13-02-2011 21:00 Espanyol - Real

Odds Stacked Against

After a highly promising start to the season, Espanyol’s good work in the first half of the campaign appears to be coming apart at the seams. Los Periquitos have the unenviable task of trying to get back to winning ways at home against Real Madrid on Sunday night.

Financial pressures have forced to Barcelona-based club to sell defenders Victor Ruiz and Didac, while an injury to key striker Pablo Osvaldo has left them a little impotent in attack. Results have accordingly slumped, with last weekend’s defeat away from struggling Almeria highlighting the difficulties that the Catalans face in the coming weeks.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino noted that the Andalucians’ sharper finishing last weekend was the difference between the sides, but back at the Cornella-El Prat, where he has witnessed his side win eight of 10 Liga matches, he has a rather different worry, calling for a strong refereeing display from Mateu Lahoz.

“If we look at it in terms of budget, then there is no comparison between us and Real Madrid, but in football anything is possible, and sometimes work and effort outweigh millions,” he said optimistically earlier this week.

Hard graft has certainly got Espanyol far this season, but having lost some of their better players in recent weeks, it’s unlikely to be enough to worry their weekend guests.

No Margin For Error

Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, meanwhile, continue to go along strongly, but such is the form of Barcelona, even the slightest slip from los Blancos is being punished harshly. Away from home, the capital side have struggled lately, and as a result, they cannot count on recording three points on Sunday.

A draw against Almeria in the second week of 2011 was a significant set-back as it pushed Madrid four points behind their great rivals, but defeat against Osasuna only a fortnight ago bordered on a catastrophe. Raul Albiol has already underlined his belief that no further errors can be made if Barca’s large looking advantage is to be overhauled.

“We have no margin for error, because if we lose it means we can virtually say goodbye to the league,” he explained to the press. “Espanyol are a difficult team because they have a good record at home. Everyone knows that they will really want to win, and we cannot fail. We are seven points behind Barcelona, so we better win.”

At the Bernabeu, los Merengues continue to win. Last weekend Mourinho’s men romped to a 4-1 success over a dangerous Real Sociedad side, with Cristiano Ronaldo the star of the show after recording two first half goals. Kaka and Emmanuel Adebayor also got in on the act, and with these recent additions to the squad, albeit the former only coming back from a long-term injury, Madrid should feel that they have as formidable a panel as at any stage this term.

TEAM NEWS

Espanyol

A late call will have to be made on David Garcia, who’s likely to sit out due to a fractured nose. Verdu and Sergio Garcia will both have to overcome gastroenteritis to play but Carlos Kameni has overcome a muscular complaint and will feature in goal.

Pablo Osvaldo, Ivan de la Pena and Felipe Mattioni are all still out.

Real Madrid

All 13 players who competed on international duty have returned to the camp and trained successfully. Jerzy Dudek and Gonzalo Higuain are still out. Sergio Ramos returns after suspension and Pepe should be fully integrated after returning to training last week.

Prediction

Around a month ago, Real Madrid might have found this a very difficult trip, and though it is still a tester, Espanyol are a team on the wane and will probably be overcome.

Espanyol 1-3 Real Madrid

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13-02-2011 20:45 Juventus - Inter

Old Lady Back On Her Feet

Juventus have been nothing short of a disaster since the start of the new year as their supposed Scudetto challenge has withered into ashes and hopes of a Champions League place are dwindling too.

However, the Bianconeri always tend to raise their game against their eternal rivals Inter and having returned to winning ways last weekend by defeating Cagliari 3-1 in Sardinia, Luigi Del Neri's side will hope to destroy the Nerazzurri in Turin on Sunday evening.

With 38 points from 24 matches, Juventus find themselves outside the top six in the table and four points behind fourth-placed Lazio. A win on Sunday will not only inject a healthy dose of confidence in the Old Lady, but it will also keep them in the race for a top-four finish and cause a dent in Inter's championship aspirations.

Defender Giorgio Chiellini underlines the importance of the three points and explains: "We have to continue the improvement we showed at Cagliari against a very confident Inter side.

"Winning would give us a huge confidence boost, especially because we would be taking points from a direct rival. It is a massively important game for us, both for our place in the standings and for our fans."

Catch Us If You Can

Former Juventus transfer chief Luciano Moggi, though, reckons that Inter have more than enough quality and strength in their squad to get the better of Juventus. With the Nerazzurri having been resuscitated by Leonardo since his advent as the Inter coach on Christmas Eve, there is little chance of a Juve win in Turin, he claims.

"My heart is beating for Juventus, but my technical judgement favours Inter," Moggi wrote in his Tuttomercatoweb.com column. "The Nerazzurri are more of a team and are stronger, they also have extraordinary players.

"Wesley Sneijder's return has restored the play in Leonardo's squad. They are more fluid and offer spectacular football as a result."

Inter are currently on a four-game winning streak and defeated Roma 5-3 last weekend to close the gap on leaders Milan to just five points with a game in hand. The defending Italian and European champions have lost just once under Leonardo - that's one defeat and nine wins in 10 competitive fixtures.

Winning in Turin, though, won't be easy for Inter, who have lost four games on the road in the league this campaign. But with the team in perfect spirits and key midfielder Wesley Sneijder having returned from injury with a bang, the Milanese side will commence the encounter the favourites of the two teams.

TEAM NEWS

Juventus

Rinaudo, De Ceglie, Quagliarella, Traore and Iaquinta are injured and will sit out the visit of Inter.

Inter

Stankovic, Mariga, Lucio, Samuel and Milito are unavailable because of injuries and will not travel to Turin. Chivu remains suspended.

Prediction

Form-wise Inter are the favourites but this kind of fixture doesn't follow the form-book. The team that turns on the style on the day will be the one to collect the victory. Given that they are at home, Juve should bag the points but Inter are on a winning streak and they should be able to muster at least a point.

Juventus 2-2 Inter Milan

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13-02-2011 17:00 Bolton Wanderers - Everton

Wanderers Wobbling, Toffees Tentative On Their Travels

Bolton are currently sitting in eighth position in the Premier League but they have struggled in 2011 and have only recorded one victory. That win was in their last home game against Wolves when Daniel Sturridge struck in the last minute of the match after a Ronald Zubar error.

Bolton have also begun to struggle in front of goal: in 2011 they have scored just four goals in their six league games and Sturridge has scored two of those in the last two games since his loan move from Chelsea.

The Trotters will be buoyed by their home record so far this season, they have only lost two games at home and have won six. They are also a bit more prolific at the Reebok Stadium, scoring 23 goals and only conceding 17. Everton’s poor away form will also give Bolton confidence; the Toffees have only won twice on their travels this season.

David Moyes’ men currently sit in 13th place in the table but they are only three points behind Bolton, they recorded a morale-boosting 5-3 victory over Blackpool last weekend and will be hoping to carry that forward into this game as they are not too prolific on the road. They have scored 14 and conceded 16 goals in 13 games, a statistic which emphasises the fact that they have drawn seven games and lost four away from Goodison Park.

Blues In Control

Everton are, however, the dominant side in this fixture. They have won just under half of all meetings between the sides (73 out of 148) while Bolton have only managed 38 victories and there have been 37 draws.

Wanderers have only won one of the last nine meetings between the sides, a 3-2 victory at the Reebok Stadium in October 2009. In contrast Everton have won six of the last nine meetings, scoring 15 goals in the process.

When the two sides last met in November, Bolton were on the verge of their first win at Goodison Park since 2005 after Ivan Klasnic had given them the lead 11 minutes from time; but Jermaine Beckford’s first league goal for Everton in the last minute of the game saw the Toffees grab a point.

Don’t stop believing

No matter what the score late in the game neither side will be giving up as they know late goals are almost guaranteed in this game. Amazingly there have been five goals in the last five minutes of the last five meetings between the two sides.

It all started in October 2008 as Marouane Fellaini struck with seconds to go to earn David Moyes’ side a 1-0 victory. Jo scored his second goal of the game in February 2009 to complete an emphatic Everton 3-0 victory in the 90th minute. Ivan Klasnic’s 86th minute strike saw Bolton win 3-2 in October 2009, and Steven Pienaar scored in the 89th in March to secure a 2-0 win for the Toffees. And in their last meeting Beckford’s 90th minute equaliser at Goodison Park earned the Toffees a 1-1 draw.

TEAM NEWS

Bolton

Bolton boss Owen Coyle will be hoping that his two international stars return from midweek duty unscathed and ready to go straight into this match. Gary Cahill made an appearance as a second-half substitute for England against Denmark and Fabrice Muamba played 90 minutes for England Under-21 against Italy.

Gretar Steinsson looks set to remain on the sidelines whilst Jlloyd Samuel, who recently returned to light training, is still in the process of gaining match fitness.
Joey O'Brien, Ricardo Gardner and Sean Davis are all still continuing their recoveries from their respective injuries..

Possible starting XI: Jaaskelainen; Ricketts, Cahill, Wheater, Robinson; Lee, Muamba, Holden, Taylor; K.Davies, Sturridge

Everton

The Toffees have been rocked by injuries to two key players in the build-up to this match. Midfielder Jack Rodwell limped out of the England Under-21 match against Italy in the 12th minute, and after analysis has been diagnosed with a groin injury, which is expected to rule him out for a month.

And to make things worse, in-form striker Louis Saha is set to miss the game with a hamstring injury he picked up in training earlier this week. That will mean Toffees boss David Moyes will have to turn to Jermaine Beckford or Victor Anichebe to lead the line.

Everton have no other injury worries to their first team squad so David Moyes’ selection will be dependent on how his other players have come through the midweek international games. Seamus Coleman played an hour for the Republic of Ireland in their win over Wales in the Nations Cup, John Heitinga represented Holland in their 3-1 win over Austria and Leighton Baines made a late substitute’s appearance in England’s 2-1 win against Denmark.

Possible starting XI: Howard; Heitinga, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Coleman, Neville, Cahill, Fellaini, Arteta; Beckford

Prediction

The midweek injuries to Rodwell and Saha will really hurt Everton but they should still have enough defensively to be able to give themselves a chance in this match. Bolton will be hoping Daniel Sturridge continues on his goal scoring run but a draw looks the best bet for this match.

Bolton 1-1 Everton

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13-02-2011 15:00 Sampdoria - Bologna

Plummeting Towards The Drop

To even remotely believe that Sampdoria are set to battle against relegation would be pushing it over the edge but the Blucerchiati's recent form is no better than a side struggling against the drop. Three defeats in a row combined with just one win in seven league matches have pushed Samp to 14th in the table.

Heading into Week 25, Sampdoria find themselves with just 27 points from 23 matches and are just five points above the relegation zone but with a game in hand. The teams below them, especially those in the relegation zone are fighting for points, so, for now, Domenico Di Carlo's side are safe.

However, for an ambitious club like Sampdoria it is important that they finish in at least mid-table and Samp will aspire to do that between now and the end of the season. The former Italian champions have an encouraging record at home, though, as they have lost just twice in the league and have conceded only six goals.

Improvement Continues

Bologna's recent run of good form has placed them above Sampdoria heading into this Week 25 encounter in Genoa. Last weekend the Felsinei defeated Catania 1-0 at home, stretching their unbeaten run to three matches.

At the moment Alberto Malesani's side are in 12th place in the league standings with 29 points from 23 matches, and have an encouraging seven point-gap between themselves and the relegation zone. One suspects that worries about the drop have been cast away, but until Bologna reach the 40-point mark they cannot rest at ease.

Bologna's away form, though, isn't very inspiring as of the 12 league fixtures they have been involved in on the road, only two have ended in maximum points for them. Furthermore, the Rossoblu have conceded 22 goals away from home.

TEAM NEWS

Sampdoria

Semioli, Gastaldello and Pozzi are injured and will sit out the match. Volta is suspended.

Bologna

Ekdal, Britos and Garics are unavailable as they are injured. Britos and Della Rocca are suspended.

Prediction

Bologna have shown an intent to improve but Sampdoria have proven themselves to be strong at home. This will be a competitive fixture and there shouldn't be too many goals, and one suspects that eventually Samp will gain the points.

Sampdoria 2-0 Bologna

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13-02-2011 15:00 Cesena - Udinese

Relegation Beckons

Cesena continue to lurch from one branch of disaster to another and remain firmly in real danger of suffering relegation. With 21 points from 24 matches, the Seahorses are second from bottom in the table and have won just one of their last eight league encounters.

Last weekend Cesena went down 2-0 to Napoli in Naples in what was their eighth away defeat of the campaign. Massimo Ficcadenti's side have looked better at home, though, as they have won four of the 12 league fixtures at the Dino Manuzzi.

On Sunday Cesena will host high-flying Udinese and will hope to conjure up an upset. In the reverse fixture in October they lost 1-0 in Udine and will aim to exact revenge this time around.

Europe Remains In Sight

Udinese commenced this month with a disappointing 1-1 draw with Bologna at the Stadio Friuli that followed back-to-back wins against Inter and Juventus. The suspicion that the Bianconeri's bubble had burst flared up, but last weekend cold water was poured on those suggestions.

Because last weekend Udinese defeated Sampdoria 2-0 in Udine to return to winning ways and are now in genuine contention for a place in the top-six. With 40 points from 24 matches, the Zebrette are sixth in the league standings and are actually just two points off a Champions League place.

Udinese's away form is also encouraging as they are unbeaten in their last three league matches on the road. Against relegation-battling Cesena, Francesco Guidolin's side should be confident of mustering yet another victory.

TEAM NEWS

Cesena

Jimenez is suspended.

Udinese

Basta, Ferronetti and Handanovic are injured and will not travel to Cesena.

Prediction

Cesena are at home but Udinese are the better team and are in good form too. A win for the Bianconeri looks a likely prospect.

Cesena 0-2 Udinese

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13-02-2011 15:00 Catania - Lecce

Fighting The Relegation Demon

Diego Simeone was said to be Catania's saviour, the man who would rescue the Sicilians from relegation. However, three defeats in four games under the Argentine coach have failed to calm fears of a drop into Serie B as the Sicilians prepare for a lengthy battle with the relegation demon.

Heading into Week 25, Catania find themselves just a place and a point above the bottom-three. The Etnei have scored just one goal in their last four matches and have looked uninspiring upfront.

On the positive side, though, Catania have lost just thrice at home in the league this season, and those defeats came against Juventus, Inter and Milan. The Rossazzurri have a formidable record at the Angelo Massimino and having lost to Lecce in the reverse fixture earlier this campaign, they will be motivated to avenge themselves this weekend.

Returning To Form

Last weekend's 4-2 defeat to Palermo at home brought an end to Lecce's five-game unbeaten run, their longest in Serie A since September 2004. The result also saw the Lupi's progress in Serie A get punctuated, and put them just two places and two points above the relegation zone.

Lecce remain one of the favourites to drop down into the Italian second division and given their poor away form in the league this campaign, Luigi De Canio's side could struggle this weekend as well. Having won just twice on the road all season, Lecce have conceded a whooping 25 away goals too, scoring just eight in return.

Lecce got the better of Catania in the reverse fixture in October and will be hopeful of a similar result this weekend too.

TEAM NEWS

Catania

Biagianti, Izco, Capuano, Carboni and Bellusci are unavailable because of injuries. Alvarez is suspended.

Lecce

Giuliatto and Ofere are injured and will miss the trip to Catania. Fabiano is suspended.

Prediction

This a relegation six-pointer that Catania should win as they have proved themselves very strong at home.

Catania 2-0 Lecce

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13-02-2011 15:00 Cagliari - Chievo Verona

Seeking Respect

Not long ago Cagliari were struggling in the bottom half of the Serie A table and were seemingly heading for a relegation dogfight. However, a very productive January has seen the Sardinians propel up the ladder and reach towards the stars.

Four wins in seven league matches in 2011 have placed Cagliari in ninth position in the league standings with 32 points from 24 matches, a massive ten points above the relegation zone and eight behind a Europa League place.

However, last weekend the Isolani went down 3-1 at home to Juventus and will hope to bounce back in style at the Sant'Elia. Of the 12 league encounters played out in front of their own supporters, Cagliari have won six and lost five.

Flying Without Wings

Just like Cagliari, Chievo too are going higher and higher up the table. Once looking like nosediving into the sundry reaches of the division, the Flying Donkeys have restored themselves and are now floating in the calm waters of the mid-table.

Heading into Week 25 Stefano Pioli's side find themselves in 10th spot with 31 points from 24 matches, nine points above the relegation zone and as many points behind a Europa League slot. Last weekend the Flying Donkeys held Lazio to a 1-1 draw in Rome, and prior to that had defeated Napoli and Brescia.

Chievo are unbeaten in their last three away matches in all competitions and will aspire to get maximum points in Sardinia this weekend.

TEAM NEWS

Cagliari

Laner, Nainggolan and Agostini are unavailable because of injuries.

Chievo

Luciano and Marcolini are injured while Fernandes is suspended.

Prediction

A win for Cagliari seems the most likely outcome. Chievo do have the ability to create an upset in Sardinia but Cagliari are strong at home and should get the points.

Cagliari 2-0 Chievo

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13-02-2011 15:00 Brescia - Lazio

Tethering On The Edge

Of the three sides currently stationed in the relegation zone, Brescia look the best bet to stave off the drop. Positioned third from bottom with 22 points from 24 matches, Giuseppe Iachini's side are a point from safety and, encouragingly, have been picking up points of late.

Last weekend the Rondinelle defeated fellow-relegation candidates Bari 2-0 at home, a perfect follow-up to their 1-1 draw with Roma at the start of the month. It was also their second win in five league matches and gave them reasons to grasp on to optimism.

Brescia have a curious record at the Mario Rigamonti as well, as they won five matches at home and have lost as many, and have also scored and conceded 13 goals in front of their own supporters.

Returning To Winning Ways

Lazio coach Edy Reja continues to maintain that their main objective this season is to reach the Europa League. The former Italian champions may be very much in contention for a top-four finish and can still launch a Scudetto challenge, but Reja claims that a place in Europe would be a success.

"Lazio can now aim for Europe," said Reja. "Our objectives were to claim a Europa League spot and this remains our aim because we know there are better sides than us.

"We have done well so far this season and are in this position because we are doing something right. Maybe we are one of those 'better' sides.

"It is clear we still need to improve a lot while making as few errors as possible. We also need to keep on fighting because we are not as talented as other teams."

A frank admission, indeed, but this shouldn't be taken lightly by Brescia. Lazio, currently perched on fourth spot on 42 points, have won four times on the road in the league this campaign and having got the better of the Leonessa in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, the Aquile will target maximum points.

TEAM NEWS

Brescia

Dallamano and Sereni are unavailable because of injuries.

Lazio

Del Nero, Meghni, Garrido, Rocchi, Diakite and Radu are injured and will miss the trip to Brescia.

Prediction

Brescia will be confident of getting at least something from their home fixture against Lazio. Last weekend they won against Bari in front of their own supporters and their confidence is high. However, Lazio aren't easy pushovers and should garner a point.

Brescia 1-1 Lazio

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13-02-2011 15:00 Bari - Genoa

New Coach, New Hope

On Thursday evening Bari chief Vincenzo Matarrese finally lost patience with coach Giampiero Ventura. Placed at the foot of the table with just 14 points from 24 matches, the Galletti are a massive nine points from safety and have lost their last seven competitive fixtures.

Ventura was let go and in his place Bortolo Mutti has been assigned the task of rescuing Bari from sinking into the Italian second division. It will indeed be a Herculean task as the Biancorossi are already one foot into the 'other side'.

Mutti was the Atalanta coach for the second half of last season but couldn't help them from suffering relegation.

Securing Mid-Table Safety

Genoa head into this Week 25 encounter placed in the upper lower half of the Serie A table. With 28 points from 23 matches, the Grifoni are a robust six points above the relegation zone and are putting distance between themselves and the dropzone.

Last weekend Davide Ballardini's side held league leaders Milan to a 1-1 draw. It was an encouraging result, which was perceived as one point gained, and followed a 1-0 defeat to Fiorentina.

Genoa will eye a win in Bari even though their away form is modest but curious. Of the 11 league fixtures the Rossoblu have featured in on the road, they have won just three and lost four, and have scored just seven goals but have conceded as many.

TEAM NEWS

Bari

Barreto, Salvatore Masiello, Romero and Rivas are unavailable because of injuries.

Genoa

Antonelli and Boselli are injured and will miss the trip to Bari.

Prediction

This will not be a pretty game to watch and one suspects that there will not be too many goals. Genoa will eye a win in Bari and in all probabilities they should collect the points.

Bari 1-2 Genoa

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13-02-2011 13:00 Dundee United - Celtic

Terrors in good form

Dundee United welcome league leaders Celtic to Tannadice on the back of an impressive 3-1 away win at Hamilton in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.

United have been in good form of late, beating Hibernian 3-0 in their last league game, and a win against Celtic on Sunday could send Houston’s men up to fifth in the league.

They will be confident of getting a shock result against Celtic if they remain in touch going into the closing minutes, having scored a goal in the final 10 minutes of each of their last five SPL games.

Team spirit will be key in run-in, says Lennon

The Celtic boss reckons the title could be won or lost in their upcoming set of fixtures. Lennon told the club's official website: “On paper this is a crucial period for us. Nothing has been decided yet and these are the games players should relish.

“I think from here on in the atmosphere will be cracking. We’re hoping to feed off that and keep showing the form we’ve shown in recent weeks.

“We’ve been very pleased recently and we’re going into games looking forward to them.

“The confidence is up and that comes from good performances, not just from Sunday [against Rangers in the Cup], but looking right back. Even when we were drawing games in November I felt we were decent without getting the result we were looking for.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Celtic

The hosts will be looking to keep out Celtic’s Anthony Stokes, who has scored in each of his last five SPL games.

Former Arsenal youngster Stokes is Celtic’s leading marksman this season, scoring 16 in all competitions.

Dundee United

Craig Conway, United's 25-year-old winger, will be on a high after making his Scotland debut, coming on as a second-half substitute in the 3-0 win against Northern Ireland.

Conway has been a stand-out player for United for the past couple of seasons and has attracted plenty of interest from clubs south of the border, with Middlesbrough reportedly having had a bid for him turned down in the summer.

TEAM NEWS

Dundee United

The Terrors will be without captain Jon Daly who is suspended and is likely to be replaced by Johnny Russell.

Manager Peter Houston will also be without Mihael Kovacevic and Darren Dods who have knee injuries, while midfielder Scott Severin will be missing as he nurses an ankle injury.

Positive news for United is that Danny Swanson could return to the side after coming through a reserve game on Tuesday.

Possible starting XI: Pernis; Dillon, Dixon, Kenneth, Watson; Conway, Robertson, Gomis, Bauben; Goodwillie, Russell

Celtic

The main concern for Celtic is whether captain Scott Brown will be fit to play after pulling out of Scotland's win against Northern Ireland with a groin problem. The midfielder is rated at 50-50 by manager Neil Lennon.

The Hoops are also likely to be without defender Glen Loovens who is a doubt with a virus, though Celtic could welcome back James Forrest and Thomas Rogne, who have recovered from injuries.

Possible starting XI: Forster; Izaguirre, Majstorovic, Wilson, Mulgrew; Commons, Ledley, Ki, Kayal; Hooper, Stokes

PREDICTION
This will be an interesting game for the neutral with both teams in good form. Celtic are unbeaten in 12 league games but I feel Dundee United could get a result on their own ground.

Dundee United 1 Celtic 1

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13-02-2011 12:30 Palermo - Fiorentina

Back In Top Gear

Palermo's 3-2 defeat to Italian and European champions Inter at the end of last month saw them slip down the ladder and put their Champions League qualification hopes in jeopardy. However, back-to-back victories at the start of this month mean that the Sicilians' European ambitions have been resuscitated.

Heading into Week 25 action in Serie A, Delio Rossi's team find themselves fifth in the league standings with 40 points from 24 matches, level with Udinese and just two points off a Champions League slot. The Rosanero have proved themselves to be engagingly entertaining and playing against Fiorentina at home this weekend, they will aspire for maximum points.

The Aquile will be brimming of confidence too as they have lost just twice at the Renzo Barbera in Serie A all season and have scored 23 goals in 12 matches.

Seemingly Safe At Last

Sinisa Mihajlovic seems to have finally steered the Fiorentina ship out of the storm and is taking it on to the shore. With 29 points from 23 matches, the Viola are in mid-table and are a robust seven points above the relegation zone with a game in hand.

The Viola have improved steadily in the new year and last weekend drew 1-1 with Parma away, a result that followed the Gigliati's encouraging one-goal victory over Genoa.

However, Fiorentina's away form is terribly poor as they are yet to register a win on an opposition ground in the league this campaign. Having collected just six points in twice as many matches, Mihajlovic's side will need to start picking up more points on the road.

TEAM NEWS

Palermo

Pinilla, Goian and Darmian are injured and will sit out the visit of Fiorentina. Bacinovic is suspended.

Fiorentina

Vargas, Kroldrup, Jovetic and Frey are unavailable because of injuries.

Prediction

Palermo should win quite comfortably at home against Fiorentina.

Palermo 2-0 Fiorentina

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