12-02-2011 22:00 Racing Santander - Sevilla

In Comes Marcelino

Just as they experienced a tough period at the start of the season due to the cruelty of their fixture list, Racing Santander have found the beginning of the second round of fixtures a difficult time. Pitted against many of Spain’s best clubs in quick succession, los Verdiblancos are struggling for victories, and though draws have been commonplace of late, that’s not been good enough for the club’s new owners.

Earlier this week, the bell finally tolled for head coach Miguel Angel Portugal, whose last act was to guide los Racinguistas to a 1-1 draw against struggling Zaragoza – the club’s fifth tie in seven league matches. Left-back Christian was the unlikely scorer of the opening goal, but Racing couldn’t hold on and would leak in the second half, costing two vital points.

This result was deemed unacceptable, and after little over a year in charge, Portugal was whisked out the door to be replaced with former Sporting de Gijon boss Marcelino, who enjoyed a previous stint at Racing during the 2007-08 season. His task is simple: stop Racing’s slide towards the Segunda Division.

Immediate improvement in the Cantabrian side is difficult to see. Forthcoming fixtures against Getafe, Villarreal and Real Madrid all look to be tricky ties on paper, but with a relatively simple end to the season in sight, all hope is by no means lost.

Don’t Doubt Sevilla

This season has certainly not gone according to plan for Sevilla, who perhaps should have taken their Champions League play-off elimination by Braga as a sign of things to come. Los Nervionenses had targeted winning a place in Europe’s premier competition as their aim for this campaign, but despite jettisoning Alvaro Alvarez at the beginning of the campaign, Gregorio Manzano has had little better luck.

After a miserable run of five successive defeats in the lead-up to the Christmas break, hope was rekindled by a sequence of three wins from four, though subsequent draws against Deportivo La Coruna and Malaga have acted to stifle the Andalucians once more. After showing plenty of verve in Galicia, their local derby against los Boquerones was a huge let-down in the end, with a scoreless outcome just.

“Let no one doubt that at the end of the championship, we will be among the largest teams in Spain,” president Jose Maria del Nido thundered on the club’s official website this week. “We will continue fighting among the majors, and to those who believe that we are dead, we will let them know we are more alive than ever.

“When things go bad, we are going to get ourselves more motivated to achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves.”

With a 13 point gap to bridge in just 16 fixtures, the president seems to be speaking from the heart rather than the head.

TEAM NEWS

Racing

Marcelino will be missing Alexandros Tziolis, Oscar Serrano and Papa Kouli Diop for his fresh bow in the Racing dugout. There have been no reports of fresh problems, and Markus Rosenberg is back following a ban.

Sevilla

Renato and Diego Perotti have both been cleared to play this weekend, but Frederic Kanoute continues to be troubled by adductor problems. Didier Zokora has been in the Cote d’Ivoire this week for personal reasons and should be considered a big doubt.

Prediction

Sevilla have been maddeningly inconsistent this season, so it’s difficult to know exactly what to expect of them. Equally, with a new man at the helm, Racing Santander will be eager to impress. A tight game is in prospect, with a draw helping the hosts more than their guests.

Racing 1-1 Sevilla

Read More

12-02-2011 21:00 Saint Etienne - Olympique Lyonnais

Gaining Momentum

Despite crashing out of the Coupe de France courtesy of an embarrassing 0-2 defeat at the hands of Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot, and ignominiously losing 2-1 to relegation-threatened Lens, AS Saint-Etienne have in recent weeks restored their confidence with back-to-back wins against Toulouse and Montpellier. Currently fourth in the table, only two points behind second-placed Paris Saint-Germain, Saturday’s encounter presents les Verts with an excellent opportunity to firmly entrench themselves in the upper echelons of Ligue 1.

The victory over Montpellier, however, did not feature highly-rated striker Dimitri Payet, who was recently fined and relegated to the reserves for attempting to force through a move during the January transfer window.

Coach Christophe Galtier has nonetheless insisted that Payet remains an integral part of the team, alongside new recruits Alejandro Alonso and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. “I am someone who forgives, so I will ask the club to forgive him”, Galtier told Sky Sports. “Things will return to normal quickly enough. Dimitri will soon be applauded by the fans again.”

He also played down rumours of a rift between himself and Payet: “There is no tense relationship between player and coach. There is just a group that has been playing well without Payet. We will piece things back together slowly. Considering that we have brought in two players and the officials have been able to keep Dimitri, the group is now stronger, both in quality and quantity.”

Saint-Étienne’s home form is particularly impressive, with only one Ligue 1 defeat, against Lorient in November, coming at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard this season.

A Chance For Redemption

Thus far, it has not been a prosperous 2011 for Olympique Lyonnais. Entering the winter break a mere four points behind league leaders Lille, they now lie sixth in the table, seven points adrift of the summit. Although only two points short of the final Champions’ League berth, the nature of Ligue 1 is such that Lyon could find themselves missing out on European football altogether next season should they fail to heed the warning signs.

Last week’s 0-0 draw with Bordeaux was the latest in a succession of uninspiring performances that have included defeats to Valenciennes and Nice, and draws with Olympique de Marseille and AJ Auxerre. In all competitions les Gones have won just four of their previous twelve matches, while in Ligue 1 they have claimed only a single victory in their last five matches.

Unsurprisingly, the players themselves have been less than satisfied with their current form, with both Yoann Gourcuff and Hugo Lloris publicly admitting disappointment. Speaking to Eurosport following the stalemate against Bordeaux, however, the Lyon goalkeeper sought to remain optimistic: “We still had a good game. We put everything into the match, but we came up against a strong team. It was a game of men, with some great duelling.

“It’s a shame we missed the opportunity to make up two points on Lille [who drew 1-1 with Auxerre last weekend], but there are still plenty of games left.”

The season might not yet be over, but recent results have certainly interfered with Lyon’s title aspirations. So tight is le Championnat that anything less than a win against AS Saint-Étienne on Saturday will cause les Gones irretrievable damage, though the Ligue 1 crown may already be beyond their reach. When asked about the upcoming clash, Lloris added: “Regardless of the situation of both clubs, it’s a good game to play. It’s a derby. We don’t think about the points, it’s all about the victory.”

TEAM NEWS

Saint-Etienne

Les Verts have few injury concerns, with only Yoann Andreu and Albin Ebondo sidelined. It is expected that Christophe Galtier will recall Dimitri Payet to the first-team following his spell in the reserves.

Olympique Lyonnais

Likewise, Lyon manager Claude Puel will be relieved to have a relatively abundant squad at his disposal after the selection headaches he has faced earlier in the season. Clement Grenier and Ederson remain unavailable, since although the latter resumed training this week, it is unlikely he will return to first-team action in the immediate future.

Prediction

Little separates these two teams, and if the reverse fixture offers any indication, it will be an incredibly close contest. Although Saint-Étienne prevailed at the Stade Gerland courtesy of a stunning Dimitri Payet free-kick, Lyon’s desire to avenge their recent abject performances should ensure that, on this occasion, they leave the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard with all three points.

Editor's Prediction

AS Saint-Etienne 0-1 O. Lyon

Read More

12-02-2011 20:45 Roma - Napoli

Scudetto Challenge Over?

Last weekend was supposed to be Roma's final chance to resuscitate their Scudetto ambitions. The former Italian champions had been somewhat inconsistent in the new year and despite a game in hand had fallen off the pace - a win against Inter was to turn around their fortunes.

However, Roma lost 5-3 at San Siro and now Claudio Ranieri's side have been reduced to target a Champions League spot. Stationed outside the top-six in seventh, the Giallorossi have mustered 39 points from 23 matches and are three points behind fourth-place Lazio and a massive ten points behind league leaders Milan.

Like Inter, Napoli will provide a similarly tough test, which Ranieri knows as much, and says, "The game against Napoli will be very difficult. Napoli are a great team. In the last game against them we played well, but the created more chances.

"I think it's the players who render the team to win, not the formations we play. How do you stop Marek Hamsik? By not turning up so the game is cancelled."

Milan, Here We Come

At the start of the 2010-11 campaign, Napoli were expected to engage in a multi-way battle for a Champions League place. With the second half of the season well under way, the Partenopei have emerged as genuine contenders for the Scudetto, and have sustained their consistency and focus.

Heading into Week 25, Walter Mazzarri's side are just three points behind league leaders Milan with 46 points from 24 matches. With the Rossoneri having dropped points in their last two encounters, Napoli have gained ground, their 2-0 victory over Cesena last weekend seeing them bounce back brilliantly from the shock defeat to Chievo.

In the reverse fixture in the league this season, Napoli defeated Roma 2-0 but Mazzarri claims that they cannot rely on past exploits and says, "Roma are a great side, one of the strongest in the league and they are full of champions, so it will be hard for Napoli.

"It will be an important test for us to understand where we are at mentally. The nice thing about this championship is that everything is unpredictable."

TEAM NEWS

Roma

Adriano is injured and will miss the game. Mexes and Nicolas Burdisso are suspended.

Napoli

Grava and Vitale are injured and are unavailable for the trip to Rome.

Prediction

Roma have a strong record at home but Napoli are in red-hot form at the moment. It promises to be an entertaining and exciting fixture and there could be a few goals, but it is unlikely that the Lupi will lose in Rome.

Roma 2-2 Napoli

Read More

12-02-2011 20:00 Real Sporting Gijon - Barcelona

No Worries Yet

Sporting de Gijon are one of nine teams involved in an extremely congested battle against the drop. The foot of the Primera Division sees a large group of sides clustered around the 20 point mark, and only Malaga are guaranteed to be in the relegation zone come the end of the weekend. Los Sportinguistas could easily get sucked into danger, particularly as they are unlikely to take anything from Barcelona on Saturday.

The form of Manuel Preciado’s side has actually been pretty good in recent times. January proved a fruitful month for the Asturian outfit, who picked up three successive wins before eventually losing last weekend away to Athletic Bilbao.

“Losing in San Mames is not a trauma,” the coach explained after the game, relatively satisfied with what he saw from his team, who had been reduced to 10 men when Gregory Arnolin was dismissed with less than 20 minutes gone. “We know our challenge and we will fight to the death in it.”

If Sporting can maintain a decent level over the course of the next couple of months, they’ll be in excellent shape to win safety. Many of the league’s best sides are to be faced in the immediate future, so they’ll rely on their form in the closing weeks of the campaign to see them home.


Records Still Tumbling

Barcelona broke yet another record last weekend, defeating Atletico Madrid to set a new mark for consecutive victories in the Primera Division. Pep Guardiola’s side have now won their last 16 matches and remain on course for a quite breathtaking campaign. The style continues to flow as readily as the wins – of those 16 matches, on all but three occasions they’ve mustered at least three goals.

Guardiola is not a coach who will allow his team to relax, and he will doubtless point out the difficulty that Sporting gave Barca at Camp Nou earlier this season. La Blaugrana struggled to a 1-0 victory on that occasion, though it’s fair to say their level has risen a number of gears since then.

Lionel Messi remains the main driving force, as Atleti learned last weekend when the Argentine scored a terrific hat-trick at Camp Nou, but the team as a whole is playing impressively.

Arguably the best news Barca have received over the course of the last seven days comes away from the field, with Guardiola having successfully negotiated terms of a new contract. The Barca icon is now set to sign until the end of 2012 on February 22, and should he complete that term he will become the fourth longest serving manager in the club’s history.

La Blaugrana as a unit are as strong as ever and have the chance to once again go 10 points clear of Real Madrid if they pick up maximum points on Saturday. While outlasting their great rivals is the primary objective, there are all kinds of sub-goals being chased by this remarkable side, including the attainment of 100 points.

TEAM NEWS

Sporting

Alberto Lora and Gregory Arnolin are both suspended, so coach Manuel Preciado is hopeful that Sebastian Eguren shakes off a shoulder knock to play. The tactician has barely touched his starting XI in recent weeks, so minimal changes were expected.


Barcelona

Jeffren and Carles Puyol are the only two absentees for Barca, who have seen all their internationals return in a fit state.

Prediction

It’s hard to see even the best teams stopping Barcelona just now, and Sporting de Gijon don’t fall into that bracket. Expect another simple away win for la Blaugrana.

Sporting de Gijon 0-3 Barcelona

Read More

12-02-2011 18:30 Sunderland - Tottenham Hotspur

Coming To The Crossroads

Sunderland are coming to a pivotal point in their season, having built a solid foundation in the first half of the campaign now is the time Steve Bruce will be looking for his side to push on towards securing Europa League qualification. Despite Liverpool leapfrogging them in the table, they’re in a good position, currently sitting seventh with four points in hand over their nearest rivals, but have a tough run of fixtures to come. After hosting Tottenham, they travel to Everton before a trip to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal. They then welcome Liverpool to the Stadium of Light before travelling to Manchester City.

Having lost their last two league games on the bounce, it’s critical for Sunderland to respond with three points against Spurs. Otherwise they could see all their previous hard work to get into this position wasted with a slide down the table. The positive is if they can get through this run of fixtures in a good position, their run-in looks relatively comfortable. These will be the games that make or break Sunderland’s season.

Champions League Focus

The race for the Champions League spots is hotting up, and with a trip to the San Siro to face Milan to come on Tuesday Harry Redknapp’s men will be fully aware that they’ll need to come to places like the Stadium of Light looking for three points to stay in the hunt. Sunderland have only lost twice at home this season, but Spurs will be heartened to know that these defeats both came in their last eight games – with the most recent coming in their last home game against Chelsea.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out who the side on form is. Sunderland have only won three of their last eight games, drawing once and losing the rest; while Spurs have won five, drawn twice and only lost once – away to Everton at the beginning of January. That said, Spurs are a lot more vulnerable on the road, of the five defeats they’ve sustained this season four of them have been away from White Hart Lane. They also had a tough time cracking the Sunderland nut in the reverse fixture, which they drew 1-1.

TEAM NEWS

Sunderland

Sunderland are still without Danny Welbeck (hamstring) who isn’t expected back for first time action until the end of March. Likewise, David Meyler (knee) won’t be back in contention until the end of next month at the earliest. Fraizer Campbell (knee) will most likely be out for the rest of the season.

Captain Lee Cattermole (back) remains on the sidelines, as does Michael Turner (knee) who returned to training this week after a three month absence with a ligament injury sustained when he collided with the post during his side’s game against Everton back in November.

Manager Steve Bruce opted for three centre-backs in his side’s 3-2 loss against Stoke City and is likely to revert to his more familiar 4-5-1 formation for this game, with a tossup between John Mensah and Anton Ferdinand partnering Titus Bramble at the heart of the Sunderland defence.

Possible starting XI: Gordon; Onuoha, Bramble, Mensah, Bardsley; Elmohamady, Henderson, Richardson, Muntari, Sessegnon; Gyan.

Tottenham

Tottenham travel to the north-east with three of their most influential players at the cusp of returning to first team action. Rafael van der Vaart (calf) is the most likely to feature, as he sustained a minor calf injury in last weekend’s game against Bolton. Gareth Bale (back) is touch and go, and may well start from the bench with Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Milan just round the corner. While Luka Modric (appendicitis) is expected to miss out on the visit to Sunderland.

Other absentees for Spurs include Younes Kaboul (knee) who isn’t expected back until the middle of next month, as well as Tom Huddlestone (ankle) who is also out for at least another month. Ledley King (groin) remains on the sidelines.

Peter Crouch missed England’s midweek 2-1 victory over Denmark but is expected to return to the starting line-up for the trip to Sunderland.

Possible starting XI: Gomes; Corluka, Gallas, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Pienaar; Crouch, Defoe.

Prediction

The form book suggests an away win for this one, but Steve Bruce will have his troops fired up off the back of two straight league defeats. It’ll be a tough ask for Spurs, who travel to the north-east without several key midfield players and a distracting glamour tie in the Champions League looming. It may well come down to who needs the points more, and you get the feeling Sunderland – with their tough run of fixtures ahead – may well have more desire on the day.

Sunderland 2-1 Tottenham

Read More