29.05. (Sun) 21:00 Monaco - Olympique Lyonnais

DID YOU KNOW?

If Monaco lose, they will certainly suffer their fourth relegation from France’s top flight. A draw could be enough to keep them up if results elsewhere go their way, but victory would assure them a place at the top table.
Les Monegasques are unbeaten at home against teams in the top seven slots in the standings.
Their record at the Stade Louis II is rated on 16th in the league, with only five victories from 18 matches this season.
The first goal will be vital; Monaco have not lost after scoring first at home this term, but they’ve equally not come from behind to win.
Should relegation become a reality, it would be a sad way to mark the club’s 2000th top flight game.
Lyon know that victory would secure them third, while a draw would also likely be good enough.
Away from the Stade Gerland, OL’s form is poor, with no wins in their last five – their worst such run since 2007-08.
In the second half of games, Puel’s side have been especially vulnerable, conceding 70 per cent of their goals after the interval.
Les Gones, however, are unbeaten in seven Championnat matches against their hosts.
The last time Lyon finished outside the top three in France was 1998-99.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Monaco (4-2-3-1)
Chabbert; Bonnat, Puygrenier, Hansson, Adriano; Gosso, Nkoulou; Moukandjo, Coutadeur, Malonga; Park

Selection problems plague the home side at the worst possible time. Stephane Ruffier has been unable to overcome the problem he picked up last weekend, while Mahamadou Diarra is omitted from the squad. Promising Nigerian midfielder Lukman Haruna is banned.

There are several long-term problems, including Djimi Traore and Moussa Maazou, while a number of short-term issues exist, the most punishing of which in regards to this weekend’s match is Vincent Muratori.

Lyon (4-3-3)
Lloris, Reveillere, Cris, Diakhate, Cissokho; Pjanic, Toulalan, Kallstrom; Delgado, Lisandro, Ederson

Claude Puel has a number of selection headaches approaching this encounter, with Dejan Lovren still banned from the heart of his defence and Yoann Gourcuff looking extremely likely to be missing from the heart of the midfield once more. Striker Bafetimbi Gomis is also sidelined.

Though OL could not do better than a 0-0 draw against Caen last weekend, a similar line-up is expected.

Prediction

Though Monaco start this match in the relegation zone, it would be little surprise to see defensively-minded coach Laurent Banide adopt a wait-and-see approach early on, patient for developments elsewhere. Solid at the back, the hosts will be difficult to breakdown, and given Lyon’s wretched away form, it’s tough to predict an away win. This game will likely end squad, but Monaco will gain safety and Lyon will earn third, keeping everyone happy.

AS Monaco FC 1-1 O. Lyon

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29.05. (Sun) 20:00 Germany - Uruguay

DID YOU KNOW?

Germany will play their first ever international at the Rhein-Neckar Arena in Sinsheim, which is normally home to Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim, whose village is too small to house such a stadium.

Coach Joachim Low has called up Borussia Monchengladbach's Marco Reus for the first time and, should the in-form attacker shake off injury, he could make his debut off the bench.

Miroslav Klose has 61 international goals, seven behind Gerd Mueller's record. Should he appear, the Bayern man will break Jurgen Klinsmann's record of 108 international caps.

Die Mannschaft have a perfect record in Euro 2012 qualifying, having won all five of their matches in a group containing Turkey, Belgium, Austria, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Although this will be their third friendly against the South Americans, they have only met each other once in a competitive fixture - in last summer's World Cup.

Uruguay finished in fourth place at the World Cup after passing France, Mexico and South Africa in Group A, and then South Korea and Ghana in the knockout stages.

Their semi-final berth represented their best performance in a World Cup finals tournament since 1970, when they also made the last four.

Uruguay's total population of 3.4 million is around the same as that of Germany's capital Berlin alone.

They have lost on each of the three occasions they have met a unified German team, scoring just three goals in reply to Germany's 12.

Their record is little better against both West and East Germany, winning just one of 12 encounters, that back in January 1985 when they defeated East Germany 3-0 in Montevideo.

LAST MEETING

July 10, 2010: Uruguay 2-3 Germany

Thomas Muller gave the favourites the lead after 19 minutes before the surprise package of the World Cup hit back with goals from Edinson Cavani before the half-hour and Diego Forlan on 51 minutes, capping a superb tournament for the Atletico Madrid hitman. However, Joachim Low's men secured a deserved third spot thanks to Marcell Jansen's equaliser on 56 minutes and Sami Khedira's winner eight minutes from the end of normal time.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Germany: 
Neuer; Lahm, Friedrich, Hummels, Schmelzer; Trasch, Rolfes; Schurrle, Ozil, Podolski; Klose

Uruguay: 
Muslera; Maxi Pereira, Diego Lugano, Godin, Caceres; Perez, Arevalo Rios, Alvaro Pereira; Forlan; Suarez, Cavani

Prediction
Germany 3-1 Uruguay  

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29.05. (Sun) 19:30 Ireland - Scotland

DID YOU KNOW?

Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane only needs two more goals in order to reach a half-century in international football.

The Irish only require a point in order to claim the first Home Nations Cup, as they have a better goal advantage at the top of the table.

Trapattoni’s side maintained their 100% record at the top of the Home Nations Cup with a five-goal demolition of Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

If Scotland can achieve victory over Ireland then they will claim their first trophy since they won the Kirin Cup in Japan in May 2006, when they defeated Bulgaria and drew with Japan.

James Morrison , along with Christophe Berra both claimed their first international goals against Wales, with the West Brom midfielder doing so on his 25th birthday.

A victory for the Scots will see them take the lead in the head-to-head between the nations, with both sides having claimed victory three times in eight meetings.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Republic of Ireland (4-4-2)
Given; McShane, Delaney, O’Dea, Ward; Coleman, Whelan, Fahey, Hunt; Keane, Cox.

Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni can welcome back Celtic defender Darren O’Dea, as well as midfield duo Keith Fahey and Glenn Whelan as they look to secure the Home Nations Cup with a victory.

The Italian will be without the services of Preston North End defender Sean St Ledger who has been unable to overcome a knee problem to be fit in time for the game against the Scots.

Scotland (4-5-1)
McGregor; Whittaker, Wilson, Berra, Bardsley; Naismith, Brown, Adam, Morrison, McCormack; Miller.

Craig Levein will be without full back Stephen Crainey, after the Blackpool defender left the camp in order to undergo a knee operation for a long-standing injury.

Defender Gary Caldwell is a major doubt for the Scots with a hip injury, while James Morrison and Charlie Adam are suffering from knocks and may be game-time decisions for the Scotland manager.

Phil Bardsley will take over from Crainey at the left back position, while youngsters Grant Hanley and Danny Wilson will be competing for Caldwell’s slot.

Prediction

Both sides come into the final fixture with a 100% record and as such the game will be extremely close as they edge closer towards the Home Nations Cup.

With the Irish having home advantage and being buoyed by the resounding victory over Northern Ireland they will be able to claim the point to win the title.

Ireland 1-1 Scotland

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