Liga Preview: Real Madrid v Valladolid

Valladolid players know they will be up against it when they run onto the park on Saturday night against Real Madrid.

And the visitors, aware of what it is like to play in front of a capacity crowd of madrileños at the Bernebau Stadium, will hope the master class they receive in football is as painless as it is informative.

With Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos back in Madrid's starting eleven, after successful international duty in South America last week, it will not be easy for the visitors.

Sweaty palms and pounding hearts will be what they have to deal with before can consider competing with the home side in any way.

And when the Valladolid players leave the ground with no points for their efforts, they will face the same questioning from the local football writers as other losing teams.

"How do you stop the Merengues at home?" the journalists will ask with smug smiles on their faces.

"We do not know," the forlorn visiting footballers will reply.

The question is one that can only be answered by players from sides like Barcelona and Valencia on rare days.

Latest Team News.

Madrid: Questions have been raised about Zinedine Zidane's level of fitness for Saturday night's game.

Word has it that he damaged the quadricep muscles in his left leg after receiving a knock at training earlier this week.

And as a precaution, the French star has been doing light pool work under the watchful eyes of the club's physiotherapists.

But he will probably start in the first eleven.

Valladolid: Experienced, talented and not the least bit overawed by important tasks, Marcos will be given the role of marking Beckham.

When asked midweek what he thought of such a job, he said it would be a lot easier than looking after Figo.

Maybe that is because the England captain likes to knock crosses into the middle of the park rather than cut balls back from the deadball line like the veteran Portuguese.

Who knows?

As the game nears kick-off, Marcos had better hope he is correct.

Probable Team Line-Ups

Madrid: Casillas, Salgado, Rubén, Pavón, Roberto Carlos, Cambiasso, Beckham, Zidane, Figo, Raúl, Ronaldo.

Valladolid : Bizzarri, Torres Gómez, Caminero, Julio César, Marcos, Chema, Jesús, Ricchetti, Oscar Sánchez, Sousa, Pachón.

Players to Watch

Madrid: When Roberto Carlos steps onto the pitch, waves of excitement will ripple around the stands as he takes his spot at left back. Look for him to exert influence on the game from this position.

And if he is given half the chance, watch him take on the role of adventurous midfielder,
creating generous opportunities for his team mates

Valladolid: The visiting fans will need to keep their eyes on their goalkeeper, Bizzarri, because the home team will ensure that he is kept busy all night.

The Valladolid custodian will have to play above himself if he is to prevent Ronaldo and
Raúl from scoring goals.

"They are incredible in one-on-one situations," he told reporters earlier this week. "For goalkeepers, this means they are extremely difficult opponents."