colleague Julio Baptista could be the man who makes way for the former World Player of the Year, after several lacklustre games.

Barcelona play host to an unbeaten Real Zaragoza but the visitors know that that the Camp Nou held a hoodoo over them for four decades not having won in the Catalan citadel since the 1965-66 season.

"The key to the game is not to let Ronaldinho touch the ball," commented Zaragoza defender Leonardo Ponzio on Thursday, in the wake of the Brazilian's hat trick in the Champions League against Italian side Udinese on Tuesday.

At the other end of the table, Atletico Madrid are off their worst start to the season since 1978 but their Argentine coach Carlos Bianchi is hoping that they can turn things around with a win at Malaga on Sunday.

Saturday (kick off times in GMT)

Barcelona v Real Zaragoza (1800)

Getafe v Valencia (2000)

Sunday

Cadiz v Celta Vigo (1500)

Deportivo La Coruna v Osasuna (1500)

Racing Santander v Alaves (1500)

Sevilla v Espanyol (1500)

Real Sociedad v Real Betis (1500)

Villarreal v Athletic Bilbao (1500)

Real Madrid v Real Mallorca (1700)

Malaga v Atletico Madrid (1900)