Real Madrid
Vs
Deportivo La Coruna
watch live on Super Sports Saturday 29th August 2009
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu
Kick-off: 19:00
New-look Real Madrid begin their bid to wrest the Primera Division title back off Barcelona on Saturday night when they host Deportivo La Coruna, with coach Manuel Pellegrini promising a season of entertainment for the fans.
For the second successive campaign, Madrid begin with a match against Depor, but the side that goes out at the Bernabeu will be barely recognisable from the one that entered the fray at the Riazor 12 months.
Of the XI that took the field a year ago, only Raul, Iker Casillas and Marcelo look to have a chance of starting this weekend, with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Mahamadou Diarra, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Gabriel Heinze and Arjen Robben all missing from Pellegrini's 18-man squad for tomorrow's match through either lack of fitness, suspension or because they have been sold.
The two other starters from the Riazor, Gonzalo Higuain and Guti, have been included for this season's curtain-raiser, but they look set to be on the bench following this summer's big-money arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso.
With it being a totally different Madrid side that lines up against Depor, the capital club will also be hoping it will be a totally different result, having lost 2-1 last time around.
However, Pellegrini admits it could be a tough night for his side, with Depor keeping faith with the majority of the team that finished seventh last season.
"They have a similar team to last year's. It will be difficult to beat them and we'll have to give everything we've got," Pellegrini said.
After spending in excess of 250million euros on new faces this summer, much will be expected of Madrid this season, both in terms of performances and results.
And Pellegrini is expecting his expensively-assembled side to deliver, saying: "Real Madrid will fight for every title. We are going to see a very entertaining team throughout the year and we are going to enjoy it."
Pellegrini is also backing world-record signing Ronaldo to show the fans what he can do following a fairly quiet pre-season that saw him score just three times - two from penalties - in nine appearances since his #80million move from Manchester United.
"I think that we are judging him at a stage of the season when nobody is at 100%. I think we are going to see a great Cristiano Ronaldo this season, starting with Saturday's game," the former Villarreal coach said.
Pellegrini's options for this weekend's match were reduced by two on Friday following the departures of Robben to Bayern Munich and Wesley Sneijder to Inter Milan.
Despite those two sales though, plus speculation of a possible renewed bid for Bayern winger Franck Ribery, Pellegrini does not believe there will be any more new additions this summer.
"I knew from the start that the club had to sell some players. They (Robben and Sneijder) are very good players but I can't complain. I have two players for every position and I think the squad is complete," he said.
Depor's seventh-placed finish last year was their highest since the 2003/2004 season, when the Galicians secured third spot.
The current team may not be on a par with that `SuperDepor' outfit, but coach Miguel Angel Lotina has brought stability and the club hopes to compete for a top-six finish this term.
However, striker Riki, who came up through the youth ranks at Madrid, concedes his side are definitely underdogs for their opening game of the season, saying: "They are superior in terms of their squad and their budget."
Antonio Tomas, Adrian Lopez and Lassad Nouioui all miss out through injury for Depor.s
