25.08. (Sun) 17:00 Tottenham - Swansea

Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup is hoping that his side can take their European form into Sunday's Premier League clash with Tottenham.



The Welsh side will head into the game on the back of a 5-1 win in the Europa League against Petrolul Ploiesti on Thursday - a result that Laudrup described as "excellent".

A late consolation goal from Gheorghe Grozav may have taken the shine off for Swansea, but despite being forced back into action with a relatively short turnaround, Laudrup believes that his side will now enter the White Hart Lane clash full of optimism.



"I’m not complaining about the fixtures," he said. "You have to play everyone and it will be difficult - but we are confident going into the game.



"They had a very good squad last season, and they have bought some good players this summer.



"It may be a different Spurs to the one we played last year, but it will still be tough."



While Swansea fell 4-1 to Manchester United on the opening weekend, Tottenham were 1-0 winners against Crystal Palace.



That match saw Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado and Etienne Capoue all make their competitive debuts for the club, although Tottenham were without Gareth Bale as speculation continues over a potential world record move to Real Madrid.



And while he has had to cope without last season's Player and Young Player of the Year Bale so far this season, boss Andre Villas-Boas is pleased with his dealings in the window so far.



"I don't think the team will be distracted by the transfers," he explained. "What we've done so far has been great activity in the transfer window, we managed to bring in almost all the players that we want and will continue to work to strengthen the squad.



"The players look very determined to achieve our objectives this season because of last season's tally of points and not being able to achieve it [qualifying for the Champions League].



"We will continue to be focused on our objectives, so we transfer back to the Premier League against Swansea which is extremely important."



Tottenham will also head into the clash bouyed by their own Europa League exploits after Danny Rose, Paulinho, Andros Townsend and a Soldado double gave them a 5-0 win over Dinamo Tbilisi.



They took three points in both fixtures against Swansea last season, winning 1-0 at White Hart Lane in December before triumphing in the return fixture 2-1 in March.



Bale (foot) will not feature against last season's League Cup winners while Lewis Holtby (hip) is not fully fit, though scored on his return to action for the Under-21 side.



Aaron Lennon (foot) and Jermain Defoe (hamstring) could feature after not playing in Tbilisi.



Nathan Dyer's hamstring injury could keep him out of the game, with the Swansea winger having missed the Europa League tie on Thursday.



However, Jonathan de Guzman may make his return after suffering concussion while playing for the Netherlands.

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24.08. (Sat) 13:45 Fulham - Arsenal

Arsenal are confident that they can bounce back from a shock home loss to Aston Villa when they visit Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.



Arsene Wenger's men made a dreadful start to their league campaign, suffering a 3-1 home defeat to a Villa side who only just avoided relegation last term but the Gunners recovered strongly on Wednesday, posting a terrific 3-0 win at Fenerbahce in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.



Theo Walcott starred for Arsenal, creating two of the goals, and feels that his side can beat anyone at their best.



"If everyone works hard for each other, we can get the results," the forward told the club's official website. "I think at the weekend that probably wasn't the case and we knew how disappointing it was. You don't want to start a season like that.



"We've forgotten about that and we're concentrating on Fulham. And if we perform like [Wednesday], with that intensity, we can beat anyone."



Defender Laurent Koscielny suffered a deep cut to the head against Fenerbahce but was suspended for the trip to Craven Cottage anyway, while Wenger is also without club captain Thomas Vermaelen as he recovers from a back injury. Bacary Sagna is expected to fill in at centre-back.



Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) is sidelined for up to three months, leaving Wenger short of midfield options with Abou Diaby (knee) and Mikel Arteta (thigh) not expected back any time soon.



Left-back Nacho Monreal has recovered from a back problem, though, and featured against Fenerbahce.



Fulham enjoyed a far better opening day to the season as they claimed a 1-0 win at Sunderland thanks to Pajtim Kasami's second-half strike.



New signings Scott Parker and Darren Bent could make their debuts on Saturday. Parker joined from Tottenham for an undisclosed fee on Monday, while Bent, on a season's loan from Villa, did not feature from the bench at Sunderland.



Fulham will be without goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg (shoulder) and Kieran Richardson (hamstring), who both limped off at the Stadium of Light, but attacker Alexander Kacaniklic has a chance of returning from a hamstring problem of his own. David Stockdale is likely to deputise in goal for Martin Jol's side after coming off the bench for Stekelenburg.



Fulham have enjoyed a good record against Arsenal in recent times, losing just one of their last five fixtures, but Arsenal did win the most recent meeting as Per Mertesacker scored the only goal in a 1-0 away win in April that saw both sides end the match with 10 men.

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Željko Brkić (Udineze, Italija 1) pred mečeve prvog kola

Oporavak Željka Brkića od povrede i operacije „grudne” tetive protiče uz fudbal. Golman Udinezea, iako odvojen od terena i skoncentrisan na terapije, sa velikom pažnjom prati zbivanja u Seriji A, čije prvo kolo se igra ovog vikenda.

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Bojan Zajić (Valerenga): Stromsgodset ponovo odličan

Stromsgodset je opet u odličnoj formi, igra lepo, a pre nedelju dana je ostao bez pobede zbog gola primljenog u zaustavnom vremenu.

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Željko Čorlija: Tuluz gubi u kneževini

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24.08. (Sat) 20:45 Sampdoria - Juventus

Juventus kick off the defence of their Serie A crown with a testing trip to Sampdoria on Saturday.



The reigning champions lost just five league fixtures on their way to the title last term, but two of those came against Delio Rossi's men.



Sampdoria earned a shock 2-1 victory over Juve away from home despite Gaetano Berardi receiving an early red card, and also defeated Antonio Conte's men 3-2 at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on the final day of the season.



However, the scorer of three of their five goals against Juve, Mauro Icardi, will not be available this time around following his close-season switch to Inter.



Rossi will hope that young striker Manolo Gabbiadini, whose economic rights remain split between Sampdoria and Juventus, can fill the goalscoring void this term.



Juventus come into the game off the back of a morale-boosting Supercoppa Italiana victory over Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico.



An early strike from Paul Pogba and second-half goals from Giorgio Chiellini, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Carlos Tevez handed the Turin club the win, and ensured they will open their Serie A campaign full of confidence.



Sampdoria in fact kicked off the 2012-13 campaign with three consecutive victories, but separate winless runs of nine and 10 games saw them go on to finish in 14th position in the Italian top flight.



And if they are to get off to a similarly encouraging start this term then they will need to cope with a Juve side who will be keen to lay down an early marker.

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24.08. (Sat) 18:00 Hellas Verona - Milan

AC Milan will play their 4,000th competitive game when they face Verona in Serie A's opening game at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi on Saturday.



Massimiliano Allegri is likely to see this campaign as an opportunity to move on from what was a mixed season last time out.



After a poor start, which saw Milan win just one of their opening four games, Allegri was quickly under fire.



However, he eventually secured a place in the UEFA Champions League play-offs thanks to a dramatic 2-1 win in the final game against Siena to ensure they finished third.



Verona enjoyed a much more positive season as they finished second behind Sassuolo to secured promotion from Serie B.



Milan full-back Ignazio Abate believes their opponents will see the arrival of the 18-time Scudetto winners as a "dream".



Abate, who assisted Stephan El Shaarawy's header in Milan's 1-1 Champions League draw with PSV on Tuesday, told the club's official website: "We will have a big game on a difficult pitch.



"We expect it will be sold out in Verona, it has been their desire and dream so we need to watch out."



The 26-year-old also believes a boosted togetherness within the camp can help Milan improve on their third-place finish last season.



"We are an amazing group, it is an adjective that is taken for granted, but it is. We are very united and we get on well," he continued.



"Since last year the group has cemented itself a lot, and Massimiliano Allegri has squared the circle. It will be a long season, and there will be difficult moments where we will suffer.



"Our objectives are to remain attached to the top teams, then we'll see what happens in the last two months."



Allegri could have defender Mattia De Sciglio (knee) and Brazilian forward Robinho (thigh) available after injury, with both players returning to training after Tuesday's draw in Eindhoven.



While Milan come into the game having only managed a draw with PSV, Verona picked up a 1-0 win in the Coppa Italia over Palermo on Saturday thanks to a Luca Toni goal.



Andrea Mandorlini has since strengthened his side with the loan acquisition of Samuele Longo from Inter, with the 21-year-old anticipating a challenge this season - starting with a clash against his parent club's fierce rivals.



The 21-year-old told the club's official website: "(Verona) was one of the first teams to look for me and I immediately accepted the offer to come to Verona.



"It's a challenge that I'm ready to deal with, I cannot wait (to) start."

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24.08. (Sat) 15:30 Bayern Munchen - Nurnberg

Bayern Munich will look to break a club record 27 Bundesliga games without defeat when they contest the Bavarian derby with Nurnberg.



Mario Mandzukic scored the only goal of the game as Pep Guardiola's men continued their 100 per cent winning start to the new league campaign at Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend.



That result also meant they drew level with their club record of 27 Bundesliga matches undefeated - and they can go beyond that figure by avoiding an upset against Nuremberg at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.



Bayern forward Thomas Muller says the squad know of their achievement, but insisted they are solely focused on the task of taking another three points.



"We're obviously aware of it and we're delighted, but the priority in Frankfurt was three points, which we were determined to take," he told the club's official website.



"We've generally done well at home to Nurnberg, and we obviously want that to continue. Nurnberg are very strong in the air and come with enormous presence.



"They play with great determination, so we have to resist that. We're superior to them technically and tactically, but we have to show that on the field."



Bayern have no fresh injury worries ahead of the game, but centre-back Holger Badstuber remains a long-term absentee after suffering a recurrence of a cruciate ligament tear in May.



Nurnberg have started their league campaign with consecutive 2-2 draws against Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin respectively.



Michael Wiesinger's side have shown fighting spirit in those fixtures, coming back from losing positions in both matches to take a share of the spoils.



However, they have issues in defence ahead of the game. Marcos Antonio is set to miss the whole campaign with a hyaline cartilage injury picked up in pre-season, while Per Nilsson is doubtful with a hamstring problem.

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Scottish Premiership Opta Facts | Aug 24

Celtic v Inverness

In the 25 league matches between these sides, Celtic have 18 wins to Caley's three, with four draws. Inverness scored in each of their four games with Celtic last season, having failed to find the net in the previous three. Despite that, Celtic won three of those four games and have won six of the last seven between the sides.

Inverness' 1-0 win at Celtic Park last season was their first ever league victory at the home of the Bhoys' and their first there since the Scottish Cup victory in 2000 that prompted a rather famous headline.

The last four matches between these sides have seen 16 goals in total hit the back of the net, an average of four per game.

Inverness (W3) and Celtic (W2) are the only Premiership sides to boast 100% records so far this season.

Caley Thistle are one of just two sides yet to concede a goal this season and are the top scorers in the division (6), with Billy McKay leading the way with three to his name so far.



Dundee United v St Johnstone

Five of the last eight games between these two have ended in a draw, including three last season.

In 2011/12, the four fixtures between these sides produced 14 goals - last season only five were scored in total.

This fixture has produced at least one 0-0 draw in each of the last three seasons.

St Johnstone are yet to concede in the league this season and are one of only two sides to achieve this feat. Indeed, they also kept a clean sheet in their last league game of 2012/13.

Dundee United have netted just one goal in three fixtures so far this term (D2 L1).

Stretching back to last season, the Arabs have won just one of their last eight league matches (D2 L5).



Hearts v Aberdeen

In the four games played against each other last season, both sides managed a 2-0 victory and the other two were draws.

Hearts have won their last four games against Aberdeen at Tynecastle, scoring 13 goals and conceding none.

In fact, Aberdeen's 2-0 victory at Pittodrie last season was the first time they had scored in 10 games against Hearts.

Prior to the 1-1 draw between these two on the final day of last season, at least one team failed to score in each of previous 11 meetings.

Hearts have failed to score more than one goal in any of their last five league matches.

In a run which stretches back to April, Aberdeen have lost just one of their last eight in the league (W3 D4).



Kilmarnock v Hibernian

Both teams have scored in this fixture 10 out of the last 11 times they have met in the top tier.

The away side has scored in each of the last 11 league matches between the sides.

Hibernian are unbeaten in four league games against Killie, winning two.

These two sides are among the four teams in the division who are yet to win after playing three matches.

Killie also lost their last two games of the 2012/13 season, thus they are winless in five league matches (D2 L3).

In all competitions, 441 minutes of action passed before Hibs netted their first (and only) goal of the season.



Motherwell v Partick Thistle

These sides have not met since the 2006/07 League Cup when Motherwell triumphed 3-2 at Fir Park. Motherwell are unbeaten in five games against Partick at Fir Park in all competitions (W2 D3).

Patrick have mustered 20 shots on target this season, six more than any other side.

Partick last lost a league fixture on 12 January and have managed a win and two draws on their return to the top flight.

Motherwell have not drawn a Premiership match since 6 April, since then they have won four and lost four.



Ross County v St Mirren

Last season's match at Victoria Park resulted in the only ever 0-0 draw between these sides in all competitions.

The other two fixtures between these sides last season produced a combined 14 goals, with both team managing one win each.

Ross County have leaked nine goals so far this term, four more than any other side.

Ross County have also managed just 14 attempts at goal (excl. blocks) so far, fewer than any other team and almost 12 fewer than the division average of 25.8.

The Buddies have opened the season with one draw and one defeat. Stretching back to last season, they have won just one of their last 12 Premiership matches (D7 L4).

Ross County are the only team in the division to have lost all of their matches so far.

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League Two Opta Facts | August 24th

Accrington Stanley v Cheltenham Town

Accrington have faced 20 shots on target so far this season; the most in League Two.

Cheltenham have won just one of their last nine away league games (D3 L5 - inc. playoffs).

Accrington manager James Beattie scored two goals for Stanley in the 2-2 draw between these sides at the Crown Ground last season.

The away team has managed at least one goal in each of the last seven encounters between the sides, and has scored first in five of these.



AFC Wimbledon v Scunthorpe United

Wimbledon have lost just one of their last 12 home league games (W5 D6).

Scunthorpe have committed fewer fouls (19) than any other team in League Two so far this season.

These sides have only met twice in history (in Wimbledon's current monikor) - in the FA Cup in 2011/12. After a 0-0 draw at home AFC Wimbledon won the replay at Glanford Park; 1-0 thanks to a Luke Moore goal.

AFC Wimbledon have managed to keep just two clean sheets in their last 23 league matches at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.



Bristol Rovers v York City

Bristol Rovers have lost four and won none of their last seven league matches (D3).

York City have not scored in either of their last two visits to the Memorial Stadium.

Only three of the last 19 goals in matches between Bristol Rovers and York have come in the second half.

Bristol Rovers have kept six clean sheets in their last eight league game at home; conceding just two goals during this run.

York's opponents this season have mustered just four shots on target so far; a joint-low. However, two of those shots have been scored.



Burton Albion v Bury

This is Burton's best start to a League Two campaign (seven points from three games).

Only Oxford (75%) have a better shooting accuracy in League Two this season than Bury (60%).

However, Bury have attempted fewer shots (15; excluding blocked) than any other team in the division.

Bury have won three and drawn one of the previous four league matches between these sides. Burton have scored only goal in this run and conceded seven.

There have been no bookings or sending offs in the two matches played at the Pirelli Stadium between the sides. By contrast, there have been four red cards shown in the two matches at Gigg Lane (three for Bury) including three last season.



Chesterfield v Southend United

There have been 19 goals in the last five games between these sides (eight for Chesterfield).

Southend won both of these ties last season, 3-0 at Roots Hall and 1-0 at the Proact Stadium Stadium.

Southend have lost just once in their last five visits to Chesterfield in all competitions (W2 D2).

Chesterfield have won four and lost none of their last five league matches.

Southend are the only side yet to concede a goal in League Two this season.

The Shrimpers have won their opening three league games for the first time since 1990/91. On that occasion, Southend won their opening five matches.



Dagenham and Redbridge v Newport County

Dag and Red have conceded more headed goals than any other team in League Two this season (3).

In all competitions, Newport have lost just two of their last nine away from home (W3 D4).

This will be the first ever meeting between these two sides in the Football League.

The Welsh side have has six different goalscorers in their four competitive games already this season.



Hartlepool v Fleetwood Town

Hartlepool are one of two teams in the Football League yet to score a league goal this season.

Fleetwood are one of two sides (along with Exeter) to have scored two headed goals in League Two this season.

The only previous competitive meeting between these sides was in the 2008/09 FA Cup at Fleetwood's Highbury Stadium. League One Hartlepool beat non-league Fleetwood, 3-2.

Fleetwood have won two league games in a row. They haven't won three in a row since September 2012.

Hartlepool have lost just two of their last 11 home games in league competition (W4 D5).



Mansfield Town v Portsmouth

Mansfield (24%) have the worst shooting accuracy in League Two so far this season.

Portsmouth have already lost five points from leading positions in League Two this season; a league high.

Portsmouth striker David Connolly has scored five goals in his last five appearances for the club.

In 2009/10, Portsmouth were a Premier League side and reached the FA Cup final while Mansfield were in the Football Conference.



Morecambe v Exeter City

Morecambe's Jack Simpson has had more shots than any other player yet to score in League Two this term (8).

Exeter have scored on each of their six visits to Morecambe in league competition.

A player has scored a brace in each of the last three league games between these two sides.

The away side won this fixture 3-0 on both occasions last season.

Away from home, Exeter are without a win in seven league matches (D3 L4).



Northampton Town v Torquay United

Northampton are unbeaten in their last five home matches against Torquay (W2 D3).

Northampton have only scored more than one goal in two of the last 12 meetings between the sides.

There has been a draw between the sides in each of the last five seasons - the home side has always won the other match.

Torquay have tasted victory just once in their last 10 league matches away from home (D4 L5).

No team have committed more fouls than Northampton so far this season. The Cobblers are the only side to have had two players sent off in League Two so far this season.



Oxford United v Wycombe Wanderers

Oxford are the only side to battle back from a losing position to win in League Two this season.

Wycombe have lost only one of their eight league visits to Oxford (W4 D3).

Wycombe have scored in nine of their last ten league games against Oxford. Both previous matches between these sides in August have resulted in a draw.

Oxford, the top scorers in League Two so far (nine goals), are yet to score a headed goal.

Dean Smalley's three league goals for Oxford have come from just four shots in total (excluding blocked shots).



Plymouth Argyle v Rochdale

Plymouth have shipped three goals in the opening 15 minutes of their league matches this season; a high in League Two.

Rochdale have scored one goal in each of their last five matches against Plymouth.

Plymouth's 3-1 victory in this fixture last season was their first win in five games against Rochdale at Home Park.

Rochdale have attempted more shots (35; excluding blocked) than any other team in League Two this season.

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Barclays Premier League Opta Facts | Aug 24-26

Fulham v Arsenal

Arsenal won the most points from Barclays Premier League London derbies in 2012-13 (19).

Only against Manchester United (17) have Fulham lost more Barclays Premier League games than versus Arsenal (16).

Fulham have won just three of their previous 24 Premier League games against the Gunners, but all three of these victories have come at Craven Cottage.

There have been four red cards given in the last three Premier League meetings between Fulham and Arsenal (two each) at Craven Cottage.

The Gunners have been given more red cards in the Premier League since the start of 2012/13 than any other side (6), including Laurent Koscielny's dismissal in the opening game of this term.

The Whites attempted just one shot at goal (excluding blocked) in their opening day win over Sunderland, but this shot from Pajtim Kasami decided the game.

Darren Bent has scored six goals in his last eight Premier League games against Arsenal.

Arsenal have not lost their opening two matches of a Premier League season since 1992/93. In 2012/13, Arsenal did not win in the league until their third game, after drawing the first two 0-0.

Fulham have never won their opening two matches of a Premier League season. The last time that they won their first two league games of a season was in 2000/01 in the second tier.

Following his goal against Aston Villa, Olivier Giroud has now scored 12 goals in the Premier League for Arsenal. However, just one of these has come away from home.


Everton v West Bromwich Albion

Everton have dropped just four points from a possible 21 from their seven Barclays Premier League home meetings with WBA.

West Brom have failed to score a goal in four of their last six Barclays Premier League games away from home.

Just one of the previous 14 Barclays Premier League meetings between these two sides has ended in a draw.

Everton averaged the highest possession figure of all Premier League sides on the opening weekend (67%), as well as the second best passing accuracy (88%).

Shane Long scored a goal in each of the two Premier League meetings between Everton and West Brom last season, with both arriving in the 65th minute.

Roberto Martinez has won just one of his last nine matches as a manager in the Premier League (W1 D4 L4).

The Baggies have won only one of their last 10 Premier League games (W1 D3 L6).

Matej Vydra averaged a goal every 126 minutes and 15 seconds in the 2012-13 Championship for his former club Watford; a better ratio than any other player with 10+ goals.

Nicolas Anelka has currently scored for five different Premier League clubs. Should he score for West Brom, he'll join the list of seven players to have scored for six different clubs in the competition.

Nikita Jelavic has scored just one goal in his last 20 hours and 36 minutes of Barclays Premier League football for Everton.



Hull City v Norwich City

Hull City have not scored a Barclays Premier League goal at home for 357 minutes.

Norwich City have won just five points (W1 D2 L7) from their last 10 away games in the Barclays Premier League.

Norwich enjoyed just 33% of possession in their opening game against Everton. Only in five of their 38 Premier League games in 2012/13 did they have lower than this in a match.

The Canaries have won just one of their last seven competitive games against Hull City (L2), but four of these meetings have ended in 1-1 draws.

Hull City won just one of their final five Championship home games in 2012/13 (W1 D2 L2).

Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored on his Premier League debut for Norwich City versus Everton last weekend, despite having just 17 touches of the ball in his 90 minute appearance.

Norwich City have not won back to back away games in the Barclays Premier League since January 2012.

Chris Hughton's side have kept a clean sheet in just two of their last 52 Premier League away trips.

No side kept more clean sheets at home in the Championship last season than Hull City (10).

No Championship player made more assists in 2012/13 than Hull's Robbie Brady (11).



Newcastle United v West Ham United

Newcastle have lost three Barclays Premier League games in a row. They've never lost four in a row in the competition.

West Ham have won just one of their last 14 away games in the Barclays Premier League (W1 D3 L10).

The Hammers were the only side that managed to keep a clean sheet both home and away against Newcastle United in the Premier League last season.

Newcastle have suffered just one defeat in their last 10 Premier League home games against West Ham (W5 D4), but this defeat came last season; 0-1 at St James Park.

Kevin Nolan has scored in three of the last four Premier League encounters between these two sides, although two of those goals came for Newcastle United.

West Ham were the only team not to win consecutive Barclays Premier League games last season. They have a chance to do this at the first opportunity in 2013/14.

After creating the most chances without an assist in the Premier League last term (46), Matt Jarvis assisted Joe Cole's goal with his first chance created in 2013/14.

Newcastle have been given five Premier League red cards since the start of last season, only Arsenal (6) have more in this period.

The Magpies have been given three red cards in their last five Premier League matches

Since the start of 2012, Newcastle have won five of their seven Premier League home games against sides from London (L2).



Southampton v Sunderland

Southampton have scored just three goals in their last six Barclays Premier League matches.

Sunderland have lost six of their last seven Barclays Premier League matches away from home (W1 L6).

The Saints have averaged just 0.74 points per game in the month of August in the Premier League; only Crystal Palace and Swindon Town have lower averages.

The last three Premier League meetings between these two sides have seen just four goals scored in total.

No English player has scored more Premier League goals than Rickie Lambert since the start of 2012/13 (16).

Following his winning goal against West Brom last weekend, Rickie Lambert has now scored 29 out of 29 league penalties he has taken for Southampton.

Sunderland have won four of their last six trips to Southampton in league competition (L2).

The Black Cats have failed to score in two successive Premier League games. They haven't failed to score in three in a row since April 2012 (four games).

There have only been six goals scored in the last four Premier League games involving Southampton (F3 A3).

Pablo Osvaldo scored 16 goals in Serie A for Roma last season; only Edinson Cavani (29) and Antonio Di Natale (23) netted more.



Stoke City v Crystal Palace

Stoke City have scored just three goals in their last six home games in the Barclays Premier League.

Crystal Palace picked up just 35% (25 of 72) of their Championship points last season away from home.

Asmir Begovic was forced in to making the most saves in the Barclays Premier League on the opening weekend (10); also equalling his record tally in a PL appearance.

Stoke allowed Liverpool 11 shots on target in their game last weekend. The Potters have not allowed their opponents more than this in a single Premier League game since April 2010.

Crystal Palace have won just two of their previous 19 Premier League games in the month of August (W2 D7 L10).

Jonathan Walters has started 92 consecutive Premier League games for Stoke City, the current record for outfield players in the competition.

Walters netted two goals in Stoke's 4-1 win over Crystal Palace in their FA Cup replay match back in January.

Stoke City have won four and lost just one of their last six competitive meetings with Crystal Palace (D1).

Crystal Palace have not won a Barclays Premier League away game since October 30th 2004, losing eight and drawing five of their road trips since.

Mark Hughes has not won a game in the Premier League as a manager since May 6th 2012, losing 10 and drawing four of his 14 games in the competition since.



Aston Villa v Liverpool

Aston Villa have conceded a goal in each of their last 11 Barclays Premier League matches at Villa Park.

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has scored seven goals in his last six Barclays Premier League appearances.

Liverpool attempted more shots at goal than any other side on the opening weekend (20), to follow up their league-high tally of 528 shots in 2012/13.

Aston Villa have won just one of their last 15 Premier League home games against Liverpool (D5 L9).

Overall, only Manchester United (13) have won more Premier League games against Aston Villa at Villa Park than Liverpool (10).

The Reds have conceded only five goals in their last 14 trips to Villa Park in the Barclays Premier League.

Christian Benteke scored three goals against Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League last season; more than any other player against the Reds.

Benteke has scored eight goals in his last eight Barclays Premier League appearances at Villa Park.

Since he made his Premier League debut, Liverpool have had a higher win percentage without Luis Suarez in their side (64%) than they have with him (39%) in the competition.

Steven Gerrard has scored more Premier League goals against Aston Villa than versus any other side (11), including one in each of their two PL meetings in 2012/13.



Cardiff City v Manchester City

Cardiff City won more points at home than any other Championship side in 2012/13 (51).

Manchester City have kept a clean sheet in 12 of their 19 Barclays Premier League games so far in 2013.

This will be the first league meeting between these two clubs since they met in the second tier back in March 1985.

Should he score, Craig Bellamy will become the first player in the history of the Barclays Premier League to score for seven different clubs in the competition.

Despite not scoring, Edin Dzeko's total of eight shots versus Newcastle in their opening game was more than he managed in any Premier League game last season.

Just 12 (33%) of Sergio Aguero's 36 Premier League goals for Manchester City have come away from home.

Agüero has scored six goals in his 14 Barclays Premier League appearances in 2013 so far, but has not netted in consecutive appearances in the competition this calendar year.

Cardiff City have lost just one of their last 12 home matches in league competition (W5 D6 L1).

The Bluebirds attempted just one shot on target in their opening Premier League game against West Ham.

Manchester City won just one of their three Premier League away games at newly promoted sides in 2012/13; losing at Southampton (1-3) and drawing at West Ham (0-0).



Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea City

Tottenham have won nine and lost just one of their last 13 Barclays Premier League home games.

Swansea have won just one of their last nine Barclays Premier League away games (L5 D3), failing to score in five of these matches.

Spurs are unbeaten in nine Premier League games (W6 D3) and have lost just three of their last 27 matches in the competition (W17 D7 L3).

The Swans have won just one point from their four previous Barclays Premier League meetings with Tottenham (D1 L3).

Swansea City have won just two of their 12 Premier League games since winning the Capital One Cup in February 2013 (D3 L7).

Roberto Soldado opened his goal scoring account for Spurs at Crystal Palace and has now scored 11 goals in his last nine in league competition.

Wilfried Bony scored with his first shot on target in the Premier League last weekend against Man Utd. He was the top scorer in the Dutch Eredivisie in 2012/13, with 31 goals.

Jan Vertonghen scored in both of the Premier League games between Spurs and Swansea last season.

Swansea have lost three Premier League games in a row. They haven't lost four in a row in the competition since April 2012.

The Swans have lost, and failed to score, in three of their last four Premier League games away in London.



Manchester United v Chelsea

Robin van Persie has now scored nine goals in his last eight Barclays Premier League appearances.

Chelsea could become the first team ever to win two Barclays Premier League games at Old Trafford versus Man Utd in a calendar year.

Manchester United have suffered 14 Premier League defeats against Chelsea; more than against any other side.

The Red Devils' win percentage against Chelsea in the Premier League is just 31%; their lowest figure against an opponent in the competition.

These two sides met five times in 2012/13 in all competitions, with Chelsea prevailing three times and losing just once.

Javier Hernandez has scored in six of his last nine appearances against Chelsea in all competitions.

Jose Mourinho has lost just two of his seven competitive games as a manager at Old Trafford (W3 D2 L2).

Wayne Rooney provided two assists as a substitute versus Swansea. This only happened in the Premier League only twice in the whole of 2012-13 (Oscar & Hope Akpan).

A win in this game will ensure Chelsea have won their opening three league games in four of the last five seasons.

Juan Mata has scored in each of the last three Barclays Premier League games between Chelsea and Manchester United.

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Championship Opta Facts | August 24 - 25

Bolton v QPR

Bolton have gone seven league games without defeat against QPR, winning six.

Six different players have scored QPR's six goals this season (all competitions).

No side has attempted more shots this season than QPR (45).

The Trotters have won eight of their last 10 league clashes with the R's on home soil (L2).

The R's have struck the woodwork three times already this season; a joint-league-high alongside Birmingham City.

The Trotters are yet to win in the league this season, extending their winless run to five games, which includes two fixtures at the end of the 2012/13 campaign (D4 L1).

QPR's 1-0 victory over Ipswich was their first clean sheet in six league games.



Blackburn v Barnsley

Rovers are currently enjoying a six-match (all comps) unbeaten run against the Tykes, winning four.

Chris O'Grady has netted five times in his last seven league matches for Barnsley.

The two sides met twice last season with Blackburn winning on both occasions (2-1 and 3-1).

After scoring seven goals in his last nine league games of 2012/13 campaign, Jordan Rhodes is yet to find the back of the net this season, having featured three times.

Jordan Rhodes netted twice in two matches against the Tykes last campaign.

The Tykes have gone five matches (all competitions) without a victory (D3 L2).



Blackpool v Reading

Blackpool have suffered just one defeat in their last 11 games, winning five and drawing five

Adam Le Fondre has netted four times in his last six league games for Reading (Premier League included).

The Tangerines have enjoyed just two victories in their last 10 league fixtures against the Royals (L6 D2).

The Seasiders are unbeaten in their last three home league games at Bloomfield Road against Reading, winning twice (D1).

Blackpool and Reading are two of eight teams yet to taste defeat in the Championship this season.

Four of the five goals scored by Blackpool this season have come in the final fifteen minutes of matches; only Watford have scored as many goals in the final fifteen minutes.



Brighton v Burnley

Last season, Brighton won on both occasions against Burnley, scoring four goals in the process (1-0 and 3-1).

Burnley are now unbeaten in their last six league games, winning four (two 2-1s and two 2-0s) and drawing two (both 1-1).

Gordon Greer scored at both ends against Burnley during the Seagulls' 3-1 victory last season; scoring an own goal in the 60th minute and then scoring Brighton's third in the 88th minute.

After going eight Championship games without scoring, Sam Vokes has scored twice in two games for the Clarets.

The Seagulls have conceded 43 fouls so far this season; a league-high figure.

Leonardo Ulloa has netted seven of his 12 goals (all comps) for Brighton at home.



Charlton v Doncaster

Charlton forward Simon Church has netted three goals in four games (all comps) this season, after managing just one goal in the whole of last season.

Doncaster have won just two of their six meetings in total with Charlton, losing the other four.

They have met just twice since the turn of the century (in 2008/09), with Donny winning 2-1 at the Valley, courtesy of goals from James Coppinger and Brian Stock and Charlton winning 1-0 away.

After failing to score in 16 league games for Huddersfield and Derby, Theo Robinson has netted twice

in two games since joining Doncaster this season.

Donny have lost only once in their last six away matches, winning four (D1).

This season, only Birmingham's Darren Randolph (15) has made more saves than Charlton's Ben Hamer (13).



Huddersfield v Bournemouth

Huddersfield striker James Vaughan has scored four goals in his last three games (all comps).

After 14 league games without scoring at the end of last season, the Cherries' Lewis Grabban has netted four in three matches this season.

Bournemouth are enjoying a six-match unbeaten run (incl. play offs) against Huddersfield, winning twice and drawing four.

In the 2010/11 season, the two sides met four times (incl. play offs), with all those clashes ending in score draws.

Only Brighton's Inigo Calderon has made more interceptions than Bournemouth defender Steve Cook so far this season.

The Cherries have recorded just two headed attempts on goal this season; a league-low tally.



Ipswich v Leeds

The Tractor Boys have won five of their last six home matches against the Whites (D1).

Leeds have picked up four red cards in their last eight clashes with Ipswich (Ipswich also suffered one sending-off).

Only Junior Hoilett (22) has attempted more dribbles this season than Ross McCormack this season (15).

Ipswich have scored in each of their last nine home league matches against Leeds, keeping four clean sheets in the process.

Ipswich have lost three of their first four matches of the 2013/14 season (all comps), winning the other.

The Tractor Boys have mustered just 22 shots this season, a haul superior to just two other sides.



Leicester v Birmingham

Only midlands rivals Forest have conceded fewer goals (0) than the Foxes this season (1).

Birmingham have suffered just one defeat in their last six league games against Leicester (W2 D3).

No player in the division has attempted more tackles than Birmingham's Tom Adeyemi (15) this season.

The Foxes have gone six games without keeping a clean sheet against the Blues, conceding nine in the process.

There have been two red cards in total in the last four league matches between the two teams - one for each side.

The Blues have received 10 yellow cards this season; a division high.



Sheffield Wednesday v Millwall

The Owls have won their last three league matches against the Lions, scoring six times and keeping one clean sheet.

Millwall have failed to score in six successive games in the Championship.

However, three of Wednesday's last four victories against Millwall have come on the road.

Miguel Llera scored six goals last season with three of those coming in the two appearances against Millwall.

Including the 1-1 draw at Elland Road, Sheffield Wednesday have won just one league game in their last eight (3D 4L).

Chris Kirkland has made 13 saves so far this season, a figure beaten only by Birmingham keeper Darren Randolph (15).



Yeovil v Derby

The Glovers have lost four of their last six league games, winning the other two.

Derby have enjoyed just two victories in their last 13 league fixtures away from home.

This will be the first competitive meeting between the two clubs at any level of football.

Will Hughes has created nine chances for his team-mates this season; more than any other Derby player.

Only Birmingham City (10) have received more yellow cards this season than Derby (7).

The Rams are yet to keep a clean sheet this season in the league. Indeed, last season, only Bristol City (6) kept fewer than Derby (8).



Watford v Nottm Forest

Since the start of 2012/13, Gianfranco Zola's men have scored 98 goals in the league (incl. play offs); 22 more than any other side.

The Tricky Trees have kept three clean sheets this season, more than any other Championship side.

Watford are unbeaten in their last three league matches against Nottingham Forest, winning two.

Nottingham Forest have won all three of their league fixtures this season (four in all competitions). Indeed, Forest last won their opening three league fixtures since the start of the 2006/07 season.

Troy Deeney has netted nine times in his last eight league games (incl. play offs) for the Hornets.

Almen Abdi has assisted three goals for the Hornets this season; a league-high figure.



Wigan v Middlesbrough

Wigan have netted just once in their last five meetings with ‘Boro, failing to score in any of the last three clashes.

Boro' have registered just one win in their last six league games, losing three and drawing two.

Prior to Wigan's 2-2 draw with Doncaster, Shaun Maloney's last five goals for Wigan all came on the road. Indeed, Maloney's goal against Donny was his first at the DW Stadium since February.

No player has attempted more shots this season Middlesbrough's Lukas Jutkiewicz (11).

Four of the last five meetings have been decided by a single goal; 1-0 in each of those four matches.

Wigan's Scott Carson is the only goalkeeper to have made a save from the penalty spot so far this campaign.

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League One Opta Facts | August 23-25

Colchester United v Carlisle United

Last season, Colchester United won both of their two league meetings against Carlisle 2-0, with four different players getting on the score sheet.

Carlisle have lost their opening three league games for the first time since 2003/04. That season saw them relegated from the Football League.

On their travels to Colchester, Carlisle have failed to score more than one goal in a game in their last 15 visits.

Colchester have won two of their last four home league games (D1 L1).

The Cumbrians have conceded a league high three goals by way of headers so far this season.



Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crawley Town

This will be the first meeting between the two sides.

Only Coventry City (46; excluding blocked shots) have attempted more shots than Wolves (43) so far this season.

Crawley have already dropped five points from leading positions this season; a high for the division.

Wolves have won 20 and lost just one of their last 25 home games in the third tier of English football.

The Red Devils have scored four goals in the opening 30 minutes of their matches this season; more than any other team in League One.



Bradford City v Sheffield United

The Bantams are currently enduring a 14-match winless streak against the Blades in the league, losing nine and drawing five.

Sheffield United have won their last five league games against Bradford City.

Nahki Wells have now scored in seven consecutive games for Bradford City.

The Blades average 71.19% possession so far this season; more than any other League One side.

Febian Brandy has been fouled more often than any other player in League One this season (15).



Brentford v Walsall

Brentford have recorded only one win in their eight league meetings with Walsall (L3 D4).

Walsall have failed to score in three of the last four matches against Brentford.

Brentford have faced just 12 shots so far this season; a low in League One.

Walsall have won just one of their last six league matches on the road (D4 L1). However, that win did come in their only away league match this season.

Clayton Donaldson, who scored 18 league goals last season, has failed to score with any of his seven shots so far this season. No player who is yet to score has attempted more shots.



Leyton Orient v Crewe Alexandra

Leyton Orient have gone four games unbeaten against Crewe in the league, winning twice (D2).

Crewe have won three and lost just one of their last five league games.

Orient have won their opening three league games for the first since 2007/08. On that occasion, they drew their fourth game.

On the road, Alexandra haven't kept a clean sheet in the league for 17 matches.

The O's have scored six headed goals so far this season. No other team has scored more than two with their heads.



MK Dons v Bristol City

MK Dons have never beaten Bristol City in the league; losing three times and drawing once.

Only Carlisle (33) have allowed more shots on target than Bristol City (26) so far this season.

The Dons have lost both previous home games against the Robins (0-1 & 1-2).

Bristol City have lost 10 and won none of their last 13 league matches on the road.

MK Dons have hit the target with just 37.0% of their shots so far this season; the worst accuracy in the league.



Notts County v Stevenage

After winning their first two league fixtures against Stevenage, the Magpies have lost their last two (1-2 & 0-2).

Stevenage's only competitive victory against Notts County came in the FA Cup in January 2012, as the Boro' progressed to the next round thanks to a Damion Stewart own goal.

No side has attempted fewer shots in their opening three league games (21) than Stevenage this season.

Notts County have lost three of their last six home games in League One.

Stevenage have never before lost their opening three games of a Football League season.



Oldham Athletic v Port Vale

This will be the first meeting between the two sides since March 2008, when Oldham secured a 3-0 victory over Port Vale.

Port Vale have lost just three of their last 16 league games on the road (W6 D7).

The Latics have failed to score in three of their last five matches against Port Vale with two of those attempts occurring at home.

Only Gillingham (42) won more points away from home last season in League Two than Port Vale (41).



Rotherham United v Shrewsbury Town

Rotherham have not beaten Shrewsbury in the league in nine attempts losing six and drawing three.

The Shrews are unbeaten in four on their travels to Rotherham; winning twice (D2) and scoring seven goals in the process.

The Millers have picked up four points from losing positions this season; a high for League One so far.

Rotherham have conceded three times in the opening 15 minutes of their matches this season; a high for League One.

The Shrews have won none and lost two of their last five league matches on the road.



Swindon Town v Gillingham

Swindon have won their last three home league games in a row; and are unbeaten in six (D3).

Gillingham won more points away from home last season (42) in League Two than they did at home (41).

However, the Gills have drawn five and won none of their last eight league matches on the road.

Swindon have won their last four matches against Gillingham at the County Ground and are unbeaten in five (D1).

The Gills have failed to score in three of their last four trips to Swindon.



Tranmere Rovers v Peterborough United

Tranmere are now without a win in nine league games (D2 L7).

Peterborough have won their opening three league games for the first time since 1999/2000 (when they won promotion through the play-offs from the fourth tier).

Tranmere have not lost to Peterborough at home in the league in 15 attempts, winning nine times (D6); a run stretching back to 1982.

After failing to score in the last three home games of the 2012/13 campaign, Tranmere have netted five goals in two matches (all comps) at Prenton Park this season.


Coventry City v Preston North End

Coventry have gone four games without a victory over the Lilywhites on home soil (D3 L1).

In all competitions, Preston have lost just one of their last 10 (W4 D5).

Coventry's games have produced 18 goals so far this season; more than any other team in League One.

Preston are unbeaten in nine matches against Coventry; winning five.

Billy Daniels has scored with three of his five shots this season for Coventry.

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Ligue 1 Opta Facts - Matchday 3 - August 23rd-25th

Monaco - Toulouse

Monaco have only lost twice in their last 10 home league games against Toulouse (W6, D2).

Monaco have started the season with three wins in their first three games in Ligue 1 on seven occasions previously.

Toulouse played five games on a Friday in Ligue 1 last season, but failed to win a single one (D3, L2).

Toulouse lost none of their six encounters against promoted teams in Ligue 1 last season (W1, D5).

Toulouse have only won one of their last five away games in Ligue 1 (D1, L3).

The last four games between Monaco and Toulouse in Ligue 1 have produced just three goals.

Emmanuel Rivière has scored four goals in two Ligue 1 games this season, as many as in his 18 league games whilst at his former team Toulouse in 2013/13.

Only four of Wissam Ben Yedder's 16 goals in Ligue 1 have been scored away from home.



Valenciennes - Marseille

Marseille have only won once in their last seven trips to Valenciennes in Ligue 1 (D2, L4).

VA are unbeaten against OM in their last four home games in Ligue 1 (W3, D1).

Valenciennes have won their last three home games in Ligue 1, their joint-best run at Stade du Hainaut.

OM have only lost one of their last six away league games (W3, D2).

Marseille have conceded three goals or more in three of their last four trips to Valenciennes in Ligue 1.

Dimitri Payet has been involved in 28 goals in Ligue 1 since the start of 2012/13 (15 goals, 13 assists) - the highest tally amongst French players in the top five European leagues.

André-Pierre Gignac has scored the opening goal on 10 occasions in Ligue 1 since the start of 2012/13; more than any other player.

Anthony Le Tallec has scored two of VA's last three home goals against Marseille in Ligue 1.



Bordeaux - Bastia

Bordeaux have only lost two of their 30 home league games against Bastia (W21, D7).

These are the only defeats suffered by Bordeaux against Corsican teams in Ligue 1 (W29, D11).

Only Nantes have beaten Bastia more times (29) than Bordeaux in Ligue 1 (28).

Toifilou Maoulida has scored four goals against Bordeaux in Ligue 1, his second-highest tally against a top-flight opponent (five goals v Lens & Nice).

However, Maoulida has failed to score at Bordeaux in Ligue 1 since May 13th 2006 (with Marseille).

Cheick Diabaté has scored Bordeaux's last four goals in Ligue 1.

The Malian international has scored 12 goals in his last 12 competitive games.

Bordeaux have lost four home league games in 2013, three more than in 2012 (1).



Evian TG - Rennes

Rennes have won two of their three competitive games at Evian TG (L1).

Evian TG have only won twice in their last six home games against teams from Brittany in Ligue 1 (D1, L4).

The six competitive encounters between Evian TG and Rennes have averaged 3.8 goals/game.

Rennes have lost seven of their last eight away games in Ligue 1.

None of Rennes' last 56 Ligue 1 games have ended in a 0-0 draw - the longest current run in Ligue 1.

Rennes have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six Ligue 1 games (13 goals conceded).

Julien Féret has scored three goals in four games against Evian TG in Ligue 1, his joint-highest tally against a top-flight opponent alongside AC Ajaccio.

Féret has been involved in Rennes' last three goals against ETG in Ligue 1 (one goal, two assists).



Guingamp - Lorient

Lorient have lost none of their last four competitive encounters against Guingamp (W2, D2).

Guingamp are winless in their last seven league games (D2, L5).

Lorient have failed to win in their last seven trips to a newly-promoted side (D3, L4).

Lorient have only won four of their last 38 away games in Ligue 1 (D11, L23).

The last time that Guingamp had no points after MD2 in Ligue 1, they were relegated.

The last two meetings between Guingamp and Lorient have produced 15 goals.

Vincent Aboubakar has scored 10 Ligue 1 goal,s but has failed to score in an away game so far.

Jérémie Aliadière has been involved in Lorient's last five away goals in Ligue 1 (four goals, one assist).



Lyon - Reims

Lyon have only lost two of their last 13 home games against Reims in Ligue 1 (W5, D6).

Reims have only failed to score in one of their last 10 Ligue 1 games against Lyon.

Lyon have only lost one of their six competitive games this season, winning the other five.

Lyon have only lost one of their last nine Ligue 1 games (W6, D2).

Lyon have recovered 18 points in from losing positions in Ligue 1 since 2012/13; more than any other team.

Yoann Gourcuff has been involved in 50% of Lyon's last 14 league goals (four goals, three assists).

Alexandre Lacazette has scored three goals in his last two league games, as many as he had managed in his 33 previous appearances.

Reims have only won two of their last 40 away games in Ligue 1 (D10, L28).



Montpellier - Sochaux

Montpellier are unbeaten in their last eight Ligue 1 encounters against Sochaux (W7, D1).

Sochaux have been defeated 14 times by Montpellier in Ligue 1, more than against any other team.

Montpellier have only lost one of their last 16 home games (W11, D4).

Montpellier have won 27 home league games since 2011/12, joint-highest tally alongside PSG.

Montpellier are winless in their last five Ligue 1 games (D2, L3).

Sochaux have only won twice in their last 14 trips to Montpellier in Ligue 1 (D2, L10).

Sochaux have lost their last four trips to Montpellier, conceding two goals in each.

Emanuel Herrera scored in his two league games against Sochaux last season.



Lille - St Etienne

Lille have lost none of their last 12 home league games against St Etienne (W8, D4).

Lille have scored in each of their last 10 games against St Etienne in the league.

Lille have only lost once in their last 10 home league (W5, D4).

Lille have scored 149 goals against St Etienne in Ligue 1, their highest tally against a top-flight opponent alongside Sochaux.

Only PSG have earned more points (47) than St Etienne (42) in Ligue 1 in 2013.

Five of Lille's last eight home goals in Ligue 1 have been scored by Salomon Kalou.

Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored as many goals as Salomon Kalou in Ligue 1 in 2013 (12).

Brandao is involved in four of St Etienne's last five goals in Ligue 1 (2 goals, 2 assists).



Ajaccio - Nice

Ajaccio have only won once in their last 10 Ligue 1 encounters against Nice (D3, L6).

Dario Cvitanich has averaged a goal every 2.7 shots, best ratio in Ligue 1 in 2013 (min. 5 goals).

Ajaccio have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine Ligue 1 games, worst current run.

None of Nice's last 12 away games in Ligue 1 have ended in a draw (W6, L6).

Ajaccio have failed to score in their last three home league games.

Ajaccio have failed to win any of their last five home encounters against Nice (D2, L3).

Eduardo has scored Ajaccio's two goals against Nice in their last eight Ligue 1 games.

Ajaccio have won 20% of their Ligue 1 games with Adrian Mutu, 30% without him.



Nantes - Paris SG

Nantes have only won once in their last 11 games against Paris SG in Ligue 1 (D3, L7).

PSG have only lost three of their last 37 trips to promoted teams in Ligue 1 (W17, D17).

Nantes have only won once in their last 11 league games against the reigning title holder (D2, L8).

Nantes have failed to score once in their last 13 home league games.

PSG are unbeaten in their last 13 Ligue 1 games (W9, D4), best current run.

PSG have scored in each of their last 13 Ligue 1 games, best current run.

Filip Djordjevic has scored four of Nantes' last seven competitive goals.

PSG's last four goals in Ligue 1 have been scored in the last 30 minutes.

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21.08. (Wed) 23:00 Atletico Madrid - Barcelona

Barcelona will look to continue their blistering form when they take on Atletico Madrid in Wednesday's first leg of the Supercopa de Espana.



Gerardo Martino's reign at Camp Nou got under way in stunning fashion on Sunday as Barca thrashed Levante 7-0.



Lionel Messi showed no sign of the hamstring injury that had hampered his pre-season, scoring twice, and will hope to add to his career tally of 20 goals against Atleti, having netted more against them than any other club.



Cesc Fabregas also returned from an ankle injury to star against Levante, although Martino is still without experienced defender Carles Puyol (knee), while young attacker Cristian Tello (hamstring) remains a doubt.



Atletico started their season with an impressive 3-1 win away to Sevilla as Diego Costa netted a double.



The Brazilian rejected advances from Liverpool to sign a new deal at the Vicente Calderon in the close-season and will hope to replace the goals previously scored by Radamel Falcao for Atleti, after the Colombian's move to Monaco.



All eyes, however, will be on David Villa, who will be taking on



Despite a strong start to the season, however, Atletico manager Diego Simeone was not so enthused.



The former Argentina midfielder believes Barca and Real Madrid are too strong for any Liga sides to catch, which makes the Spanish top flight a "boring" competition.



When asked if his side could compete domestically this term, Simeone firmly said: "No, absolutely no. Madrid and Barcelona play in a different league.



"This is a boring championship for the rest of the supporters who can only aspire to be third or fourth.



"We'll have to wait for a different distribution of television money because now the league is only of two."

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21.08. (Wed) 20:45 Fenerbahce - Arsenal

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger goes into Wednesday's Champions League clash with Fenerbahce under unprecedented pressure.



The Frenchman has won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups with the London club since his arrival in 1996, but has seen his standing diminish over the course of eight trophyless years.



Recent failures in the transfer market, which have seen several high-profile targets missed and only 20-year-old forward Yaya Sanogo arrive, have also served to compound fans' frustrations.



The situation came to a head on Saturday as Arsenal suffered an embarrassing 3-1 opening-day defeat to an Aston Villa side who spent much of last season battling against relegation from the English top flight.



And so there is little doubt that Wenger needs a win when his team make the daunting trip to Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in the first leg of their play-off encounter against Fenerbahce.



Unlike their next opponents, the Turkish side have been busy in the market of late, bringing in the likes of Emmanuel Emenike, Michal Kadlec and Bruno Alves during the close-season period.



However, that did not prevent them from allowing a two-goal lead to slip in the final 13 minutes of their first 2013-14 league fixture against Konyaspor as they slumped to a 3-2 defeat.



Manager Ersun Yanal will at least be buoyed by the fact that the visitors face a number of injury worries as well as morale issues following their humbling by Villa.



Thomas Vermaelen (back), Mikel Arteta (hamstring), Nacho Monreal (back) and long-term absentee Abou Diaby (knee) all missed that fixture, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee), Bacary Sagna (neck) and Kieran Gibbs (head) picked up their injuries during the match.



By contrast, Fenerbahce could welcome back Gonul Gokhan following his recovery from surgery, though they will still be without Erten Ersu (knee).



The Super Lig outfit do know, however, that they could yet be thrown out of the Champions League even if they win their tie against Arsenal, as they await a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport regarding accusations from Uefa of match-fixing.



The teams last met in the group stages of this competition in the 2008-09 season, and shared a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium after Arsenal had ran out 5-2 winners in Turkey.

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21.08. (Wed) 20:45 Chelsea - Aston Villa

Aston Villa travel to Chelsea on Wednesday full of confidence, and desperate to atone for last season's 8-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge.



Paul Lambert's side go into the game having secured the shock of the Premier League's opening day, winning 3-1 away to Arsenal, but face the team who inflicted their heaviest defeat of last season.



Chelsea will also be in confident mood ahead of their second game at home in four days. They brushed aside new boys Hull City on Sunday in Jose Mourinho's Premier League return and will be hoping to do the same with Villa.

The fixture was originally scheduled for August 31, but was moved due to Chelsea's involvement in the Uefa Super Cup a day earlier.



Villa have taken a win and a draw from two of their last four visits to Stamford Bridge, however the two defeats have been heavy - 8-0 and 7-1 - and they have not recorded a cleansheet at the ground since 1998.



The pair's head-to-head league record is exactly even with each having recorded 50 wins and Villa captain Ron Vlaar believes his side can spring a surprise and make up for last season's embarrassment.



"If you can win at the Emirates, of course it is a great start. We want to do it again on Wednesday now," Vlaar said. "We all know what happened last year, so we want to put that to rest.



"We learnt a lot and we still have to learn a lot, but mentally we became a stronger team.



"But it is the start of the season and nobody really knows a lot about each other."



Mourinho only lost once to Villa during his first spell in charge, in the penultimate Premier League game of his first tenure, and his return to England got off to the perfect start with the victory over Steve Bruce's side.



The Portuguese coach has an almost fully fit squad to choose from, with David Luiz a doubt having also missed Sunday's triumph and Nathaniel Chalobah having picked up a knock while representing England Under-21s a week ago.



Nathan Baker is the only new injury concern for Paul Lambert, the central defender limped out of the Arsenal victory with an ankle injury that leaves him a doubt for Wednesday.



Yacouba Sylla, Chris Herd and Charles N'Zogbia all missed the opening day and are unlikely to feature at Stamford Bridge.

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20.08. (Tue) 17:00 Shakhtyor Karagandy - Celtic

Celtic's quest to qualify for the group stages of Europe's elite club competition for a second successive season leads them to unfamiliar territory on Tuesday when they face Shakhter Karagandy at the Astana Arena in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.



Neil Lennon's side, who are facing opposition from Kazakhstan for the first time, will be confident of successfully negotiating their final qualification obstacle and secure a highly sought-after berth in the group stages along side Europe's elite.



The Bhoys can take a big step towards earning a place in Thursday week's draw if they can maintain their unbeaten start to the season in the Kazakh capital but will face a stern test as their opponents aim to make history of their own.



After shocking Bate Borisov in the second qualifying round, Viktor Kumkov's men then eased past Albanian title holders KS Skenderbeu to book a date with the Bhoys and are just two games away from becoming the first club from the eastern European country to reach the Champions League group stages.



While the hosts will be able to draw on additional encouragement from a five-match unbeaten home run in Europe for the visit of their superior opponents, Celtic have the wherewithal and experience to safely negotiate the tricky ties that the qualification process throws up.



The 1967 European Cup winners have competed in the group stages seven times previously and will be eager to repeat last year's memorable campaign, which saw them reach the knock-out stages before eventually losing 5-0 on aggregate to Juventus.



However, they have had mixed fortunes in the qualifying stages in recent years and will be desperate to avoid falling at the final hurdle for the third time in four years.



The SPL champions headed straight from Pittodrie to Aberdeen Airport following Saturday's Scottish Premiership encounter with the Dons but Lennon insists that they have taken every precaution to ensure their Champions League ambitions are not ruined by travel weariness.



"It's difficult," he told reporters. "It's a six- or seven-hour flight and we arrive very early in the morning. Sunday will be important in terms of rest and recovery, getting up to speed with the time difference and getting enough nutrition and fluids into the players, so that they are not dehydrated, and also acclimatising to the weather."



Unlike their opponents, Shakhter will have no worries about fatigue or weariness ahead of the game. The Kazakh champions rested their entire team but still enjoyed a morale-boosting victory over the second-top team in the league.



Coach Viktor Kumykov admitted: "We decided to divide our squad into two groups because we have a lot of games coming up. So the players who will meet Celtic were all rested."



Meanwhile, the Shakhter boss has banned his players from speaking ahead of the game with the Scottish champions, explaining: "I would prefer if my players didn't talk to the media before playing this game. It would only serve as a distraction and could be used against them."



Their latest result gives Shakhter hope of retaining their league title and they are now in third place, three points behind leaders Aktobe.



First-choice goalkeeper Mokin, top-scorer Sergei Khizhnichenko, who were both part of the national side that defeated Georgia earlierin August, and Lithuania international Gediminas Vicius all watched from the stands at the weekend ahead of Tuesday's first leg. Also left out were captain Andrei Finonchenko and Colombia-born Roger Canas.



Meanwhile, the Hoops boss expects most of his injured players to declare themselves fit for the first leg with strikers Amido Balde and Anthony Stokes both nursing calf strains and wingers James Forrest and Derk Boerrigter struggling with ankle knocks.

Dutch centre-half Virgil van Dijk has an ongoing foot problem although he made a substitute appearance in the win over Aberdeen while Australian midfielder Tom Rogic is also expected to be fit despite ankle ligament problems.

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