La Liga preview - Round 32

Malaga - Mallorca

* The Baleares have only won on one of their last seven league trips to Malaga (three draws).
* Mallorca have won just one of their last nine away games in the league (two draws).
* Malaga have had players of nine different nationalities score for them in La Liga this season, the joint-most with Real Zaragoza.

Team news:

Malaga
Pellegrini welcomes back Baptista, Apono and Demichelis after some long term injury problems, although Sergio Asenjo will not be returning again this season, with Caballero most likely to start in his place tomorrow. The club are celebrating 70 years at the stadium tomorrow, and will be desperate for a win, for both the occasion and the small matter that they currently lie second from bottom.

Mallorca
Michael Laudrup has some worrying injuries on his hands, with starters Pereira, De Guzman, Corrales and Pina all unable to make the trip to Malaga. Ximo Navarro, a B team player, is included in the squad and might get to make his first team debut.


Deportivo - Racing

* The last five meetings between these two teams has been a mixed bag: 2 wins for Depor, 1 for Racing, and the rest draws.
* Deportivo have picked up just 6 home wins in La Liga this season.
* Racing have won 3 times on the road this season, alongside 9 losses and four draws.

Team news:

Deportivo
On Thursday Riki suffered a hamstring injury that will put him out of action for at least thee weeks, whilst Juan Rodriguez will be unable to play through suspension. Lotina has already confirmed 8 of the 11 starting places for tomorrow's game, unhampered by any other critical absences.

Racing
Kennedy will not be playing this weekend after missing practice and receiving physiotherapy treatment for tendonitis in his Achilles tendon, and Serrano will also be staying home. However, to Marcelino's relief, Rosenberg is back and available, and the knock to Giovani last week has not put him out of the tie, athough it is unlikely he will play the entire 90 minutes.


Levante - Hercules

* The only previous top flight meeting between the sides was the 3-1 home win for Hercules in November.
* Levante are on a run of six league games unbeaten at home, winning five of these.
* A win in their last away match ended a run of 14 league games without a win on the road for Hercules.
* During this streak they bagged just one goal.

Team news:

Levante
Coach Luis Garcia Plaza is calling this game the most important of the year for Levante, and will be thus glad to have the pick of an almost complete squad. Although del Horno is out, Caicedo is fit again after missing two games with a hamstring injury, and GK Munua returns after his sanctioned match.

Hercules:
Djukic will be hoping that his third game in charge with will third time lucky, and is aided in his quest for the salvation of 42 points by an injury free first XI.


Real Sociedad - Sporting

* Real Sociedad are without a win in their last three league games at home (one draw).
* It is 16 seasons since Sporting last won at Anoeta in the top flight (1-0 in 1994). Since then, they have taken just two points from matches there in La Liga.
* Real Sociedad are without a win in seven league matches, losing their last five.
* They are also the only side in La Liga not to have received a red card this season.

Team news:

Real Sociedad
Lasarte is fortunate in a lack of notable injury concerns, and the Uruguayan has been focusing on the fans in an effort to incite more support for the last few matches of the season.

Sporting
Preciado must contend with a number of injuries within his squad, for Cuella, Canella, Sastre and Nacho are all unable to play. However, Ayoze was recently discharged after his recovery from a knee sprain, and will in the squad at the Anoeta.


Osasuna - Athletic Bilbao

* Athletic have won 12 times at Osasuna, with their hosts winning only 10 of their encounters in the Primera division.
* Los Leones have scored the most goals from set pieces this season in the Spanish top flight (22).
* Osasuna have failed to score in all five league matches in which Vadocz hasn't featured this season.

Team news:

Osasuna
Rupert and Aranda have been given the green light for tomorrow's game, having returned to training with the group. Masoud, however, is unlikely to be declared fit in time.

Athletic
One of Los Leones' biggest concerns will be the suspension of Javi Martinez due his penchanct for receiving rather reckless yellow cards. Without the Spanish international, Caparros will have to tinker with what has proved a successful side thus far, and will be urgently seeking the three points that will put them ever closer to a coveted first five finish.

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16.04. (Sat) 22:00 Real - Barcelona

DID YOU KNOW?

* Real Madrid have only ever won when they’ve taken the lead in La Liga action this term

* The Bernabeu club tend to be quick starters when they play home Clasicos; registering in the opening 15 minutes of four of the last six

* This season, Madrid have proven the best team offensively in the league in the early stages of games, striking 11 times in the opening quarter of an hour.

* Spanish players account for only two goals scored by Jose Mourinho’s men in league action this season (Sergio Ramos vs. Athletic Bilbao and Esteban Granero vs Almeria)

* The 31-time Spanish kings have conceded the fewest left-footed goals in the Primera Division this season (three), and also the fewest goals from set pieces (three)

* Barcelona have won their last five matches against Madrid, representing their best sequence of results against the nine-time European champions

* Pedro is the only player to have scored in each of the last two fixtures between the sides, while Lionel Messi has registered in his last two matches at the Bernabeu

* Pep Guardiola’s side have scored fewer headed goals in the Primera Division than all of their rivals, barring Espanyol and Getafe, but they have scored more than any other team from outside the box (14)

* The opening 15 minutes of matches has proven kind to the visitors this season; they’ve yet to concede during that time-frame.

LAST MEETING

November 29, 2010: Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid

The Clasico of late November will be remembered as one of the complete performances from Barcelona, who played some otherworldly football to make their great rivals look distinctly average. Lionel Messi had hit the post before strikes from Xavi and Andres Iniesta put the hosts 2-0 up at the break. There was no relent thereafter, as David Villa struck a brace and Jeffren Suarez got on the scoresheet before it all got rather ugly at the death, with Sergio Ramos dismissed.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Real Madrid: Casillas; Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Marcelo; Khedira, Alonso; Ronaldo, Ozil, Di Maria; Adebayor

Barcelona: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Busquets, Adriano; Xavi, Keita, Iniesta; Villa, Messi, Pedro

Prediction

Jose Mourinho enjoyed the upper hand over Pep Guardiola before having his record spectacularly shattered in Camp Nou early in the winter. That was a match that simply moved to underline Barcelona’s dominance in Spain at present. While a repeat of that scoreline is highly improbable, it’s the visitors who’ll start this match as favourites, and they should be expected to win a fiery fixture.

Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona

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16.04. (Sat) 20:45 Milan - Sampdoria

DID YOU KNOW?

* AC Milan have picked up only one point in their last two encounters with Sampdoria.

* The league leaders have only lost once in the calendar year.

* The San Siro club are undefeated this season when they score first.

* Zlatan Ibrahimovic is suspended for Saturday's match after receiving his marching orders last weekend against Fiorentina.

* Sampdoria are winless in their last eight games.

* The Genoa outdit gave been held scoreless in 18 Serie A matches this season.

* Daniele Mannini will miss the match through suspension.

* Samp have not scored in their last eight encounters on the road.

LAST MEETING

November 27, 2010: Sampdoria 1-1 Milan

Milan were in control for large portions of the first half and took a deserved lead two minutes before the interval thanks to Robinho.

The Rossoneri were then pegged back in the second half when Giampaolo Pazzini's shot from close range left Milan 'keeper Christian Abbiati with no chance and the visitors had to be content with a draw at the Luigi Ferraris.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Milan: Abbiati; Abate, Yepes, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta; Flamini, Van Bommel, Boateng; Seedorf; Robinho, Pato

Sampdoria: Curci; Volta, Gastaldello, Martinez; Guberti, Tissone, Palombo, Poli, Ziegler; Pozzi, Maccarone

Prediction

Milan will be without talismanic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic but still possess enough talent in their ranks to breeze past an overmatched Samp side who seemed destined for the drop.

AC Milan 3-0 Sampdoria

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16.04. (Sat) 20:45 Parma - Inter

DID YOU KNOW?

* Parma have picked up only one draw in their last seven encounters against Inter.

* The Gialloblu are winless in their last five fixtures at the Ennio Tardini.

* Parma have recorded only one win in their last 11 Serie A matches.

* Parma have scored three goals in their past five contests.

* Inter have seven wins and one defeat in their last eight Serie A games.

* The defending champions have scored nine goals in their last five league encounters.

* Inter will be looking for their 1300th win in Serie A on Saturday.

* Wesley Sneijder is set to make his 50th league appearance for Inter.

* Samuel Eto'o leads the team's scoring charts with 19 Serie A strikes.

LAST MEETING

November 28, 2010: Inter 5-2 Parma

Dejan Stankovic netted a hat-trick and Esteban Cambiasso and Thiago Motta added a goal apiece as Inter beat Parma at San Siro.

The hosts fell behind in the early going before scoring three goals in a five-minute span in the first half and never looked back as they cruised to an emphatic victory.


PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Parma: Mirante; Zaccardo, Lucarelli, Paletta, Modesto; Valiani, Morrone, Dezemaili; Candreva; Giovinco, Amauri

Inter: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Ranocchia, Lucio, Nagatomo; Zanetti, Cambiasso, Stankovic; Sneijder; Milito, Eto'o

Prediction

Inter are vulnerable at the moment after their shock exit in the Champions League against Schalke but Parma's recent track record against the Nerazzurri is very poor. The Serie A champions will bounce back from their loss with a slim victory at the Ennio Tardini.

Parma 1-2 Inter Milan

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16.04. (Sat) 18:30 Werder - Schalke 04

DID YOU KNOW?

* Werder Bremen are unbeaten in their last six games in the league with two wins and four draws. Only Bayer Leverkusen (eight games) have a longer unbeaten streak.

* Bremen have won just two of their last twelve games against Schalke, losing seven times and drawing the other three.

* Werder's total of 34 points after 29 matches is their lowest in twelve years.

* Bremen's last four home matches have all ended in draws - the first time this has happened since 1995. They once drew five consecutive games at the Weserstadion in 1970.

* Die Gruen-Weissen have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last fourteen matches - the worst streak in the league. They went fifteen games without doing so in 1994 and eighteen in 1963-64.

* Schalke have conceded 33 goals this season, fewer than any other side in the Bundesliga with the exception of rivals and league leaders Borussia Dortmund.

* Coach Ralf Rangnick will celebrate his 250th Bundesliga game against Werder and he could notch up a century of wins in the top flight.

* Rangnick, who is in his second spell in Gelsenkirchen, has won each of the four games he has taken charge of since replacing Felix Magath - two against Inter and league games against St Pauli and Wolfsburg.

* Die Knappen's current points total of 39 from 29 games in their lowest in eleven years.

* Schalke have yet to win this season after going behind. Their record after conceding first stands at four draws and twelve defeats.

LAST MEETING

November 20, 2010: Schalke 4-0 Werder Bremen

The Miners produced one of their best performances under Felix Magath this season to demolish die Gruen-Weissen in the Veltins Arena. Christoph Metzelder's header gave the home side the lead midway through the first half before Raul took centre stage. He latched onto the rebound from Edu's free-kick for his first in first-half stoppage time, volleyed home on his right peg for his second and completed his hat-trick with an exquisite chip over Tim Wiese.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Werder Bremen: Wiese; Fritz, Mertesacker, Pasanen, Silvestre; Frings; Borowski, Wesley; Marin; Pizarro, Wagner

Schalke: Neuer; Uchida, Metzelder, Hoewedes, Sarpei; Farfan, Papadopoulos, Matip, Jurado; Raul, Edu

Prediction

Werder Bremen 2-2 Schalke 04

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16.04. (Sat) 18:15 Manchester City - Manchester Utd.

DID YOU KNOW?

* Manchester United have won their last seven games in a row in all competitions.

* Saturday's match is expected to be the highest ever attendance for a Manchester derby, with a 90,000 sell-out crowd beating the previous best of 78,000 recorded in 1947 at Maine Road.

* Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby played on the losing side of both an FA Cup semi-final and FA Cup final before winning the Cup for Manchester City in 1934.

* City have won the FA Cup four times, in 1904, 1934, 1956 and 1969, and last appeared in the final in 1981.

* Roberto Mancini's side have not won a major domestic trophy in 35 years, with their last silverware being the 1976 League Cup.

* In contrast, Manchester United have won the FA Cup 11 times, five of those successes coming under Sir Alex Ferguson's watch.

* Ryan Giggs is the most decorated player in English football's history, having won the Premier League 11 times, the FA Cup four times, the League Cup three times and the Champions League twice.

* Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko has failed to score in nine Premier League appearances since his January move from Wolfsburg but has scored twice in the FA Cup, both against Notts County.

* The two sides have met 157 times in all competitions, with the red half of Manchester picking up 65 wins to the blue's 42, and City have won only two of their six encounters in the FA Cup.

* The last time the teams met in this competition was in February 2004, when Gary Neville was sent off in a Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy inspired 4-2 rout at Old Trafford.

LAST MEETING

February 12, 2011: Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City

Wayne Rooney scores an absolutely stunning overhead-kick to take all three points in the Premier League encounter at Old Trafford. United had initially taken the lead in the first half through Nani, after a fantastic through ball from Ryan Giggs. They were pegged back in the second half after Edin Dzeko's shot rebounded off the back of David Silva and into the corner of Edwin Van der Sar's net. That was before Rooney's outstanding volley handed the win to the red half of Manchester,

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Manchester City: Hart; Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov; Yaya Toure, Barry, De Jong; Silva, Balotelli, Milner.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Nani; Berbatov, Hernandez.

Prediction

This match will certainly be a close-run affair, with City likely to maintain the defensive style that has brought them to fourth position in the league. United will have noted the positives from their rivals' 3-0 defeat to Liverpool earlier in the week, and will look to keep a high tempo and shut down their opponents before they have a chance to attack. Extra-time is a possibility, but I think United will just edge it.

Man City 1-2 Man Utd.

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16.04. (Sat) 18:00 Roma - Palermo

DID YOU KNOW?

* Roma have won their last four matches against Palermo.

* The capital club have only one win in their last five home games (W1, D2, L2).

* Francesco Totti has six goals in the last four games.

* Juan will miss the encounter at the Stadio Olimpico through suspension.

* Roma have been awarded the most penalties in Serie A this season (10).

* Palermo have picked up only one victory in their last eight matches (W1, D1, L6).

* The Sicilians have conceded 21 goals in their last eight encounters.

* Javier Pastore leads the team in scoring with ten league goals.

* Palermo coach Delio Rossi has lost nine of his last 17 matches against Roma (W5, D3, L9).


LAST MEETING

November 28, 2010: Palermo 3-1 Roma

Fabrizio Miccoli opened the scoring in the 20th minute and the Sicilians never looked back as two second half goals from Josip Ilicic and Antonio Nocerino gave them a commanding lead before Francesco Totti netted a consolation at the death.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Roma: Doni; Cassetti, Burdisso, Loria, Riise; Pizarro, De Rossi; Taddei, Perrotta, Vucinic; Totti

Palermo: Sirigu; Cassani, Munoz, Bovo, Balazaretti; Migliaccio, Liverani, Nocerino; Pastore; Miccoli, Pinilla

Prediction

Roma desperately need all three points to keep their Champions League dreams alive and should be able to dispose of a dysfunctional Palermo outfit. The hosts will concede a couple of goals with their makeshift defence but have enough firepower to pull through.

Roma 3-2 Palermo

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16.04. (Sat) 16:00 Birmingham City - Sunderland

DID YOU KNOW?

* In 115 meetings in all competitions, Sunderland have won 52 games to Birmingham's 40, with 23 games drawn.

* Roger Johnson's concussion-enforced substitution at half-time against Blackburn Rovers was the first 45 minutes of Premier League football he has missed for Birmingham since he joined the club in 2009.

* Wigan Athletic are the only team with a worse goals scored record in the league this season than Sunderland and Birmingham.

* Sunderland are the worst team in the league, in terms of form, at present with just one point picked up from a possible 24.

* Phil Bardsley's goal in the 3-2 defeat to West Bromwich Albion last weekend was the first scored in the league by a Sunderland player in more than 450 minutes.

* If league games ended at half-time, Sunderland would be in a comfortable seventh place in the table.

* Birmingham have won just six of the 14 league games this season in which they have scored first.

* Sunderland's record of 12 clean sheets has given them the fifth best total in the league this season.

* Steve Bruce's side have made four injury-enforced substitutions before the second half in their last three league games.

* Sunderland have scored nine goals in nine league games since Darren Bent was sold compared to 26 goals in 22 league games before his exit.

LAST MEETING

August 14, 2010: Sunderland 2-2 Birmingham City

A late Liam Ridgewell leveller saw the spoils shared between the teams at the Stadium of Light on the opening day of the season.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Birmingham City: Foster; Carr, Davies, Johnson, Parnaby; Larsson, Ferguson, Gardner, Bowyer; Jerome, Phillips.

Sunderland: Gordon; Onuoha, Ferdinand, Turner, Bardsley; Henderson, Muntari, Cattermole, Zenden; Welbeck; Gyan.

Prediction

When two sides bang out of form meet, the margins of victory are guaranteed to be slight. With relegation-induced nerves holding each club back, the stage is set for master predator Phillips to keep his head and hit a crucial win for the Blues.

Birmingham 1-0 Sunderland

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16.04. (Sat) 16:00 Blackpool - Wigan Athletic

DID YOU KNOW?

* Blackpool are currently on a poor run of form, as have not recorded a win in their last five matches. They have not taken all three points at Bloomfield Road in their last three outings.

* The meetings betweens these two sides this season are the first ones in the Premier League. They have met 32 times in their history with the Seasiders having been successful on 10 occasions, Wigan winning 13, and the remaining nine ending level.

* Games involving the Tangerines have generated the most goals in the Premier League this season. In the 32 matches they have played, there has been 112 goals - 3.5 goals per game. Ian Holloway's men have also managed to score in every home game this season.

* The home side are currently sixth in the half-time table. This means that if all games had ended after 45 minutes, the Seasiders would have been fighting to secure a run out in Europe.

* Joint top scorers Charlie Adam and DJ Campbell (both with nine goals) carry the threat for Blackpool. However, Adam has not found the net since he scored a brace against Blackburn Rovers two games ago. Campbell has not scored in the last six games, but he was suspended for three of those after being sent off against Wolves.

* Wigan Athletic have have been poor on their travels this season. They have recorded only two wins away from home through the course of their campaign, and their last victory on the road came on Boxing Day against Woves.

* The Latics' record at Bloomfield Road is also not encouraging, as they have only won five of their 18 trips with their last win coming in 2002. That was in a League Two match, which they won 2-0.

* Roberto Martinez’s side are currently bottom of the table, but they are only two points from safety. A win in this game could lift them out of the bottom three and dump the hosts into the relegation zone.

* Maynor Figueroa collected his 10th booking of the season against Chelsea, and will miss the next two league matches. However, there are no inury concerns for Martinez.

* Wigan have not scored in five of their last six matches, and pressure will be on their front men to turn their fortunes around. Top scorer Hugo Rodallega will be the man that the travelling fans will pin their hopes on, but the Colombian has not found the back of the net in the last seven games - stretching back to the start of February.

LAST MEETING

August 14, 2010: Wigan Athletic 0-4 Blackpool

These two sides met on the opening day of this season at the DW Stadium, and it was the Tangerines who surprised everybody with a thumping 4-0 victory. Gary Taylor-Fletcher opened the scoring in the 16th minute and debutant Marlon Harewood grabbed two more goals before half-time. The victory was complete when Alex Baptiste added a fourth with 15 minutes to go, and Blackpool had announced their arrival in the Premier League in sensational style.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Blackpool: Kingson; Eardley, Cathcart, Crainey; Taylor-Fletcher, Vaughan, Adam, Puncheon; Beattie, Campbell.

Wigan Athletic: Al Habsi; Boyce, Alcaraz, G Caldwell, Gouhouri; Watson, McCarthy, Thomas; N’Zogbia, Cleverley; Rodallega.

Prediction

Blackpool do not have a home record that is as strong as their exploits away from home, but they will be confident since the visitors are terrible travellers. The Tangerines will be should be able to score against the bottom club, but the challenge will be keeping out the Latics strikers. It will be nervous affair that could lead to a high scoring draw, with neither team taking a massive advantage in the battle for survival.

Blackpool 2-2 Wigan Athletic

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16.04. (Sat) 16:00 Everton - Blackburn Rovers

DID YOU KNOW?

* A win over the visitors would see Everton make it nine games unbeaten at Goodison Park in the Premier League.

* Taking the last six league games into account, David Moyes' side are the most in-form team in the competition with four wins and two draws.

* However, the Toffees have only secured two clean sheets in their last 15 Premier League fixtures.

* Leighton Baines has more than double the amount of assits of any other Premier League defender, having helped in the creation of 11 goals so far.

* Blues captain Phil Neville hit his first away league goal since 2001 against Wolves last week, having previously gone 3634 games without finding the back of the net on the road.

* Twenty-nine per cent of Everton's conceded goals have been due to headers - the highest proportion in the division.

* The hosts have only once beaten Blackburn by more than one clear goal at Goodison in the league since 1959.

* Ten of Rovers' goals in the top-flight have come from headers this term - the highest amount in the Premier League.

* Steve Kean's side have picked up only one point from a possible 18 in their last six matches away from home.

* Of their last 14 league games on the road, the Lancashire club have picked up only three wins.

LAST MEETING

August 14, 2010: Blackburn 1-0 Everton

An uncharacteristic blunder from Tim Howard allowed Nicola Kalinic to pick up all three points for Sam Allardyce on the first game of the season at Ewood Park.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Everton: Howard; Hibbert, Distin, Jagielka, Baines; Bilyaletdinov, Heitinga, Neville, Osman; Beckford, Anichebe.

Blackburn: Robinson; Salgado, Samba, P. Jones, Olsson; Hoilett, J. Jones, Dunn, Pedersen; Roberts, Santa Cruz.

Prediction

Having lost Ryan Nelsen for the rest of the season, Blackburn have been dealt a hammer blow in the fight against relegation. Due to this, making the most of small mercies such as facing an Everton side in somewhat of an injury crisis should be grabbed with both hands.

Unfortunately for manager Steve Kean, this Toffees outfit have a far deeper current of quality within their squad than many give them credit for.

Expect two their most shining stars, namely Leighton Baines and Leon Osman, to cause all sorts of problems down the left-hand side and fire the hosts to all three points.

Everton 3-1 Blackburn

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16.04. (Sat) 16:00 West Bromwich Albion - Chelsea

DID YOU KNOW?

* Since taking over from Roberto Di Matteo, Roy Hodgson's side have been unbeaten in six games, including three wins.

* West Brom have turned things round in second halves of games. If their games finished at half-time, they would be four points off safety in 18th place.

* The Baggies have the joint sixth best goalscoring record in the league having notched 46 strikes from 32 games, better than Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham and Aston Villa, among others.

* Striker Peter Odemwingie has netted just under a quarter of his side's goals this season with 11 strikes to his name in his maiden Premier League campaign.

* Scott Carson has kept just a solitary clean sheet this season, which came at the first home game of the season against Sunderland in August. That's the worst record in the league.

* Chelsea have the second best away record in the league, with 23 points from 16 games.

* However, the Blues have lost two of their four games in the Midlands this season, having been defeated 1-0 by both Birmingham and Wolves.

* Ramires may have been sent off in the Champions League on Tuesday, but Chelsea have the third best disciplinary record in the Premier League, with just one red card awarded to Carlo Ancelotti's players in 31 games.

* The reigning champions have the third best average goals per game scored, weighing in at 1.77 goals a match; a record bettered only by Arsenal (two goals a game) and Manchester United (2.19 strikes).

* Despite the gulf in quality between the two sides - and Chelsea's far greater amount of years in the top flight - the clubs have met 123 times, with the Blues winning 51, drawing 32 and losing 40 of their duels with West Brom. However, since the Premier League's inception, the London club have won all nine games, scoring 26 times.

LAST MEETING

August 14, 2010: Chelsea 6-0 West Brom

The reigning champions began the season with a bang as Didier Drogba scored a hat-trick with Florent Malouda grabbing a brace against the newly promoted side.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

West Brom: Carson; Reid, Meite, Olsson, Shorey; Thomas, Scharner, Mulumbu, Morrison, Brunt; Odemwingie.

Chelsea: Cech; Ivanovic, David Luiz, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Lampard, Essien; Anelka, Torres, Malouda.

Prediction

West Brom have gone unbeaten since Roy Hodgson took over in February and saw off Liverpool at the Hawthorns.

Chelsea are too schizophrenic to call these days, particularly when Fernando Torres figures from the off. The champions have looked inept and directionless on occasion, but have shown glimpses of the steeliness that took them to the title last year.

One suspects that after a midweek humbling they will come out firing, though they could just as well wither away. Regardless of what Chelsea side turns up, they will not come away from the Midlands with three points.

West Bromwich 1-1 Chelsea

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16.04. (Sat) 16:00 West Ham United - Aston Villa

DID YOU KNOW?

* West Ham have only won one of their last nine Premier League games against Saturday’s visitors, with that victory coming in November 2009 at Upton Park, a match which saw Zavon Hines’ last-gasp strike cancelling out Ashley Young’s leveller.

* The east London side will be hoping to avenge this season’s opening game 3-0 away defeat at Villa Park, a loss which began a string of four defeats and left them rooted to the foot of the table.

* The visitors find themselves sat in 14th place in the Premier League with 37 points, just five points above the drop zone. West Ham are one place and one point below safety.

* The Hammers have conceded seven goals in their last 135 minutes of football, with their second-half capitulation against Manchester United followed by a 3-0 drubbing at the Reebok against Bolton.

* Aston Villa’s £24 million man Darren Bent will hope to take advantage of such lacklustre defending, having scored four goals in his last four away games in the Premier League.

* The Villans' only two away victories this season have come against sides whose names begin with the letter W, with the scoreline 2-1 in both September’s derby win against Wolves and January’s clash with Wigan.

* West Ham have conceded a joint high number of penalties with six so far this season, something which the cynics will have in mind considering the Premier League's most fouled player, Ashley Young, makes his way to Upton Park on Saturday. The 25-year-old’s gamesmanship came under scrutiny this week following comments from Newcastle United’s Ryan Taylor after he won a free-kick which led to James Collins' match-winning goal.

* Hammers boss Avram Grant believes 41 points will be enough to ensure Premier League survival this season, with nine points from the remaining six games needed to meet that target, yet they have only gained 19 points at home this season, the second worst record behind Blackpool.

* Villa boss Gerard Houllier has also laid down the gauntlet to his players, challenging them to go unbeaten for the remainder of the season, yet his side had picked up only six points from their past seven games before last Sunday’s 1-0 home victory over Newcastle United.

* The Frenchman will also hope if his side take the lead they can maintain it, having dropped 23 points from winning positions this year, or that an impact substitution may inspire the points. Don’t hold your breath though, Aston Villa are the only side in the Premier League not to have had a substitute score for them this season.


LAST MEETING

August 14, 2010: Aston Villa 3-0 West Ham

The season opener brought a positive start for then caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald, as the home side ran out 3-0 winners, with first half goals from Stewart Downing and Stiliyan Petrov followed by a strike from now Manchester City man James Milner in the second half.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

West Ham: Green; Tomkins, Upson, Da Costa, Bridge; Parker, Hitzlsperger, Noble; Keane, Cole, Ba. 

Aston Villa: Friedel; L Young, Dunne, Collins, Walker; Downing, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Young; Agbonlahor, Bent.

Prediction

It should be a feisty encounter at Upton Park, and with Villa looking to secure Premier League safety and West Ham needing to keep up with the pace in the escape from the relegation zone, all three points are vital for both sides. While the likes of Demba Ba and Scott Parker suggest West Ham should not be written off, the speed of the Aston Villa attack should be too much for a suspect Hammers defence.

West Ham 1-2 Aston Villa

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