09.04. (Sat) 22:00 Mallorca - Sevilla

DID YOU KNOW?

* Sevilla have scored only eight points out of a possible 24 on road. Even more surprisingly, despite scoring only six points out of last 15, they have the 6th best away record in last five away games. This shows that La Liga teams play best at their homes.

* Los nervionenses have won their last two league games: they have not managed three wins in a row this season.

* Since returning to the top flight, Sevilla are unbeaten in their last 9 visits to Mallorca. They have managed five wins and four draws in this time.

* The Andalucians tend to lose focus in the second half as the statistics show. They have conceded 64% of their goals in second half, with 25% coming in last 15 minutes of the games.

* After an indifferent start to their season, the Andalucians are in driver’s seat for the European spots, with a very good chance to make it to Champions league. Although, with Kanoute out with an injury, their task has become slightly more difficult.

* Mallorca are slow starters and tend to lose steam quickly. They have scored the joint-fewest goals in the last 15 minutes of league games this season (five, along with Hercules) and have scored only 4 goals in the first 15 minutes.

* The islanders have failed to score in 12 games this season.

* Their top scoring Cameroonian striker Webo, who has found the back of the net 7 times this season, is suspended along with midfielder Michael Perriera.

* However Michael Laudrup's troops are unbeaten without Webo this season, winning one and drawing two league games in his absence.

LAST MEETING

November 21, 2010: Sevilla 1-2 Mallorca

Last time, Pierre Webo had struck a last-minute winner to help Real Mallorca consign former coach Gregorio Manzano and his Sevilla side to a 2-1 defeat at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Sevilla looked to have salvaged a point when Luis Fabiano netted in the 88th, but Webo scored in the 90th minute to snatch all 3 points for the islanders.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Mallorca: Aouate;Ramis, Nunes, Kevin, Pablo Lopez,Marti; Tejera,Ienaga,De Guzman; Gonzalo Castro,Nsue.

Sevilla: Varas; Escudé, Fazio,Alexis, Caceres; Navas, Rakitic, Medel, Perotti; Negredo, Kone.

Prediction

Sevilla are definitely the in-form side at moment and they have picked up some valuable points against Barcelona and Valencia. Traditionally, they have always done well at Mallorca's home and are yet to be defeated at Iberostar Estadi. The only worrisome aspect is their strikers' profligacy in front of goal. This has to be rectified, if their slim hopes of Champions league are to be kept alive.

Mallorca 1-1 Sevilla

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09.04. (Sat) 20:45 Udinese - Roma

DID YOU KNOW?

* Udinese are placed fourth in the league standings with 56 points from 31 matches.

* The Bianconeri lost their first Serie A match of 2011 last weekend when they went down 2-0 to Lecce.

* Francesco Guidolin’s side conceded their first goals in eight league matches in the loss last weekend.

* At this stage last season, the Zebrette were fourth from bottom with 32 points.

* Roma are currently sixth in Serie A with 50 points from 31 matches, six points off the fourth and final Champions League slot.

* The Lupi lost their first league match under coach Vincenzo Montella last weekend, as they went down 2-0 to Juventus.

* The former Italian champions have won their last two Serie A encounters with Udinese by a two-goal margin.

* Roma legend Francesco Totti has scored ten times against Udinese in the league in his career.

LAST MEETING

November 20, 2010: Roma 2-0 Udinese

Jeremy Menez gave the Giallorossi the lead after 24 minutes and in the second half Marco Borriello doubled the advantage. Nicolas Burdisso was sent off for Roma with nine minutes of normal time remaining but the hosts held on for an important 2-0 victory.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Udinese: Handanovic; Benatia, Zapata, Domizzi; Isla, Abdi, Pinzi, Asamoah, Armero; Di Natale, Denis

Roma: Doni; Cassetti, N. Burdisso, Juan, Riise; Taddei, Pizarro, De Rossi, Vucinic; Totti, Borriello

Prediction

Udinese lost their first league game at home at the weekend as they went down 2-0 to Lecce. It will be interesting to see how the Bianconeri bounce back but against a Roma side, who are themselves not in the best of health, they should garner the points.

Udinese 2-0 Roma

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09.04. (Sat) 20:00 Barcelona - Almeria

DID YOU KNOW?

* Barcelona's form this season has been remarkable, and at present it seems that Pep Guardiola will threaten the 100 point mark. They've dropped only nine points this season.

* On 16 occasions in league play this season, the Blaugrana have registered at least three goals, but they've dried up in front of goal somewhat of late, failing to make that mark in all of their last five matches.

* Barca's 8-0 victory over Almeria is their biggest victory of the season - and their biggest league win under Guardiola.

* Goalless in four club games, Lionel Messi is in his longest drought since last April, when he went five matches without scoring after striking the decisive goal in the Clasico.

* Since losing to Mallorca on May 17, 2009, the Catalans have only been defeated in two Primera Division matches.

* Almeria find themselves at the foot of the Primera Division table having recorded only five wins all season - two fewer than any other side in the league.

* They've been particularly poor in the second half of matches, earning fewer points - they would have 31 for the season if only the second 45 minutes was considered - than any other team in the league after the break with the exception of Hercules.

* Roberto Olabe becomes the club's third head coach of the season after Jose Luis Oltra departed earlier this week. The former Tenerife boss took over from Juan Manuel Lillo following the 8-0 home drubbing by Barca.

* Away from home, Almeria have been sturdy defensively. Aside from the top three, only Real Zaragoza have conceded fewer goals than their tally of 21, though only 11 strikes have been mustered.

LAST MEETING

November 20, 2010: Almeria 0-8 Barcelona

Barcelona fired a Clasico warning shot to Real Madrid with a crushing 8-0 victory against hapless Almeria, whose defending was dreadful in a performance that ultimately accounted for coach Juan Manuel Lillo. Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta would both score in the opening 20 minutes before an own goal from Acasiete put the hosts in greater trouble. Further efforts arrived from Pedro and Messi made it 4-0 by the break. There was little relent after the break, when Messi would complete his hat-trick and lay on two goals for Bojan Krkic.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Barcelona: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Busquets, Adriano; Xavi, Mascherano, Iniesta; Villa, Messi, Pedro

Almeria: Diego Alves; Michel, Silva, Acasiete, Luna; M’Bami, Bernardello, Ortiz, Piatti, Crusat; Ulloa

Prediction

It’s impossible to predict anything other than a convincing Barcelona victory. A success of the magnitude of five months ago is extremely unlikely, but it would be one of the shocks of the season if they bottom club were to steal anything from Camp Nou.

Barcelona 4-0 Almeria

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09.04. (Sat) 18:00 Inter - Chievo Verona

DID YOU KNOW?

* Inter have scored four goals in each of their last three games against Chievo at the Giuseppe Meazza.

* The Nerazzurri are currently riding a nine-game Serie A winning streak at San Siro.

* The Beneamata have scored 15 goals in their last five home games.

* Cristian Chivu will miss the match through suspension.

* Inter have conceded seven goals in their past five home matches.

* Chievo's 2-1 win earlier in the season snapped a 12-game winless run against the Nerazzurri.

* The Flying Donkeys' only Serie A win against Inter at San Siro came in December of 2001.

* Sergio Pellissier leads the team in scoring with ten league goals.

* Chievo have collected seven points from their last five games on the road.

* Chievo have been held scoreless in 14 Serie A matches this season.


LAST MEETING

November 21, 2010: Chievo 2-1 Inter

The Flying Donkeys soared to an unlikely victory as they punctured the Inter defence twice in Verona. Sergio Pellissier opened the scoring in the 29th minute before Davide Moscardelli doubled the home side's advantage in the second half.

Samuel Eto'o scored a late goal but many will remember the game for the Cameroon striker's headbutt on Chievo defender Bostjan Cesar.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Inter: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Ranocchia, Lucio, Nagatomo; Zanetti, Thiago Motta; Cambiasso; Sneijder, Milito, Eto'o

Chievo: Sorrentino; Sardo, Andreolli, Mandelli, Montovani; Fernandes, Rigoni, Constant; Bogliacino; Pellissier, Moscardelli

Prediction

Inter are reeling right now after heavy losses to Milan in Serie A and Schalke in the Champions League. The Nerazurri are vulnerable at the moment but should be able to stop the bleeding with a slim win over Chievo at San Siro.

Inter Milan 1-0 Chievo

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09.04. (Sat) 18:00 Athletic Bilbao - Real

DID YOU KNOW?

* With only three draws all season, Athletic Bilbao have split points on fewer occasions than virtually any other Primera Division club. Espanyol and Real Sociedad are the only teams to have tied on fewer occasions.

* None of these draws have come at San Mames, where they've won 10 of their 15 matches.

* The Basques look good for a place in the Europa League, lying in fifth, but they have little hope of catching Villarreal, who are nine points clear of them.

* After keeping three successive clean sheets at the end of January, Athletic have only shut-out their opponents once in the last eight games.

* Against teams in the top half of the table, they've won five of their 15 matches, losing all of their other 10 games.

* Real Madrid had enjoyed a run of eight matches undefeated in the league prior to last weekend's surprising reverse against Sporting Gijon.

* That loss was los Blancos' first failure to win at home all season, and Jose Mourinho's first home defeat in 151 matches - a run stretching back nine years.

* The Portuguese has made Madrid a formidable defensive unit this term, and only on three occasions have they conceded more than one goal in a solitary league game.

* In 30 Primera Division matches to date, on 15 occasions los Merengues' games have produced fewer than three goals, and three times they've been held to scoreless draws.

* Exactly half the time, Mourinho's men have led at the interval, and in all of these matches they've picked up three points. The only other team to have such a record is Osasuna, who have won all of the six matches they've held the upper hand in at the interval.

* Indeed, whenever los Blancos have gone ahead this season, they've always scooped maximum points.

LAST MEETING

November 20, 2010: Real Madrid 5-1 Athletic Bilbao

In the week before the campaign’s first Clasico, Real Madrid were expected to be severely tested at the Bernabeu by Athletic, but Jose Mourinho’s men made short work of the Basques. First half goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo were tempered by a 40th minute effort from Fernando Llorente, though the hosts pulled away after the break. Sergio Ramos converted a penalty before Ronaldo completed his hat-trick by scoring a brace in the last half hour.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Athletic Bilbao: Iraizoz; Iraola, San Jose, Ekiza, Castillo; Lopez, Martinez, Orbaiz, Gabilondo; Llorente, Toquero

Real Madrid: Casillas; Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Arbeloa; Khedira, Alonso; Ronaldo, Oezil, Di Maria; Adebayor

Prediction

San Mames is a really tough venue to visit, and an easy success over Athletic earlier this season will count for little come Saturday night. Real Madrid simply have to win to keep their title hopes alive, but having slipped on six of 15 road trips this season, keeping La Liga competitive going into the Clasico is by no means certain. Los Leones’ recent form has been poor, and that may just edge this fixture in favour of the guests.

Athletic Bilbao 1-2 Real Madrid

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