MADRID, 20 December 2005 — Primera Liga leaders Barcelona look unstoppable after chalking up a club record 12th straight win at the weekend.
Midfielder Deco says there is no room for complacency, however, in their final match of the year at home to Celta Vigo today.
“We are on a good run, but we know if we are to continue like this we must be careful before the winter break so we will be at 100 percent when we come back,” the Portugal international said after Sunday’s 3-1 win at Cadiz.
“No team, including us, is invincible, but we work very hard and the important thing is for us to keep doing that.” Despite missing the inspirational presence of Ronaldinho — hot favorite to pick up his second successive World Player of the Year award in Zurich on Monday — Barca overcame some stiff opposition to break their 50-year win record. Ronaldinho should join Argentine 18-year-old Lionel Messi, who won plaudits for his performance on Saturday, and Samuel Eto’o, who scored two of the goals, in the Barca front line for Tuesday’s match after recovering from a bout of flu. Opponents Celta dropped to eighth after a 3-0 drubbing by Deportivo Coruna and Chilean defender Pablo Contreras said: “The team are wounded by what happened against Depor. But we have got the chance of putting it behind us today when we play a great team in an emblematic stadium. Real will be missing defender Michel Salgado and midfielder Guti through suspension, while Racing will be without the trio sent off in their 1-1 draw at home to Malaga on Sunday.
Bayern Confirm New Two-Year Deal for Kahn
In Frankfurt, goalkeeper Oliver Kahn is staying on at Bayern Munich until 2008, club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said yesterday.
“The contract for a further two years has been agreed,” Rummenigge said on Bayern’s website. “It’s not signed yet but it will be this week.” The 36-year-old Kahn, who joined Bayern in July 1994, said he was ready to sign a new two-year deal in two newspaper interviews published on Sunday.
His current contract is due to expire at the end of the season.
Kahn was named best player at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan after helping Germany reach the final, where they were beaten by Brazil.
