10/05/2001 00:00
TW
0

Real Mallorca aficionados will offer a harsh welcome to Celta de Vigo on Sunday after a vicious Copa del Rey tie earlier in the year, while the handful of worries festering at the back of most fans' minds may well help to fuel the atmosphere even more. Mallorca were dumped from the Copa quarter-finals by Celta after losing a hotly contested first leg 3-1 at the end of January. Alongside an incompetent referee, Celta's talented Estonian Valery Karpin was mostly to blame for the hostilities on the night, due to his provocative and abrasive nature. The return leg at Son Moix was packed with screaming Mallorca fans baying for blood, while Celta were given a police escort throughout their time on the island after the team received death threats. Mallorca won the second leg 2-1, but Victor Fernandez's highly organised team managed to hold on to win 4-3 on aggregate. In the league a resurgent Celta have put their mid-season slump behind them making a late charge for a place in Europe, something which looks a distinct possibility after a 3-0 victory over Real Madrid last Saturday. They currently sit in sixth position, two places and five points adrift of Mallorca.