Barca beat Zaragoza amidst another racism controversy
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-02-26 11:13

"We are going to have to keep our wits about us. This could be a difficult game and Mallorca are playing with vigour since they got a new trainer (two weeks ago)," said Real coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro.

Jose Maria 'Guti' Gutierrez will be unable to celebrate his recall to the Spanish squad on Friday as he has a slight left thigh strain.

His place in the midfield is likely to be taken by club captain Raul Gonzalez, who returned to action last week after three months on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Fernando Torres' lightning double strike helped Atletico Madrid notch up their sixth consecutive victory as they romped to a 5-0 win over hapless bottom club Malaga earlier on Saturday.

"We hope to continue our winning streak at Real Madrid next Saturday," said Atletico coach Pepe Murcia.

"Teams get very nervous in the presence of Fernando Torres and he showed tonight why that is and what he is capable of," added Murcia.

The Spanish international striker opened the scoring after five minutes when he stabbed the ball home with a left foot effort from the edge of the six yard box.

Torres took just four minutes to find the net again, this time using his right foot to fire home from just inside the area after a cross from Mateja Kezman.

Maxi Rodriguez put Atletico 3-0 up six minutes before the break but Malaga were saved from further first half embarrassment when Inaki Goitia stopped a penalty from Kezman in injury time after the keeper had brought down Maxi Rodriguez.

Juan Valera had only been on the pitch less than a minute, coming on as a second half substitute for Martin Petrov, but found the net with a looping left foot shot from nearly 25 metres after 66 minutes.

More misery came Malaga's way 13 minutes from time when Duda was sent off for hitting Valera on the back of the head and the Atletico midfielder made Malaga pay by getting his second goal of the game right on the whistle.

The win was Atletico's biggest since they returned to the Spanish first division in 2002.

By contrast, Malaga have now won only once in their last 14 games and are looking prime candidates for relegation after six years in the top flight of Spanish football.