06-02-2011 17:00 Sevilla - Malaga

Raising Their Level

Derby matches are always hard fought affairs, but the fixture between Sevilla and Malaga on Sunday afternoon promises to be doubly so due to the league positions of the clubs. While los Nervionenses are flirting with the European spots they hold so dear, their visitors are right at the foot of the standings and are in desperate need of points to avoid the drop.

If Sevilla had hoped of reaching the Europa League through the back door of the Copa del Rey, those aspirations were extinguished on Wednesday night, when a trip to the Bernabeu brought with it a 2-0 loss for the Rojiblancos. It was only in the final 10 minutes that the match really got away from the Andalucians, who look far more competitive now than they did during a lean spell in December.

Had it not been for Alvaro Negredo having a goal controversially dismissed against Madrid in midweek, coach Gregorio Manzano would be sitting presently with an even more confident side.

“The script could have been written differently,” he sighed. “We raised our level of play. The team did a great job pushing the opposition to their limits.”

One defeat in five Liga matches, three of which have been won, suggests that Sevilla’s difficult winter is now over. Manzano has too keep the momentum going, else the home crowd will be quick to turn, having spent much of last term discontent, despite eventually winning fourth spot.


Anxious Times

Rock bottom of the standings, Malaga’s Primera Division life is hanging by a thread. After sacking Jesualdo Ferreira and replacing him with Manuel Pellegrini in the autumn, the Andalucian club have since played all their transfer cards, and with a new look squad have yet to fair a great deal better.

Progress was made in bringing some recognised names to the club during the January transfer window, but this has not manifested itself in any success as yet. Indeed, centre-back Martin Demichelis played a significant role in the recent loss at Valencia, dismissed early on in a 4-3 defeat. But that match against los Che also showed the potential for good the new additions have, with Julio Baptista scoring a fine goal and leading the line impressively.

After a battling performance at the Mestalla, it was back to square one last weekend, when a crucial relegation battle against Zaragoza was lost at La Romareda.

“I am worried,” former Real Madrid boss Manuel Pellegrini confessed to the press last weekend. “It’s incomprehensible that we’ve conceded 47 goals this season. It’s hard to aspire to win when you lose so many goals.”

Pellegrini’s attempts to tighten up the back line have so far come to naught, yet he must persist with his efforts, else the side who have kept only two clean sheets all season are almost certain to go down.

TEAM NEWS

Sevilla

Renato is a fresh concern due to an ankle complaint. There is hope that the Brazilian midfielder could yet feature.

Ivica Dragutinovic, Luca Cigarini and Tiberio Guarente will continue to miss out.

Malaga

Helder Rosario and Martin Demichelis will both return to the squad to face Sevilla. Ruben Martinez and Jesus Gamez are missing due to injury complaints.


Prediction

Expect Malaga to put up an improved performance in comparison to last weekend, though it’s questionable whether that will be enough to beat a Sevilla team who are slowly growing in confidence.

Sevilla 3-1Malaga

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06-02-2011 15:30 Hamburger SV - St. Pauli 1910

On The Comeback Trail

This season has been marked by the continual absence of key figures at Hamburg, who at one point had the equivalent of an entire starting eleven out through injury. And when the light appeared at the end of the tunnel, Armin Veh was deprived of a defensive stalwart in Joris Mathijsen. However, the Dutchman is set to make a return and his significance for the team's fortunes was not lost on his coach:

"We are convinced that Joris Mathijsen is fit and that he will be able to help us. He is an important player for us," Veh told the pre-match press conference.

Mathijsen's timing is spot on for not only does it come ahead of a crucial derby game for both sides but the former AZ and Willem II defender will be pressed into action as a replacement for Gojko Kacar. The Serbia international was red carded in last week's tame surrender at the hands of Nuernberg. HSV captain Heiko Westermann may have won the most duels this season but he will be a lot more assured now that the first-choice central-defensive axis has been restored.

The first derby of the season promised much beforehand but failed to live up to the hype and sense of occasion. St Pauli looked to be heading for a famous win until Mladen Petric denied them in the closing stages. Petric, despite all his talent and pedigree, has been unable to win a regular spot in the team but he will start up front tomorrow.

"Whoever is not up for this game is in the wrong job. It is one of the most beautiful games. A derby - and that at home in front of your own fans - if you don't show any heart there then you have none."

"In any case, Mladen Petric will start. It was a mistake that I waited so long to bring him on in the reverse fixture," Veh admitted candidly.


Fifteenth Place Is Ours!

Before last week's relegation six-pointer between St Pauli and FC Koeln at the Millerntor, Pauli were looking to move up to fifteenth place and away from the relegation spots. Never a club for subtlety, the front page of the match programme showed St Pauli shoving Koeln aside, accompanied by the caption: "Fifteenth Place Is Ours!".

Of course, it's easier to look back fondly on such things as der Kiezclub gave perhaps their best performance of the season and brushed die Geissboecke aside in a superb 3-0 victory. The home side were hungrier and more dynamic, with Charles Takyi proving too much for the visiting defence to handle. Coach Holger Stanislawski is looking for his side to continue where they left off.

"I think that we will see a completely different game from both teams. Both teams will be going all out for the win and the three points," Stanislawski remarked in a good natured pre-game press conference.

Stanislawski has a number of injury worries, especially in defence and while Gerald Asamoah has been a excellent stand-in for Marius Ebbers, the potential absence of Bastian Oczipka is a worry. The 41-year old has already prepared for the worst-case scenario should the situation deteriorate further:

"We have a few ailing and injured players at the moment and it currently looks as if Oczipka is a doubt. However, on Sunday we will line-up with eleven players at the kick off. Truller (assistant coach Andre Trulsen), KaPe (goalkeeping coach Klaus-Peter Nemet) and I will be on the bench in the case of an emergency."


TEAM NEWS

Hamburg

Armin Veh is without the suspended Gojko Kacar, who was red carded for a professional foul last week in Nuernberg. Dennis Diekmeier and Romeo Castelen are also unavailable for selection. Heung-Min Son will probably not be employed as he recovers from the Asia Cup but Marcell Jansen could play down the left wing. Guy Demel has recovered from his ankle problem and he is joined in the defence by Joris Mathijsen, who is making his comeback.


Probable Starting XI: Rost - Demel, Westermann, Mathijsen, Aogo - Ben-Hatira, Jarolim, Ze Roberto, Elia - Petric, van Nistelrooy

St Pauli

Holger Stanislawski is without a number of players, most notably striker Marius Ebbers, still out with an abdominal strain. Ebbers is joined on the sidelines by defensive quartet Fabio Morena, Jan-Philipp Kalla, Florian Lechner and Carsten Rothenbach. Florian Bruns is a doubt as is Bastian Oczipka with former Fulham full-back Moritz Volz on standby for the impressive young left-back on loan from Leverkusen.


Probable Starting XI: Kessler - Thorandt, Zambrano, Gunesch, Oczipka (Volz) - Boll, Lehmann - Kruse, Takyi, Bartels - Asamoah

Prediction

As both coaches have said in the build-up, this should be a more open game than the first derby earlier in the season. St Pauli are on a high and will give it a go in attack. Hamburg have underperformed after the winter break and not been consistent but in front of 55,000 and with Mladen Petric back in the team, with something to prove, they should nick the three points.

Hamburg 2-1 FC St. Pauli

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06-02-2011 15:00 Parma - Fiorentina

Still Trapped In The Dungeon

Parma's start to the new year flared up some hope of a turnaround in 2011 but since that 4-1 hammering of Juventus in Turin the Gialloblu have slumped back into desperation. Just one victory in their last six competitive matches have dragged them towards the bottom-three and have also seen them get knocked out of the Coppa Italia.

In midweek Parma lost the relegation six-pointer against Lecce 1-0 at home. It followed a 3-1 defeat to Genoa away and the results mean that heading into Week 24 Pasquale Marino's side find themselves just four points above the dropzone with 25 points from 23 matches.

Parma will now aim to bounce back from that loss at the Ennio Tardini and will aspire for maximum points against one of the worst away sides in the league. The Ducali have lost thrice at home in the league all season and will hope to record a win this weekend.

Relief In Florence

Fiorentina's 1-0 win against Genoa in Florence in midweek has given them some breathing space as the gap between themselves and the relegation zone is now seven points. With 28 points from 22 matches, the Viola are now in the top half of the table, and Sinisa Mihajlovic appears to have turned around their season at least.

However, the Gigliati cannot enjoy themselves too much as their abject away form in the league means that they could be dragged back into the relegation mix should they lose this weekend. Fiorentina are one of only two sides in the entire top flight this season who have yet to win on the road in Serie A.

Yet the Viola should get inspired by their result against Parma in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. At the time Fiorentina emerged victorious by a two-goal margin and will hope to repeat that feat this time too.

TEAM NEWS

Parma

Pisano, Calvo and Marques are injured for Parma while Candreva is suspended.

Fiorentina

Vargas, Kroldrup, Jovetic and Frey are injured for the Viola.

Prediction

Fiorentina are terrible away from home and this will allow Parma to garner a point at least in this encounter.

Parma 1-1 Fiorentina

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06-02-2011 15:00 Napoli - Cesena

Getting Back On Track

Tuesday's goalless draw between Milan and Lazio at San Siro opened the widow of opportunity to Napoli to close the gap on the leaders and reaffirm their title credentials. However, on Wednesday evening Walter Mazzarri's side slumped to what many would term a surprise 2-0 defeat to Chievo in Verona.

That result means that the former Italian champions remain in second place in Serie A but they are now five points off the pace with Inter and Lazio just a couple of points behind them. It was Napoli's first league defeat since their 3-1 loss to Inter at San Siro at the start of January and the Partenopei will be keen to bounce back with a comprehensive victory over lowly Cesena on Sunday afternoon.

Earlier in the season in the reverse fixture Napoli had destroyed the Seahorses 4-1 away from home and will head into this weekend's encounter at the Stadio San Paolo confident of yet another win.

However, in the wake of the defeat in Verona in midweek Mazzarri has asked his team to learn their lessons and admitted, "Defeats happen, but what's important is to draw lessons from your losses. Maybe I should have made more changes to the starting line-up, because midweek matches break up the normal training regime."

Watching The Rainbow

It had poured on Cesena in January as they had to contend themselves with tough fixtures against Roma, Inter and Milan - three of the Scudetto challengers. Unsurprisingly, the Seahorses lost all the three matches in succession and sank deeper and deeper into the relegation pit.

However, now that it has stopped raining the rainbow has appeared in the sky and life is assuming some colour once again for Cesena. Massimo Ficcadenti's side ended January with a 1-1 away draw with Lecce and were involved in yet another draw in midweek, this time with Catania at home. The two points gained mean that the Seahorses now have 21 points from 23 matches and are third from bottom, two points from safety.

Cesena's away form, though, is terrible as they have won just once on the road all season and have scored just eight goals in those 11 matches, conceding 17 in the process. A victory in Naples on Sunday isn't very likely but with Napoli having suffered a setback in midweek, they will aspire for something.

TEAM NEWS

Napoli

Grava and Vitale are out injured for the Azzurri while Pazienza is suspended. Lavezzi is back from injury and will start alongside Hamsik as the two creative minds behind Cavani in the 3-4-2-1 formation.

Cesena

There were no major injury or suspension worries for Cesena, who will line up in a 4-3-2-1 system.

Prediction

Napoli slumped to a defeat in Verona in midweek but will be more than a match against relegation-candidates Cesena. A comfortable win for the Azzurri is in the offing.

Napoli 2-0 Cesena

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06-02-2011 15:00 Lecce - Palermo

Hope Springs Eternal

Lecce remain one of the main contenders for a bottom-three place in Serie A at the end of the 2010-11 campaign but unlike some of their rivals for survival, they are giving it a fight. In midweek the Giallorossi crafted a morale-boosting 1-0 win against Parma on the road to sow the seeds of dreams.

The victory extended Lecce's unbeaten run to five league games and helped them carry on the momentum they had built since January. Having bagged nine points out of a possible 15 in those matches, Lecce have placed themselves 16th in the table, three points above the relegation zone on 24.

Luigi De Canio's side have an encouraging form at home too, having lost just three of the 11 league fixtures played at the Stadio Via del Mare.

Aiming For The Top-Four

Last weekend Palermo were cruelly exposed as they lost 3-2 to Italian and European champions Inter in agonising fashion. 2-0 up at one stage, the Rosanero conceded thrice in the second-half to barter a win for a defeat.

However, Delio Rossi's side recovered in style in midweek as they once again got the better of Juventus, this time defeating them 2-1 at the Renzo Barbera. In the reverse fixture earlier in the season the Aquile had hammered the Bianconeri 3-1 in Turin, and Wednesday evening's win saw them retain their place in the top six in the table.

With 37 points from 23 matches, Palermo are just four points off the fourth spot but need to maintain some consistency to launch a serious challenge for a Champions League place. On the road they have won just thrice and have conceded 19 goals.

TEAM NEWS

Lecce

Giuliatto, Ofere and Di Michele are out injured for the hosts.

Palermo

Pinilla, Goian and Balzaretti are injured and will miss the trip to Lecce.

Prediction

A win for Palermo seems the most likely outcome. The Rosanero are far superior to Lecce, who despite having home advantage would struggle to cope with the Sicilian visitors' firepower in attack.

Lecce 0-2 Palermo

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