22-12-2010 22:00 Real - Levante

Spirited

Real Madrid showed immense character to battle to a 1-0 victory against Sevilla on Sunday to keep pace with Primera Division leaders Barcelona, but their challenge now is to overcome Levante in the Copa del Rey, a trophy that has eluded the capital side for almost 20 years.

Coach Jose Mourinho is nothing if not a superb competitor and the Portuguese has already sent out a signal of intent to end los Merengues’ drought in Spain’s premier cup competition. Against Murcia in the previous round, virtually a full strength side was deployed by the Bernabeu side. The players failed to respond in the opening fixture, held 0-0, but they showed their true face at home, romping to an easy 5-1 success.

Competitive spirit was etched in the manner of their victory over Sevilla at the weekend. By rights los Blancos should have lost. They were reduced to 10 men and los Nervionenses had several good chances to strike, but Madrid came through 1-0 in the end thanks to Angel di Maria.

Mourinho was not impressed, however. It wasn’t his players who were the target of his ire, rather the matchday officials, who he claimed made 13 grave errors over the course of the fixture. Outspoken and brash, the coach also has supreme confidence, and it’s clear that this is something that is beginning to rub off on his side.

Lesser teams might have folded in the wake of their Clasico defeat, but the Bernabeu club continue to plod on with win following win. ‘Mou’ will be aiming for more of the same on Wednesday.

Come Out Alive

Levante’s reintroduction into top flight football has been relatively successful so far. The Valencia-based club lie outside of the relegation zone at Christmas, and though they are by no means out of the woods, Luis Garcia’s side can be broadly pleased with what they’ve achieved to date. The Primera Division will be their main focus, and anything they can achieve in the Copa del Rey will simply be a bonus.

At the weekend, los Granotes showed that they can still be uncertain when faced with top level opposition, going down 2-1 against Athletic Bilbao at the weekend. Though they controlled possession for long spells, the hosts failed to turn this superiority into effective shots on goal, registering only through Felipe Caicedo.

The relative minnows have spent time joking prior to Wednesday’s match about Jose Mourinho’s referee jibes, with Xisco Munoz arguing that los Granotes could write “an encyclopaedia” of poor decisions given against them on a game-by-game basis.

Luis Garcia, meanwhile, is simply aiming to keep things tight in the first game, giving his side a chance in the return leg. “We have to come out alive and have options in the second leg,” he told Marca. “This is a great time and we can take advantage to make history.”

It would certainly be a sensation if Levante were to overcome Real Madrid over two legs, and they will have to be perfectly focussed for the first clash at the Bernabeu.

TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid

Kaka, Fernando Gago, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Canales, Sami Khedira and Jerzy Dudek are all out with a variety of injury concerns.

Cristiano Ronaldo may sit out with acute tonsillitis, though he has been named in Jose Mourinho’s panel. Marcelo and Xabi Alonso are back after bans. 

Levante

Felipe Caicedo was somewhat doubtful earlier this week, but he's been named in the squad. Goalkeeper Manuel Reina is missing though.

Prediction

Real Madrid have suffered Copa del Rey upsets previously, but this isn’t a match they will expect to stumble in. Jose Mourinho will deploy a strong side, and they will be good enough to give los Blancos a comfortable lead going into the second leg.

Real Madrid 3-0 Levante

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22-12-2010 19:00 Olympique Lyonnais - Auxerre

Tough Match In Prospect

Olympique Lyonnais’ 2010 was one of highs and lows. Reaching the Champions League semi-final for the first time was an immense achievement, but it was rather tempered by the club’s inability to win anything tangible. Claude Puel’s side haven’t started 2010-11 in especially good form, yet they’re plodding along steadily and will want to keep their title dreams very much alive with a win over Auxerre.

The weekend’s draw with Marseille was a result that brought with it mixed feelings. Lyon deserved their point, but it could have been so much more after Lisandro Lopez slammed them into the lead 10 minutes before the break. Moreover, Mathieu Valbuena’s second half equaliser was a strike he would struggle to repeat.

OL at least preserved their lengthy unbeaten Ligue 1 record, which stretches to 11 matches. Crisis talk in the autumn may therefore have been premature, but the club’s recent performances in Europe have simply served to highlight the deficiencies that are not being exposed domestically.

“It will be a tough match,” Puel told the press earlier this week, considering the challenge AJA will present. “Beating Auxerre will not be easy. They can be dangerous at any time because of their counterattacking. They are a cohesive team with a big defensive bloc... We don’t expect a cakewalk.”

Lyon have enjoyed some memorable encounters against the Burgundy club in the past, most notably lifting the title after a final day triumph in 2007-08. It is such occasions that Puel hopes to bring back to the Stade Gerland.

On Their Knees

An injury crisis has thrown Auxerre off track after they gained some momentum throughout the autumn, enjoying an eight match unbeaten run in all competitions. Now Jean Fernandez’s side, who finished third in the standings last season, are simply looking to consolidate their place in the heart of the table after going seven games without a win.

A run of three successive 1-1 draws continued at the weekend, when AJA were held against Montpellier away from home, though even the coach admitted that it was a somewhat fortuitous point.

“It’s mission accomplished,” Fernandez told the media. “When you look at how the game went, you have to ask yourself how we managed to score. We did so with our only shot on target.

“It’s not that we didn’t want to, it’s that we couldn’t. We’ve got a lot of injury problems, and things are difficult now before the winter break. We stayed well-organised, but it’s never easy against Montpellier.

“We’ve got a game to play against Lyon before the break. It’s going to be tough. We’re on our knees.”

Auxerre are clearly a side struggling badly at present, and anything at all from Wednesday’s match would be considered a huge bonus.

TEAM NEWS

Lyon

Yoann Gourcuff is expected to play a full 90 minutes after sitting out on the bench against Marseille. Jeremy Toulalan, Cris, Ederson and Clement Grenier are all missing, however.

Auxerre

Jean Fernandez has named an identical squad to the one deployed against Montpellier. Ireneusz Jelen, Benoit Pedretti, Cedric Hengbart and Delvin N’Dinga are the main absentees. Also missing are Yaya Sanogo and Alexandre Licata.

Prediction

Auxerre’s squad may be depleted, but they are tenacious opponents. Jean Fernandez’s men won’t go down easily, but Lyon will have too much for them in the end.

O. Lyon 2-0 AJ Auxerre

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21-12-2010 20:30 1899 Hoffenheim - Borussia MG

Pokal Could Be Easiest Path To Europe For Hoffe

Despite going 2-0 up early, Hoffenheim were unable to hold onto their lead against Wolfsburg on Saturday, and had to settle for a fourth consecutive draw to end the Bundesliga fall campaign.

“We controlled the game for roughly 70 minutes and highly deserved to have taken the 2-0 lead,” coach Ralf Rangnick told reporters following the game. “After Wolfsburg got the first goal back, they began to put our defence under a lot of pressure and we failed to hang on to our lead.”

After having a strong start to their campaign, the village club failed to maintain their form, and have since slipped to eighth place in the standings. They will enter the spring term with plenty of competition as they aim for a top five finish. Hamburg and Schalke are hot on their heels, and Wolfsburg and Bremen remain dangerous.

Indeed, Hoffenheim may find the Pokal to be the path of least resistance en route to a first-ever Europa League appearance. Thus far, the Sinsheim outfit have beaten Hansa Rostock and Ingolstadt on their way to the round of 16. On Tuesday, they face Bundesliga opposition for the first time in the Pokal, and can expect stiff resistance. They had just that in October, but rallied from a goal behind to beat Gladbach 3-2. A repeat performance would suffice.


Gladbach Out For Pokal Redemption

The fall campaign has been a dismal one for former giants Borussia Moenchengladbach, who in mid-season are last in the Bundesliga table, having taken just ten points from 17 matches.

Following Friday’s 2-1 home loss to Hamburg, a match that the hosts dominated in the first half, coach Michael Frontzeck was gutted.

“At the moment it’s unfortunately the case that our opponents need only a few chances to beat us,” he said according to the official Gladbach website. “We too often fail to take our chances.”

“If you look at how each of the matches has gone, the fact that we’ve not taken a single point from any of our last three home games is actually a joke,” Frontzeck added.

It may be a joke to the coach, but Gladbach fans aren’t laughing.

Frontzeck’s men have a chance for redemption on Tuesday, however, as die Fohlen visit Hoffenheim in the DFB Pokal round of 16. Gladbach have performed well in the German league cup thus far, and beat title hopefuls Leverkusen in penalties in the previous round. It won’t be easy, but should they advance, it will give the Gladbach faithful something to celebrate this holiday season.

TEAM NEWS

Hoffenheim

Vedad Ibisevic is suspended following his sending off against Ingolstadt, and Ralf Rangnick may also be without Luis Gustavo, who is struggling with a groin injury.

Probable Starting XI: Haas – Beck, Gustavo, Compper, Ibertsberger – Vukcevic, Rudy, Salihovic, Sigurdsson – Mlapa, Ba


Borussia Moenchengladbach

Raul Bobadilla, who has been suspended from Bundesliga play has been sent to the reserves. As well, Mohammadou Idrissou has been suspended for disciplinary reasons.

Probable Starting XI: Heimeroth – Schachten, Callsen-Bracker, Daems, Wissing – Marx, Neustaedter, Bradley – Reus, Arango – De Camargo

Prediction

Gladbach, one can expect, will come out like men possessed. They will have the advantage of an extra day’s rest, and plenty of motivation. Hoffenheim are excellent when in form, and are well known for their quality at home. The hosts should win this one, but if the match goes to extra time, anything can happen.

Hoffenheim 2-1 Mönchengladbach

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21-12-2010 20:00 Barcelona - Athletic Bilbao

Nothing Is Impossible

Barcelona’s 2010 comes to a conclusion on Tuesday evening, when they meet Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey. While la Blaugrana could reflect on another record-breaking season, Pep Guardiola will have his troops fully focussed on the task at hand, ready to take another step towards yet more silverware to fill the Camp Nou’s overflowing cabinet.

Quite simply, Barca are unstoppable at the moment. The superb Clasico victory over Real Madrid will be the result that lives longest in the memory of fans, but the Catalans have reeled off a superb sequence of successes. Saturday’s breathtaking 5-1 triumph over an Espanyol side previously perfect at home this season is certainly a result that should not be overshadowed.

Having set a club record from consecutive away wins – 10 – with the weekend Primera Division success, the players are already looking to the future. Dani Alves won’t even rule out a repeat of Barca’s stunning six-trophy haul in 2009. “There’s no harm in dreaming and with this team anything is possible,” he told the media. “We are on the right track to being able to compete and nothing is going to distract us. With Barca, nothing is impossible.

“We have to keep up our habits of hard work and humility.”

The reaction that Barcelona have made following their historic win over los Blancos suggests that little will distract them in their hunt for titles, and if anything they’re looking stronger than ever at present.

Important Win

Athletic Bilbao have stationed themselves in their traditional mid-table status in La Primera Division, moving towards the heart of the European race with a fine 2-1 victory against Levante at the weekend. Head coach Joaquin Caparros would love for his side to compete in the Europa League next term, and the Copa del Rey offers a fallback should their league campaign go awry.

Goals from Igor Gabilondo and Javi Martinez were enough for the Basque side to pick up a relatively rare away victory, though their level will have to be raised further still if they are to threaten Barcelona.

“After our poor streak away from home, victory was very important in a game where we have suffered setbacks, like the injury to Fernando Llorente,” coach Caparros told the media. “In other matches, we have been the better team and got nothing, but today was the opposite.”

Los Leones will be well aware of the magnitude of task presented to them on Tuesday evening. They’ve already hosts la Blaugrana this season, going down 3-1 at San Mames when the visitors were allegedly not at their best. With Barca now bursting with confidence, this encounter promises to be a treacherous affair.

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Gabriel Milito and Jeffren Suarez are back training tentatively with the first team squad, but neither will be fit in time for the midweek clash.

Athletic

Fernando Llorente picked up a weekend injury and won’t be able to play. Los Leones’ star man picked up a hip injury and is unavailable.

Additionally, centre-back Fernando Amorebieta hasn’t been included in the squad due to a sprained ankle. Aurtenetxe and Ibai Gomez are missing too.

Prediction

Barcelona have scored at least five goals in five of their last six domestic matches, which is a record that is quite simply astounding. Matching such a tally against a combative Athletic Bilbao will be tough, especially if some younger players are blooded, by Barca will want to finish this tie in the first leg if at all possible.

Barcelona 3-0 Athletic Bilbao

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20-12-2010 21:00 Manchester City - Everton

City Eyeing Top Spot

The game between Chelsea and Manchester United was postponed because of heavy snows in parts of the UK, as was Arsenal’s clash against Stoke City.

But Blackburn Rovers in the North West were able to stage their game against West Ham, and in nearby Manchester the signs are currently positive that City's clash with Everton will survive the freeze. If it does, and City go on to win it, they will have grasped a rare opportunity to go top of the table at Chjristmas. And that would serve to justify the club’s status as serious contenders to win the Premier League this term.

Yet at the same time, the wheels of the well-oiled machine that is City could be about to come off, following skipper Carlos Tevez's recent written transfer request. He has clearly expressed his desire to leave, which could potentially destabilise the club just as they reach the summit.

Tevez has cited an irreparable breakdown in his relationship with certain executives at the club, an admission which, combined with well-publicised homesickness, suggests his days at Eastlands are numbered.

On the other hand, the Argentine forward’s transfer request was denied, he has trained as normal and manager Roberto Mancini has confirmed that he intends to play the marksman against the Toffees.

But playing after being denied a transfer request could prove difficult for the player, whose attitude and body language will no doubt be the subject of close scrutiny. It will be interesting to see how Tevez handles the pressure, though he has pledged to remain professional and fully committed to his team.

Toffees Require Resurrection

Everton need to resurrect a season that is slowly slipping away and in danger of becoming one the fans would would prefer to forget.

Having accumulated a meagre 18 points from 17 games to date, they sit in 15th spot in the table. But the competitive nature of the Premier League means that their position could quickly change, as eighth-placed Newcastle United are only four points ahead. On the converse, relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic are only two points behind.

The Toffees also have a problem up front, as their strikers have been misfiring for some time now. Louis Saha’s goal drought continues, while Yakubu and Jermaine Beckford have been unable to compensate, and manager David Moyes has maintained that he intends to address the issue in the upcoming transfer window.

But before that, his side will have to get the right result if they are to push forward in a positive direction after going seven games without a victory.

And in these seven, the Merseyside club have kept only one clean sheet while conceding 12 goals, which is far too many for a team looking to finish much higher up the table than their current position.

TEAM NEWS

Manchester City

Roberto Mancini has already revealed that he intends to give striker Carlos Tevez a start against Everton, despite the player wanting out of the club.

James Milner would likely be expected to man the midfield in the absence of Nigel de Jong, who is serving a suspension. Emmanuel Adebayor (calf) is still a doubt for this game.

Possible starting XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Toure, Lescott, Kolarov; Barry, Kompany; Silva, Milner, Yaya Toure; Tevez.

Everton

Steven Pienaar (ankle) and John Heitinga (knee) are both doubts for this encounter. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov could be deployed on the flank if the South African does not recover in time for the trip to Eastlands.

Tony Hibbert returns to contention, but James Vaughan (ankle) is unlikely to be available. Mikel Arteta is suspended so will definitely miss out.

Possible starting XI: Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Coleman, Fellaini, Rodwell, Bilyaletdinov; Cahill; Saha.

Prediction

City are flying high at the moment, and should be able to take three points off their off-colour opponents.

Man City 2-0 Everton

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