19.02. (Sun) 21:30 Barcelona - Valencia

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

BARCELONA Valdes Puyol, Pique, Abidal, Adriano Fabregas, Busquets, IniestaSanchez, Messi, Pedro

VALENCIA Guaita Miguel, Rami, Dealbert, Mathieu Albelda, BanegaFeghouli, Jonas, Piatti Soldado

Barcelona playmaker Xavi Hernandez is suffering from a calf problem and is unlikely to start Sunday's Primera Division clash with Valencia.

Sergio Busquets is expected to feature, having completed the full 90 minutes in the midweek Champions League win at Bayer Leverkusen, while Javier Mascherano and Dani Alves are both suspended.

Also expected to start is defender Gerard Pique, who was left out of the team to play Leverkusen for "technical reasons".

Mali midfielder Seydou Keita has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, while Ibrahim Afellay has started training again following a serious knee injury that sidelined him for most of the season.

Valencia boss Unai Emery is set to welcome back David Albelda, Ever Banega and Roberto Soldado to the starting line-up, after the trio were rested on the bench for the Europa League victory at Stoke City.

Winger Jordi Alba (flu) is a doubt for the Camp Nou clash, while Sergio Canales and Antonio Barragan are also out.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Barcelona have won 10 and drawn one of their league fixtures at Camp Nou in the current campaign, scoring 45 goals and conceding just three in those matches.

• The Catalan giants have not lost a competitive match at Camp Nou since a 2-0 league defeat to Hercules in September 2010.

• With 23 goals to his name, Barcelona's Lionel Messi (pictured) is the second-highest scorer in the Primera Division this season, four behind Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

• Valencia are on a five-game winless streak away from home in the league.

• The coastal club are yet to record a win over Barcelona under Unai Emery.

• Jordi Alba, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona, was signed by Valencia for €6,000 from fourth-tier outfit Cornella in 2007.

Prediction

Barcelona may have lost to Osasuna last weekend, but they do not have much to fear in Valencia, who have been ordinary away from home all season. After Guardiola's decision to rest some of his big guns backfired last weekend, the Catalans will be extra-motivated to get the right result on Sunday and avoid falling even further behind Real Madrid.

Editor's Prediction

Barcelona 2-1 Valencia

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19.02. (Sun) 21:00 Paris Saint Germain - Montpellier Herault

Panoramic

PROBABLE LINEUPS

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN Sirigu Bisevac, Lugano, Sakho, Maxwell Motta, Sissoko, Pastore Menez, Nene Gameiro

MONTPELLIER Jourdren Bocaly, Yangambiwa, Hilton, Bedimo Marveaux, Estrada Cabella, Belhanda, Utaka Giroud

PSG hope to be able to welcome back Javier Pastore to their starting XI after injury but, if the Argentine is not fit to play, Mathieu Bodmer is liable to be given the nod, despite a knock picked up in the 1-0 Coupe de France win over Dijon on Wednesday. Christophe Jallet is a slight doubt after suffering a slight injury in midweek.

Siaka Tiene is back from the Africa Cup of Nations but is unlikely to be involved heavily.

Key Marseille central defender Hilton missed out on last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Ajaccio due to a last-minute problem, but the Brazilian is expected back in the squad for this clash after training much of the week. Benjamin Stambouli, the club’s Player of the Month for January, is likely to make way.

Geoffrey Dernis is the only player sidelined for Rene Girard’s men.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Paris Saint-Germain are top of Ligue 1, becoming the first club to reach the 50-point mark thanks to last weekend’s scoreless draw against Nice.

• The stalemate at the Stade du Ray was the first time that Les Parisiens have failed to win under Carlo Ancelotti, but they were back on track in midweek, beating Dijon 1-0 in the Coupe de France.

• Les Parisiens have twice lost at home in the league this season, on both occasions by a 1-0 scoreline, going down against Lorient and Nancy.

• Nene has been their most prolific player at home, registering half of the club’s 22 league goals scored at Parc des Princes.

• On the seven occasions when they have scored the opening goal in front of their home fans this season, PSG have gone on to win the game.

• Although Montpellier have a poor record in Paris – winning only five of 22 away matches against PSG – they’re unbeaten in the City of Lights since winning promotion back to the top flight two seasons ago.

• Rene Girard’s side have been noted for their formidable home form, losing only once this term as they slipped to a 3-0 loss against Sunday’s opponents.

• With 45 goals to their credit, La Paillade are comfortably Ligue 1’s top scorers, bettering the tallies of Lille (40) and PSG (39).

• Olivier Giroud has contributed 16 of these goals, not to mention six assists.

• Montpellier are not all about offensive strength, though; since the turn of the year, they have played seven times and have yet to concede.

Prediction

PSG start this match as significant favourites to win this game, but Montpellier have been confounding critics all season. Although MHSC’s home form has been the bedrock of their success, they have been impressive on the road, too, and their strong defensive record is nothing to be taken lightly. With PSG struggling to look offensively coherent, a tight game should be in the offing.

Editor's Prediction

PSG 1-1 Montpellier Herault SC

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19.02. (Sun) 20:45 Palermo - Lazio

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PROBABLE LINE-UPS

PALERMO Viviano Pisano, Silvestre, Mantovani, Balzaretti Migliaccio, Donati, Barreto ZahaviHernandez, Miccoli

LAZIO Marchetti Scaloni, Zauri, Stankevicius, Radu Ledesma, MatuzalemGonzalez, Hernanes, Lulic Klose

Armin Bacinovic is the only major injury worry for Palermo coach Bortolo Mutti ahead of the fixture on Sunday. Abel Hernandez and the red-hot Fabrizio Miccoli will likely get the nod up front against a a makeshift Lazio back four.

Lazio boss Edy Reja will be without a plethora of first-team regulars at the weekend. Stefano Mauri is still nursing a thigh problem while Lorik Cana continues his recovery from a back injury.

Tomasso Rocchi, Giuseppe Biava and Cristian Brocchi will also miss the encounter through various knocks and ailments while Mobido Diakite and Abdoulay Konko are suspended.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Palermo are unbeaten in their last three Serie A encounters, outscoring their opponents 9-4 in that span.

• The Sicilians have earned 27 out of a possible 33 points at the Renzo Barbera this season (W9 D2).

• Mutti's men have won six league games by a two-goal margin.

• Lazio have kept 10 clean sheets in their 23 Serie A games this season.

• The Biancocelesti have won three out of their last four league encounters, scoring 10 goals in the process.

• Reja's side have conceded 11 goals in their past five matches away from the Olimpico.

• The away side are one point and one league position better off than they were at this stage last season.

Prediction

The Sicilians have been a tough nut to crack at the Stadio Renzo Barbera and should continue their winning ways on home soil against the Biancocelesti.

Editor's Prediction

Palermo 3-2 Lazio

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19.02. (Sun) 18:00 Real Sporting - Atletico Madrid

Arda Turan - Atletico Madrid

PROBABLE LINEUPS

SPORTING GIJON Pablo Lora, Botia, Gregory, Canella Cases, Rivera Carmelo, Castro, Cuevas Barral

ATLETICO MADRID Courtois Juanfran, Miranda, Dominguez, Luis Thiago, Gabi Turan, Diego, Adrian Falcao

Sporting Gijon are struggling at the foot of La Liga table, lying four points below 17th place and safety. Their recent results led to the implementation of Javier Clemente as coach, replacing Inaki Tejada despite the club stating that the departed boss was to remain in charge until the end of the season.

The new coach will be without Ricardo for the visit of Atletico Madrid, whilst he has injury worries over Ivan Hernandez as well. Roberto Canella and Alberto Botia both picked up knocks last time out but should be fit for Sunday's match.

Atletico Madrid are another team with a new coach at the reins, although Diego Simeone has led them for six La Liga games by now. His tenure has seen them climb up the table to within a point of the Champions League places.

Diego Lopez and Antonio Lopez are both out for the trip to El Molinon on Sunday, whilst there are further injury worries over Silvio and Diego Godin. Simeone could reinstate Miranda into defence after he served his one-match suspension but the Atleti coach may decide not to shuffle a settled back line which has seen them keep six consecutive clean sheets in La Liga.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Sporting Gijon have the worst defensive record in La Liga, conceeding 43 goals in 22 matches. Despite this, only 13 of those goals have been conceded at El Molinon.

• The hosts have shipped at least two goals in five of their last seven matches.

• Goals will be harder to come by for the home side after the sale of Nacho Novo to Legia Warsaw in midweek.

• Atletico Madrid have yet to concede under Diego Simeone in La Liga.

• Los Rojiblancos enjoyed success in the Europa League on Thursday, beating Italian side Lazio away from home 3-1, consequently the first goal Atleti have shipped under the Argentine.

• The capital club have picked up 12 points out of a possible 18 in Simeone's first six games in charge; though defensively sound, they have struggled to find the back of net - playing out three 0-0 draws.

Prediction

Under new management Sporting will offer a greater resolve but Atleti's superiority should tell in the end, denying Clemente a dream start.

Editor's Prediction

Sporting G 0-1 Atl. Madrid

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19.02. (Sun) 17:30 Liverpool - Brighton & Hove A.

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PROBABLE LINEUP

Liverpool Reina Kelly, Carragher, Coates, Robinson Maxi, Spearing, Adam, Downing Suarez, Carroll

Brighton Brezovan Calderon, Greer, Dunk, El-Abd Bridcutt Noone, Forster-Caskey, Buckly, Barnes Mackail-Smith

Kenny Dalglish has no fresh injury worries to contend with, as long-term absentee Lucas Leiva remains the only first-team player out. The club have also had to deal with less fixture congestion than other Premier League sides who are competing in Europe and therefore a semi-full strength line-up is likely.

Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard and Andy Carroll are still yet to start any game together for Liverpool, and that may well continue with some fringe players coming in. Jamie Carragher is in line to make his 210th appearance in a competitive cup-tie for the club - which would be a Liverpool record. Others such as Maxi Rodriguez, Charlie Adam, Martin Kelly and youngster Jack Robinson could all take part in the fixture.

Brighton boss Gus Poyet will have Will Buckley back from the sidelines to start in midfield, after he missed the draw with Millwall, but Vicente Rodriguez will face a late fitness test. Gary Dicker (leg) and Tommy Elphick (Achilles) complete the injury list, with Matt Sparrow also unavailable as he will be serving the last game of his three-match ban picked up against Leicester.

Craig Noone has largely been used as a substitute this season, but the winger - who has supported Liverpool since he was a boy - played well against the Reds in their League Cup clash earlier this season and will be hoping for a chance to impress again on Sunday. The Seagulls have also completed the loan signings of Manchester City duo Adbul Razak and Gai Assulin, who used to play for Barcelona, in time for them to be eligible to feature.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Liverpool have won the FA Cup seven times, their first coming under Bill Shankly in 1965 and their most recent in a thrilling encounter with West Ham United in 2006.

• Dalglish's side have been knocked out the competition by lower league opponents twice at Anfield in the last few seasons - in 2008 to Barnsley and in 2010 to Reading. However, they remain unbeaten at Anfield so far this season.

• The hosts' attacking trio of Andy Carroll, Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez have not yet started a match together.

• Liverpool have already dumped the Seagulls out of one cup this year, beating them 2-1 in the League Cup third round. The visitors have not lost in any competition this calendar year though, winning six and drawing four of the 10 games they've played so far in 2012.

• If defender Jamie Carragher plays a role in the match it will be his 210th appearance in a cup tie for Liverpool, equalling Ian Callaghan's club record.

• Brighton, currently ninth in the Championship, reached the FA Cup final in 1983 and were close to pulling off an almighty upset against Manchester United, after defeating the Merseyside team at Anfield on the way, but the Red Devils won the cup in a replay.

• The Seagulls' boss Gus Poyet (pictured right), a compatriot of Liverpool's Luis Suarez, defended the Reds' forward during his race row with Patrice Evra, claiming: "Luis is not a racist. We use different words and it is a different situation."

• The Uruguayan manager faced Liverpool numerous times during his time as a player with Chelsea and Tottenham. He netted once against Liverpool for each side, scoring 125 club goals in his whole career. He was also the first from his country to appear in an FA Cup final, with Suarez aiming to become the second this campaign.

• Brighton's last FA Cup triumph away from home against a top-flight team was in 1986 when they beat Newcastle. However, they also defeated the Magpies at home in the last round of this season's competition.

• The last time the sides met in the FA Cup the south-coast team beat Liverpool in a fourth round replay, 21 years ago. In all meetings the hosts hold an advantage of 12 victories to Brighton's four, with eight draws.

Prediction

Dalglish's men are already in one cup final, against Cardiff, and most fans will be expecting them to take that League Cup trophy home. With the club also absent from the race for the Premier League title once more, the FA Cup is of great importance to the fans and the manager. Therefore, the Reds' line-up will be strong, though probably not full-strength, and may include a few players who have a point to prove, such as Stewart Downing and Maxi Rodriguez.
Liverpool can take confidence from their 2-1 League Cup defeat of Brighton earlier in the season, however the Championship side's form has massively improved since then with Poyet's men ninth in the league after an unbeaten run of seven games.
The Seagulls are a decent side and will be good value for a goal in an interesting match-up. But the experience and ability of the Reds should prove too much for the visitors. An away win would certainly be a big shock, and I expect the hosts to run out comfortable winners.

Editor's Prediction

Liverpool 3-1 Brighton

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