Deportivo La Coruna
vs
Valladolid
Match Schedule:
Date: October 25th
Time: 15:00 (GMT)
Depor make the trip to struggling Real Valladolid having won five of their opening seven games, including each of their last four fixtures.
That has left Miguel Angel Lotina's side in fourth spot, level on 15 points with third-placed Sevilla and only three behind big-spending Madrid in second.
It is not as if Depor have had an easy run of fixtures either, as they have already played La Liga powerhouses Madrid, Villarreal and Sevilla, taking six points from those matches, and that has helped fuel the feeling of euphoria currently surrounding the Galician club.
However, Aranzubia has sought to temper that, pointing out that four of their five victories have only been by 1-0 and were far from straightforward.
He said: "We've won four successive games, we are right up there, but it's been hard work winning those matches and we have to work to continue doing the same.
"The team are doing well, we are all happy, but we are conscious that we aren't winning comfortably or by being a lot better than our opponents, but because we've worked very hard."
Depor were one of the top teams in Spain at the turn of the millennium, winning the league in 2000, then finishing as runners-up the next two seasons and third the following two years after that.
It has not been such a successful time for the La Coruna-based club since then, but a seventh-placed finish last year and the positive start to this season suggests the good times could be on their way back.
Aranzubia is cautious about looking too far ahead though, adding: "We will try to follow this line we're on and, like last year, if in the final weeks we are high in the table we cannot rule out anything, but right now it is too soon to look too high."
In stark contrast to Depor, Valladolid suffered a dismal end to last season and only just avoided the drop, and they have not had the best of starts this term either.
Jose Luis Mendilibar's men currently lie in 17th spot after picking up just one win and five points from seven matches.
However, Valladolid put on a decent show at the Bernabeu last weekend before losing 4-2 to Madrid and Mendilibar has taken confidence from that.
"It's true that we didn't bring back any points from the Bernabeu, but you can see we improved and this will help mentally," said Mendilibar, whose side beat Depor 3-0 in last season's corresponding fixture against the Galicians.
"It's not the same to lose playing horribly like in Mallorca (3-0 defeat) as to losing the way we did against Madrid.
"We are moving in the right direction, although we need to be consistent and continue this improvement against Deportivo."
Mendilibar is without Fabricio, Sisi, Jonathan Sesma, Cesar Arzo, Antonio Barragan and Asier Martin for various reasons but has Fabian Canobbio available again.
For Depor, midfielder Juca could be out of action for a month.
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