09-02-2011 20:15 Denmark - England

Memories Of August '05

England travelled to Denmark in August 2005 unbeaten in the calendar year and having conceded just one goal during that time. The big names were all included, with Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney starting a game that was seen as a mere stepping stone friendly ahead of more important World Cup qualifying matches.

Sven-Goran Eriksson’s men were mistaken if they thought their Scandinavian opponents could be taken lightly. A second-half horror show saw Denmark run out 4-1 winners, with Dennis Rommedahl and Jon Dahl Tomasson among the scorers. David James, on as a substitute at half-time, claimed after conceding four goals in 45 minutes that he was not mentally prepared for the match.

Scandinavian Repeat?

Long before Steve McClaren and the ‘wally with the brolly’ England managers were on the receiving end of criticism from the newspapers. There even appeared to be a hate campaign against Sir Bobby Robson at one stage during his reign. But the famous ‘Swedes 2 Turnips 1’ headline after England’s 2-1 loss to Sweden back in 1992 lives long in the memory.

Supporters never took to Graham Taylor, whose head was superimposed onto a turnip next to the headline, after the loss, also because he failed to guide England to the 1994 World Cup. Sweden are not the only Scandinavian team to cause a shock against the Three Lions, with the ‘your boys took one hell of a beating’ commentary after the loss to Norway in 1981 still brought up to this day.

TEAM NEWS

Denmark

A number of Premier League players have been included in the Denmark squad for this friendly.

Anders Lindegaard, Lars Jacobsen, Daniel Agger, Christian Poulsen and Nicklas Bendtner look set to feature, while former Charlton Athletic man Dennis Rommedahl could also play a part.

Ajax youngster Christian Eriksen is expected to start, having become a key player for his club since the World Cup.

Possible starting XI: Lindegaard; Jacobsen, Kjaer, Agger, S Poulsen; Enevoldsen, Eriksen, C Poulsen, Silberbauer; Rommedahl; Bendtner.

England

Fabio Capello faces a selection headache after being hit with a number of withdrawals since naming his squad on Saturday.

Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch and Ben Foster have pulled out through injury, while Gabriel Agbonlahor hasn’t joined up with the squad due to personal reasons. Robert Green and Carlton Cole have earned late call-ups, but nether are likely to start.

Capello has confirmed that Jack Wilshere will start in what is expected to be a deeper role in midfield, while Darren Bent could also get his chance to impress alongside Wayne Rooney in attack.

Possible starting XI: Hart; Johnson, Dawson, Terry, Cole; Walcott, Lampard, Wilshere, Milner; Bent, Rooney.

Prediction
Denmark 1-1 England  

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International Opta Facts - Feb 8 - 9

Republic of Ireland v Wales

* Ireland have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight internationals at home.
* Robbie Keane has scored four goals in Ireland's last five games at the Aviva Stadium.
* Wales have lost five of their last six away internationals, winning the other (2-1 at Liechtenstein in October 2009).
* Overall, Wales have failed to score in four of their last six international

Northern Ireland v Scotland

* Scotland have won three of their last four internationals at home, losing only to World Champions Spain (2-3).
* Craig Levein's men have only picked up three wins from the last 10 overall, however, losing six of them.
* Northern Ireland have only won one of their last 14 internationals; a 1-0 win in Slovenia last September.
* Nigel Worthington's side have failed to score more than one goal in any of their last 15 internationals, failing to find the net in nine of them.

Denmark v England

* The last time these sides met, in August 2005, Denmark triumphed 4-1 in Copenhagen in one of only two occasions that England have conceded four or more goals since 1980.
* England have won just four of their 14 opening games in a calendar year since 1997, with all four of those victories coming at home. The Three Lions defeated Egypt 3-1 at Wembley in their first game of last year, after losing 0-2 to Spain in their 2009 opener.
* England have conceded exactly one goal in six of their last seven friendly internationals and haven't kept a clean sheet in a friendly since a 4-0 win in Slovakia in March 2009.
* Denmark have won their last two meetings with the Three Lions, both in friendly internationals.
* Despite ending on the losing side on both occasions, Wayne Rooney has found the net in both of his previous international appearances against Denmark.
* Denmark have only lost one of their five internationals since being eliminated from the 2010 World Cup, winning two and drawing two.
* Frank Lampard looks set to captain England for the first time. Of the last six players to captain England, four have lost their opening match.

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06-02-2011 13:15 Rangers - Celtic

Gers Trio Looking To Help

Rangers go into the third Old Firm game of the season, having brought in three new players during the January transfer window, with El Hadji Diouf, David Healy and Kyle Bartley making their way to Ibrox to sign for the Scottish champions.

Blues' assistant manager Ally McCoist spoke at the club's pre-match media conference about the trio’s arrival, saying: “I think its freshened it up a bit and we’ve been wanting to do that for a while and it certainly adds a bit of freshness, because they are keen and have seen about the place and they obviously want to take part in games, especially the Old Firm game.”

He was asked about the signing of the controversial Diouf, to which he responded: “He did well [against Hearts], he’s not had a lot of games recently and if the game against Hearts is anything to go by he’ll certainly win us a few free kicks in the Old Firm game and I hope that’ll be the case.”

Finally, he was asked about how the Old Firm cup tie will be looked upon by the rest of the teams in the competition, with the former Ibrox striker saying: “This cup tie, it’s not often that Rangers and Celtic draw each other at this early stage in the cup, so with Hearts out and with something to give with the Old Firm, I think that the other clubs will look upon this as an opportunity to perhaps get to a final or to have an extended run, but the pressure for us is still the same, especially against our rivals.”

Hoops' Hopes Are High

Celtic go into the Ibrox fixture with confidence after defeating their Glasgow neighbours at the same venue only one month ago, when a Georgios Samaras double claimed all three points for the Parkhead side.

The Hoops' gaffer Neil Lennon spoke at the club’s pre-match press conference about whether the cup tie is more important than the league fixture last month. Lennon said: “Not really, it’s an Old Firm game regardless of the competition we’re looking to win and we know that it’s very difficult to go there and win. Out of all of the fixtures in Scotland this is probably the most difficult one, to go to Ibrox in that atmosphere and against a good team.”

He was also asked about the possibility of a draw, which would not be favoured by Rangers, due to the Ibrox side having two outstanding fixtures on their Glasgow rivals. Lennon replied: “Yeah, I mean it’s not the ideal time to be playing an Old Firm game with all the games coming up, so we’re going to try and get a positive result, one way or another. And if it’s a draw, then it’s a draw and we’ll just have to deal with that.”

TEAM NEWS

Rangers

Rangers will enter the Old Firm derby without influential midfielder Lee McCulloch who was injured in the Ibrox side’s midweek victory over Hearts.
Winger Vladimir Weiss was also taken off during the game and remains doubtful for the Scottish Cup fifth round tie.

That could mean a return to the starting line-up for Scotland international Steven Naismith, who was rested by Walter Smith, looking forward to the crucial cup tie.

Also back in the Rangers team will be striker Nikica Jelavic who was also missing from the win over third-placed Hearts with a groin injury. The Rangers manager is also set to leave new signings David Healy, El Hadji Diouf and Kyle Bartley on the bench for the Glasgow derby,

Possible starting XI: McGregor; Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac; Naismith, Davis, Ness, Edu, Lafferty; Jelavic

Celtic

Celtic manager Neil Lennon will be delighted to welcome back central defensive pair Thomas Rogne and Daniel Majstorovic who return from injury after having suffered from calf and hamstring problems, respectively.

The former Hoops skipper is also boosted by the return of both Ki Sung Yueng and Cha Du-Ri who are back in Glasgow after participating in the Asian Cup last month for their native South Korea.

Another pleasing sight for Lennon is the return to training of defender Glenn Loovens and Georgios Samaras, who was the hero for the league leaders in their last visit to the south side of Glasgow during the New Year derby.

Possible starting XI: Forster; Wilson, Majstorovic, Rogne, Izaguirre; Brown, Kayal, Ledley, Commons; Hooper, Stokes.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Rangers

Maurice Edu - The American has found his form since coming back into the Rangers side after a lengthy injury and showed his importance when he scored in the Ibrox side’s victory over Motherwell last weekend, which saw the Scottish champions reach the final of the League Cup, were they will meet Celtic.

Celtic

Biram Kayal - The dynamic midfielder has been so good for Neil Lennon’s side that the Celtic gaffer has switched his captain to the right wing in order to accommodate the Israeli in the centre of the pitch for the Parkhead side. As a result he will be key to Celtic securing a path into the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup.

Prediction

Although Old Firm games are near enough impossible to predict, Celtic should definitely be considered as the favourites due to the players that have returned from injury, coupled with their good form that has seen them go undefeated since the middle of November.

Rangers 1-2 Celtic

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06-02-2011 21:00 Valencia - Hercules

Steady, If Unspectacular

Events have dictated that Valencia look very likely to earn a Champions League spot. Though Villarreal are still going strong, their other major rivals for a top four finish, Espanyol, have been forced to sell key members of their squad. With a four point advantage over the Barcelona-based club, los Che would expect to have enough in the tank to outlast them.

Unai Emery has his side going along quite nicely at the moment. Though they’ve relied heavily on late goals and have rarely looked completely convincing, the east coast club have lost only one of their last 11 Primera Division fixtures, and event that was against Real Madrid. Indeed, last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Racing de Santander prevented Valencia adding to a five-game winning streak.

The coach indicated that a draw was a just result, though he wasn’t totally happy with the performance of his side, complaining that possession was readily gifted away with too much frequency, while there wasn’t enough depth to their play.

Some tough fixtures loom on the horizon for les Che. Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona are all due to face Valencia over the coming month, so they’ll be looking to Sunday night’s match as an opportunity to put some points on the board, and ideally some additional space between themselves and those teams who covet their position.

Bettered By Barca

Hercules failed to replicate their early season success over Barcelona when they met the champions at the Jose Rico Perez last weekend, but they did prove to be stubborn opponents once again for la Blaugrana. For more than 80 minutes the game remained competitive, but the dismissal of substitute Farinos allowed Pep Guardiola’s men to score twice in the last five minutes, earning a 3-0 win.

“The team played a good game in general,” coach Esteban Vigo reasoned after the match, content with the effort and application his side put in against a team he reckons to be the best on the planet.

In a tough league, points have to be taken against tough teams, and though Hercules have sporadically managed to do so, their record against the middle order is poor and leaves them only four points better off than those sides in the drop zone.

The Alicante club have struggled particularly away from home, earning only six points on their travels, which is one of the worst records in the league. Hercules’ record of one win in six is rather coloured by their poor travelling form, as they have played four of those games on the road, while one of their home fixtures was against Barca.

With some easier home matches forthcoming – Zaragoza, Getafe, Almeria and Osasuna – it may well be that this encounter is looked upon as something of a bonus, as points are not expected to be claimed.

TEAM NEWS

Valencia

Jonas Goncalves has joined up with the squad and could debut over the weekend. No new injury problems have been named by los Che, who will be without the suspended David Navarro and Ricardo Costa.

David Albelda, Vicente Rodriguez, Miguel Moya and Cesar Sanchez continue to battle problems, while Juan Mata has an ankle complaint.

Hercules

Javier Farina is suspended after his dismissal against Barcelona last weekend. There are a number of selection issues, with Abraham Paz, Noe Pamarot and Mohammed Sarr all somewhat doubtful. Abel Aguilar has been struggling with gastroenteritis.


Prediction

Valencia may not be playing with the greatest conviction at the moment, but they’re going along steadily and picking up wins with regularity. Away from home, it wouldn’t be inconceivable that Hercules could claim a point, or even three, but the challenge at the Mestalla is likely to be too much for the Alicante side.

Valencia 2-0 Hercules

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06-02-2011 21:00 Olympique Lyonnais - Girondins Bordeaux

Stopped In Their Tracks

Time is running out for Olympique Lyonnais to mount a serious challenge for the Ligue 1 crown. After defeat in Valenciennes last weekend, les Gones are now a distant seven points from leaders Lille, who are picking up their pace, if anything. Claude Puel continues to fight for the first silverware of his reign at the Stade Gerland, but defeat on Sunday could end any real hopes of the manager picking it up this season.

Lyon were disappointing at the Stade Nungesser last Saturday. Puel’s men made a bright enough start to the match, but Valenciennes rebuffed their approaches and ultimately pulled through thanks to a couple of goals soon after the restart. Though Michel Bastos reduced the arrears to 2-1, OL couldn’t beat in-form goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau a second time.

“This has stopped us in our tracks in the championship,” Puel explained, Ligue 1’s official website stated. “We were up against a very good Valenciennes side and we had trouble getting going, which allowed them to grow in confidence. My team reacted well to going 2-0 down. We started to play as a team. In the last 15 minutes we gave it absolutely everything and it could have worked. I think we deserved to equalise.”

A lacklustre start to the campaign has given the Rhone giants no room to manoeuvre, and though they looked back to their best in a 3-0 league success over Lorient in January, a Coupe de France loss to Nice, as well as last weekend’s reverse, shows that they still have much work to do.

The Best Is Yet To Come

Bordeaux have long since given up their hopes of picking up the Ligue 1 title. Jean Tigana has admitted that the challenge taking over at the Stade Chaban-Delmas is a greater one than he previously believes, though his side remain on the fringes of the European battle, stationed eighth in the standings, only four points behind Lyon.

Already the former Monaco and Besiktas boss has tendered his resignation twice, but on each occasion he was rebuffed by the Bordeaux board, clearly aware that they will struggle to attract another such name with such a pedigree to the ailing club.

Victory over Nice last weekend at home could act as a spur, though. Bordeaux were excellent against les Aiglons, finally looking a well balanced unit and winning through thanks to goals from Ludovic Sane and Anthony Modeste.

“That was the first time this season that we’ve played two equally good halves of football,” the coach said, according to the LFP’s official website. “We played with style and strong organisation tonight; there was a bit of everything. I’m very satisfied.

“I loved the way my side played collectively tonight, with movement and cover. We needed this reaction for the players to regain confidence. It was a good match but I know we can do even better.”

Suddenly there is an air of confidence around Bordeaux again, and having supplemented their attack with the signing of Brazilian international Andre on loan from Dynamo Kiev, there is even room for some tentative optimism on Sunday.


TEAM NEWS

Lyon

Dejan Lovren returns from a ban for OL, but by the same token Ederson remains absent. It’s expected to be March before the Brazilian returns to the first team picture.

Bordeaux

Only Carlos Henrique is ruled out for les Girondins, though it’s unlikely that Marc Planus will be involved in the first team panel as he continues his recovery from injury.

Prediction

Both of these sides have been erratic this season, so it’s a tough match to call. At home, Lyon have to be favourites, especially as they will be aware that a defeat could spell the end of their title hopes. Just as Bordeaux won 2-0 against OL earlier this season, les Gones will claim a similar scoreline on Sunday.

O. Lyon 2-0 Bordeaux

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