31.03. (Sat) 22:00 Barcelona - Athletic Bilbao

Dani Alves - Barcelona

PROBABLE LINEUPS

BARCELONA Valdes Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Puyol Xavi, Busquets, IniestaFabregas, Messi, Pedro

ATHLETIC BILBAO Iraizoz Iraola, Martinez, Amorebieta, Aurtenetxe De Marcos, Iturraspe, Herrera  Susaeta, Llorente, Muniain

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola could rest some of his stars with an eye on Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final decider against AC Milan when Athletic Bilbao visit Camp Nou on Saturday.

Adriano is still sidelined with a muscle injury for the Catalans, although fellow Brazilian Dani Alves is back from domestic suspension.

Thiago is available after the Spanish Football Federation overturned the second yellow card received by the midfielder against Mallorca, while long-term absentee Ibrahim Afellay has returned to training and has a chance of making the bench.

Mikel San Jose is back from suspension for Athletic Bilbao, who have a full squad to choose from for the trip to the Catalan capital.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Barcelona are on a seven-game winning streak in La Liga, outscoring their opponents 21-6 in those matches.

• The Catalans are unbeaten in their last 32 home matches in La Liga and in their last 51 at Camp Nou in all competitions.

• Lionel Messi (pictured right) has netted 18 goals in his last nine games for Barca.

• Athletic Bilbao are on a four-game winless run in La Liga (D1, L3).

• Los Leones have won just two of their last 11 Liga matches away from home.

• Athletic's last victory at Camp Nou was a 2-1 success way back in November 2001.

Prediction

After being frustrated in Italy, Barcelona will be keen to produce a response against Athletic and go in to Tuesday’s return leg against Milan on the back of a positive result. Fatigue, rather than Barca’s star-studded attack, could be the biggest enemy of the visitors, who come in to this match barely 48 hours after overcoming Schalke in the Europa League.

Editor's Prediction

Barcelona 2-0 Bilbao

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31.03. (Sat) 21:00 Nancy Lorraine - Paris Saint Germain

Panoramic

PROBABLE LINEUPS

AS NANCY LORRAINE N'Dy AssembeLoties, Andre Luiz, Puygrenier, HaidaraSaneKaraboue, Traore, Mollo Bakar, Niculae

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN Sirigu Jallet, Alex, Sakho, Maxwell Motta, Sissoko Menez, Pastore, Nene Hoarau

Nancy boss Jean Fernandez has no standing injury problems to mull over ahead of Saturday's visit of the title challengers to Stade Marcel Picot. With two consecutive wins, and a four match unbeaten run under ASNL's belts, including victories over Ligue 1 leaders Montpellier and Lyon, the hosts are expected to line-up with more or less the same team that has featured recently with Lossemy Karaboue expected to regain his place back in the side after sitting out the win over Brest.
Paris Saint-Germain meanwhile are beginning to show the symptoms of a side in disarray. After two late draws against Caen and Bordeaux in Ligue 1, either side of a Coupe de France defeat to Lyon.
Reports surfaced this week of Carlo Ancelotti embarking on a vicious rant at his players after recent lacklustre performances with captain Mamadou Sakho holding a team meeting to discuss the situation, on top of a training ground bust-up involving Mohamed Sissoko and Kevin Gameiro.
Nevertheless, PSG, who sit seond in the table - trailing Montpellier on goal difference - have no pressing worries either. Guillaume Hoarau is set to continue upfront in a 4-2-3-1 formation, as Ancelotti continues to place faith in Christophe Jallet, who looks set to continue in the problematic right-back role.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Nancy sit 13th in the table following their 1-0 win over Brest which boosted their survival hopes.

• Jean Fernandez's men have not lost to PSG since March 2009, even inflicting les Parisien's first home defeat of the season back in September, courtesy of Jean Calve's winner. 

• The hosts, who are on their best run for five months, have collected the most points in March in the entire division.

• PSG slipped to second in the table, following a 1-1 draw with Bordeaux last weekend.

• Ancelotti's men are still unbeaten in 14 games in the league.

• Les Parisiens, who have collected as much points as the whole of last season have scored 19 goals in the last 15 minute period of matches this season.

Prediction

The hosts are on a good run of late, and coupled with PSG's stuttering recent form, it is hard to see the capital club, who are in a state of disarray to come back with three points. Draw looking most likely.

Editor's Prediction

Nancy 1-1 PSG

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31.03. (Sat) 20:45 Parma - Lazio

Getty Images

PROBABLE LINEUPS

PARMA Mirante Santacroce, Paletta, Lucarelli Valdes, Musacci, Galloppa  Biabiany, Gobbi Floccari, Giovinco

LAZIO Marchetti Konko, Diakite, Biava, Radu  Gonzalez, Ledesma, BrocchiMauri, Rocchi, Hernanes

Roberto Donadoni will not be able to rely on the services of McDonald Mariga and Raffaele Palladino who are injured. Sebastian Giovinco is expected to lead the attack while Sergio Floccari is expected to partner him in the final third.

The biggest absentee for Lazio is Germany international and club topscorer Miroslav Klose, who sustained a thigh injury last Thursday and could be set for a long spell on the sidelines. Senad Lulic is also unavailable with a knock, and he will join Marius Stankevicius and Luca Crescenzi out injured.

Captain Tommaso Rocchi is set to deputise for the injured Klose, with Stefano Mauri and Hernanes supporting him in the final third.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Parma have won only twice since coach Roberto Donadoni took over the team in January.

• The Gialloblu have the joint-third worst defensive record in Serie A this season.

• Parma's leading goalscorer in Italy's top flight in the current campaign is Sebastian Giovinco. The former Juventus man has 10 goals to his name.

• Lazio last drew a match back in December 2011.

• Miroslav Klose, who is set to miss Saturday's match against Parma, has had a hand in more than 45 per cent of the team's goals.

• Lazio last lost to the Gialloblu on September 23, 2009.

Prediction

Eduardo Reja's men are yet to feel the absence of Miroslav Klose, but it is only a matter of time before the team is affected. Parma will fight with tooth and nail for a point, so expect a tight affair.

Editor's Prediction

Parma 0-0 Lazio

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31.03. (Sat) 20:00 Osasuna - Real

Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid

PROBABLE LINEUPS

OSASUNA Fernandez Raitala, Roversio, Flano, Damia Punal, NekounamCejudo, Garcia, Lamah Nino

REAL MADRID Casillas Arbeloa, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo Khedira, AlonsoOzil, Kaka, Ronaldo Benzema

Marc Bertran will sit out the visit of Real Madrid after limping out of Osasuna's 2-0 win at Levante on Sunday.

Kike Sola and Masoud Shojaei are both sidelined through injury, but Javad Nekounam is available again after serving a one-match ban.

Real Madrid will be without Jose Callejon (ankle), Ricardo Carvalho (thigh) and Lassana Diarra (hamstring), but winger Angel Di Maria, who has been out of action since February with a thigh problem, is likely to be involved.

Mesut Ozil returns from suspension along with boss Jose Mourinho, who served a touchline ban in Saturday's 5-1 win over Real Sociedad after being sent-off in the stormy 1-1 draw at Villarreal.

Raphael Varane is set to continue at centre-back in the absence of Pepe, who serves the second of his two-game ban.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Sixth-placed Osasuna are on a six-match unbeaten run in La Liga (W3, D3).

• The Pamplona outfit have suffered just two home defeats in the league this season - against Racing Santander and Atletico Madrid.

• Osasuna, along with Racing, have drawn the most games in the Primera Division this season (13).

• Real Madrid have lost on two of their last three visits to Osasuna. Their last victory at the Reyno de Navarra came in May 2008.

• Averaging 3.3 goals per game, the Castilian club boast the best attack in the Primera Division.

• Cristiano Ronaldo's (pictured right) double in the 5-1 thrashing of Real Sociedad made him the fastest player to reach 100 goals in La Liga history (101 in 92 games).

Prediction

Mourinho will be relieved with his team's late scoring spree in Cyprus, as he will not have to rest players for the Osasuna clash with Wednesday's second leg in mind. That said, the home side's direct, in-your-face approach in a raucous Reyno de Navarra can unsettle the league leaders, whose patchy away performances of late is a cause for concern with trips to Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao due in the coming weeks.

Editor's Prediction

Osasuna 1-1 Real Madrid

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Ligue 1 Opta Facts - 31 March - 1 April

Auxerre - Valenciennes
Valenciennes have not won any of their eight previous Ligue 1 trips to Auxerre.
Auxerre have not won any of their last 12 Ligue 1 matches (six defeats and six draws) thus equalling the worst ever run in the club's top flight history.
Auxerre are the only team yet to win a Ligue 1 match in 2012.
Auxerre have managed the fewest victories this term in Ligue 1 (four).
Valenciennes have failed to keep a single clean sheet in their 15 away games in Ligue 1 this season.
Valenciennes have only managed one win in their last 18 away matches in Ligue 1.

Bordeaux - Dijon
Bordeaux have not won any of their last five Ligue 1 matches against promoted sides, registering three draws and two defeats.
Dijon have won both of their two competitive encounters against Bordeaux.
Dijon have scored at least one goal in each of their last 12 Ligue 1 matches, currently the best sequence.
Dijon have conceded a league-high 29 goals on the road this season.
Bordeaux have only lost one of their last 14 Ligue 1 matches at their Chaban-Delmas stadium.
Dijon have only kept one clean sheet in their 14 away games in the top flight.

Caen - Ajaccio
The three previous Ligue 1 encounters between Caen and Ajaccio have all ended as 2-2 draws.
Caen have won just one of their last nine home fixtures in all competitions.
Caen have failed to score in four of their last five Ligue 1 matches.
There has only been one away win in the 16 previous competitive encounters between these sides.
Mehdi Mostefa has picked up more yellow cards than any other player in Ligue 1 this term (12).
Ajaccio's last two away goals in Ligue 1 have both been scored by veteran defender Yoann Poulard.

Lille - Toulouse
Lille are unbeaten in their last eight Ligue 1 matches against Toulouse, registering three wins and five draws.
This weekend could see Toulouse become the first team to manage four consecutive away wins in Ligue 1 this season.
Lille are the first team this season in Ligue 1 to register two consecutive victories by at least three goal margins (4-0 against Valenciennes and 3-0 at Evian TG).
Toulouse have collected 16 points out of a possible in their last six league matches.
Toulouse have registered the most victories by a one-goal margin in Ligue 1 this term (nine).
Toulouse have kept more clean sheets than any other team across the top five European leagues this term (16).
Eden Hazard has scored at least one goal in all of his last six Ligue 1 appearances at Lille's Stadium Nord.
None of Toulouse's players have scored more than four goals this season in Ligue 1, a lower tally than any other club's top scorers(s).

Lorient - Évian TG
If the Ligue 1 season had kicked-off on the 1st of January 2012, Lorient would be 19th.
Lorient have only won one of their last 14 league matches (a 2-1 victory over Brest).
Lorient have failed to score more than two goals in any of their last 23 league matches.
Lorient have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 10 Ligue 1 matches, currently the worst such sequence in the league.
After not winning any of their first 13 away matches in Ligue 1, ETG have just registered two consecutive league wins on the road (2-0 at St Etienne and Auxerre).
ETG have scored at least one goal in each of their last 11 away matches in Ligue 1, the best such sequence this season.
Between them, Lorient and Evian TG have had 28 different goalscorers this season.
Jacques-Alaixys Romao conceded a penalty after only 27 seconds of play in the reverse fixture, a league record this season.

Nancy - Paris SG
Nancy are unbeaten in their last five Ligue 1 encounters with PSG, registering two wins and three draws.
Paris SG are without a win in three consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since Carlo Ancelotti was appointed as manager.
PSG have only won once on their last ten trips to Nancy in Ligue 1.
Nancy could become the first team this season in Ligue 1 to beat PSG both at home and away.
No Ligue 1 team have collected more points in March 2012 than Nancy (10).
Nancy have won their last two Ligue 1 matches, their best run of form since November 2011.
PSG are unbeaten in their last 14 Ligue 1 matches (eight wins and six draws), currently the longest run.
PSG have collected 60 points in this term, which is as much as over the whole of last season.
PSG have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six Ligue 1 matches.
PSG have scored a league-high 19 goals in the final 15 minutes of their matches this term.

Rennes - Lyon
Having won the reverse fixture earlier this season, Rennes have the opportunity of completing their first league « double » over Lyon since the 1965/66 season.
Four of the last six Ligue 1 encounters between Lyon and Rennes have finished as 1-1 draws. The other two ended with 2-1 score lines.
Rennes have only lost one of their last eight Ligue 1 matches against Lyon.
Lyon have won their last three Ligue 1 matches, currently the best sequence in the league.
Rennes have lost two consecutive league games for the first time this season.
Rennes are the only team to have scored more goals on the road (19) than at home (18) this term in Ligue 1.
Lyon have lost eight of their last 12 away matches in Ligue 1.
Lyon have drawn the fewest matches this term in Ligue 1 (four).
Bafetimbi Gomis has scored 22 goals for his club this season in all competitions; only Olivier Giroud has been as prolific amongst Ligue 1 players.

St Etienne - Nice
Nice have won their last three Ligue 1 matches at St Etienne's Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium. Nice have also not conceded a single goal in any of their last four trips to St Etienne.
Nice's last away victory by a two goal margin in Ligue 1 came at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in February 2011 (2-0).
Nice were shown a season-high three red cards in the reverse fixture this season.
St Etienne have failed to score in four of their last five Ligue 1 matches.
St Etienne have lost two consecutive home games in the league for the first time this season.
Nice have only won one of their last 20 away Ligue 1 games.
Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored in only one of his 20 league appearances at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium for St Etienne, bagging a hat trick in that solitary game.

Sochaux - Brest
Brest have lost their last three Ligue 1 matches, currently the worst run in the league.
Brest have not won any of their previous10 away trips to Sochaux in Ligue 1, suffering eight defeats in the process.
Brest have not won a single away match this term in Ligue 1, their last win on the road was back in May 2011 (1-0 at Auxerre).
Three penalties have been awarded in the last two league matches between Sochaux and Brest.
Sochaux have scored six goals in three Ligue 1 matches under new manager Eric Hély, which is as many as in the last 15 matches of Mecha Bazdarevic's reign.
Brest have only scored four goals in ten league matches since the turn of the year.
Brest have only scored one second half goal in their last 15 Ligue 1 matches.
Brest have never scored more than once in any of their last 13 Ligue 1 matches.
Bruno Grougi scored a goal from the penalty spot in both of his two Ligue 1 starts against Sochaux.

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