Things returned to normal this weekend after last week's high activity, with only two red cards over the ten matches (eleven counting Thursday's rescheduled fixture between Osasuna and Villarreal). Atlético's García Calvo was sent off near the end of his side's game against Athletic Bilbao after picking up two yellow cards, and Espanyol's Lopo was shown a red card on Sunday for supposedly lashing out at Mallorca's Luis García. The club are expected to appeal though as television pictures showed that, although both players pushed each other, there was no aggression by the defender. Lopo was our top villain last season with nineteen yellow and four red cards, but this year he has been an "angelito" up to now (well, relatively speaking!).

There will be the usual round of suspensions next weekend after six players completed the five yellow card cycle, including Pacheco (Albacete), Luque (Deportivo), Torrado (Racing), Carlitos (Sevilla), Sissoko (Valencia) and Zapater (Zaragoza). On the appeals front, Sevilla have still not taken legal action for Javi Navarro, who has already served out four of the five match ban for his foul on Arango (who incidentally returned to the playing fields this weekend and scored a goal). The Andalusians play city neighbours Betis next weekend though, so they may still make one last try. Meanwhile Real Madrid had their appeals against the bans of Zidane, Samuel and Salgado all turned down, and the only yellow card from last weekend which was quashed was the one to Beckham, which was fairly irrelevant. (02.05.05)