Racing Santander host Valencia CF this Sunday, a team that has not visited El Sardinero for 14 years. The match at 21:00 marks the official debut of Valencia's new head coach, Javier Aguirre, in LaLiga.
The last meeting at this ground was on 29 January 2012, ending in a 2-2 draw with a brace from Aritz Aduriz. In the 102-game history between the sides, the visiting team has recorded 11 wins. Racing, sitting 16th with 7 points, are looking to bounce back after two consecutive defeats, including a 5-0 loss to Celta Vigo.
Both sides held tactical rehearsals last week. Aguirre organised an 11-v-11 friendly in Paterna, setting his team up in a 4-2-3-1 with Javi Guerra as a free creator. Racing conducted a similar session at El Sardinero using first-team players and academy youngsters.
Striker M. Zabiri, Racing's top scorer this season with 6 goals, and Pablo García will rejoin the squad after international duty. Defender Jorge Salinas has already trained normally after returning from the Spain under-20 team. Full-back André Almeida will face his former club, while Dani Raba returns to his homeland. The match is a reunion for players who have worn both shirts, such as Sergio Canales, who is in line to start. Full squad details are on our squad page.
Racing, with a recent form of LLWLW from their last five games, will aim to get back to winning ways at home against a Valencia side sitting 19th. The Cantabrian team faces a week of preparation ahead of the clash, with a key fixture in their upcoming schedule to climb away from the bottom.
The original report is at valenciacf.com
