A month ago, a Nou Camp test for Barcelona against Real Zaragoza would have been a home banker with the reigning domestic and European cham-

pions chugging along in top spot ahead of mouthwatering Champions League dates with Chelsea.

But since then, after a loss and a draw against the Londoners punctured Barca's aura of invincibility abroad and Real Madrid sent them packing in the league, the Catalan club cannot count their chickens ahead of Sunday's meeting.

For a change, Barca and their fans have to crane their necks to look at the top of the table, from where Sevilla deposed them last weekend in beating Osasuna while the titleholders were labouring to a draw at Deportivo La Coruna.

Proving their UEFA Cup victory last season was no flash in the pan, Sevilla are now in the driving seat by a point with 21 points from nine games and an away trip to 14th-placed Santander on Sunday afternoon need not fill them with trepidation.

In contrast Zaragoza will make Barca sweat as they are on a hot streak of four La Liga wins on the trot.

A win would take the centralnorthern side top on goal difference if Sevilla, whose only league title win came in 1946, only manage a draw.

Barca, struggling to fire on all cylinders whenever Ronaldinho is below his best - which has been as often as not recently - will at least welcome back Eidur Gudjohnsen from injury for their encounter to supplant an attack which craves the return of crocked Samuel Eto'o.

That will not happen before January, as last year's top marksman in Spain is out with a serious knee injury suffered in Champions League action at Werder Bremen in September.

While Gudjohnsen returns after the ankle knock which forced him onto the sidelines last weekend Argentine striker Javier Saviola is a doubt with ankle ligament problems suffered in the midweek Cup stroll over Badalona in which he

SEE PAGE 18 COL 2

FROM PAGE 20 netted twice.

Coach Frank Rijkaard said in midweek that "I told the players I am happy with their attitude" desite some results going astray.

Of being second he noted the top sides are bunched together and added that "Sevilla are a serious title candidate" whom the pressure is now on given their newly-elevated vantage point.

Sevilla coach Juande Ramos is not getting carried away although the performances in recent weeks of the likes of Malian international Frederic Kanoute have sent a ripple through La Liga.

"It's a nice position to be in for the fans and the club. But as professionals we know there is an awful long way to go yet. We have to keep on plugging away to make sure we stay up there," he told reporters.

Real Madrid, fourth and with four points to make up on Sevilla after last week's home reverse - their first under Fabio Capello - to Celta Vigo,

travel up to Osasuna, in the bottom five after last season's eyecatching fourth-place finish.

Capello insisted that Real had played well against Vigo but wants things to click much better in attack and used Thursday's Spanish Cup match with minnows Ecija to give Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo a chance to see how their partnership can develop.

But Capello clearly also wants to plug some holes at the back and Marca sports daily on Thursday said Real had beaten Sevilla to the signature of Brazilian Marcelo of Fluminense for seven million euros.

Elsewhere, Valencia, fifth but level on points with Real and like them through to the Champions League last 16, host Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Bilbao, never relegated, flirted with the drop for much of last season and things have not improved this campaign with only one win to date leaving them in the bottom four.

Valencia striker David Villa, a Spanish international, will play despite being sin-binned by coach Quique Sanchez Flores on Thursday for booting a ball out of play and then throwing his training bib to the ground after Flores told him to go after it.

"These things happen," said Flores.

FIXTURES

Saturday

(all times in GMT)

Atletico Madrid v Villarreal (19:00), Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (21:00)

Sunday

(16:00 unless stated)

Real Sociedad v Espanyol, Betis v Levante, Getafe v Real Mallorca, Gimnastic v Deportivo La Coruna, Celta v Recreativo, Racing v Sevilla Osasuna v Real Madrid (18:00), Barcelona v Zaragoza (20:00)