Champions league: Lyon vs. Barcelona

Current Group E leaders Barcelona travel to Lyon this week to play Lyon in what could be a surprise match for the Spanish club. They only need a point to be sure of qualifying for the next round and (and probably win the group) but their away form has been dreadful this season and they won’t be playing the same lackluster Lyon of a couple of months ago. Barcelona do have some reasons to be cheerful, though. Goalkeeper Victor Valdes is still unbeaten in this edition of the Champions League, and the team will in all probability welcome back out Samuel Eto’o, who has been out injured these past three months. It’s unlikely he will play from the start, but he will probably get a chance in the second half. Out of sorts Brazilian star Ronaldhino, who missed their weekend home win over lowly Recreativo de Huelva due to ‘fatigue’ should also make an appearance. There has been all kinds of media attention recently, most of it surrounding the Brazilian. First Barca companion and also Brazilian Edmilson was interviewed and went on about a ‘black sheep’ in the club. This didn’t sit well with the other players but the directors and coaches played it down. Many feel this was a direct swipe at Ronaldhino himself, who doesn’t seem to be pulling his weight and looks as if he is more interested in his advertising deals than his football. Coach Frank Rijkaard has also been under the spotlight, and it is anyone’s guess about will happen to him and his job in the long term (or even short term come to think of it).

Lyon for their part have turned their season around quite nicely. They are now leading the French ‘Le Chamionnat’ by three points, and have also successfully turned their fortunes around in this Champions League group by beating Stuttgart twice in the space of two weeks. They now take on Barcelona at home looking for revenge for the three nil mauling they received in the opening game.

I’m going for a Lyon win here. Barcelona just can’t be trusted away from the Nou Camp, where most teams play like frightened rabbits. It won’t be a high scoring game, mostly because of Victor Valdes’ great form, but I expect them to lose by a goal or two.

Prediction: Home win (1-0)

Bayern München vs. VfL Wolfsburg

Standings: Bayern München (1^st – 28 points) vs. VfL Wolfsburg (11^th – 16 points)

When: Saturday 24^th November 2007 (1430 CET)Where: Allianz Arena, Munich  

A Lot To Prove Top of the table Bayern entertain mid-table Wolfsburg in what will prove to be a feisty encounter. Felix Magath would be relishing a return to the cauldron-like atmosphere of the Allianz Arena to lead his Wolfsburg side against a side he managed barely a year ago. Ottmar Hitzfield has come under a lot of criticism from the Bayern think-tank of Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, President Franz Beckenbauer and General Manager Uli Hoeness especially regarding team selections. Both managers have a lot to prove for different reasons.  

Desperate For A Win The Bavarian side is desperate for a win restore calm at the Allianz Arena. In their last outing, they were hammered 3-1 by Stuttgart. Despite, this being their first loss in this term’s Bundesliga campaign, Hitzfield drew a lot of flak for his policies. Having managed just one win in their last five games in all competitions, Bayern will be looking to get back to winning ways. Magath, will on the other hand, look to mastermind an upset of sorts at his old den. With just a point separating Bayern from Werder Bremen and Hamburg SV, the Bavarians would be looking to turn on the style or even win ugly against the Wolves.  

Form Guide (Last 5 Games in all competitions) 

Bayern München – DWDDL

Wolfsburg – DWWLL 

Head To Head Record In Munich 

Feb 24, 07         Bayern München 2 - 1 VfL Wolfsburg

Oct 1, 05           Bayern München 2 - 0 VfL Wolfsburg

Oct 26, 04         Bayern München 2 - 0 VfL Wolfsburg

Feb 28, 04         Bayern München 2 - 0 VfL Wolfsburg

Nov 16, 02        Bayern München 1 - 0 VfL Wolfsburg

Players To Watch Bayern München – Luca Toni

Luca Toni is Bayern’s leading scorer so far this term and with a formidable strike partnership with Miroslav Klose, they have already found the back of the net 17 times so far.   VfL Wolfsburg – Alexander Madlung, The lanky German defender would have his hands full against proven strikers like Toni and Klose and will have to be at his best if Wolfsburg aim to salvage something from this tie.  Prediction A look at recent form might make you think twice before placing a bet on the Bavarians but it looks like they’ll get back to their winning ways against a Wolfsburg side that looks just ordinary. Bayern München 2-1 VfL Wolfsburg

Bayer Leverkusen vs. MSV Duisburg

Standings: Bayer Leverkusen (5^th – 21 points) vs. MSV Duisburg (17^th – 9 points)

When: Saturday 24^th November 2007 (1430 CET)Where: BayArena, Leverkusen  

Stark Contrast Bayer comes into this match on a high note, unbeaten in four of their last six matches in all competitions and in the zone for European places whereas the ‘Zebras’ have lost five of their last six matches and are currently on a run of four consecutive defeats. Rudi Bommer sees his side in the deep end of the relegation zone and will be looking to stem the rot.   

Youth To The Fore Michael Skibbe would be looking to his youthful Bayer side to come up with some sort of consistency in their performances so that they could push for the Champions League places for the next term. Skibbe would be pleased with the way his youthful side has come of age. He has had to do without two of his most experienced players for most of the season so far but the young players like Simon Rolfes, Artur Vidal and Stefan Kiessling have come to the fore and given a good account of themselves. Carsten Ramelow and Bernd Schneider are long-term absentees but Skibbe would be encouraged with the fact that Schneider has returned to training with the team but it looks highly unlikely that he would play any part against Duisburg. MSV are in wretched form and they don’t look likely to breach the second best defence in the Bundesliga at home. But coach Bommer could take consolation in the fact that they have got more points on the road than at home.  

Form Guide (Last 5 Games in all competitions) 

Bayer Leverkusen – WLWLW

Duisburg – WLLLL 

Head To Head Record In Leverkusen 

Feb 18^th 06        Bayer Leverkusen 3 - 2 MSV Duisburg

Feb 5^th 00          Bayer Leverkusen 3 - 0 MSV Duisburg

Nov 28^th 98         Bayer Leverkusen 2 - 0 MSV Duisburg

Oct 4^th 97           Bayer Leverkusen 2 - 1 MSV Duisburg

Feb 22^nd 97        Bayer Leverkusen 1 - 0 MSV Duisburg 

MSV can take heart from the fact that in the last meeting between these two sides, Duisburg knocked Leverkusen out of the German Cup in the second round beating them 3-2 after extra time.         

Players To Watch Bayer Leverkusen – Stefan Kiessling 

The lanky striker is Bayer’s leading scorer so far this term and with a leaky defence like MSV’s, you can bet him to be on the score sheet or create some for his mates.   

MSV Duisburg – Mihai Tararache Tararache will have to marshal Duisburg’s midfield and should try and shut down any potential attacks from Leverkusen. He could also create or pop up with some goals going forward.  

Prediction  It looks like it will be a stroll in the park for Bayer in front of the BayArena faithful. MSV are going to endure another tough trip away from home. 

Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 MSV Duisburg

Inter Milan vs Atalanta

Inter Milan and Atalanta Bergamo meet at the San Siro in a clash of sides who had their respective matches postponed in Round 12. The nerozzurri were scheduled to play host to Lazio while Atalanta were to have done the same against AC Milan. Inter remain unbeaten on the season and are the only side with that distinction left in Serie A. Atalanta are off to a promising start themselves and currently occupy on of the UEFA Cup slots in the league table.

Inter’s undefeated record has seen them amass 25 points through 11 matches which are the product of 7 wins with 4 draws. They have a superb goal difference of 22 goals scored and only 7 conceded. That defensive record is currently tops in the league. They maintain a 2 point edge on second place Fiorentina. The Bergamaschi are in 6^th place with 18 points which are the product of 5 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses. They are within 4 points of 5^th place Udinese and are just ahead of Palermo on goal difference.

Inter’s last match came in Round 11 when they were able to hold out for a 1-1 draw away to Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. Atalanta are coming off of a big win away from home when they scored a 1-2 victory at Catania’s Stadio Carlo Castellani. Both sides feature players in the top 3 of the Serie A scoring table with Inter’s Ibrahimovic tied for 2^nd place with 7 goals while Doni represents Atalanta in a 3^rd place tie with 6 goals.

There are a couple of concerns for Del Neri as he prepares his squad for the match against Inter. In addition to the suspended De Ascentis, defender Rivalta has a slight muscle strain which could keep him out. Should he not be able to start Del Neri will need to choose between Balleri or Manfredini.

Roberto Mancini will be getting some key players back this week as Christian Chivu and Marco Materazzi are both available off of the bench. First choice keeper Francesco Toldo is still out the Brazilian Julio Cesar is coming off of a monumental performance in Brazil’s win over Uruguay earlier in the week and should be fine in his place. Walter Samuel will start alongside Ivan Cordoba in central defense with Materazzi on the bench.

Atalanta have proven to be a quality club this season and have only lost 1 match in 6 on the road this year. Inter are extremely tough to beat but that does not mean that Del Neri will not find a way to at least keep it close.

Prediction: Draw (0-0)

Genoa vs AS Roma

Genoa return home to host AS Roma looking to finally put an end to their current 5 match winless run. Genoa were last able to claim 3 points from a match back during the first week of October when they held serve over Cagliari by a score of 2-0 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. This poor spell has seen Gian Piero Gasperini’s side fall to 12^th in the Serie A league table. They will be hosting a Roma outfit who will be playing only their second match of the month given the tragic events of 2 weeks ago.

At the time of the postponement of their match, the giallorossi were on a 5 match unbeaten run which had included a 4 match win streak up to their 2-2 draw away to Empoli. That makes this weeks contest away to Genoa their second consecutive away match. They come into this match in 3^rd place of Serie A with 22 points from 11 matches. They are just 1 point behind 2^nd place Fiorentina with 1 match in hand. Meanwhile, Genoa have 14 points from 12 matches and are just behind AC Milan on goal difference.

The two week break for international matches was beneficial for Il Grifone as they are expected to be at full strength for this match. With everyone available Gasperini is considering just one modification at this time with respect to the starting eleven and that would be to include Coppola as the inside right midfield in place of Sculli. Genoa would then go with a 3-5-2 formation Leon and Borriello upfront.

The same cannot be said for Roma this week in terms of injuries. Despite not having played a match in almost 3 weeks, the injury woes are plentiful for Spalletti. Among the notables still out injured are Francesco Totti, Aquilani and Taddei. In addition, French defender Mexes is still recovering from the head injury he suffered in training back on the 6^th of November and the Roma medical staff do not want to take any chances with a injury of that nature. The most likely combination of center back for Roma will see the Brazilian Juan team up with Ferrari in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Vucinic as the lone striker while Max, Giuly and Mancini play just behind.

Genoa have not been too strong at home this season and have managed just 2 victories. Meanwhile, Roma are undefeated in 6 road matches. Despite all the injuries on the visiting side, look for Roma to at least be able to hold out for the draw.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

Racing Santander vs Valencia

This will probably be the match of the week in terms of the excitement and competitiveness in the backyard of Racing Santander. It is most likely to be a battle of Valencia’s attack against Racing’s defense at El Sardinero. Both the teams placed in the top half of the table are coming off morale boosting wins. While Valencia are coming after a 3-0 drubbing of Murcia, Racing swayed pass Deportivo La Coruna 1-0. The fact that will match even more interesting is that Valencia’s away record has been better than their home record while Racing have a good home record.

 

Valencia would have high expectations from Fernando Morientes and David Villa at the front they will be banking on Baraja in the midfield and Ivan Helguera at the back. With 20 goals in just 12 league matches, Valencia are likely to score but the question is how long will it take for them to score and ultimately how many they can get pass the Racing Santander defense that has conceded the least goals in the competition till date.

 

On the other side Racing Santander will try to use the home advantage and sneak into the top 5 of the league more importantly they would like to continue their winning habit. But the team will be working in contrast to what Valencia will be, while Valencia would hope that their defense is able to back up their strikers, Racing Santander that their strikers will make the most of their defensive strength and their opposition weakness and score some goals. With the crowd behind them if Oscar Serrano and company can deliver what is expected of them, there would be wild celebrations at El Sardinero. The contest will be equally fought but predicting a one sided result would be unfair and hence one could say that may the best team win, but the chances of a tie are brighter!

 

Prediction: 1-1

   

Espanyol vs Osasuna

This is a tie of the clubs that are currently the most opposing trends in the league, while Espanyol is on a winning streak, Osasuna are finding it difficult to sustain their opposition and hence while Espanyol are jumping places upwards, Osasuna are slipping towards the bottom places. Espanyol have probably struck gold and with Tamudo delivering almost at will, the striker looks unstoppable. Along with him Luis Garcia, Zabaleta and Riera also look in good shape and will be looking to extend their unbeaten streak to nine after this away encounter at Reyno de Navarra.

 

If the current form is an asset for Espanyol it will be a curse for Osasuna, they have been struggling to get off the bottom half this season and received another setback last week being beaten by Recreativo Huelva. The area where they have been struggling is defense and have been often been beaten on that aspect. The home side will be expecting Eduardo Day and Punal to deliver in the front as well as Ricardo will be expected to perform his task as usual. Ricardo has been remarkable for the team but he alone cannot win matches. Osasuna will have the home advantage but will feel the pressure as well because a victory for Real Betis and Deportivo and a home loss put them just a spot above the bottom three.

 

Espanyol will be hoping to follow up their win over Athletic Bilbao with another victory and probably a jump in the position as well but Osasuna will be equally desperate to stay away from the relegation zone. If played as per the potential the match should be a thriller to the core with both teams looking out for an out right victory. Espanyol surely looks the stronger side but upsets are no new things in a football field and that is something the Osasuna fans will be hoping for.

 

Prediction: 2-1, Espanyol win

 

Real Betis vs Levante

Fresh of a scarce victory against Real Zaragoza, Real Betis will be raring to go for 3 points of this away tie. Though the fight is between the two teams that lay at the bottom of the table, in the relegation zone its effect on the table can be quite different. Mariano Pavone was instrumental in the win against Zaragoza and Betis would be expecting a similar performance from him. Though Sorbis has not been in his peak form his mere presence along with Caffa and Edu cannot be ignored. Also Pavone may get a chance to be in the starting line up and Betis might go for a two striker strategy.

On the other hand Levante have been far too dependent on Rigano and no other striker has but his hand up, also as a team their performance has been way too disappointing and that has put them at the bottom of the table. In fact Levante are in such a position after 12 games that they seem to be surely relegated though theoretically there is a lot to play for but practically they have been ousted. Even if Rigano can put up a spirited home performance the defense does not look capable of backing him up and surely will face trouble if the Real Betis strikers are in their elements.

The only interesting fact about this otherwise lackluster bottom of the table encounter is the effect a Real Betis win can have on the points table. A win could mean that a side like Deportivo might just be pushed in the relegation zone and that seems quite probable with the kind of heart Real Betis has shown last week. Also this would be the 11^th loss from 13 games for Levante, who would then be almost booking a spot in the relegation zone for this season.

Prediction: 1-0, Real Betis win

Athletic Bilbao vs Deportivo La Coruna

This is going to be a match of two high potential struggling teams. While Deportivo have not been able to live up to their potential, Athletico Bilbao seems to lack the killer punch. Both lie in the bottom half of the table and a loss could mean an entry to the relegation zone for both the teams. While this home tie might just favor Athletic Bilbao, a lot can be expected from Aduriz and company. Their attack looked quite weak against a strong Espanyol side last week and the team enjoyed only 35% possession. This is a strong point of concern for the manager though the keeper Gorka has been relentlessly saving his team the rest of the formation is not just making any impression.

 

Deportivo La Coruna is a shadow of the team it used to be a couple of seasons ago. From being title contenders they have come in a position where they have to fight to stay off the relegation zone and things have worsened after a 1-0 home defeat by the hands of Racing Santander. Joan Verdu and Guardado seem to be the only players to watch out for on current form but there is a pool of talent that might just pull a rabbit out of the hat and coach Miguel Angel Lotina would be expecting some magic this time.

 

The contest is going to be between two sides that are trying to regain their lost positions and pride, what will make the difference on the night is just the fact that how much does a side want to win. The match will be decided on the grit, the players show, but surely will be a close encounter. Any team that can take 3 points out of this will have to play really well.

 

Prediction: 1-1

Real Madrid vs Murcia

A very crucial match for Real Madrid as it will help them better their away record  and there is no better way to beat a team lying in the bottom half of the points table. Murcia was drubbed 3-0 by Valencia last week and the coming tie looks no easier. Real Madrid though was able to maintain a 100% win record at home, were a bit scratchy against Mallorca last week. Defense seems to be a major concern for the defending champions and current league leaders as too many goals are being given away.

 

On the brighter side Real Madrid have been thundering oppositions with the services of Raul, Van Nistelrooy and Robinho in the front and Iker Casillias has been ever so dependable. Also the mid field looks strong and only the defense needs to be a little more alert. On the other hand Murcia was flattened last week by Valencia and will be looking to get something out of the match. But they need to capitalize on the fact that Real’s away form has been no where close to their home form and the same Valencia had defeated them 5-1 not too long ago. Pablo Garcia and Velez can be the men to look out for from Murcia’s end when the action starts.

 

A look at the points table would suggest that if Real Madrid can convert this tricky tie they will be surely in the lead of the points table but if they fail to convert Villareal might just be able to push them out of the leader’s spot. However on the other side, one more loss would mean close to the relegation zone for Murcia. So the stage is set, it will be a test of nerves for the minnows in Murcia when they take on the big REAL boys of Laliga.

 

Predicted score line: 2-0 in favor of Real Madrid.

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