Football: Barcelona under fire

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

Louis van Gaal, the Barcelona coach widely criticised after the 2-2 home draw with 10-man PSV Eindhoven in the Champions' League last week, will be under further pressure today when Tenerife come visiting in the Spanish first division.

The league leaders may have a 100 per cent record after four matches this season, but their indifferent European form, which also includes a 3-2 defeat at Newcastle, suggests they may struggle against one of Spain's strongest teams. Fifth-placed Tenerife, whose attack is led by the former Barcelona forward Meho Kodro, have drawn their last two games in the Nou Camp. But local fans have a soft spot for the Canary Islanders after they in effect handed Barcelona the title in both 1992 and 1993 by beating Real Madrid in the last game.

Real Madrid, fresh from beating Porto in the Champions' League, should overcome Deportivo Coruna. Jupp Heynckes' men are fired up after three successive 2-0 away wins and, at third in the table, lag Mallorca on goal difference only. But unlike Barcelona, the reigning champions have already had one tough league game this season - the derby with Atletico which ended 1-1. Deportivo have not won a point in the Bernabeu for five years even though they have been regular title challengers during that period. But this season they have lost their way following the departure of the Brazilian Rivaldo to Barcelona.

Lazio hope that history repeats itself at San Siro today when they become the latest side to challenge Internazionale's 100 per cent start to the Serie A season of eight wins from eight matches. Lazio ended the run of seven successive victories by Helenio Herrera's "Il Grande Inter" with a 0-0 draw in the same stadium 37 years ago. But Luigi Simoni's Inter have already eclipsed Herrera's 1960 feat and now aim to overhaul rivals Milan's record 13-win start to the 1992-93 season.

Lazio's coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, will retain Pavel Nedved, the Czech midfielder who has scored four goals in three matches, in the absence of the injured Maties Almeyeda and the suspended Vladimir Jugovic. Pierluigi Casiraghi and the Croat Alen Boksic stay on the bench so that Roberto Mancini and Giuseppe Signori can pair up in attack for the first time this season. Simoni will stick with France's Youri Djorkaeff up front alongside the Brazilian Ronaldo. The strikers each scored twice in last week's 5-1 win at Bari.

Juventus will be without their suspended Uruguayan defender Paolo Montero and injured midfielders Antonio Conte and Alessio Tacchinardi when they attempt to bounce back from their Champions' League defeat at Old Trafford against Fiorentina.