01-02-2011 20:45 Milan - Lazio

Back On Song

Milan's rather soft start to the new year now seems a memory of the past as the Rossoneri have won won four competitive games on the trot. The weekend's important and expectantly tough 2-0 win against Catania in Sicily followed victories over Sampdoria, Cesena and Bari.

The gap between Massimiliano Allegri's team and second-placed Napoli remains four points as the Naples-based side won at the weekend too but with 47 points from 22 matches the Diavolo will aim to stretch that advantage to seven points by defeating Lazio tonight. Napoli are in action on Wednesday and would feel the pressure more severely.

Milan have lost just twice at San Siro in Serie A all season and have a tremendous form at home. The former Italian and European champions are unbeaten in 2011 with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic having found the opposition's net in every game he has started this year.

However, coach Allegri warns his players not to assume Lazio as easy pushovers and said on Monday, "Lazio are doing great things. They have good players and we will have to be very careful because we are at a crucial stage in the season where we cannot give away points.

"Our aim is to finish the campaign with 80 points and in order to do that we have to win 11 more games."

Regaining Confidence

Lazio coach Edy Reja has surrendered himself and his team as far as winning the Scudetto is concerned. Despite the Aquile being seven point behind leaders Milan in third place in Serie A at the moment, Reja claims that their objective between now and the end of the campaign is to win a Europa League slot.

Indeed, given the former Italian champions' wretched run of results in the new year Reja would have had no other choice but to restrain his side's ambitions. Exit from the Coppa Italia and just one win in four league encounters threatened to derail Lazio's season but the weekend's 2-0 victory over Fiorentina in Rome that followed a 3-1 humiliation in Bologna appears to have restored confidence and conviction in the team.

Reja believes that his players will need to showcase that same hunger and spirit they showed against the Viola and said on Monday, "If we play with the fighting spirit and the will to win that we showed against Fiorentina, we can go to Milan and play our game.

"Milan are very strong in attack but if we again show that defensive focus which helped us win against Fiorentina, we can surprise our rivals. We cannot forget that with the top teams we have done well this season."

TEAM NEWS

Milan

Boateng, Zambrotta, Inzaghi, Amelia, Nesta, Gattuso, Seedorf, Strasser, Ambrosini and Abate are injured. Van Bommel is suspended.

Allegri will deploy a 4-3-1-2 formation that will have Ibrahimovic and Pato upfront with Robinho playing just behind them.

Lazio

Del Nero, Meghni, Garrido, Rocchi, Diakitè and Floccari are unavailable for the trip to Milan as they are injured. Zarate is suspended.

Edy reja is likely to opt for a 4-3-1-2 system that see Kozak and Sculli line up as the two forwards upfront with Hernanes behind them as the creative mind.

Prediction

Lazio won at the weekend and will be keen not to lose again. However, Milan are looking formidable at the moment and given their superior class and quality the Rossoneri should collect all three points with relative ease.

Milan 2-0 Lazio

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01.-02. 02. 2011. Coupe de France 1/16 Finals Preview

Angers – Strasbourg

At least one team from outside the top division will play in the quarter-finals as Ligue 2 outfit Angers meet Championnat National side Strasbourg.

Angers defeated Bordeaux 10 days ago to progress to this stage but have largely struggled in the league this term, now lying only three points above the drop zone.

As for Racing – a once great outfit – they’ve plummeted to the third tier of the French game but are aiming to re-establish their reputation. Defeated only three times in league action this season, Strasbourg have drawn too many matches and are therefore only on the fringes of the promotion race.

Lorient – Metz

Derby victory over Brest at the weekend was a real boost to Lorient, who will want to keep the good feeling around the Stade du Moustoir going by defeating Metz and progressing to the Coupe de France quarter-finals.

Boasting a complete panel of first team players, les Merlus have been very strong at home this season but had problems shrugging off SB29 before a brace of goals from Kevin Gameiro just before half-time unblocked what was starting to look like a potentially tricky situation.

Metz are another previously great club who have fallen on hard times, and are presently battling relegation in Ligue 2. Les Grenats have enjoyed some better form of late, and after beating Sedan in the previous round will be full of confidence, despite a weekend loss against Troyes.

Stade Rennais – Stade de Reims
 
Thumped 5-1 in Ligue 1 action by Sochaux at the weekend, Rennes want to bounce back swiftly against Reims on Tuesday night.

Les Rouge et Noir’s trip to Doubs proved to be a nightmare. Stephane Dalmat and Kader Mangane were both struck by injuries, while goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez was dismissed and midfielder Alexander Tettey forced in goal during the drubbing. Frederic Antonetti therefore has a depleted squad to take into the cup tie.

Reims boss Hubert Fournier has just as many complaints in his ranks, with as many as 10 professional players said to have been absent recently. These problems have eased a little, but the former European Cup runners-up approach this game potentially without their entire first choice midfield. Despite their recent issues, the historic club have been performing well but will likely find this tie a bridge too far.

Chambery – Sochaux
 
CFA2 side Chambery will attempt to keep their remarkable cup run going when they host Sochaux on Wednesday afternoon.

The fifth-tier club have already dispatched Ligue 1 sides Monaco and Brest in the cup, and they will attempt to complete a remarkable hat-trick against les Lionceaux.

For their part, Sochaux will be flying before this encounter. Francis Gillot watched his side put together their best performance of the campaign against Rennes at the weekend, running out 5-1 winners. With an exciting attacking panel, les Lionceaux have struggled to channel their attributes successfully away from home all season, but a spot in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France awaits if they are successful in midweek.

Martigues – Paris Saint-Germain
 
Little Martigues lie in wait for defending Coupe de France holders PSG, who will make the long trip south on Wednesday.

The CFA side got by Quevilly on penalties in the previous round and defeated Cheminots Paray previous to that, so they have earned their day in the sun, though les Parisiens are likely to prove much too powerful for them.

Antoine Kombouare’s side travel to Provence having further cemented second place in Ligue 1 with a 2-1 victory over Arles-Avignon at the weekend. After a terrific start to that match, les Parisiens really struggled and were forced to cling on for the win against Ligue 1’s bottom side. Much better is expected from les Rouge et Bleu against Martigues.

Nancy – Le Mans

Having struggled past lesser opposition in the form of Aurillac and Nimes on the road, Pablo Correa’s side will be pleased to have been drawn at home in the cup against Le Mans.

After a muddling start to 2011, Nancy came undone at the weekend against Montpellier, though they actually played some of their best football this year against la Paillade. Youssouf Hadji gave ASNL an early advantage, but this was quickly pegged back and ultimately overturned, despite the hosts creating a wealth of chances that were brilliantly repelled by visiting goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren.

Le Mans have had similar problems since the winter break and have not truly found their momentum as yet. Battling from promotion out of Ligue 2, Arnaud Cormier’s men rose to the occasion last weekend when they opened the MMArena with an easy 3-0 win over Ajaccio on Saturday afternoon. The Sarthe club will hope to repeat that level of performance against Nancy.

Dracy – Nice

Parisian amateurs Dracy host Nice on Wednesday evening in what is sure to be the biggest game of the club’s 110 year history.

Dracy actually have quite a strong Coupe de France pedigree, frequently reaching the 8th round in the middle of the 00s, but the last 32 was as far as they previously reached. A 1-0 victory in Boulogne has ensured that’s been bettered this year.

Nice have, of course, attained a good deal more than their rivals, having won the trophy three times, the latest of which was in 1957. Les Aiglons defeated Olympique Lyonnais with a powerful performance in the previous round and will be keen to put a 2-0 defeat in the league against Bordeaux out of their minds by claiming the win on Wednesday.

Lille – Nantes

Still top of Ligue 1, Lille will aim to continue their remarkable campaign by moving into the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France by eliminating Nantes.

Les Dogues overcame stuffy resistance from Lens in a 1-0 victory at the weekend, and after substitutes Tulio de Melo and Ludovic Obraniak helped turn the game in favour of the hosts, they are likely to be rewarded with the chance to start in midweek. LOSC have no injury or suspension worries.

Nantes, meanwhile, don’t have too many selection problems themselves, but their form in Ligue 2 has been a little unconvincing of late, with a heavy 3-0 loss against Evian at the weekend damaging their promotion hopes. Les Canaris have been hard to beat this term, and it may well be that extra-time and penalties is their greatest source of hope.

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