Liga Preview: Real Madrid-Malaga

With Zinedine Zidane expressing a desire to remain a "Galactico" at least until 2006, Real Madrid continue their push for the championship in good heart with a home tie against Malaga on Saturday evening.

This game has a history of flamboyance, with an extraordinary 32 goals produced in the last seven meetings of the sides.

Last weekend at Valladolid, Madrid turned in a typically eccentric Jekyll and Hyde performance in coming from two goals down to beat the home side with a precision last minute Ronaldo strike. The game showcased all that is fabulous and abject about the champions. A disinterested, spineless first half display was peppered by crass dereliction of defensive duty and followed by a phantasmagorical second half showstopper from Los Galacticos.

The scoresheet after the game said it all. Goals from Zidane, Figo, and Ronaldo sealing a very fortuitous win. Having said that, anybody who witnessed the incredible, effervescent, move of creative genius involving Ronaldo's sleight of mind and pass, and Zidane's trademark pirouette – this time outrageously around the goalkeeper - will never quite forget what they saw. The fact the Frenchman missed the tap-in was almost as memorable as the sheer majestic brilliance that went before, if anything adding a coat of mystique, of flawed genius to the whole incident. And we all know that flawed genius is far more interesting than the perfect article.

This is precisely why Madrid are so watchable. It's as if we stare slack-jawed, gawping at the magnificence of their attacking verve whilst attempting to reconcile it all with the sheer nonsense of their philosophy as represented by a non-existent defense.

RECENT FORM

Malaga are in a dreadful run of five straight defeats, culminating last time out with a 6-1 rout at home to Valencia. All the pointers suggest another roasting at the Bernabeu from a Real side that have won three and drawn one of their last five. Recent form and the fixture's recent history suggests more goals this weekend.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Raul (Real Madrid) It's just not happened for Madrid's favourite son this season. The icon of the champions has been completely out-of-sorts this season, leaving observers to wonder if even Raul can experience a mid-career burn-out. Then again, perhaps Raul has learned something from recent seasons, the ability to preserve oneself for the business end of the season.

With the Champions League just around the corner, and Euro 2004 in nearby Portugal, expect the Real Madrid skipper to assert his authority before too long. Even with their shortcomings, a Real Madrid with an on-song Raul may yet prove too strong for all-comers. Saturday seems like a good time to reacquaint defences with that familiar feeling of creeping terror they have come to dread in Spain for the best part of the last decade. Malaga beware.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Real Madrid: Iker Casillas, Salgado, Helguera, Raúl Bravo, Roberto Carlos, Figo or Juanfran, Guti, Beckham, Zidane, Raúl, Ronaldo.

Málaga: Calatayud, Rojas, Josemi, Sanz, Juanito, Valcarce, Gerardo, Miguel Angel, Duda, Insúa or Edgar, Salva.