30-01-2011 15:00 Bologna - Roma

Climbing Up The Table

Bologna commenced the 2010-11 campaign as one of the relegation candidates but heading into Week 22 the Felsinei seem to have created quite a gulf between themselves and the bottom-three.

Last weekend Alberto Malesani's side destroyed Lazio 3-1 at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara to bounce back from back-to-back defeats to Inter and Napoli. This means that Bologna are currently placed 13th in the Serie A standings with 25 points from 21 matches, a healthy six points above the bottom-three.

Bologna have a formidable record at home as they have lost just once in the league all season in front of their own supporters. Having got the better of Lazio last weekend, this time the Rossoblu will be confident of dishing out a similar fare to another Roman side, whom they had held to a 2-2 draw in Rome in the reverse fixture in September.

In Full Throttle

Much has been made of Milan's supreme strikeforce, Napoli's restoration of fortune under Walter Mazzarri, Udinese's scintillating football but amidst all this, Roma have carried on with the task of chasing the titles and the trophies.

On Thursday evening Claudio Ranieri's side defeated Juventus 2-0 in Turin to secure their place in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia. It was their fourth competitive win in succession and fifth of the new year. Last weekend Roma defeated Cagliari 3-0 to lift themselves up to third in the league standings on 38 points, six behind leaders Milan.

The Lupi's away form, though, remains unconvincing as they have won just thrice on the road in Serie A all season. Against a Bologna side who destroyed their city-rivals Lazio last weekend, Roma should be careful and play with respect for the opposition.

TEAM NEWS

Bologna

Ramirez is injured and will miss the game. Portanova, Perez, Gimenez and Moras are suspended. Di Vaio will be played as the lone striker upfront in a 4-1-4-1 system.

Roma

Pizarro and Adriano are injured and will miss the trip to Bologna. Totti and Borriello will be the two forwards in a 4-3-1-2 formation with Menez deployed behind them.

Prediction

Bologna have proved themselves to be strong at home and destroyed Lazio last weekend. Roma would be a tougher proposition but the hosts should be good enough to garner a point at least.

Bologna 1-1 Roma

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30-01-2011 12:30 Brescia - Chievo Verona

Walking On Thin Ice

Brescia's future remains wrapped in uncertainty as the Rondinelle play hide and seek with the relegation octopus. Two weeks ago Mario Beretta's side defeated fellow relegation candidates Parma 2-0 at home to collect maximum points but lost 1-0 to Palermo last weekend in Sicily.

The Biancoazzurri remain second from bottom in Serie A with 18 points from 21 matches but being just two points from safety, hope of a last-ditch survival attempt continues to flourish. Brescia have won just one of their last five league matches but do have an encouraging record at home, having won four and drawn two of the ten Serie A encounters at the Mario Rigamonti.

Earlier this season in the reverse fixture Brescia defeated Chievo 1-0 in Verona. At the time, though, the Leonessa were in the midst of positive results and were hopeful of not getting entrenched in a relegation dogfight, but this time things are different.

Winning Is Obsolete

Chievo seem to have become the draw specialists in the Italian top flight. Not only have the Flying Donkeys drawn nine times in the league this campaign, they have also been involved in six goalless matches in Serie A and have plummeted towards the relegation zone.

Currently stationed in 15th in the league standings with 24 points from 21 matches, Chievo are just five points above the dropzone and having not won in eight league matches and nine competitive fixture, they are radically becoming relegation-material.

Chievo have won just twice on the road in the league all season and, more agonisngly, have never returned from Brescia with maximum points. Interestingly, Stefano Pioli's side have managed no clean sheet in this fixture but having lost to Brescia back in September they will be out for revenge.


TEAM NEWS

Brescia

Dallamano, Sereni, Vass and Taddei are injured and out of this fixture. Berardi is suspended.

Chievo

Luciano is unavailable for the game against Brescia. Cesar is suspended.

Prediction

This is a tough game to call as both sides are fighting against relegation and would make it hard for each other. One suspects that whichever side performs on the day will end up with the points, and given Chievo's disappointing run of results of late Brescia could just about eke out all three points as they are at home.

Brescia 2-1 Chievo

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29.-30. 01.2011. Bets Of The Week

29.01. (Sat) 16:00 Watford - Brighton & Hove A.

Watford were expected to struggle this season but Malky Mackay has a lot of confidence running through the veins of his young side at the moment. There is a possibility they could "do a Blackpool" and achieve promotion to the Premiership against all expectations.

Their defeat last week in Cardiff brought an end to a seven game winning streak and they will be looking to bounce back against Brighton in the FA Cup this weekend. The last eight games involving Watford have produced over 2.5 goals, so the odds of it happening again has significant appeal.

Brighton are flying high in League One under Gus Poyet but their recent away form has been patchy. Expect a few goals and a home victory here.

Match Odds: Watford 1.72, Draw 3.50, Brighton 4.20

Tip: Watford to win @ 1.72 Bet Now

16:00 Crystal Palace - Norwich City

16:00 Rotheram United - Stockport County

Norwich are holders of an incredible record of scoring in almost every single time on their travels. They've actually failed to score only once this season away from home while Crystal Palace, who are just above the relegation zone and are currently on a six-game home unbeaten run, simply can not afford to drop many more points at Selhurst Park. Expect an open game where both teams have a great chance of scoring.

Rotherham are chasing automatic promotion but they are on a four-game winless run and if they are to keep their promotion bid going they need to get back to winning ways sooner rather than later. Opponents Stockport find it extremely difficult to keep clean sheets, conceding two or more goals in seven of their 13 away games so far and at the same time they have managed to score two or more only twice on the road.

Rotherham should put a stop to their winless streak and against a team of Stockport's strength I expect them to win in style, hence the backing of -1 asian handicap.

Match Odds: Crystal Palace 2.60, Draw 3.25, Norwich 2.45

Tip: Double on both teams to score (Crystal Palace - Norwich) and Rotherham (-1) @ 3.50

29.01. (Sat) 18:00 Real Sociedad - Almeria

Almeria are playing open and aggressive football lately. Argentinian sensation Leonardo Ulloa is in the form of his life, and they are scoring plenty of goals, while their defense is dreadful to say the least, despite having outstanding Diego Alves in goal. Last week they won 3-2 versus Osasuna, and two 4-3 wins against Mallorca in Copa del Rey are also to be taken into account.

On Wednesday they were thrashed 0-5 by Barcelona in the semi-finals, and it’s logical to predict they should both score and concede against the Basques. Sociedad are in similar mood themselves. Their last six league games went produced three goals or more, and that’s the statistic in nine in their last ten fixtures.

Match Odds: Real Sociedad 2.00, Draw 3.25, Almeria 3.40Bet Now

Tip: Over 2.5 goals @ 1.80

30.01. (Sun) 21:00 Espanyol - Villarreal

Goals have been plentiful recently for both Espanyol and Villarreal and another feast is sure to be on the cards. Forwards Osvaldo, Luis Garcia and midfielder Callejon have all been on the mark recently leaving eight out of Espanyol’s last nine matches with at least three or more goals, including the last four at home.

El Submarino Amarillo are no strangers to goals either, boasting the likes of Rossi, Nilmar and Cazorla up front. Four out of Villareal's last five games have gone over the 2.5 goals mark and Espanyol will surely go on the attack at home against Juan Carlos Garrido’s side who won 4-0 earlier in the season at El Madrigal.

Match Odds: Espanyol 2.40, Draw 3.20, Villarreal 2.70

Tip: Over 2.5 goals @ 1.85Bet Now

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29-01-2011 22:00 Dep. La Coruna - Sevilla

Increase The Intensity

The lead-up to Christmas brought hope for Deportivo La Coruna that they might miss the worst of the relegation storm, but a poor run of results has been quick to suck them back into problems. Miguel Angel Lotina’s side may be stationed 13th in the table, but they are only four points clear of the bottom three, and the coach will want them to press on the accelerator immediately.

Over the course of their last three matches, Depor have failed to even muster a goal. Their defences were ripped to pieces in a 5-0 defeat at the Riazor against Barcelona before Valencia overcame them 2-0 on the east coast. Neither of these defeats was especially damaging, but the 1-0 loss in Zaragoza last weekend was an outcome that certainly leaves the Galicians with something to ponder.

“The feeling that I've got is that the players weren't conscious of the importance of the game,” Lotina told the media after the fixture. “The players just went out to see what could happen, and without scoring opportunities you can’t win in football.

“The game should have been a 0-0, but the players didn’t go out with ambition. We could have played worse, but we need more intensity, more will. We didn’t do the required things to win a Primera Division match.”

The pressure is clearly starting to tell on the coach, and a further defeat on Saturday will be another kick to the guts of the club.

Midweek Lament

Eleven points behind fourth-placed Valencia, the prospects of Sevilla reaching next season’s Champions League would appear to be slim. Having lost nine times already this season, los Nervionenses are well off their expected pace and only a remarkable resurgence in the closing months of the campaign will see them hit the targets they set for themselves at the campaign’s outset.

Defending their Copa del Rey title now looks like a difficult task too. Though los Rojiblancos played a hard game against Real Madrid on Wednesday night, they would ultimately go down 1-0 at home, leaving themselves a mammoth task of winning at the Bernabeu next week.

One incident in particular riled the Andalucian side, who felt that Luis Fabiano’s effort on the stroke of half-time hadn’t been successfully cleared by Raul Albiol on the goal line. “It was a very decisive moment for us, and perhaps may decide the tie during the second leg,” coach Gregorio Manzano lamented, though he would admit to being pleased with his side’s efforts overall.

“My players did not deserve to lose this match. We put in a great effort with a great attitude after they scored.”

Having gone well in the league since the turn of the year, Sevilla will want to maintain their strong form in rainy Galicia and cannot afford to be distracted by any lingering sense of injustice.

TEAM NEWS

Deportivo

There’s been more bad news for Andres Guardado, who has suffered yet another niggle to his hamstring. It could be three more weeks before the Mexican left-winger is able to play. Saul (knee) and Knut Olav Rindaroy (Achilles) are both problems too.

Manuel Pablo has been cleared to play after picking up a knock last weekend, while Michel and Riki are also available to coach Miguel Angel Lotina.

Sevilla

Sergio Sanchez and Romaric both picked up problems in midweek against Real Madrid and are hence extremely unlikely to play on Saturday. Frederic Kanoute is suspended.

Prediction

Defensive Deportivo La Coruna will attempt to keep this match tight, hoping to hit Sevilla on the counterattack. The Galicians don’t show a great deal of ambition even at home, and to that end they often invite their own problems. Los Nervionenses aren’t especially reliable opponents, and though they have been going better of late, victory after regular cup exertions may be too much to ask. One would expect Sevilla to come through, however.

Deportivo 0-1 Sevilla

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29-01-2011 20:45 Catania - Milan

Counting On Home Form

Catania boast one of the best home records in Serie A as the Sicilian side have proved again and again that they are a formidable side in their own backyard. So far this campaign the Etnei have lost just twice at the Stadio Angelo Massimino and those defeats came at the hands of Juventus and Inter.

However, Catania's terrible away results (or lack of them) have pushed them to 16th in the league standings on 22 points from 21 matches, just three above the relegation zone. Diego Simeone's side have yet to register a victory in the league this new year as they have lost three of the four Serie A encounters and also bowed out of the Coppa Italia after going down 2-0 to Juventus in Turin in the Round of 16.

It's desperate time for Catania as they need maximum points against Milan to continue their fight against survival in the Italian top flight. In the reverse fixture at San Siro in September the Rossazzurri collected a point after drawing 1-1 and this weekend they will be trying to achieve at least a similar result.

Coach Simeone has urged his players to forget last weekend's defeat to Parma and concentrate on the encounter against Milan. The Argentine said,"We made too many sloppy mistakes and I can't allow that. We must correct that.

"There was also a drop in concentration and you cannot afford to do that in this competition. We will have to play a perfect game against Milan if we are to get a result.''

Back Up And Running

Milan's start to the new year had been somewhat stuttering as after a late goal secured them a 1-0 victory in Cagliari, they failed to win against Udinese and Lecce, allowing the other Scudetto challengers to close the gap.

However, Massimiliano Allegri's side have since turned the tide and are currently on a three-game winning streak. Having dismissed Bari 3-0 in the Coppa Italia Round of 16, the Diavolo defeated Cesena 2-0 at San Siro last weekend and in midweek got the better of Sampdoria 2-1 in Genoa to force their way into the semi-finals of the Italian Cup.

Milan lead the Serie A standings by just four points from second-placed Napoli and are themselves on 44 points after 21 matches. Having gone six competitive matches in 2011 without suffering a loss, the former Italian and European champions will be hopeful of a positive result in Catania.

TEAM NEWS

Catania

Biagianti, Potenza, Llama and Izco are injured and will miss the visit of Milan.

Milan

Boateng, Zambrotta, Inzaghi, Amelia, Pirlo, Jankulovski, Nesta, Gattuso, Seedorf, Flamini, Strasser and Abate are injured and will miss the trip to Sicily.

Prediction

Catania are strong at home and will have the confidence of getting at least something from their encounter against Milan. The Rossoneri, though, are back in form but one suspects that the Sicilians could just about pull off a surprise.

Catania 2-2 Milan

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