Benitez led Valencia to the Spanish league title in 2002 and
2004 before leaving for Liverpool and is the only coach to have denied Real
Madrid and Barca the top spot in the last 11 years.
Unai Emery is now at Valencia's helm and, although they
finished third in the last two years, they have been a long way off the pace
after being forced to sell many of their top players to help pay off the club's
debts.
They have started the new campaign at a gallop, however, and
sit atop the standings on goal difference from promoted Real Betis with a
perfect nine points after a 1-0 win at Sporting Gijon on Saturday.
"We need to remain calm, the league has only just
started," Emery said in Gijon. "We can enjoy it but there is still a
long way to go." Barca lie third with seven points after suffering a rare
slip up when they drew 2-2 at Real Sociedad a week ago, but they quickly put
that right with an 8-0 pummeling of Osasuna on Saturday.
World Player of the Year Lionel Messi scored a hat trick and
tops the scoring charts with five goals, where he is joined by Valencia striker
Roberto Soldado.
Soldado, 26, stepped in to fill the void after Spanish
international David Villa was sold to Barca last year, and is considered a
potential partner for Villa at Euro 2012.
Real's shock 1-0 defeat at Levante on Sunday meant they
slipped to fifth with six points. They are on the road again at Racing
Santander on Wednesday (1900).
Real had midfielder Sami Khedira sent off in the first half
at Levante in a niggly, bad-tempered battle, and coach Jose Mourinho expressed
his concern afterwards that his players needed to adapt to those tense
situations at smaller grounds.
"There are players here who are very good playing on
the great stages but who arrive here and are incapable of adapting to the
situation," Mourinho complained.
The Portuguese will hope to have his compatriot Cristiano
Ronaldo back to full fitness. The forward was used as a substitute only against
Levante as he recovered from an ankle injury.
Marcelo Bielsa is seeking his first league win at Athletic
Bilbao when they visit big-spenders Malaga on Wednesday.
The former Argentina and Chile boss is under pressure as he tries
to change a club famed for its pacy, aggressive football, as embodied by
leading figures Javi Martinez and Fernando Llorente, into a side with a
patient, possession-based style.
When asked if he had a message for fans after Sunday's 3-2
defeat at home to Real Betis, he said: "We have the points we have (one)
and the style of play is what we have seen so far.
"They need to be patient...anything more would be words
that don't mean anything."
