09-01-2011 15:00 Milan - Udinese

Winter Champions March On

Against Cagliari in Sardinia on Thursday, Milan appeared to struggle in the attacking department. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended and out of action, the Rossoneri were missing the spark and were also allowing the hosts to take the game to them.

The introduction of their final trump card Antonio Cassano in the 74th minute, though, changed the contour of the match as the Italy international crafted Rodney Strasser’s winning goal five minutes from full-time.

The narrow 1-0 victory actually stretched Milan's lead at the top of the table in Serie A to five points after both Lazio and Napoli failed to gather maximum points and confirmed their status as winter champions. With 39 points from 18 matches, the former Italian and European champions are marching on towards their first Scudetto triumph since 2004.

However, against Udinese on Sunday the Diavolo should expect themselves to come up against a strong side who could make them sweat yet again. Massimiliano Allegri's team, though, do have a formidable record at San Siro this season, having won six out of nine league fixtures, scoring 17 goals in the process. They have also won seven of their last nine Serie A encounters and have lost just one of them.

The Fairytale Ride Continues

Udinese continue to go from strength to strength in Serie A and feed their dream to qualify for Europe next season. The Bianconeri's 2-0 victory over Chievo in Udine on Thursday came despite them having been reduced to ten men after 34 minutes because of the sending off of Giampiero Pinzi and attested their mettle and turnaround in attitude.

Francesco Guidolin's side are currently eighth in the league standings with 26 points from 18 matches and are just four points off a Europa League spot. A place in Europe is still improbable given the quality of the teams above them in the table but stranger things have happened in football and the Zebrette would be eager to script their own little fairytale.

However, Udinese need to improve their away form as they have lost six of their nine matches on the road. As a matter of fact, the Udine-based team's recent record on the road is terribly wretched as they have gone down in their last four league encounters away from home.



TEAM NEWS

Milan

Inzaghi, Abbiati, Pirlo, Boateng and Zambrotta are injured for the Rossoneri while Ambrosini is suspended. Ibrahimovic is back from suspension and will line up alongside Robinho and Pato in a three-pronged attack. Nesta is also back and will start in central defence but Cassano could remain on the bench.

Udinese

Basta and Ferronetti are unavailable for the match against Milan and Pinzi is suspended. Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez will start upfront in a 3-5-2 formation.

Prediction

Milan will start the match as favourites and even though Udinese are on a high, their modest away form will be detrimental to their cause of getting points off the Rossoneri at San Siro.

Milan 2-0 Udinese

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09-01-2011 14:30 Tottenham Hot. - Charlton Athletic

It Must Be Tottenham's Year
 
Spurs will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways against League One outfit Charlton in the third round of the FA Cup following their 2-1 Premier League defeat against Everton on Wednesday night.

And with the positive feeling around White Hart Lane at the moment, Spurs will be looking to get to the latter rounds of a competition in which they enjoy an impressive record.

Spurs have won the FA Cup eight times, including five times when the year ends in one.

They lifted the trophy in 1901, 1921, 1961, 1981 and 1991.
Few would bet against Harry Redknapp's men going all the way this year. But first up they face Charlton, who are having their own problems at the moment.

The Addicks go into Sunday's match without a manager and Keith Peacock in temporary charge after Phil Parkinson was sacked following the 4-2 defeat at home to Swindon.

Charlton are without a win in five matches, having drawn three and lost two; but they have nothing to lose against a side currently ranked fourth in the Premier League.

Their poor run has seen them slip from second to fifth in League One, nine points behind the leaders Brighton.

But the FA Cup could provide some much-needed respite for Charlton.

The Beckham Effect

Tottenham's well documented chase to snare David Beckham on loan could reach a conclusion this weekend as Harry Redknapp hopes to sign the former England captain in the next few days.

It is reported that the deal to bring the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan start to White Hart Lane could be concluded over the next 48 hours.

While the two-month loan deal for the LA Galaxy player may not be completed in time for the midfielder to make the squad for the FA Cup clash, it has been reported that Beckham may sit in the stands to watch his potential new side.

England's most capped player could be in line to make his Premier League return and Spurs debut against boyhood club Manchester United next weekend

This will provide a huge boost to everyone at Spurs as Redknapp looks to boost his squad for the season's run-in.

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham
 
Jermain Defoe could return to the starting line-up for Tottenham after serving a three match ban.

But manager Harry Redknapp is still without the services of defender Younes Kaboul who is serving the last match of his three-match ban following his sending-off in the 1-0 win against Newcastle.

It is likely Redknapp will look to rotate his squad against League One opposition, with some testing fixtures coming up in the Premier League and Champions League.

William Gallas (hamstring) and Alan Hutton (foot) are doubts but may not be risked as the big games come thick and fast.

Tottenham are still without the sidelined Ledley King (groin), Jonathan Woodgate (groin), Carlo Cudicini (shoulder), Tom Huddlestone (ankle) and Jamie O'Hara (back).
Probable line-up: Gomes; Assou-Ekotto, Bassong, Dawson, Corluka; Bale, Jenas, Palacios, Kranjcar; Pavlyuchenko, Defoe.

Charlton
Gary Doherty could be in-line for a recall to the starting line-up against his former club. Caretaker boss Keith Peacock could partner Doherty in the heart of the Addicks' defence with Christian Dailly.

Winger Matt Fry is now available for the tie after his loan stay from West Ham was extended until February 5.

On-loan forward Martin Lee is not available for selection after his parent club Ipswich denied him the opportunity to take part.

Paul Benson continues to serve a three-match ban after recieving a red card in his side's 3-3 draw against Colchester; Charlton's appeal against the decision was rejected.

Chris Solly (ankle) and Kelly Youga (knee) are still sidelined.

Possible line-up: Elliot; Francis, Doherty, Dailly, Semeda; Fry, Jackson, Racon, Reid, Wagstaff; Abott.

Prediction

Stranger things have happened but Tottenham should have enough fire-power to get past the League One side. The north London club have a strong squad, so despite Redknapp looking to rotate, his layers will have too much for Keith Peacock's side.

Tottenham 3-1 Charlton

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09-01-2011 14:30 Manchester Utd. - Liverpool

Hosts Aiming To Pour More Misery On Hodgson

The FA Cup may not be anywhere near the top of Manchester United’s priority list this season, but the fact that they been paired with bitter rivals Liverpool in the third round - added to last season’s early exit from the competition - means this is a match they will be taking very seriously indeed.

Sir Alex Ferguson will surely also be licking his lips at the chance to dump yet more misery on his arch-rivals, particularly in a season where his team are currently on target to surpass Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles.

The Scot will also be aware that with time rapidly running out for Roy Hodgson, a victory for his side could quite possibly hammer the final nail in the Liverpool manager’s proverbial coffin.

Reds Hoping For Some FA Cup Magic

They say that form goes out of the window in the FA Cup, and in derby games too for that matter, and Liverpool will travel to Old Trafford praying that really is the case. The Reds are under fire after a dismal season, and recent defeats to Blackburn Rovers, Wolves and Newcastle United have left manager Hodgson teetering on the brink.

Yet the Merseysiders should need little motivation for this game, and a quick glance at the history books will give them hope. The last time the two sides met in the competition, in 2006, the Reds beat United in the fifth round courtesy of Peter Crouch’s first-half goal.

History also dictates that in every FA Cup tie between these two sides since 1985, the winners of the tie have gone on to lift the trophy. Motivation, indeed, if any were needed.

TEAM NEWS
Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted that he will select a strong side for the visit of struggling Liverpool after claiming to have erred last season in “picking the wrong team” after the Red Devils were knocked out in the third round by Leeds United.

Two men who definitely miss out are John O’Shea and Paul Scholes, while Wayne Rooney and Edwin van der Sar remain doubts. Javier Hernandez, meanwhile, may have forced his way into the starting XI with two goals in his last two games.

Possible starting XI: Kuszczak; Rafael, Smalling, Vidic, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson; Berbatov, Hernandez.

Liverpool

There has been little good news for Roy Hodgson in recent weeks but he does have something to smile about at last as, aside from Jamie Carragher, he has virtually a full squad to pick from.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos is expected to miss out in favour of Daniel Agger in defence whilst Dirk Kuyt and Raul Meireles should also return, which means Hodgson has something of a selection headache in midfield.

Possible starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Konchesky; Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Gerrard, Cole; Torres.

Prediction

Current form suggests this is a no-brainer; Liverpool have just won once away from home all season while United are unbeaten at Old Trafford.

However, the FA Cup doesn’t always work like that, particularly when you throw in the added spice that this fixture always produces and the fact that Roy Hodgson has now departed and new manager Kenny Dalglish arrived.

Yet Liverpool have provided little evidence in recent weeks that they are capable of the “remarkable coup” Hodgson claimed victory would be, and anything other than a home will be seen as a major shock.

Man Utd. 3-1 Liverpool

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09-01-2011 12:30 Sampdoria - Roma

Slipping Down The Ladder

Sampdoria may cling on to the comfort of a game in hand but the Genoa-based side cannot eclipse their stuttering form and their slide into mid-table mediocrity. Thursday's comprehensive 3-0 defeat to Palermo in Sicily was Domenico Di Carlo's side third successive defeat in a row in all competitions and pushed them down to ninth in the league standings in Serie A.

With 23 points from 17 matches, Samp are seven points off a Europa League slot and a further two behind fourth-placed Roma, who also happen to occupy the final Champions League slot allotted to Italy. It's gradually becoming dire for Samp, who are struggling for creativity and spark in the attacking department.

But hope springs eternal. Along with Parma Samp are defensively the best home side in the division as they have conceded just four goals. The Blucerchiati are also unbeaten in their last six league fixtures in Genoa and will be confident of winning against Roma on Sunday in the lunch-time kick-off.

Rising Up The Ladder
Roma commenced the new year on a high as the Giallorossi defeated Catania 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Thursday. It was a thoroughly entertaining game of football in which Marco Borriello and Mirko Vucinic both scored a brace.

The win was Roma's third in a row in Serie A and propelled them up to fourth in the league standings on 32 points from 18 matches. Claudio Ranieri's side remain seven points behind league leaders Milan and hopes of their first championship success since 2001 have not yet vanished.

However, winning on the road has been Roma's problem as so far in nine matches, the Lupi have won just two. Encouragingly for the former Italian champions, their last league encounter on the road was against Milan at San Siro, which was their final game before Christmas; it ended in a 1-0 victory for the Romans.



TEAM NEWS

Sampdoria

Semioli and Cacciatore are out injured for Samp. Marilungo and Pazzini will be the two strikers upfront.

Roma

Lobont and Pizarro are injured for the Lupi, who will commence in a 4-3-1-2 formation that will have Borriello and Totti as the two strikers. 

Prediction

Sampdoria have proven themselves to be tough opponents at home and could snatch a draw against an in-form Roma side.

Sampdoria 0-0 Roma

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08-01-2011 22:00 Dep. La Coruna - Barcelona

The Curious Case Of Deportivo
Deportivo La Coruna are in a curious position in the Spanish Primera Division table. Having collected 21 points from 17 matches, the Galician side are 12th in the table, eight points above the relegation zone and six points off a Europa League slot - the perfect example of an also-ran with no urge of an adventure for the remainder of the league campaign.

Adventure for Depor, though, comes in the form of the Copa del Rey. The 3-1 extra-time defeat of Cordoba in the second-leg of their Round of 16 tie secured them a place in the quarter-finals and also saw them win their second successive game in the new year. On Sunday Depor defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-1 in the Basque country for only their second away victory of the season in La Liga.

Going into Saturday's encounter against mighty Barcelona, Depor would be seeking at least a point at the Riazor. Miguel Angel Lotina's side are not exactly formidable on their home ground as they have won just three times. On the positive side, though, they have lost just once and have conceded only five goals in eight matches.

Picking Up Pace

Barcelona may still remain the best club side on the planet but the Spanish champions have yet to pick up momentum in the new year. The Blaugrana did commence 2011 on a winning note but the 2-1 league victory over Levante didn't come without moments of nervousness and doubt. Then in midweek Pep Guardiola's team just about crawled into the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey as they got the better of Athletic Bilbao in the Round of 16 only on away goals' rule.

However, the former European champions have bounced back in style every time they have struggled and one expects them to do so this time too. Barcelona have a phenomenal away record in the Spanish Primera Division as they have won all eight matches on the road. Not only have the Blaugrana emerged victorious in those games, they have triumphed too, having scored a whooping 29 goals, conceding a miserly four.

Against a Deportivo La Coruna side who are floating in mid-table, Barca would expect themselves to pick up maximum points. With Lionel Messi back in the team, the world's most entertaining football team would also look to play exhibition football.

With 46 points from 17 matches, the Catalan side are currently two points clear of arch-rivals and second-placed Real Madrid and a win will increase that advantage to five until Sunday at least.



TEAM NEWS

Deportivo La Coruna

Riki, Michel and Andres Guardado are set to miss the game through injury, while Urreta and Knut Olav Rindaroy are doubtful. Albert Lopo, Manuel Pablo and Lassad Nouioui all will return after being rested in midweek.

Barcelona

Lionel Messi, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique all will start the league encounter against Deportivo after missing last weekend's encounter. Ibrahim Afellay, signed in the winter, is in line to make his league debut. Left-back Maxwell has been included in the squad after overcoming a thigh strain. 

Prediction

A win for Deportivo La Coruna even at home against Barcelona looks a bleak option. The Blaugrana have a 100 per cent record on the road this campaign and even though they haven't looked exactly Barcelona-esque so far this new year, they will still be more than a match for the Galicians.

Deportivo 1-3 Barcelona

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