03-10-2010 Real - Deportivo La Coruna

Uninspiring

It’s not been the dream start to Jose Mourinho’s tenure with Real Madrid, but though the Portuguese hasn’t overseen a spectacular opening to the campaign, los Blancos are still (for the most part) winning games.

Mourinho’s sides have always been characterised by an ability to win narrowly when it really matters, and so far los Merengues have yet to lose under their new trainer, who boasts an incredible unbeaten record in home league matches.

If los Blancos are not losing, they’re not exactly playing in the style their fans demand, and neither have they especially impressed in front of goal. Mourinho’s first move has been to tighten up the defence, which has worked brilliantly as his side have conceded only one goal in seven games, but this has come to the detriment of the attack, with only six scored in six Liga matches.

The form of Madrid’s forwards is also questionable. Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to ignite this season, while Karim Benzema has never really found his feet in the Spanish capital. Gonzalo Higuain scored with regularity last term but is increasingly lacking in confidence, while Pedro Leon is already growing restless on the bench.

Only Angel Di Maria is really working for the offensive unit at present, and it was he, after coming on as a midweek substitute, who shot Mourinho’s men past Auxerre 1-0 in the Champions League. It was largely a frustrating evening for fans of the Spanish giants, and there have been too many of those early this season to allow them to be comfortable going into Sunday night’s fixture.

Not So Badly Off?
 
Though not known for their flair and offensive ability, the sluggish start Deportivo La Coruna have made to the present season has contrived to take many pundits by surprise by their sheer inability to find the net. Going into a tough trip to the Bernabeu, Depor have yet to find the net from open play, having scored only through a couple of Andres Guardado penalty kicks.

When the goals aren’t flowing, it’s impossible to win games, so it’s little surprise to see the Galicians stranded on three points, second from bottom and without a win to their credit. Three draws at the beginning of the campaign have given way to defeats against Villarreal and, surprisingly, Almeria. Shut out four times from five matches, it’s already starting to look bleak at the Riazor.

“We are no worse than 10 or 12 other teams in the division, and we must fight. There are a lot of games to play and it is a great time to emerge stronger,” coach Miguel Angel Lotina told the media earlier this week, trying to put a positive spin on his side’s predicament. “I am very hopeful for this team. The players work hard and we will show this on the field sooner or later.”

At the best of times points at the Bernabeu seem like a bonus, but for Depor right now just one would seem like a miracle.

TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid
Jose Mourinho kept Thursday’s training session closed in light of the recent problems reported in the media between the coach and Pedro Leon. Additionally, he did not hold his usual press conference to give the press an update on his squad.

Ezequiel Garay, Fernando Gago, Kaka, Raul Albiol and Sergio Canales are the known worries for the Portuguese boss.

Deportivo

Manuel Pablo is recovering from tonsillitis and should be able to take his place in Miguel Angel Lotina’s weekend squad. Pablo Alvarez has almost recovered from his hamstring problem and has been taking part in light exercises with the main squad this week.

Riki will be on the sidelines for at least another couple of weeks.

Dismissed against Almeria, Diego Colotto will be suspended.

Prediction

Deportivo will likely offer little as an attacking force, but as a defensive unit there are few as consistently strong in Spain. Real Madrid will have a hard time breaking them down, but Mourinho’s men will ultimately achieve the task. Though los Blancos still have the potential to absolutely blitz the opposition, a scrappy 1-0 success seems more probable at present.

Real Madrid 1-0 Deportivo

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03-10-2010 Inter - Juventus

Back Into Form

Under new coach Rafael Benitez Italian and European champions Inter started the season on a slow note. But the Beneamata have since picked up momentum and are now comfortably perched on the top branch of the tree.

Inter have 10 points from five matches and are joint-top of the Italian first division with Lazio. The Nerazzurri suffered a 1-0 defeat to Roma in Rome last weekend but recovered in style from that loss with a 4-0 hammering of Werder Bremen in the Champions League in midweek.

The Nerazzurri have a great home record and the San Siro is their fortress. Inter’s defence has looked as solid as ever - they are currently the best defensive side in Italy, having conceded just three goals.
 
Old Lady Re-Rejuvenated
 
Juventus’s 4-0 defeat of Udinese in Udine on September 19 led many to believe that the Bianconeri have turned the corner but it turned out to be a false dawn as Juve sank back into depression. However, since last weekend things have improved for Luigi Del Neri’s side.

Juventus are currently ninth in the league standings with seven points from five matches, just three behind Inter. Last weekend they won 4-2 against Cagliari in Turin with Milos Krasic banging in a hat-trick and on Thursday evening drew 1-1 with Manchester City at Eastlands in the Europa League.

The former Italian and European champions are also looking great in front of goal as they have netted the ball 12 times in the league. But defensively the Bianconeri need massive improvement with Samuel Eto’o in red hot form for Inter.

TEAM NEWS

Inter

Thiago Motta, Javier Zanetti and Marco Materazzi are out injured. Walter Samuel and Diego Milito are looking doubtful too but there is a chance that they could recover in time from their respective problems.

Philippe Coutinho is likely to feature on the left side of a three-man midfield that will have Eto’o as the main striker if Milito starts on the bench.

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon and Armand Traore are unavailable because of injuries but Amauri has recovered and will be on the bench against Inter.

Alessandro Del Piero is likely to start with Vincenzo Iaquinta in attack in the 4-4-2 system that Del Neri will deploy.

Prediction

It is difficult to believe that Inter’s home run will be destroyed by Juventus even with the Bianconeri having recovered some of their lost form. One suspects that this will be a closely contested game that could either end in an Inter win or in a draw.

Inter Milan 2-1 Juventus

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03-10-2010 Borussia Dortmund - Bayern Munchen

Unlucky Dortmund Unfazed By Loss

Dortmund’s six-game winning streak in all competitions came to an end on Thursday, following a controversial and very unlucky 1-0 defeat to Sevilla in the Europa League. In that match, the Ruhr side dominated the first half before conceding a soft opener before half-time.

Early in the second half, referee Mike Dean sent off Marcel Schmelzer for what he saw as a dive, even though replays showed that the left back was felled. Still, BvB fought back, but luck was not on their side: Shinji Kagawa was denied by the post, and Lucas Barrios had a late effort cleared off the line.

“The lads are of course disappointed, but also proud - and impressed by their own performance,” coach Juergen Klopp said according to the official BvB website. “For our overall development, it’s better to play the way we did yesterday than play poorly and somehow pick up a 1-0 win.”

In the past, Dortmund have succeeded by pressing Bayern high up the pitch and stifling their opponents’ attack. Such a game plan requires tremendous effort, and given their short rest, questions have been raised as to how fit the hosts will be on Sunday.

To these questions, Klopp defiantly responded:

“We are in great shape, so it’s no problem to play again on Sunday,” he said. “We want to answer on the pitch.”

Will Bayern Repeat 2009 Triumph?

It wasn’t a cakewalk, but Bayern Munich extended their fine run of Champions League form in Tuesday’s 2-1 win away to Basel. After going a goal behind early, the visitors leveled through Bastian Schweinsteiger, who also netted a late, late winner following a set piece. The result left the Bavarian giants in first place in their group, with six points from two matches.

Domestically, Bayern have had less success. With just eight points from six matches and a -1 goal difference, the defending champions are ten points behind leaders Mainz, and perhaps most importantly, seven adrift of Dortmund.

With all this in mind, captain Mark van Bommel issued a rally call: “We have no more excuses. We have to win,” he said, according to his team’s official website.

“It’s time to get going,” sporting director Christian Nerlinger added, “although I am very confident. Last year, it was exactly in situations like this that we saw the team’s true character.”

Their opponents on Sunday will be well aware of the character that Bayern are capable of showing. A year ago, the Bavarians were in a similarly tight position, but earned an emphatic 5-1 victory in front of a capacity crowd of 81,552 at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion. Given their opponents’ improvement over the past year, as well as injuries to a number of key Bayern players, it will be an even greater task for the defending Bundesliga champions to earn three points on Sunday. Still, their quality and experience are hard to match, and could prove decisive.

TEAM NEWS

Borussia Dortmund

Dede, Tamas Hajnal, Sebastian Kehl, Florian Kringe, and Mohamed Zidan have all been ruled out of Sunday’s match, but question marks lie over the availability of Patrick Owomoyela (ankle) and Mario Goetze (thigh tightness, cold). The former featured as a substitute against Sevilla and is expected to be available for at least some of this weekend’s match, but the latter is more doubtful after missing training on Friday. Should Goetze fail to reach match fitness ahead of Sunday, Jakub Blaszczykowski will stand in for him; for Owomoyela, Lukasz Piszczek is also an option.

Probable Starting XI: Weidenfeller - Owomoyela, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer - Bender, Sahin - Blaszczykowski, Kagawa, Grosskreutz - Barrios

Bayern Munich

As he prepares for this weekend’s clash, Louis van Gaal will be without Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Diego Contento, and David Alaba. Hamit Altintop is also doubtful due to a groin problem, and his availability will be decided by the results of a late fitness test. In place of the Turkish midfielder, Ivica Olic may start, causing Van Gaal to shuffle his attacking line.

Probable Starting XI: Butt - Lahm, Van Buyten, Badstuber, Pranjic - Van Bommel, Schweinsteiger - Mueller, Klose, Kroos - Olic

Prediction

This one will be very difficult to predict. A week ago, I would have tipped Dortmund to win comfortably. BvB remain the team in better form, but down to ten men, they had to put in a tremendous amount of running on Thursday, and may be fatigued. Bayern have more than enough class to win this match, but will likely struggle to score. Dortmund, on the other hand, should be expected to put at least one goal in, and that may be enough.

Borussia 1-2 Bayern Munich

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03-10-2010 Sevilla - Atletico Madrid

Success On The Horizon?

Much has changed over the course of the last seven days for Sevilla, who have sacked Antonio Alvarez, appointed in his stead Gregorio Manzano and got back in the race for Europa League qualification by defeating Borussia Dortmund 1-0 away from home.

The catalyst for all these events was a somewhat embarrassing 2-0 defeat away to newly promoted Hercules in La Primera Division, the first loss los Rojiblancos had suffered all season in the competition. Alvarez’s job may have been lost on the back of this disappointing result, but in truth it was his failure to overcome Braga to reach the Champions League that hastened his departure.

Manzano had long been linked with the top coaching post at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, and it seems that his arrival will have an instant impact, with Frederic Kanoute claiming that the newly appointed trainer has already spurred the somewhat misfiring squad on.

“There has been little time since his arrival, but the players are already motivated to show that we are in a different dynamic,” the Malian hitman explained. “When something goes wrong at a big club like Sevilla I suppose there needs to be a change, but it is never our wish. When you get a new coach you want stability, and to continue as long as possible. Hopefully this happens with Manzano.”

After Luca Cigarini scored the only goal of los Nervionenses’ clash with BVB in midweek, all stakeholders in the Andalusian club hope the honeymoon can continue on Sunday.

More Predictable

Last term Atletico Madrid’s cup exploits seemed to cost them a little in the league, yet this season this trend has been flipped, with los Colchoneros starting strongly in La Primera Division but not going so smoothly in the Europa League.

Quique Sanchez Flores’ side are up to fifth in the Primera Division, right in the mix with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia, having won three of their opening five fixtures. Meanwhile, the defence of their European crown has been anything but reassuring as they have gained only one point from two group matches, having to come from behind to steal a point against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday.

“In the first half we did not compete,” Flores lamented of the midweek performance. “The team has to take credit for turning the match around. If we want to be super competitive we cannot lack any details and we must improve.”

Domestically there are those who believe that los Rojiblancos have the ability to last the pace until the final weeks of the season. Pep Guardiola, the Barcelona coach, indicated after his side had won 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon that he could envisage a title charge from the capital’s red and white club, and having bounced back from that set-back with a draw in Valencia and a win over Zaragoza, there are signs that the old unpredictable Atleti are gone.

TEAM NEWS

Sevilla

Los Nervionenses have yet to release any details on their squad status following their European exploits, but they had virtually a complete panel of players to travel to Germany in midweek. Sergio Sanchez continues to work at his fitness after almost a whole year out due to a heart problem.

Atletico

Sergio Aguero will certainly miss this fixture, according to reports. Diego Godin will continue to miss out with a knee problem and Jose Antonio Reyes is banned, but otherwise los Colchoneros should be at full strength.

Prediction

Sunday’s clash promises to be a fascinating affair. Sevilla, boosted by their new coach, tackle an Atletico side who have won widespread praise for their play all season. Both of los Nervionenses’ league games at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan have been drawn so far this season, and this could complete a hat-trick, though a point against the capital side would not be a disgraceful result.

Sevilla 2-2 Atletico Madrid

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03-10-2010 Chelsea - Arsenal

Points To Prove And Collect

Whether it’s still a ‘Big Four’ now or a ‘Big Five or Six’, there’s no doubt that both Chelsea and Arsenal are members of it, and that their meetings are among the Premier League’s top attractions. Sunday afternoon’s clash has special significance because the two adversaries each suffered an unexpected set-back last weekend – then got back on track with impressive midweek Champions League victories.

Leaders Chelsea failed their first real test in the Premier League season when they went down 1-0 at Eastlands to Manchester City last Saturday lunchtime. That result meant Arsenal kicked off at home to West Bromwich Albion knowing a win would take them to within a point of the Blues.

But they fluffed their lines, never looking like beating the inspired Baggies until the introduction of Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky, but by then it was too late, and following the 3-2 defeat, Arsene Wenger had to admit he didn’t recognise his team on the day.

Wenger, who marked 14 years in charge of Arsenal on Friday, would have been more familiar with the performance the Gunners produced in beating Partizan 3-1 in Belgrade on Tuesday. On the same night, Chelsea were convincing 2-0 winners against French champions Marseille. So both Wenger and Carlo Ancelotti – who will be in the dugout on Sunday despite the death of his father this week – go into this match with their respective teams top of the groups with maximum points in the Champions League.

History Doesn't Win Matches, Does It?

Domestically, Chelsea are four points ahead of third-placed Arsenal – and they are also enjoying a welcome reversal of fortune against the Gunners. Arsenal were unbeaten in 17 matches against the Blues until Claudio Ranieri’s side won the second leg of a Champions League quarter-final at Highbury in April 2004.

Since then, of the 15 matches between the two teams, Wenger has been able to celebrate just two victories, pitting his wits against Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink and Ancelotti. Moreover, they’ve been emphatically beaten – 2-1 (Wembley, FA Cup semi-final), 4-1 (h), 3-0 (h) and 2-0 (a) – in each of the last four meetings.

So while recent history is certainly running in Chelsea’s favour, on Friday Wenger pointed out with impeccable logic that history doesn’t win football matches. The corollary of that observation is that it can - if you don’t learn from it.

And Arsenal fans will be anxiously looking for evidence that their team has learned from their recent crushingly disappointing games against Chelsea. If not, we can expect the Gunners to enjoy the bulk of the possession at the Bridge without penetrating Ancelotti’s defence. And for Chelsea – and Didier Drogba in particular – to be devastatingly effective on the counter and power their way to three more points.

The popular conception is that physically strong, experienced Chelsea will bully the intricate but lightweight Gunners into submission. So Wenger needs to have come up with a new strategy – firstly of scoring against John Terry and Co., and secondly of pressing home the advantage by closing out the game from a winning position. They know they can do it – they came from behind to win at Stamford Bridge two years ago when Robin van Persie scored twice after Johan Djourou had put through his own goal.

But the challenge is to beat them again – and Van Persie is one of a number of influential Gunners unavailable to Wenger, though Ancelotti also has a couple of high-profile absentees.

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea

Carlo Ancelotti will take charge of the team on Sunday despite the death of his father earlier in the week and his subsequent return to Italy.

Striker Didier Drogba is available again after missing the win against Marseille through suspension, and will probably replace Gael Kakuta.

Yossi Benayoun (calf), Jose Bosingwa (knee), Salomon Kalou (thigh) and Frank Lampard (groin) are all unavailable through injury.

Possible Starting XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole; Essien, Mikel, Ramires, Malouda; Anelka, Drogba.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger is still without captain Cesc Fabregas, who is suffering from the hamstring injury he sustained scoring for Arsenal against Sunderland. That means Jack Wilshere is likely to provide the main creative inspiration. Left-back Kieran Gibbs is sidelined with a calf injury, so Gael Clichy should start.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has an elbow injury, giving Lukasz Fabianski another opportunity to prove his credentials.

Central defender Thomas Vermaelen remains out injured (Achilles tendon), but Abou Diaby should be fit.

Emmanuel Frimpong (knee), Aaron Ramsey (broken leg), Robin van Persie (ankle), Theo Walcott (ankle) and Nicklas Bendner  (groin) are all still unavailable.
   
Possible Starting XI: Fabianski; Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy; Denilson, Song, Wilshere;  Nasri, Chamakh, Arshavin.

Prediction

Having faced - and been beaten by - Manchester City last week, Chelsea host another title rival in Arsenal, and with home advantage they will fancy their chances of pulling further ahead of the Gunners. After all, they've lost only two of their last 17 matches against Arsenal in all competitions, winning each of the last four and scoring nine goals in the last three while conceding only once. Their 1-0 defeat by City was the first time they'd failed to score in 25 Premier League games stretching back to December 2009, and while they've scored 27 goals in their last five top-flight games at the Bridge, Arsenal haven't kept a clean sheet in their last 10 Premier League away matches. So a Chelsea win would hardly be a surprise, but Arsene Wenger knows his team - who lost all four matches against Chelsea and Manchester United last season - must put up sterner resistance this time if they are to be taken seriously. Their determination to do so could see them emerge with a share of the spoils on Sunday.

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

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03-10-2010 Liverpool - Blackpool

Anfield Win Is A Must

Liverpool host Blackpool in the Premier League on Sunday looking for a major improvement following a string of lacklustre displays and results.

Roy Hodgson was tipped to have a tough start to life at Anfield when he took over in the summer, but it’s turned out much worse than even the most pessimistic of supporters would have imagined.

The Reds began the season by progressing through to the Europa League group stage and rather unfortunately only drawing at home to Arsenal. However, they have only beaten West Bromwich Albion domestically since - and even that was a narrow win. In fairness to the Anfield club, though, they have suffered both of their league defeats to title chasing Manchester United and Manchester City.

Despite only losing to the Manchester clubs in the league, Hodgson is already getting criticism from sections of supporters and the media. He failed to steer his side to all three points away to Birmingham City and at home to Sunderland - where they drew 2-2 thanks to Dirk Kuyt’s controversial goal last weekend - but there can be no excuses for one of the most embarrassing results in their history as they lost on penalties to League Two strugglers Northampton Town in the League Cup.

Liverpool drew 0-0 away to FC Utrecht in the Europa League on Thursday night as their slump continued, but they will surely be able to bounce back with a win over Blackpool. At least you would think they would be able to, and if they don’t it will pile more pressure on Hodgson, Gerrard, Torres & Co.

Seasiders Living The Dream

Some were tipping Blackpool to go straight back down to the Championship following their play-off win last season, but they’ve already proved it won’t be as simple as that.

Despite predictions that the Tangerines could finish the season by beating Derby County’s league record worst points tally of 11, they already have seven points on the board. After an emphatic win over Wigan Athletic on the opening day, they have also seen off Newcastle United at St James’ Park and drawn 2-2 at home to Fulham.

However, they have had their turnovers as expected as well. The 10-man Seasiders lost 6-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates in their second game of the season before being hammered 4-0 by Chelsea, and with them already losing 4-0 at half-time in that game, Ian Holloway changed his team’s tactics, opting to switch back to his usual attacking style rather than the 4-5-1 he had gone with from the start at Stamford Bridge.

Holloway’s men were unlucky to concede a dubious late goal at home to Blackburn Rovers last time out which condemned them to a 2-1 defeat, and ended with their boss being hit with an FA charge for swearing at referee Mike Dean. But despite Brett Emerton’s winner coming after a quick break from one end of the pitch to the other from Blackburn, Holloway has vowed to stick to his attacking principles even if it means they are hit on the counter-attack just like at Bloomfield Road last weekend.


TEAM NEWS

Liverpool

Roy Hodgson has received more injury news this week as Martin Kelly picked up a knee problem in the draw with Utrecht on Thursday.

Kelly’s likely absence means that due to injuries to Paul Konchesky (hamstring), Fabio Aurelio (Achilles) and Daniel Agger (groin), Liverpool are without a recognised left-back.

Fernando Torres is set to start against for the Reds despite poor displays of late, while Steven Gerrard will play after being rested in midweek.

Possible starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Carragher; Gerrard, Poulsen; Kuyt, Meireles, Cole; Torres.

Blackpool

Matt Phillips, who scored on his debut with almost his first touch in the Premier League last week, is pushing for a start.

Rob Edwards featured in a reserve game this week and is also vying for a starting place, which means Neal Eardley may drop to the bench.

Possible starting XI: Gilks; Eardley, Evatt, Cathcart, Crainey; Grandin, Adam, Vaughan; Phillips, Harewood, Campbell.

Prediction

Liverpool really haven’t hit top form under Roy Hodgson this season, but you would still expect them to see off Blackpool at home. The Seasiders have already won twice on the road this season but at Anfield it’ll prove a difficult ask. I can see Liverpool winning this one but not by as many goals as you would have predicted with this fixture at the start of the season.

Liverpool 2-0 Blackpool

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03-10-2010 Lazio - Brescia

Eagles Soaring High

Lazio’s struggles of last season appear to have been buried in the sand as under Edy Reja the Aquile are soaring new heights. Last weekend Lazio defeated Chievo in Verona 1-0 to go joint-top of the table in Serie A.

At the moment Lazio have 10 points from five matches and with Inter taking on Juventus in Italy’s biggest game of the weekend, they will know that a win could take them clear ahead.

However, Reja has asked the team to keep their feet firmly on the ground and not get ahead of themselves, warning, "We need to be very careful against our next opponents [Brescia], as [coach Giuseppe] Iachini's side has the quality to beat anyone on their day. They will have extra motivation as they are taking on a side at the top of the ladder.”

Carrying On With Style

Newly promoted Brescia are in great form at the moment and even though their unbeaten run was punctuated by Bari away from home last weekend, the Biancoazzurri cannot be denied of their place under the sun.

Giuseppe Iachini's side are currently as high as fourth in the league table with nine points from five matches and are just a point off the top spot. A win against Lazio in Rome could see them sensationally go top.

However, Brescia’s away record in the league this season is less than impressive as they went down to Parma before winning against Chievo in Verona and lost to Bari last weekend.


TEAM NEWS
 
Lazio
Meghni and Matuzalem are out with injuries. Floccari and Zarate are likely to be the two strikers upfront with the Brazilian magician Hernanes playing just behind them.

Brescia

Vass and Zoboli are out for the visitors.

Prediction

The Aquile are joint-top of Serie A at the moment and with Inter taking on Juventus on Sunday evening they will know that a win in Rome could see them take sole possession of the pole position. A Lazio win is on the cards.

Lazio 2-0 Brescia

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03-10-2010 Napoli - Roma

Back Among The Top Six

Like several of the Champions League hopefuls Napoli too have endured a rather indifferent start to the 2010-11 campaign by their high standards but have now started to come into the groove.

Last weekend Walter Mazzarri’s side came from behind to defeat Cesena 4-1 away from home. The win propelled them to sixth place in the table with eight points from five matches, just two behind leaders Inter and Lazio.

On Thursday evening Napoli held Steaua Bucharest to a 3-3 draw in a Europa League group game away from home and seem to have regained their momentum and form that almost saw them qualify for the Champions League places towards the end of the 2009-10 campaign.

Out Of The Blue

Roma’s inception to the campaign has been ruthlessly disappointing but since last weekend things have taken a surge towards the brighter end of the spectrum. The 1-0 win against Italian and European champions Inter in Rome was a huge morale-booster that saw them defeat Cluj 2-1 at home in midweek in the Champions League.

At the moment Roma are third from bottom in Serie A with five points from five matches. Yet a closer look at the table would suggest that things are not as desperate as they seem as the Lupi are a win away from fifth-placed Milan.

However, whether Roma can get that victory against Napoli in Naples can be put forward as a topic for debate. Claudio Ranieri’s side have lost all their away games this season, both in Serie A and in the Champions League, and against a Napoli side tremendously good in Naples it will not be easy for the former Italian champions.


TEAM NEWS

Napoli

Lucarelli is a long-term injury concern for the Azzurri but Mazzarri has all the other players available for the visit of Roma.

Roma

Julio Sergio, Taddei and Adriano will miss the trip to Naples with injuries. Mexes is suspended and so is Perrotta.

Prediction

This will be a very interesting and entertaining game with both sides committed to playing good, attacking football. It is a difficult match to call and it could just finish in a draw.

Napoli 2-2 Roma

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03-10-2010 Manchester City - Newcastle United

You've got to spend money to make money

To the surprise of absolutely no-one, Manchester City today announced they had made losses of a whopping £121 million in the last financial year. A collective "is that it?" swept across the rest of England but if Roberto Mancini's team continue their impressive start to the season, City fans may well consider it money well spent.

City lie fourth in the Premier League - having beatn reigning champions Chelsea - and are top of their Europa League group. Mancini has asked fo six months before he is judged on his tenure, but if City win a European trophy and finish in the Premier League top four it will probably be considered a success.

They were perhaps lucky to come away from their clash with Juventus on Thursday with a point after Alex Del Piero's free-kick came crashing down off the underside of the bar and bounced on the line, but City have proved that they can kick it with the big boys so far this season. Which is probably the least fans would expect about shelling out more than £100m on new talent. 

A home match against Newcastle should be a home banker, although the Magpies have already proved they are no push overs with wins at Chelsea and (admittedly lackluster) Everton. City, though, will be banking on a home win.

Hughton, we have a problem

Newcastle might be looking rather healthy this season, but their record at City is not great. They haven't won at their opponents since 2000, when the Citizens played at Maine Road, and haven't won against the Sky Blues anywhere since 2005.

But they hadn't won at Everton either before last week's 1-0 victory. Having said that, Man City aren't struggling at the foot of the table, but still the Magpies will be buoyed by recent performances.

And that will be no coincidence that former England defender Sol Campbell is back in first-team football after his free transfer move to St James' Park. The 36-year-old will have a tough time keeping Carlos Tevez quiet on Sunday, but stranger things have happened. Like the Argentinian's shin pad celebrations for example.

TEAM NEWS

Manchester City

Mancini will be without Pablo Zabaleta after the full-back strained a hamstring during the 1-1 draw with Juve on Thursday. Dedryck Boyata and Joleon Lescott can expect to be called upon as a result.

David Silva, James Milner and Nigel de Jong will all hope for a place in the starting XI after starting the Juve draw. Wayne Bridge, Mario Balotelli, Micah Richards and Aleksandar Kolarov are all still longer term absentees.

Possible lineup: Hart, Kompany, Kolo Toure, Boyata, Lescott, De Jong, Yaya Toure, Barry, Johnson, Tevez, Adebayor.

Newcastle

Campbell's thigh injury is not serious enough to keep him out of action, after he missed the home defeat to Stoke last week.

Tim Krul will continue in goal while Steve Harper continues to recover from his shoulder injury while new boy Dan Gosling is another long term squad member missing.

Danny Guthrie (knee) and Danny Simpson are both back in full training and will play for the reserves next week, while Steven Taylor is expected to resume training in a fortnight's time.

Possible lineup: Krul, Ryan Taylor, Enrique, Coloccini, Campbell, Smith, Barton, Gutierrez, Ben Arfa, Nolan, Carroll.

Prediction

Newcastle's away form may be average this season but they have still conceded nine goals in five games on the road this season. Scoring hasn't been much of a problem either on their troubles but they come up against a City side who have a right defence at home - only two goals conceded so far. And a strong attack, which will probably be too much for the Magpies on this occasion.

Man City 3-2 Newcastle

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03-10-2010 Lecce - Catania

Struggling As Expected
Newly promoted Serie A side Lecce were expected to struggle in the Italian top flight and they are doing so too. Last weekend the Lupi did gain an encouraging 2-2 draw with Palermo at home but that wasn’t enough to see them get out of the bottom three.

At the moment Luigi De Canio's side are one place off the bottom with five points from five matches but interesting they have not lost since their 1-0 defeat to Cesena on September 19. Furthermore, Lecce have been defeated in just one in their last four league fixtures.

Lecce know that they will have to pick up as many points as they can at home and will be gunning for a victory against high-flying Catania on Sunday.

Flying High

Catania were and still are anticipated to be one of a host of clubs to fight against relegation from Serie A this season but the Sicilians seem to be doing very well so far. Last weekend the Etnei drew 1-1 with Bologna and stretched their unbeaten run in the league to four matches.

At the moment Catania are seventh in the league standings with eight points from five matches. Marco Giampaolo's side have not lost a league fixture since their opening weekend defeat to Chievo in Verona and are indeed in an encouraging run of form.

A win against Lecce away from home is quite probable for the Sicilians under the current circumstances but they should realise that this match is, in effect, an early season relegation six-pointer.

TEAM NEWS

Lecce

Reginiussen, Chevanton, Di Michele, Giuliatto and Sini are out injured. Giacomazzi is suspended.

Catania

Sciacca and Augustyn are out with injuries. Maxi Lopez and Mascara will be the two strikers in the 4-3-1-2 system.

Prediction

A relegation six-pointer, this match could go either way. A scored draw is more likely.

Lecce 2-2 Catania

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