Wednesday, February 15, 2012

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16.02. (Thu) 21:05 Porto - Manchester City

EPL: Mario Balotelli - Sergio Aguero, Manchester City v Tottenham
Getty Images

PROBABLE LINEUPS


PORTO

Helton
Rolando, Otamendi, Maicon, Pereira
Defour, Moutinho, C. Rodriguez
Hulk, Djalma, J. Rodriguez
MANCHESTER CITY


Hart
Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy
Milner, Barry, Nasri
Silva
Balotelli, Aguero

Porto new signing Marc Janko is ineligable for the game as he has already played in this season's Europa League for FC Twente, Lucho Gonzalez is similarly unable to play due to his involvement with Marseille's Champions League tilt.

Young striker Kleber is a major doubt due to illness and Emidio Rafael is out with a long-term injury but Vitor Pereira has an otherwise full squad to choose from.

Roberto Mancini has a fully fit and available squad to him, which in itself may pose the Italian a headache due to the plentiful options within his squad although Kolo and Yaya Toure are unlikely to feature so soon after their return from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Carlos Tevez is another to make a recent return to Manchester but the Argentine is also expected to miss out, Mario Balotelli may return to the side after missing his side's last four games and the former Inter striker will be hoping to continue the good form he showed before his absence.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Porto are unbeaten at home this season in all competitions, winning ten of their 13 games at Estadio Dragao this season.
  • Hulk (pictured) is Porto's top scorer this season, netting eleven times in all competitions.
  • The reigning Portuguese League champions currently sit second in the division, five points behind table topping Benfica.
  • The reigning Portuguese League champions currently sit second in the division, five points behind table topping Benfica.
  • Porto have played five competitive fixtures in 2012, winning three while drawing and losing the other two.
  • This match is the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides.
  • Manchester City lost two of their away games in the Champions League this season at Bayern Munich and Napoli but triumphed at Villarreal.
  • Yaya Toure is City's top scorer in Europe this season with three goals, Mario Balotelli has netted twice and three members of the Citizens' squad have a single strike to their name.
  • Of City's eight defeats in all competitions this season their only loss of more than one goal came in European competition, a 2-0 defeat at Bayern Munich in September.
Prediction
Porto have been excellent at home this season but are yet to face a team with the attacking potency of City, and are likely to be stretched to the limit by the pace and skill of Roberto Mancini's front-line.
Both side's will be disappointed to be out of the Champions League but are likely to see the Europa League as a good opportunity to pick up some silverware so expect a tense game with neither side wanting to lose the game before the second leg at the Etihad Stadium just six days later. An away goal for the Citizen's will be huge.
Editor's Prediction
Porto 1-1 Manchester City

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16.02. (Thu) 21:05 Stoke City - Valencia

Europa League,Cameron Jerome,Stoke City FC v Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC
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PROBABLE LINEUPS


STOKE CITY


Sorenson
Shotton, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson
Pennant, Delap, Diao, Etherington
Crouch, Jerome

VALENCIA


 

Alves
Miguel, Ruiz, Dealbert, Mathieu
Feghouli, Albelda, Tino Costa, Aduriz, Jordi Alba
Soldado

Tony Pulis has just the one player sidelined through injury for the visit of the Spanish side, with Mamady Sidibe expected to miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Matthew Upson, meanwhile, is suspended for both ties with Valencia after his straight red card in the loss against Besiktas. The Potters will have one eye on their fixture with Crawley Town in the FA Cup on Sunday, but the 54-year-old boss will most likely look to field a side of youngsters mixed with a touch of experience and will not worry too much in starting a strong team against the La Liga outfit.
Valencia themselves are missing a total of four players, with Hedwiges Maduro, Paco Alcacer, Pablo Hernandez and Sergio Canales all out. Also, with Los Che creeping up behind the faltering Barcelona in the Spanish league, a number of players could be rested as they focus on their domestic exploits.
DID YOU KNOW?

  • Valencia have featured in one Europa League final and won it, beating French side Marseille 2-0 in 2004.
  • This the is Spanish side’s manager Unai Emery’s (right) third try at the Europa League, after exiting in the quarter-finals on both previous occasions.
  • Like Emery, Stoke City are also experiencing their third go at Europe’s second-tier club competition after two dips into the then Uefa Cup back in the 1970s, where both times they were knocked out in the first round.
  • This is the first time this two outfits have clashed and the first Spanish side Stoke have faced competitively.
  • The winner of a round of 32 tie will collect £250,000 for progressing to the last 16, whilst the overall winner will collect £2.5 million. In comparison, a team that makes the group stages of the Champions League receive £3.25m
  • Inter Milan hold the record for most Europa League titles (3) and won their last back in 1998.
  • Stoke have only lost one match on their path to the last 32, losing 3-1 to Besiktas in their final group tie.
Prediction
This will be the more important tie of the two for the hosts as they try to take advantage of their imposing support, but it may not be enough to repel the momentum of the Spanish side who are gunning for Champions League qualification in their domestic league.
Valencia’s squad of seasoned European winners and their experience in the more elite tournament will make it hard for Stoke to hold a lead to take to Spain next week.
Editor's Prediction
Stoke City 1-2 Valencia

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16.02. (Thu) 21:05 Udinese - PAOK

Francesco Guidolin - Udinese (Getty Images)
Getty Images

PROBABLE LINE-UPS



UDINESE


Handanovic
Benatia, Danilo, Domizzi
Basta, Pinzi, Pazienza, Fernandes, Armero
Torje
Floro Flores


PAOK


Kresic
Etto, Katsikas, Malezas, Lino
Salpigidis, Lazar, Garcia, Robert
Fotakis
Athanasiadis

Udinese were dealt a major blow in the 2-1 Serie A defeat to AC Milan at the weekend when key duo Mauricio Isla and Antonio Di Natale were ruled out with serious injuries.

Isla's knee ligament problem, sustained after a clash with Massimo Ambrosini, is likely to rule the Chilean out of action for the rest of the season. However, the loss of goal-getter Di Natale is most damaging, the veteran suffering a fractured toe, and his period of recovery is as yet undetermined.

The hosts are set to welcome back Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and Kwadwo Asamoah after the duo returned from the African Cup Of Nations, although Badu is carrying a knock and is unlikely to feature, while Asamoah may find a spot on the bench.

PAOK have a full squad available going into Thursday's clash, with Panagiotis Glikos returning to the side after sitting out of the recent defeat to OSFP with a minor knock.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Udinese have won two of their three home games in the Europa league this season.
  • The hosts only managed to win two of their six group stage games, yet still qualified for the knockout stages.
  • Both sides are currently unbeaten in the Europa League this season.
  • PAOK have won three of their last four games in the Europa League.
  • The visitors have only kept one clean sheet in the competition so far, with the Greeks earning a 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur back in September.
  • On average the away side have conceded a goal a game in the competition.

Prediction
The Bianconeri are desperate to return to from after suffering two straight defeats, and along with having the home advantage, a victory for the hosts seems the likely outcome.
Editor's Prediction
Udinese 2-1 PAOK

Serie A Opta Facts - Week 24 - 17-19 February


Cesena v AC Milan
AC Milan have won 13 of their 21 previous meetings against Cesena in Serie A, losing five.
All five Cesena wins in the league against the Rossoneri have come on home soil.
AC Milan have picked up the three points in six of the last seven meetings against the Romagnoli, in between Cesena's 2-0 win in September 2010.
On that occasion Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his Serie A debut for the Rossoneri, failing to convert a penalty.
AC Milan have kept a clean sheet in seven of their last eight games with Cesena in Serie A.
These two sides have shared just one draw so far at the Manuzzi, with the hosts leading by five wins to four.
One of Adrian Mutu's 12 total braces in Serie A came against AC Milan in December 2006, back when he was playing for Fiorentina.
Overall, the Romanian has netted four goals against AC Milan in this competition.
Against Lazio on his debut for Cesena, Vincenzo Iaquinta scored his first goal in Serie A for almost 15 months; he had scored his last goal for Juventus in November 2010.
Stephan El Shaarawy has already scored two goals and assisted one in just 411 minutes played in this campaign, including the winner for the Rossoneri last Saturday in Udine.
AC Milan got back to winning ways last week after taking just one point from their previous two league games, in which they hadn't scored a single goal.
Away from home, Massimiliano Allegri's side have won four of their last five league games, with the exception of the defeat at the Olimpico against Lazio.

Fiorentina v Napoli
The last three Serie A meetings between Fiorentina and Napoli have ended as draws: a 1-1 in August 2010 at the Franchi, followed by two goalless draws.
Napoli have not managed to score more than a single goal in any of their last six meetings against the Viola.
The 1-1 in their last meeting in Florence ended a run of eight consecutive games without a draw in Tuscany (six wins to the hosts, two for the guests).
Fiorentina have suffered just one defeat over the last seven match-days of this competition (0-1 at home vs Lecce) - three wins and as many draws complete this record.
Fiorentina have won their last two games; last time they managed three wins in a row in Serie A was in May 2009.
Last Monday's win against Chievo ended a run of four draws and a defeat for the Partenopei in Serie A.
Walter Mazzarri's side have not conceded goals in their last three league games: the 2-0 over Chievo was preceded by two goalless draws with Cesena and AC Milan.
Ezequiel Lavezzi has already scored three goals in Serie A against Fiorentina - only against Udinese he has netted more so far.
El Pocho scored one of his three braces in Serie A against the Viola, at the San Paolo in March 2008.
Amauri made his Serie A debut with Napoli, collecting six appearances and a goal in the 2000/01 season.

Genoa v Chievo
This will be the eighth Serie A meeting between these two sides: Chievo lead by three wins to two.
Genoa have taken just one point from their last three meetings against Chievo in the top-flight.
The record in Genoa sees one win each and a draw, with the guests having the better in the last meeting at the Marassi in September 2010.
Genoa have won their last four home games in this campaign, scoring three goals in each of the last three.
However, the visiting sides have always found the net in the last six games played by Genoa at the Marassi.
Genoa have lost their last two games against Catania and Atalanta without scoring a single goal.
In their last game the Grifoni didn't manage any shot on target against Atalanta.
Chievo have won just one of their last five league games, losing the last two against Parma and Napoli.
Away from home, Chievo have picked up just four points from their last seven games in Serie A.
Alberto Gilardino has failed to score in each of his last five appearances against Chievo: however, he has already netted six goals in his career against the Veronesi in the top-flight.

Inter v Bologna
Inter have taken just one point from their last four league games: this is their worst run in Serie A since February 2004.
This is the first time since October 2010 that Inter have failed to score in back-to-back games in the league; last time the Nerazzurri didn't score for three games in a row was between February and March 1999.
However, in the game lost on Sunday against Novara Inter recorded the highest number of shots (incl. blocked) attempted by a team in a single Serie A game this season (30).
13 of these shots were attempted by Wesley Sneijder, no other player has managed as many in a single Serie A game this season.
Inter are unbeaten in their last 13 Serie A games with Bologna (11 wins for the Nerazzurri and two draws).
The Nerazzurri have had the better in eight of the last 10 occasions they have received Bologna in Milan, sharing the points twice.
Bologna are unbeaten in the last five match-days of Serie A, however after winning 2-0 against Catania they have recorded four draws in a row.
Diego Milito have scored nine goals over the last eight Serie A match-days; eight of Inter's last 12 goals in the league have been netted by the Principe.
Only one goal has been scored in the first half of Bologna's last five games, that scored by Robert Acquafresca against Napoli.

Juventus v Catania
Since their return to Serie A in 2006/07, Catania have lost only two of their nine meetings against Juventus.
However, the Sicilians have managed to beat Juve only once in the process (in December 2009), with six games ending as draws.
All these nine recent meetings between Juve and Catania have seen both sides find the net.
Only once in 27 total meetings between these two sides have Catania managed to score more than two goals, in September 1964 (3-1 for the Sicilians).
The Sicilians remain unbeaten in their last three trips to Turin (three draws and a win).
Juventus have drawn 0-0 their last two games against Siena and Parma, despite attempting 24 total shots.
Nine of these shots were attempted by Mirko Vucinic, only three were on target.
However, Juve remain the only side still unbeaten amongst the top-5 European leagues (12 wins, 10 draws).
No Italian sides have drawn more games than Juve so far this season.

Lecce v Siena
Siena have won just two of their nine Serie A meetings against Lecce in Serie A: the first and the last played so far, in between Lecce won three times, with four draws completing the record.
Lecce are unbeaten at home against Siena in Serie A, but three meetings out of four at the Via del Mare have ended as draws.
In the reverse fixture Emanuele Calaiò netted one of his four Serie A braces.
With his goal against Roma, Calaiò took his goal scoring tally for this season to 10, recording double figures for the first time in a Serie A campaign.
David Di Michele has already scored five goals against Siena in Serie A, his favourite target after Parma (seven).
Lecce have lost just one of their last seven games in the league, but were held to a goalless draw in their last two fixtures.
After picking up just one point from their first eight games at home, Lecce have managed a win and two draws in their ensuing three games at the Via del Mare.
Siena beat Roma 1-0 in their last game; the last time the Tuscans managed back-to-back wins in Serie A was in December 2009.
Siena are yet to win their first away game this season, and have not scored more than a single goal as the visiting side in this campaign.
Only Palermo (four) have taken fewer points than Siena (five) away from home this season in Serie A.

Novara v Atalanta
Atalanta's 2-1 win in the reverse fixture is the only previous meeting between these two sides in the last 55 years in Serie A.
Overall, Atalanta have won 10 of their 19 games against Novara, losing six times and drawing three (all by 1-1).
Novara have kept a clean sheet in their last two Serie A games, after having conceded in each of the previous 21.
At home Novara are winless in their last six games (three draws and as many defeats).
Atalanta got back to winning ways on Wednesday against Genoa, however the Bergamaschi have won just two of their last seven Serie A games.
Atalanta have scored just two goals over these last seven league games, enough for two 1-0 wins.
Atalanta have won just one of their last seven games on the road, conceding two or more goals in five of these games.
German Denis (12 goals in this campaign) has failed to score in each of his last six Serie A appearances.

Palermo v Lazio
Palermo haven't scored a single goal in their last three Serie A meetings with Lazio: two defeats, followed by the goalless draw in the reverse fixture.
However, Palermo have already won 15 times against Lazio in Serie A, only against Sampdoria (17) have the Sicilians managed more wins so far in the top-flight.
Last Saturday's loss to Cagliari ended a run of four unbeaten games in which the Sicilians had picked up 10 points.
Palermo have won their last three home fixtures, scoring on average three goals per game.
Lazio have not shared the points in their last seven games (four wins, three losses).
The Biancocelesti have lost three of their last four games on the road.
Lazio have already recouped 16 points from trailing situations - more than any other Serie A side.
However, Palermo have won all the nine games in which have taken the lead at home this term.
Fabrizio Miccoli has been involved in 12 of Palermo's last 15 goals in this competition (scoring six and making as many assists).

Roma v Parma
Roma are unbeaten in their last 11 meetings with Parma in Serie A (nine wins and two draws).
The Giallorossi have not conceded goals in eight of their last 10 meetings against the Ducali in the league.
Parma's last win at the Olimpico against Roma came in April 1997; since then the hosts have notched up 10 wins and three draws.
Francesco Totti has already scored 15 goals against Parma, his favourite target in Serie A.
Totti has found the net in five of his last six games at the Olimpico against Parma.
In Roma's last game, the defeat against Siena, Totti didn't make a single touch in the opposition box in the 59 minutes he played before being substituted by Osvado.
Roma have won just once in the last five match-days (4-0 vs Inter), losing once and drawing twice.
At home the Giallorossi are unbeaten in their last six games (four wins and two draws).
Luis Enrique's side have always scored at home in this Serie A campaign.
Wednesday's goalless draw with Juventus extended to five games Parma's unbeaten run in the league (two wins, three draws).
The win against Chievo in Verona ended a run of seven away games without a win for Parma in Serie A

Udinese v Cagliari
Udinese are unbeaten in their last six Serie A meetings with Cagliari (three wins and as many draws).
At home, Udinese have suffered just one defeat in 17 meetings with the Sardinians (0-2 in May 2008), winning 11 times.
Udinese have lost three of their last four league games, and four of the last six.
Against AC Milan, Udinese lost their first game of the season at the Friuli; taking into account last season, their unbeaten run at home was 13 Serie A games.
In fact, Udinese would be top of the Serie A table considering just the games played on home soil, on 31 points.
Cagliari have lost just one of their last seven Serie A games, and are unbeaten in the last three.
However, the Sardinians are winless in their last four away games (two draws, two losses), and have scored only one goal in the process.
Antonio Di Natale, current Serie A top-scorer on 17 goals, has been directly involved in 65% of his side's 34 total goals, adding to his scoring tally also five assists.
Di Natale has already netted five goals to Cagliari in Serie A, four of which came in his last four appearances against the Sardinians.
Udinese will not be able to count on Mauricio Isla, who came off injured against AC Milan: the Friulani have won just 15% of their league games without the Chilean since 2008/09 (three out of 20), and 48% with him on the pitch (54 out of 112).

Bundesliga Opta Facts - 17-19 February


1899 Hoffenheim - FSV Mainz 05
Mainz have won four of their five BL encounters with Hoffenheim, but lost this season's first meeting with 1899, 4-0.
Hoffenheim have only won one of their nine BL games on a Friday (three draws, five defeats) so far.
Mainz, on the other hand, have won their last three league games on a Friday.
Hoffenheim's last five home games all ended in draws. Since winning promotion to the top flight in 2008 Hoffenheim have never gone six league games on home soil without a win.
Mainz are unbeaten in three league games (one win, two draws), but have enjoyed only one victory in their last nine games in all competitions (five draws, three defeats).
Thomas Tuchel's men have only enjoyed one victory away from home this term; when they won 2-1 at Freiburg back in August. Since that win Mainz have lost three and drawn six of their nine BL games on the road.
Hoffenheim have only recouped one point from losing positions this term - fewer than any other team in the league.
Mainz have taken the lead in as many games as second-placed Bayern this term (14), but have only managed to win five of these matches and have dropped a league-high 22 points from winning positions.
1899 have been given a league-high 49 yellow cards and 411 fouls (an average of nearly 20 fouls per game).
Mainz have netted each of their last five league goals before the 19th minute.
Hoffenheim have only netted two headed goals this term - a divisional league-low. Winter signing Srdjan Lakic was the player with the most headed goals to his name last campaign, though (six).

FC Kaiserslautern - Borussia Mönchengladbach
This will be the 80th BL meeting between Lautern and Gladbach. Only against Bayern (47) and Hamburg (39) have FCK suffered more defeats in the top flight than against Borussia (38), while Gladbach have only enjoyed more wins over Köln (43) than over Lautern in the Bundesliga (38).
Gladbach have lost three and won only one of their last six matches against the Red Devils in all competitions; this coming when they beat Lautern 1-0 at home earlier this season.
Gladbach's last BL win at Fritz-Walter-Stadion came over 16 years ago when they beat the Red Devils 3-1 on the road in August 1995.
Only in one of their previous 44 BL campaigns have the Red Devils picked up fewer points after 21 games than they have this term (18) - in 2005-06 they had only accrued 17 points after the same number of games.
This game will see the team with the fewest goals conceded (Gladbach, 12) take on the team with the fewest goals scored (Lautern, 15).
Only four teams in BL history had netted fewer goals after 21 games than Lautern have this campaign (15). The last team that scored fewer than 15 goals 21 games into the season was Köln in 2001/02 (11 goals).
Only three teams in BL history had conceded fewer goals after 21 games than Gladbach have this term (12): Bremen 1987-88 (nine), Stuttgart 2003-04 (ten) and Bayern 2007-08 (11).
Lautern are winless in 11 BL games (seven draws, four defeats) - currently the longest run of its kind in the top flight. Their last win came over four months ago when they beat Freiburg 1-0.
Borussia have only lost one of their last 11 BL games (eight wins, two draws) and are unbeaten in their last five (four wins). Only leaders Dortmund (12) have won more points since the turn of the year than the Foals (ten).
Marco Reus has been directly involved in six of Borussia's nine league goals in 2012 (three goals, three assists).

FC Nürnberg - FC Köln
Nürnberg have won their last seven BL home games against Köln, conceding only three goals in the process.
FCN have never won eight consecutive home games against a single opponent in the Bundesliga, however.
Köln's last win away at Nürnberg in the Bundesliga came over 21 years ago, when they enjoyed an emphatic 4-0 win over FCN.
Only bottom-placed Freiburg (12) have suffered more defeats this term than Nürnberg and Köln (11 each).
Nürnberg have currently gone longer without scoring than any other team in Bundesliga (275 minutes) -their longest goal drought since autumn 2010 (289 minutes).
Köln have only netted three goals in their last six league games.
FCN have only been awarded two penalties this term - both were conceded by Pedro Geromel and converted by Timmy Simons in this season's first meeting between Nürnberg and Köln.
Köln have by far attempted the fewest shots in the league - only 8.4 per game on average.
The Billy Goats will miss their arguably most important player in Lukas Podolski due to injury. The German international has netted 52% of Köln's league goals this term.
Köln midfielder Martin Lanig formerly plied his trade with Nürnberg, while current FCN players Jens Hegeler, Markus Feulner and Hanno Balitsch all had stints with the Billy Goats.

Bayer Leverkusen - FC Augsburg
This will be Augsburg's first competitive game at BayArena.
All three previous competitive meetings between these two sides were played at Augsburg and have seen Bayer Leverkusen prevail (two times in the German Cup, once in the Bundesliga).
This season's first meeting of the two sides saw Hajime Hosogai open the scoring for FCA, but ended in a 4-1 win for Bayer (goals: Sidney Sam (two), Stefan Kießling and Eren Derdiyok).
With a victory over Augsburg, Bayer could become only the 11th team in the Bundesliga to break the 300 top-flight home win mark.
Bayer are without a win in three league games (two draws, one defeat) - their longest winless run since September 2010 (two draws, one defeat).
Augsburg have only taken two points from their last six BL games on the road. In total, FCA have only won one of their 11 BL away matches this term when they beat Mainz 2-1 in October.
No team has conceded more goals following set-piece situations than Augsburg (15, like Freiburg). Six of the last seven goals that FCA have shipped have come from dead-ball situations.
Bayer only attempted three shots in their 1-0 defeat at Dortmund last weekend - fewer than in any other BL game since 2004/05.
FCA defender Jan-Ingwer Callsen Bracker was under contract to Leverkusen between 2004 and 2008, making 36 BL appearances for Bayer (two goals), while Leverkusen-born FCA centre-back Dominik Reinhardt played for Bayer's youth teams.
FCA defender Sebastian Langkamp currently has the best duel rate in the league, having won 72% of his challenges this term.

Hamburger SV - Werder Bremen
This will be the 96th BL meeting between the two sides - no other BL fixture has been played that often. Werder are slightly in front of HSV in the head-to-head record having won 32 of the previous 95 duels, while Hamburg only enjoyed 30 wins over Bremen in the Bundesliga (33 draws).
Hamburg have won their last three BL home games against Bremen, but have lost their home games in the semi-finals of the German Cup (4-2 on penalties) and the semis of the UEFA Cup 2008/09 (3-2) against Werder during that period.
Hamburg have only lost one of their last 13 league games (five wins, seven draws).
Bremen have drawn each of their four league games since the turn of the year. The last time Werder drew four times on the bounce was back in 1998.
Thomas Schaaf's men have gone five BL games on the road without picking up a win (two draws, three defeats).
The Redshorts have only picked up 11 points from their 11 home games this term, but have taken 15 from their 10 games on the road and are the only side in the league apart from Hertha to have won more points on the road than on home soil.
Bremen have already recouped 17 points from losing positions this term - more than any other team in the Bundesliga.
Five of the last seven goals that Werder have conceded have came from headed shots. In total, Bremen have allowed their opponents nine headed goals this term - a joint league-high.
Claudio Pizarro has been directly involved in 20 of Werder's last 26 league goals (14 goals, six assists). The Peruvian striker has netted more goals against Hamburg than against any other team in the Bundesliga (14) and will be eligible again after missing Werder's last match due to suspension.

Hertha - Dortmund
In this season's first meeting between these two sides, newly promoted Hertha inflicted a shock defeat on Dortmund when they beat the reigning champions 2-1 on the road and leapfrogged them in the table. However, Dortmund are now 26 points and 14 places clear of the Berliners.
The meeting with Dortmund will be the 1000th BL game for Hertha. Last week's 5-0 defeat at Stuttgart was the 500th away game for the Berlin-based side.
With only nine points from their 10 games at Olympiastadion this term so far, Hertha are bottom of the BL home form table. They have only won two of their last 26 top-flight games on home soil (nine draws, 15 defeats).
Dortmund, on the other hand, have won more points on the road this term than any other team in the league (21).
This game will see the worst BL side of 2012 take on the best side since the turn of the year. While Hertha have lost all their four league games since Jan 1st, scoring only one goal in the process, Dortmund have won all their four league games in 2012, conceding only two goals in the process.
Jürgen Klopp's men have gone 15 games without defeat (12 wins, three draws) - currently the longest unbeaten run in the top-three tiers of German football.
Whenever Dortmund have picked up more than 45 points from their first 21 games of a BL season they have ended up winning the league (2011, 2002 and 1995).
Hertha's caretaker manager Rene Tretschok plied his trade with Borussia Dortmund between 1992 and 1997, winning two BL titles (1995, 1996) as well as the Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup (1997) with the Yellow-Blacks.
Borussia midfielder Shinji Kagawa has netted four goals in his last four appearances in all competitions.
Midfielder Raffael has scored in each of Hertha's four league wins this term. The Berlin-based side haven't won a single BL game this campaign in which the Brazilian hasn't found the back of the net.

SC Freiburg - FC Bayern
Freiburg haven't won a competitive match against Bayern in over 16 years and have lost 17 of their last 20 encounters with the German record champions (three draws).
In this season's first meeting, Bayern handed SCF their biggest-ever defeat in the Bundesliga (7-0).
Bayern have won each of their last 12 BL games against Freiburg. No team in the German top flight has ever won 13 straight BL games against a single opponent.
This game will see team with the most goals conceded (Freiburg, 47) take on the team with the most goals scored (Bayern, 49).
Freiburg have only won one of their last nine league games (four draws, four defeats).
Bayern have only enjoyed two wins in their last seven BL games on the road (two draws, three defeats), keeping only one clean sheet in the process.
At this point last season, Freiburg had accrued twice as many points as they have this term (34 opposed to 17).
Five of Bayern's six league goals in 2012 were scored following set-pieces. FCB have scored more goals following dead-ball situations than any other team in the league (18).
Only Freiburg, Hertha and Bremen (eight each) have netted more goals in the final 10 minutes of games this term than Bayern (seven).
FCB striker Mario Gomez has netted six goals in his four BL appearances against Freiburg, including a four goal haul in this season's first meeting of the two sides.

FC Schalke 04 - VfL Wolfsburg
The Wolves have only lost one of their last 10 BL games against Schalke (five wins, four draws), but lost the corresponding fixture last season 1-0 at Veltins-Arena.
Wolfsburg won this season's first meeting with Schalke, 2-1, despite conceding first. It was the only game this season in which the Wolves recouped points from a losing position.
Schalke have lost none and won five of their last six BL home games, but were held to a 1-1 draw by Mainz in their last at Veltins-Arena.
The Wolves have only taken one point from their last nine BL games on the road. Felix Magath's men have failed to score more than one goal in any of these matches and shipped an average of three goals per away game during that period.
Schalke have netted more second-half goals than any other team in the league (32). The Royal Blues last seven league goals have all come after the interval.
Wolves manager Felix Magath has already fielded 36 different players this term - a new single-season BL record.
Schalke have the best chance conversion rate in the Bundesliga, scoring with 20.7% of their unblocked attempts.
No team has scored more goals from crosses (10), corners (seven, like Leverkusen), headers (eight, like Köln) and counter-attacks (11) than Schalke.
Petr Jiracek became this campaign's first winter signing to score a brace when he netted twice against Freiburg last weekend. The Czech only needed two shots for his two goals.
Wolves top-scorer Mario Mandzukic (eight goals) netted his last league goal in a 2-2 draw against Mainz in early December and has failed to score in his last five BL appearances.

Hannover - Stuttgart
Stuttgart have won three of their last four BL games against Hannover (one defeat). Each of the last five BL meetings between these two sides saw the home side prevail.
Hannover have only lost one of their last seven BL home games against Stuttgart and have won their last two against the Swabians at AWD Arena.
In the corresponding fixture last season, the Reds beat Stuttgart 2-1 at AWD Arena. In the aftermath of that game Stuttgart sacked manager Jens Keller and replaced him with current VfB boss Bruno Labbadia.
Mirko Slomka's men are unbeaten in their last 11 BL home games (six wins, five draws) - only Gladbach have currently gone longer without defeat on home soil (14 games).
Hannover have won two and drawn six of their last eight league games despite failing to score more than one goal in any of those matches. Only reigning champions Dortmund are currently on a longer unbeaten run than the Reds (15 games).
The Reds have only allowed one goal since the turn of the year - a joint league-low with Gladbach.
Stuttgart have gone six away games without a win (two draws, four defeats) in the Bundesliga.
The Swabians are the only side outside the top four with a positive goal difference (+3).
VfB striker Martin Harnik scored his first BL hat-trick in the Swabians' 5-0 win over Hertha last weekend. The Stuttgart top scorer has already bagged 10 goals this term - one more than he previously managed in a single BL season. hh
Three players will miss this match due to red-card suspensions. Hannover will be without defender Pogatetz while Stuttgart will have to replace Molinaro and Delpierre.
This will be Hannover's 400th Bundesliga home games and their 800th in the German top-flight overall.

15.02.2012. HUSNIJA FAZLIĆ (VERDER) uoči 22.kola

Dvojke na Dortmund i Bajern, dva vodeća tima koja gostuju Herti i Frajburgu, ekipama sa dna tabele, izgledaju mi sasvim sigurne. Ni Leverkuzen ne bi smeo da propusti šansu da kao domaćin savlada slabi tim Augsburga.Vaš Verder...
- Moram da budem iskren i priznam da je Hamburg trenutno u boljoj formi od nas, i da je za nijansu bliži pobedi. Nirnberg, koji ima izuzetno mladu i talentovanu ekipu bi trebalo da savlada Keln.
MOJ TIP
Hamburg – Verder 1x
Šalke – Volfsburg 1x
Hanover – Štutgart 1
HERTA – DORTMUND 2
LEVERKUZEN – AUGSBURG 1
FRAJBURG – BAJERN 2
Nirnberg – Keln 1
Kajzerslautern – Menhengladbah 2x
Hofenhajm – Majnc 1

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16.02. (Thu) 19:00 Ajax - Manchester Utd.

 Champions League,Darren Fletcher,Manchester United FC v SL Benfica Rio Ferdinand,Dimitar Berbatov and Patrice Evra,
Getty Images

PROBABLE LINEUPS


AJAX

Vermeer
Anita, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Koppers De Jong, Eriksen, Janssen
Sulejmani, Lodeiro, Aissati
MANCHESTER UNITED

De GeaRafael, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra
Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park
Rooney, Welbeck

For the visit of Manchester United, Ajax will have to do without several members of the first-team squad as injuries continue to take their toll.

In defence, Andre Ooijer (calf) won't be involved, neither will Gregory Van der Weil (groin), with youngster Dico Koppers likely to start at left-back.

In midfield the hosts have mixed news as Theo Janssen (groin) is ready to return and could even start, but Eyong Enoh (hamstring) and Derk Boerrigter (back) look very doubtful, while in attack Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (back) is struggling to be fit.

United on the other hand seem to be coming to the end of their injury-ravaged spell as Tom Cleverley (ankle) could start after taking a place on the bench against Liverpool, while Nani (ankle) and Phil Jones (foot) may also be able to feature.

Chris Smalling (slight knock) remains touch-and-go for the trip to Amsterdam, while Anders Lindegaard (ankle), Anderson (unspecified knock) and Michael Owen (thigh) remain a couple of weeks away from action.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • This match will be Manchester United's first non-Champions League European match since 1995.
  • United came up short in their last Europa League (then Uefa Cup) tie as they were beaten on away goals by Russian side Rotor Volgograd in the 1995 first round.
  • Should be play, Ryan Giggs (pictured righ) will make his 900th appearance for Sir Alex Ferguson's team.
  • Both Giggs and Scholes featured when United were knocked out of the Uefa Cup in 1995.
  • The two sides have met just twice before, a two-legged affair during the 1975-76 season, with United winning 2-1.
  • Ajax have lost three of their last five home matches, but had previously only been defeat at their own ground once in 24 outings.
  • The last English team to play at the Amsterdam Arena in a competitive match was Arsenal, with the Gunners picking up a 2-1 win in 2005.
Prediction
Given the Dutch side's form this season, their injuries and United's sheer gulf in class, this match can surely only go one way. Obviously a lot depends on the individual battles all across the pitch, but if United get in their stride early and take control of the match, it will be a long night for Frank De Boer's team.
Editor's Prediction
Ajax 0-3 Man Utd.

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16.02. (Thu) 19:00 Lazio - Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid - Radamel Falcao, Arda Turan
Atletico Madrid - Radamel Falcao, Arda Turan

PROBABLE LINE-UPS


LAZIO


Marchetti
Konko, Biava, Diakite, Stankevicius
Matuzalem, Ledesma
Candreva, Hernanes, Gonzalez
Klose
ATLETICO MADRID


Courtois
Perea, Miranda, Dominguez, Filipe
Tiago, Gabi
Turan, Diego, Adrian
Falcao

Lazio coach Edy Reja finds his side in the midst of an injury crisis but will be lifted by the return of Mobido Diakite who missed the weekend's match with Cesena through suspension.

Stefan Radu and Senad Lulic may not win the battle to be fit for Thursday's tie as both are struggling with injuries. Lorik Cana, Andre Dias, Stefano Mauri and Tomasso Rocchi are also all likely to be absent.

Should the need arise Reja has stated that he may pluck some players from the youth side that is currently competing in the Viareggio tournament.

Atletico Madrid centre-back Diego Godin may face a late fitness test ahead of the game but Diego Simeone has Miranda available after serving a suspension during the weekend's Liga action.

Simeone is likely to have his first-choice attacking line-up available to him for his return to the club he once played for.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Lazio are unbeaten in their last four European games and have kept a clean sheet in their last three.
  • The Biancocelesti are playing in Uefa club competition after the winter break for the first time since the 2002-03 season when they lost to Porto in the Uefa Cup semi-final.
  • The capital city club have an solid record at home against Spanish clubs; they have been beaten only once in eight games (W3 D4 L1).
  • Atletico Madrid won the tournament in 2010. They beat Galatasaray, Sporting Lisbon, Valencia and Liverpool on their way to the final where they defeated Fulham 2-1 in Hamburg.
  • Los Colchoneros lost their last game on Italian soil in a 2-0 defeat to Udinese at Stadio Friuli on matchday three of this year's group stage.
  • Diego Simeone played for Lazio between 1999 and 2003, winning a domestic double in his debut season with the Rome club.
Prediction
Though they are plagued with a number of injury troubles, Lazio will still provide a stern test for Diego Simeone's men. The Atletico coach boasts a fierce attack but they have failed to score in their last two outings, and a draw could be settled for by both sides.
Editor's Prediction
Lazio 1-1 Atl. Madrid

15.02.2012. MIROSLAV RADOVIĆ (LEGIJA, POLJSKA) o 18. kolu

Veliki peh zadesio je srpskog internacionalca. Miroslav Radović, vezista Legije koji je jesenas bio u životnoj formi, na pripremama svog kluba "zaradio" je prelom rebara.
- Napustila su nas dvojica standardnih prvotimaca - odgovorio je Radović na pitanje koji poljski tim je najviše oslabljen.
- Dovešćemo zamene za njih, a u prvom kolu nastavka prvenstva morali bismo da savladamo Gornjik, jer nas narednog vikenda očekuje gostovanje Slasku.
Legija ipak nije među fiksevima. Ko jeste?
- Leh pre ostalih, jer mu dolazi Belhatov, ekipa koja je mnogo loša u gostima. Lehija ima dvojicu-trojicu novih igrača, dovela je i stručnjaka. Krakovija je ostala bez jednog napadača, ali je kvalitetnija od rivala u borbi za opstanak - lako je Radović pronašao dve sigurice.
MOJ TIP
LKS Lođ - Polonija V. 0-2
LEH - BELHATOV 1-1
Viđev - Podbeskidzje 1
KRAKOVIJA - LEHIJA 1
Slask - Ruh 1x
Zaglebje - Visla K. 2
Gornjik Z. - Legija 2
Korona - Jagielonija x