11.05. (Wed) 20:00 Levante - Barcelona

DID YOU KNOW?

* Levante have lost only three of their last 15 Liga encounters, pushing themselves into mid-table.

* When the Valencia-based side were beaten 3-2 by Athletic Bilbao at the weekend, it was the first time that they’d gone three matches without a win since January, when they suffered a five-game losing streak.

* Scoring first tends to be important against Levante, as they have only recovered to win from a losing position once this season.

* Against sides in the top half of the table, they have gained only 12 points from 16 encounters – the worst record in the league aside from basement side Almeria.

* Barcelona, on the other hand, actually have a better record against teams in the top 10 positions, averaging 2.64 points a game, compared to 2.55 against the lesser ranked teams.

* They have scored exactly 40 goals when playing sides ranked in the upper echelons of the table and have conceded only 10.

* Pep Guardiola’s side lie second on the form table behind Malaga, who have picked up two more points than the Catalans in their last eight fixtures, conceding one goal less and scoring three goals more.

* Away from home, the Catalans have slipped up only once in league play, losing surprisingly at Real Sociedad less than a fortnight ago.

* If Barca win their remaining three games, they will clock up 100 points, and they only need nine goals to also hit 100 for the campaign.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Levante (4-2-3-1)
Munua; Venta, Ballesteros, Nano, Juanfran; X. Torres, Iborra; Valdo, R. Suarez, Montero; Caicedo

Juanlu, Sergio and Asier del Horno are all out injured, with the last of the trio having undergone an Achilles operation on Tuesday. Ruben is back in the selection, though.

Barcelona (4-3-3)
Valdes; Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Maxwell; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Pedro, Messi, Villa

There has been some good news for Pep Guardiola in recent days as Bojan Krkic and Maxwell have been declared fit for the trip to Valencia.

Carles Puyol continues to train away from the main body of the team along with Adriano, and neither is expected to figure on Wednesday.

Prediction

It would be a colossal upset if Levante were to prevent Barcelona from claiming three points on Wednesday night. Though the home side have moved well into the middle region of the table, Pep Guardiola’s men represent a massive challenge, and the Blaugrana will be looking to mark this occasion in style.

Levante 0-3 Barcelona

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Ligue 1 preview - Round 35

Tuesday
19:00 PSG - Nancy
19:00 Saint Etienne - Lille

Wednesday
19:00 Auxerre - Lyom
19:00 Lens - Bordeaux
19:00 Montpellier - Lorient
19:00 Nice - Arles Avignon
19:00 Rennes - Caen
19:00 Sochaux - Monaco
19:00 Toulouse - Valenciennes
21:00 Marseille - Stade Brestois

PSG - Nancy

• Paris Saint Germain were held to a 1-1 draw away to Monaco last weekend.
• The result leaves them two points behind Lyon in the race for Champions League qualification.
• Nancy were beaten by a Eden Hazard free kick as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat against the league leaders.
• Les Chardons are in 18th position in the table, and are two points adrift of safety.

TEAM NEWS

PSG

Antoine Koumbouare has a near full squad to pick from, with only Peguy Luyindula injured.

Nancy

Benjamin Jeannot is fit again for Pablo Correa whilst first-teamers Benjamin Gavanon and Marama Vahirua are both out for the trip to the capital.

Saint Etienne - Lille

• Saint Etienne laboured to a 1-0 win over already-relegated Arles at the weekend.
• The result leaves Les Verts in eighth place, a point behind the final Europa League spot.
• Lille also made hard work of dispatching struggling Nancy, with an Eden Hazard goal setting the Dogues on the way to a 1-0 win.
• Rudi Garcia's side are now four points clear at the top of Ligue 1.

TEAM NEWS

Saint Etienne

Blaise Matuidi is the only injury worry ahead of the visit of the league leaders, with Les Verts otherwise having a full squad to choose from for this encounter.

Lille

Florent Balmont strained a muscle in his thigh and isn't expected back until the Coupe de France final on Saturday. Franck Beria, Yohan Cabaye and Ludovic Obraniak are all suspended whilst Pierre Alain Frau is struggling to shake off a minor problem.

Auxerre - Lyon

• Injury ravaged Auxerre saw off Montpellier 1-0 at home at the weekend.
• Jean Fernandez's men are now unbeaten in seven games, moving them away from the relegation zone and into 13th place.
• Lyon dramatically sealed a 3-2 win over Marseille on Sunday, needing an 84th minute winner from Cris to seal the points.
• Les Gones are now in the driving seat in the quest for Champions League qualification, moving two points ahead of PSG.

TEAM NEWS

Auxerre

Auxerre have been boosted by the news that Stephane Grichting and Delvin Ndinga look set to win their respective fitness battles ahead of the match. However the lengthening injury list already has Benoit Pedretti (groin) and Jean-Pascal Mignot (thigh) on it as well as a few others, creating a selection headache.

Lyon

Claude Puel has been rocked by the news that Lisandro Lopez has been ruled out for the rest of the season after the Argentinian picked up a muscle injury in the stunning 3-2 win over Marseille. Michel Bastos and Aly Cissokho are set to return from suspension whilst Yoann Gourcuff, Ederson and Jeremy Toulalan are still on the treatment table.

Lens - Bordeaux

• Relegation-threatened Lens were held to a 1-1 draw to Caen on Saturday evening.
• Les Sang et Or could have relegation to Ligue 2 confirmed if Nice beat Arles Avignon.
• Bordeaux were swept away by Sochaux at home in the previous matchday. Les Girondins are now ninth in the table, and European qualification seems unlikely.
• Jean Tigana resigned from his role as coach following the defeat.

TEAM NEWS

Lens

No fresh worries as Les Sang et Or have Geoffrey Kondogbia on the treatment table, however Sidi Yaya Keita has recovered from his problem to return to first-team action whilst Nenad Kovacevic remains a doubt.

Bordeaux

Yoan Gouffran remains out for the rest of the season. Pierre Ducasse is the only other main injury problem whilst the everpresent Fernando Menegazzo is suspended as Les Girondins prepare for life after Jean Tigana.

Montpellier - Lorient

• Montpellier were beaten 1-0 by Auxerre at the weekend, as La Paillade's woeful run continued.
• Rene Girard's men are now winless in their last five games.
• Lorient were held to a goalless draw by Toulouse at the weekend.
• Christian Gourcuff's side are now unbeaten in their previous 10 games.

TEAM NEWS

Montpellier

Karim Ait Fana and John Utaka both picked up knocks in the defeat to Auxerre at the weekend with Garry Bocaly suspended for Rene Girard's side.

Lorient

Christian Gourcuff has a near-full panel to select from as they make a late push for European football. The only absentees are fringe players such as Franco Sosa and those with long-term injuries. Alaixys Romao is suspended.

Nice - Arles Avignon

• Nice were held to a goalless draw by Stade Brestois on Saturday evening.
• Eric Roy's side, who are 17th in Ligue 1, can relegate 19th-placed Lens if they beat Arles Avignon on Wednesday.
• Already relegated Arles lost to Saint Etienne by a 1-0 scoreline on Saturday.
• Faruk Hadzibegic's men have only won once all season, by far the worst record in the top five leagues.

TEAM NEWS

Nice

No new injury worries to report for Les Aiglons. Julien Sable is ruled out for 15 days (thigh). Eric Roy also is without Renato Civelli and Eric Mouloungui who are suspended.

Arles

Arles, who are already consigned to Ligue 2, have a few injury worries ahead of this encounter with Fabien Laurenti and Loic Abenzoar still on the treatment table. Gael Germany and Kaba Diawara are both long-term issues, yet the latter could return as the season nears its end. First team keeper Cyril Merville picked up a knock at the weekend whilst Emmanuel Correze is suspended.

Stade Rennes - Caen

• Stade Rennais' woeful run continued as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat away to Valenciennes.
• Frederic Antoinetti's side have now failed to win in seven games, a period which has seen their title and Champions League hopes implode.
• Caen were held to a 1-1 draw at home to struggling Lens on Saturday.
• Despite the draw, Franck Dumas' side 16th, two points clear of safety.

TEAM NEWS

Rennes

A number of key players remain in the treatment room with Kevin Theophile Catherine, Abdoul Camara and Yacine Brahimi all missing out. John Verhoek has shrugged off a knock to take his place, whilst Sylvian Marveaux has been a long-term absentee. Jires Ekoko will also sit out the match after picking up an injury for Les Rouge et Noir in the defeat to Valenciennes.

Caen

Gregory Proment and Gregory Tafforeau continue to be the only man injury worries for Franck Dumas. Sambou Yatabare is suspended.

Sochaux - Monaco

• Sochaux swept away a disappointing Bordeaux side by a 4-0 scoreline, to equal the biggest away win in Ligue 1 this term.
• The result means Les Lionceaux are now in the driving seat for Europa League football, occupying the final qualification spot.
• Monaco were held to a 1-1 draw by PSG at Stade Louis II at the weekend.
• The Monegasque side have improved in recent weeks to move away from the drop zone. They are 15th, two points ahead of a congested drop zone.

TEAM NEWS

Sochaux

Kevin Anin's season is over for Les Lionceaux. Jacques Faty remains a doubt as he is struggling to shake of an injury which has limited his appearances in the last few weeks.

Monaco

Laurent Banide's men have been dealt a blow with the news that Park Chu Young will miss the game as he did against PSG. Fellow forwards Moussa Maazou and Daniel Niculae are also out leaving the Monegasque outfit short up front. Stephane Ruffier has a back problem, but his deputy Sebastian Chabbert proved his worth with a brilliant display against the Parisiens, and is expected to deputise.

Toulouse - Valenciennes

• Toulouse were held to a goalless draw at Lorient at the weekend.
• Le Tefece are 11th in Ligue 1, and are set to keep Ligue 1 status for another year.
• Valenciennes overwhelmed an out-of-sorts Rennes 2-0 at home on Saturday.
• Phillipe Montanier's men are 12th in the table.

TEAM NEWS

Toulouse

No new injury worries to report from the Toulouse camp who only have long-term absentees on the injury list. They are expected to line-up pretty much with the same starting XI.

Valenciennes

Rafael Schmitz and Vincent Aboubakar have joined Rudy Mater (knee) and Remi Gomis (ankle) as the only injury worries for Phillipe Montanier to mull over in an otherwise fit squad.

Marseille - Stade Brestois

• Marseille's title defence took a huge blow as they were downed 3-2 at Lyon on Sunday evening, despite pulling back on level terms from 2-0 down.
• Didier Deschamps' men are now four points shy of leaders Lille, with only 12 on offer.
• Stade Brestois were held to a disappointing draw against struggling Nice.
• Alex Dupont's men occupy 14th position, four points ahead of the drop zone, with four games to play.

TEAM NEWS

Marseille

Charles Kabore, who initially deputised for Stephane Mbia is suspended for this must-win game for OM. Bruno Cheyrou is expected to move into the holding role, whilst Mbia remains out for another 10-15 days with a groin problem. Vittorino Hilton is also expected to sit out, whilst long-term absentee Cesar Azpilicueta is making good progress from the serious knee injury he suffered in November.

Stade Brestois

No major worries to report from the Stade Brestois camp as Alex Dupont's men have a near-full squad to pick from. Third choice keeper Gaetan Deneuve has picked up an injury and will miss the trip to the French champions. Omar Daf continues to be sidelined.

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10.05. (Tue) 22:00 Real - Getafe

DID YOU KNOW?

* Real Madrid’s record at home this season was perfect until they were defeated by Sporting Gijon on April 2. Since then, los Blancos have failed to pick up a victory in three subsequent attempts.

* Despite stuttering at home, Jose Mourinho’s men have been brilliant on their travels, scoring 12 goals in their last two matches, which were against European chasing Sevilla and Valencia.

* Los Blancos have won all of their last five away matches in the Primera Division.

* Known for their superb defensive record at the start of the season, Real Madrid have only kept one clean sheet in seven attempts in the league.

* Cristiano Ronaldo’s quartet of goals at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan have taken him to 46 goals this season, and the magical 50 is not yet out of sight.

* Getafe languish 16th in the Primera Division table, boasting only one point more than the team at the top of the drop zone.

* The recent form of the Madrid-based side is poor, with only three wins in 19 league matches.

* When el Geta last won away from home, they completed a four-game winning streak by defeating Almeria 3-2 in the final round of matches before Christmas.

* Almeria were also Getafe’s victims as they won 2-0 at the weekend.

* On 13 occasions, the Coliseum Alfonso Perez side have led at the break, but they’ve only managed to turn in seven wins from those encounters.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):
Casillas; Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Marcelo; Diarra, Alonso; Ronaldo, Ozil, Di Maria; Higuain

Jose Mourinho will be able to welcome back Ricardo Carvalho and Angel di Maria from one-match bans, and both are likely to go straight into the starting XI for the derby.

Injury problems are thin on the ground, though Sami Khedira and Fernando Gago are still out.

Getafe (4-2-3-1):
Ustari; M. Torres, Diaz, Marcano, Mane; V. Sanchez, Casquero; Pedro Rios, Parejo, Adri; Miku

Jaime Gavilan and Rafa both represent damaging long-term injury concerns in Getafe’s ranks, while muscular problems are also set to keep Manuel del Moral and Juan Albin sidelined once more, further depleting the options available to coach Michel.

Prediction

After such a tour de force at the weekend, Real Madrid won’t hand the title to Barcelona by slipping up on Tuesday evening. Though their home form has been relatively poor in recent times, los Blancos should be able to score a resounding victory against their city-rivals. 

Real Madrid 4-0 Getafe

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10.05. (Tue) 20:45 Palermo - Milan

DID YOU KNOW?

* Palermo's only clean sheet in their last 15 Serie A games came against Milan in March.

* Delio Rossi's men have scored six goals in their last three home encounters.

* Palermo have suffered only four league losses at home this season.

* The Sicilian side have conceded more goals (59) than they have scored (55) this term.

* AC Milan secured their 18th Scudetto following the 0-0 draw with Roma on Saturday.

* Massimiliano Allegri's men have scored seven goals in their last three Coppa Italia matches.

* Milan are the only Serie A side that have three players with 10 or more goals this season.

* The San Siro outfit have only conceded two goals in their last five games away from home.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Palermo (4-3-2-1)
Sirigu; Cassani, Munoz, Bovo, Balzaretti; Bacinovic, Migliaccio, Nocerino; Ilicic; Pastore, Hernandez

Palermo coach Delio Rossi has no major injury worries or suspensions to deal with ahead of the crunch clash in Sicily. Armin Bacinovic, Cesare Bovo and Fabio Liverani are one booking away from an automatic one-game suspension

AC Milan (4-3-1-2)
Abbiati; Abate, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta; Ambrosini, Van Bommel, Seedorf; Boateng; Robinho, Pato

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri will be without the services of Gennaro Gattuso who is serving a ban. Massimo Oddo was not included in the squad for the second-leg encounter while Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have to pass a late fitness test to feature on Tuesday.

Prediction

Milan will squeak by Palermo at the Renzo Barbera to give the newly crowned champions a chance to grab a domestic double.

Palermo 1-2 AC Milan

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10.05. (Tue) 20:45 Manchester City - Tottenham Hotspur

DID YOU KNOW?

* A win for Manchester City will not only confirm a top four finish, it will also see them move just two points behind Arsenal with two games left to play.

* Roberto Mancini’s men will be confident of victory having lost just twice at home in the league all season. The two defeats came last year to Everton in December and Arsenal back in October.

* Joe Hart is the only player to feature in every Premier League game for Manchester City this season.

* Striker Carlos Tevez has not played since April 11 but has already scored more league goals (19) than Tottenham strikers Jermain Defoe (4), Peter Crouch (4) and Roman Pavlyuchenko (8) combined (16).

* The two sides' previous fixture was on the opening day of the season, when they shared a 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane. That game saw Yaya Toure, David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov make their City debuts and the point halted a run of six straight defeats at White Hart Lane.

* However, Tottenham have a good away record this season, with six wins. Only Arsenal, Chelsea & Manchester City have won more games on their travels this term.

* Yet Harry Redknapp's men have become draw specialists in recent weeks. Of their last eight league matches, they have drawn six.

* Indeed Spurs have not tasted victory on their travels in the league for almost three months. Their last away win came on February 12 when they beat Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light.

* Of course Tottenham have good memories of Eastlands. On their last visit, almost exactly a year ago, a single goal by Peter Crouch was enough for victory and to confirm the Londoners' place in the Champions League, at the expense of Mancini’s men.

* The visitors have not lost to Manchester City in their last five fixtures. Their last defeat at Eastlands in the league came on March 16, 2008 when goals by Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha secured victory after Robbie Keane had opened the scoring.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov; Vieira, Barry; Johnson, Y Toure, Silva; Dzeko.

Manager Roberto Mancini has few injury problems but is likely to have one eye on Saturday’s FA Cup final when it comes to selecting his team, so he could make changes from the side that lost to Everton at the weekend.

Captain Carlos Tevez has reportedly been informed he must prove his fitness if he is to feature at Wembley and the Italian has admitted the Argentine has a 50 per cent chance, meaning he may play some part on Tuesday.

Tottenham (4-4-2)
Gomes; Kaboul, Dawson, Gallas, Corluka; Lennon, Modric, Sandro, Van der Vaart; Pavlyuchenko, Defoe.

Gareth Bale is expected to miss Spurs’ last three games after being stretchered off in the 1-1 draw with Blackpool at White Hart Lane.

Jermain Defoe may keep his place after hitting a late equaliser against the Tangerines on Saturday but Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Tom Huddlestone are both expected to miss out again due to injury.

Prediction

An intriguing match awaits at Eastlands with Manchester City now heavy favourites to secure Champions League qualification ahead of Spurs, who also have the added distraction of Liverpool breathing down their necks, meaning they could even miss out on the Europa League unless they finish the season on a high.

However, City’s recent record against Spurs is poor and they may be distracted by the prospect of the FA Cup final on Saturday. Yet the visitors have suffered from far too many draws in recent weeks and another stalemate does not look out of the question.

Man City 2-2 Tottenham

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