Patient Pavón awaits call

By Andy Hall & Darío López

Ever since his debut against Athletic Club Bilbao in October 2001, youth academy graduate Francisco Pavón has been fighting for a first-team place at Real Madrid CF.

Opportunity knocks
The 24-year-old's latest chance to impress could come in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against AS Monaco FC. With Roberto Carlos suspended, Pavón could return to the Madrid central defence as Raúl Bravo, the man who displaced him in the side earlier in the season, is expected to cover for the Brazilian at left-back. This would allow Pavón to partner Iván Helguera as Madrid bid to deliver a knockout blow to their French opponents at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Monaco threat
However, victory will not come easy against the principality team, Pavón warned. "At this stage of the competition there are no easy opponents - the only teams left are all really strong," he told uefa.com. "Monaco thrashed [RC] Deportivo [La Coruña] at home. We know that if things don't go our way on Wednesday, then we will suffer over there."

Decent draw
Despite their disappointing domestic form in recent weeks, including a 4-2 defeat at Athletic on Saturday, Pavón and company are quite happy with the draw. Indeed, the defender, who recently extended his Madrid contract until 2008, believes the natural exuberance of Didier Deschamps' side can play into the Spanish champions' hands.

Attacking opponents
"We prefer meeting French or English opponents because they tend to be more attack-minded than teams from other countries. Italian and German teams are more organised," he said. "We are hoping for a less tactical match but you never know what kind of game to expect."

Familiar face
Pavón also has inside information on the man he is likely to be marking - Monaco's Fernando Morientes. The Spanish international striker is still technically a team-mate of Pavón, but has been making headlines in France since joining the Ligue 1 club on loan last summer.

'The complete forward'
"'Moro' is the complete centre-forward," said Pavón. "He is strong, plays with both feet and is always in the right place at the right time. He is a magnificent player who is merciless in front of goal. He has been, and always will be, one of the best strikers in Europe."

Friendship on hold
But while Pavón is a Morientes fan, he insists the forward's six seasons at Madrid will count for nothing once the whistle blows on Wednesday night. "Once we are on the pitch, I won't be giving him [Morientes] any special treatment," he said. "I have no qualms about going in hard on him, and I am sure he will feel the same. The team's interests are at stake and in cases like this, you have to leave friendships aside."

Away trip
The one concern for Pavón is having to play the second leg away from home. "You know that in front of your own fans, there is less chance of the game slipping away from you," he said.

All-Spanish final?
However, the potential reward for a win is enormous, particularly with Madrid and Deportivo being on opposite sides of the draw and capable of meeting in an all-Spanish final. The idea appeals to Pavón. "I would love us to make the final and it would be extra special if Depor could make it as well," he said. Should Pavón hold Morientes at bay, Carlos Queiroz's men will go some way towards keeping their part of the bargain.