09-01-2011 Bets of the day

16:00 Chelsea - Ipswich Town

Chelsea go into the FA Cup on their worst run since the 1995-96 season and have won only a solitary league game from their last nine Premier League outings. Even that included an (allegedly) offside goal and a strong case for a penalty for the visitors. When teams are winning games they can't come fast enough but Ipswich represents a no win situation for Chelsea. Victory will be met with apathy and a draw, loss or even an unconvincing win will see the calls for Ancelotti's head grow louder.

 Ipswich will be free, and their newly managerless team may want to show the country what they are made off after Keane's departure. All in all this seems ripe for Ipswich to forget their league form and give a good account of themselves with little to lose.

Match Odds: Chelsea 1.25, Draw 5.50, Ipswich 12.0

Tips: Back Ipswich +1 (4.33) or back Ipswich +2 (2.20)

21:00 Levante - Valencia

Fourth place Valencia take on local rivals Levante who find themselves one place outside of the relegation zone. The Granotes always seem to find themselves on the scoresheet and have scored in every game this season bar two, which incredibly Valencia can also match.

Valencia are in decent form and those who fancy a punt might try backing Valencia to win 2-1 here. Valencia themselves have won by this scoreline five times already this season whilst Levante have lost six games this campaign by the same scoreline. This game is well set up for goals for both teams.

Match Odds: Levante 4.20, Draw 3.60, Valencia 1.83

Tip: Both teams to score @ 1.67

Additional tip: Valencia to win 2-1 @ 8.50

Read More

09-01-2011 20:45 Napoli - Juventus

Bouncing Back
Napoli have shown a tendency to struggle against Italy's bigger clubs as was exhibited by their comprehensive 3-1 defeat to Italian and European champions Inter on Thursday night. The Partenopei have also suffered defeats to Milan and Lazio in the league and Liverpool in the Europa League and things need to be reshaped.

On Sunday night Walter Mazzarri's side entertain yet another big gun of Italian football as Juventus come to Naples. Napoli are very strong at the Stadio San Paolo as they have collected five wins out of a possible eight in the league and have emerged victorious in their last five competitive games in front of their own supporters.

With 33 points from 18 matches, Napoli are stationed third in the league standings, six points behind leaders Milan. A Scudetto triumph has never really been the Azzurri's main objective of the season but with Roma, Palermo and Inter all winning their respective opening matches of the new year, the Naples-based club will have to resume their winning run or their place in the top four would come under threat.

Recovering From Humiliation

A season-ending injury, a red card and four goals - Juventus' boastful record of 18 competitive games unbeaten and 13 league matches without a defeat since September were shattered into a million shards on Thursday as Parma destroyed them 4-1 in Turin. It was a defeat marred by a long-term knee injury to striker Fabio Quagliarella and the dismissal of Felipe Melo, who has since been suspended for three matches.

Because of the disastrous result in their opening league fixture of the new year, Luigi Del Neri's side ceded the fourth spot in Serie A to Roma and slipped to fifth with 31 points from 18 matches. With the gap between themselves and Milan increasing to eight points, the Scudetto dreams seem to be the on verge of evaporating into thin air.

A victory in Naples on Sunday night, though, could alter that. Juve's away form is encouraging as the Bianconeri have won four and drawn four of their nine league encounters away from Turin and are defensively the best away team in the division, having conceded just five goals.



TEAM NEWS

Napoli

There are no injury or suspension worries for the home side. Mazzarri will once again deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation that will have Cavani as the lone striker upfront with Hamsik and Lavezzi as the two creative minds behind him.

Juventus

Rinaudo, Martinez, De Ceglie, Iaquinta and Quagliarella are out injured for the Bianconeri. Felipe Melo is suspended. 

Prediction

This will be a very competitive and entertaining game of football as both sides need a victory. It is a difficult call to make but the match should eventually end in a draw.

Napoli 2-2 Juventus

Read More

09-01-2011 17:00 Leicester City - Manchester City

Hoping To Come Out On Top
Leicester will be hoping that they can pull off a shock when they face Manchester City at the Walkers Stadium on Sunday afternoon. City manager Roberto Mancini played five games for the Foxes at the end of his career in 2001, whilst their striker Darius Vassell had a short spell at City.

Foxes fans will be hoping that Vassell is on the score-sheet on Sunday - the former England international has scored 59 league goals during his career in England and Turkey and remarkably has never been on the losing side when he’s found the net.
Leicester have gone 24 games since their last 0-0 draw and won eight of the 17 games Eriksson has presided over. The former England manager is yet to lose a home game and will be hoping that run continues for Sunday's game.

Eriksson has never managed a team against his former side City and his last competitive match in charge at Eastlands was an 8-1 loss to Middlesbrough.

Hoping To Maintain Good Record
Manchester City will travel to Leicester in a confident mood as they are unbeaten in their last six visits at the Foxes' home - their last loss coming back in 1988.

Sunday's clash will be the 14th FA Cup meeting between the two sides - City have only faced Tottenham that many times in this competition. Roberto Mancini's men have also won the last five meetings of the two teams in the cup.

City fans will be buoyed by news that their side are unbeaten at the Walkers Stadium, recording a win and a draw in their only two fixtures at the relatively new ground.

History is on the away team's side, with City recording a 1-0 win when the two teams met in the 1969 FA Cup Final.

TEAM NEWSLeicester City

Leicester City have been handed good news after the club revealed on Friday that Tottenham loanee Kyle Naughton will be available for Sunday's clash with Manchester City.

The young defender was due to return to his parent club but the Foxes have extended his loan until the end of the season - meaning he can feature in the FA Cup this weekend.

Leicester will be without striker Roman Bednar and defender Curtis Davies who have returned to West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa, respectively, after their loan deals expired.

Possible Starting XI: Weale; Naughton, Hobbs, Morrison, Berner; Abe, Wellens, King; Dyer, Vassell, Gallagher.
Manchester City

Manchester City could welcome back Mario Balotelli for the FA Cup clash with Leicester after the Italian striker missed the 0-0 draw against Arsenal with a knee injury.

While Balotelli may return, midfielder David Silva will not feature, with Roberto Mancini hopeful that the Spaniard's knee injury will have healed in time for their next league fixture against Wolves.

City received some good news on Friday when the FA overturned the red card received by Pablo Zabaleta at the Emirates Stadium in midweek - meaning the Argentinian is eligible to face the Foxes on Sunday.

Possible Starting XI: Hart; Richards, Lescott, Kompany, Zabaleta; A. Johnson, Barry, De Jong, Y. Toure, Milner; Tevez.

Prediction

Leicester are strong at the Walkers Stadium and I expect their fans to get behind them and create an intimidating atmosphere for the highly-paid Manchester City stars on Sunday.

While Leicester will certainly take the fight to Mancini's men, assistant boss Brian Kidd has revealed that City will not make the same mistake as in the past and will field a strong eleven for the tie.

Players like Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez and Adam Johnson should have too much class for Leicester - but I expect the Championship side to put up a good fight.

Leicester 1-2 Man City

Read More

09-01-2011 16:00 Chelsea - Ipswich Town

Same Cup, Different Campaigns

Last season will be rightly remembered as one of Chelsea's finest, when a maiden league title under Carlo Ancelotti was quickly followed by an FA Cup triumph over Portsmouth in the Wembley.

After victories over Stoke City in the quarter-final and Aston Villa in the semi-final, a goal from Didier Drogba after Kevin Prince Boateng missed a penalty was enough to seal victory for the Blues and secure a historic league and couple Double for Ancelotti.

For Ipswich on the other hand, the story was much different as their last cup campaign ended in the fourth round after Roy Keane's side were knocked out 2-1 by League One outfit Southampton.

Previous Meetings

The clubs last met in the FA Cup in January 2009, this time in the fourth round where a brace of goals from Michael Ballack and one from Frank Lampard were enough to secure victory for Chelsea over the Tractor Boys.

The Blues are on a nine-match unbeaten run against Ipswich, who last beat them in any competition in 1993, and at Stamford Bridge back 31 years ago. The home side also boast a 100% winning streak in the FA Cup against the Championship outfit, with wins in 1968, 1979 and 2009 -  all their victories coming at home.

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea

With manager Carlo Ancelotti under increasing pressure to turn things around for the champions after a poor run of results has sent his team tumbling out of the Champions League places, the Italian has other possible headaches leading into this cup tie.

The home team face an anxious wait over the fitness of key players Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien, who will all take late fitness tests after Cole and Essien picked up knocks in the defeat at Wolves and Drogba injured himself in training.

The FA Cup holders, playing their first game in defence of the trophy, are also without long-term absentees John Mikel Obi, Yuri Zhirkov and Yossi Benayoun, and are likely to field a mixture of first-team players and youngsters against the Championship outfit. That means Ancelotti may include young striker Daniel Sturridge, who scored five goals in a recent reserve team outing.

Possible Starting XI: Turnbull, Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry, Bruma, McEachran, Lampard, Ramires, Sturridge, Anelka, Kalou.

Ipswich

The Tractor Boys go into this game managed by caretaker manager Ian McParland after the sacking of Roy Keane following a run of form which has seen Ipswich pick up just one win in nine games and tumble to 19th place, on the fringe of the Championship relegation zone.

McParland will also be without three key players for his first game in charge. Midfielder Jack Colback has been recalled by parent club Sunderland following his loan spell, striker Rory Fallon is cup-tied after playing for Plymouth in the cup earlier in the season, and midfielder Grant Leadbitter is suspended following his sending off against Nottingham Forest.

Despite receiving clearance to play in the Cup from his parent club, Tottenham midfielder Jake Livermore also misses out due to a groin injury, though McParland admitted on-loan defender Darren O'Dea is "90% certain" to receive permission to play from parent club Celtic.

Possible Starting XI: Fulop, Delaney, McAuley, Brown, O'Dea, Norris, Edwards, Kennedy, Peters, Wickham, Scotland.

Prediction

Given the perversity of the footballing fates, especially when a team have just sacked their manager and their opponents' boss is seemingly clinging on to his job by a thread, Stamford Bridge might just be the scene of a huge FA Cup upset on Sunday.

Yet even in their current form, with the Double champions unrecognisable from the side that started the season with such swagger, the head says Chelsea cannot stumble at home to struggling Ipswich.  It's true that the Tractor Boys, massive underdogs, have nothing to lose and everything to gain as they seek temporary rspite from their Championship travails.

But equally, beleaguered Chelsea will see this fixture as the perfect opportunity to regain their composure, re-establish their authority and rekindle their season. Ipswich, suddenly uninhibited and with points to prove to their caretaker boss, may pose the Blues problems, but expect quality to reassert itself and Chelsea to progress.

Chelsea 2-0 Ipswich

Read More

09-01-2011 15:00 Catania - Inter

Killing The Italian Giant

Any other side would play for a draw when Italy's arguably strongest side Inter come to town but not Catania. The Sicilians are one of the meanest sides at home in the Italian first division and will head into their encounter against the Milanese club on a high.

Catania have lost just one game at the Stadio Angelo Massimino all season but a disastrous away record has placed them just six points above the relegation zone in 13th. The Sicilians are one of three sides in the table on 21 points and will attempt to pull ahead.

The Etnei, though, have started the new year on the back foot as they stuttered to a 4-2 defeat to Roma in Rome on Thursday.With the likes of Bari and Cesena suddenly picking up wins, Catania will be aiming to do the same against Inter on Sunday.

Behind Enemy Lines & Befriending The Enemies

To call Inter's 3-1 hammering of Napoli in Serie A on Thursday night a fairytale debut for coach Leonardo would be an understatement. A Milan man through and through, the 41-year-old has just one year of top-flight coaching experience and that was just last season, but things couldn't have started better for him.

Constructed on a 4-3-1-2 system, Thursday's victory saw Inter leap up to 26 points from 16 matches and stay seventh in the Serie A standings, still 13 points behind leaders and arch-rivals Milan, but the triumph was significant on a psychological level. The Nerazzurri players have embraced Leonardo as their coach as was evident in the way that they celebrated their goals with him and the fans too seem to have taken to the Brazilian.

Leonardo's predecessor, Rafael Benitez, failed to gain the support or respect of the players and lost the battle before he had even taken to the battlefield; Leonardo, on the other hand, has his players firmly behind him already, and not with daggers.

However, Inter should do well not to get carried away with the victory over a Napoli side who tend to struggle against the bigger teams as the Italian and European champions head to Sicily to confront Catania. Last season under Jose Mourinho the Beneamata suffered a humiliating 3-1 defeat in the corresponding fixture and given the Rossazzurri's strong record at home, Leonardo must be careful about his tactics and gameplan.



TEAM NEWS

Catania

Izco, Biagianti, Morimoto and Potenza are out injured for the Sicilians. Antenucci and Maxi Lopez will be the two strikers in a 4-4-2 system.

Inter

Sneijder, Coutinho, Samuel and Julio Cesar are still injured and will not make the trip to Sicily. Eto'o is back from suspension and will start alongside Milito in attack in a 4-3-1-2 formation.

Prediction

Catania have a formidable record at home and will aspire a victory over Inter. However, it is not going to be that simple and one suspects that the two sides will share the spoils.

Catania 1-1 Inter Milan

Read More

09-01-2011 15:00 Chievo Verona - Palermo

Floating Around Aimlessly

At first glance it would seem that Chievo are comfortably stationed in a mid-table slot and have virtually nothing to play for for the rest of the season. With 21 points from 18 matches, the Flying Donkeys from Verona are 12th in the standings.

Nevertheless, with just six points separating them from third-from-bottom Brescia, Stefano Pioli's side cannot rest at ease especially as their form is dangerously bordering on the worrisome.

Chievo have failed to register a single win in their last five league encounters and have lost three of those matches. With their last win coming way back in late November, the Veronese club are in desperate need of maximum points.

On Thursday Chievo went down 2-0 to Udinese in Udine in their first match of the new year despite playing most of the game with a one-man numerical advantage. A win against Palermo on Sunday isn't likely to come with ease but a victory is what Chievo need to repair themselves.

Back In Full Throttle

Palermo had ended 2010 on a note of disappointment as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bari and were also knocked out of the Europa League. However, the Sicilians are back with a bang as they suffocated Sampdoria 3-0 on Thursday to commence the new year on a high.

Before the match Samp commenced as the best defensive side in the division but their record was demolished, as Palermo climbed up to sixth in the league standings. At the moment Delio Rossi's side have 30 points from 18 points and are now just two points off a Champions League spot.

Palermo have a decent away form too as the Rosanero have collected three wins out of a possible eight in the league on the road. However, the Aquile have not won their last two away fixtures in Serie A and just one of their last five.



TEAM NEWS

Chievo

Luciano is injured for the Flying Donkeys, who will line up in a 4-3-1-2 formation that will have Constant deployed as the playmaker behind Moscardelli and Pellissier.

Palermo

Hernandez and Pinilla remain injured and Carrozzieri is suspended. Delio Rossi will field a 4-3-2-1 system that will have Ilicic and Palermo as the two creative minds behind Miccoli. 

Prediction

Palermo are on fire at the moment and will start the match against Chievo as favourites. However, Ceo are not easily conquered at home and it is likely that they will give it a fight.

Chievo 2-3 Palermo

Read More

09-01-2011 15:00 Lazio - Lecce

Picking Up Pace

Lazio have persistently maintained that their objective is not to have a go at the Scudetto but to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League. Yet the Aquile would be kicking themselves for a disappointing and lacklustre start to the 2010-11 campaign as they were held to a goalless draw in Genoa on Thursday.

With 34 points from 18 league matches, Lazio are five points behind leaders Milan in second and still have a good chance of overhauling that deficit and conquering Italy for the first time since 2000.

However, for them to realise those lofty dreams the Biancocelesti would have to make sure that they do not drop points at home and will need to register a victory against Lecce on Sunday.

Edy Reja's side will be encouraged to muster maximum points in Week 19 given their brilliant home form. Lazio have picked up 20 points out of a possible 27 at the Stadio Olimpico and have won three of their last four league encounters.

Suffocating In The Top Flight

Lecce were engaged in a relegation six-pointer against Bari at home on Thursday and failed to get anything. Their 1-0 loss was also Bari's first victory on the road in the league this campaign while it forced the Giallorossi to commence the new year on a disappointing note.

Having managed just 15 points from 18 matches, Lecce are second from bottom in the league standings and are three points from safety. Their home loss to Bari was their second successive in the league as before the Christmas period Luigi De Canio's side had gone down to Napoli in Naples.

Lecce have the worst away form in Serie A as they have collected just a single point in nine attempts on the road. The Lupi have lost all of their last six away games in the league and are defensively the weakest side in the division, having shipped in no fewer than 35 goals.



TEAM NEWS

Lazio

Meghni, Garrido and Matuzalem are injured and will miss the visit of Lecce. Dias is suspended. Edy Reja will deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation that will have Floccari as the lone striker upfront with Zarate, Hernanes and Mauri as the three creative midfielders behind him.

Lecce

Giuliatto, Di Michele, Ferrario and Olivera are injured and miss the trip to Rome. Giacomazzi is suspended. Ofere will be the targetman in a 4-3-2-1 system that will have Jeda and Piatti as the two creative midfielders.

Prediction

Lazio have a strong record at home and they are likely to garner maximum points against Lecce on Sunday.

Lazio 2-0 Lecce

Read More

09-01-2011 15:00 Milan - Udinese

Winter Champions March On

Against Cagliari in Sardinia on Thursday, Milan appeared to struggle in the attacking department. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended and out of action, the Rossoneri were missing the spark and were also allowing the hosts to take the game to them.

The introduction of their final trump card Antonio Cassano in the 74th minute, though, changed the contour of the match as the Italy international crafted Rodney Strasser’s winning goal five minutes from full-time.

The narrow 1-0 victory actually stretched Milan's lead at the top of the table in Serie A to five points after both Lazio and Napoli failed to gather maximum points and confirmed their status as winter champions. With 39 points from 18 matches, the former Italian and European champions are marching on towards their first Scudetto triumph since 2004.

However, against Udinese on Sunday the Diavolo should expect themselves to come up against a strong side who could make them sweat yet again. Massimiliano Allegri's team, though, do have a formidable record at San Siro this season, having won six out of nine league fixtures, scoring 17 goals in the process. They have also won seven of their last nine Serie A encounters and have lost just one of them.

The Fairytale Ride Continues

Udinese continue to go from strength to strength in Serie A and feed their dream to qualify for Europe next season. The Bianconeri's 2-0 victory over Chievo in Udine on Thursday came despite them having been reduced to ten men after 34 minutes because of the sending off of Giampiero Pinzi and attested their mettle and turnaround in attitude.

Francesco Guidolin's side are currently eighth in the league standings with 26 points from 18 matches and are just four points off a Europa League spot. A place in Europe is still improbable given the quality of the teams above them in the table but stranger things have happened in football and the Zebrette would be eager to script their own little fairytale.

However, Udinese need to improve their away form as they have lost six of their nine matches on the road. As a matter of fact, the Udine-based team's recent record on the road is terribly wretched as they have gone down in their last four league encounters away from home.



TEAM NEWS

Milan

Inzaghi, Abbiati, Pirlo, Boateng and Zambrotta are injured for the Rossoneri while Ambrosini is suspended. Ibrahimovic is back from suspension and will line up alongside Robinho and Pato in a three-pronged attack. Nesta is also back and will start in central defence but Cassano could remain on the bench.

Udinese

Basta and Ferronetti are unavailable for the match against Milan and Pinzi is suspended. Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez will start upfront in a 3-5-2 formation.

Prediction

Milan will start the match as favourites and even though Udinese are on a high, their modest away form will be detrimental to their cause of getting points off the Rossoneri at San Siro.

Milan 2-0 Udinese

Read More

09-01-2011 14:30 Tottenham Hot. - Charlton Athletic

It Must Be Tottenham's Year
 
Spurs will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways against League One outfit Charlton in the third round of the FA Cup following their 2-1 Premier League defeat against Everton on Wednesday night.

And with the positive feeling around White Hart Lane at the moment, Spurs will be looking to get to the latter rounds of a competition in which they enjoy an impressive record.

Spurs have won the FA Cup eight times, including five times when the year ends in one.

They lifted the trophy in 1901, 1921, 1961, 1981 and 1991.
Few would bet against Harry Redknapp's men going all the way this year. But first up they face Charlton, who are having their own problems at the moment.

The Addicks go into Sunday's match without a manager and Keith Peacock in temporary charge after Phil Parkinson was sacked following the 4-2 defeat at home to Swindon.

Charlton are without a win in five matches, having drawn three and lost two; but they have nothing to lose against a side currently ranked fourth in the Premier League.

Their poor run has seen them slip from second to fifth in League One, nine points behind the leaders Brighton.

But the FA Cup could provide some much-needed respite for Charlton.

The Beckham Effect

Tottenham's well documented chase to snare David Beckham on loan could reach a conclusion this weekend as Harry Redknapp hopes to sign the former England captain in the next few days.

It is reported that the deal to bring the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan start to White Hart Lane could be concluded over the next 48 hours.

While the two-month loan deal for the LA Galaxy player may not be completed in time for the midfielder to make the squad for the FA Cup clash, it has been reported that Beckham may sit in the stands to watch his potential new side.

England's most capped player could be in line to make his Premier League return and Spurs debut against boyhood club Manchester United next weekend

This will provide a huge boost to everyone at Spurs as Redknapp looks to boost his squad for the season's run-in.

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham
 
Jermain Defoe could return to the starting line-up for Tottenham after serving a three match ban.

But manager Harry Redknapp is still without the services of defender Younes Kaboul who is serving the last match of his three-match ban following his sending-off in the 1-0 win against Newcastle.

It is likely Redknapp will look to rotate his squad against League One opposition, with some testing fixtures coming up in the Premier League and Champions League.

William Gallas (hamstring) and Alan Hutton (foot) are doubts but may not be risked as the big games come thick and fast.

Tottenham are still without the sidelined Ledley King (groin), Jonathan Woodgate (groin), Carlo Cudicini (shoulder), Tom Huddlestone (ankle) and Jamie O'Hara (back).
Probable line-up: Gomes; Assou-Ekotto, Bassong, Dawson, Corluka; Bale, Jenas, Palacios, Kranjcar; Pavlyuchenko, Defoe.

Charlton
Gary Doherty could be in-line for a recall to the starting line-up against his former club. Caretaker boss Keith Peacock could partner Doherty in the heart of the Addicks' defence with Christian Dailly.

Winger Matt Fry is now available for the tie after his loan stay from West Ham was extended until February 5.

On-loan forward Martin Lee is not available for selection after his parent club Ipswich denied him the opportunity to take part.

Paul Benson continues to serve a three-match ban after recieving a red card in his side's 3-3 draw against Colchester; Charlton's appeal against the decision was rejected.

Chris Solly (ankle) and Kelly Youga (knee) are still sidelined.

Possible line-up: Elliot; Francis, Doherty, Dailly, Semeda; Fry, Jackson, Racon, Reid, Wagstaff; Abott.

Prediction

Stranger things have happened but Tottenham should have enough fire-power to get past the League One side. The north London club have a strong squad, so despite Redknapp looking to rotate, his layers will have too much for Keith Peacock's side.

Tottenham 3-1 Charlton

Read More

09-01-2011 14:30 Manchester Utd. - Liverpool

Hosts Aiming To Pour More Misery On Hodgson

The FA Cup may not be anywhere near the top of Manchester United’s priority list this season, but the fact that they been paired with bitter rivals Liverpool in the third round - added to last season’s early exit from the competition - means this is a match they will be taking very seriously indeed.

Sir Alex Ferguson will surely also be licking his lips at the chance to dump yet more misery on his arch-rivals, particularly in a season where his team are currently on target to surpass Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles.

The Scot will also be aware that with time rapidly running out for Roy Hodgson, a victory for his side could quite possibly hammer the final nail in the Liverpool manager’s proverbial coffin.

Reds Hoping For Some FA Cup Magic

They say that form goes out of the window in the FA Cup, and in derby games too for that matter, and Liverpool will travel to Old Trafford praying that really is the case. The Reds are under fire after a dismal season, and recent defeats to Blackburn Rovers, Wolves and Newcastle United have left manager Hodgson teetering on the brink.

Yet the Merseysiders should need little motivation for this game, and a quick glance at the history books will give them hope. The last time the two sides met in the competition, in 2006, the Reds beat United in the fifth round courtesy of Peter Crouch’s first-half goal.

History also dictates that in every FA Cup tie between these two sides since 1985, the winners of the tie have gone on to lift the trophy. Motivation, indeed, if any were needed.

TEAM NEWS
Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted that he will select a strong side for the visit of struggling Liverpool after claiming to have erred last season in “picking the wrong team” after the Red Devils were knocked out in the third round by Leeds United.

Two men who definitely miss out are John O’Shea and Paul Scholes, while Wayne Rooney and Edwin van der Sar remain doubts. Javier Hernandez, meanwhile, may have forced his way into the starting XI with two goals in his last two games.

Possible starting XI: Kuszczak; Rafael, Smalling, Vidic, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson; Berbatov, Hernandez.

Liverpool

There has been little good news for Roy Hodgson in recent weeks but he does have something to smile about at last as, aside from Jamie Carragher, he has virtually a full squad to pick from.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos is expected to miss out in favour of Daniel Agger in defence whilst Dirk Kuyt and Raul Meireles should also return, which means Hodgson has something of a selection headache in midfield.

Possible starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Konchesky; Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Gerrard, Cole; Torres.

Prediction

Current form suggests this is a no-brainer; Liverpool have just won once away from home all season while United are unbeaten at Old Trafford.

However, the FA Cup doesn’t always work like that, particularly when you throw in the added spice that this fixture always produces and the fact that Roy Hodgson has now departed and new manager Kenny Dalglish arrived.

Yet Liverpool have provided little evidence in recent weeks that they are capable of the “remarkable coup” Hodgson claimed victory would be, and anything other than a home will be seen as a major shock.

Man Utd. 3-1 Liverpool

Read More

09-01-2011 12:30 Sampdoria - Roma

Slipping Down The Ladder

Sampdoria may cling on to the comfort of a game in hand but the Genoa-based side cannot eclipse their stuttering form and their slide into mid-table mediocrity. Thursday's comprehensive 3-0 defeat to Palermo in Sicily was Domenico Di Carlo's side third successive defeat in a row in all competitions and pushed them down to ninth in the league standings in Serie A.

With 23 points from 17 matches, Samp are seven points off a Europa League slot and a further two behind fourth-placed Roma, who also happen to occupy the final Champions League slot allotted to Italy. It's gradually becoming dire for Samp, who are struggling for creativity and spark in the attacking department.

But hope springs eternal. Along with Parma Samp are defensively the best home side in the division as they have conceded just four goals. The Blucerchiati are also unbeaten in their last six league fixtures in Genoa and will be confident of winning against Roma on Sunday in the lunch-time kick-off.

Rising Up The Ladder
Roma commenced the new year on a high as the Giallorossi defeated Catania 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Thursday. It was a thoroughly entertaining game of football in which Marco Borriello and Mirko Vucinic both scored a brace.

The win was Roma's third in a row in Serie A and propelled them up to fourth in the league standings on 32 points from 18 matches. Claudio Ranieri's side remain seven points behind league leaders Milan and hopes of their first championship success since 2001 have not yet vanished.

However, winning on the road has been Roma's problem as so far in nine matches, the Lupi have won just two. Encouragingly for the former Italian champions, their last league encounter on the road was against Milan at San Siro, which was their final game before Christmas; it ended in a 1-0 victory for the Romans.



TEAM NEWS

Sampdoria

Semioli and Cacciatore are out injured for Samp. Marilungo and Pazzini will be the two strikers upfront.

Roma

Lobont and Pizarro are injured for the Lupi, who will commence in a 4-3-1-2 formation that will have Borriello and Totti as the two strikers. 

Prediction

Sampdoria have proven themselves to be tough opponents at home and could snatch a draw against an in-form Roma side.

Sampdoria 0-0 Roma

Read More