20-01-2011 22:00 Atletico Madrid - Real

History Weighing Atleti Down

Atletico Madrid may live to regret conceding a late goal to Mesut Oezil during a hugely exciting Derbi madrileno at the Bernabeu last week. Los Colchoneros had stunned the Real Madrid crown by moving into a 1-0 advantage thanks to Diego Forlan, but their derby jitters ultimately got the better of them, losing goals from Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo before the German’s late flourish gave Jose Mourinho’s men a 3-1 lead to protect on Wednesday night.

It’s been over a decade since los Rojiblancos tasted success over their great rivals, and incredibly it’s been nine meetings at the Vicente Calderon since los Blancos were last vanquished – the visitors winning seven of those matches. The weight of history is therefore on the shoulders of Quique Sanchez Flores’ side.

But there is more than simply history playing against Atleti. Recent form has meant that the former Benfica coach has come under intense scrutiny from above, leading him to comment prior to Monday’s Primera Division encounter against Mallorca that he felt he had two games to save his job.

In that regard, it’s so far so good for the ex-Real Madrid player. Els Barralets were dispatched 3-0 on Monday night, with Jose Antonio Reyes the pick of the outfield players, allowing los Colchoneros to move to sixth in the standings, albeit seven points behind the Champions League spots.

While a two goal deficit is far from ideal, an away goal gives Atleti a fighting chance of causing an upset and maintaining Sanchez Flores’ perfect record in two-legged ties since taking the helm of the capital side.

Winning Is Vital

Derby joy for Real Madrid was quickly tinged with Primera Division frustration as los Blancos failed to keep pace with Barcelona at the weekend, slipping up badly against bottom club Almeria. It could have been worse for Jose Mourinho’s side, who had trailed 1-0, but after equalising in the closing stages they were left exasperated when Cristiano Ronaldo’s terrific stoppage time free kick clattered the bar.

Now four points behind the Liga leaders, there is little room for error. Nevertheless, that is not expected to prevent Mourinho deploying a very strong side on Thursday evening, when los Merengues look to secure a spot in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

The competitive instincts of the Portuguese coach mean that he is treating the cup competition a great deal more seriously than many of his predecessors. Indeed, he was disappointed to only carry a two-goal advantage across the city to the Vicente Calderon.

“I always tell my players that it is important to win, but it is also paramount to win by big margins,” ‘Mou’ told the press. “I liked winning 3-1, but thought we could have tried a little harder and done more to score another goal.”

Winning breeds confidence, and after their Sunday mishap, Madrid could certainly use getting quickly back onto the right track before meeting Mallorca at the weekend.

TEAM NEWS

Atletico

Atleti have named a 20-man panel that is without Sergio Aguero due to injury. Mario Suarez and Pulido are still injured, while Antonio Lopez is banned after his straight red card at the weekend.

Real Madrid

Despite the draw in Almeria at the weekend, Jose Mourinho has kept faith with the same 20-man panel he named at the weekend. Gonzalo Higuain, Jerzy Dudek and Pepe are missing due to injury once more.

Prediction

A two-game winless run for Real Madrid would be considered something of a disaster, so expect Jose Mourinho’s men to go out and really attack this match. Not as reliable on their travels as they are at the Bernabeu, there is no guarantee of an away win in this fixture, but given Atletico’s tendency to implode in derby fixtures it is certainly a likelihood.

Atletico Madrid 1-2 Real Madrid

Read More

20-01-2011 21:00 Milan - Bari

Embarking On A Coppa Run

Milan's start to the new year has been mixed. While the Rossoneri have retained their ability to thrill and entertain, they have been unable to garner the results.

A 1-0 defeat of Cagliari in the first game of 2011 was followed by a scintillating 4-4 draw with Udinese at San Siro. While that shouldn't exactly be counted as a disappointment, the weekend's 1-1 draw with relegation candidates Lecce should be, the two dropped points meaning that Milan now lead the Serie A charts by four points with city-rivals and Italian and European champions Inter hot on their heels.

Tonight's match, though, will be a wholly different ball game as Milan cannot afford to commit mistakes. The Round of 16 tie against Bari in the Coppa Italia looks to be an easy enough fixture on paper but this is a Cup game and the Diavolo will have to be careful.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri has expressed the keenness to embark on a long and successful Cup run and said on Wednesday, "When you win a trophy it is always nice, you have to try to get to the final, but to do so you always have to do the maximum. We need to rediscover winning ways after two consecutive draws [in Serie A]."

In Deep Crisis

One suspects that Bari could have done without playing an extra match this week. With just 14 points from 20 matches, the Galletti are rooted to the bottom and tonight's trip to Milan is an unnecessary and almost enforced distraction.

Bari's crisis reached a new level on Wednesday when coach Giampiero Ventura offered to resign from his job if that would help rescue the Biancorossi from dropping down to Serie B at the end of the season and said, "I am ready to relinquish my post.

"Even last night at dinner I told [president Vincenzo] Matarrese that if the answer to saving Bari is a change in coach then I'm ready to leave."

Bari, though, could still make tonight's match a meaningful affair and give Milan some tough time. Having already dispatched Torino and Livorno in the earlier rounds of the Coppa Italia and lost narrowly to Milan earlier in the season in the league, they could still hope to pull off a coup tonight at San Siro.

TEAM NEWS

Milan

Flavio Roma is likely to start in goal as Marco Amelia and Christian Abbiati both are currently unavailable. Andrea Pirlo has recovered his fitness but he is unlikely to be risked.

Mario Yepes, Massimo Oddo and Rodney Strasser could start as well although Allegri has claimed that he will field his strongest available line-up.

Bari

Vitali Kutuzov and Jose Ignacio Castillo are set to start in attack as the two centre-forwards in a 4-4-2 formation.

Prediction

A win for Milan looks the most likely result, although the resting of some of the regular first-team players could prove detrimental if the Rossoneri don't tighten themselves at the back.

Milan 3-1 Bari

Read More

19-01-2011 22:00 Betis - Barcelona

Not So Bad

Prior to the first leg of their Copa del Rey encounter against Barcelona, Betis had tried to get the fixture reversed so that they would play in Sevilla first. This was not a move designed to give the Segunda Division side an advantage in the tie, it was simply because they were all too aware that their fans may not turn out to watch a cakewalk in the second leg.

Sadly for the underdogs, their fears have been realised and they go into this match in a hopeless position, trailing 5-0.

“For 50 minutes, we made things difficult for them,” coach Pepe Mel explained after the first leg, clearly proud of his side’s achievements before a late collapse put the tie completely beyond their reach. “We resisted for quite some time and we quite happy with this, as we lost to the best team in the world.”

“We created more chance than an average Primera Division side. In the end, we fell short.”

Back on league duty at the weekend, los Beticos took another step closer to mingling with the elite on a regular basis by maintaining their lead atop the Segunda courtesy of an easy 3-0 home victory against Alcorcon. Six points clear of their nearest rivals, Betis are seemingly cruising towards promotion and can view Wednesday’s match as a bonus encounter to be enjoyed.

A Good Week

Barcelona have enjoyed a very productive seven days, effectively booking themselves a place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals while extending their lead atop the Primera Division to four points – a tally that many pundits already see as decisive.

Prior to Real Madrid’s surprising 1-1 draw in Almeria, Pep Guardiola’s men had carried out the expected against Malaga, defeating the Andalucians 4-1 at Camp Nou. With only 36 minutes on the clock, the match was effectively over as a contest. The home fans had already celebrated goals from Andres Iniesta, Pedro and David Villa, and after Duda had the cheek to pull one back, Barca were quick to reassert their dominance by striking again through Villa.

Winning is a habit well ingrained in this Barcelona side, and even though they boast the most comfortable of advantages going into the second leg on Wednesday evening, they will be hungry to pick up another success. Guardiola named a strong squad for the first leg but may be reticent to do so again given the circumstances; even his superstars need a break sometimes.

Barca will have their eyes on a couple more records in the Primera Division after being named winter champions with a remarkable 52 points. Real Madrid’s all-time scoring record of 107 looks set to be smashed – Barca are on course for 122 – while Real Sociedad’s unbeaten run of 32 games could also be bettered.

Silverware is ultimately the most important thing to this winning machine, and they will move a step closer to another Copa del Rey triumph in midweek.

TEAM NEWS

Betis

Star man Achille Emana continues to miss out, and it could be another three weeks before he’s back in action. Antonio Dorado and Benat are also sidelined.

Momo and Miguel Lopez are nearing fitness, but neither will be available for the midweek clash.

Barcelona

Pep Guardiola has named a virtually full strength squad for this encounter. Daniel Alves and Carles Puyol miss out because of injuries, but all the other big stars are present.

Prediction

Barcelona’s reserve team have beaten Betis in the league this season, and la Blaugrana won’t field such a weak side on Wednesday. With fringe players jostling to impress Pep Guardiola, the visitors should complete a comfortable qualification with a second win.

Betis 1-3 Barcelona

Read More

19-01-2011 20:45 Roma - Lazio

Four In A Row

Last season Roma won both the encounters against fierce city-rivals Lazio in Serie A and so did they the first one of this campaign to complete a hat-trick of Derby della Capitale victories. Tonight's match will be about stretching that run and putting Lazio in their place.

It will also be about getting past the Round of 16 in the Coppa Italia and reaching the quarter-finals as well as gaining a psychological advantage in the Scudetto race. With 35 points from 20 matches, Roma are currently placed in fourth place in the league standings, six points behind leaders Milan and just two behind Lazio, who are third. A win tonight will not only make them look the better side and beef up their confidence, it will also deflate the self-conviction of the Biancocelesti.

Coach Claudio Ranieri has firmly underlined the importance of the clash and wants a victory at any cost. The Italian said on Tuesday: "It's not a real derby, but we can feel it, and we want to win. I have rediscovered my team and we have been trying to climb point after point to win the Scudetto. Favourites for tomorrow? There is no favourite for the derby. We are playing well, but so are they.

"There is happiness and enthusiasm in the dressing room. Everyone wants to be there, and those teams with the most quality get there in the end. I expect a win tomorrow as Roma are aiming to win every competition they are involved in."

Dipped In Disappointment

Roma's start to the new year has been as much positive as Lazio's has been negative. While the Lupi have leapt to two wins in three league fixtures in 2011, the Aquile have fluttered to just one victory in three and look to be happy settling for a top-four place in the league standings despite being third at the moment.

Encouragingly for Lazio, though, they warmed up for tonight's Rome derby with a narrow 1-0 victory over Sampdoria at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday and will aim to build on that match. The former Italian champions have lost their last three encounters against their ferocious city-rivals but knowing that the form book counts for little in such big games and having reached won the Coppa Italia in 2008-09 they should be targeting a win.

Coach Edy Reja retains his side's ambitions for progress in the competition and enthused on Tuesday: "Nobody wants the lose the derby, even though it is in the Coppa Italia. It is very important for us to continue this adventure. For Roma this is less important because they are in the Champions League, and they are fighting for the league with the challengers."

TEAM NEWS

Roma

20 players have been called up to the squad. Julio Sergio will stand in goal and Mirko Vucinic is expected to start upfront. Talisman Francesco Totti is unavailable as he is suspended following a four-match ban imposed on him for kicking out at Inter's Mario Balotelli in last season's Coppa Italia final.

Lazio

Reja has called up 20 players to his team. Bizzarri is likely to be slotted between the posts, Hernanes, Mauri and Zarate will be the three attack-minded midfielders and Floccari the lone striker upfront.

Prediction

It's a derby, and a Rome derby nonetheless, and predicting this game is difficult. Roma do seem the better and more smoothly functioning side at the moment but a match like this is often determined by small details. It promises to be a fiercely fought encounter, though, and the Lupi should just about edge past Lazio.

Roma 1-0 Lazio

Read More

19-01-2011 20:45 Inter - Cesena

Fifth In A Row? Oh, Yeah

Italian and European champions Inter have made an Alice In Wonderland-esque start to the new year under new coach Leonardo and suddenly after four months of flirting with disaster they seem to be on course for the Scudetto.

With league leaders and city-rivals Milan drawing twice in a row in Serie A and Inter winning three league fixtures in succession, the gap between the two sides has now been trimmed down to nine points with the Nerazzurri having two games in hand.

One of those games is tonight against Cesena, who seem to be engaged in a long-term relationship with the relegation demon. A victory for Inter will propel them to go level on points with Roma on 35 points and just six behind Milan; and indeed maximum points should be comfortable for the Beneamata.

However, Inter coach Leonardo warns against complacency and said on Tuesday, "The first few minutes against Cesena are decisive because they set the pattern for the match. The way you approach a game is important and against Bologna (a 4-1 win last weekend) it was virtually perfect. We'll try to do the same again tomorrow against Cesena."

Realising The Impossible

Cesena are in real danger of suffering relegation from Serie A at the end of the season after just one year in the Italian top flight. The Seahorses are currently stuck to one place above the bottom-three with just 19 points, same as many as Lecce, who are 18th.

The trip to Milan comes off the back of a 1-0 home loss to Scudetto-challengers Roma, which followed an encouraging goalless draw with Genoa at home. The start of the new year has been good for Massimo Ficcadenti's side, who defeated fellow relegation candidates Brescia 2-1 in their opening game of 2011.

Last time the Seahorses played against a Milanese side, they won 2-0 as they conquered Milan at the Dino Manuzzi, but this time, Ficcadenti admits, it will be be tough and explained, "We must start again, we knew from the beginning it would be a difficult championship.

"We're trying to do something but everyone is looking for strikers, even the big teams to make up for injuries. We do need to score goals, though.''

TEAM NEWS

Inter

Thiago Motta has been rested with a minor injury but Sulley Muntari has been included in the 20-man squad despite his recent handing of a transfer request. Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito are expected to lead the line again.

Cesena

21 players have been called up to the squad for the trip to Milan. Steve von Bergen and Maximiliano Pellegrino are expected to be the two centre-backs, with Erjon Bogdani as the lone striker ahead of attacking midfielders Emanuele Giaccherini and Luis Jimenez in a 4-3-2-1 formation.

Prediction

A win for Inter looks to be the most likely result. With Samuel Eto'o in death-defying form and Diego Milito rediscovering his old self, it is going to be a Herculean task for the Cesena defensive unit to contain the Italian giants.

Inter Milan 3-0 Cesena

Read More