Getafe vs Sevilla

19/1- Sevilla have been one of the better and most attacking team in LaLiga this season their ability to score a high number of goals ahs kept them in the top half of the table. They are just a couple of positions away from a European cup spot and are a point behind Valencia, they would be hoping to make the most of the lost form of Valencia and climb further up the table. Getafe, the home team, have been struggling all throughout the season, placed 15^th on the points table they are just a point above the relegation zone. The biggest advantage for Getafe will be that their opponents, Sevilla, have a terrible record while travelling and have been only able to win one of the 9 matches played away from home this season and have lost as many as 6 matches. Looking at the current form Sevilla have won 3 of their last 5 matches while Getafe have managed just a single victory accompanied by 4 losses in the last 5 matches.

Sevilla enter this match after they lost their match against Athletic Bilbao last week and would be expecting to get their second away win of the season when they visit Getafe. In Fabiano they have one of the finest strikers in the Spanish league. Alves is another player who can deliver a big performance for the club and provide the strikers set pieces to score from. They also will be aware of the fact that Getafe have lost their last two matches playing at home. The factor that the side would expect to be on their side this time is the luck which they have been missing for some time now.

Getafe are the home side and they would be aware that the opponents are quite a strong team, their efforts would be to get at least a point of this game so that they can possibly move away from the relegation zone.

Prediction: 1-2, draw

Portsmouth vs Derby

19/1- Portsmouth have been the surprise package of the season and their performances have managed to hold them in the top half of the table for a good period of time. In fact for most of the time they gave the top teams a run for their money but the past few matches have changed the course of their season. They have lost 3 of their last 5 matches and just managed to win one with the remainder being a draw. They would be happy to take on the last placed Derby, who have just won a single match in this entire season and in the last 5 matches they have lost 4 and drawn one. Derby are a team that is practically out of the top league and should not pose a threat to Portsmouth, who are playing at home. This is also a good chance for Portsmouth to improve their home record and gain some useful points. Portsmouth are placed on the 9th position and just a couple of points behind the 8th placed Blackburn. Mwaruwari would be their best bet when it comes to the scoring options and Diop is the playmaker in their team. They would try to keep things simple and replicate the performances they delivered in the first half of the season. They would also try and learn from the mistakes they made last week in their loss against a weak team like Sunderland and would like to capitalise for the lost opportunity. Anything less than a win and 3 points would be immensely disappointing for the club, fans and players as well. Derby on the other hand have been isolated by the other teams in terms of points, they would be moving to the first division at the end of the season until something miraculously saves them. Prediction: 2-0, Portsmouth win

Newcastle vs Bolton

19/1- Newcastle has been struggling big time this season and that can be seen on the position they reflect in the premiership table. A regular in the top half of the table the team now finds itself in the bottom half and things are not looking good either. They have lost their last 4 matches and the team looks to be down and out. Their 11th spot on the table is a result of their performance in the beginning of the season after which they have not been able to do anything significant. Bolton on the other hand are a struggling unit as well, placed at the 15th position and are out of the relegation zone just because of the better goal difference, they would be hoping to capitalise on the bad form of their opponents and gain some points to move away from the bottom part of the table. Newcastle would be in a state of shock and would enter this match after a match that would haunt them, they were thrashed last week in an away tie at Old Trafford where they went down 6-0 to Man U. They have been performing well at home but need to get everything in place in order to gain some points from this tie, they have managed just a point from the last 5 matches. Martins is their most prolific striker and Zogbia is their pivotal player who has been controlling the game for the team but both these players have to give their best performance for the club to perform well. Bolton come after a loss to Blackburn at home and this would be playing on their mind. They have not won a single match away from home and this would be a hugely determining factor in their approach to this away tie. Anelka and Diouf are their best player by far and both would require to perform well to get their side some crucial points. Prediction: 1-1, draw

Tottenham vs Sunderland

19/1- Tottenham play hosts to Sunderland at an important junction for both the teams, while Tottenham would be hoping to recover after the 2-0 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea last week, Sunderland would be trying to continue the winning run after they managed to upset Portsmouth , 2-0, last week. While the home team, Tottenham are placed at the 12^th position the visitors are struggling at the 18^th position in the relegation zone. Sunderland have gained quite some points over the past few weeks but all their scoring games have been at home as they have drawn just two of the 11 away games while the remaining 9 being lost.

The biggest advantage for Tottenham is the factor that Sunderland have not won a single game away from home this season. Though the team has lost its last two matches but has a lot of potential and would be trying to get all the points on the plate in this match. In the last 5 matches both the clubs have won a couple and lost 3 hence on form both seem to be on par. Tottenham however would be having the home advantage and a phenomenal striker in the form of Keane and his combination with Berbatov has been instrumental for the club’s success this season. Keane already has 10 goals to his credit and his form would be crucial, the home support can play an important role in the match as well.

Sunderland struggled in the initial part of the season and their recent performances have not been able to bridge the gap that was created but they are surely improving. The biggest problem they are facing is the inability to earn points away from home. Jones has been their only player that has been able to leave a mark on the matches and the team needs to start playing as a unit in order to survive in the top league.

Prediction: 1-0, Tottenham win

Reading vs Manchester United

19/1- The fight at the top of the league table is getting intense, especially with Arsenal and Man U levelling it out on the points and now the comparatively weaker oppositions are having to pay for it by means of big margin defeats. Reading is the next team that might just have to experience the Man U fury when they would be hosting them, last time the Manchester team took on the field at Old Trafford, they ended up drubbing out Newcastle 6-0. They have gained the top spot and now would like to build on it and get away from the potential threat coming from Arsenal. Reading however are a side that has been composed of two extremes while seeing their performance this season. At home they have been doing a fair amount of justice to their talent but away they have been struggling badly. This showed last week as they went down to Aston Villa, 3-1, in an away encounter. Placed 13^th on the table they are just a couple of points above the relegation zone and would try and maintain a safe distance.

Manchester United would have the fire power of the Portuguese wonder Christiano Ronaldo and Tevez, they have been performing exceptionally well and have been major contributors to the club’s success this season. The team has hardly conceded anything to their opposition and has been playing as a strong unit and with a master strategist in Sir Alex Ferguson there is very little which can stop them.  The absence of key players like Scholes and Rooney has not affected them at all but their return would make them an almost unbeatable team.

Reading are comparatively new to this territory and would have to pull up their socks if they want to provide any resistance to the team visiting them. A point from this match would be a huge bonus for the team, though unlikely.

Prediction: 0-3, Man U win

Fulham vs Arsenal

19/1- The performance against Birmingham last week cost Arsenal their leadership and they would want it back as well. They were held up by Birmingham for a 1-1 draw and now they stand at par with Manchester United on top of the table but are placed second due to their inferior goal difference. Now, they move away from home and the match against Fulham would be a tester as they would try to gain all the 3 points and if possible the position at the top as well. Fulham on the other hand are not even half as good as they looked last season and have found them in the relegation zone, struggling at the 19^th place. Their last week’s performance was not something they would like to remember as they lost 2-1 in an away tie to West Ham. They are only above Derby and lie 5 points below 18^th placed Sunderland.

Arsene Wenger would be confident that his side would not lose against Fulham but the problem for him would be that they should not lose out on the points if the match is drawn as that is what cost them the lead. Adebayor has been their most lethal weapon this season and has netted 14 times already, he along with the young Fabregas have formed a great combination for Arsenal upfront. The only thing that Arsenal need to ensure is that they win by a good margin  so that their overall goal difference can improve and they can probably edge out Man U on that factor if not on points.

Fulham on the other hand would have to struggle their way through even though they would have the crowd things on the field would be different, especially as the Gunners would be in an unforgiving mood.

Prediction: 0-4, Arsenal win

Blackburn vs Middlesbrough

19/1- Blackburn seem to have benefitted the most after the break the teams had and look to be firing on all cylinders in the past few matches. They have managed to pull off 9 points in the last 3 matches which equates to three consecutive wins. They look in tremendous form and look to be unstoppable, they would be more than happy to plays hosts to a team like Middlesbrough who are lying in the bottom half of the table. While Blackburn are lying at the 8^th spot on the table, Middlesbrough are a distant 14^th and are just a point clear of the relegation zone. Middlesbrough however have a reason to smile as they enter the competition after a creditable 1-1 home draw against Liverpool. Blackburn would also be on a high as they defeated Bolton 1-2 in an away tie at the Reebok Stadium last week.

Blackburn are a side that has scored decently in this premiership season with Santa Cruz being their topmost scorer with 10 goals to his credit. The problem for the home team lies in their defence, they have given away too many goals for their liking, in fact at home the number of scored against them is equal to the number of goals scored by them. Despite of everything appearing to be favourable, the home team cannot take this lightly as they have a good chance of scoring valuable 3 points and that would take them closer to the battle for the European championship places. They are currently 3 points behind the 4 teams locked together from position 4 to 7.

Middlesbrough on the other hand would be aware that they are terribly close to the bottom half of the table, may be they are on the 14^th position but a point is no safe distance. They would be happy with a point from the match as a win looks quite unlikely.

Prediction: 2-0, Blackburn win

Birmingham vs Chelsea

19/1- Birmingham have done a world of good to themselves by holding the league leaders Arsenal for a 1-1 draw. Their confidence would be on a all time high when they play hosts to the visiting Chelsea. The side has grown in confidence after some recent performances though they have just managed a single win in the last 5 matches. Chelsea on the other hand enter this tie after a confidence boosting home performance against Tottenham in their last match which they won 2-0. Chelsea also look to be in majestic form over the past few weeks as they have a record of 4 wins and a draw in the last 5 matches and a match against the team placed at 16^th place on the table should not worry them. The only concern for the Blues would be that they would not like to lose the chance of scoring all the 3 points and end up with a draw like Arsenal did.

Birmingham have a couple of strikers and a strong home crowd they can rely upon and this is their best chance to move away from the danger zone at the bottom and try and gain some momentum in this second half of the season. Kapo and Jerome would be their best bet when it comes to the scorers for the side. Another aspect of the game that Birmingham would have to better upon is their defence at home, though it worked in unison against Arsenal the effort needs to be reproduced to get out at least a point against the Blues.

Chelsea on the other hand have their task cut out, it should not bother them that the side they would be facing held off the league leaders in their previous encounter, Jose Murinho would be asking his boys to get all the three points and stay in the hunt for the top honours in the league.

Prediction: 1-3, Chelsea win

Weekly Comic 16/01/08

AC Milan vs Napoli

The Alexandre Pato era begins at the Giuseppe Meazza as AC Milan are home to Napoli still in search of their first home victory of the season in Serie A. The turn of the calendar from 2007 to 2008 has been reason for much optimism this week for the rossoneri. The visiting Napoli have been held to draws in their last 2 matches and will be looking to escape with another one from the San Siro this week

The side managed by Carlo Ancelotti are currently in 12^th place of the league table with 18 points on the year. This leaves them 1 point back of 11^th place Genoa and just ahead of Parma on goal difference. Their form at home this season has been awful with just 5 draws and 2 losses to show from 7 matches. They are coming off of a tough loss away to their hated rivals of Inter Milan in the derby by a score of 2-1. There is however, hope and much excitement this week for the Milan supporters as new Brazilian signing Alexandre Pato is set to make his debut. Meanwhile Ambrosini will come on for the suspended Gennaro Gattuso.

As for Napoli, they are in a respectable 7^th position of the league table with 23 points. They are 2 points back of Palermo and 1 ahead of 8^th place Atalanta. They are coming off of a 1-1 draw at home to Torino at the Stadio San Paolo. The club has not been too successful away from home this year with just 1 win and 3 draws from 8 matches. Manager Reja will be missing his leading scorer this week in Marcelo Zalayeta who is out suspended for 2 matches. Still, Roberto Sosa provides more than adequate cover to go along with fellow Argentine superstar striker Ezequiel Lavezzi in attack.

The biggest question mark coming into this match is how much of an impact Pato can have on his debut for Milan. Milan not having won a match at home all season long is a major cross for the club to bear. Look for Milan to finally break through and defeat Napoli this week.

Prediction: Milan (1-0)

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