Van Nistelrooy relishing Levante clash

Ruud van Nistelrooy is hoping history repeats itself this weekend when runaway league leader Real Madrid travels to rock-bottom Levante as the Primera Liga season reaches its midway point.

Van Nistelrooy, who on Wednesday penned a new contract with Real that ties him to the Spanish giants until 2010, scored a hat-trick in last season's corresponding fixture, which the capital club won 4-1.

And looking ahead to Sunday's trip to the Ciutat de Valencia, the Dutchman said with a smile: "I hope I do it again."

"Every match is different, of course. Let's see how well we do. My goal is always the same, to score and help my team win."

Levante got its revenge for that defeat in the return meeting at the Bernabeu, though, winning 1-0 in February in what remains the last league defeat Real has suffered in front of its own fans.

It would be a major upset if Levante managed to inflict another loss on Real this weekend, though, with the Valencia-based side nine points adrift at the foot of the table and Bernd Schuster's men seven clear at the summit.

On paper it could be a mis-match of epic proportions, and Levante's cause was hardly helped by its 3-0 Copa del Rey defeat to Getafe in midweek.

Should the unthinkable happen and Real slip up on the east coast, then the reigning champions' closest rivals, Barcelona, Espanyol, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal, will all fancy their chances of trimming the gap this weekend.

Second-placed Barcelona is at home to Real Murcia, while Espanyol, which is in third spot just a point behind local rivals having gone 17 league and cup matches without defeat, travels to 16th-placed Almeria.

Fourth-placed Atletico is at home to struggling Valencia while Villarreal welcomes second-bottom Deportivo La Coruna, for whom coach Miguel Angel Lotina is under increasing pressure and could well find himself replaced if results go against him this weekend.

One ray of light for Lotina is that Villarreal is going through something of a sticky patch after losing to Espanyol and Recreativo Huelva in the last week, but that blip pales when compared to Depor, which has won just once in nine matches.

Sevilla will hope to continue its recent improved form as it goes to Basque outfit Athletic Bilbao on the back of an eight-match unbeaten run in the league and cup.

Athletic is coached by former Sevilla boss Joaquin Caparros and the Andalusian club's young winger Diego Capel admits he will always be grateful to his former manager for giving him his big break.

"He (Caparros) is a man who I have a great fondness for because he gave me the opportunity to achieve my dream of playing in the Primera Liga," said Capel. "I am always going to have a great memory of him."

Elsewhere, Real Betis will look to get back on track after successive defeats when it plays host to Getafe, while in other matches Real Valladolid is at home to Recreativo Huelva, Osasuna hosts Racing Santander and Real Mallorca goes to Real Zaragoza.