23-10-2010 22:00 Valencia - Mallorca

Midweek Disappointment

Valencia lost the leadership of La Primera Division last weekend as they slipped to a defeat against Barcelona on Saturday evening and then suffered a further set-back in midweek when they failed to overcome Rangers in the Champions League, leaving them in need of a victory against the Glasgow club in a fortnight to kick-start their European campaign.

Coach Unai Emery certainly wasn’t happy with what his side produced during the 1-1 draw in Scotland. “I could say the draw was a fair result but you have to be self critical,” he told The Sun. “The truth is we didn't expect Rangers would create as many chances as they did.

“We did a bit better against them in the second half but Rangers still created chances. They hurt us. But we did get a draw and have the chance to put it right at the Mestalla.”

Los Che cannot afford to look ahead immediately to that fixture. They are in the thick of a four-way battle for the leadership of the Spanish league and home fixtures against Mallorca and Zaragoza over the course of the next fortnight give them a very real chance to stay right at the sharp end for the time being.

If Valencia are to become a genuine third force in the long haul, it is matches such as this they have to ensure they win.

Ready To Rebound
 
It’s not often that Mallorca lose at the ONO Estadi, but they slumped to a surprising defeat at the venue against Espanyol last weekend. The Balearic Islanders rarely got into top gear against their Barcelona-based opponents and deserved the defeat, which leaves them on eight points, away from the bottom three by only a couple of marks.

Coach Michael Laudrup has pinpointed an improvement in the club’s away form as the biggest difference he can immediately make. Els Barralets were imperious on their own soil last term, but their dreadful performances on the road cost them the chance to seriously make an impression on the top four.

Having suffered the blow of being knocked-back from the Europa League this season due to the messy state of their finances, which have also forced them to lose several of last term’s best performers, a scrap towards the foot of the table is more likely this term. That doesn’t mean that they will accept defeats against the likes of Espanyol lightly.

“We are really angry to have lost to Espanyol, as this wasn’t expected. We have to take the mistakes we made and learn from them before the next match,” goalkeeper Duda Aoute fumed to the media at the start of the week.

It’s not been an entirely negative week for Laudrup’s men, as they have secured contract extensions for Kevin Garcia and Emilio Ensue. Mallorca will now want to cause a real stir by registering a win at the Mestalla, however unlikely to odds suggest it is.

TEAM NEWS

Valencia
Marius Stankevicius was ineligible in midweek and comes back into contention for the weekend’s fixture, but Joaquin, Miguel and Sofiane Feghouli are all expected to sit out once again due to physical complaints. No fresh worries have yet been voiced after the midweek Rangers clash.

Mallorca
Michael Laudrup has been focussing especially on his offence in training over the last week. The Dane will be delighted that he has a full panel of players available for this fixture.

Prediction

With Mallorca’s away form questionable at present, Valencia should have the strength to pick up three points. Their midweek exploits may make victory a little hard to come by for los Che, but they should be powerful enough to get there in the end.

Valencia 1-0 Mallorca

Read More

23-10-2010 20:45 Fiorentina - Bari

Bottom Of the Pile

Fiorentina were considered a top four challenging side in Serie A at the start of the season but the Viola are far from breaking into a Champions League spot at the moment.

Four defeats and two draws in seven league fixtures have dragged the Viola to the foot of the table with just five points. Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic is under massive pressure to resurrect his side’s fortunes and although the Viola have stressed that the Serbian’s job is not under any threat, things could change very soon.

Nevertheless, Fiorentina midfielder and captain Riccardo Montolivo, who missed last weekend’s defeat to Sampdoria, has urged his team to restore lost pride and says, "We are disappointed. But we don't have any fear.

"The team is behind Mihajlovic and our coach is the least responsible for this situation. We know how important Saturday's game against Bari is.

"We are all aware of our strength but we have to prove it when it matters. I ask the fans to remain close to us and help us in this difficult time.''

The Struggle Continues

Bari were last season’s surprise package in 2009-10 but they have been far from impressive this time around. At the moment the Galletti are 14^th in the table with eight points from seven matches.

Last weekend Bari went down 2-0 to Serie A leaders Lazio and coach Giampiero Ventura knows that they will have to bounce back on Saturday and try to collect maximum points from their trip to Florence.

He explains, "When you don't get any points, some worries start to creep in. It seemed the season was going to be a breeze, but it isn't so.

"The league seems to be more competitive than with respect to last year.''

However, Bari have yet to win away from home in the league and have lost two of their three matches on their travels.


TEAM NEWS

Fiorentina
Jovetic, D’Agostino and Zanetti are out while Mutu is still suspended. The Viola will line up in a 4-4-1-1 formation with Ljajic playing just behind striker Gilardino.

Bari
Romero and Raggi are out injured. Bari are likely to use a flat 4-4-2 shape with Barreto and Castillo as their main strikers.

Prediction

Fiorentina will not lose this game and with a little bit of luck they will just edge Bari and carve out a narrow victory.

Fiorentina 1-0 Bari

Read More

23-10-2010 18:30 West Ham United - Newcastle United

You're Avram A Laugh!

The Hammers yet again find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle after last season's struggle to stay up, although before the campaign kicked off they wold have loved to be placed one position below Liverpool. Sadly that still means they are bottom of the Premier League.

Having said that, Grant's side are on their best run without defeat for 18 months - unbeaten in their last four Premier League games, their longest sequence without loss for since April 2009.

Home form remains a problem though, with eight goals conceded and just six scored in the last six games, with the Hammers not hitting more than one a game at Upton Park.

One For Sorrow

The Magpies aren't faring much better, sitting four places and just two points above the hosts, and have not tasted victory since their impressive League Cup win at Stamford Bridge in September.

Most of the attention has been off the pitch at St James' Park, with the furour surrounding Hatem Ben Arfa's leg break and then star striker Andy Carroll having to pitch up with captain Kevin Nolan as part of his bail conditions after being arrested for assault.

Expect goals on Saturday as while West Ham have conceded more at home than they have scored, so have Chris Hughton's Newcastle, knocking in 10 but seeing 11 go the other way.

TEAM NEWS

West Ham United
Defender Manuel da Costa is available to face Newcastle despite being arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on Thursday.

The 24-year-old was bailed pending further inquiries after an alleged attack at a night club in Ilford.

Meanwhile, Hammers boss Avram Grant has Matthew Upson pushing for a recall, after he missed the 1-1 draw at Wolves with a neck strain, but Jack Collison and Thomas Hitzlsperger are long-term absentees.

Probable starting XI: Green; Jacobsen, Ben-Haim, Upson, Gabbidon; Dyer, Parker, Noble; Obinna, Piquionne, Boa Morte.

Newcastle United
Hatem Ben Arfa is still missing with a broken leg sustained at Manchester City and will be for some time.

Meanwhile manager Chris Hughton also has Steve Harper (broken collar bone), Dan Gosling (cruciate knee ligaments), Danny Simpson (ankle) and Steven Taylor (shoulder) all unavailable.

Captain Kevin Nolan missed the draw with Wigan last week but could be in line for a recall.

Probable starting XI: Krul; Perch, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique; Routledge, Tiote, Barton, Gutierrez; Nolan, Carroll.

Prediction

Both teams will be desperate for three points but may have to settle for one in what could prove a high scoring encounter. The Hammers ave only kept one clean league sheet all season while Newcastle have been involved in home goals fests. Expect action at both ends.

West Ham 2-2 Newcastle

Read More

23-10-2010 18:00 Zaragoza - Barcelona

Problems
 
Winless and bottom of the table, to say it’s been a tough start to the campaign for Zaragoza would be something of an understatement. Coach Jose Aurelio Gay is under scrutiny, so the visit of reigning champions Barcelona is not a fixture that will fill him with a great deal of enthusiasm.

Last weekend, los Manos suffered their fourth defeat of the campaign to date, going down 2-1 against Athletic Bilbao in the Basque Lands. Though the final score reflects a competitive performance from the visitors, they were largely poor throughout and only scored their consolation goal four minutes into stoppage time.

The problems don’t seem to have stopped on the competitive field of play as reports suggest that there has been some unrest on the club’s training ground this week. Hard-nosed Italian centre-back Matteo Contini was reportedly sent away from the main body of players after failing to show the correct attitude towards head coach Gay.

Schisms in the squad are the last thing an already toiling side needs, particularly ahead of such a big fixture. If they are to somehow pull a shock result out of the bag, the home players and staff must all be pulling in the same direction.

Not At Their Best

Primera Division champions Barcelona have yet to really look themselves this season, having scored a relatively paltry 12 goals from seven fixtures. Though for most mortal sides this would be a good return, the standards that la Blaugrana have set for themselves mean that this is a relatively low figure. More surprising, however, is the fact that Barca have already spilled four points.

Danger signs flashed last weekend, when Pep Guardiola’s unit met with then league leaders Valencia. For 45 minutes the Camp Nou was stunned as the guests played the better football and earned a deserved lead, but after the interval the home team finally roared into action, striking through Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol.

Iniesta was also to the fore as Barca met with Copenhagen in midweek. Dictating play from the centre of the field, he helped to orchestrate a 2-0 victory in which Lionel Messi hogged the spotlight thanks to his brace.

When forced to break intensely defensive sides down this term, la Blaugrana have toiled to find their slickest football, which explains poor results at home against Hercules and Mallorca, so playing on the road has actually suited them. Teams taking a slightly more offensive stance have been picked off, and the pattern should continue on Saturday.

TEAM NEWS

Zaragoza
Jiri Jarosik returns after a one-match suspensions, though Pinter misses out because of a similar ban. Matteo Contini’s spot in the first team is a little under question after his training ground spat with the coach.

Leo France, Victor Laguardia and Ikechukwu Uche are all still out with injury problems.

Barcelona
Victor Valdes missed out in midweek because of a virus, and he missed training again on Thursday, despite reports stating that he was feeling a little better. Gabriel Milito has a muscular injury and won’t feature, while Xavi, who managed on 20 minutes against Copenhagen, will be rested.

Prediction

Even though Barcelona are not at the peak of their powers at present, it’s almost impossible to see Zaragoza picking up anything in this fixture. Strangely, la Blaugrana’s least steady performances have come at Camp Nou, and they’ve yet to spill any points on the road in the league. Expect Pep Guardiola’s men to score a fourth successive away win on La Liga duty come Saturday evening.

Zaragoza 0-2 Barcelona

Read More

23-10-2010 15:30 Borussia MG - Werder

Gladbach “Up Against It”, But Ready

With just six points from eight matches, Gladbach have the Bundesliga’s worst defensive record, are a point away from dropping into the relegation zone, and are rapidly approaching a crisis.

After going ahead early against Hoffenheim last week, die Fohlen suffered a complete meltdown. Juan Arango was dismissed for a mindless act of violence, and later, Sebastian Schachten was also sent off before Gladbach ultimately lost 3-2.

Heading into Saturday’s match against Bremen, Arango and Schachten will join Roel Brouwers among the fit, but suspended first team players unavailable. Coach Michael Frontzeck was quick to minimise expectations for his team’s performance, and praised Bremen for their individual quality, despite the absence of injured goalkeeper Tim Wiese.

“Bremen are, in my eyes, the best German team in general,” the former Germany international said. “They have so many good players and their squad is set up for the Champions league so even the replacement for Tim Wiese will have quality.”

Frontzeck admitted that the losses of his suspended trio, plus several other injured stars, will make the match especially difficult.

“We’re definitely up against it,” he said before adding defiantly, “but irrespective of that, the team is giving me the impression that they want to win it, that they believe in it and that they want to be rewarded for their efforts at last.”

Werder Keen To Make Up For Lost Time

Werder Bremen had to come back from a goal behind in Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Twente, but the hard-to-shut-out Hanseaten managed to earn a draw. Their result marked the fourth match in all competitions that Bremen have gone without defeat.

As they prepare for this weekend’s match, Thomas Schaaf’s men remain ten points off Bundesliga leaders Dortmund and Mainz, however. After a dismal start to the campaign, Werder now need to make up ground, and will have to play at an exceptionally high level if they are to qualify for the Champions League for a second consecutive season.

“We need to get going and make up for the points we have not been able to take,” coach Thomas Schaaf said in a pre-match press conference.

Schaaf also made sure to note that Bremen will not underestimate their opponents.

“Despite their personnel problems, we must be careful to quickly lock away this game.”

While they are ten points off the lead, to their benefit, Werder are just four adrift of third place, and could make a large step up the table with a victory on Saturday.

TEAM NEWS

Borussia Moenchengladbach
Due to suspensions to Roel Brouwers, Sebastian Schachten, and Juan Arango, plus injuries to Christian Dorda, Jean Sebastian Jaures, Karim Matmour and Tony Jantschke, coach Michael Frontzeck will have to dig deep into his reserves. Anderson and Jens Wissing are expected to deputise in defence, with Mohamadou Idrissou filling in on the left wing. Up front, Igor de Camargo is tipped to partner Raul Bobadilla, but Patrick Herrmann could start in place of the Brazilian.

Probable Starting XI: Bailly - Levels, Anderson, Daems, Wissing - Reus, Marx, Bradley, Idrissou - de Camargo - Bobadilla

Werder Bremen
Goalkeeper Tim Wiese injured his knee in midweek, and due to the absence of Christian Vander, who is also sidelined, Sebastian Mielitz will start in goal. Sebastian Boenisch and Naldo also remain out with injuries. Thomas Schaaf has a bit of a selection dilemma; though he is expected to start Claudio Pizarro, the Peruvian is only just recovering from a muscular injury and may be replaced by Marko Arnautovic.

Probable Starting XI: Mielitz - Fritz, Mertesacker, Proedl, Pasanen - Frings - Wesley, Hunt, Marin - Almeida, Pizarro

Prediction

The suspensions in Gladbach’s defence will cost them dearly - if they were poor with their first team, their reserves will be expected to concede more goals yet. Bremen have been no giants at the back and can be expected to concede, but with Wesley, Hunt, Marin, Almeida and Pizarro in the line-up, plus Arnautovic coming off the bench, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Werder score five or more goals.

Mönchengladbach 2-4 Werder Bremen

Read More