Spanish first division matches, October 13-14

Barcelona are hoping that the return to action of Brazilian forward Rivaldo will inspire them to victory against an unbeaten Valencia at the Nou Camp on Sunday.

International call ups and a three-week lay off due to a knee injury have meant that the Brazilian international has made just one league appearance so far this season.

And even though the Catalan club have made a solid start to their campaign without their leading player, his return can only strengthen their bid to take their first league title in three seasons.

The former World Player of the Year produced a masterful display in a heart-stopping and desperately important encounter between the two sides at the end of last season.

He completed a superb hat-trick with a spectacular last minute overhead kick to seal a 3-2 win and guarantee a Champions League place at the expense of his side's opponents.

But Barcelona coach Carles Rexach, who has begun the season in cautious fashion, may once again resist the temptation to play striker Javier Saviola alongside Rivaldo and the in-form Patrick Kluivert.

The young Argentine is, however, likely to come off the bench in the second half and get his chance to shine against his former River Plate team mate Pablo Aimar, who is now the linchpin of the Valencia midfield.

Valencia coach Rafael Benitez will be anxious to make-up for what could prove to be a costly error in fielding one too many foreign players in their narrow King's Cup victory in midweek.

The miscalculation could mean elimination for his side, but a rare win at the Nou Camp will do much to soften the blow for the fans of the Mediterranean club.

Barcelona are second, two points behind Real Betis, while Valenica are a further point back in sixth.

Other matches being played in the Spanish first division this weekend.

Saturday, October 13:

ALAVES v REAL MADRID

Last week's 2-0 win against Bilbao gave defending champions Real their second victory of the season but they have yet to win away from home and will find it hard going against the miserly Alaves defence.

With Roberto Carlos and Geremi out injured and Ivan Campo still absent because of his anxiety attacks coach Vicente del Bosque is set to bring in young Raul Bravo into defence.

REAL ZARAGOZA v DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA

Deportivo will be wary of a backlash from Cup holders Zaragoza, who were eliminated by third division Logrones at the first hurdle in midweek. With a lengthening injury list coach Javier Irureta may be tempted to call on the fit-again Djalminha to inspire the Depor midfield.

SEVILLA FC v R.C.D. MALLORCA

Scoring just one goal in seven starts the Mallorca attack appears to have stalled this season and another defeat will add to the pressure on embattled coach Bernd Krauss.

Sevilla have shown plenty of fighting spirit on their return to the top flight and will be hard to beat in front of a partisan home crowd.

Sunday, October 14:

ATHLETIC BILBAO v VALLADOLID

Despite a promising start to the season Jupp Heynckes's side have yet to win at home. Although Valladolid are short of star players, a combination of an impressive work rate and a refusal to give in makes them awkward opponents.

CELTA VIGO v REAL BETIS

A fascinating clash in prospect as leaders Betis make the trick trip to unbeaten Celta. The Andalucians inspired by the young trio of Denilson, Capi and Gaston Casas have impressed with their direct attacking football, while Celta's more experienced combination of Alexander Mostovoi, Valery Karpin and Catanha have proved they are still a match for anyone.

LAS PALMAS v ESPANYOL

Las Palmas will be anxious to recover the form that saw them take an impressive 4-2 win against Real Madrid 10 days ago as they face an inconsistent Espanyol side who were knocked out of the cup by third division Lleida in midweek. The Barcelona-based side will be missing top scorer Quique de Lucas.

OSASUNA v TENERIFE

Tenerife, who have lost all three of their away games so far this season, had a further blow to their fragile morale after their 5-1 thrashing by lowly Lanzarote in the Cup. Osasuna, on the other hand, are unbeaten in five games and are extracting maximum benefit from their limited scoring power.

RAYO VALLECANO v REAL SOCIEDAD

The bottom-of-the-table clash promises to be a nervous affair as the two sides search for their first win of the season. Rayo received a much-needed boost with a convincing 3-1 midweek win over neighbours Atletico Madrid in the Cup but the outlook for John Toshack's side grew even bleaker after their exit at the hands of third division Hospitalet.

VILLARREAL v MALAGA

Villarreal are showing that last season's seventh place in the league was no fluke and with Argentine striker Martin Palermo now flourishing in attack they will be looking to continue their fine start to the season. Malaga will be hoping the return of Uruguayan striker Dario Silva will spice up their attack.