Sunday, November 7, 2010
07-11-2010 21:00 Real - Atletico Madrid
Upper Hand
It may not quite match the glamour or generate the same interest as el Clasico, but Real Madrid’s derby encounter against Atletico Madrid means a great deal to Spain’s capital city.
The Bernabeu will play host to the latest Derbi Madrileno, which will be the 146th league meeting between these two great rivals. Unsurprisingly, it’s los Blancos who hold the historical upper hand, having recorded 79 victories in total. Jose Mourinho, in his first taste of the city rivalry, will attempt to make it a round 80.
‘Mou’ is as yet unbeaten as los Merengues’ coach, though he came perilously close to losing that record in Milan on Wednesday. Madrid trailed their hosts 2-1 deep into stoppage time, but a late strike from Pedro Leon saved the Spaniards, who have been getting into their stride after a sluggish start to the season. That late goal allows the Spaniards to relax in their last two games with the knowledge that a place in the knock-out round is secure.
Criticised initially for not scoring enough goals, Mourinho’s men are now regularly giving cause for their fans to celebrate. Los Blancos have found the net 19 times in their last four league encounters, though they were forced to come from behind to defeat Hercules last weekend, with Angel di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo (twice) digging them out on that occasion.
It may be four Liga games since los Merengues kept a clean sheet, and that will doubtless irk the coach, but all of those matches have been won with some considerable ease, and the hosts will feel confident of scoring a fifth successive success come Sunday night. Perfect at home this season, Atleti will not be allowed to spoil Real Madrid’s party.
Destruction Derbi
After a bright start to the campaign, it’s all gone a little pear shaped for Quique Sanchez Flores, the Atletico Madrid coach and godson of Blancos great Alfredo Di Stefano. Wins over Sporting Gijon and Athletic Bilbao in their opening two fixtures had the critics frothing with anticipation, but Atleti’s season quickly descended towards the mundane.
A 2-1 home loss against Barcelona, during which they rarely got near their Catalan guests, was the catalyst for a dose of realism, which has since manifested itself in rather bleak statistics, such as two wins in the club’s last seven league matches.
Even in the Europa League, los Colchoneros have not started the defence of their crown like champions. They have, however, got themselves back into contention to reach the knock-out stages by recording back-to-back wins over Rosenborg, including a 2-1 success on Thursday evening, which came about thanks to goals from Sergio Aguero and Tiago.
Going to the Bernabeu is, of course, a special trip for Madrid’s second most successful side, but there can be little doubt that the intimidating venue often gets the better of Atleti, who seem to suffer from bouts of derby nerves when they meet their cross-city rivals. It’s been a decade since los Rojiblancos last beat their neighbours, and unless they can raise their present level on Sunday night, that statistic is set to be extended for at least another few months.
It may not quite match the glamour or generate the same interest as el Clasico, but Real Madrid’s derby encounter against Atletico Madrid means a great deal to Spain’s capital city.
The Bernabeu will play host to the latest Derbi Madrileno, which will be the 146th league meeting between these two great rivals. Unsurprisingly, it’s los Blancos who hold the historical upper hand, having recorded 79 victories in total. Jose Mourinho, in his first taste of the city rivalry, will attempt to make it a round 80.
‘Mou’ is as yet unbeaten as los Merengues’ coach, though he came perilously close to losing that record in Milan on Wednesday. Madrid trailed their hosts 2-1 deep into stoppage time, but a late strike from Pedro Leon saved the Spaniards, who have been getting into their stride after a sluggish start to the season. That late goal allows the Spaniards to relax in their last two games with the knowledge that a place in the knock-out round is secure.
Criticised initially for not scoring enough goals, Mourinho’s men are now regularly giving cause for their fans to celebrate. Los Blancos have found the net 19 times in their last four league encounters, though they were forced to come from behind to defeat Hercules last weekend, with Angel di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo (twice) digging them out on that occasion.
It may be four Liga games since los Merengues kept a clean sheet, and that will doubtless irk the coach, but all of those matches have been won with some considerable ease, and the hosts will feel confident of scoring a fifth successive success come Sunday night. Perfect at home this season, Atleti will not be allowed to spoil Real Madrid’s party.
Destruction Derbi
After a bright start to the campaign, it’s all gone a little pear shaped for Quique Sanchez Flores, the Atletico Madrid coach and godson of Blancos great Alfredo Di Stefano. Wins over Sporting Gijon and Athletic Bilbao in their opening two fixtures had the critics frothing with anticipation, but Atleti’s season quickly descended towards the mundane.
A 2-1 home loss against Barcelona, during which they rarely got near their Catalan guests, was the catalyst for a dose of realism, which has since manifested itself in rather bleak statistics, such as two wins in the club’s last seven league matches.
Even in the Europa League, los Colchoneros have not started the defence of their crown like champions. They have, however, got themselves back into contention to reach the knock-out stages by recording back-to-back wins over Rosenborg, including a 2-1 success on Thursday evening, which came about thanks to goals from Sergio Aguero and Tiago.
Going to the Bernabeu is, of course, a special trip for Madrid’s second most successful side, but there can be little doubt that the intimidating venue often gets the better of Atleti, who seem to suffer from bouts of derby nerves when they meet their cross-city rivals. It’s been a decade since los Rojiblancos last beat their neighbours, and unless they can raise their present level on Sunday night, that statistic is set to be extended for at least another few months.
TEAM NEWS
Real Madrid
Kaka remains on the sidelines for los Blancos; the Brazilian superstar has yet to kick a ball in anger this season. Ezequiel Garay and Fernando Gago are the other absentees.
Atletico
Luis Perea has picked up five yellow cards and will be suspended for this encounter.
Long-term injury problem Sergio Asenjo is still absent, while Diego Godin will be a crucial absentee from the centre of the rearguard. Jose Antonio Reyes sustained a muscular problem last weekend and missed out in midweek; he is a doubt for the weekend.
Real Madrid
Kaka remains on the sidelines for los Blancos; the Brazilian superstar has yet to kick a ball in anger this season. Ezequiel Garay and Fernando Gago are the other absentees.
Atletico
Luis Perea has picked up five yellow cards and will be suspended for this encounter.
Long-term injury problem Sergio Asenjo is still absent, while Diego Godin will be a crucial absentee from the centre of the rearguard. Jose Antonio Reyes sustained a muscular problem last weekend and missed out in midweek; he is a doubt for the weekend.
Prediction
The early season fervour surrounding Atletico Madrid’s performances has now faded, and with absentees at the back, Quique Sanchez Flores’ side will have a difficult task restricting their opponents. Cristiano Ronaldo is on fire in the league at present, and the guests will fail to stop him from helping los Merengues to a fifth home win this season.
Real Madrid 3-1 Atletico Madrid 
07-11-2010 17:30 Stuttgart - Werder
After making their worst start to a Bundesliga campaign in over 30 years Stuttgart have impoved of late. However danger still looms as the Baden-Wuerttemburg club hover in the relegation play-off position. Die Schwaben suffered a 2-0 away defeat at the hands of Wolfsburg last weekend but of late, there has been a marked improvement in their performances.
"The defeat is really bitter, especially as Wolfsburg weren't necessarily the better team," Stuttgart midfielder Christian Traesch told the club's website.
"We just did too little going forward and often it was the telling ball through that was missing. The two goals from corners should never have happened."
However it has been a different story in the Europa League for Jens Keller's men. On Thursday evening the club booked their position in the knockout stages of the competition with an impressive 3-0 away victory over Getafe, their fourth win in as many games to maintain their 100% record.
Stuttgart will certainly be hoping to continue this form into Sunday's crunch tie with Bremen and Keller believes the momentum is now there.
"I am very satisfied with the performance of the team today. The important thing is that the momentum is there," the coach told media after the win against Getafe.
"We played very well and we want to continue now where we left off tonight."
Time will tell if Stuttgart can carry over their excellent European form to the Bundesliga and Sunday will be the perfect opportunity to start their ascent up the league table.
Werder Look To Continue Improved Away Form
Like so many of the Bundesliga big-hitters, Bremen have endured a somewhat sketchy start to the season. Die Grueb-Weissen currently sit in eleventh position after last weekend's surprise home defeat to Nuernberg and come into the game with Stuttgart on the back of a demoralising Champions League defeat to Twente, a result that leaves their future in the competition on a knife-edge. So it is fair to say that Werder are not in the best form of late yet their are positives to take into the game.
Thomas Schaaf's men will be glad to welcome back Tim Wiese back in between the sticks after some jittery performances from his deputant Sebastian Mielitz. The German international has missed the last fortnight, a period where Bremen have conceded eight in four games in all competitions and not kept one clean sheet.
Bremen will also be buoyed by the fact they picked up their first Bundesliga away victory of the season on their last league visit on the road, a thumping 4-1 win at Moenchengladbach. A trip away from the Weserstadion may be a welcome distraction for a team who have been defeated twice at home in the last week.
However Schaaf acknowledges that Sunday's opponents will be tough as they will be fighting to improve on their poor league position. "There are some clubs who expected to be in other positions and had slow starts to the season. That certainly is the case with Stuttgart," Bremen head coach told the club's official website.
"They were also hit with numerous injuries in the first couple games and are now fighting to catch up on the table."
What is for sure is that both sides will be gunning for victory as they both strive to improve on league positions that do not reflect the ability of each respective squad.
TEAM NEWS
Stuttgart
The home side have several players still out and are especially weakened in defence. Serdar Tasci will miss the game with a hamstring problem while Khalid Bhoularouz and Stefano Celozzi are both likely to sit out with thigh strains. Phillipp Degen (groin) and Pavel Pogrebnyak (ankle) are both ruled out but the likes of Matthieu Delpierre, Cipran Marica and Arthur Boka are all back in contention after coming through Thursday's Europa League tie with Getafe unscathed.
Probable Starting XI: Ulreich - Funk, Niedermeier, Delpierre, Molinaro - Camoranesi, Traesch, Kuzmanovic, Gebhart - Cacau, Marica
Werder Bremen
Werder have several first team players out. Petri Pasanen and Clement Fritz (both muscular) miss out so Phillip Bargfrede is once again expected to deputise at right-back. Tim Borowski (ankle), Naldo (knee) and Christian Vander (groin) will all miss the trip to Stuttgart this weekend. Some positive news for Schaaf's men is the return of Tim Wiese who will relegate Sebastian Mielitz to the bench.
Probable Starting XI: Wiese - Bargfrede, Proedl, Mertesacker, Wesley - Marin, Frings, Jensen, Hunt, Almeida, Pizarro
Thomas Schaaf's men will be glad to welcome back Tim Wiese back in between the sticks after some jittery performances from his deputant Sebastian Mielitz. The German international has missed the last fortnight, a period where Bremen have conceded eight in four games in all competitions and not kept one clean sheet.
Bremen will also be buoyed by the fact they picked up their first Bundesliga away victory of the season on their last league visit on the road, a thumping 4-1 win at Moenchengladbach. A trip away from the Weserstadion may be a welcome distraction for a team who have been defeated twice at home in the last week.
However Schaaf acknowledges that Sunday's opponents will be tough as they will be fighting to improve on their poor league position. "There are some clubs who expected to be in other positions and had slow starts to the season. That certainly is the case with Stuttgart," Bremen head coach told the club's official website.
"They were also hit with numerous injuries in the first couple games and are now fighting to catch up on the table."
What is for sure is that both sides will be gunning for victory as they both strive to improve on league positions that do not reflect the ability of each respective squad.
TEAM NEWS
Stuttgart
The home side have several players still out and are especially weakened in defence. Serdar Tasci will miss the game with a hamstring problem while Khalid Bhoularouz and Stefano Celozzi are both likely to sit out with thigh strains. Phillipp Degen (groin) and Pavel Pogrebnyak (ankle) are both ruled out but the likes of Matthieu Delpierre, Cipran Marica and Arthur Boka are all back in contention after coming through Thursday's Europa League tie with Getafe unscathed.
Probable Starting XI: Ulreich - Funk, Niedermeier, Delpierre, Molinaro - Camoranesi, Traesch, Kuzmanovic, Gebhart - Cacau, Marica
Werder Bremen
Werder have several first team players out. Petri Pasanen and Clement Fritz (both muscular) miss out so Phillip Bargfrede is once again expected to deputise at right-back. Tim Borowski (ankle), Naldo (knee) and Christian Vander (groin) will all miss the trip to Stuttgart this weekend. Some positive news for Schaaf's men is the return of Tim Wiese who will relegate Sebastian Mielitz to the bench.
Probable Starting XI: Wiese - Bargfrede, Proedl, Mertesacker, Wesley - Marin, Frings, Jensen, Hunt, Almeida, Pizarro
Prediction
Tough one to call this with both sides struggling to recapture the form their capable of. Stuttgart look an improved side in recent weeks while it's tricky to predict what you're going to get with Bremen. With both sides struggling with injuries in defence expect goals. Stuttgart boast home advantage while Werder have been the better side so far this season so I'm going with an entertaining score-draw.
VfB Stuttgart 0-0 Werder Bremen 
07-11-2010 17:00 Villarreal - Athletic Bilbao
Bright Beginnings
Villarreal have made an excellent start to the Primera Division season and remain in touch with Real Madrid and Barcelona at the summit of the table, despite losing ground last weekend. At El Madrigal on Sunday, they’ll have their work cut out to pick up maximum points against an Athletic Bilbao side it is rarely easy to overcome.
Last weekend Juan Carlos Garrido’s men would have been wishing the Yellow Submarine wasn’t simply a nickname as they could really have used one during a downpour in their encounter against Sporting de Gijon. The heavy pitch at El Molinon did not suit their passing style of play, yet they managed to battle to earn a 1-1 draw thanks to a last gasp penalty from Giuseppe Rossi.
The draw meant they dropped three points behind leaders los Blancos, but by the same token they remain comfortably in the top four, five points ahead of fifth-placed Espanyol. Realistically, Villarreal can only third as the resources of the ‘Big Two’ would appear much too great to allow them to last the pace over a 38-game season.
Their European campaign continues to stutter somewhat, however. Defeated 1-0 by PAOK, the Spaniards sit third in Group D, a point worse off than Dinamo Zagreb and the Greeks. Having selected a largely fringe side in midweek, it’s clear where Garrido is placing his emphasis, so he will not want Thursday’s sacrifice to go entirely to waste as they chase a top four spot.
A Win At Last
While Sunday’s hosts are dreaming of Champions League football next season, Athletic Bilbao are merely concerned about stationing themselves in the top flight in such a manner so that they have an opportunity to challenge for the Europa League spots at the end of the campaign.
Joaquin Caparros’ side are going about their business steadily, with wins interspersed by a similar number of defeats.
Once thing Athletic certainly haven’t been short on this term is goals. They’ve yet to be shut-out by any opponents and are in excellent touch in attack, having managed eight in their last three games. This hasn’t always been enough to guarantee success, as they went down 4-3 against Sevilla, but Getafe were defeated in some style last weekend.
“We had a lot of rhythm and created plenty of chances,” Caparros told AS after watching goals from Iraola, Mikel San Jose and Igor Gabilondo get the better of the capital side.
If Real Madrid and Barcelona are excluded, Athletic are, along with Villarreal, the highest scoring side in La Liga. Seemingly at the peak of their powers at present, the Basque side will be hoping to pick up three points at the weekend in what is likely to be a highly entertaining affair.
Villarreal have made an excellent start to the Primera Division season and remain in touch with Real Madrid and Barcelona at the summit of the table, despite losing ground last weekend. At El Madrigal on Sunday, they’ll have their work cut out to pick up maximum points against an Athletic Bilbao side it is rarely easy to overcome.
Last weekend Juan Carlos Garrido’s men would have been wishing the Yellow Submarine wasn’t simply a nickname as they could really have used one during a downpour in their encounter against Sporting de Gijon. The heavy pitch at El Molinon did not suit their passing style of play, yet they managed to battle to earn a 1-1 draw thanks to a last gasp penalty from Giuseppe Rossi.
The draw meant they dropped three points behind leaders los Blancos, but by the same token they remain comfortably in the top four, five points ahead of fifth-placed Espanyol. Realistically, Villarreal can only third as the resources of the ‘Big Two’ would appear much too great to allow them to last the pace over a 38-game season.
Their European campaign continues to stutter somewhat, however. Defeated 1-0 by PAOK, the Spaniards sit third in Group D, a point worse off than Dinamo Zagreb and the Greeks. Having selected a largely fringe side in midweek, it’s clear where Garrido is placing his emphasis, so he will not want Thursday’s sacrifice to go entirely to waste as they chase a top four spot.
A Win At Last
While Sunday’s hosts are dreaming of Champions League football next season, Athletic Bilbao are merely concerned about stationing themselves in the top flight in such a manner so that they have an opportunity to challenge for the Europa League spots at the end of the campaign.
Joaquin Caparros’ side are going about their business steadily, with wins interspersed by a similar number of defeats.
Once thing Athletic certainly haven’t been short on this term is goals. They’ve yet to be shut-out by any opponents and are in excellent touch in attack, having managed eight in their last three games. This hasn’t always been enough to guarantee success, as they went down 4-3 against Sevilla, but Getafe were defeated in some style last weekend.
“We had a lot of rhythm and created plenty of chances,” Caparros told AS after watching goals from Iraola, Mikel San Jose and Igor Gabilondo get the better of the capital side.
If Real Madrid and Barcelona are excluded, Athletic are, along with Villarreal, the highest scoring side in La Liga. Seemingly at the peak of their powers at present, the Basque side will be hoping to pick up three points at the weekend in what is likely to be a highly entertaining affair.
TEAM NEWS
Villarreal
Marcos Senna and Marcos Ruben both missed the midweek trip to Greece due to injuries due to muscular problems, and both must have question marks over their participation at the weekend.
Gonzalo Rodriguez is suspended after being dismissed last weekend.
Athletic
It’s looking likely that los Leones will be without centre-backs Fernando Amorebieta and Aitor Ocio due to injury problems, which will give coach Joaquin Caparros little choice but to go with an unchanged back four.
The unfortunate Ibai Gomez and Igor Martinez will be sidelined too.
Villarreal
Marcos Senna and Marcos Ruben both missed the midweek trip to Greece due to injuries due to muscular problems, and both must have question marks over their participation at the weekend.
Gonzalo Rodriguez is suspended after being dismissed last weekend.
Athletic
It’s looking likely that los Leones will be without centre-backs Fernando Amorebieta and Aitor Ocio due to injury problems, which will give coach Joaquin Caparros little choice but to go with an unchanged back four.
The unfortunate Ibai Gomez and Igor Martinez will be sidelined too.
Prediction
With an aggregate of 34 goals scored between them, there should certainly be plenty of action in the weekend’s encounter. Traditionally Villarreal are strong at El Madrigal while Athletic Bilbao are more fragile on the road, and this may prove decisive come the final whistle on Sunday.
Villarreal 3-2 Athletic Bilbao 
07-11-2010 17:00 Liverpool - Chelsea
The visit of Chelsea to Anfield provides a painful reminder to Liverpool fans of how far they have fallen off the pedestal from which they used to dominate English football. The Blues are defending champions, while the Reds only moved out of the relegation zone a week ago.
Liverpool have been unable to add to their record 18 top-flight titles in the Premier League era, and have managed one FA Cup triumph in the last five years, a period in which Chelsea have collected eight major domestic trophies including three league titles.
Nevertheless, things are beginning to pick up for the fallen giants. The club are finally under new ownership, and beleaguered manager Roy Hodgson has the rare luxury of being able to reflect on three consecutive victories going into Sunday’s showdown.
And the midweek appointment of Damien Comolli as Liverpool's new director of football strategy will potentially allow the ex-Fulham boss to focus exclusively on coaching the best out of his squad.
Hodgson enjoyed what he described as his best 15 minutes in the job on Thursday as Liverpool came from behind to beat Napoli 3-1 in the Europa League. Yet that victory owed so much to second-half substitute Steven Gerrard, who scored a hat-trick, that despite the skipper’s insistence that it had been a fine collective performance, the Reds’ over-dependence on him was again plain to see.
The other world class player at Hodgson’s disposal, Fernando Torres, had been linked with a possible move to Sunday’s opponents until Carlo Ancelotti ruled out buying any new players in January unless injuries force a rethink, and specifically quashed rumours of a bid for Torres when citing the excellence of his own current strike force.
All Hodgson needs to do therefore is hope the Spaniard – who has scored four goals in as many matches against Chelsea at Anfield - can quickly recapture his imperious pre-World Cup form, match fitness and appetite.
Meanwhile, having not won any of his last six league matches against Chelsea (D1, L5), Hodgson knows that if he can take anything off the champions this weekend it could give his recovering side a massive shot in the arm and lend credence to the view that Liverpool could yet challenge for a top four place again.
However, if all results go against them this weekend, the Reds could find themselves back in the relegation mire by Sunday evening. And on the face of it, with just three wins from their 10 league games to date, Liverpool seem unlikely to trouble Chelsea over-much. Liverpool currently look miles away from the standard Chelsea have set, something Hodgson has not tried to gloss over when admitting that he and the club face a Herculean ask in restoring the Reds firstly to top four eminence and secondly to the glories that were commonplace at Anfield in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mixed recent record at Anfield
Chelsea won 2-0 on their last visit to Anfield, in May in what was Liverpool’s final home fixture of the 2009-10 season, and took a decisive step closer to claiming their third league title in six seasons. But they have a mixed record at Anfield in recent years, winning four and losing four of their last 10 visits. The two clubs have met 26 times in all competitions since October 2004, Chelsea winning 12 of them and Liverpool seven.
The rivalry between these two teams reached a new level when Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez were the respective managers. Those two have moved on, and Liverpool have become less of a threat at the top of the table; but although relations between Ancelotti and Roy Hodgson are likely to be a lot less prickly than those between their predecessors, there will still be a keen rivalry between the teams.
And while Liverpool will be anxious to maintain their tentative revival, Chelsea will be no less determined to continue in the vein that has seen them establish a commanding five-point lead at the top of the table.
The Blues will be mindful that they came unstuck on their last but one trip to the North West, when Manchester City inflicted on them their only defeat of the season so far. They made up for that set-back by claiming all three points back in Lancashire last weekend when coming from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1.
If it was not their most convincing performance it was certainly a dogged and ultimately successful one that spoke volumes about their resilience. They are, after all, champions – a fact they underlined in the manner of an emphatic midweek thrashing of Spartak.
Chelsea have taken 10 points out of 12 and won six of their last seven matches in all competitions, and for good measure boast the best goalscoring and defensive records in the Premier League. Moreover, they have had a day extra to recover from European action and prepare for Sunday's match, having already done the hard work required to reach the Champions League knockout stage.
Chelsea represent a formidable challenge for any opponent at the moment, and are again the Premier League's best travellers, with three wins from five to their credit and a goal difference of plus eight on the road.
TEAM NEWS
Liverpool
Midfielder Joe Cole will miss Sunday's match against his former club Chelsea because of the hamstring strain that also ruled him out of the Reds’ midweek Europa Cup triumph over Napoli.But another ex-Chelsea player, right-back Glen Johnson, shrugged off a thigh muscle injury in time to make his first appearance since October 3 in the Napoli game, and was one of six changes manager Roy Hodgson made to the side that beat Bolton last weekend. Johnson is set to face his previous employers, but it is likely that Christian Poulsen, Jay Spearing, Jonjo Shelvey, Milan Jovanovic and David Ngog could revert to the bench as the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres resume their places in the starting XI.
Dirk Kuyt may have recovered from an ankle injury in time to face Chelsea, while Ngog, who had to be substituted during the victory over Napoli, may have a sore shin after being the victim of an outrageous – and unpunished – over-the-ball tackle by the liability that was Salvatore Aronica.
Ryan Babel is doubtful with a rib injury; Daniel Agger (calf) and Fabio Aurelio (groin) are still recovering from their respective injury problems.
Possible starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Konchesky; Lucas, Meireles, Maxi Rodriguez, Gerrard, Kuyt, Torres.
Chelsea
Like Joe Cole, Yossi Benayoun will be denied the chance to face his former team-mates, the Israeli international being a long-term casualty with an Achilles injury.For the Blues’ 4-1 midweek Champions League win over Spartak Moscow, manager Carlo Ancelotti brought back Ramires after three games out with an ankle injury but took the opportunity to rest midfield dynamo Michael Essien, who was nursing a minor toe problem.
He also rested captain John Terry , while Salomon Kalou replaced the injured Florent Malouda. For the trip to Liverpool, Terry is back in the heart of defence, and Malouda is expected to have recovered from his ankle strain, but Essien may need longer.
Ramires is standing by to start, as Frank Lampard will probably still not be ready to make his comeback from a hernia operation.
Possible starting XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, A Cole; Ramires, Mikel, Zhirkov; Anelka, Drogba, Malouda.
Prediction
The Reds are enjoying something of a turnaround in fortunes and will be hugely encouraged by their Steven Gerrard-inspired comeback against Napoli that made it three wins on the trot. But opposition just doesn't come any tougher than Chelsea at the moment, and the Blues are in ominous form, either winning at a canter or winning when below their best. They will test the strength of Liverpool's recovery and, notwithstanding the Gerrard factor, could set it back a week as they strive to maintain their five-point lead at the top.
Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea 
07-11-2010 15:30 Hannover 96 - Borussia D.
Just months after narrowly avoiding relegation, Hannover have comfortably exceeded all expectations. With 16 points from their first 10 matches, the 96ers are nearly at half their entire 2009-10 season tally. Though a demotion to the 2. Bundesliga is improbable, last week’s 4-0 loss to Hoffenheim was discouraging at the very least, and revealed that Mirko Slomka’s men still have plenty to do if they are to finish the season in good standing.
“This season we are compact and hard to beat,” captain Steve Cherundolo assessed in a Friday press conference.
Ahead of the match, coach Mirko Slomka praised Dortmund, singling out several individuals including 18-year old phenomenon Mario Goetze.
“Mario is a highly talented player, but there are also Nuri Sahin, (Kevin) Grosskruetz, and Lucas Barrios too,” he said.
“However, we should focus on our strengths.”
Such strengths include, as Cherundolo expressed, tightness in defence, and clinical efficiency in scoring. Should they earn three points on Sunday, Hannover will be just one shy of halving the magical 40 points mark that would guarantee another season in the German top flight.
Dortmund Face Tough Away Match
Dortmund’s Europa League campaign all but ended following Thursday’s scoreless draw away to Paris St Germain. The Ruhr side played well, but struggled to create and take their chances, and now are three points behind their French rivals with two matches left to play.
Domestically, however, Dortmund have been outstanding. It had been more than eight years since they last sat atop the table, but BvB have returned to the league summit thanks to an energetic, technical, and full throttle attacking style of play.
Their poor performance in Europe has raised questions of whether Dortmund indeed have the mettle required to maintain their form throughout a long and grueling Bundesliga campaign. For now, BvB will have to put their best foot forward to silence the critics.
“Hannover are having a great season,” acknowledged Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp. “Mirko Slomka has changed the team and signed some great lads. It is a tough away game.”
Sunday’s clash is with an unexpectedly strong Hannover side, but is a must-win situation for a club vying for the title.
TEAM NEWS
Hannover
Hannover will have to manage without the suspended Manuel Schmiedebach, as well as long-term casualties Emanuel Pogatetz, Leon Andreasen, and Carlitos. Lars Stindl is expected to stand in as partner to Sergio Pinto in central midfield, with Mirko Slomka retaining the majority of his usual starting line-up.
Probable Starting XI: Fromlowitz – Cherundolo, Haggui, Schulz, Djakpa – Stoppelkamp, Stindl, Pinto, Rausch – Ya Konan, Abdellaoue
Borussia Dortmund
Assuming Lukasz Piszczek recovers from a minor thigh strain, Klopp is expected to use the same line-up that featured in the Europa League on Thursday. Should the Pole fail to reach full fitness, Jakub Blasczykowski is a potential replacement, with Kevin Grosskreutz moving to the right fullback position. Patrick Owomoyela, Sebastian Kehl, Tamas Hajnal, Mohamed Zidan, and Florian Kringe remain sidelined with injuries, but Dortmund will otherwise have a full squad available.
Probable Starting XI: Weidenfeller – Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer – Sahin, Bender – Goetze, Kagawa, Grosskreutz – Barrios
Prediction
Hannover have been strong at home, but Dortmund have been perfect on the road. With the highest points tally, and best goals scored and conceded records in the Bundesliga, the visitors have to be considered favourites.
Hannover 96 1-3 Borussia 
07-11-2010 15:00 Bari - Milan
Bari may be at the foot of the table in Serie A but by no means are they out. With eight points from nine matches, the Galletti are still very much win in with a chance of clawing their way out of the relegation zone as 17th placed Parma has as many points as them.
However, Bari cannot afford to relax thinking of the point difference as form-wise they couldn’t be doing any worse. Giampiero Ventura’s side have suffered defeats in each of their last four league fixtures and have won just twice in Serie A all season.
However, both those wins for Bari have come at home but they have scored just three times in the league all season at the Stadio San Nicola.
Overcoming Midweek Disappointment
Milan’s season has been inconsistent and they continued to maintain that in midweek when they drew 2-2 with Real Madrid in the Champions League. The draw has also placed the Rossoneri’s knockout stage qualification into some doubt as Ajax are just a point behind them and Auxerre just two.
Nevertheless, Massimiliano Allegre’s side will have the confidence to get past bottom-side Bari in Serie A at the weekend. Last weekend the Diavolo suffered a 2-1 defeat to Juventus in Milan and although they have to pull themselves out of the pit they have fallen, they should be able to defeat Bari given their superior squad.
Milan’s away form in the league this season has been mixed as they have won two out of four matches, having scored four goals and conceded four as well. But the Rossoneri’s last away game ended in a 2-1 win against Napoli in Naples.
TEAM NEWS
Bari
Romero, Raggi, Salvatore Masiello and Ghezzal are unavailable because of injuries.
Milan
Onyewu, Bonera and Oddo are out injured for the Rossoneri. Boateng is suspended Robinho is likely to start in the trequartista role with Pato and Ibrahimovic as the two main strikers.
Prediction
Bari will test Milan but Allegri’s men should come out on top in the end.
Bari 1-2 Milan 
07-11-2010 15:00 Lazio - Roma
Come what may, Lazio will remain in pole position in Serie A at the end of Week 10. Edy Reja’s side are currently four points ahead of second-placed Inter and will remain at the top of the table irrespective of their result against Roma.
However, the Rome derby is more than just about points and a win is certainly on Lazio’s agenda. The Aquile are having a brilliant season and they will be keen to augment it by defeating Roma in the first Derby della Capitale.
Furthermore, a win will also boost Lazio’s credentials as Scudetto challengers. Even after over two months of Serie A action, there are still questions of when and not if Lazio’s bubble will burst but a defeat of their arch rivals will certainly help change that perception. The former Italian champions are on a six-match winning run in all competitions.
Losing Is Not An Option
Losing a Rome derby is never an option, either for Roma or for Lazio, but given the current situation with the Lupi, they cannot afford to drop points against their arch rivals.
Claudio Ranieri’s side are currently ninth in Serie A with 12 points from nine matches and with their Scudetto hopes already having disappeared, they now have to start focusing on Champions League qualification and, therefore, cannot drop any points here.
On Wednesday evening the former Italian champions gained a valuable win in Europe as they defeated Basel 3-2 in Switzerland. It extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to three games; Roma are also unbeaten in their last three league fixtures.
Roma talisman Francesco Totti, who is suspended for the match, believes that Lazio will win the game but this shouldn’t make the Lupi players feel any less discouraged.
TEAM NEWS
Lazio
Meghni and Quadri are out injured for the Aquile. Biava is out suspended.
Roma
Taddei, Pizarro, Brighi and Okaka are unavailable for the derby because of injuries, while Nicolas Burdisso is a doubt. Totti is suspended.
Prediction
The formbook flies out of the window in a derby and indeed this match between Lazio and Roma could go either way. Expect a closely contested fixture that could be decided by a single goal. Lazio should just about find that winner.
Lazio 1-0 Roma 
07-11-2010 14:30 Arsenal - Newcastle United
Arsenal's chances of seriously challenging for honours this season will be tested by their ability to respond to defeats and the visit of Newcastle is the perfect opportunity, after the Gunners went down to an unexpected 2-1 defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek, thanks to a goal from former Emirates favourite Eduardo.
The only other blip of an otherwise superb start to the season saw Wenger's men get stunned at home to West Brom, losing 3-2, and then visit to Chelsea where they were taught a lesson. The Gunners have a chance to keep pace with The Blues at the top of the league with some winnable games against Wolves and Everton coming up, and a win over Newcastle would be the perfect catalyst.
Having recently beaten the Magpies 4-0 on Tyneside in a League Cup tie - when Wenger included some fringe players in his starting XI and Theo Walcott claimed a brace - the Gunners will be confident of claiming the three points on Sunday. Yet a clearly irritated Wenger felt his team became too comfortable after Walcott had given them the ideal start in Ukraine, so no doubt his players will resist any temptation to become casual or complacent this time.
London Calling
The Toon Army's last visit to London resulted in a win - although at far less salubrious surroundings as goals from Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll secured a 2-1 win at West Ham.
But their record at Arsenal is not great, the Toon Army have scored in only two of their last seven league visits to The Gunners. And they have already lost to Arsene Wenger's men this season - in some style - getting thrashed at home in that recent League Cup tie.
But the Magpies are on a decent run, three games unbeaten, scoring nine goals in their last three games, and are fresh off the back of a 5-1 win over arch-rivals Sunderland.
That derby-day victory will no doubt have infused the squad with confidence, and they should travel south relishing the chance to put a spoke in Arsenal's normally smooth-running wheels, with skipper Kevin Nolan looking to build on his three-goal performance against the Black Cats and bolstering manager Hughton's job security.
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal
Arsene Wenger welcomes back a quartet of stars for a much needed win after a shock Champions League defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. Cesc Fabregas (hamstring), Andrey Arshavin (virus), Alex Song (calf) and Denilson (groin) all stayed at home during the week but are available for the visit of Newcastle.Meanwhile, Manuel Almunia (elbow), Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles), Abou Diaby (ankle), Robin van Persie (ankle), Kieran Gibbs (knee) and Emmanuel Frimpong (knee) are all still out as Wenger has to juggle more injured stars.
Probable starting XI: Fabianski; Sagna, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy; Song, Fabregas, Denilson; Walcott, Chamakh, Nasri.
Newcastle
Sol Campbell won't get the chance to show Arsenal fans he still has juice left in the tank as a thigh muscle strain means he'll have to watch from the sidelines.Hatem Ben Arfa is still recovering from a broken leg sustained on the end of a Nigel de Jong challenge up at Manchester City a month ago, while Steven Taylor (shoulder), Steve Harper (collarbone) and Dan Gosling (knee) are also absentees for Chris Hughton.
Probable starting XI: Krul; Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Enrique; Tiote, Barton, Nolan, Gutierrez; Ameobi, Carroll.
Prediction
With Cesc Fabregas back and the Gunners desperate to bounce back from the embarrassing midweek defeat to Shakhtar, expect goals in this clash, probably at both ends, where a bullish Newcastle side will try to prove they can mix it with the big boys.
Arsenal 3-2 Newcastle 
07-11-2010 12:30 Fiorentina - Chievo Verona
At long last Fiorentina appear to have recovered some of their form but things are not yet secure. The Viola are still hovering near the relegation zone, as they have nine points from as many games – just one more than third-from-bottom Cesena.
Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side, though, are unbeaten in their last three matches in all competitions, although they should have done better than just draw 0-0 with Catania in the league away from home last season.
Nevertheless, taking on Chievo on their own ground at the weekend will make them feel confident. The Viola have won their last two matches at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, defeating Bari 2-1 in Serie A and then getting the better of Empoli in a Coppa Italia tie.
Donkeys Continue To Fly
Chievo are rapidly becoming this season’s surprise package in Serie A as their form refuse to take a dip towards the south. At the moment Ceo are seventh in the league standings with 14 points from nine matches, just one behind fourth-placed Juventus.
The Flying Donkeys are unbeaten in all competitions since their 3-1 defeat to Milan in mid-October. They bounced back from that defeat with a 2-1 win against Cesena in Verona, then got past the Sassuolo challenge in the Coppa Italia and drew 0-0 with Parma last weekend.
Nevertheless, Stefano Pioli is probably thinking of securing safety first, which means that Chievo will try to reach the 40-point mark. Which, in turn, means that they will have to carry on winning. Chievo have looked good away from home in the league so far, having won twice and scoring seven goals.
TEAM NEWS
Fiorentina
Jovetic, D'Agostino, Zanetti, Felipe, Vargas and Frey are injured for the Viola, who also have Natali suspendd.
Chievo
Luciano and Pellissier are unavailable for the trip to Florence because of injuries while Fernandes is suspended.
Prediction
Fiorentina appear to have recaptured their old form somewhat and will start the match as favourites. However, Chievo are a very expecting side and could just eke out a draw.
Fiorentina 1-1Chievo 
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