16.01. (Mon) 21:00 Wigan Athletic - Manchester City

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

WIGAN ATHLETIC Al HabsiStam, Caldwell, Alcaraz, Figueroa Thomas, McCarthy, Jones, Crusat Rodallega, Di Santo

MANCHESTER CITY   HartRichards, Savic, Lescott, Zabaleta Nasri, De Jong, Milner, Silva Aguero, Dzeko

Wigan Athletic will be without Mohamed Diame as he is on international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Midfielder Hendry Thomas has been asked to step into his place by boss Roberto Martinez and is expected to start.

Winger Albert Crusat is back after a back injury but it may be a game or two too early for Shaun Maloney, who is working his way back to match fitness.

Manchester City will be without key men Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure as the former is suspended following his red card against Manchester United in the FA Cup defeat and the latter is away on international duty with the Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Montenegrin Stefan Savic will continue to deputise for City's captain as Toure's brother Kolo is also playing at the tournament whilst Nigel De Jong should take Toure's place.

Spanish maestro David Silva is expected to make a recovery from an ankle injury that kept him out of the League Cup game against Liverpool in mid-week and Italian striker Mario Balotelli is a doubt after limping out of the same game.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Wigan are leading the penalty charts this season, having been awarded six so far.

• They also have a tendency to fall asleep in the last 15 minutes of a match, conceding 11 times already this campaign.

• Their strikers aren't so hot either, having scored only 18 times in 20 matches.

• Roberto Martinez's men are winless in five matches, winning just one of 10 at home this season.

• Manchester City have won their last four matches against hosts Wigan without conceding a goal.

• City are winless in their last four away games in the Premier League.

• Having scored 56 goals already this term, City only need four more goals to equal their goal tally from the whole of last season - and it's only January.

• It will also be Happy Birthday to Pablo Zabaleta (pictured right) who will be playing on his 27th birthday.

Prediction
Editor's Prediction 
Wigan Athletic 1-3 Manchester City

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16.01. (Mon) 20:45 Napoli - Bologna

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

NAPOLI De Sanctis Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Aronica Maggio, Inler, Gargano, Dossena Hamsik, Pandev Cavani

BOLOGNA Gillet Raggi, Antonsson, Cherubin Pulzetti, Perez, Mudingayi, Morleo Ramirez Acquafresca, Di Vaio

The only pressing injury concern for Napoli will be that of Argentine forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, whose muscle strain could potentially keep him out for five more games, having already missed the Partenopei's last three.

Elsewhere, coach Walter Mazzarri is set to ring the changes from the 2-1 win over Cesena in the Coppa Italia midweek, as Morgan De Sanctis, Hugo Campagnaro, Salvatore Aronica, Christian Maggio, Walter Gargano and Goran Pandev are set to replace the sextet of Antonio Rosati, Federico Fernandez, Miguel Britos, Juan Zuniga, Blerim Dzemaili and Eduardo Vargas.

For the visitors, Bologna, Stefano Pioli is expected to make two alterations from the XI that successfully beat Catania 2-0 last weekend to halt a run of three games without a win, as Gianluca Cherubin and Gaston Ramirez should replace injured duo Simone Loria and Alessandro Diamanti.

However, Panagiotis Kone remains sidelined, while Daniele Portanova must see out one more match of his suspension, accrued during his side's 2-0 loss to Roma on December 21.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Bologna's win over Catania ended a run of three winless games.

• Despite not winning any of their last three away matches, the Rossoblu have have scored at least once in each of their last five fixtures on the road.

• Bologna have won just one of their last 14 games at the San Paolo in Serie A - a 5-1 win in October 2000.

• Napoli have lost only one of their last six meetings with Bologna, triumphing in four of them.

• The Partenopei have netted in each of their last seven league games.

• They have lost just once in their last eight Serie A fixtures - a 3-1 reverse to Roma on home soil.

• Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik scored three goals over the two clashes with Bologna last season.

• Edinson Cavani has found the net in his last two Serie A appearances; the first time he has scored in back-to-back league games since last April.

Prediction

A comfortable win should be on the cards for the in-form home side, who will look to make it four on the bounce with a convincing performance on Sunday. The absences of key defensive duo Loria and Portanova are sure to make life even more difficult for Bologna.

Editor's Prediction

Napoli 3-0 Bologna

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15.01. (Sun) 21:30 Barcelona - Betis

Xavi Hernandez - Barcelona

PROBABLE LINEUPS

BARCELONA Valdes Alves, Pique, Puyol, AbidalXavi, Busquets, Iniesta Messi, Cesc, Alexis

REAL BETIS Casto Isidoro, Dorado, Mario, Nacho Juanma, Benat, Iriney, Montero Castro, Santa Cruz

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has a few absentees heading into the match against Real Betis. Seydou Keita has departed for African Cup of Nations duty with Mali and will miss the next few weeks.

Pedro could be out for up to 10 days after pulling a hamstring in the Copa del Rey against Osasuna in midweek, a match where Andreu Fontas sustained a serious knee injury and could miss the rest of the campaign.

David Villa and Ibrahim Afellay are long term injury concerns and will be out of action for the foreseeable future. However, Dani Alves and Andres Iniesta should be fit enough to return to action after their minor knocks were rested at Osasuna.

Real Betis will be without defender Antonio Amaya and midfielder Momo, who both miss out with injury. On a positive note for the Andalusians, Nelson and Alvaro Vadillo are making good progress in their return to action, and have begun training in the gym.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The last time Barcelona played Real Betis, Pepe Mel's side emerged with a surprise 3-1 victory over the Catalan side in the Copa del Rey, with Jorge Molina grabbing a brace to help his side to victory.

• Barcelona have not played Real Betis in the Spanish Primera Division since February 2009. The match ended 2-2.

• Lionel Messi has scored just two goals less than the entire Real Betis squad in La Liga this season, with 17 goals to 19.

• Betis are currently comfortably placed in 10th spot in La Liga, with 22 points taken from 17 games.

• The Verdiblancos' top goalscorer this season is striker Ruben Castro, who has notched five in 12 appearances.

• Betis have lost twice as many times as they have won on the road this season in the league. They have triumphed on three occasions but have been defeated six times away from Benito Villamarin.

Prediction

Betis won the last time the two sides met and although this victory turned out to be in vain it should still give them some confidence going into the match at Camp Nou. Pep Guardiola's men are hurting at the moment after the draw with Espanyol but a wounded Barcelona may prove to be very dangerous, and victory is essential to maintain Real Madrid's pace domestically.

Editor's Prediction

Barcelona 3-0 Betis

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15.01. (Sun) 21:00 Olympique Marseille - Lille Metropole

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PROBABLE LINE-UPS

OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE Mandanda Azpilicueta, N'Koulou, M'bia, Traore Amalfitano, Cheyrou, Lucho, Morel Valbuena Remy

LILLE LandreauBonnart, Chedjou, Basa, BeriaBalmont, Mavuba, Gueye Cole, Jelen, Hazard

Olympique de Marseille boss Didier Deschamps will be without as many as three key stars for the visit of the Ligue 1 champions on Sunday evening. Ghanaians Andre & Jordan Ayew both departed for the Africa Cup of Nations along with Senegal's Souleymane Diawara, leaving L'OM with a test of nerve ahead of key games in January.

Loic Remy, who has been linked with a move to Premier League side Tottenham this week, will again lead the line, alongside Mathieu Valbuena. Brandao, back at the club after a year-long spell in Brazil, will only make the bench.

Meanwhile, les Dogues are without Mathieu Debuchy following the defender's red card in the 2-1 defeat to Lyon in the Coupe de la Ligue in midweek. Mickael Landreau will also replace Vincent Enyaema in goal after the Nigerian failed to impress.

With Moussa Sow away in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon for the next few weeks or so, Ireneusz Jelen will continue his extended run in the first-team.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Olympique de Marseille have won four out of their last five Ligue 1 games, and are the form team in the division.

• Didier Deschamps' men have lost all but one of their games against the top five (won 3-0 v PSG in November).

• L'OM have only been defeated once at home this season in Ligue 1 (to Rennes) and only three times in two years.

• Marseille lost this fixture 2-1 last season with Eden Hazard (pictured right) scoring a long-range strike. They again were defeated in the reverse fixture 3-2 in August, despite Mathieu Valbuena's brace.

• Lille were knocked out of the Coupe de la Ligue on Wednesday, losing 2-1 to Lyon.

• Rudi Garcia's men are the only side unbeaten away from home this season.

• Should Lille win this match, it will be the first time they have beaten OM three times in a row in their history.

Prediction

An exciting match is in store at the Stade Velodrome, and one that is very difficult to call. Given L'OM's impressive home run, and their need to continue playing catch-up in the league, Didier Deschamps' men might just have the edge in this one. Lille's attacking trio will be unrelenting, but the hosts' solid defensive foundations should see them through.

Editor's Prediction

Marseille 1-0 Lille

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15.01. (Sun) 20:45 Milan - Inter

Xinhua

PROBABLE LINEUPS

AC MILAN Abbiati Abate, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta Seedorf, Van Bommel, Nocerino BoatengIbrahimovic, Robinho

INTER Julio Cesar Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Nagatomo Zanetti, T. Motta, Cambiasso, AlvarezPazzini, Milito

AC Milan will welcome Alessandro Nesta back to partner Thiago Silva in the centre of defence after the veteran recently recovered from a hip problem and was on the bench for the 2-0 win over Atalanta last week.

Right-back Ignazio Abate and midfielder Clarence Seedorf should also return to the starting XI after both missed the clash in Bergamo due to injury. Gennaro Gattuso, having been diagnosed with ocular myasthenia, and Alberto Aquilani, who is out for a month with an ankle problem, will definitely miss the match.

After his failed move to Paris Saint-Germain and recent poor form, Alexandre Pato may be dropped to a substitute role as Robinho partners Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front.

Meanwhile, despite the return of some star players, Inter boss Claudio Ranieri is likely to stick with the same XI that defeated Parma 5-0.

Striker Diego Forlan has recovered from the ankle knock that saw him miss that convincing win and playmaker Wesley Sneijder is available again after missing the last two months with a muscular injury, but both World Cup 2010 heroes will seemingly have to settle for a place on the bench and will not be risked from the start as Giampaolo Pazzini and Diego Milito continue together in attack with the creative duties falling on summer signing Ricardo Alvarez.

Brazilian defender Maicon is expected to play despite suffering an adductor muscle strain during last weekend's victory at San Siro.

DID YOU KNOW?

• AC Milan have been more successful since the first city derby in the early part of the previous century, leading the all-time record over 276 meetings (W109 D72 L95).

• The champions have the most potent attack in Serie A, having scored 37 times in 17 matches, nine more than second-best goalscorers Juventus.
• Ibrahimovic is the joint-top scorer in Serie A alongside Udinese's Antonio Di Natale and Atalanta's German Denis with 12 goals; conversely, his team-mate Pato only has one goal in nine appearances this season.
• Allegri's side have won the last three derbies in official competitions: The two Serie A encounters from last season (1-0 and 3-0) as well as the Supercoppa Italiana (2-1) this past August.

• Inter have won five Serie A matches in a row going into Sunday's clash and seven of their last eight league encounters.
• Throughout that run of eight games, Inter have conceded only three times but during the same period Milan have let in just two goals despite picking up one less point.

• Milito has found the net five times against the Rossoneri since signing for the Nerazzurri, scoring against them during pre-season matches in 2009 and 2011, as well as the two Serie A derbies during Inter's treble winning campaign of 2009-10.

Prediction

There has not been a draw in this fixture since 2004 and with plenty on the line for both sides it is unlikely anyone will settle for a stalemate. Form typically goes out the window in a derby, but expect a hard-fought battle and close match until the final whistle. Anything can happen, but Milan may well show that Inter still have some minor issues to iron out.

Editor's Prediction

Milan 2-1 Inter

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