Ranko Despotović (Đirona)

VALJADOLID – VILJAREAL B     1
Elče – Rekreativo     1
Herez – Kartagena     1X
Selta – Barselona B     3+
Đirona – Tenerife     -
Las Palmas – Gimnastik     1
Ponferadina – Hueska     0-2
R. Valjekano – Numansija     0-2
BETIS – GRANADA     1
Salamanka – Kordoba     0-2
Albasete – Alkorkon     0-2

BORBA ZA “PRIMERU”: Klubovi koji ispadnu iz elite uvek su favoriti za povratak. Valjadolid je ozbiljan klub, solidno pojačan za ovaj rang takmičenja, Herez je učešćem u “Primeri” dobro zaradio, što je iskoristio za dovođenje igrača, a tu je i verna publika, dok su Tenerife najmanje promenile tim, jer su otišla su samo dvojica-trojica igrača. Njima bih pridodao Seltu, koja je dobro pojačana i sa velikim ambicijama počinje sezonu, kao i Betis, koji je sačuvao okosnicu tima, a sve fudbalere koji su ga napustili zamenio je igračima istog kvaliteta.

NOVAJLIJE: Drugi tim Barselone taktički igra kao prva ekipa – napadački. Katalonci su malo “tanki” u odbrani, ali ne bi trebalo da imaju problema oko opstanka. Granda ima puno para, dosta je uložila u pojačanja, a i Ponferadina je prilično finansijski jaka. Alkorkon je opasan iz kontranapada, a poznat je jer je prethodne sezone iz “Kupa Kralja” izbacio madridski Real.

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Aleksandar Rašić (Srbija)

GRUPA A
AUSTRALIJA – JORDAN 1 – Australija je sigurno kvalitetnija, ima odlične igrače koji su poslednjih godina dosta napredovali.
ANGOLA – SRBIJA 2 – Moramo da startujemo pobedom. Imamo snažniji tim i nemam dilemu da ćemo najvažniji meč na SP završiti trijumfom.
NEMAČKA – ARGENTINA 2 – Iako su i jedni i drugi oslabljeni, prednost svakako dajem Argentini, jer Nemci igraju bez Novickog.
GRUPA B
TUNIS – SLOVENIJA 2 – Čista dvojka, Slovenci su mnogo, mnogo jači...
SAD – HRVATSKA     1 – Amerikanci su glavni favoriti za svetsku titulu, najbolji tim na SP, pa očekujem da sruše Hrvate.
IRAN – BRAZIL 2 – Brazilci imaju nekoliko sjajnih individualaca i sa velikim ambicijama idu u Tursku, pa je ovo sigurna dvojka.

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26.08. (Thu) 20:45 Manchester City - FC Timisoara

City slickers

Maybe money can buy you happiness after all. Three games into the new season and Roberto Mancini's expensively assembled side are unbeaten and have comfortably dispatched Liverpool - a signal that perhaps it really is time to start taking City seriously.

Missing out on Champions League football last season would have been seen as a big blow, no matter how brave a face Mancini put on it and after shelling out over £100 million on new talent Sheikh Mansour will want some silverware, any silverware.

The Europa League is probably Mancini's best chance to finally lift a trophy in City colours, with the big guns or Europe occupied with the Champions League, but they'll need to despatch with Romanian minnows Timisoara first, and needed a late Mario Balotelli goal to turn the tie in their favour in eastern Europe last week.

Penalty pain for Timisoara

Timisoara could make it two cup exits in a matter of days after crashing out of the imaginatively titled Romanian Cup on penalties to Arad ACU on Tuesday.

But in the league they continue to push the big boys at the top, thanks to Ianis Zicu's second late goal in two weeks, which earned a 2-1 win over Victoria Branesti.

Sadly it looks like they won't get to better their Europa League group stage last season, unless they can pull off the shock of shocks with a 2-0 or better win at Eastlands.


TEAM NEWS

Manchester City

Mario Balotelli will miss out - the knee injury picked up in the first leg in Romania proving serious enough to keep him out of the return.

England midfielder James Milner will also sit out the match as he was not registered in time while Aleksander Kolarov, Jerome Boateng and Wayne Bridge are all ruled out through injury.

Possible Starting XI: Hart; Richards, Kolo Toure, Kompany, Lescott; Wright-Phillips, Barry, Yaya Toure, De Jong, Silva; Tevez.

FC Timisoara

Defender Marian Cisovski won't be available, after suffering what the Romanian's delightfully refer to as "muscular tension", picked up in the weekend's win over Victoria.

Lukas Magera is expected to come in for the injured Timisoara man.

Possible Starting XI: Pantilimon, Luchin, Mera, Magera, Sepsi, Alexa Bourceanu, Curtean,  Cons, Goga, Axente.

Prediction 
 

Man City 3-0 FC Timisoara

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26.08. (Thu) 19:30 Trabzonspor - Liverpool

Big guns missing

Liverpool visit Trabzonspor looking to protect a slender 1-0 advantage in this Europa League play-off second leg but they will have to do so without influential duo Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

A draw or win will see the Reds qualify for the group stages of the competition although the job becomes decidedly more difficult with both Gerrard and Torres out of contention, as well as a number of other first team members including the likes of Javier Mascherano, Maxi Rodriguez, Milan Jovanovic and Daniel Agger.

It's been something of an uncomfortable start to life in the Anfield hotseat for new boss Roy Hodgson with Liverpool having failed to register a win in their opening two Premier League games that included a dismal 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

The Reds are undoubtedly still favourites to progress and avoid the humiliation of a pre-group stage exit after Ryan Babel's solitary strike in the first leg secured victory although, as Hodgson himself confessed, Liverpool still have it all to do having failed to kill off their Turkish opponents last week.

Down but not out
While the Merseyside outfit are stuck on one point in 17th place after two games in England's top flight, Trabzonspor have picked up maximum points in Turkey having won both their opening two league fixtures of the season, including an impressive 3-2 win over rivals Fenerbahce on Monday.

Defeat for Hodgson and his charges resulting in Europa League elimination would be a bitter pill to swallow after all the disappointment associated with Monday's visit to Eastlands although Trabzonspor will certainly fancy their chances of progression given the Reds' somewhat depleted squad.

TEAM NEWS

Trabzonspor

Having decided to switch things around for Monday's meeting with Fenerbahce, Trabzonspor coach Senol Gunes could be tempted to go with the same starting XI that only narrowly lost out at Anfield in the first leg.

After missing out on a starting spot against the Reds last week, Ibrahima Yattara will be desperate to get the nod having found the net against Fener.

Striker Umut Bulut will be hoping for a recall to the side while Burak Yilmaz will be another looking to be included having not featured on Monday night.

Possible Starting XI: Kivrak; Korkmaz, Glowacki, Gulselam, Cale; Yilmaz, Balci, Inan, Colman; Gutierrez, Bulut.

Liverpool

Roy Hodgson has confirmed that Liverpool will be without both captain Steven Gerarrd and Spanish striker Fernando Torres. England midfielder Gerrard is struggling with a back problem, while Hodgson is reluctant to field Torres for three consecutive games as he continues his recovery from last season's injury problems.

Wantaway Argentina international Javier Mascherano has again been left out of the Reds' squad heading for Turkey, while Daniel Agger (concussion) and Maxi Rodriguez (illness) are also absent.

Forward Milan Jovanovic has also been left out of the travelling party, seemingly being rested after the club's hectic start to the new season.

Possible Starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio; Lucas, Poulsen; Kuyt, Cole, Babel; Ngog.

Prediction 

 

Trabzonspor 1-0 Liverpool

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26.08. (Thu) 20:30 Utrecht - Celtic

Both sides in good form
Neil Lennon’s new-look Celtic travel to the Stadion Galgenwaard with a two goal cushion ahead of the second leg of their Europa League tie with FC Utrecht.
Celtic, who were defeated in the Champions League qualifying rounds by Portuguese side Braga, come into the game as firm favourites following the win at Celtic Park, a game in which new signing, Beram Kayal, impressed Hoops fans and manager Neil Lennon.
Utrecht come into the tie having impressed in their domestic fixture against Willem II this weekend. The Dutch team recorded a comfortable 3-0 win to continue their good form in the Eredivisie. Striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel looked threatening as he netted two goals, whilst midfielder and former FC Copenhagen player Michael Silberbauer picked up the man of the match award for an elegant display.

Celtic also arrive in Holland on the back of good form after recording a 4-0 win over St Mirren in the Scottish Premier League, a game in which Joe Ledley opened the scoring on four minutes.

TEAM NEWS
Celtic 
Striker Gary Hooper remains on the sidelines due to a six week lay-off and is joined by Marc Wilson and Niall McGinn.
Cha Du-Ri also misses out after Lennon’s admission that the player was struggling with a hamstring problem, while Jos Hooiveld returns from his one match suspension and could be in line for a starting place.
Celtic do, however, have a problem at left-back as with Charlie Mulgrew injured and with Honduran international Emilio Izaguirre still dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s on his work permit, Joe Ledley may be asked to fill in.
Possible starting XI: Zaluska; Juarez, Majstorovic, Hooiveld, Ledley; Kayal, Brown; Fortune, Maloney, McCourt; Samaras
Utrecht
Utrecht are likely to name a reasonably similar side to the one that defeated Willem at the weekend. Michael Silberbauer and van Wolfswinkel will be looking to build upon their positive performances to help Utrecht overturn the first leg deficit.


Possible starting XI: Vorm; Schut, Cornelisse, Wuytens, Nesu; Lensky, Silberbauer, Mertens, Asare; Mulenga, Van Wolfswinkel.

Prediction

Utrecht 2-2 Celtic

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