29.01. (Sun) 18:00 Racing Santander - Valencia

Roberto Soldado, Valencia vs Racing Santander (Getty)

PROBABLE LINEUPS

RACING SANTANDER TonoAlvaro, Torrejon, Espinosa, Cisma Diop, Colsa Arana, Adrian, Acosta Stuani

VALENCIA Alves Barragan, Rami, Ruiz, Mathieu Albelda, TopalPiatti, Banega, Alba Soldado

Racing welcome back forward Pedro Munitis after he missed Saturday's defeat to Getafe due to suspension, while Uruguay striker Christian Stuani is expected to shake off an abdominal injury to spearhead the hosts' attack.

Midfield duo Papa Diop and Gonzalo Colsa are also likely to overcome minor knocks and start Sunday's match, however, Greece midfielder Alexandros Tziolis misses out with a knee problem.

Roberto Soldado, Mehmet Topal and Jeremy Mathieu are all set to be restored to the Valencia line-up after being rested for the Copa del Rey win over local rivals Levante.

Dani Parejo, who has found himself surplus to requirements at the Mestalla, is unlikely to be included in the squad travelling to Santander.

Los Che coach Unai Emery may hand a start to Argentina forward Pablo Piatti after the winger scored a brace in the midweek win over Levante.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Racing Santander, who are just a point above the relegation zone, were on a five-game unbeaten run before succumbing to Getafe last weekend.

• On-loan striker Christian Stuani (pictured) is the Cantabrian club's leading scorer this season with nine goals.

• Racing were renamed Real Santander during the period of Francoist Spain, due to the prohibition of non-Spanish names.

• Valencia are on a three-game winless streak in La Liga.

• Los Che have avoided defeat in their last six games against Racing (W4 D2).

• The Mestalla club have won La Liga six times in their history, with the last title coming in 2004.

Prediction

Despite their recent stuttering form in the league, Valencia will be on a high after dispatching Levante with ease in the Copa del Rey to set up a semi-final with Barcelona. Los Che have far too much quality for their hosts and the smart money is on them bouncing back from their mini-slump.

Editor's Prediction

Racing 0-2 Valencia

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29.01. (Sun) 17:00 Arsenal - Aston Villa

Arsen Wenger - Arsenal

PROBABLE LINEUPS

Arsenal Szczesney Yennaris, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Miquel  Song, Arteta Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Arshavin Van Persie

Aston Villa Given Hutton, Dunne, Collins, Warnock Agbonlahor, Ireland, Petrov, AlbrightonBent, Keane

Arsenal have a fairly full treatment room with various long-term absentees such as Jack Wilshere and Bacary Sagna still missing from the squad. However, Arsene Wenger may have duo Thierry Henry and Mikel Arteta available for selection in this fourth-round FA Cup tie.

Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh are also both unavailable on duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Nicholas Yennaris is likely to play some part in the fixture after he replaced Johan Djourou during the loss against Manchester United.

Aston Villa's attacking options have been replenished with Gabriel Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey and Darren Bent returning from their respective problems, creating a potential selection headache following loanee Robbie Keane's brace against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Alex McLeish also has Stephen Ireland available for the tie, after he missed the win against Wolves with a hamstring injury. One blow for the Villans though is the heel injury to Charles N'Zogbia, which continues to rule him out.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Arsenal have lost just one of 33 home FA Cup ties under Arsene Wenger, not including the void victory over Sheffield United.

• The north London club also have a good home record this season, losing only twice across all competitions.

• So far this season Wenger has used 32 squad players, more than in any other previous campaign.

• Robin van Persie (pictured right) is the Gunners' top goalscorer this campaign, with 23, compared to eight from Villa's leading scorer, Darren Bent.

• The only clubs to have won the FA Cup more times than Aston Villa's seven are Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs; however the Villans' most recent triumph was in 1957.

• Aston Villa have taken more league points from Arsenal at the Emirates than any other team, only losing once in their five visits, winning and drawing twice each.

• Villans' striker Darren Bent, who was a Gunners' fan as a child, has scored six goals in his last eight appearances against these opponents.

• The last time that Villa beat a top-flight club in the FA Cup was in 2000; since then they have lost four and drawn once against teams in the highest division.

• The sides have met nine times in the FA Cup before, with the Gunners progressing six times to Villa's three.

• The last time Wenger met McLeish in a cup competition was the League Cup final in 2011, when the Frenchman's team lost 2-1 to the Scot's Birmingham side.

Prediction

Aston Villa are safe from relegation and will see Europe as an unrealistic target, therefore Alex McLeish is likely to field a full-strength side and go all out for the victory in search of a morale, and gate receipt, boosting cup run. Arsenal continue to suffer defensive set-backs and although Arsene Wenger will be boosted by possible returns for Mikel Arteta and Thierry Henry, who scored the winner in their third-round fixture against Leeds, the boss's incredible home record in the competition could take a dent. As always the Gunners will play some good football, but Villa's attack looks dangerous on paper and the hosts' defence always looks like conceding. Falling to a fourth successive defeat looks like a viable outcome for Wenger's men.

Editor's Prediction

Arsenal 1-2 Aston Villa

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29.01. (Sun) 15:00 Roma - Bologna

Getty Images

PROBABLE LINEUPS

ROMA Stekelenburg Rosi, Juan, Heinze, Taddei Simplicio, Gago, Pjanic Totti Bojan, Lamela

BOLOGNA Gillet Raggi, Portanova, Antonsson, Crespo Perez, Mudingayi, Morleo Diamanti Taider, Di Vaio

Roma coach Luis Enrique is expected to name an unchanged team from Tuesday's 3-0 Coppa Italia quarter-final defeat to Juventus, despite Erik Lamela's sending-off in that encounter. However, Daniele De Rossi and Marco Cassetti have not been deemed fit enough to participate, while there is similarly no such luck for long-term absentees Pablo Osvaldo and Nicolas Burdisso.

However, Bologna look set to ring the changes from the goalless draw with Parma in Serie A last Sunday, as Matteo Rubin, Gyorgy Garics and Robert Acquafresca are to be replaced by Jose Angel Crespo, Archimede Morleo and Saphir Taider. Panagiotis Kone, Simone Loria and Nico Pulzetti are all on the sidelines, but Gaston Ramirez finds himself suspended.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Roma are unbeaten in their last eight meetings against Bologna in Serie A, winning five and drawing three in the process.

• The Giallorossi have scored in 21 consecutive home matches against Sunday's opponents.

• Roma are also on a run of four straight wins; their best run in Serie A since April 2010, when they won six on the trot.

• The home side are the only Serie A outfit to have lost each of their games after falling behind this season (six).

• Bologna have emerged victorious over Roma more times than against any other opponent in Serie A.

• They have also scored 68 goals at Roma; more than against any other team away from home.

• Striker Marco Di Vaio has already notched seven goals against the Giallorossi in Serie A.

• However, Bologna have won just one of their last six league games.

Prediction

The hosts are expected to beat the Gialloblu comfortably, but it may not turn out to be such a formality, as the same side that suffered a potentially-demoralising reverse to Juventus will also line up at the Olimpico. Throw their inconsistent form against the visitors into the mix and Roma are sure to have a tricky task on their hands, albeit one which they should overcome.

Editor's Prediction

Roma 2-1 Bologna

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29.01. (Sun) 15:00 Lecce - Inter

Getty Images

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

LECCE Benassi Oddo, Miglionico, Tomovic, Cuadrado, Giacomazzi, Blasi, Olivera, Brivio Muriel, Di Michele

INTER Julio Cesar Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, NagatomoZanetti, Cambiasso, Alvarez SneijderPazzini, Milito

Lecce coach Serse Cosmi will be missing a host of players for the match on Sunday as Moris Carrozzieri, Manuel Giandonato, Luigi Falcone, Andrea Esposito and Julio Sergio are out with various bumps and bruises.
Lucio and Giampaolo Pazzini missed Inter's Coppa Italia loss to Napoli on Wednesday because of flu but will likely be in the starting XI for Sunday’s encounter at the Via del Mare. Sulley Muntari will miss the clash due to his commitments with Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Diego Forlan and Dejan Stankovic trained apart from the rest of the team and will miss the match, while Coutinho is back in training but might not be ready to feature at the weekend.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Lecce are winless at home so far this season and have picked up only two points out of a possible 27 on their own ground.

• Serse Cosmi's men opened the scoring in the first meeting between the teams at San Siro but then conceded four goals en route to a 4-1 defeat.

• Lecce have the most losses (12) in Serie A so far this term.

• Inter have won their last seven Serie A matches, keeping five clean sheets during that span.

• The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in their last five away games in the league, letting in just one goal in the process.

• Claudio Ranieri's side have not lost to Lecce in their last nine encounters.

Prediction

Lecce have yet to pick up a win at the Stadio Via del Mare this season and, although they will make life difficult for the Nerazzurri at times, another loss is likely on the horizon.

Editor's Prediction

Lecce 1-2 Inter

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29.01. (Sun) 12:30 Feyenoord - Ajax

PROSHOTS

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

FEYENOORD Mulder Leerdam, Vlaar, Martins Indi, Nelom Clasie, Bakkal, Mokotjo Schaken, Guidetti, Cabral

AJAX Vermeer Anita, Van Rhijn, Vertonghen, Blind Enoh, Eriksen, Janssen Sulejmani, De Jong, Ebecilio

Feyenoord coach Ronald Koeman is without the injured Kaj Ramsteijn and Ricky van Haaren, while Karim el Ahmadi is away on international duty with Morocco. Furthermore, striker John Guidetti is doubtful due to illness, although the Manchester City loanee is expected to make it in time.

Defenders Stefan de Vrij and Miquel Nelom both missed last week's loss to VVV but have made the match squad again for Sunday's game.

Ajax boss Frank de Boer will still have to make do without the services of long-term injury concerns Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and Bruno Silva. Additionally, defenders Gregory van der Wiel, Andre Ooijer, Toby Alderweireld and Nicolai Boilesen are all unavailable while on the treatment table, as well as winger Derk Boerrigter.

Therefore, young centre-back Ricardo van Rhijn will feature from the start, while Daley Blind could get the nod at left-back.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Feyenoord are currently sitting joint-fifth in the Eredivisie table with 31 points from 18 matches. 
  
• The hosts' goalkeeper Erwin Mulder has kept six clean sheets so far this season.

• The Rotterdam giants' first-choice striker John Guidetti has the best goal-to-games ratio in the Eredivisie with 11 strikes in 12 games.

• Ajax are the league's number-four side at the moment with 34 points from 18 games.

• Shot-stopper Kenneth Vermeer (pictured) was shown a straight red card in the 1-1 home draw in the reverse of this fixture.

• The away side are on a six-match unbeaten run in the Eredivisie, winning four, and drawing the remaining two.

Prediction

Both sides were unable to bag the full three points in their first match after the winter break and each will be desperate to return to winning ways on Sunday. Feyenoord have impressed in the big games this season and will be hoping to keep that trend going against Ajax. Nevertheless, the visitors will not be pushovers, despite their injury worries, and a draw seems to be the most likely result in De Klassieker.

Editor's Prediction

Feyenoord 1-1 Ajax

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