Atlético seeks to end drought as Málaga aims to make a splash

The weekend's Liga action kicks off on Saturday with two matches that promise little in the way of goals for those in attendance, on current form at least. Sporting hosts Granada in a bottom-of-the-table clash in which the home side will be seeking its first win of the season and the visitor its second. Between them, the sides have mustered just five goals in the opening seven rounds of fixtures.

In the capital, Atlético welcomes Mallorca to the Calderón after a barren run of four league games without finding the back of the net. Thursday evening's 2-0 Europa League loss to Udinese followed a pair of goalless ties against Granada and Sevilla. Atlético's record signing, Radamel Falcao, is currently rooted in his longest goal drought since he arrived in Europe from River Plate and the Colombian's participation is in doubt against Mallorca due to a neck strain. In that eventuality, Adrián López will be left to lead the line. "The team knows how to score and the run will change," said the top-scorer at the European under-21 Championships in Denmark last summer.

Barcelona is having no such problems, as is its wont, despite misfiring uncharacteristically against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola's side won the match 2-0 but spurned a host of gilt-edged chances to put the Czechs to the sword. Next in the firing line is Sevilla, which has built one the meanest defenses in the league this season, conceding just four times. However, it has managed just eight at the other end so far and will be without Spain international Álvaro Negredo, who has chipped in with three of those, for the trip to Camp Nou. "Sevilla is one the big teams in the league, although its president doesn't think so," said Guardiola, alluding to José María del Nido's oft-uttered complaint that the league is skewed toward Barça and Real Madrid. "It is capable of winning at any stadium in any circumstances. It will be a good test to see where we are."

At the Bernabéu, José Mourinho will come face-to-face with Manuel Pellegrini, the Málaga coach who preceded him in the role. When the Chilean took charge of the south coast club, Mourinho made some mildly disparaging remarks that will not have been forgotten by all at Málaga. Mourinho said on Friday that he hopes Málaga makes Europe this season, while losing to his side, of course, but the visitor will seek an upset as it looks to secure its foothold in the top six.