Here we go again, you lucky Whites. Yet another Spanish team to eliminate from the Champions League. It can't get any better for your Spanish correspondent....

So we're all off to Valencia, just 360 Km south of Barcelona and 150Km from Alicante airport and Benidorm, a place you will all know and love. I can be there in about three hours driving and about the same on the luxury train "Euromed", not much different from the time that it will take the rest of you flying from Manchester, East Midlands, or even Leeds-Bradford. The Sun always shines in Valencia, so I'm expecting to see a lot of flesh on the day of the game.

Valencia, in the "County" of Levante, where Paella was invented, and you get the best oranges in Spain. The local tipple is "Agua de Valencia" which is really a Buck's Fizz (Champagne and fresh orange juice), and they sell it by the jugful. It's also a very lively city for nightlife, and the Valencianos party from Thursday evening until Sunday night, almost non-stop. I guess we can extend the revelling through Monday and Tuesday at least.

As far as the football team is concerned, you will know a fair bit about em from last year's effort in reaching the Final, when their route was very similar to ours this year, qualifying from tough groups and reaching the Final, where they succumbed to Real Madrid. They've also been paired up with Man U and the Arse this year, so a lot of you will have seen them on TV I guess, particularly as Leeds don't seem to have got an awful lot of coverage, particularly outside the Yorkshire region.

This is their squad and an idea of how they may line up:

Goalkeepers

CAÑIZARES, JONATHAN, PALOP

Defenders

ANGLOMA, DJUKIC, AYALA, PELLEGRINO, CARBONI, BJORKLUND, FABIO

Midfield

MENDIETA, DESCHAMPS, BARAJA, ANGULO, VICENTE, KILY GONZALEZ, ALBEDA, MILLA, ZAHOVIC

Forwards

CAREW, DIEGO ALONSO, JUAN SANCHEZ, PABLO AIMAR, ILIE

Angulo is suspended for the first leg, which is no bad thing, because he can score goals from midfield, so Valencia will probably line up something like this.

That defence is a certainty, unless they have any late minute injuries. Where Cúper may make changes is in midfield, because he will probably play with just Carew as a lone striker, at Elland Road at least. In Mestalla, they will be more offensive and Diego Alonso could play up front as well or even Adrian Ilie, the Rumanian International, as he seems to be just about fit again after injury.

It's possible that Mendieta will play more central, and Kily Gonzalez would probably play on the left if he's fully fit, but he has been out injured for a while. Pablo Aimar, their fairly recent Argentinian signing, is a class player, but I think Cúper will save him for the 2nd leg. He could also bring in Zahovic, who is also classy but has been disappointing this year. I think he will go for strength in midfield, having seen what we did to Depor in the first leg, so Baraja will play, and probably even the old war-horse Didier Deschamps, fit again after injury, who we all know and love from his Chelsea days. He could even stick in Albeda or Lluis Milla, to hold the centre, but I think he'll "perm" his midfield from the players suggested earlier on.

So, exactly how good are they? Here's my own particular view....

Santi Cañizares, who is certain to play in goal, is a Spanish International, and like all their keepers he is a good shot stopper and terrible at dealing with crosses. He's also a bit of a poser but I won't say anything really bad about him, because he has been one of the few people in the whole of Spain who has continually stated what a good side Leeds are.

The back four are usually superbly organised, although the full backs are no spring chickens. Angloma must be 36 at least and although he defends pretty well, Harry should give him tons of trouble, as long as he plays better than in La Coruña. He's also not the attacking force he once was, although he did supply the cross for Carew to knock out Arsenal. I like Carboni, the left back. He's quick and likes to get forward, but must be the Valencia player with most yellow and red cards over the last few years. Bit of a hothead, he might not like it when Smithy, and Bowyer, get at him in the last third of the pitch. The 2 central defenders, Ayala and Pellegrino, both have the Argentinian qualities of being pretty skilful, but totally uncompromising. They will give away free kicks anywhere on the pitch, so if anybody feels like a punt on Ian Harte for first goal, you've read it here first.

At Elland Road, they may well play five in midfield, but don't let that fool anyone into thinking they are gonna be ultra-defensive. Mendieta, who I still believe is the best player in Spain, and is the one who makes Valencia tick, has similar mobility to Lee Bowyer. He can be defending on the edge of his own area one minute, and suddenly appear in the opposition box from nowhere. He strikes free kicks well, takes a great penalty, and will need very, but very careful watching. He's not been in his greatest form lately, and neither have Valencia, but he's got a big game in him. I just hope it's not in the next fortnight.

The rest of midfield is pretty strong, with a good mixture of skill, speed and strength. I've never been a Deschamps admirer; I'd rather have Batts and Olly every time, but he's got experience at the highest level. I actually hope he plays, because they have better than him in the squad. Rubén Baraja is certain to play. He's reasonably skilful, and a real battler. He'll have an interesting duel with our 2 in the middle. If their manager believes that Kily Gonzalez is fully fit, then he will certainly play in Valencia, and probably at Elland Road. He's fast, tricky, and has a good shot, but probably overdoes it a bit, and can be very selfish. The way Danny Mills has been playing, I wouldn't worry unduly, but if he is really fit he'll be a handful. If he doesn't play, they will probably play Vicente on the left, and Juan Sanchez behind the lone striker. Both got plenty of skill, but they remind me of Fran and Valeron, of Depor, and might find that we are too strong for them in midfield, particularly in Leeds.

Now, you may think I've gone a bit daft here, but I hope and pray (not literally), that John Carew plays up front against us. I know he's scored a few goals, including the one that knocked out Arsenal, but believe me, he is utter crap. I don't even believe he's a good header of the ball, and his first touch is woeful. He's not very quick either, more a sort of lumbering giant. Niall Quinn is much more skilful than Carew, so how much better is Viduka?. Light years is the answer.

Well, that's me shot down in flames if he does the business against us, but I'm 100% convinced that Rio and Dom will have him in their pockets. If Diego Alonso or Ilie play, I will be much more worried. They are both very mobile, with no little skill, and would cause our defence a lot more trouble than the "big lad". Pablo Aimar, the 21 year old Argentinean, will play some part, probably in both games, and he is very, very tricky. He's small and a bit frail, but has a great shot, and some wonderful Argentinean ball skills. Let's hope Cúper sticks to his guns and leaves him on the bench.

Of the others that might be involved, Djukic is a very skilful central defender, but slowing down as he gets older, Bjorklund is a typical Scandinavian defender, and has experience of English football, Zahovic had a great World Cup with Slovenia, but has done very little in Spain, and I hope he doesn't play, because he's better than the Spanish press believe, in my opinion, and Fabio Aurelio is a competent left back.

Valencia are a more compact outfit than Deportivo. They are never quite as bad as Depor can be, but never quite so outstanding either. They don't concede many goals, but don't score that many either. Their advantage is that they were in this exact position last year, and know what they have to do. They will have learned from Depor but don't expect them to come and attack at Elland Road. Cúper is Argentinian and all of his sides have been built round a solid defence.

I'm confident, as always, that we can beat them over 2 legs, and history is on our side, even if we don't get a brilliant result in the first leg. We've had a brilliant campaign so far, and I have the feeling it's not over yet. Roll on next week, and then our visit to Valencia....I can't wait.

Let's do it again......the future is WHITE ..........Marchin' on together!