Football
Adriana Garcia 7y

Sandro, Pedro Leon hoping to help Barcelona and Real in La Liga race

Malaga striker Sandro and Eibar midfielder Pedro Leon want to help their old clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively, capture the La Liga title on the final weekend of the season.

Real are three points clear of Barca after Wednesday's 4-1 home win at Celta Vigo and need just a point to be crowned league champions for the first time since 2012.

However, if Real lose and Barca win on Sunday, results that would leave the two sides level on 90 points, Barca would retain the title due to their superior head to head record.

Sandro, who has scored 14 goals in 20 league appearances since joining Malaga last summer after being released by Barcelona, would like nothing more than to ruin Real's party at La Rosaleda stadium.

He told Gol Television: "I owe everything to Barca. I hope it's a dream day.

"I hope to score, win that game and give them [Barcelona] the league title, I wish for that to come true."

Las Palmas-born Sandro joined the Catalan club as a teenager in 2009.

"I had the opportunity to join Real Madrid but I opted for Barca," the 21-year-old said. "I was always a Barca fan and so was my father.

"Moreover, Barca gave more emphasis to the youth sector back then. I gave everything to Barca from the moment I arrived."

Sandro progressed through the academy and went on to make 32 first-team appearances before being allowed to leave on a free transfer last summer.

"I don't regret anything," Sandro, who signed a three-year contract with Malaga, added. "I'm very happy with the step I took and delighted to be here.

"It was difficult to get playing time when you had such great players in attack and I knew the best thing was to leave."

Malaga, who beat Barcelona 2-0 at home on April 8 with Sandro opening the scoring for the Andalusian club, have taken 22 points of a possible 24 and are unbeaten since April 1.

Eibar, meanwhile, are looking to end the campaign in eighth place, a club best.

The Basque minnows, who earned promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history in 2014 and finished 14th last season, have enjoyed a strong campaign.

They drew 1-1 at Real Madrid in October and are hoping to upset Barca on Sunday.

"We are going to try and spring a surprise at the Camp Nou," ex Real Madrid playmaker Leon told Cadena Cope radio. "Barca are favourites and play at home.

"But we also went to the Bernabeu earlier this season and managed to get a draw. We want to take a positive result on Sunday. It's clear that all the focus seems to be on the Malaga game and that has allowed us to work in peace this week."

Real bought Leon from Getafe for €10 million in the summer of 2010. However, then-Real coach Jose Mourinho rarely used Leon, who was 23 at the time, in the first team and he returned to Getafe on loan one year later before eventually signing for that club on a permanent basis.

He signed for Eibar on a two-year deal last summer.

"It's obvious that because of my history I have more affinity to Real Madrid," Leon, who is 30 years old, said.

"I'm grateful for the year that I was there. It wasn't a good season but it was not due to the club.

"I've always been a Real fan and I have a good relationship with them. But more than anything on Sunday, I want to do my job and help Eibar win. We want to finish the season in eighth place."

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