Saturday, September 18, 2010

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18.09. (Sat) 22:00 Real Sociedad - Real

Wary Of The Danger

Only a mere five teams in La Primera Division have managed to pick up more than three points in their opening two matches, and of those five, two go head-to-head in San Sebastian on Saturday night as Real Sociedad meet Real Madrid.

The newly promoted outfit couldn’t have realistically hoped for a much better start to their Liga campaign. Faced with Villarreal on the opening day of the season they marched to a fine 1-0 home win and then followed that up with a 2-2 draw against Almeria last Monday, from which they will feel they should have claimed all three points. Madrid this Saturday, however, represent a great step up.

“They have not played with too much fluency this season, but they do not need to play well to score three or four goals,” Joseba Llorente warned to the media. “They are beautiful games. The crowd is eager, we have four points therefore we can enjoy the game a bit without too much pressure.”

Anoeta will be a sell-out for the fixture, and the visiting side can expect a red-hot welcome once again in San Sebastian, a venue that they have not visited since 2007, when they recorded a 2-1 victory en route to the title. With the home side in confident mood, Jose Mourinho’s men will not be given anything easily in a hostile atmosphere.

Some Team Will Pay


The beginning of Jose Mourinho’s reign at the Bernabeu has not been spectacular, though little about the Portuguese’s football often is. Placing a high tariff on victory, and only then concerning himself with style, Mourinho has guided Real Madrid to two wins in his first three competitive matches.

A scoreless draw away in Mallorca on the opening day of the Primera Division campaign had doubters whispering, but even though there were still clear deficiencies in los Blancos’ performance as they edged past Osasuna 1-0 last weekend, Madrid are starting to portray the hallmarks of the former Chelsea and Inter coach – winning ugly.

In midweek Ajax came calling to the Spanish capital on Champions League duty. After two stuttering league performances, Mourinho’s men looked far sharper against the Dutch powerhouse, creating many openings during a 2-0 victory. Though los Blancos were deficient in front of goal, ‘Mou’ doesn’t believe that will last.

“One day some poor team will pay for all these chances we missed,” he told the press. “We lacked efficiency, but we won because we dominated the game. The result could be higher, but at this stage the goals are not as important as in the knockouts.”

Though a great deal of money has been flashed by Madrid in recent summers, it’s often overlooked how young a squad they command, and after Iker Casillas explained in the media that los Merengues are “building for the future”, Mourinho described the midweek encounter as a match of “boys versus boys”.

If Mourinho’s kids are to become champions they first half to mature into men, and that means winning in intimidating venues such as Anoeta.



TEAM NEWS

Sociedad


Joseba Llorente has indicated that he will probably sit out the encounter as a precautionary measure to protect a back injury. The striker has said he could feature if necessary, but he doesn’t believe it’s worth the risk.

The hosts have given little away ahead of this fixture as to their squad selection.

Probable Starting XI:
Bravo; Martinez, Gonzalez, Ansotegi, De La Bella; Aramburu, Rivas; Prieto, Zurutuza, Sutil; Tamudo

Real Madrid


All of the players involved in the midweek encounter with Ajax took to the training field on Thursday without any apparent problems, though Sergio Ramos continues to receive treatment.

Kaka, Ezequiel Garay and Fernando Gago are the longer term problems for Jose Mourinho to cope with at present.

Probable Starting XI:
Casillas; Arbeloa, Pepe, Carvalho, Marcelo; Khedira, Oezil, Alonso; Ronaldo, Higuain, De Maria


Prediction
Will Real Sociedad be the “poor team” to suffer at the hands of Madrid that Jose Mourinho spoke of earlier this week? That remains to be seen, but it’s certainly not inconceivable that los Blancos will run out easy winners. Given the pride of the hosts and the incoherencies still visible in the visiting team, a solid away win is the most likely outcome.

Real Sociedad 1-2 Real Madrid

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18.09. (Sat) 18:00 Mallorca - Osasuna

Get The Heads Up
A pre-season campaign of set-backs for Mallorca has manifested itself into a mixed beginning to the Primera Division campaign, and Michael Laudrup’s side will be aiming to get their first win on the board on Saturday evening, when Osasuna visit the Balearic Island.

For over a year now, the ONO Estadi has been a formidable venue for visiting teams. On the opening day of the season, Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho era was supposed to get off to a victorious start at the arena, yet los Blancos were stifled by the home side, who picked up a highly creditable scoreless draw.

Laudrup couldn’t mastermind a repeat of that relative success when els Barralets visited Sporting Gijon last weekend. Indeed, Mallorca succumbed rather tamely to a 2-0 defeat, leaving them in the relegation zone in the embryonic table.

“It is complicated, but we are not a bad team in the league. You have to see that we can do better, but we cannot begin to have doubts. We must show that we have a team to compete and we are here to fight,” Jose Nunes explained, shrugging off last weekend’s loss.

When the sides met in the Balearic Islands last season, Mallorca ran out 2-0 victors, and a repeat of that success would be heartily welcomed by Laudrup, who is still chasing his first win since being installed as coach during the summer.

No Protection


Mallorca may have been anticipated to be Real Madrid’s first victims of the season, but that dubious honour instead fell to Osasuna, who put up a ferociously stubborn resistence to Jose Mourinho’s men at the Bernabeu last weekend before falling to a somewhat scrambled effort from Ricardo Carvalho.

Jose Antonio Camacho was quick to lambast referee Fernando Teixeira Vitienes, whom he claimed failed to give his side the protection that was afforded to the hosts. “The only player out injured is one of mine,” he growled after the fixture, referring to Javier Camunas, who is now doubtful for the weekend trip.

Los Rojillos are a team who can be typically found to be tremendous resilient, though rarely especially easy on the eye. Camacho has disciplined them into a well organised unit, and they should expect comfortable safety in La Primera this season, though they did allow their form to tail away towards the end of last term and have shown few signs of it picking up early in this.

An opening day draw against Almeria was by no means a terrible start to the campaign, and though it’s no disgrace to be shut out at the Bernabeu, it’s never ideal to be approaching a third match of the season without having put the ball in the net.

On the bright side, even if Osasuna do lose on Saturday, they’ll have already played away in two of last season’s toughest venues.



TEAM NEWS

Mallorca


Michael Laudrup has announced that he expects Marti to be fit enough to compete for a place in the starting XI for this fixture, despite suffering a thigh injury. Tuni missed out last weekend, while there have been no reports of fresh worries ahead of the weekend’s game.

Nunes will serve a one-match ban.

Probable Starting XI:
Aouate; Cendros, Ramis, Ruben, Ayoze; Diaz, De Guzman, Marti, Castro; Cavenaghi, Nsue

Osasuna


Javier Camunas is a big doubt to participate after being injured last weekend at the Bernabeu. Javad Nekounam and Damia Abella picked up minor niggles in the capital but have both trained fully since Tuesday, while Sergio has shaken a hamstring injury.

Asier is being slowly reintegrated into the squad after missing the trip to Madrid, while Josetxo is still training alone.

Probable Starting XI:
Ricardo; Damia, Sergio, Miguel Flano, Monreal; Juanfran, Soriano, Nekounam, Camunas; Pandiani, Aranda


Prediction
Both teams would have recognised the potential to be near the foot of the table after meeting Real Madrid early on, but the three points at the weekend are more important to the hosts, who are wholly reliant upon their home form to make progress this season. Whatever happens in this encounter, the tone will be set for the campaign, with Mallorca favourites to scrape a narrow win.

Mallorca 2-0 Osasuna

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18.09. (Sat) 16:00 Tottenham Hotspur - Wolverhampton Wanderers

Can Lightning Strike Three Times?
If Tottenham ever needed reminding of what can happen in the Premier League if you underestimate your opponents, then Saturday’s fixture should really hit home for Harry Redknapp’s side.

Mick McCarthy’s Wolves were the only team, bar Manchester United, to take six points off of last season’s fourth-place finishers, and having already dropped points to Wigan and news boys West Brom – following the goalless draw against Manchester City, which, on chances alone, should have been a monumental victory for Spurs – Redknapp’s side must surely earn maximum points at the Lane this Saturday.

Wolves Aren't Made To Be Broken
Perhaps it’s in their name, but McCarthy’s side have become the ‘new Stoke’ in the eyes of many of football purists. Their heavy handling of Newcastle’s Joey Barton had the critics circling, despite the midfielder's dubious past, and following the unfortunate injury to Fulham’s Bobby Zamora last weekend, the men from Molineux find themselves well and truly filed among the leagues’ ‘anti-fooball’ sides.

The aforementioned match against Chris Hughton’s team aside, Wolves are being tainted by a brush that should be stroked elsewhere.

Yes, they can put their weight around, but in order to avoid becoming yet another of English football’s yo-yo clubs, they need to find their footing, and if competing with full-blooded commitment unsettles their ‘classier’ opponents, then so be it, it works. After all, everyone must walk before they can run.

A Sign Of Things Of To Come?
Saturday’s game is a tough one, for both sides. Spurs should have beaten West Brom last weekend, but had their opponents been equipped with a more competent finisher than Marc-Antoine Fortune, then Redknapp’s men would have left The Hawthorns with nothing. Wolves on the other hand won’t gum their prey. If given the chance, they will bite.

Tottenham cannot afford a European hangover come Saturday.

TEAM NEWS
Tottenham


Redknapp will be hoping that new recruit Rafael van der Vaart can overcome his calf strain in time to feature, having been removed in the opening moments of the second half against Werder Bremen in midweek as a matter of caution. It is more likely, however, that the Dutchman will make his White Hart Lane bow from the bench this week, alongside fellow playmaker, Luka Modric.

Ledley King is likely to be rested having played 90 minutes in midweek, so William Gallas is likely to partner Younes Kaboul, after the younger of Spurs’ French defenders continued his positive run in the side, deputising for the injured Michael Dawson. Meanwhile, Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is set to play, with first-choice stopper Heurelho Gomes (groin strain) ruled out.

Having surprised many doubting fans with a cultured performance on Tuesday, Jermaine Jenas could retain his place at the expense of Wilson Palacios, as Redknapp looks for his side to attack from the offset once again. The Spurs boss will most likely return to a 4-4-2 formation; his preferred format when his side are at home.

Probable starting line-up: Cudicini; Corluka, Kaboul, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Jenas, Huddlestone, Bale; Keane, Crouch.

Wolves

McCarthy continues to be without Ronald Zubar (hamstring) and summer signing Stephen Hunt (metatarsal), while Belgian defender Jelle (not Jean-Claude) Van Damme, misses out with an ankle injury.

Furthermore, the former Republic of Ireland boss will not be able to select Chris Berra or Andre Landell, as they continue to serve their respective suspensions following dismissals.

Probable Starting line-up: Hahnemann; Fletcher, Craddock, Ward, Elokobi; Mancienne, Foley, Henry, Jarvis; Ebanks-Blake, Doyle.


Prediction

Tottenham 2-0 Wolves

18.09. (Sat) 18:00 Fiorentina - Lazio

Early Season Blues

Fiorentina's start to the new season has been nothing but disappointing as the Viola have garnered just a single point from two games in Serie A. A 1-1 draw with Napoli at home in their first match of the campaign was followed by a shock 1-0 defeat to Lecce away.

Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic is under pressure as Fiorentina missed out on a Champions League place last season for the first time in three years and need to refresh themselves this time around. However, defender Alessandro Gamberini is confident of winning against Lazio in Florence but believes that it is not going to be easy.

"The coach only wants the best from us and it's fair that he reacted that way,'' said Gamberini. "We are all convinced that we will turn things around. Mihajlovic spoke to each and every one of us this week in order to get us to start over and get the best possible results. "Lazio have a quality team that can make life difficult for any opponents. But we are hungry for victories and we will put all our energy into getting the job done on Saturday.''

Recovery Continues

Lazio had a forgettable campaign in 2009-10 when they just about managed to stave off relegation and also started the 2010-11 season on the backfoot as they lost 2-0 to Sampdoria.
However, the Aquile appear to have got their season back on track after defeating Bologna 3-1 in Rome last weekend. Edy Reja's side are currently 10th but are just one point off the second spot with three points from six games.
"Saturday's game will be an important test to see at what level we are and to evaluate how strong this team really is,'' said Lazio captain Tommaso Rocchi.


TEAM NEWS

Fiorentina


Jovetic is a long-term injury concern and D'Agostino is out as well.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Frey, De Silvestri, Kroldrup, Gamberini, Pasqual; Montolivo, Zanetti; Cerci, Ljajic, Vargas; Gilardino

Lazio

Meghni, Garrido and Floccari are the only injury concerns for the Aquile.

Probable Lineup (4-3-2-1): Muslera, Lichtsteiner, Biava, Dias, Radu; Gonzalez, Ledesma, Matuzalem; Mauri, Hernanes; Rocchi


Prediction
The Viola are under pressure to win and recover the lost points from the earlier games but so are Lazio. It could eventually prove to be a thriller and Fiorentina could just nick it in the end.

Fiorentina 2-1 Lazio