15:30 Kaiserslautern - Borussia M'Gldbach : 1 @ 2.10 with Bet365.com
16:00 Everton - Stoke : 1-1 @ 2.50 with Stanjames.comSaturday, October 30, 2010
30-10-2010 22:00 Barcelona - Sevilla
Barcelona have been widely regarded as a side not playing to their true potential in the early weeks of the Primera Division season. If they are to avoid slipping up at home once again, they will have to raise their level to defeat a Sevilla side capable of upsetting them.
The rise of Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho should be considered a cause for anxiety at Camp Nou. Already los Blancos enjoy a one-point advantage over their great rivals, and Pep Guardiola will be keen that such an advantage is not any greater when the two sides clash on the last weekend of November.
Barca’s raw results cannot be faulted. Guardiola’s men have won five of their last six Primera Division matches and set a new club record last weekend by defeating Zaragoza away from home, ensuring that they won their first four road games – the club’s best start ever in that respect. But there has been a lack of decisiveness in la Blaugrana’s play.
Guardiola’s men are used to winning games with ease, scoring four, five or even six goals in the process. This term, they’ve only won once by more than two strikes, and the goals are not flowing as they have done in the last two campaigns.
Of course, there’s no reason to panic while Barca are still winning, and they kept their impressive run going by defeating Ceuta 2-0 in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday evening, despite playing with a largely fringe side. Against los Nervionenses, la Blaugrana will have to raise their level above the mundane.
Familiar Foes
Sevilla have been a somewhat unpredictable beast in the early weeks of the season, and even a change of coaching hasn’t yet been able to shake off the erratic results they have suffered. From losses against Hercules and Sporting de Gijon to a tremendous success over Atletico Madrid, los Nervionenses have already experienced a whole range of emotions this season, so they cannot be written off even against Barcelona.
While Camp Nou has been an intimidating venue for most over the duration of Pep Guardiola’s reign, Sevilla can travel to the giant stadium holding out hope of a positive result having won 2-1 at the venue early in 2010 on Copa del Ray duty. On their last trip to the arena, in the Supercopa de Espana, they were whipped 4-0 however.
Incredibly, this will be the sixth meeting of these sides in less than 10 months. Since los Nervionenses’ win in the Catalan capital, they have played again in the Copa del Rey, twice in the Supercopa and this will be their second time in the league. Sevilla’s record holds up at a commendable two wins to the three of Barca.
After nearly squandering a giant advantage against Athletic Bilbao last weekend in a 4-3 victory, Sevilla steadied themselves with an easy 4-0 first leg success over Real Union in the Copa on Wednesday evening. Coach Gregorio Manzano was impressed with the authoritative nature of his side’s performance, yet they will have to go up a step if they are to overcome Barca for a third time this year.
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
It’s largely been a week of good news for Pep Guardiola, who saw both Xavi and Gabriel Milito return to his panel on Thursday. The one piece of negative news for la Blaugrana is that Jeffren will be missing for around a month due to a back problem acquired against Ceuta.
Sevilla
Jesus Navas and Federico Fazio are still reportedly recovering from their respective injury problems and won’t be ready to feature, though the winger could play in midweek against Karpaty. Goalkeeper Andres Palop is certainly sidelined, while Tiberio Guarente has undergone tests on his right knee. Fernando Navarro, who is suspended, has an ankle issue, as does Lautaro Acosta, but neither is expected to be seriously troubled by their respective problems.
Prediction
Sevilla have caused severe problems for Barcelona in the past and will be aiming to do so again. Last term they defeated la Blaugrana at Camp Nou in the Copa del Rey and will be aiming to go one better in La Primera Division this term. Los Nervionenses have been rather hit or miss this season, so Barcelona’s methodical series of victories should be expected to continue.
Barcelona 2-0 Sevilla 
30-10-2010 20:45 Milan - Juventus
A game against Juventus is always a big occasion and it is made even bigger by the fact that a win on Saturday will push the Bianconeri further down the table and possibly out of the Scudetto race for good. It will also propel the Rossoneri to the pole position in Serie A for at least one day.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side are currently second in the table with 17 points from eight matches, although by the time they take to the pitch against the Bianconeri they would slip to third if Inter win against Genoa on Friday evening.
The former Italian and European champions had a tough time against Napoli on Monday and narrowly won 2-1. Their performance wasn’t particularly bad but it wasn’t hugely impressive either especially after they allowed the Azzurri to halve the deficit.
Moreover, Milan will have an eye on next week’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid at San Siro but will need to get things right on Saturday to sustain their league title challenge.
No Krasic, No Problem?
Milos Krasic has been Juventus’ best player so far this season but the Serbia international will be absent from their game against Milan on Saturday. His dive against Bologna in their 0-0 draw that earned his side a penalty (which Vincenzo Iaquinta couldn’t convert) also earned him a two-game suspension and it will now be tough for the Bianconeri without their highly rated winger.
Juve are currently fifth in the league table with 12 points from eight matches and are seven points behind league leaders Lazio. Luigi Del Neri’s side need to win this match or else they face the prospect of going a massive ten points off the pace, meaning that they will be forced to relinquish all remnant hopes of a Scudetto triumph.
The good news for la Vecchia Signora is that they are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions and have showed signs of improvement. Juventus will attempt to continue to march on the road of recovery but it remains to be seen whether the most successful of Italian clubs will be able to do so without Krasic.
TEAM NEWS
Milan
Ronaldinho and Zambrotta are out injured for the Rossoneri, which means that Allegri will opt for a 4-3-1-2 system with Pato and Ibrahimovic as the two strikers with Robinho playing just behind them. Gattuso, Pirlo and Boateng will be the three midfielders with Thiago Silva and Nesta as the two central defenders.
Juventus
Buffon, Traore, Rinaudo, Lanzafame, Grygera, Amauri and Iaquinta are out injured for the Bianconeri. Krasic is suspended for this fixture.
Prediction
This is a difficult game to call and it will be a close encounter. However, Milan will be slight favourites for this fixture as Krasic is out for the visitors and could just about eke out a narrow victory.
Milan 2-1 Juventus 
30-10-2010 18:30 Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United have not lost any of their 15 games in all competitions so far this season and are the only side yet to taste defeat in the Premier League.
The last two times Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have beaten unbeaten after nine Premier League matches – in 1996-97 and 1999-00 – they went on to become champions.
While United have already lost six points from winning positions this season, they have won 10 points from a possible 12 at Old Trafford and history suggests they will add to that tally on Saturday.
They are unbeaten in their last 18 matches against Tottenham – which dates back to May 2001 – and have won the last three clashes between the sides.
But the hosts may be concerned that they have only kept one clean sheet in their last six league matches, in the goalless draw at Sunderland on October 2.
Breaking The Duck
Tottenham travel to Old Trafford looking to end one of the worst records in the division having failed to win at one of the so-called ‘Big Four’ for 17 years.
Their dismal run at the homes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool stretches back 67 away games to their 2-1 win at Anfield in August 1993, when Teddy Sheringham scored twice.
The Londoners’ last victory at United was a 1-0 win way back on December 16, 1989, in the old Division One, when Gary Lineker scored the only goal.
Harry Redknapp will be wary that he has never won a Premier League match as a manager at Old Trafford but has instilled great spirit in his Spurs side, who have come from behind to win 10 points this season.
Now a Champions League side themselves, Spurs will have half an eye on Tuesday’s clash against Inter as they push for qualification into the knockout stages of Europe’s elite competition.
TEAM NEWS
Manchester United
Striker Michael Owen will be sidelined for at least three more weeks after picking up a hamstring injury in training as he stepped up his recovery from a groin problem.Javier Hernandez comes into the game in fine form having scored both goals in the 2-1 win at Stoke last Sunday and the winner in Tuesday’s League Cup victory over Wolves.
Wayne Rooney is out for longer than expected with his ankle injury but was never in contention to feature, while Owen Hargreaves (calf) and Ryan Giggs (hamstring) also miss out. Antonio Valencia is not expected to return from his dislocated ankle for at least four months.
Possible starting XI: Van der Sar; O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Scholes, Park; Hernandez, Berbatov.
Tottenham
Harry Redknapp is expected to wait until the last moment before deciding on whether to play captain Ledley King, who is a major doubt for the trip to Old Trafford with a groin injury.Alan Hutton could be the man to make way for the central defender as Redknapp tweaks his line-up, while Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko is expected to replace Peter Crouch as the lone striker.
Spurs are still without Vedran Corluka (groin), Michael Dawson (knee), Jermain Defoe (ankle), Jamie O’Hara (back) and Jonathan Woodgate (groin).
Possible starting XI: Gomes; Hutton, Gallas, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale; Van der Vaart; Pavlyuchenko.
Prediction
Tottenham tend to give United a fright at Old Trafford before succumbing under pressure and the hosts should be able to make Spurs wait at least another year to end their awful run of results at the Red Devils.
Man Utd. 2-1 Tottenham 
30-10-2010 18:30 Schalke 04 - Bayer Leverkusen
It has been yet another turbulent week in Gelsenkirchen. Indeed, the events of this season have resembled so closely the twists and turns of any classic soap opera or blockbuster film that Bayern Munich's title of FC Hollywood may find itself shifting to the side who ran them the closest last season. A rather fortunate point away to Eintracht, a narrow win in the DFB-Pokal away to FSV Frankfurt and in between controversy when four Schalke players were spotted out until four in the morning at a nightclub. Nevertheless, die Knappen have emerged somewhat from the doom and gloom that engulfed the club after four straight losses at the start of the season.
"We have produced good performances in the last three matches, all of which were in different competitions, and were successful," Magath said, chiefly referring to the cup games.
"Now we want to finally get a first home win against Leverkusen. The team and the fans deserve it."
Magath is right not to be letting up for the expected title challenge has not materialised and Schalke are still in desperate need for points if they are to haul themselves into the race for at least a European spot. Quality they may possess in abundance in addition to one of the continent's most shamefully unheralded tacticians but at a time when European leaders are discussing crisis mechanisms for the Euro, points are the only currency interesting die Koenigsblauen.
"Now is when it really counts in the Bundesliga. We need points pretty quickly in order to climb up the table. Draws are getting us nowhere. We need wins!"
Magath continued in this uncompromising fashion, stating that while he may have been slightly more tolerant of poor results given the massive upheaval at the club in the summer, the time for excuses has passed.
"The transitional period has passed and uncertainty as an explanation for poor performances will no longer suffice. Attitude is now what counts and we have already witnessed that in the Champions League."
Magath is known for his relentless focus on fitness and insistence that players are in peak physical condition. As such, it has not escaped his mind that Leverkusen's players will be suffering from 120 minutes in midweek and the Schalke coach certainly fancies his side's chances.
Looking To Bounce Back After Another Gladbach Defeat
For the second time this season, Bayer Leverkusen suffered a surprise loss at the hands of the mercurial, Jekyll and Hyde team that is Borussia Moenchengladbach. If the 6-3 romp at the Bay Arena was thought to have been a one-off, a chance result, then the cup victory for die Fohlen came as a real surprise coming on the back of a 4-1 thumping by Bremen last weekend. Such a setback has brought Bayer back down to earth but no doubt Jupp Heynckes' men will redouble their efforts as they strive for the consistency to capitalise on any faltering on the part of Mainz or Dortmund.
Despite two hours of football in midweek, Heynckes has expressed confidence is his side's physical condition and is refusing to countenance fatigue as a plausible excuse should Leverkusen underperform come Saturday tea-time.
"The team is in a good physical state and their psyche will have recovered by Saturday, so I expect a good performance against Schalke. If we avoid the mistakes we made in the cup tie but apply the same pressure upfront, we will give ourselves a good chance to win and hopefully score more than just one goal this time," Heynckes told the pre-game press conference.
The Leverkusen players have undergone a regeneration programme in training in order to enable the players to be in tip-top shape at the weekend. Jupp Heynckes has shown a degree of tactical flexibility in his selections, which has partly been necessitated by absences. Indeed, only Rene Adler has played every minute of the league campaign so far. He will probably stick with two strikers upfront, in the shape of Eren Derdiyok and Patrick Helmes, who have five goals between them this season.
Leverkusen need not be intimidated by the 60,000 Schalke supporters in the Veltins-Arena and they are a side more than capable of winning on their travels. Just ask Dortmund and Wolfsburg, both of whom were Leverkusen scalps already. However, Heynckes is not taking Schalke lightly, despite fifth-placed Leverkusen being eleven spots higher in the table.
"It is already a good deal more difficult to play there than it was a few weeks ago. For us it is important to end the game on Saturday happier than we were in Moenchengladbach."
TEAM NEWS
Schalke 04
Felix Magath is able to welcome back experienced duo Christoph Metzelder and Raul to boost his side's ranks. Tim Hoogland is still out with a foot injury and he is joined on the sidelines by Christian Pander and Levan Kenia. The major question marks are over the fitness of midfielders Hao Junmin and Jermaine Jones. Hao is a doubt as he has been kept under examination in hospital with a suspected appendix infection while Jones is undergoing intense treatment to reduce ankle swelling.
Probable Starting XI: Neuer - Uchida, Metzelder, Hoewedes, Schmitz - Farfan, Mortiz, Rakitic - Jurado - Huntelaar, Raul
Bayer Leverkusen
Jupp Heynckes has several high-profile and well publicised injury casualties, chief among which is Michael Ballack. Stefan Kiessling, Sami Hyypia, Renato Augusto and Gonzalo Castro are also suffering with an array of problems. Should Leverkusen indeed plump for two out and out strikers then the chances are that Sidney Sam will play at the expense of a central midfielder - probably Lars Bender.
Probable Starting XI: Adler - Schwaab, Friedrich, Reinartz, Kadlec - Sam, Rolfes, Vidal, Barnetta - Derdiyok, Helmes
Prediction
There should be goals in this game given that neither side has been among the more parsimonious defences in the league this season. I expect Leverkusen to come out firing on all cylinders but Schalke may well edge out on top, spurred on by another Magath rollicking.
Schalke 04 3-2 Leverkusen 
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