26-02-2011 22:00 Deportivo La Coruna - Real

Hopes Of Winning

Only three points clear of the relegation zone, the future of Deportivo La Coruna is distinctly unclear at present. Miguel Angel Lotina’s side have attained some noteworthy scalps over the course of the season, but all too often they’ve been held to draws or have slipped to narrow losses. Anything they can take from Saturday night’s match against Real Madrid would have to be considered a bonus.

Though their standing in the league suggests mediocrity, at the Riazor they’ve fared pretty well this term. Only two of their 11 league fixtures have been lost at the venue, though a 4-0 thumping by Barcelona was particularly humbling. It’s generally been Deportivo doing the slaying in the north east of Spain, with their 1-0 victory over Villarreal a fortnight ago a particularly noteworthy result.

Last weekend goalkeeper Dani Aranzubia hit the headlines when he salvaged a point for his side against Almeria, coming up for a stoppage time corner to head into the net, an act that appears to have prompted fresh confidence in the Galician side.

“I have hopes of winning, I know it's difficult but it’s possible,” Lotina is quoted as saying in Marca this week, regarding Saturday’s fixture. “We can’t make mistakes and we must try to do harm when we can develop our play.

“Winning against Madrid would retention [in the Primera Division].”

Lotina is clearly setting a lot of store in the weekend’s fixture for his team, though he clearly anticipates a ferocious battle against opponents driving for the league title. Hammered 6-1 away from home the last time the sides met, Super Depor will have to show a very different face in front of their home fans.

Step Forward

Frustrated in midweek by Olympique Lyonnais, Real Madrid go back to their business in the Primera Division knowing that even the slightest slip is likely to give Barcelona a decisive advantage in the race for the crown. Jose Mourinho’s men have been allowed back into the race by Barca’s slip against Sporting de Gijon, and it looks unlikely they’ll be given any more reprieves.

Los Blancos have plenty to consider ahead of Saturday night’s clash. They produced a rather tame performance at the Stade Gerland on Tuesday evening, though a 1-1 draw against the French side certainly allows them to take an optimistic approach into the second leg of their Champions League encounter in two-and-a-half weeks.

Mourinho would have expected his unit to hold out after Karim Benzema strutted off the bench to burst past several players and score mere seconds after arriving on the pitch, but poor defending from a set-play cost the Spaniards almost right at the death.

“We have taken a step forward,” Mourinho mused after the encounter. “It's the first time we have scored a goal in Lyon. Everything is left open against a quality opponent but I hope the Bernabeu helps the team create a magical European night.”

The Portuguese’s focus will be fully directed towards Depor on Saturday evening as the Spanish crown remains a huge priority for the Madrid giants. Historically, the Riazor has been a venue unkind to los Merengues, but after breaking their jinx last season, they will expect to continue serenely this term against opponents struggling for form.

TEAM NEWS

Deportivo

Andres Guardado is set to return to the starting XI after injury, while Saul is back with the squad too. On the other hand, Xisco will miss six weeks due to injury and Manuel Pablo is doubtful too.

Real Madrid

Sami Khedira picked up a hamstring injury against Lyon and is set to miss a couple of weeks because of the problem. Jerzy Dudek and Gonzalo Higuain continue to recover from long-term worries.

Prediction

Midweek fatigue will be a factor on Real Madrid’s part, but they should still be strong enough to see off a Deportivo La Coruna unit known for their defensive resilience. Such outfits have caused los Blancos problems in the recent past, so nothing should be taken for granted.

Deportivo 0-1 Real Madrid

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26-02-2011 20:45 Juventus - Bologna

Getting Back On Track

Juventus appeared to have recovered lost rhythm in early February as January recruit Alessandro Matri scored goals and inspired the former Italian and European champions to victories over Cagliari and Inter. Hopes of Champions League qualification resuscitated and the colour returned for the Bianconeri.

However, last weekend’s 2-0 humiliation to relegation-threatened Lecce away from home forced Luigi Del Neri’s side to crash down to earth. It was only their fourth away defeat of the league campaign but saw them slip to seventh in the league standings on 41 points from 26 matches, a solitary point off a Europa League slot.

On Saturday the Old Lady will attempt to get back on her feet as Bologna come to Turin. Juve failed to win against the Felsinei in the reverse fixture in October but striker Alessandro Del Piero claims that this time they are ready.

"I am training well and we are all working in the best way,” enthused Del Piero on Thursday. “There is no point saying how important our game against Bologna is after losing to Lecce.

"Our focus in on winning and I have been thinking about this game since last Sunday."

Bouncing Back From Midweek Defeat

Bologna are one of the better sides at home in Serie A and based solely on home record the Rossoblu would be eighth in the league standings. However, in midweek they suffered only their second loss at the Renato Dall'Ara as they went down 1-0 to Roma.

On Saturday Bologna will travel to Turin to take on another Champions League hopefuls in Juventus. In the reverse fixture at home this season Alberto Malesani’s side collected a point from the encounter and with the Bianconeri’s current state of fragile health, they will be confident of conjuring up an upset.

Currently placed 12th in the table with 32 points, Bologna will also be keen on increasing the gap between themselves and the relegation zone and reaching the 40-point mark.

However, Bologna’s away form is poor as of the 13 league encounters they have featured in away from home, they have won just two and lost seven. Their last match on the road ended in a 2-1 defeat to Sampdoria in Genoa.

TEAM NEWS

Juventus

Rinaudo, De Ceglie, Quagliarella and Sissoko are injured for the Bianconeri. Buffon is suspended.

Bologna

Ekdal and Garics are injured, while Ramirez is suspended.

Prediction

Juventus lost to Lecce last weekend but the former Italian champions will be keen to bounce back at home against Bologna. The visitors do not have an exceptionally frightening away record and a draw is the maximum they can hope for. However, Juve should just carve out a win.

Juventus 2-1 Bologna

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26-02-2011 20:00 Mallorca - Barcelona

Not To Be Sniffed At

That Mallorca lie in the middle of the Primera Division table is quite an achievement. Plundered for their best players last season because of their inclement financial position, the Balearic Islanders were left to rebuild their side with a new coach. Michael Laudrup has done a fine job at the Iberostar Estadi, though his latest assignment, meeting Barcelona head on at home, will rank as one of his toughest.

Last weekend, els Barralets slipped to a 1-0 defeat in the Basque Lands when they met Real Sociedad, though a week previously they beat Champions League hopefuls Athletic Bilbao at home, where many of their best results are earned.

Even in losing at Anoeta, Laudrup gleamed positives from the performance, though he would also confessed that his side put together their best run in the match too late.

“In the last 20 minutes we tried to react, but it was too late,” the Dane considered of the affair, which was played in miserable conditions. “After the break, we have gone to pieces. We knew that the wind could create problems, and unfortunately it has.”

Laudrup’s achievements this season with Mallorca have seen him linked to several bigger clubs, and his notoriety will only grown should the Islanders again upset one of their coach’s former sides.


Crisis Talk Premature

Barcelona approach the business end of the season well placed to pick up another treble, but Pep Guardiola’s side have shown some signs of discomfort in recent weeks. A surprise draw at the hands of Sporting de Gijon was followed by Champions League defeat at Arsenal, and though they accomplished their task by beating Athletic Bilbao at home last weekend, a trip to Mallorca will be no easy task.

The Islanders are one of only three teams to have taken Primera Division points from the Catalans this season, working industriously to earn a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou back in October.

But while Barca have fumbled with their form for the first time in four months, there has been cause for celebration off the park as coach Pep Guardiola has finally penned a new contract, which will keep him at the club until the end of the 2011-12 season, potentially making him la Blaugrana’s fourth longest-serving coach of all-time.

And he remains unflustered over newspaper talk suggesting the wheels are coming off the club’s bandwagon. “We are accustomed to hearing about crisis talks. We heard it last season when we were leading by 12 points over [Real] Madrid,” he pointed out to the press. “No matter what happens at the end of the season, nothing will change about the opinion I have about these players.”

Leading los Blancos by five points in the Primera Division, Barca will hope to be eight clear by full-time, allowing them to focus on a difficult midweek encounter against Valencia.

TEAM NEWS

Mallorca

Ivan Ramis and Victor Casedesus missed out last weekend and are not expected to be involved on Saturday evening.

Barcelona

Pep Guardiola has some significant selection headaches ahead of this trip. Xavi, Victor Valdes and Carles Puyol are all poised to sit out due to injury, while Dani Alves is suspended. Barca’s strength in depth is set to be significantly tested.

Prediction

This promises to be one of Barcelona’s great tests this season, even if the opposition are not especially illustrious. Mallorca are competitive at home and won’t give the Catalans this match easily. Under Guardiola’s guidance, Barca have thrived when the pressure’s been on, so expect a narrow away success.

Mallorca 0-2 Barcelona

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26-02-2011 18:30 Bayern Munchen - Borussia Dortmund

Wanting To Show Who Is Number One

Although some will claim a free week following a comfortable victory stroll on the domestic front is the ideal preparation for a crunch fixture against a team of the calibre of Borussia Dortmund, the Champions League fixture with Inter should have presented no such problems for Bayern Munich. Year after year, the ability to deal with fighting on multiple fronts and one big game after another have become ingrained in the club culture.

Bayern's form has unquestionably spiked upwards since the reunification of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery in Louis van Gaal's starting line-up. The Dutchman in particular is one of the world's finest players, even if his talents are not always appreciated by the wider footballing community due to his patchy fitness record.

Bolstered by their wonderful wingers, Bayern went some way to exacting revenge on Inter for last year's Champions League final defeat. Der Rekordmeister perhaps walked the tightrope on occasions, especially as Samuel Eto'o was in the mood. However, they found the perfect balance between defence and attack against an Inter side who have a reputation for not keeping clean sheets. Unsurprisingly, van Gaal believes that it will be a more difficult task this weekend:

"We can definitely still improve in possession. Inter have a very good team. We have made a good stride forward. It will be more difficult against Dortmund. We have this game in our legs and we have to play as early as Saturday."

This is probably a bigger game for Bayern than Dortmund although it promises to be a feisty encounter. In spite of Dortmund's mammoth advantage over Bayern, Christian Nerlinger believes that Bayern remain the premier club in the Bundesliga. The sporting director pointed out that the likes of Wolfsburg and Stuttgart had been surprise champions in recent years and neither had been able to maintain the consistency demanded of a top club. Given Dortmund's superior pedigree and incredible fanbase, as well as one of Europe's best stadia, the odds must be on der BVB providing a much greater threat to Bayern's status as king in the medium to long term.

Aus-sie Up To It?

Unlike their opponents, runaway league leaders Borussia Dortmund had no European adventure during the week however, that did not mean a lack of drama in the Ruhrpott. On Tuesday, Roman Weidenfeller, enjoying the best season of his career, suffered a knee injury after a collision with centre-half Mats Hummels. The 30-year-old, who recently signed a new contract to ward off interest from Aston Villa, now sees his ever-present status placed in great danger.

Of course, one man's misfortune is often another's opportunity and in this case, Dortmund's second choice goalie Mitchell Langerak stands to benefit. Langerak hails from Australia, who have produced a string of fine keepers over the years, including Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist. And that's just in cricket! The 22-year-old Langerak is seen as their heir apparent in the Socceroos team to Mark Schwarzer and he has some pedigree, finishing runner-up in the A-League with his former side Melbourne Victory in 2010. Juergen Klopp remains unruffled.

"It's getting better and the pain is going down. We will leave the decision to the last moment. If he shakes the injury off, he will play. [If not], then one of the best Australian goalkeepers will deputise between the sticks for one of the best German keepers," he told the club's website.

On the pitch, Dortmund are ticking over nicely and whilst not quite at the level of their scintillating form of the Hinrunde, they displayed the ruthlessness of champions last week in their 2-0 victory over an in-form St Pauli. Lucas Barrios was on the scoresheet with a fine finish and he will relish the duel with the Bundesliga's sharpest shooter Mario Gomez. Crucially for the visitors, Neven Subotic is reunited with Mats Hummels. The Serb had a game to forget in Kaiserslautern two weeks ago and will need to be back to his imperious best if die Borussen are to put the final nail in Bayern's coffin.

TEAM NEWS

Bayern Munich

Danijel Pranjic is a major doubt after coming off during Bayern's Champions League win in Milan with an adductor problem. Holger Badstuber would be the most likely deputy with Breno slotting in alongside Anatoliy Tymoschuk at the heart of the defence. Given his fine display in midweek, it seems likely that Luiz Gustavo will retain his midfield spot alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger.

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

Borussia Dortmund

As discussed above, it looks likely that Roman Weidenfeller's knee injury will rule him out although understandably, Dortmund will do everything possible to have him right for the Saturday teatime fixture. Should he not make it, Australian stopper Mitchell Langerak will deputise. Neven Subotic returns from suspension to partner Mats Hummels and Kuba should make his return on the right wing after injury. His compatriot Robert Lewandowski is on standby, and he would line up behind Barrios with Goetze moving out to the flank.

Probable Starting XI: Langerak - Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer - Bender, Sahin - Blaszczykowski, Goetze, Grosskreutz - Barrios

Prediction

It's eminently possible to make a case for all three results and in such circumstances, a draw is perhaps the most likely outcome. Forget the talk of a possibly jaded Bayern, they will be right up for this match. Equally, Dortmund will want to underline their championship mettle and no quarter will be given on either side.

Bayern Munich 2-2 Borussia

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26-02-2011 18:00 Atletico Madrid - Sevilla

Need To Find Form.... And Fast

Atletico Madrid haven’t been enjoying the best of weeks. After a period where the club confirmed huge debts, and Argentine legend Diego Maradona announced that he could see his son-in-law Sergio Aguero exiting the Vicente Calderon soon, it’s imperative that Quique Sanchez Flores and his men look to end the distraction off the field, and gain some momentum on it.

After four straight defeats was ended with a 1-0 win last weekend away to Real Zaragoza, Atletico will look to string two wins together for the first time since Christmas. The start of the year has seen them win only once, to Mallorca and suffer a run of defeats, not least being knocked out of the Copa Del Rey against Real Madrid. This same period has seen Atleti drop out of contention for the European places and starting to slide towards the bottom half, which was stemmed by last week’s much-needed victory – not a place where the outgoing Europa League holders would want to be.

With no distractions from Europe or Copa Del Rey duty, the remaining 14 games of the season should see them climb up the table and finally find some form towards the end of the season. All the remaining games with the exception of Real Madrid and perhaps high-flying Villarreal to come next month, look winnable on paper. Should they fail, Maradona’s words may prove to become true.

Continental qualification, the aim for Sevilla

Los Nervionenses bowed out of the Europa League on Wednesday night despite recording an impressive 1-0 win in Porto, yet the damage had been done in a poor first leg which led to their away goal defeat. Sevilla were on the back foot for most of the game, yet still found chances to break Porto’s dominance, something which must happen in La Liga if they are to taste continental football next season.

Their league form mirrors that of Atletico Madrid with only one win in their last five outings. They laboured to a 1-0 victory over Hercules last weekend courtesy of new boy Ivan Rakitic. It was their first win in six matches in all competitions and they don’t want to repeat that against Atletico.

Only three points behind the Europa League spots, Sevilla could put a bit of daylight between them and Quique Sanchez Flores’ side and continue to secure a place in Europe next season. They too have problems off the field with the hierarchy getting impatient with Gregorio Manzano, ironically they want Atletico’s Flores to replace him. A defeat may spell the end for Manzano.

TEAM NEWS

Atletico Madrid

Diego Forlan is rated doubtful for Saturday’s clash as he continues to recover from a sprained ankle. New signing Elias Mendes is available for Los Colchoneros whilst Diego Godin has recovered and Mario Suarez returns from suspension.

Sevilla

Ivorian midfielder Romaric has trained on Thursday after the Europa League exit and is marked as available for the game against Atletico. Martin Caceres is recovering as he overcomes an adductor problem. Andres Palop is also expected to pass a late fitness test.

Prediction

Both teams know the importance of this game, and with some of La Liga’s best strikers on show on both sides, goals shouldn’t be hard to come by. Difficult to pick out a winner, yet Atletico have had longer to prepare, and are more desperate for the win.

Atletico Madrid 2-1 Sevilla

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26-02-2011 16:00 Wolverhampton Wanderers - Blackpool

* Wolverhampton Wanderers lost only once during the last 11 games in the 2009-09 and the 2009-10 season.

* The home side have won all their games this season by margins of just one goal.

* Wolves are one of only three teams to have won every division - Burnley and Preston are the two.

* They were also the first team to use floodlights in a game.

* Mick McCarthy's men have only managed wins this season against teams in the top seven and local rivals.

* Blackpool have done the double over Liverpool this season.

* The Seasiders' biggest win of the season was 4-0 against Wigan Athletic.

* DJ Campbell is the club's leading scorer with nine goals in the current campaign.

* Charlie Adam has assisted in seven of Blackpool's goals during the course of the season.

* Bloomfield Road is the smallest capacity in the Premier League, with a capacity of just 16,220.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Wolves: Hennessey; Elokobi, Berra, Stearman, Zubar; Foley, Henry, Milijas, O'Hara, Jarvis; Doyle.

Blackpool: Kingson; Eardley, Evatt, Baptiste, Cathcart; Vaughan, Sylvestre, Southern, Kornilenko; Campbell, Beattie.

Prediction

Wolves tend to do well in their last 11 games of the season and will be looking to continue that run against Blackpool.

The Black Country side will be looking to bounce back from their dissapointment at conceding a late goal in the local derby with West Brom last weekend.

Blackpool will be without the influential Charlie Adam and Wolves will seek to take advantage of this.

 

Wolves 2-1 Blackpool

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26-02-2011 16:00 Wigan Athletic - Manchester United

* Wigan Athletic have lost each of their 11 Premier League meetings with Manchester United.

* The aggregate score for the matches is United 37-4 Wigan.

* Wayne Rooney has scored nine goals in 12 matches in all competitions against the Latics.

* Wigan have only taken the lead in three of the games.

* Hugo Rodallega is Wigan's top scorer with seven Premier League goals and is the only recognised striker to have netted in the top-flight this season.

* Wigan have scored just one goal in their last seven meetings in all competitions against United.

* Dimitar Berbatov has scored five goals in eight Premier League matches against Wigan.

* United (57) have scored more than double the number of Premier League goals Wigan (27) have this season.

* The Red Devils have won just three away games out of 12 league games through the course of the current campaign.

* Wigan are the joint second lowest scoring team in the Premier League.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS


Wigan Athletic: Al Habsi; Ghouri, Alcaraz, G Caldwell, Figueroa; McCarthy, Thomas, Diame; Moses, Rodallega, N'Zogbia.

Manchester United: van der Sar; Rafael Da Silva, Smalling, Vidic, Evra; Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs; Rooney, Hernandez.

Prediction

United never got out of first gear against Marseille and drew, but a similarly disappointing performance would be just enough to claim the points against the relegation battlers.

 

Wigan Athletic 0-1 Man Utd.

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26-02-2011 16:00 Newcastle United - Bolton Wanderers

* Newcastle have kept four clean sheets in their last eight games. Yes, the side once known as ‘The Entertainers’ for their suicidal tendency to charge forward have tightened up at the back. Not that the home fans would realise, as three of those shutouts were on the road.
* The Magpies are a bit draw happy at the moment, before their 2-0 win over Birmingham last week they had drawn four of their last five games.
* Newcastle have scored 30 goals at home this season, that puts them second only to Manchester United and level with Arsenal.
* But they’re also bottom of the Premier League’s fair play table, proving that you don’t have to play dirty to win big. Although they’re down there thanks largely to good scores in the ‘respect towards referee’ and ‘respect towards opponents’ – whatever that means.
* Bolton’s record so far this season has them on cloud nine, literally. With nine wins, nine draws and (you guessed it) nine losses they’re sitting on 36 points – which is obviously divisible by nine.
* On the theme of nines, if Newcastle win on Saturday, they’ll climb above their opponents leaving Bolton ninth in the table. Not that the visitors should fear a spooky 90th minute winner – Newcastle shipped out No.9 Andy Carroll and No.19 Xisco in January.
* Their away record has been a bit more of a reality check, with only two wins all season – against West Ham and Wolves. So don't put your house on an away win!
* In fact, since they beat Wolves back in November they haven’t collected a single point on their travels, so a draw doesn't look too likely either.
* Bolton’s top scorer this season is Johan Elmander with nine goals (not that number again), which is enough to put him on level terms with Fernando Torres, Asamoah Gyan and Samir Nasri.
* But not quite enough to top Newcastle’s sharpshooter Kevin Nolan on 10 goals, or Andy Carroll who’d bagged 11 goals before leaving for Liverpool.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Newcastle: Harper; Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique; Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez; Best, Lovenkrands.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen; Alonso, Cahill, Wheater, Robinson; Elmander, Muamba, Holden, Petrov; Sturridge, Kevin Davies.

Prediction

The form book suggests this is a no-brainer, but Bolton did not get into eighth position in the league by being a bad team – even if their away record is atrocious. And the visitors will be buoyed by an away win against Fulham last weekend, even if that was in the FA Cup.

Newcastle have developed a habit of ploughing through adversity this season, but you get the feeling that their lack of firepower up front may well catch up with them. A low scoring draw is the most likely result and both managers would probably take it.

 

Newcastle 1-1 Bolton

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26-02-2011 16:00 Everton - Sunderland

* Everton's current league position (14th) is their lowest at this stage of the season since the 2003/2004 campaign, when they were struggling in 16th after 26 games.

* The hosts haven't kept a clean sheet in the league for nine games in a row.

* There have been 15 goals in total in the last three Premier League matches at Goodison Park.

* Louis Saha has scored six times in his last four appearances for the Toffees at home.

* Tim Cahill has scored five times against Sunderland in the Premier League, his second highest total against a single club.

* Sunderland are currently 10 points better off than they were at this stage last season, whereas Everton are eight points worse off.

* Steve Bruce's side will have gone through February pointless if they lose on Saturday.

* Sunderland haven't beaten Everton in any of their last 12 Premier League clashes.

* The Black Cats have conceded 12 goals in their last three trips to Goodison Park.

* If Sunderland lose at Goodison, it will be the first time that they have lost four league games in a row since April 2009.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Everton: Howard; Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Coleman, Arteta, Fellaini, Osman; Cahill; Saha.

Sunderland: Gordon; Onuoha, Bramble, Mensah, Bardsley; Malbranque, Henderson, Muntari, Sessegnon, Richardson; Gyan.

Prediction

Confidence will be sky high for the home team, as they knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup on penalties last Saturday. And manager David Moyes will be looking to make the most of the positive attitude around Goodison Park at the moment to finally try and find a period of consistency.

Sunderland have become a formidable outfit this season and would send a serious warning to the teams around them if they were to take three points away from Merseyside. However, a buoyant home crowd should be able to help the hosts over the line.

 

Everton 2-0 Sunderland

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26-02-2011 16:00 Aston Villa - Blackburn Rovers

* Aston Villa are looking to score their 500th Premier League goal at Villa Park on Saturday.

* Villa have knocked Blackburn out of both the FA Cup and League Cup for the second consecutive season, winning every single tie.

* But whilst Villa have the advantage in the cups, it is Rovers who have the upper hand in the league - winning their last three matches against Gerard Houllier's charges in the Premier League.

* You have to go back to January 2008 for the last time the two sides drew a fixture, and remarkably, this will be the 11th meeting between them since that draw. This statistic is completely at odds with the Premier League history books - which tell us that there have been more draws at Villa Park (111) than at any other Premier League team.

* Villa's 3-1 victory against Blackburn in the FA Cup at the end of January is the last time Villa won a game - with Houllier's men losing to Manchester United and then drawing against Fulham and Blackpool in their next three games.

* The history books also have these two teams paired together on more than one occasion. The first ever game at Villa Park was a friendly between the two sides, and the biggest league defeat in Aston Villa's history also came against Saturday's opponents - a 7-0 drubbing by Rovers way back in 1899.

* No Premier League side has hit the woodwork more than Aston Villa this season - with the Midlands team hitting the bar and post 16 times.

* Despite sitting in 11th place in the table, Blackburn Rovers travel to Villa Park having not won in the Premier League since a 2-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion just over a month ago.

* The league is so congested this season that although the hosts sit in 16th place, a win would see them leapfrog Steve Kean's Rovers - who sit two points and five places above them in 11th.

* Blackburn's away form will likely be a worry for fans travelling south to Villa Park this Saturday. Steve Kean's men have gone 13 away games in the Premier League without keeping a clean sheet - losing six of their last seven away games and conceding 23 goals in the process.

* Perhaps surprisingly, Blackburn are also the only Premier League team not to recoup any points from a game where they have been trailing this season.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Aston Villa: Friedel; Walker, Dunne, Collins, Clark; Downing, Bradley, Reo-Coker, Agbonlahor; Ashley Young; Bent.

Blackburn Rovers: Robinson; Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Olsson; Hoilett, Nzonzi, Dunn, Pedersen; Santa Cruz, Kalinic.

Prediction

Although Rovers are five places above Villa in the league, Villa have too much quality to drop points this weekend. Steve Kean has encouraged his side to play more expansive football than Rovers fans were used to under Sam Allardyce, but that could play into the hands of the home side - with the likes of Downing, Young, Agbonlahor and Bent being able to produce lightening quick counter-attacks.

Ryan Nelsen and Christopher Samba will need to be constantly aware when dealing with the poaching instincts of Darren Bent. And while Junior Hoilett could cause the Villa defence problems like he did when the two sides last met in January, Villa should be able to pick up the three points and leap above Blackburn in the congested league table.

Aston Villa 2-0 Blackburn

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25.-27. 02.2011. Bundesliga Preview Round 24

Friday (all times local)
20:30 – Wolfsburg – Moenchengladbach

Saturday
15:30 Kaiserslautern – Hamburg
15:30 Schalke – Nuernberg
15:30 Koeln – Freiburg
15:30 Hoffenheim – Mainz
15:30 St Pauli – Hannover
18:30 Bayern Munich – Dortmund

Sunday
15:30 Frankfurt – Stuttgart
17:30 Werder Bremen – Bayer Leverkusen

Wolfsburg – Moenchengladbach

Wolfsburg’s 2-1 loss to Freiburg last Saturday marked the 2009 champions’ second consecutive defeat under new coach Pierre Littbarski, and fourth straight overall. Die Woelfe are now seriously fighting to avoid relegation, making their match against table-bottom side Gladbach especially important. Heading into Friday’s match, Littbarski has ruled out Diego Benaglio, Josue, Tolga Cigerci, Alexander Madlung, Thomas Kahlenberg and Grafite.

In their first match under Lucien Favre, Gladbach came back to earn a 2-1 win over Schalke and draw level on points with Stuttgart. Die Fohlen are still far from safety, but could quickly rise up the table if they can gather momentum. As they visit Wolfsburg, Favre’s men will be missing Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Jean-Sebastian Jaures and Karim Matour, who are injured.

Kaiserslautern – Hamburg

Last week’s 3-0 loss to Hannover marked Kaiserslautern’s sixth consecutive game without a win, and left the roten Teufel in the relegation zone. With sleeping giants ahead of them, the promoted side may find it tough to avoid a quick drop back to the 2. Bundesliga. Their next task against a strong Hamburg side will be made all the more difficult in the absence of injured trio Ivo Ilicevic, Jan Simunek and Oliver Kirch.

Hamburg took part in three derbies in little more than a week, and came out victorious in two, raising their table position to seventh place. With Frank Arnesen joining as sporting director in the summer, Rothosen have a bright future on the horizon, but will need to end the year strong in order to qualify for the Europa League. As they visit Kaiserslautern, HSV will be missing Dennis Diekmeier and Romeo Castelen.

Schalke – Nuernberg

After going ahead early against Gladbach, Schalke fell apart last week and lost 2-1 to Gladbach. In the aftermath, Manuel Neuer criticised coach Felix Magath, leaving the goalkeeper’s future in doubt. Die Knappen need a win against Nuernberg on Saturday, but will have to do without an sunfit contingent including Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Christian Pander, Angelos Charisteas, Tim Hoogland, Christoph Moritz, Levan Kenia and Danilo Avelar.

Nuernberg extended their improbable run to four consecutive wins with last Friday’s 3-0 triumph against Frankfurt, effectively eliminating the Bavarians from the relegation fight. Now in mid-table, der Club can hope to finish the season with a good run to give loanee Mehmet Ekici and coveted starlet Ilkay Guendogan a reason not to leave in the summer. Guendogan is not yet fit to make his return, and Mike Frantz and Albert Bunjaku are both unavailable. As well, in-form midfielder Almog Cohen is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the campaign.

Koeln – Freiburg

Koeln were held to a draw last week, but nonetheless remain in good standing with a three-point cushion ahead of the relegation lay-off. Die Geissboecke will hope to secure their spot in the 2011-12 Bundesliga campaign sooner than later, and a win against Freiburg would go a long way towards such an end. Star centre half Pedro Geromel will have to miss out for the next few weeks due to muscular problems, and the Brazilian will be joined by a long list of unavailable players. Petit and Miso Brecko are both suspended, and Kevin McKenna, Christopher Schorch, Adil Chihi, Adam Matuschyk and Slawomir Peszko are unfit.

Talismanic striker Papiss Cisse was back on target for Freiburg last week, as his side earned a 2-1 win against Wolfsburg. Freiburg are still in the running for a Europa League spot, but have the likes of Hamburg and Nuernberg nipping at their heels. Ahead of Saturday’s match, Robin Dutt has ruled out Jan Rosenthal, Jonathan Jaeger, Simon Pouplin, Pavel Krmas, Tommy Bechmann, Julian Schuster and Daniel Williams.

Hoffenheim – Mainz

Hoffenheim missed out on a good chance to move closer to a Europa League berth last week, but have the opportunity to make up for lost ground as they face Mainz, who are direct rivals for a top five position. The village side will be without Tobias Weis, Manuel Gulde, Chinedu Obasi and Edson Braafheid.

Mainz slumped to yet another disappointing defeat last week as they lost 3-0 to Bayern. The once high-flying “oh fives” have nearly a fully fit squad, but are in freefall at the moment. Thomas Tuchel is expected to try new tactics ahead of the Mainz match, but will be unable to make plans for Adam Szalai, who is out for the season.

St Pauli – Hannover

St Pauli’s three-game winning streak came to a halt last week as they lost to Dortmund, but the Buccaneers remain likely candidates to avoid the drop. Heading into Saturday’s clash with Hannover, Holger Stanislawski has called up media man Hauke Brueckner, who could make his debut as a substitute at the age of 30. Markus Thorandt is suspended, and Bastian Oczipka, Fabio Morena, Carsten Rothenbach and Florian Lechner are all lacking fitness and will not participate.

Hannover’s improbable run continued with last week’s 3-0 win against Kaiserslautern, leaving die Roten just a single point behind Bayern in fourth place. As they visit the hostile Millerntor-Stadion, the Saxons will have to manage without talismanic striker Didier Ya Konan, who is struggling with a knee injury. Additionally, Christopher Avevor and Leon Andreasen have been ruled out due to injuries.

Bayern Munich – Dortmund

Bayern got their revenge on Inter on Wednesday in a physically and emotionally draining, but morale boosting match. The Bavarians really have hit peak form as of late, and now will hope to put some pressure on the league leaders on Saturday. Danijel Pranjic is expected to be fit to play, meaning that Ivica Olic will be the only man missing on Saturday.

Things have not gone entirely as planned for Dortmund this spring, but the Ruhr remain well ahead of the competition and remain heavy title favourites. BVB visit Munich with little need for more than a point but have pledged to attack and seek all three to complete a season sweep of the defending champions. Roman Weidenfeller picked up a knee injury in training this week, but is expected to start. Shinji Kagawa, Mohamed Zidan, Sebastian Kehl and Patrick Owomoyela are less fortunate, and will watch from the stands on Saturday.

Frankfurt – Stuttgart

Frankfurt’s crisis continued last Friday as the Adler lost 3-0 to Nuernberg, extending their scoreless streak to six matches. Michael Skibbe’s side has dramatically dropped in the table, and relegation is not far away; his men will face a hungry and potentially dangerous but beatable Stuttgart side on Sunday. Oka Nikolov, Caio, Chris and Zlatan Bajramovic will be unavailable for selection due to injuries.

Stuttgart crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday, after extending their losing streak to four consecutive matches in all competitions. They visit Freiburg while level on points with basement side Gladbach, and will have serious personnel problems this weekend. Ciprian Marica remains suspended by his club, and Cacau and Pavel Pogrebnyak are both injured, meaning that the Schwaben will have few options for the centre forward position. Additionally, Marc Ziegler, Arthur Boka, Christian Gentner, Johan Audel, Mamadou Bah and Philipp Degen are nursing knocks and will miss out.

Werder Bremen – Bayer Leverkusen

Despite last week’s 4-0 collapse to Hamburg in the Nordderby, Bremen sporting director Klaus Allofs has kept his faith in coach Thomas Schaaf and instead blamed his players for their poor performance. With the Hanseaten flirting with relegation, Schaaf will have to tinker with his line-up to find the right combination of willing and capable players. Skipper Torsten Frings is suspended, and a several key figures are unfit: the injury list includes Naldo, Wesley, Felix Kroos, Sebastian Boenisch, Daniel Jensen, Samuel, Christian Vander and Onur Ayik.

Leverkusen have hit peak form over the last few weeks, following a 6-0 aggregate Europa League win over Metalist and domestic victories against Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Die Werkself remain second and will be keen to hold onto their position, which is the last that allows for automatic qualification for the Champions League. As his team visits Bremen, Jupp Heynckes will be missing only Fabian Giefer and Tranquillo Barnetta.

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25.-27. 02. 2011. Eredivisie Preview Round 25

Friday
VVV - Excelsior
Saturday
Willem II - Heerenveen
Roda - De Graafschap
Heracles - Vitesse
NAC - ADO Den Haag
Sunday
Feyenoord - Groningen
PSV - Ajax
AZ - Twente
NEC - Utrecht






On Friday, relegation threatened VVV host Rotterdam side Excelsior in what could prove to be a crucial game in the battle against relegation. The home side were beaten 1-0 by Ajax last week and currently sit 17th in the league table with only 13 points. Excelsior on the other hand picked up the full three points against Willem II last week and are 16th in the league with 22 points.

On Saturday, number last Willem II will take on Heerenveen. The Tilburgers have been struggling all season and have won only once this term. Excelsior proved to be too much of an obstacle for the Tricolores last week. The Friezen haven't been too impressive either and sit only ninth in the table at the moment. They were beaten 2-0 by AZ last week and have collected 34 points so far.

Kerkrade side Roda will have to deal with De Graafschap and they'll be brimming with confidence following their impressive 4-1 away win over Groningen last Saturday. The Limburgers currently sit seventh in the table with 39 points. The away side were beaten 2-0 by Vitesse last weekend and are 12th in the Eredivisie at the moment with 26 points.

Heracles take on ambitious Arnhem side Vitesse and the hosts will be eager to build on their 1-1 draw against Utrecht last week. They currently sit 13th in the league table, but the gap to the drop zone is only three points. Vitesse recorded a 2-0 home win over De Graafschap last week and consequently climbed to 14th spot with exactly as many points as their opponents.

Beleaguered Breda side NAC meet in form ADO Den Haag on Saturday evening in what will be yet another difficult match for NAC. They have been in poor form ever since the winter break and were heavily beaten 4-1 by rivals PSV last Sunday. NAC have dropped to 11th spot as a result. Den Haag recorded a 2-2 draw against Feyenoord last week and the Residentieclub will be eager to return to winning ways at the weekend. They are fifth in the table at the moment.

On Sunday, fallen Eredivisie giants Feyenoord lock horns with Groningen in what promises to be an entertaining game. The Rotterdam side have been struggling all season long, but they're slowly finding their form. They recorded a 2-2 draw against ADO Den Haag last week, while they beat Heracles the week before. Nevertheless, the Stadionclub still sit only 15th in the league table with 25 points from 24 games. Groningen have every reason to be pleased with their results so far this term, even though the league title is no longer a realistic option following their recent results. They were heavily beaten 4-1 by Roda last week, while they spilled points the week before against De Graafschap. Groningen sit fourth at the moment with 44 points.

Elsewhere, table toppers PSV meet domestic rivals Ajax in the absolute clash of the week. The Eindhoven side cruised to a comfortable 4-1 win over NAC last week and have so far collected 53 points from 24 games. Head coach Fred Rutten will be quite pleased to see that he pretty much has a full squad available, even though he still has to make do without the services of young attacker Jonathan Reis due to injury. Ajax put in a far from impressive performance against VVV last week, but they won't care too much about it as they eventually recorded a 1-0 loss. The Godenzonen currently sit third in the league table with 48 points from 24 games and they can't afford to spill points in Eindhoven if they are to keep their title chances alive. Head coach Frank de Boer doesn't have too many injury worries ahead of Sunday's game, with only Nicolas Lodeiro and Demy de Zeeuw not fully match fit.

Reigning champions Twente await a difficult game as well as they travel to Alkmaar for the away game against 2008-09 champions AZ. The Alkmaar side recorded an impressive 2-0 away win over Heerenveen last week and will be high on confidence. They currently sit sixth in the table with 40 points. Twente were somewhat surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw in the home match against NEC last weekend, but they are still second with 51 points from 24 games.

Finally, Nijmegen outfit NEC will have to deal with Utrecht in the last game of matchday 25. The hosts caused Twente all kinds of trouble last week and eventually left Enschede with a 1-1 draw in the bag. They currently sit tenth in the league table with 31 points. Utrecht failed to impress at home against Heracles last week and had to settle for a 1-1 draw. The Domestedelingen are eighth in the standings at the moment.

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Premier League Opta Facts - 26-28 February

Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers

• There have been more draws at Villa Park (111) than at any other team in Premier League history.
• Aston Villa have been drawn against Blackburn in both the FA Cup and the League Cup in each of the last two seasons, with Villa progressing on all four occasions. In contrast, Blackburn have won all three Premier League meetings in the last two seasons.
• Aston Villa have kept one clean sheet in their last 17 Premier League matches.
• Rovers have gone 13 away games in the Premier League without keeping a clean sheet.
• Blackburn have lost six of their last seven Premier League away games, conceding 23 goals in those seven games.
• Darren Bent has scored 46 goals in the Premier League since the start of the 2008/09 season, no player has netted more in this period.

Everton v Sunderland

• Tim Cahill has scored five goals in nine Premier League appearances against Sunderland.
• Louis Saha has scored five goals in eight Premier League games against Sunderland but none of those in his four appearances against them in an Everton shirt.
• Everton have lost none of the last 12 Premier League games against Sunderland.
• The Black Cats have dropped 20 points from winning positions this season (more than any other team) including two against Everton earlier this season.
• Sunderland have conceded 12 goals in their last three trips to Goodison Park.
• It is nine games since Everton kept a clean sheet in the Premier League and they have conceded at least two in six of their last seven matches.
• Sunderland have lost their last three Premier League matches, they haven't lost four in a row since April 2009.

Newcastle United v Bolton Wanderers

• Bolton have won just one of their last 12 Premier League away games and lost the last six in a row.
• Bolton have won just one of their 10 Premier League games at St James' Park and have failed to score in the last two.
• Newcastle have scored only one first half goal in their last six league games.
• Only Arsenal (0) have lost fewer Premier League games in 2011 than Newcastle.
• Owen Coyle's side have scored fewer Premier League goals in 2011 than any other side (6).
• The Trotters have conceded the most fouls in the Premier League this season (372), with Kevin Davies contributing 83 of those.
• Newcastle are the most fouled side in the top-flight this term, suffering 365 fouls.

Wigan Athletic v Manchester United

• Manchester United have won all 12 matches they have played against Wigan in all competitions scoring 37 goals and conceding just four.
• Wayne Rooney has scored nine goals in 12 games in all competitions against Wigan.
• Wigan have only scored one goal in their last seven matches against Man Utd.
• Dimitar Berbatov has scored five goals in eight Premier League games against Wigan.
• 12 members of Manchester United's current squad have scored Premier League goals against Wigan before.
• Park Ji-Sung has scored four goals from just five shots on target (eight shots overall) in the Premier League this season.
• Manchester United have conceded the first goal in a game on four occasions this season in the Premier League, but have yet to lose (three draws, one win).

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackpool

• Blackpool's win over Wolves ended a run of 14 without a win against the team from the Black Country in all competitions.
• Blackpool have lost their last three Premier League away games, conceding nine goals in the process.
• The Seasiders have gone 10 Premier League games without a clean sheet.
• Only West Brom (6) have picked up fewer points in 2011 than Wolves and Blackpool (both 7).
• Charlie Adam is the only player to have reached double figures in bookings this season in the Premier League (10).
• Wolves have conceded seven goals in the 90^th minute or later in the Premier League this season; more than any other team.

West Ham United v Liverpool

• Liverpool have won their last four Premier League games against West Ham, scoring three goals in each match.
• West Ham have lost 13 of their last 16 Premier League encounters with the Reds.
• West Ham have kept only one clean sheet in their last eight Premier League home games against Liverpool.
• West Ham's last seven Premier League goals have been scored by forwards.
• Raul Meireles has scored in five of Liverpool's last six games.
• Liverpool have not won three Premier League away games in succession since May 2009.
• If the season had started on January 1 2011, Liverpool would be third.

Manchester City v Fulham

• Manchester City have won only one of their last seven Premier League home games against Fulham.
• Both teams have scored in the last 13 Premier League games between Manchester City and Fulham.
• 10 of the last 11 Premier League clashes between City and Fulham have gone over 2.5 goals.
• Carlos Tevez has scored six goals in City's last five Premier League games.
• Fulham have scored only two first half goals in eight Premier League games in 2011.
• The Cottagers have conceded just five goals in the Premier League in 2011; no side have let in fewer.
• Fulham's Moussa Dembélé has committed 38 fouls in the league without being booked this term; more than any other player.

Stoke City v West Bromwich Albion

• Stoke have won all three of their Premier League games against West Brom, keeping a clean sheet in each match.
• Albion have drawn three of their last four league games.
• Stoke are the only Premier League team not to draw a game in 2011.
• Since the turn of 2011, West Brom have won fewer points in the Premier League than any other side (6).
• Stoke have scored six goals in the 90^th minute or later in the Premier League this season; more than any other side.
• The Potters have won seven and drawn one of the eight Premier League matches that they have netted the first goal in this season.

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Carling Cup Final Opta Facts - 27 February

Arsenal v Birmingham City

• Nicklas Bendtner has scored six goals in his last seven Carling Cup appearances.
• Arsenal have made the League Cup final on six previous occasions, winning just twice.
• Arsenal have met Birmingham only once in the League Cup winning 4-1 after extra time & with Jason Crowe earning Arsenal's fastest ever red card.
• Samir Nasri has scored in all three of his appearances against Birmingham City.
• Birmingham have played two League Cup finals winning in 1963 and losing on penalties in 2001.
• Birmingham have conceded the first goal in seven of their last nine Carling Cup matches and four of the six they have played this season.
• Six of the eight goals that Birmingham have scored against Arsenal in the Premier League have been from set pieces.
• Mike Dean was the referee when he sent off Martin Taylor for a tackle that broke Eduardo's leg and awarded a controversial last-minute penalty to Birmingham in February 2008 in a 2-2 draw at St Andrews.
• There have been four red cards in the last eight Premier League games between Arsenal and Birmingham and an additional charge and three match ban for stamping by Lee Bowyer in the last game on New Year's Day.
• Birmingham have scored the highest proportion of goals from set pieces in the Premier League (56%) while Arsenal have conceded the most (52%).
• Arsenal are unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions and are the only Premier League side yet to be beaten in the league in 2011.
• Robin van Persie has scored five goals in his last three games in all competitions.

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Championship Opta Facts - 26 February

Swansea v Leeds

• Seven of the last eight games between the Swans and the Whites have been won by the home side, with the last away win coming in April 1964.
• Leeds have scored exactly two goals in each of their last four clashes with Swansea.
• The Swans have received no bookings in six of their last eight league matches.
• Leeds striker Davide Somma, with a shot conversion rate of 41%, has the highest goals to shots ratio in the Championship (min: five goals).

Barnsley v Norwich

• Norwich have won eight of their last nine clashes with the Tykes, drawing the other.
• The Canaries have won three of their last four trips to Oakwell, but drew their last 0-0.
• Barnsley have conceded the most goals in the final 15 minutes this season (17) whilst only QPR (17) have scored more than Norwich (16) in the final quarter of an hour.
• Norwich have scored and conceded in eight of their last nine league games, drawing 0-0 at Crystal Palace in the other.

Bristol City v Scunthorpe

• The Robins are unbeaten in five home meetings with Scunthorpe, winning three and drawing two.
• All four of Bristol City's previous home wins over the Iron have come by the odd goal.
• Bristol City have only scored two first half goals in their last 10 games in all competitions.
• The Iron have lost 16 out of the 17 games in which they conceded the first goal, drawing the other.

Crystal Palace v Reading

• On the last six occasions that this fixture has been won, the winning side has netted at least three goals.
• The Royals are unbeaten in their last five trips to Selhurst Park to face Palace, winning two and drawing three.
• Crystal Palace have kept eight successive clean sheets at Selhurst Park and have not conceded a goal at home for 766 minutes.
• Shane Long (three) and Noel Hunt (two) are the only Reading players to have scored in the Royals' last five games.

Doncaster v Watford

• Whilst the last three meetings between the sides at Vicarage Road have all been draws, the sides haven't shared the points in Doncaster since September       1966.
• Hornets' striker Marvin Sordell scored a brace after coming off the bench in this season's reverse fixture in September.
• Doncaster have only scored one first half goal in their last 10 league games combined and none in their last seven.
• Watford have lost 22 points from winning positions in the Championship this campaign - only Preston have given away more.

Hull v Cardiff

• Hull are unbeaten in four home clashes with Cardiff since a 1-2 reverse in October 1998, winning three and drawing one.
• Seven of the last nine encounters have been won by the home side, with one away win (for Hull) and one draw completing the record.
• The Tigers are unbeaten in nine league games. Only leaders QPR can match this stretch without a defeat.
• Cardiff have only lost one in their last nine league games; a 1-2 defeat at form side Nottingham Forest.

Ipswich v Portsmouth

• There have only been two goals scored in the last three meetings between these sides combined, and both were netted by Pompey.
• Ipswich have only won one of their last seven clashes with Portsmouth - a 3-0 home win in April 2003.
• Ipswich haven't conceded a first half goal in any of their last five Championship outings,
• No side has mustered fewer goals in the opening 15 minutes than Portsmouth (two - joint with Crystal Palace).

Leicester v Coventry

• Leicester have won five and drawn one of their last six home meetings with their Midlands rivals.
• Foxes midfielder Andy King has scored three goals in his last two meetings with the Sky Blues.
• The Sky Blues have lost their last four consecutive away games on the spin.

Middlesbrough v QPR

• There have been a total of 16 goals scored in the last four clashes between the sides, an average of four a game.
• Middlesbrough have won their last four meetings with the R's on Teeside without conceding a goal.
• Middlesbrough's last two games have seen a total of 12 goals scored - an average of six per game.
• QPR have netted the first goal in 18 matches this season and not lost any of them (15 wins, three draws).

Millwall v Nottingham Forest

• Millwall are unbeaten in four clashes with Forest at the New Den, winning three (all 1-0) and drawing one.
• There hasn't been a goalless draw in this fixture since February 1974, a run of 24 consecutive clashes without a stalemate.
• Millwall have lost 16 points from games they held the lead in at the New Den alone this campaign.
• Forest have scored in 12 of their last 13 league games, only failing to net in their last away game at Scunthorpe (0-1).

Preston v Burnley

• There have been 22 goals scored in the last five clashes between these Lancashire rivals combined.
• Chris Iwelumo netted a hat-trick in this season's reverse fixture as the Clarets overturned a 3-1 deficit to win a dramatic game 4-3.
• The Championship's bottom side Preston have received the most yellow cards in the Championship this campaign (64).
• Burnley have claimed back 19 points from losing positions this season - no side has managed more.

Sheffield United v Derby

• The Blades have won three of their last four meetings with Derby, drawing the other.
• Five of the last nine clashes between the Blades and the Rams have finished 1-0 to the away side.
• Micky Adams' men are currently enduring the longest barren run of this season's Championship so far. The Blades have failed to win any of their last 12 league outings.
• The Blades have been shown eight red cards this season; three more than any other side.
• The Rams are winless in eight league games and have only scored two goals in their last eight league games combined.

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