20-02-2011 17:30 Leyton Orient - Arsenal

Leyton Orient ready for 'ultimate test'

Leyton orient manager Russell Slade is under no illusions about the size of the task facing his side when Arsenal visit Brisbane Road on Saturday.

Slade watched in awe, along with everyone else on Wednesday night, as the Gunners came back from a goal down to beat Barcelona in the Champions League, but he insists his side are ready for what he describes as "the ultimate test".

He told the club's official website: "We're really looking forward to the game. It's a different challenge, against world class opposition.

"It's a great test - the ultimate test - but I don't think there's one player not looking forward to it. We've had a fantastic FA Cup journey and we don't want it to finish."

Orient have made it to the fifth round the hard way after battling wins against Championship sides Norwich and Swansea. But the east London side are already being written off in many quarters, though Slade believes they have a good chance of causing an upset.

He added: "It [the FA Cup run] might finish, and the bookies might suggest that it is finished before a ball is kicked, but we don't think so. We believe we still have that little window of opportunity to progress and we'll give it everything.

"We deserve this tie 200 per cent. To win away at Norwich and Swansea, who are flying high in the Championship, was an achievement, and this is now our seventh game in the competition."

Arsene Wenger: We will treat Leyton Orient like Barcelona

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is adamant his side will not underestimate League One Leyton Orient in Sunday's FA Cup fifth round tie.

The Gunners head to Brisbane Road on the back of their magnificent 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League but Wenger knows that will count for nothing on Sunday.

"We can gain more respect from everybody if we turn up on Sunday with absolutely full commitment. Then people will say this team is ready to have a real go and not choose the competition or the games," he said.

"When you are a top-level competitive man or team you go absolutely 100 per cent committed into every game.

"The media give more importance to some games than others but for us to win trophies we have to take a distance with that and be able to switch from one competition to another with exactly the same commitment."
The Gunners are still fighting on four fronts this season and the French manager insists his side have a good chance of success in every competition.

He added: "We are hungry for success. Every time we go out we just want to win the next game. I personally believe we go for every single competition to the end.

"We have the hunger and the talent and are committed.
"From Wednesday we can get more belief. But Sunday is the FA Cup and we will have total focus and commitment because we want to be successful. We are involved in every single competition. That is why our destiny will be determined by our mobility for every game."

TEAM NEWS

Leyton Orient

Midfielder Matthew Spring is a major doubt for the fifth round clash with Arsenal and will have a late fitness test on his calf. Adam Chambers is ruled out of the tie with a shin injury and is expected to be missing for another fortnight.

But otherwise Russell Slade has a near full-strength squad to take on the Gunners. Striker Jonathan Tehoue is pushing to be included in the starting line-up after getting the winner against MK Dons from the bench.

Two ex-Gunners - Ben Chorley and Jason Crowe - are in line to face their former club. Chorley was in the Arsenal youth team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2000 and 2001, while Crowe made three first team appearances under Arsene Wenger in the late 1999s.

Possible starting XI: Jones; Omozusi, Whing, Chorley, Crowe; Cox, Dawson, Daniels, Smith; M'Poku, Revell.

Arsenal

Manager Arsene Wenger has no new injury worries ahead of the trip League One Leyton Orient, though he may take the opportunitry to rotate his squad.

Johan Djourou was a doubt after he injured his back in the 2-1 win over Barcelona but Arsene Wenger revealed on Friday that the Swiss international's knock had improved.

He will take his place in the squad alongside Theo Walcott who has recovered from a hamstring injury and is in contention for a start. Bacary Sagna could return to the first-team squad after serving a one match European ban on Wednesday night but Abou Diaby serves the second of his three match ban after being sent off against Newcastle.

Thomas Vermaelen (achilles) and Lukas Fabianski (shoulder) are the north London clubs only long term casualties.

Possible starting XI: Almunia; Sagna, Koscielny, Djourou, Gibbs; Rosicky, Denilson, Wilshere; Walcott, Chamakh, Bendtner.

Match Trivia

Leyton Orient and Arsenal have met four times in the FA Cup with the north London club overcoming their east London rivals on every occasion.

The last time the two sides met was back in the 1977-78 season in the FA Cup, when the Gunners ran out 3-0 semi-final winners.

Prediction

Leyton Orient 1-3 Arsenal

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20-02-2011 16:00 Fulham - Bolton Wanderers

Hughes' Cup kings

Fulham have enjoyed the FA Cup in recent years, and are looking to reach the quarter-finals for the third season running. They also enjoyed a dream run to the Europa League final last season before falling at the final hurdle to Atletico Madrid. Last round they enjoyed a 4-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham courtesy of two penalties from Danny Murphy and goals from Brede Hangeland and Moussa Dembele.

Can Coyle overcome Bolton's Craven Cottage curse?

Owen Coyle may feel his side are entitled to approach this game as favourites as they currently sit four places above Hughes' team in the Premier League table, though Bolton's recent form at Craven Cottage will be a cause for some alarm.

In total the Trotters have won just one game in their last 13 matches at Craven Cottage, that victory coming in a League Cup tie on September 26 2007 when goals from Danny Guthrie and Stylianos Giannakopoulos secured an extra-time victory over Lawrie Sanchez's Fulham team.

Furthermore this season their form away from the Reebok Stadium has been a major problem for them as they have won just two games all season - though one of them was in the capital-when they triumphed 3-1 over West Ham United.

TEAM NEWS

Fulham

Mark Hughes looks set to name an unchanged line-up as he seeks to continue Fulham's fantastic home run after midfielders Simon Davies and Clint Dempsey both recovered from the slight knocks they picked up in Monday night's 0-0 draw with Chelsea.

Both Davies and Dempsey are expected to feature in Sunday's FA Cup tie. Hughes otherwise has a relatively strong squad to choose from with only long-term absentees Bobby Zamora and Philippe Senderos missing out.

Both Zamora and Senderos have made their returns for the club's reserves in recent weeks but neither has yet to come close to returning to full match fitness and neither will feature as Hughes looks to extend his side's fine run at Craven Cottage where they have won five and drawn one of their last six games.

Possible starting XI: Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Salcido, Duff, Murphy, Sidwell, Dempsey, Johnson, Dembele.

Bolton Wanderers

Owen Coyle is facing a defensive crisis ahead of Sunday's clash after defender Sam Ricketts was ruled out for the remainder of the season and Zat Knight picked up a knee injury in last week's win over Everton.

Ricketts, who suffered an Achilles injury, has been an integral part of Bolton's fine run of form this season and with fellow full-backs JLloyd Samuel and Gretar Steinsson missing through injury Coyle is expected to pick Spaniard Marcos Alonso at full-back.

One positive for Coyle has been the form of David Wheater, who has played two and a half games for the club since his arrival from Middlesbrough, and will partner Gary Cahill at centre-half. However, on-loan Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge is cup-tied after playing for his parent club against Ipswich earlier in the competition.

Probable starting XI: Jaaskelainen, Alonso, Cahill, Wheater, Robinson, Lee, Davies, Holden, Petrov, Elmander, Davies.

Prediction

Fulham 2-1 Bolton

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20-02-2011 15:00 Manchester City - Notts County

History favours the Blues

A goal from Neil Bishop gave the Magpies the lead in the first game, but a late equaliser from Edin Dzeko earned City a replay in a game where they struggled to create many chances. It was Dzeko’s first, and so far only, goal in English football since his big money move from Wolfsburg during the January transfer window.

The two sides have met 68 times and not surprisingly City are the dominant force, winning over half of the contests. Notts have managed 18 victories but haven’t tasted success since 1991.

They have met five times in the FA Cup with County only winning once (in 1991). However, this isn’t the first time they have taken City to a replay. In 1995 the two sides met in the third round and the Magpies managed a 2-2 draw, only to be well beaten 5-2 in the replay, with Uwe Rosler grabbing four of City’s five goals.

The last two meetings between the sides have been in cup competitions, but prior to those, the last game was over a decade ago when City won 4-2 in a League Cup fixture.

The most recent league meeting was in 1999, with City winning 2-0 in League One.

Mancini-Ince rivalry adds spice

Paul Ince and Roberto Mancini have previous when it comes to head-to-head clashes, and although this will only be their second meeting as managers their history on the pitch ensures there will be no love lost in the technical area.

During Ince’s two years at Inter he came up against Mancini, who was then playing for Sampdoria, on a couple of occasions and both men were on the receiving end of some strong challenges.

Surprisingly Mancini, normally a placid forward, was the man to strike the first blow as he lunged in on Ince from behind and received a five-game ban for his troubles. Not to be outdone Ince returned the favour in a later match, the tenacious midfielder dragging his studs down the back of the Italian’s legs leaving Mancini writhing in agony.


TEAM NEWS

Manchester City

After defeat in the Manchester derby last weekend City could only manage a 0-0 draw against Aris Salonki in the Europa League on Tuesday so they will be aiming to get back to winning ways in this FA Cup fourth round replay.

Roberto Mancini may use this game to rest some of his star players and give some of his squad players a chance, especially after the midweek trip to Greece.

Flamboyant striker Mario Balotelli returned to training last week and has impressed which puts him in contention to be involved in this match, while Michael Johnson, who has been absent with injury for 17 months, could be included as he continues his recovery after being named as a substitute on the Greek trip.

Nigel De Jong and Adam Johnson are the only players definitely ruled out, both suffering with ankle injuries, and James Milner is a doubt with a tight hamstring.

Potential starting XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Boateng, K Toure, Kolarov; M Johnson, Vieira; Wright-Phillips, Silva, Balotelli; Dzeko.


Notts County

Notts eased their relegation fears in League One with a 2-0 victory over Colchester in midweek, a result that leaves them four points clear of the drop zone, and they will hope they can continue this form with a surprise victory against City.

On-loan Derby County winger David Martin is definitely ruled out of the clash after injuring his groin during a half-time warm-up against Colchester, and will return to his parent club for a scan on the problem. Lewis Gobern is also a doubt for the match – he has continued his recovery from a thigh injury in recent weeks and could be involved if he comes through training on Saturday morning.

Potential starting XI: Nelson; Edwards, Darby, Pearce, Harley; Westcarr, McDonald, Bishop, Gow; Hughes, Hawley.

Prediction

Man City 3-1 Notts County F.C.  

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20-02-2011 13:30 Celtic - Rangers

Lennon looking to see freshness

Celtic manager Neil Lennon will be looking to use the fact that his side have had the week off, while Rangers were forced to play a Europa League tie against Sporting Lisbon on Thursday evening. Lennon spoke about this at his pre-match press conference, saying: “We’ve had a good week's training and they all seem to be in good nick, so I think they're all just looking forward to the game now.”

When asked about the pressure that his side will feel when they enter Celtic Park on Sunday lunchtime, Lennon responded: “You try to take it as another week, you have to put up with the hype that goes with it and some time the games get overhyped, for me, at the end of the day there’s three points riding on it, but psychologically there’s more than that.”

Finally, he was questioned on whether or not seven Old Firm games, which both sides face this season, was too much - to which the former Celtic skipper responded: “It’s probably too many, but that’s just the way the fixtures have been thrown up, with four league fixtures, an early cup tie and a cup final.”

Rangers looking to complete Parkhead double

Rangers gaffer Walter Smith will be hoping his side can achieve something that they haven’t done in 14 years and claim two Old Firm victories at Celtic Park in a single season. After having triumphed over their nearest rivals in late October, Smith will be looking to claw back the five-point deficit in the league.

When asked at his pre-match press conference if he was playing not to lose, Smith claimed: “I think the two games left, we go into the games not wanting to lose, but we will try to win as we did earlier in the season, but it’s obviously an important game in terms of the championship, overall. We’ve already lost three games in the league this season and we don’t want to be losing many more.”

He was also asked about the tiredness of his players after their Europa League game with Sporting Lisbon, to which Smith responded: “That happens, we’ve had Champions League games all season and we’ve had to put up with that, while Celtic have had the advantage of not having to put up with any European matches, if it is an advantage, not to have that certainly allows them a freshness that we’ll be lacking, but I think our own group have shown a determination and a will to win and I hope that’ll counteract any tiredness they’ll feel.”

TEAM NEWS

Celtic

Celtic manager Neil Lennon will welcome back central defender Thomas Rogne and midfielder James Forrest as the pair have recovered from injuries. But full-back Cha Du-Ri has sustained an ankle injury which means he’ll join long-term injury victims Shaun Maloney and Andres Hinkel on the sidelines.

The Parkhead side will also be without Marc Crosas, who has left the club to join Russian side Volga Nizhny Novgorod after the 23-year-old Spaniard failed to cement a place in Neil Lennon’s team, having only played three times this season.

Strike duo Gary Hooper and Anthony Stokes, with 23 goals between them this season, will be looking to continue their scoring feats against their fiercest rivals and extend the Parkhead side’s lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League, which currently stands at five points.

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

Rangers

Rangers will welcome back midfielder Steven Naismith, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, while Nikica Jelavic comes back into the side after having to miss out on the Europa League tie against Sporting Lisbon due to being cup-tied.

The Ibrox side will cross the city without Jamie Ness after the young midfielder picked up a groin injury before the Gers' midweek Europa League tie. He joins defender Kirk Broadfoot, who has been unavailable for Walter Smith’s side with a long-term injury problem.

The SPL champions will have to rely on Naismith and Jelavic to get the goals, after having sold top goalscorer Kenny Miller to Turkish side Bursaspor during the January transfer window.

Possible starting XI: McGregor; Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac; Weiss, Davis, Edu, Naismith; Diouf, Jelavic

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Celtic

Scott Brown - The Celtic skipper helped his side to a Scottish Cup replay, with his second half goal which helped the ten men Hoops survive against their Glasgow rivals. The Scotland midfielder will now look to help maintain his side’s lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League.

Rangers

Nikica Jelavic - The Croatian is now the main striker for the Ibrox side since the departure of top goalscorer Kenny Miller. With fellow striker Kyle Lafferty misfiring in front of goal and David Healy lacking match sharpness, it will fall to Jelavic to lead the way.

Prediction

Even with ten men for the entire second half of the Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox, Celtic looked the more dominant team and were rewarded with a replay. And manager Neil Lennon understands the importance of a victory that would see them go eight points clear of Rangers.

Celtic 2-1 Rangers

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20-02-2011 13:00 West Bromwich Albion - Wolverhampton Wanderers

Baggies hoping Hodgson factor has positive impact in first ever Premier League Black Country derby

Albion fans will be hoping that new manager Roy Hodgson has had a positive influence on the team this week and can record a crucial victory against fierce Black Country rivals Wolves in his first game in charge of the club.

Morale at Albion is dropping at a similar rate to the club's slide down the league table, with Albion fans having to go back to mid-January to remember their last win and the disappointment of last week's spectactular second half collapse still fresh in their memory.

If Hodgson is to mastermind a victory over Wolves and keep Albion in the Premier League, his first job is to sure up the league's leakiest defence. The Baggies have conceded 51 goals this season, the highest in the league, and have gone a club record 24 Premier League games without a clean sheet.

The Baggies sit just outside the relegation zone, above Wigan Athletic only on goal difference, and will be looking to kick-start their run-in with a victory that would prevent Wolves leapfrogging above them and earning a huge pyschological advantage.

Wolves looking to improve terrible away form and boost survival hopes

Mick McCarthy's men have lost four of their last five league matches but will be confident that they can get a result at the Hawthorns in a derby game where the form book will almost certainly be out of the window.

Wolves have been woeful away from home this season, but the footballing Gods work in funny ways and it is interesting to note that the manager in charge of the opposition the last time Mick McCarthy's men won away from home in the Premier League was none other than new Albion boss Roy Hodgson during his ill-fated Liverpool days.

It has been an odd season for Wolves fans, who can see their side sitting bottom of the Premier League despite tasting victory against Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.

And the stats show that six of Wolves' seven victories this season have come against top-half-of-the-table opposition while they have collected just one point from a possible 15 against the four teams currently directly above them.

Eight of Wolves' last 12 games are against bottom half opposition and Mick McCarthy will need his team to forget about their big-name scalps and concentrate on beating the teams around them if they are to stay up - starting with this Sunday's mammoth derby clash.

TEAM NEWS

West Bromwich Albion

Roy Hodgson has been dealt a major blow in his first game as Albion boss after defensive midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu ruled himself out of Sunday's game on social network site Twitter in midweek.

Mulumbu was substituted after picking up a hamstring strain in the first half of last weekend's game against West Ham United and has not recovered in time for Sunday's Black Country derby. Graham Dorrans may be forced to curb his natural attacking instinct to play the holding role for Hodgson.

Doubts over Pablo Ibanez (hamstring), Steven Reid (knee) and Marek Cech (groin) have been eased by Hodgson who told the club's official site that, other than Mulumbu, his new squad has a clean bill of health.

Hodgson will have to decide whether to stick with the 4-4-2 formation preferred by first-team coach Michael Appleton last weekend or whether to play Peter Odemwingie as a lone front-man and choose between the likes of Jerome Thomas, Carlos Vela, Marc-Antoine Fortune and Somen Tchoyi to support him from the wings.

Possible starting XI: Myhill; Jara, Tamas, Olsson, Shorey; Vela, Dorrans, Scharner, Brunt, Thomas; Odemwingie.

Wolves

Defender Ronald Zubar is a fresh injury doubt for Mick McCarthy's men after the right-back picked up a swollen ankle in last weekend's 2-0 loss to Arsenal. If Zubar does not recover in time, then Kevin Foley would be his obvious replacement.

Stephen Hunt is unlikely to recover in time for Sunday, after missing the last three games with a calf injury, meaning January signing Adam Hammill will continue on the right wing with Tottenham loanee Jamie O'Hara playing behind Kevin Doyle.

Midfielder David Edwards is expected to be back in contention after missing the defeat in London with a groin problem but Michael Kightly (knee) and Adlene Guedioura (broken leg) remain on the long-term casualty list and will play no part in Sunday's derby clash.

Possible starting XI: Hennessey; Foley, Stearman, Berra, Elokobi; Hammill, Henry, Miljas, Jarvis; O'Hara; Doyle.

Prediction

West Bromwich 2-2 Wolves

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19-02-2011 20:45 Inter - Cagliari

Back Up And Running

Last weekend's Derby d'Italia defeat to Juventus in Turin appeared to have caused a dent in Inter's Scudetto aspirations. However, the Italian and European champions had a game in hand and they won that in Florence in midweek.

Wednesday evening's 2-1 victory over Fiorentina has placed Leonardo's side in third place in the Serie A standings with 47 points from 25 matches, just five behind league leaders and city-rivals Milan.

Under Leonardo in 2011, Inter have lost just two competitive matches and have drawn none. Momentum is firmly on the Beneamata's side, who will be confident of defeat Cagliari at home.

Pushing For Europe

Cagliari commenced the 2010-11 campaign as an also-ran in Serie A and struggled in the bottom half of the table for much of the season. However, the Sardinians have improved encouragingly since January and are actually in with a chance of a top-six finish.

Last weekend's 4-1 demolition of Chievo in Sardinia placed Cagliari ninth in the league table with 35 points from 25 matches, just six points off a Europa League slot. It is not realistic for the Isolani to qualify for Europe next term especially as the teams above them are stronger.

Cagliari will also have revenge on their mind as in the reverse fixture earlier this season Roberto Donadoni's side lost 1-0 to Inter at home. However, the Rossoblu have a modest record on the road as they have won just three league games away from home this season.

TEAM NEWS

Inter

Lucio, Samuel and Milito are out injured for the Nerazzurri. Chivu is suspended.

Cagliari

There are no injury or suspension worries for the Sardinians.

Prediction

Inter returned to winning ways in midweek and will be too big a match for Cagliari. A comfortable victory for the Beneamata seems a logical result.

Inter Milan 2-0 Cagliari

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19-02-2011 18:30 Mainz 05 - Bayern Munchen

Defiantly Optimistic Against Favourite Opponents

Of all the brilliant memories die Nuell-Fuenfer will take from this season, no matter how it ends up, none will surely outshine 25 September 2010 when Mainz secured their first ever win away to Bayern (1-2) in the Allianz Arena. This was no fluke - Mainz genuinely outplayed the champions as their brand of highly charged, uptempo football reached its zenith.

Since then, the inevitable decline has kicked in and Mainz have just one win in five games after the winter break - a 1-0 victory in the Rheinland derby away to Kaiserslautern. Furthermore, they were overwhelmingly outplayed last week in Koeln in a 4-2 defeat. However, coach Thomas Tuchel remained in good spirits as he reflected on the fact that he has a good record against Bayern.

"Am I a plague for FC Bayern? I hope so! I fear though that statistics alone will not help us. Bayern are a very difficult opponent and the fact that we have beaten them twice has little bearing on Saturday's game," Tuchel told the pre-game press conference.

The slightly eccentric but innovative coach refuses to be downtrodden with pessimism and he has every reason not to be - Mainz are still in contention for a Europa League slot in spite of their stuttering form of 2011. Tuchel is very clear as to what Mainz need to do if they are to shock Bayern once more:

"We must keep the ball well and stay compact. If we succeed in doing so, it can be a typical home game for us, even against such a strong opponent. It will be a challenge but it is our job to overcome that. We trained yesterday in a 4-4-2 diamond system, which worked well. One player in front of the back four and two strikers."

Revenge Is On The Menu

Last week's encounter at home to Hoffenheim saw Bayern's two most spectacular gamechangers reunited for the first time in nine months - namely Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. And it made a difference to the title holders, who blew away Hoffenheim with a convincing four goal rout. In truth, had they have been in the mood, Bayern could have inflicted even more damage.

However, under current coach Louis van Gaal, der Rekordmeister have never triumphed against Mainz (Koeln being the other bogey team for the Dutch tactician) - a statistic that is not lost on captain Philipp Lahm:

"We have to win - that is mandatory. We lost last season in Mainz and we lost at home to them this season. It's clear that we need to take three points away from Mainz and extract a little bit of revenge," he told the club's official website.

Bayern have other, perhaps bigger fish to fry in the coming weeks and with no more hopes of retaining their title being entertained, next week's Champions League knockout tie with Inter takes on even greater significance.

"[They will be] a decisive few weeks. The focus is only on Mainz at the moment. We have not yet spoken about [Inter]," Van Gaal told the press conference.

A positive result - with a performance to match last week's win over Hoffenheim - will stand Bayern in good stead before the Inter game - and also lay a few ghosts to rests regarding Mainz in the process.

TEAM NEWS

Mainz

Thomas Tuchel's side are without long-term injury casualty Adam Szalai as well as defender Bo Svensson. The main selection quandry is in midfield with Elkin Soto favourite to win the final place in midfield although Eugen Polanski and Andreas Ivanschitz offer more defensive and attacking alternatives respectively. Marcel Risse also comes into the picture.

Probable Starting XI: Mueller - Zabavnik, Bungert, Noveski, Fuchs - Fathi - Caligiuri, Soto, Holtby, Schuerrle - Allagui

Bayern Munich

It has been yet another injury-affected week for Arjen Robben, whom Bayern cannot afford to lose again for any period of time. He had an adductor problem on Wednesday and suffered a broken little finger a day later. That said, he will play with a splint on the aforementioned digit. Ivica Olic is a long-term casualty and though Toni Kroos and Diego Contento have returned to training, neither have been included in the matchday squad.

Probable Starting XI: Kraft - Lahm, Tymoschuk, Badstuber, Luiz Gustavo - Schweinsteiger, Pranjic - Robben, Mueller, Ribery - Gomez

Prediction

I expect Bayern to win, given the style they turned on last week against Hoffenheim with all their attacking talent in tow. That said, this will be no walkover as Mainz have a good record with Bayern and will see this encounter as the perfect opportunity to raise their game and show they will still have a say in the destination of the Europa League spots come Spring.

Mainz 1-2 Bayern Munich

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19-02-2011 18:00 Bologna - Palermo

Safe And Secure, For Now...

Bologna head into Week 26 of the 2010-11 Serie A season placed 14th in the league standings with 29 points from 24 matches. With seven points separating them from the relegation zone, the whisper is that the Rossoblu have no danger of getting entangled in a relegation dogfight any longer.

However, Bologna cannot rest at ease until they have reached the 40-point mark. Last weekend Alberto Malesani's side stuttered to a 3-1 defeat to Sampdoria in Genoa to stretch their disappointing run of results on the road.

At home, though, Bologna are a different side altogether. In 11 league encounters at the Renato Dall'Ara, the Felsinei have won six, drawn four and lost just once.

Getting Back On Track

Palermo suffered a massively surprising defeat to Fiorentina in Sicily last weekend. Delio Rossi's side collapsed 4-2 in front of their own supporters for only their third home league loss of the campaign and handed the Viola their first away win of the season.

That loss coupled with results elsewhere in the Italian top flight dragged the Rosanero to seventh in the league standings on 40 points from 25 matches. Palermo are currently just a point off a European place but five behind Lazio, who are fourth and occupy the final Champions League slot.

Palermo's away form isn't very encouraging as they have won just four times on the road and have conceded 21 goals in 12 matches. However, the Aquile's last encounter away from the Renzo Barbera ended in a 4-2 victory over Lecce.

TEAM NEWS

Bologna

Ekdal, Garics and Britos are injured for Bologna.

Palermo

Cassani, Pinilla, Goian, Darmian and Paolucci are unavailable because of injuries and Balzaretti is suspended.

Prediction

Bologna have proved themselves to be formidable at home and will aspire for a victory over Palermo, who suffered a massive defeat last weekend. Nevertheless, this encounter is likely to end in a draw.

Bologna 2-2 Palermo

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20-02-2011 21:00 Barcelona - Athletic Bilbao

Keeping The Faith

Barcelona are a side used to winning with extreme regularity, so it has come of something of a shock that they’ve failed to win their last two encounters. Against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening, Pep Guardiola will want his side to re-establish themselves on the winning track, but their Basque opponents will not be willing lambs to the slaughter.

Last weekend’s fixture against Sporting de Gijon was expected to give Barca a relatively straightforward match to extend their record-breaking streak in Ligue 1, but instead they found themselves held to a 1-1 draw. David Villa was required to strike late on to save the Catalans.

Worse was to follow in midweek against Arsenal. When Villa struck in the first half, it seemed a case of business as usual for the Camp Nou outfit, but they were rocked by the Gunners’ second half revival, which leaves Barca staring at a 2-1 deficit going into the second leg in around 10 days.

“They have given me plenty of reasons to feel optimistic,” the coach argued to the club’s official website after the somewhat surprising midweek loss. “[The players] have achieved too much in a short space of time for me not to have faith in them.”

With their lead over Real Madrid in the Primera Division now cut to five points – and probably two come kick-off – Sunday night’s encounter is vital for la Blaugrana to regain their sense of greatness as the business end of the campaign looms.

Champions League Chasing

Having been on the fringes of the European race all season, Athletic Bilbao have thrust themselves into Champions League contention over the course of the last month with a series of impressive results.

Los Leones almost got themselves within touching distance of Villarreal and Valencia thanks to four successive victories, but a defeat against Mallorca away from home last weekend stalled them rather. They now lie seven points off the pace and can only hope not to lose too much ground over the course of the weekend.

“We did not play this match with the same intensity we had in our previous encounters. It was only in the second-half that we tried to win,” coach Joaquin Caparros lamented to Marca after the game. “We are in a position to sprint for a spot in the Champions League. It is within our reach.”

Recent displays have certainly made European football next season look likely for the San Mames outfit, though Caparros’ success has simply lead him to be courted by bigger clubs, with Sevilla rumoured to be keeping an eye on the Basque coach.

Athletic have made it clear they want to keep their general, and the lure of Champions League football with los Leones would certainly make their task in retaining the coach’s services an altogether easier one.

Caparros has already seen his side compete strongly against Barca this season, edged out of the Copa del Rey, and a repeat performance of those two encounters would be pleasing for the boss.

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Jeffren continues to miss out, while there are still doubts over the fitness of Carles Puyol, who has been suffering from tendonitis.

Athletic

Mikel San Jose and Igor Gabilondo have been training apart from the squad and both are doubtful for Sunday’s fixture. Ibai Gomez and Jon Aurtenetxe remain long-term injury concerns.

Prediction

This match is all about getting back to winning ways for Barcelona, and they certainly should achieve that. The Basques will make life difficult due to their physical style, but the hosts should be good enough to come through a definite tester.

Barcelona 2-1 Athletic Bilbao

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20-02-2011 20:45 Napoli - Catania

The March Continues

Last weekend Napoli achieved one of the best results of their entire league campaign. The Partenopei defeated Roma 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in what was the Lupi's first league loss in Rome this season. Edinson Cavani was once again the Azzurri's best player as he scored both the goals.

That marvellous victory kept Napoli in the hunt for their first Scudetto since 1990 as with 49 points from 25 matches, Walter Mazzarri's side are just three points behind leaders Milan. A win at home against Catania could see them go level on points with the Rossoneri should they suffer defeat to Chievo in Verona.

However, on Thursday evening Napoli failed to get the better of Villarreal in their Europa League, Round of 32, first-leg tie in Naples and with a goalless draw at home, they are in a disadvantage of further progress in the competition. Which is not entirely a bad thing for the former Italian champions, as they will be able to turn their focus fully on the league campaign.

Looking Over Their Shoulders

Catania remain dangerously close to the relegation zone as the Sicilians are just four points above the bottom-three. At the moment the Etnei have 26 points from 25 matches and are 16th in the league standings.

Last weekend Diego Simeone's side defeated fellow relegation candidates Lecce 3-2 in Sicily to ease some of the pressure on themselves but with the visit to Naples looming large, the immediate future isn't looking very bright.

Furthermore, Catania have a wretched away form this season as they have yet to win on the road and have lost eight of the 12 away matches, scoring just seven goals in the process.

TEAM NEWS

Napoli

Grava and Vitale will miss the match because of injuries. Campagnaro and Lavezzi are suspended.

Catania

Capuano, Biagianti, Izco, Bellusci, Carboni and Terlizzi are unavailable for the trip to Naples as they are injured.

Prediction

Napoli should emerge victorious with comfort against a Catania side who have one of the worse away records in the Italian first division this season.

Napoli 2-0 Catania

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20-02-2011 15:00 Udinese - Brescia

Champions League Dreams

Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin continues to turn down talks of Champions League qualification but the reveling truth is that the Bianconeri do genuinely have a chance of garnering a place in the top-four in Serie A at the end of the season.

Last weekend's 3-0 win against Cesena away from home saw the Udine-based side pick up their five league victory on the road and lift themselves to fifth in the league standings on 43 points, just two behind Lazio, who are fourth and occupy the final Champions League slot at the moment.

Udinese have a formidable record at home too and will be expected to gain maximum points against Brescia. The Zebrette will be inspired by the result of the reverse fixture in October – they triumphed 1-0 in Brescia.

The Struggle Continues

Brescia will travel to Udine this weekend on the back of a 2-0 home defeat to Lazio. The Rondinelle went into last weekend's encounter with the Roman side with a 2-0 win against Bari and were expected to get something, but their inability to carve out anything at home means that they will start Week 26 action in Serie A third from bottom with 22 points from 25 matches.

Brescia have a wretched form on the road too as they have won just one out of a possible 12 away matches and are expected to go down in Udine too.

TEAM NEWS

Udinese

Basta, Ferronetti and Angella are out injured for the Bianconeri. Sanchez is suspended.

Brescia

Dallamano is injured.

 

Prediction

Udinese are in great form at the moment and the Bianconeri should be able to get the better of Brescia with ease.

Udinese 2-0 Brescia

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20-02-2011 15:00 Parma - Cesena

Still Struggling For Survival

Parma have shown their urgency for salvation but the Ducali still find themselves one of the main contenders for a place in the bottom-three in Serie A at the end of the season. With 26 points from 25 encounters, the Gialloblu find themselves just four points and three places above the dropzone.

Last weekend Parma went down 4-0 to Milan at San Siro to stretch their winless run to five matches. This weekend, though, Pasquale Marino's side are at home and will be confident of getting maximum points against Cesena.

Relegation Looks A Certainty

With every passing week, Cesena are going deeper and deeper into the hole. Having managed just 21 points from 25 matches, the Seahorses are second from bottom and are three points from safety.

Last weekend Cesena were dumped 3-0 at home by Udinese and the weekend before they suffered a expected loss to Napoli in Naples. Massimo Ficcadenti's side have won just once on the road in the league this season and they may not be able to add to that tally in Parma this weekend.

TEAM NEWS

Parma

Calvo and Marques are out injured for the home side.

Cesena

Fatic is injured and Parolo is suspended.

Prediction

A win for Parma seems to be the most likely result as Cesena, like the hosts, are struggling for survival in the Italian top flight and have a poor away form.

Parma 2-0 Cesena

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20-02-2011 15:00 Lazio - Bari

Recovery In Progress

Lazio had a disappointing run of results in January but the former Italian champions have repaired the damage and are back on track. With 45 points from 25 matches, Edy Reja's side find themselves in fourth spot in the Serie A standings and are well on course to finishing in the Europa League at least.

Last weekend the Aquile defeated relegation-threatened Brescia 2-0 away to stretch their unbeaten run in the league to four matches. It followed draws with Milan and Chievo and victory over Fiorentina.

Lazio be confident of defeating Bari this weekend as the visitors are languishing at the foot of the table and they themselves have lost just twice at home in the league all season.

Even A Miracle Wouldn't Be Enough

Bari are as good as relegated from Serie A. The Galletti are rooted to the foot of the table and have amassed a mere 15 points from 25 encounters, nine fewer than Lecce, who are 17th and a place above the relegation zone.

Last weekend Bari were held to a goalless draw by Genoa at home, bringing to an end their wretched run of seven competitive defeats in a row. It also saw Bortolo Mutti's side gain their first point at home in the new year.

Winning in Rome for Bari would require a miracle as they have won one and lost nine of their 12 away games in Serie A this season.

TEAM NEWS

Lazio

Lichtsteiner, Rocchi, Diakitè and Mauri are out injured for the Aquile.

Bari

Barreto, Salvatore Masiello, Kutuzov and Belmonte will miss the trip to Rome because of injuries.

Prediction

Lazio have a strong record at home this season and will comfortably get past the challenge of relegation candidates Bari.

Lazio 2-0 Bari

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20-02-2011 15:00 Genoa - Roma

Building On Derby Triumph

Genoa have been a disappointment for much of the season as in what was expected to be a campaign that would end triumphantly with European honours, the Grifoni have struggled to maintain even mid-table respectability and currently find themselves 11th in the table with 32 points from 25 matches.

However, on Wednesday evening Davide Ballardini's side accomplished a morale-boosting 1-0 win against Sampdoria in the Derby della Lanterna and that could provide them with the launchpad for the remainder of the season. With nine points separating them from a European slot at the moment, a place in next season's Europa League appears to be out of reach but they can still give a better account of themselves between now and the end of the season.

Genoa will be looking to exact revenge against Roma as they lost 2-1 to the Lupi in the reverse fixture in October.

Finding Their Feet Again

Roma have struggled in the new year and have fallen off the pedestal almost radically. From looking genuinely good for a top-four finish, Claudio Ranieri's side now find themselves outside the top-six, two points off a Europa League slot and four further adrift of a place in next season's Champions League.

On Wednesday evening the Giallorossi's season became even worse as they slumped to a 3-2 defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk in their first-leg, round of 16 tie in the Champion League in Rome. The loss has virtually guaranteed the former Italian champions' elimination from Europe's premier club competition this season.

Roma have also struggled in Serie A in recent weeks, losing to Napoli at home last weekend and getting hammered 5-3 by Inter in Milan the weekend before. They are on a slide and the suspicion is that they will continue to spiral down in Genoa.

TEAM NEWS

Genoa

Boselli, Destro and Konko are out injured for the Grifoni.

Roma

Pizarro and Adriano are unavailable because of injuries, and Rosi, De Rossi and Cassetti are suspended.

Prediction

Genoa won the derby against Sampdoria in midweek and will head into this game with confidence. Roma haven't looked particularly formidable in 2011 and the Grifoni will eye a win. However, a draw could be the final result.

Genoa 2-2 Roma

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20-02-2011 15:00 Fiorentina - Sampdoria

Mid-Table Security

In midweek Fiorentina gave Inter a run for their money but eventually went down 2-1 in Florence. It was a rescheduled Serie A fixture that was originally slated to be played in December, and one suspects that coach Sinisa Mihajlovic didn't really expect a victory over the Nerazzurri.

That's mainly because Fiorentina have wriggled their way out of the tentacles of the relegation octopus and are secured under the blanket of mid-table mediocrity. With 32 points from 25 matches, the Viola have a ten-point gap between themselves and the bottom-three.

Last weekend the Florence-based side accomplished their first away win of the league campaign as they defeated Palermo 4-2 in Sicily. In what was thoroughly entertaining match, Fiorentina gave a refreshing account of themselves, and will hope to win this weekend too.

Mid-Table Mediocrity

Like Fiorentina, Sampdoria won last weekend and like Fiorentina they lost in midweek. The Blucerchiati defeated Bologna 3-1 at home to station themselves in mid-table but suffered a humiliation as they went down 1-0 to Genoa in the derby In midweek.

Not that the loss has dragged the Samp into the relegation quagmire. After 25 rounds of matches, the former Italian champions find themselves in 13th place with 30 points, eight more than Brescia, who are third from bottom in the Serie A table.

Sampdoria's away form, though, makes them the second best side going into this encounter with Fiorentina in Florence. Domenico Di Carlo's men have conceded 19 goals in 12 away fixtures in the league and have won just two of them.

TEAM NEWS

Fiorentina

Vargas, Santana, Kroldrup, Jovetic and Frey are unavailable for the Viola as they are suffering from injuries.

Sampdoria

Semioli, Pozzi and Biabiany are injured and will miss the trip to Florence.

Prediction

Fiorentina appear to have turned their fortunes around and will be confident of picking up a victory against Sampdoria. The Viola have looked better at home and will just about edge past Samp.

Fiorentina 2-1 Sampdoria

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20-02-2011 15:00 Chievo Verona - Milan

Recovering From The Shock

Last weekend Chievo suffered a huge defeat as they were destroyed 4-1 by Cagliari in Sardinia. It was the Flying Donkeys' first defeat in six competitive matches and punctuated their flow.

Chievo head into this weekend's encounter with Milan 12th in the league table with 31 points from 25 matches. With nine points separating them and the relegation zone and a ten-point gulf between them and a European place, Stefano Pioli's side are indeed placed as an also-ran this season.

However, Ceo will attempt to return to winning ways and will hope to put one on over the Rossoneri. They lost 3-1 at San Siro in the reverse fixture and will have revenge on their mind as well.

Concentrating On The League

Milan's run of two successive Serie A draws came to a screeching halt last weekend as Massimiliano Allegri's team destroyed Parma 4-0 at San Siro. January signing Antonio Cassano was the conductor of the orchestra as his terrific performance restored confidence in what was then a somewhat stuttering side.

However, in midweek the former Italian and European champions slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at home in the first-leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie on Tuesday evening and are one foot out of Europe.

With a three-point advantage over second-place Napoli, Milan will now have to turn their focus back on the league and continue their stride towards their first Scudetto since 2004.

Winning in Verona against Chievo will not be easy but Milan do have a formidable record on the road this season, having lost just one away league fixture. The Diavolo have conceded just a miserly nine goals in 12 matches away from San Siro.


TEAM NEWS

Chievo

Bogliacino, Luciano and Marcolini are injured and will miss the visit of Milan. Mandelli and Sardo are suspended.

Milan

Pirlo, Zambrotta, Inzaghi, Bonera, Ambrosini and Abbiati are out injured for the Rossoneri.

Prediction

A win for Milan is expected from this encounter but the Rossoneri haven't looked entirely convincing in recent weeks and Chievo will hope to conjure up an upset at home. The Flying Donkeys have shown time and again that they can raise their game against the bigger sides in Italy and could earn a draw with Allegri's team.

Chievo 2-2 Milan

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