Marseille - Monaco : 1 @ 1.64
Carl Zeiss Jena - Jahn Regensburg : 1 @ 2.00
Genoa - Chievo : 1 @ 1.67
Esbjerg - Lyngby : 1 @ 1.70
9.31
Sunday, September 12, 2010
12.09. (Sun) 21:00 Olympique Marseille - Monaco
Olympique de Marseille will be glad to see the back of the transfer window, which caused so many rifts in the squad and in the backroom team, and they will now be able to focus on their football, with a home encounter against Monaco their first appointment of September following the international break.
President Jean-Claude Dassier this week revealed that head coach Didier Deschamps and sporting director Jose Anigo had a falling out over the club’s transfer policy in the summer, a schism reflected in the first team squad, which was divided by the issue of players arriving at the club, with the likes of Lucho Gonzalez unhappy at the club’s static approach in the market while others grumbled over the wages offered to new arrivals as an incentive to join the Champions League hopefuls.
These issues were particularly obvious in the early weeks of the campaign, which saw OM crumble to losses against Caen and Valenciennes. Since that dreadful start, les Phoceens have rebounded somewhat by defeating Lorient and tying with Girondins de Bordeaux in a fixture which the Provence club played with only ten men for the best part of an hour.
Monaco won’t offer easy opposition at the weekend, particularly as a new wave of problems have washed over the club. Deschamps’ side is on this occasion hampered by injury and suspension problems, with Loic Remy and Leyti N’Diaye having picked up issues while on international duty. With Andre Ayew and Edouard Cisse to miss out due to bans, there is plenty for ‘DD’ to mull over before a fixture that promises to be yet another banana skin.
Fear Factor
Guy Lacombe, head coach of Monaco, has played down his side’s chances of winning this fixture, though his unbeaten side would seem to stand a strong chance of picking up at least a point in the port city.
“I am afraid,” the moustachioed coach admitted to his side’s official website. “They want to retain their title and I think they can. This team can beat any other large side in European; we know what to expect. I imagine that they have no fear of Monaco. It will take a very, very big game, and if fate wants us to get out with some points, we will be happy.”
On the whole, les Rogue et Blanc have started the campaign in a satisfactory manner, though Lacombe, who has lamented his side’s underperformance last season, will again feel that they might have achieved more in the early weeks of this term. A 2-0 lead away to Lens was needlessly squandered, while a home stalemate against Montpellier should have resulted in a Monegasque victory.
Indeed, the principality outfit had to wait for the final match before the international break, a tussle at home to Auxerre, to pick up their first three point haul of the campaign, with debutant Dieumerci Mbokani a particular influence on that encounter.
With the squad finalised, Monaco will hope to push on, showcasing themselves as potential title contenders should the big guns continue to stumble. Despite Lacombe’s word, they have little to fear going to Stade Velodrome.
TEAM NEWS
Marseille
Didier Deschamps has some pressing questions ahead of this game, most notably in midfield, where he is looking for an anchor and a left-winger as Edouard Cisse and Andre Ayew are hit with suspensions. Hilton has said he is willing to step forward from the defence to play in the centre of the park, but Leyti N’Diaye’s injury issue means that the rearguard would then be left short as Souleymane Diawara is still out.
Stephane Mbia’s return to fitness means that the Brazilian could be pushed on, though the Cameroonian is more used to a central role on the field, even if he doesn’t enjoy it.
New signing Loic Remy will miss two weeks after picking up an injury on international duty. Andre-Pierre Gignac is not 100 per cent fit, so his presence in the starting XI isn’t guaranteed.
Probable Starting XI: Mandanda; Azpilicueta, Mbia, Heinze, Taiwo; Hilton, Kabore; Valbuena, Lucho, Cheyrou; Brandao
Monaco
Guy Lacombe is still sweating over the fitness of Alejandro Alonso, Lukman Haruna and Eduardo Costa. He won’t be making too many changes to his starting squad, despite the arrival of Chris Malonga from Nancy at the end of the transfer window.
Probable Starting XI: Ruffier; Adriano, Puygrenier, Hansson, Muratori; Mangani, Mendy; Aubameyang, Niculae, Mbokani; Park
Prediction
Marseille are significant favourites, but with so many players missing out, Monaco should fancy their chances of going through a fifth Ligue 1 encounter without defeat. Victory at Stade Velodrome should not be considered likely for the guests, but Guy Lacombe’s side are more than capable of picking up at least a point to give their hosts more reason for concern.
Marseille 1-1 AS Monaco FC 
12.09. (Sun) 19:00 Villarreal - Espanyol
A 1-0 loss against newly promoted Real Sociedad certainly wasn’t how Villarreal envisaged starting their Primera Division campaign, so the side who hail from El Madrigal will certainly want a more positive outcome when they face Espanyol, one of the big winners from week one of the season, on Sunday evening.
While the opening day loss is certainly being looked upon as a set-back in the ranks of the Yellow Submarine, it’s not been considered a catastrophe by either the players or coach Juan Carlos Garrido.
“It was an even match in which both teams had their chances,” the trainer told the media after the fixture. “The defeat only reinforces that we need to correct and improve. We have a good team that is capable of being competitive in the league.”
Striker Nilmar has already emphasised the need for a swift recovery this weekend, explaining: “It is always bad to start with a defeat, but that is solved by winning at home to Espanyol to engage a run of positive results.”
Garrido’s men were far stronger at home last season than they were on the road, and though they’ll be aiming to improve their away form over the course of the next 37 games, they won’t want to do it at the expense of their record at El Madrigal, where the Yellow Submarine only suffered defeat in the league three times last term.
Push On
A seemingly permanent fixture to the middle of the Primera Division table, Mauricio Pochettino’s Espanyol are this season attempting to make strides into the top ten. After impressing at the Cornella-El Prat last term, the Barcelona club’s form at home cannot be questioned, yet they were dire on their travels, acquiring for themselves only 11 points on the road.
On the opening day of the season Espanyol opened up with an impressive success against Getafe, inevitably at home. Coach Pochettino would have been pleased with the attacking incision of his side, something they found lacking at times last season, with the predatory Pablo Daniel Osvaldo registering twice and debutant Jesus Datolo also on the scoresheet.
Osvaldo’s importance to the side was underlined on transfer deadline day, when Espanyol pulled out all the stops to sign the striker for €5 million from Bologna, and it was evidently an effort that made the Italy Under-21 international pleased.
“I wanted to have peace of mind, knowing that I can spend many years here, although I already felt part of the group,” the 24-year-old explained to the media. “I appreciate the enormous efforts of the club and the president, especially in this difficult economic situation.”
With their cutting edge firmly in place, Espanyol, who were stuffy for much of last season but little more, can now start to focus on building a side capable of moving into the upper echelons of the table. Victory may be too much to ask at the weekend, but the Catalans will certainly be hoping to pick up a point. A repeat of last season’s 0-0 draw would be welcome.
TEAM NEWS
Villarreal
Juan Carlos Garrido has been tipped to play a 4-4-2 formation this weekend due to the side’s set-up in training. Nilmar is therefore likely to partner Giuseppe Rossi in attack.
The Yellow Submarine were active in the closing days of the transfer market, selling Bruno Renan to Shakhtar Donetsk but acquiring Danish attacker Nicki Bille Nielsen from Nordsjaelland as compensation.
Gonzalo Rodriguez has declared himself fit.
Probable Starting XI: Diego Lopez; Angel, Marchena, Rodriguez, Capdevila; Cazorla, Bruno, Senna, Valero; Rossi, Nilmar
Espanyol
There has been good news this week for Espanyol as it has been revealed that Ivan de la Pena is close to returning to action and could even be involved in the squad to travel to Villarreal at the weekend.
Felipe Mattioni is expected to be absent for around six months after injuring knee ligaments.
Former Sevilla midfielder Aldo Duscher could debut after signing on the eve of deadline day.
Probable Starting XI: Alvarez; Chica, V. Ruiz, Galan, Garcia; Forlin, Verdu, Marquez; Luis Garcia, Osvaldo, Callejon
Prediction
Villarreal haven’t started the season in an auspicious manner, yet they are probably good enough to pick up three points in this encounter. The Yellow Submarine failed to break down Espanyol at home last term, so a close match should be anticipated, and a breakaway goal for the visitors should not be discounted either. With little between the sides, small moments could make a big difference, but the advantage is with the hosts.
Villarreal 1-0 Espanyol 
12.09. (Sun) 17:00 Birmingham City - Liverpool
Second season syndrome? What second season syndrome?
Alex McLeish might have been concerned as the season began that his Birmingham City side couldn't possibly live up to last term's impressive finish, but with five points from their opening three fixtures already such a repeat performance doesn't look out of the question.
The Scot might not be resting easy just yet, however. Whereas last season the Blues impressed with their watertight defence, this season it has shown signs of being rather more porous. Luckily, a sharper attacking edge seems to have offset that change somewhat. Two 2-2 draws have bookended the club's fledgling Premier League campaign — a superb opening day fightback at Sunderland, and a somewhat disappointing finish against 10-man Bolton at the Reebok Stadium — with a comeback 2-1 win against Blackburn Rovers in between suggesting St Andrew's will once again be a fortress this season.
And that will be the aim for the club when Liverpool come to town on Sunday. McLeish will want to get a result, first and foremost, and if he can see an improvement in his side's defensive fortitude — no mean feat against one of the league's more threatening attacking sides — then so much the better.
With a 16-match unbeaten home run to rely on, and the knowledge that they haven't lost to the Reds in the league for six years, the side will go into the game feeling rightly confident they can come away with a point — at the minimum.
Hitting their stride
Liverpool, for their part, visit St Andrew's looking to push on after an only moderately encouraging start to the season. An opening draw with Arsenal was nearly so much more (but could equally have been so much less) and a subsequent defeat at the hands of Manchester City hardly helped lift the club's currently dark mood.
And while a 1-0 win against West Brom wouldn't normally be a cause for celebration, the return to goalscoring form of Fernando Torres at least allowed the Anfield faithful to begin to hope that a corner has perhaps been turned.
With the international break granting a further chance for Torres to work on his match fitness, hopes will be high tthe Spaniard gets himself on the scoresheet again on Sunday and fully announces a return to his best. But in truth, the club's supporters will happily take a win any way it comes.
Last season, of course, a 1-1 draw in the corresponding fixture all-but ended Liverpool's realistic hopes of retaining their Champions League place. On that occasion then-manager Rafa Benitez withdrew Torres early, to the visible chagrin of both the striker and Steven Gerrard.
Barely six months on from that dark day, it will be interesting to see just how much has changed.
Not a happy hunting ground for them or many top Premier League teams last season, a positive result for the Reds at St Andrew's might suggest they have the style and improving team spirit to regain something approaching former glories as the season continues to progress.
Birmingham
New signing Alexander Hleb was ruled out of the game with a leg injury and then ruled back in by manager Alex McLeish, but is unlikely to do any better than a place on the bench. The match also probably comes too soon for Kevin Phillips, who is also making his way back after a lay-off.The club's other deadline day signings, Martin Jiranek and Jean Beausejour, should be available to make their debuts.
Possible Starting XI: Foster; Carr, Dann, Johnson, Ridgewell; Larsson, Gardner, Ferguson, McFadden; Jerome, Zigic.
Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt will miss the game due to the freak shoulder injury he sustained while on international duty with the Netherlands, but new signings Raul Meireles and Paul Konchesky could both make their club bows.Joe Cole sits out the last game of his three-match suspension, while David Ngog is a doubt after his withdrawal from France's Under-21 game in midweek, which might give Ryan Babel a chance to stake another claim for regular first-team inclusion.
Possible Starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Konchesky; Poulsen, Lucas; Babel, Gerrard, Jovanovic; Torres.
Prediction
Birmingham 1-1 Liverpool 
12.09. (Sun) 15:00 Juventus - Sampdoria
Juventus have undergone a near-revolution in the summer and under coach Luigi Del Neri have one of the best tacticians in Italy. However, results don’t seem to have improved as in their opening game of the new league season the former Italian and European champions were defeated 1-0 by Bari away from home.
It wasn’t an exceptionally poor performance from Juventus but they need to improve in certain areas. Del Neri knows those flaws and he will be keen to see that they do better against Sampdoria at home on Sunday evening.
Sampdoria are not expected to launch a challenge for the Scudetto as they did in the opening weeks of 2009-10 but Juve must be careful as the Genoa club’s star player Antonio Cassano is in red-hot form.
Flying Without Wings
Sampdoria have a small squad but they do have talented side that finished fourth in Serie A last season. However, the Blucerchiati were knocked out of the Champions league play-off round by German Bundesliga club Werder Bremen.
But Samp bounced back in style in the opening fixture of the new league season as they won 2-0 against Lazio at home. Samp were brilliant at the Marassi last season and on Sunday evening will look to carry that form to Turin where they will take on an yet-to-settle Juventus side.
TEAM NEWS
Juventus
Buffon, Martinez and Amauri are out with injuries.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Storari, Motta, Bonucci, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Krasic, Felipe Melo, Aquilani, Pepe; Quagliarella, Del Piero
Sampdoria
Sammarco, Poli and Tissone are out with injuries. Pazzini is also struggling.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Curci, Zauri, Gastaldello, Lucchini, Ziegler; Semioli, Palombo, Dessena; Guberti; Pazzini, Cassano
Prediction
This is indeed a tricky game to call as it can go either way. Juventus will be under pressure to win this match but Sampdoria should just have enough to take at least a point from Turin.
Juventus 1-1 Sampdoria 
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