Friday, November 12, 2010

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13-11-2010 20:00 Atletico Madrid - Osasuna

Going The Wrong Way

The bright start that Atletico Madrid made to the season is now a distant memory, and as Quique Sanchez Flores’ men look to get their Primera Division campaign back on track they will be targeting three points against an Osasuna side who have been rather erratic in recent times.

Los Colchoneros lie eighth in the Primera Division, 12 points behind city-rivals and leaders Real Madrid, but after two games of the season some over-enthusiastic critics were tipping the Vicente Calderon side to challenge los Blancos and Barcelona over the course of the season. There is now no prospect of that, but the Champions League is still not out of reach should Atleti rediscover their top level.

Recent form suggests los Rojiblancos are quite some way from those dizzying heights. Over the course of their last eight Primera Division encounters, they have earned only eight points and last weekend had to suffer at the hands of los Merengues as they once again succumbed in the Derbi. Indeed, the 2-0 defeat Sanchez’s men suffered barely does justice to the servitude they were forced into for much of the match.

Against Las Palmas in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday evening, Atleti earned a 1-1 draw at home against the Segunda Division side. This was a set-back of little consequence however, as their opponents had been well beaten in the first leg and los Colchoneros ended with only 10 men, Diego Costa having been dismissed before the interval.

Flores, who rested his top players in midweek, will recall them all back into action for the fixture against los Rojillos, which is important to get their season moving in the right direction again.

Unlucky 13


Five games into the season there were real worries over the health of Jose Antonio Camacho’s Osasuna side. They had picked up only one victory, defeating Real Sociedad 3-1 at home, but more worryingly they had lost three of their other four games, failing to score in them all. However, the Pamplona outfit are now pushing steadily away from the drop zone.

One defeat in five represents real progress for the Navarre side, who have also acted to show that they are not simply a stuffy defensive outfit. After defeating Malaga 3-0 at home in mid-October, they claimed their next match at the same venue by a similar scoreline, this time besting Hercules.

Camacho’s men actually remain unbeaten at home, but on their travels the picture is not nearly so pretty. The only point they’ve earned came by way of a 0-0 draw against a Deportivo La Coruna side who were at that stage in pretty horrendous form, and a fortnight ago los Rojillos were hammered 4-1 by a modest Racing Santander side.

Renowned for producing teams who are organised and stoical, the former Spain boss must somehow integrate these characteristics into his current unit. Barely changed in the summer, Osasuna have not won an away game in league action since a 2-0 victory over Villarreal in January, and indeed they have lost 12 of their last 13 road trips in La Liga.

TEAM NEWS

Atletico Madrid


David de Gea and Sergio Aguero have both trained apart from the main body of players in the latter part of the week, though it is expected that both will be available for the clash against los Rojillos.

Diego Godin and Borja Gonzalez are both making positive progress as they battle back to fitness, though neither will be available at the weekend. Sergio Asenjo is another player closing in on a return to action, though the goalkeeper isn’t ready to be selected yet.

Following his midweek red card, Diego Costa will be suspended.

Osasuna

Javier Camunas’ hamstring injury is healing well, but not quickly enough to allow him to be considered for the weekend’s fixture. Walter Pandiani, meanwhile, faces up to a month on the sidelines because of a problem in his left thigh.


Prediction
Atletico Madrid’s poor results of late have largely come against stronger teams than Osasuna, with the exception being a 1-1 draw with Almeria at home a fortnight ago. Assuming that was simply a blip, los Colchoneros should be good enough to beat los Rojillos, who have been simply dreadful on the road during 2010.

Atletico Madrid 2-0 Osasuna

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13-11-2010 19:00 Olympique Marseille - Racing Lens

Mental Test

Ligue 1 champions Olympique de Marseille have been playing catch-up in the early part of this campaign, having suffered a poor start to the season in which they were defeated in each of their opening fixtures. Presently sitting fourth in the standings, les Phoceens could go top on Saturday evening if they beat Racing Club de Lens and leaders Stade Brestois falter.

Since a turbulent beginning, Marseille have started to settle down, and though Didier Deschamps’ side are not playing champagne football by any means, they are playing winning football. With the exception of the 7-0 thrashing of Zilina in the Champions League, OM have often looked laboured offensively, but that hasn’t stopped them chalking up a tally of goals unsurpassed by any Ligue 1 side or racking up an eight match unbeaten run in the league.

Paris Saint-Germain brought that undefeated sequence to a close last weekend with a 2-1 victory in the Derby de France. Surprisingly it was les Parisiens who looked the mentally tougher of the two sides, with OM twice blinking in the early minutes and thereafter being unable to recover.

But Deschamps’ side progressed through to the semi-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue by defeating Monaco 2-1 on Wednesday, though les Phoceens suffered their share of second half scares after right-back Cesar Azpilicueta popped up as the unlikely scorer of the winning goal.

After that affair, the coach spoke of a need to instil a winning mentality in his side, and they will get a chance to exercise that attribute on Saturday night against improving opponents.

Reasons To Be Cheerful

 
Lens are another side picking themselves off the floor after a dreadful start to the season. Les Sang et Or’s hopes this season are a good deal more modest than those of Saturday’s opponents, but their early season slump was long and at one stage looked to be terminal as coach Jean-Guy Wallemme wrestled to find an effective set-up for his side.

Goals are still lacking in the Pas-de-Calais side’s performances, with Toifilou Maoulida erratic, Eduardo short of confidence and David Pollet and Issam Jemaa both injured. But the defence has improve markedly over the course of the last month, conceding only once in their last four outings, and it will be this aspect of the team most severely tested come Sunday.

The financially bereft French champions of 1998 do have further reason to travel to Provence with some confidence. Last season they twice upset OM, defeating them 1-0 at home in the league almost exactly a year ago and then knocking them out of the Coupe de France, also at the Stade Bollaert, 3-1 in early February.

Provence is not an especially happy hunting ground for Lens historically, though. They’ve travelled to the Stade Velodrome on 44 occasions and won only nine, the latest of which was in 2007, when Aruna Dindane scored the only goal from the penalty spot.

While many onlookers will see victory as impossible for the northern club, the last 15 fixtures between OM and les Sang et Or at the Stade Velodrome have never been separated by more than a single goal. With the visitors’ defence in good form, another tight affair should be anticipated.



TEAM NEWS

Marseille


Didier Deschamps doesn’t have any serious issues approaching the weekend. Gabriel Heinze has been given the all-clear to play but there is some doubt over the fitness of Benoit Cheyrou. Meanwhile, Edouard Cisse has return to action but Hilton is still out.

Lens

Visiting coach Jean-Guy Wallemme has a host of worries as les Sang et Or make the long journey down to the Stade Velodrome. Issam Jemaa was last week ruled out for three months due to a torn muscle in his left leg and Yohan Demont is a recent casualty after breaking his hand punching a wall at the club’s training ground. Franck Queudreu, who only made his debut last weekend, will be absent for a month, while Samba Sow and David Pollet are long-term issues.

Alaeddine Yahia returns to action after being banned last weekend.


Prediction
Marseille may have slipped up in the Derby de France, but the signs are that this was a simple hiccup. OM got back to business impressively in midweek, and though their visitors were able to rest up before this fixture, les Phoceens should be good enough to claim maximum points.

Marseille 1-0 RC Lens

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13-11-2010 18:30 Stoke City - Liverpool

Crunching Numbers

A three-goal victory for the home side would see Stoke usurp Liverpool in the league table, but though Pulis' side have proved a struggle for the Reds over the past two years at the Britannia Stadium, a win against the Merseyside club remains elusive.

Stoke can point to a sturdy record on their own turf, sitting in ninth spot in the Premier League home table after Wednesday's victory over Birmingham, as a reason to be positive going into the game.

And after beating the Blues in midweek, the Potters also ended something of a miserable run by scoring their first goal in the first 45 minutes of a game at the Britannia this season.

Reds All Over?

While Stoke have reason to be cheerful, Liverpool's away form is dire and does not bode well.  Hodgson's side have picked up just one win – at Bolton – from their six away games, and have scored just four times on their travels.

But the visitors' season had looked to have finally picked up on Sunday, when Chelsea were comprehensively beaten, only for the wheels to come loose once again as Liverpool threw points away at Wigan on Wednesday.

Defeat could go someway towards ending Liverpool's charge for a Champions League spot before its truly begun, as they could end the weekend eight points off fourth spot.

Fernando Torres has netted fewer times (five) than Matthew Etherington has created for Stoke City (six) in the Premier League, but perhaps more tellingly – and damningly for a side that had not long ago been feared throughout Europe – Liverpool have scored the exact same amount of goals as their often mocked opponents.

TEAM NEWS

Stoke City

The Potters are able to welcome back club captain Ryan Shawcross, who missed the five-goal thriller against Birmingham City, and will almost certainly replace Danny Higginbotham at centre-back.

After outplaying Blues on Tuesday, Tony Pulis will more than likely stick with the same midfield, allowing Jermaine Pennant the chance to impress against his former employers, but up front the Welshman may opt to protect Ricardo Fuller – scorer of a superb solo goal in midweek – and use him as an impact sub with Jonathan Walters starting as a battering ram behind Kenwyne Jones.

Possible starting XI: Begovic; Huth, Shawcross, Faye, Collins; Pennant, Delap, Whitehead, Etherington; Walters; Jones.

Liverpool

Roy Hodgson is definitely without midfielder Joe Cole – who limped off during the Reds' one and only away win of the season at Bolton – and there are doubts over the fitness of Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Glen Johnson, both absentees in recent games.

But even if the latter proves to be in fine fettle, his place could still be taken at right-back by the steady youngster Martin Kelly.

Raul Meireles had to be substituted at half-time at Wigan on Wednesday night after suffering with an illness, but the Portuguese midfielder is expected to return to the starting line-up in a right-sided role.

Possible starting XI: Reina; Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Konchesky; Meireles, Gerrard, Lucas, Maxi; Kuyt; Torres.

Prediction
Pulis’ team have an enviable record against the Reds at home, and Hodgson’s preference for a deep defensive line and a lone striker set-up that offers Torres little support suggests that it could be the Potters who come out on top. But the Spanish striker’s recent resurgence should be enough to salvage something for the away team.

Stoke 1-1 Liverpool

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13-11-2010 16:00 Tottenham Hotspur - Blackburn Rovers

Van Der Vaart To The Rescue

Tottenham have not won in their last four Premier League games, which is their longest run in the league since January 2009. They have also not kept a clean sheet in their last 11 games and no doubt manager Harry Redknapp will want to change that statistic with a win over Rovers on Saturday.

However, the Spurs boss will be boosted by the fact that Dutch talisman Van der Vaart has scored in all six appearances he has made at White Hart Lane this season and enhancing his growing reputation as one of the Premier League’s top players, having endured a torrid time at Real Madrid last year.

Rovers Woes At The Lane

Blackburn Rovers on the other hand have failed to beat Tottenham in their last seven outings at White Hart Lane, but after back to back wins, they will sure to be going in to this game full of confidence.

Manager Sam Allardyce might not be the best at teaching his players the art of attacking football but he has a strong physical team strong enough to topple any team in the league.

Although with Rovers conceding the most fouls this season, 176, maybe they are a bit too strong at times.

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham

Manager Harry Redknapp has no fresh injury concerns ahead of his team’s clash against Blackburn Rovers, so could stick with the majority of the team that started in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Tuesday.

Winger Aaron Lennon is still suffering with a hamstring injuring, while Jermain Defoe could make a surprise appearance after recovering from an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, Redknapp still continues to lack bodies in the centre of defence with Ledley King (groin) and Michael Dawson (knee) both being sidelined, which has prompted the former Portsmouth manager, according to press reports, to line up a move for Newcastle United defender Mike Williamson.

Also missing for Spurs for the clash at White Hart Lane will be long-term absentees Jonathan Woodgate (knee) and Jamie O’Hara (back) as well as striker Robbie Keane (ankle).

Possible starting XI: Gomes; Hutton, Kaboul, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto; Kranjcar, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale; Van der Vaart, Crouch.


Blackburn Rovers

Following their impressive win over Newcastle United on Wednesday night, Sam Allardyce could keep faith with most of his starting line-up.

However, Jason Roberts could earn a place in the starting XI after he scored the winner for Rovers at St James’ Park with a neatly placed finish.

Midfielder David Dunn could also regain his starting place but Allardyce will continue to be without Benjani, Steven Nzonzi, Martin Olsson (all hamstring) and Keith Andrews who is suffering from a groin strain.

Possible starting XI: Robinson; Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Givet; Emerton, Jones, Pedersen; M Diouf, Kalinic, Roberts.

Prediction
Despite coming into the game on the back of back to back wins, I believe that the attacking threat of Spurs will be too much for the Rovers backline. Although Allardyce will set his team up to be tight and compact in defence and midfield, the likes of Van der Vaart and Modric will eventually wear that steady defence down.

Tottenham 2-1 Blackburn

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13-11-2010 15:30 Wolfsburg - Schalke 04

Holding Out For A Leader

Wolfsburg were expected by many to return to their winning ways and compete right at the top of the Bundesliga this season under new coach Steve McClaren, who became a hero in Enschede as he led FC Twente to the Eredivisie title. However, despite splurging over €30 million on players, die Woelfe's form has been patchy to say the least. And just when it looked as though they had turned the corner, so the inconsistency came back to bite. Three defeats in the last four leave Wolfsburg in 12th position and with Schalke and Stuttgart below them beginning to get their act together, a win against die Koenigsblauen is sorely needed.

One of McClaren's first acts as head coach was to appoint last season's torjaeger Edin Dzeko, who topped the league's scoring charts with 22 goals, as the new club captain, in place of Brazilian battler Josue. It was very much a political move by the Englishman who wanted to placate the Bosnian and keep him at the VW-Arena. On a purely sporting basis, Josue has more experience and greater leadership qualities, which Wolfsburg manager Dieter Hoeness feels are lacking in the squad at the moment.

"The team are in mid-table because they cannot concentrate for the full 90 minutes in order to deliver a high-level of performance. The character is fine but they lack that little extra bit of hunger, leadership and a winning mentality. In the Bundesliga, mentality triumphs over individual quality," he told Bild.

McClaren meanwhile is in agreement with Hoeness and gunning for a win against last year's runners-up.

"Schalke are a very strong team and also have very good players. They had a bad start to the season but we want to win irrespective of who the opponent is. That is the most important task for us at the moment and the key lies in our concentration over the whole game."


Looking For The First Goal

One of the recurring themes of this season's Bundesliga has been the collective holding of breath as everyone (except a certain yellow and black corner of Nordrhein-Westfalen!) waits for this expensively assembled side with the maverick but brilliant coach to hit its straps. After the Schalke engine threatening to splutter into life on several occasions, Felix Magath feels that last week's 3-0 win over St Pauli may well herald the start of a consistent run of form.

"The team did very well in the game against St Pauli. The sense of achievement was felt by all the players and the atmosphere was good in training," Magath told the club's official website.

"It was important that we had some respite after several Englische Wochen [where teams have midweek matches]. We had been travelling a lot in midweek or we had international games. We're going to Wolfsburg to bring points back to Gelsenkirchen. Wolfsburg have a good side with many strong individuals as I know only too well from my time there. However, we are strong enough to get a grip on our opponents and we want to play our own game."
Magath identified the first goal as key to his side's success, pointing out that it brings confidence to the team, with the St Pauli win a case in point. Die Knappen's most likely scorer is Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, comfortably the most prolific Schalker this season with six league goals.

"He is fit and he can play so long as nothing untoward happens," Magath said of the Dutchman who had a slight knee problem.


TEAM NEWS

 
Wolfsburg

 
Steve McClaren looks set to return to the 4-2-3-1 system, with which he began the season, which means that Grafite returns to the bench. Alexander Madlung looks set to replace Andrea Barzagli in the back-line. Edin Dzeko and Marcel Schaefer both skipped training during the week but both are fit for the weekend. Only Arne Friedrich is unavailable as he returns from a long-term back problem.

Probable Starting XI: Benaglio - Pekarik, Kjaer, Madlung, Schaefer - Riether, Josue - Mandzukic, Diego, Dejagah - Dzeko

Schalke


Felix Magath is without Nicolas Plestan, who has the flu and long-term casualties Levan Kenia and Tim Hoogland. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had been a doubt with a knee problem but he will start upfront alongside Raul while Christoph Moritz looks set to keep his midfield slot thanks to a face-mask, which will cover his broken cheekbone.

Probable Starting XI: Neuer - Uchida, Hoewedes, Metzelder, Schmitz - Farfan, Moritz, Jones, Jurado - Raul, Huntelaar


Prediction

VfL Wolfsburg  1-1 Schalke 04 

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13-11-2010 13:45 Aston Villa - Manchester United

Consistency the key to resurrection
 
Villa have had a bit of a rocky season so far, with their weekend victory over Blackpool being their first in the league since September.

The three points meant that Houllier’s men rose to 10th in the table, with only goal difference keeping them from snatching a Europa League spot from sixth-placed Bolton Wanderers.

Villa are also only five points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, and at this stage of the season it means that the gaffer still has a chance of bettering his predecessor Martin O’Neill to guide the club to a qualifying spot for Europe’s premier club competition.

However, considering Manchester City and Tottenham’s rise in stock and a resurgent Liverpool hoping to get back into the Champions League, the former Lyon boss may be entertaining more modest ambitions.

Concerning the game ahead, the hosts could be without nine players, but have the comforting record of having not lost at home this season. Their six games at Villa Park have seen the Birmingham-based outfit record three victories and three draws. And before Blackpool put two past their opponents in midweek, Villa’s defence at home had been breached only by Bolton.

At a personal level, Houllier will likely relish the prospect of taking on the Red Devils, as he masterminded five consecutive victories over Ferguson’s charges during his reign as Liverpool boss. Only Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger has more wins over United, with nine victories against his name.

Unbeaten United


Manchester United are the only team in the country who currently boast an unbeaten record in all competitions, but the reality of the matter isn’t quite as sweet as the record sounds.

Their performance away from Old Trafford has been pretty average, as their six games have resulted in five draws and a lone victory. The underlying problem has been that the team has been unable to hang on to a lead long enough to claim three points, as Everton’s two late goals against Ferguson’s men showed that they are not as strong as they used to be.

But United traditionally put in better performances during the second half of the season, but the Scot is unlikely to wait around hoping for customary ritualistic rise in form to play a part in the club’s progression in the domestic circuit.

The good work done in pulling closer to league leaders Chelsea – with the victory over Wolves during the weekend - was almost nullified by the dull goalless draw in the midweek derby game against Manchester City. And with draws piling up the way they are, the Red Devils could easily fall off the pace if and when they are subject to a defeat.

But ahead of the trip to Villa Park, Ferguson will know that his side boast of a strong record against the Birmingham-based club. They have lost just once in their last 27 meetings in all competitions, and are unbeaten in the league at Villa's backyard in the last 15 years.

This should give the travellers the impetus to go on and rectify their average record away from home by snatching three points from Houllier’s side.

However, injuries could come in the way as the squad has been hampered in recent weeks owing to a virus, coupled with several players making regular visits to the treatment room.

TEAM NEWS

Aston Villa


Gerard Houllier’s squad has been decimated by injuries, as he could be left without nine players for this game.

Habib Beye (ankle) and Carlos Cuellar (calf) are the latest to fall prey to injury, and the duo are thought to be unlikely to be fit in time for the arrival of Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.

John Carew (calf) and Emile Heskey (knee) contribute to the Frenchman’s problems in the attacking third of the pitch, but Gabriel Agbonlahor could be in line for a start after coming on as a substitute in the recent victory over Blackpool.

Stephen Ireland may be left on the bench again after getting only 10 minutes out on the pitch in that game, despite Fabian Delph, Stilian Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker (all knee) on the sidelines. Steve Sidwell (Achilles) is also expected to sit this one out.

Possible starting XI: Friedel; L Young, Collins, Dunne, Warnock; Albrighton, Clark, Bannan, Downing; A Young; Agbonlahor.

Manchester United


The visitors are in just as bad shape as their opponents, with Wayne Rooney (ankle) and Michael Owen (hamstring) being absent to bolster the attack. But the presence of Dimitar Berbatov, coupled with the emergence of Javier Hernandez and Bebe, may be mildly comforting, though the Bulgarian’s goal drought may nullify that as well.

Meanwhile, the perennially injured Owen Hargreaves (hamstring) is a familiar face in the treatment room, and he has Antonio Valencia (ankle) and Rafael (dead leg) for company.

To add to Ferguson’s problems, Paul Scholes is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Anderson and Darron Gibson are doubtful as the pair are still recovering from a virus, while Patrice Evra (ankle) may not make it back in time. Ryan Giggs could finally shake off his hamstring woes to make a return.

Possible starting XI: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O’Shea; Nani, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs; Hernandez, Berbatov.


Prediction
Villa have been good at home while United’s travels have not been particularly rewarding this term. With the hosts showing some improvement in recent weeks, a draw could be on the cards.

Aston Villa 1-1 Man Utd.

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12-11-2010 20:30 Borussia Dortmund - Hamburger SV

League Leaders Remain Grounded
 
Dortmund maintained their fine form last week with a 4-0 triumph away to Hannover. The Ruhr side have a perfect six wins in as many away matches, the Bundesliga’s best attack (27 goals scored), defence (seven goals conceded), and record (28 points from 11 matches), and the list of superlatives goes on. Truly, Dortmund must be considered top candidates for the title.

Just don’t ask chief Hans-Joachim Watzke.

“We do not dream but continue on our way,” he said after the Hannover win. “We are down-to-earth Westphalians.”

Defender Mats Hummels echoed his boss’ sentiments, “Our fans are allowed to dream, but I think that they are realistic too.”

Such dreams of winning a title are becoming less and less far-fetched with each passing week. Indeed, Dortmund have earned more points through 11 matches than any team in Bundesliga history.

Ahead of Friday’s clash, coach Juergen Klopp emphasised that his players are indeed fit enough to play, despite it being their 20th match of the campaign.

“I have realised that we in Dortmund are on an island,” he told Ruhr Nachrichten. ”Apart from us, nobody takes Dortmund seriously.

“For 10 years, I have been asked how long my team can cope with the strain; when I was in charge of Mainz, we hardly ever played in midweek.”

Coming off more rest than they have had in weeks and a nearly full squad available, the Bundesliga leaders are in good shape indeed.

Hamburg Playing For Good Of Bundesliga

For Hamburg, last Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Hoffenheim was one of sheer grit and determination. After falling behind due to an early penalty, die Rothosen dug deep and equalised on the stroke of half-time before Mladen Petric netted a late winner.

An outcast earlier this year Petric has scored four goals in his last three matches. He is not the only Hamburg player who has been in fine form as of late; at the ripe old age of 36, Ze Roberto leads the Bundesliga in assists. His performance as a utility man in central midfield and on the left of defence has been exemplary.

The performance of Petric and Ze Roberto has been critical for a Hamburg side that has suffered from a number of injuries to key players. Despite their poor luck in the treatment room, Hamburg enter round 12 in sixth place in the league, with 18 points.

Hamburg are well aware of the importance of Friday’s match.

“It is important for the whole league that we don’t lose and allow the gap to Dortmund to widen still,” centre-half Joris Mathijsen told Bild.

“If we want to achieve anything this season, then we have got to win in Dortmund,” concluded coach Armin Veh.

TEAM NEWS

Borussia Dortmund


Dortmund's casualty list slimmed this week when Tamas Hajnal finally returned to fitness. The Hungarian midfielder is expected to be available on the bench, and might even be joined by Mohamed Zidan, who could make his long-awaited return to action. This weekend comes too soon for Sebastian Kehl, Patrick Owomoyela, and Florian Kringe, however; the trio will have to watch from the stands.
 
Probable Starting XI: Weidenfeller – Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer – Sahin, Bender – Goetze, Kagawa, Grosskreutz – Barrios

Hamburg

 
Hamburg’s injury list, by contrast to that of their hosts, is a very long one. Ruud van Nistelrooy, Frank Rost, Marcell Jansen, Collin Benjamin, Dennis Aogo, Dennis Diekmeier, Eljero Elia, Tunay Torun, Miroslav Stepanek, and Romeo Castelen have all been ruled out of contention to play. The only question mark is over right winger Jonathan Pitroipa, who is expected to play despite struggling with a knock earlier in the weak.

Probable Starting XI:
Drobny – Demel, Westermann, Mathijsen, Ze Roberto – Kacar, Jarolim, Trochowski – Pitroipa, Petric, Guerrero


Prediction
Dortmund are the best team in the Bundesliga, but Hamburg will not go down without a fight. The visitors snapped Mainz’s seven-game winning streak in an away match not so long ago, and just might be able to take three points from BvB. Dortmund are the more probably side to win, but a draw seems more likely.

Borussia 2-2 Hamburg