Stoke lost 1-0 at Arsenal on Wednesday, their fourth defeat in five Premier League games. But they have won their last three home games, against Everton, Bolton and Sunderland.
Albion arrive looking for a first league win in six games; in the previous five they have taken three points from a possible 15.
In November Stoke won 3-0 at The Hawthorns when Jon Walters scored twice in the final five minutes. Albion miss Pablo Ibanez (hamstring) while Stoke are still without Matthew Etherington with a similar ailment.
This season:WBA 0 Stoke 3.
Stat of the game:Albion have conceded 52 goals this season, the most in the Premier League. They have also kept just one clean sheet.
Betting:HOME 19-20 AWAY 3-1 DRAW 23-10
Betting tip:Stoke to win 3-1 at 16-1.
The Potters will welcome Roy Hodgson’sWest Bromto theBritannia stadiumfor aPremier Leagueclash on Monday 28thFebruary 2011. A win for Fulham could take them to within a point of Stoke in the mid table battle and that will do wonders for the confidence of the Baggies but Stoke have won all but one of their last five home games and the other was a draw to Championship high flyers Cardiff which could have caught them napping. See which team are the worthy of the points on the night with live streams at oleolefootball.com.
Stoke have gotJohn Carewscoring now since he made the move to the club in January and with goals in both the FA Cup and League games recently he is really looking like a shrewd move by Tony Pulis. Amazingly the most reliable scorer for the Potters has been Robert Huth the German defender who with six goals in the league has bettered Stoke’s second top scorer Kenwynne Jones by a goal.
Roy Hodgson has been on the wrong end of a few opinions in football this year and most of those opinions go along the lines of how he is not a big team manager. With West Brom that doesn’t really matter but he does bring exactly what West Brom need to the dressing room. Consistency is one thing that Hodgson will have from his players and after drawing their last two home games the signs are there that he will soon make the Baggies as impenetrable as he did with Fulham in their home ground. This game however is an away fixture for West Brom and that should be a problem for the Baggies. See how they play withlive streaming premier leagueaction from bpl.trueonlinetv.
These two teams began their World Cup campaigns with contrasting defeats. Netherlands' loss against England can safely be bracketed in the 'heroic' category, but West Indies' insipid performance against South Africa was depressingly familiar. This contest may not be the mismatch that the two line-ups suggested it should be.
On the evidence of their opening game, West Indies are going to find themselves fighting it out for the fourth qualifying spot from Group B alongside England and Bangladesh. Therefore this match is one they can't afford to take lightly especially after Netherlands showed they have the ability to make the major sides stand up and take notice.
Netherlands will fancy making another mark because they'll face a thin West Indian attack stripped down even further by the absence of Dwayne Bravo. If Ryan ten Doeschate can lead a display of similar resilience as they showed against England, setting a decent target, or chasing one down, may not be out of reach for the Dutch.
However, like England's class with the bat eventually came through against Netherlands' weak bowling resources, the same should apply to West Indies. Even with the loss of Bravo snr there is considerable batting power available led by Chris Gayle followed by the hugely talented Darren Bravo. But the tournament hasn't had an upset yet and West Indies will have to be careful they don't become the first victims.
Alexei Kervezeeisn't a man short of confidence. He has announced his ambition to play for England and his performances for Worcestershire suggest that isn't out of reach. He didn't quite get going against his possible future team-mates in Nagpur before top-edging a pull to depart for 16 off 25 balls but he remains one of Netherlands' key batsmen. The Dutch can't rely on ten Doeschate to score hundreds each time he bats and Kervezee has the advantage of opening the batting, the ideal position for a strokemaker on the subcontinent. He'll want to leave a mark sooner rather than later.
West Indies are short on wicket-taking bowlers but inKemar Roachthey have one of the fastest on show at the World Cup. He's quicker than anything Netherlands faced against England and will test their courage and skill. It is vital to West Indies that Roach can take regular wickets during the tournament because there isn't much strike power behind him. A decent haul in this match would boost his confidence ahead of bigger challenges to come.
Team news
The indications are that Netherlands will stick to the eleven that pushed England so close last week even though the bowling was exposed. It's the lack of wicket-takers that is the biggest problem for a number of Associates and the pressure will be ten Doeschate with ball as well as bat. Pieter Seelaar, the left-arm spinner, looked reasonably handy in the opening game.
Netherlands(probable) 1 Alexei Kervezee, 2 Wesley Barresi (wk), 3 Tom Cooper, 4 Ryan ten Doeschate, 5 Bas Zuiderent, 6 Tom de Grooth, 7 Peter Borren (capt), 8 Mudassar Bukhari, 9 Pieter Seelaar, 10 Bernard Loots, 11 Berend Westdijk
West Indies are going to be forced to make at least one change after Dwayne Bravo was ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury. The suggestion is they will strengthen the spin-bowling department with a recall for left-armer Nikita Miller. The other option would be to bring in the pace of either Ravi Rampaul or Andre Russell.
West Indies(possible) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Devon Smith, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Devon Thomas (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Sulieman Benn, 10 Nikita Miller, 11 Kemar Roach
Pitch and conditions
Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, said he was surprised the pitch didn't slow up more against South Africa. There are also contrasting views on how important the dew factor will be - Peter Borren believes it will be a significant issue, but Darren Sammy is less bothered.
Stats and trivia
The two teams have only met once before at ODI level and West Indies cruised to a 10-wicket victory on neutral turfin Dublinin 2007.
Chris Gayle needs 81 runs to reach 8000 in ODIs
Ryan ten Doeschate has the highest ODI average of all time of 71.21, 13 runs ahead of the next best Hashim Amla.
Quotes
"It's pretty big sport in Holland, football. Some people were surprised that they made the final. It'll be nice if we could emulate that. It might be a bit more of a surprise if we did it." Peter Borrenthinks it will be a while until cricket is a major sport in Netherlands
"Everyone in the team is responsible for our performance. I'm one of the allrounders and I should put my hand up and put in a good performance on the field." Darren Sammyknows he needs to lead from the front.
Director David O. Russell Actors Christian Bale | Amy Adams | Mark Wahlberg | Melissa Leo | Jack McGee
Emotionally driven sports drama it will be to The Fighter movie which appears highly impressive so do not miss toWatch The Fighter Onlinefor its content which appears to have in its store a punch packed drama with extras of emotional baggage. David O. Russell who is considered one of the finest moviemakers who had come up with an array of different kind of movies seems to be all ready to deliver another enjoyable venture withThe Fightermovie where there will be something exceptional to watch out with awe which will go on to deliver a touching story.
With an engaging touch it sure looks like toWatch The Fightermovie will allow audience to find themselves transfixed on wide screen with a storyline which appears to have touched on elements of sports and thriller all in a one go. That kind of movies is somewhat a rarity so rest assured that their wishes for an exciting entertainment will not be left unfulfilled. An awesome and inspirational story packed with all the necessary ingredients of an unforgettable motion picture is therefore one of the conclusions that can be arrived at safely. Captivating it sure will be to the likeness of viewers.
Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale will be seen giving life to lead characters in this promising motion picture so audience will have this one of kind experience to be seen with awe and inspiration. The Fighter movie with exception of aforementioned actors will also have Amy Adams and Melissa Leo with former adding much sought after eye candy and latter bringing her years of award winning experience. Thus the multifaceted cast will undeniably make the overall look to watch The Fighter movie to get charged with alluring elements of drama in an undeniably thrilling setting of a sports themed drama.
The Fighter movie will bring out the emotionally charged true story of an enthusiastic and determinant boxer Micky Ward and his path to success overcoming obstacles with the support of his half brother Dicky. They share a strong relationship which takes forms of friendship and brotherhood accordingly. As boxer turned trainer Dicky is succumbed into a world of crime and drug Micky is left without an alley. Watch The Fighter movie will provide audience with an opportunity to see the aftermath of this scenario where eventually Micky makes it to win a championship overcoming many hardships.
Thus with a gritty and intensely powerful storyline it sure will be unlike any movie genre and complete with an emotional drama The Fighter movie appears to be a definite addition to the list of must watch motion picture. Mixture of gritty sports elements and intense dramatic elements will without a doubt lead to get audience hooked to be fully attentive on happening events on wide screen so toWatch The Fighter Onlinewill be an insightful journey into lives of individuals who are made to go through with much hardship in order to get what they have fighting for.
Munna Bhai Chale Amerika is an upcoming Bollywood comedy produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and directed by Rajkumar Hirani. It is the third Munna Bhai film (after Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munna Bhai) all of which follow the comic adventures of Munna Bhai or "Murli Prasad Sharma" (Sanjay Dutt) and his sidekick, "Circuit" or Circuiteshwar (Arshad Warsi).
Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi promise another laugh riot
The idea behind casting Sanjay and Arshad together is certainly to tap their incredible chemistry that we have seen in extremely loved films likeMunnabhai MBBSandLage Raho Munnabhai.While directorRajkumar Hirani(of Munnabhai series) is presently busy with his film3 IdiotswithAamir KhanandKareena Kapoor, he can't start work on the next 'Munnabhai' film before the end of this year, may be even later.
So in the meanwhile, Rohit Shetty will make use of the Sanjay-Arshadjodiand have them do some belly-churning comedy in 'Johnny Johnny Yes Papa'.Can't wait to see it!
The build-up and hype ahead of this match has been huge and we are still barely into the second week of the World Cup. This was always going to be one of the marquee clashes of the tournament, and even though it has been moved away from Eden Gardens to the slightly less daunting Chinnaswamy Stadium, that hasn't dulled the anticipation. You only need to see the unfortunate pictures from outside the ground during the week, as locals rushed for tickets, to know how desperate they are to watch their team.
However, there are two sides taking part and England are insisting they can use the expectation being piled on to the hosts in their favour. From a purely cricket view, the stadium switch won't have disappointed Andrew Strauss's team because, both on and off the field in Bangalore, conditions will be slightly less hostile than could have been the case in Kolkata.
Yet England's record against India in their own backyard makes for grim reading. They have won one of theirlast 13 completed ODIs in the country, going back to the 5-1 drubbing in 2006 and the 5-0 scoreline in 2008, before the series was cancelled due to the Mumbai bombings. In between they were also thrashed at the 2006 Champions Trophy. On one hand the odds say they are due a win, but on the other the statistics make damning reading.
If they want to spoil India's World Cup party the key will be containing the power-packed top order. Virender Sehwag set down the gauntlet with 175 against Bangaldesh and was backed up by Virat Kohli's fine hundred. Sachin Tendulkar was cut short on 25, while Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni didn't even need to bat. It's a daunting prospect, but England have shown they can rise for the big occasion. Whatever happens, let's hope it matches the expectation.
Form guide
(completed matches, most recent first)
IndiaWLLWW EnglandWLLLW
Watch out for...
Ahead of India matches, it's the likes of Sehwag, Tendulkar, Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh who take most of the headlines, but you ignoreGautam Gambhirat your peril. He has become a supremely consistent batsman across all formats and is the perfect foil to his top-order team-mates. He started with a neat run-a-ball 39 against Bangladesh and England will have to ensure they give him as much focus as the mega-star names around him. A one-day average of 34 against England, six runs below his career level, is something he'll want to correct, but the visiting bowlers will want to increase that daylight.
None of England's quicks can be pleased with their efforts against Netherlands, but there were some encouraging signs fromStuart Broadin his first international since the second Ashes Test. Having warmed up with 10 wickets in two games against Canada and Pakistan, he bowled with decent pace against the Dutch and found bounce from a flat Nagpur surface. However, he sometimes got carried away with banging the ball in and forgot to aim at the stumps. His yorker can be effective (he was denied such a wicket when Paul Collingwood forgot to walk inside the circle) and against top-quality batsmen he'll have to be ready to adjust his game plans.
Talking of the quick bowlers, one of the reasons the venue switch isn't all bad news isthe bouncethat could be on offer. It won't be flying through at shoulder height, but the quick bowlers are likely to find some encouragement especially after the recent heavy rain in the city. One-day cricket is at its best with an even contest between bat and ball.
Team news
Virender Sehwag was struck in the ribs during a net session but is expected to be fine for the match and India have no reason to tinker with the top order. The big question mark comes with Sreesanth, who had a nightmare against Bangladesh when his five overs went for 53. India got away with it that day, but can't afford to carry a bowler in every match. However, Ashish Nehra is not yet at full fitness so India will have to decide whether to stick with Sreesanth or play an extra spinner.
Broad has been suffering from an upset stomach but is expected to be fit and England's main decision is whether to strength their spin-bowling with a recall for Michael Yardy. The current plan is to get 10 overs from Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen but that's a huge risk against India. The problem is, though, that the man most likely to make way for Yardy would be Ravi Bopara, who helped see the team home against Netherlands.
England(possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Kevin Pietersen, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James Anderson
Pitch and conditions
There was torrential rain in Bangalore on Friday afternoon which left large puddles on the outfield. The weather has remained cool and cloudy over the weekend, and there is a chance of more showers, which will make the toss important with the possible intervention of Duckworth-Lewis. The damp weather may work against Yardy, but the pitch turned square in the warm-up matches.
Stats and trivia
Despite all the talk about Sehwag, his average against England in India is the lowest of the current top six - 37.70 - but the strike-rate is 100.
Sreesanth's performance against Bangladesh was horrid, but he has 10 wickets at 16 each against England in India.
Unsurprisingly, Pietersen is England's best batsman in India with an average of 56.08 from 14 matches and the lone century among the team's current top order
India and England have met three times in Bangalore and it's the visitors who actually leadthe head-to-head 2-1, although the wins did come back in 1985 and 1993.
Quotes
"I don't think it's a case of reinventing the wheel, we just need to play good, smart cricket. In some ways there's more pressure on India than us in this game." Andrew Straussturns to the psychological battle as he aims to turn around England's poor record in India.
"We are not celebrating yet, that's for sure. Of course, we had a good start in the opening game, where we batted really well and after that spinners did a good job in the middle overs. Again, I think it's about the team that will start well and hold the nerves for a consistent period of time." MS Dhonichooses to play it safe.
Anyone out there who still thinks Pakistan are not dangerous contenders for the World Cup? With tremendous poise and skill in the middle overs, Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan propelled Pakistan, who were on a tricky 105 for 2 in the 21st over, to a strong 277, before Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akthar produced bits of magic to derail the chase. Chamara Silva threatened to pull off a thrilling heist with a flurry of boundaries, and Nuwan Kulasekara made one heroic last-ditch effort to reduce the equation to 18 runs from the final over. Umar Gul, however, held his nerve to steer Pakistan home and end a mesmeric exhibition of high-quality cricket in Colombo
Pakistan's innings had everything: rapid start, brain fade, tranquil middle overs, fabulous end-over bowling from Muttiah Muralitharan, who gave only five runs from two batting Powerplay overs, and finally a Misbah blitz, with 32 runs flowing from the final three overs, which eventually made the difference.
The chase too nearly had it all: two inspired moments bursting with imagination and skill from Shoaib and Afridi, two failed stumpings, a dropped catch and a late surge from Silva, who woke up too late after a painstaking start.
In the 21st over, Shoaib produced a crafty offcutter, slightly slower and darting in from outside off, to breach the defences of Mahela Jayawardene and leave Sri Lanka stuttering at 95 for 3. In the next, Afridi ripped a loopy leg break that dipped rapidly on Thilan Samaraweera, who was sucked out of his crease and left stranded as Kamran Akmal effected a smart stumping. Akmal later missed two leg-side stumping chances to let off Kumar Sangakkara, on 22 and 33, off Abdur Rehman. The first one kicked more than Akmal anticipated and he had no excuse for the second. Rehman, himself, dropped a sitter to reprieve Silva. However, the twin blows had left Sangakkara with too much to do, especially with Silva struggling to get started, and he fell by holing out to long-on. Silva then stirred from his slumber to reduce the equation from 88 from 47 balls to 46 from 24. He slog swept Rehman for two fours and pulled Gul and Shoaib for more boundaries before he was stumped. Kulasekara took over the baton, whipping a 14-ball 24 but the task proved beyond him.
It was the batting that set up the game for Pakistan, as the Premadasa has always been cruel to the team batting second. Pakistan's innings stood out for its handling of the middle overs. Serenity blew across the ground after the fall of Kamran. Mohammad Hafeez had run himself out after amoment of madnessand Kamran, who inexplicably withdrew into his shell after that mix-up, soon combusted, going for an ugly slog against Pakistan's bogeyman Rangana Herath. It wasn't quite a crisis but it definitely needed calm heads. Luckily for Pakistan, you can't find better men than Misbah and Younis to handle these moments. What followed was a perfect advertisement for the much-abused middle overs in an ODI. Two of the oldest members of the side ran beautifully, worked the angles intelligently, pinged the gaps frequently with the nudge-drive-and-sweep routine, and breathed life into an innings that could have, perhaps otherwise, succumbed to adrenalin rushes. If Misbah pressed back to play Murali, Younis leaned forward to tackle him; if Misbah backed to leg to create room, Younis shuffled to off to work to the leg; if Misbah tapped wide of midwicket for the quick single, Younis nudged just wide of backward point; if Misbah deployed the reverse-sweep, Younis stayed conventional. They always ran well. The runs kept ticking over, the opposition grew increasingly restless, and Pakistan secured ownership of the innings.
What further spiced up this partnership was the knowledge that the powerful lower order was waiting in the dressing room. When Younis fell in the 41st over, with Pakistan on 213 for 4, it even seemed like good news for Pakistan - Afridi and co to follow, unleash violence and 300 would be a formality. Or so it seemed. Here is where Sri Lanka sparkled. Here is when that man Murali and Kulasekara stepped in to do damage control.
While Pakistan's handling of middle overs was a treat to watch, Sri Lanka's skill in the end overs was awe-inspiring. Murali ripped his offbreaks, altering the trajectory, pace, and the extent of turn. Kulasekara punctuated his yorkers with slower cutters to keep Pakistan in check. Murali gave only two runs in the 44th over, the first of the batting Powerplay, and only three in the 46th, which included the wicket of Umar Akmal. Kulasekera gave away just five in the 47th, keeping Afridi quiet with a series of yorkers.
Misbah responded to Murali's magic by growing more innovative. He shuffled to the off and whipped Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews for boundaries as Pakistan collected 32 runs in the last three overs to post a match-winning total. Misbah and Younis' presence in the middle overs had raised a few murmurs before this World Cup but there would be only voices of appreciation after tonight.
When the World Cup comes to colourful Colombo on Saturday, the tournament will begin in earnest for two subcontinent teams. Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka opened with massive wins over Associate nations, but this will be their first real test in the competition. None of the smaller teams in Group A seem capable of challenging the Test nations, so the game will be important in terms of placings for the quarter-finals. And in a tournament whose first week has been loaded with one-sided matches, two teams packed with dynamic players also promise some high-voltage entertainment.
Past records might suggest Pakistan have an edge - they have beaten Sri Lanka in each of their six encounters in the World Cups and have won their previous five games at the R Premadasa - but that will count for little. The two sides have not faced each other in cricket's showpiece tournament since 1992, and the Premadasa has undergone extensive redevelopment. What will help Pakistan, though, is the relative lack of controversy surrounding the current team, a low-profile lead-up and the confidence of a recent series win, in New Zealand, behind them.
Sri Lanka's advantage is that most of their players have had a taste of how the new track will fare during the domestic limited-over tournament held in January. Traditionally, this has been a bat-first venue, especially in day-night games where the team chasing has won only one of the past 13 matches, but it remains to be seen how the re-laid pitch fares .
Pitch and conditions
The pitch will be the centre of attention since it's a re-laid track, and Saturday's game will be the first international game to be played on it. It may not be too high scoring a game, if the domestic matches played since the stadium was re-developed are anything to go by. The highest score batting first in the one-dayers played in January was 225, a total which was easily defended. Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, though, expects the bare surface to be good for batting.
Watch out for…
Thisara Pererawas outstanding with the ball against Canada, and picked loads of wickets whenever he got a chance in 2010 as well. He worked up real pace in Hambantota, and has provided the team management with the welcome headache of working out how to accommodate him, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara and Angelo Mathews in the XI. He also adds muscle to Sri Lanka's lower-middle order.
Shoaib Akhtarhas weathered stacks of controversies and fitness problems to become one of the few constants in Pakistan's team. There has not been any talk of injuries for eight months, a minor miracle given his past record. Age hasn't slowed him down too much either; even at 35 he remains among the quickest bowlers in the world.
Team news
Pakistan have hinted they will stick to the same combination that played Kenya, which means Wahab Riaz and Saeed Ajmal are likely to remain on the bench. Waqar Younis has said Pakistan are pondering how to use Abdul Razzaq better, but for now he will continue to be an impact batsman at No. 8 and opening the bowling.
Pakistan(probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Kamran Akmal (wk), 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Abdur Rehman, 11 Shoaib Akhtar
The main concern for Sri Lanka is the fitness of their pace spearhead, Malinga, who has a back strain. He missed Sri Lanka's opening game, but he did bowl in the nets on Friday. The physio will take a call on Saturday whether Malinga will play. If he doesn't, Sri Lanka could stick to the same XI that beat Canada.
La Liga high flyersReal Madrid, managed by the Special OneJose Mourinho, will go toDeportivo La Corunato play in the Estadio Municipal de Riazor. The two teams are eleven places and 36 points apart in theLa Ligatable and that speaks volumes about the chance of Deportivo winning. Although Ossasuna have proved that it is not all set in stone when it comes to Real and manager Miguel Angel Lotina may be able to conjure up something for the home fans. See if the thirteenth placed side will make amends withlive streaming footballfrom soccer.trueonlinetv.com.
Deportivo have been finding it difficult to keep someone scoring consistently and that is why they cannot be sure of a goal in any match. They average 1.27 goals per game at home and less than half of that away which will do nothing to frighten Real Madrid fans. You can see how it all goes for them with live streaming football from soccer.trueonlinetv.com..
Real Madrid managed to keep up their impeccable home record for this season when they defeated Malaga at the Bernabeau this past Sunday. They have now won all ten games played at home in the league so far this season, and that record alone is an amazing feat. This weekend they face the challenge ofDeportivo La Corunaaway from home and will be looking to keep up as much pressure as they can on leaders Barcelona, who also won this past weekend. Join us right here at oleolefootball.com and enjoy thelive streaming soccerfrom Spain’sLa Ligain all its glory.
Real entertained Malaga on Sunday evening and managed to win the game by two goals to nil. The main talking point of the contest was the 70thminute dismissal of Real’s Portuguese superstar Ronaldo. The Portugal international saw red after elbowing a Malaga player in the face, an action that consequently broke the nose of the Malaga player. Up until then, Ronaldo had been imperious, scoring the Galactico’s two goals and generally running things as only he can. His misdemeanour though is sure to infuriate his manager who will now have to make do without his players services for the next two league games.
eal Madrid were brilliant over the past season and were deserved winners of the 2007-08 Spanish League season. While a collapsingValenciaand a distraughtBarcelonamight have ensured that they had no competition for the title. Madrid must be credited for some rather solid performances while turning on the style in the later matches.Real Madridhowever, will begin the season without the services of midfielder Wesley Sniejder after the Dutchman picked up a knee injury in the recently concluded Amsterdam Cup. Sniejder was a critical part of the Madrid midfield and Real will be hoping that his replacement Van Der Vaart can do an equally good job this time around. The Meringues face the possibility of going into the season without the services of Robinho and even though Robben is on the form of his life on the left wing, Madrid might just be ruing missing out on Ronaldo who would have given them the extra push on the left wing.
Deportivo like Madrid had a fine season last time around and will go into this clash full on confidence on turning the tables of their Madrid based rivals once again. Real Madrid have a dismal record at the Riazor having failed to win anything in the past sixteen years and a 1-0 defeat last time around summed up their performances at the Riazor in recent years. Deportivo will have Juan Carles Valeron back in time for this clash and although, the former Spanish national team midfielder has lot a bit of space, his contribution will be critical to Deportivo’s success against the reigning champions of Spain.
With your membership to followLa Liga scores online, keep in tune with all the action fromDeportivo La CorunavsReal Madridlive online here onsoccer.trueonlinetv.com.
Josep Guardiola will take hisBarcelonato Mallorca for theirLa Ligameeting on Saturday February 26 for their first fixture in the 2010/11 season. TheBarcelonateam are still five points in front of Madrid and definitely have the tools to take top spot this year not just on the field but in the manager too. Having lost to Arsenal in theChampions Leaguethere will be people in Spain expecting a big performance from Pep Guardiola’s men. See how he starts with live streams of Mallorca v Barcelona at soccer.trueonlinetv.com.
The Catalans have great players so one loss is not going to make them break a sweat and in fact could help them improve. What was noticeable in the Arsenal game wasthat the substitution of David Villa was a turning point and although Messi and Pedro remained on the pitch they seemed decidedly less threatening. Villa may be rested for this game then in order to save him for the tie with Arsenal Valencia which follows just days later. Of Mallorca and Valencia there is no doubt which is the more difficult team to play against.
Mallorca can only dream of beating Barcelona at the moment and with one win in their last four games they will have to accept that this could be ninety minutes of damage limitation. With nothing but pride at stake there is not a lot to get motivated for and Castro and Periera will be concentrating on juts trying to keep the ball as much as possible in the middle of the Park. See how they get off against the Catalans withlive streaming footballat soccer.trueonlinetv.com.
Valencia lost both David Villa and David Silva over the summer, a fact that makes their success in this seasons' Champions League impressive. Equally impressive is their domestic form which has taken them to third place in La Liga. Valencia are strong going forward, evidenced by the 15 goals they managed during the group stage. Juan Mata will be influential, as will Aritz Aduriz and Soldado. Defensively, Valencia can be vulnerable, although they do not concede too many goals.Schalke are not faring so well. They sit tenth in the Bundesliga and are unlikely to qualify for the Champions League next season. In Raúl, however, Schalke have a striker who will always be a threat while Klaas-Jan Huntelaar can be equally brilliant. Schalke have problems at the back. Benedikt Hoewedes and Christoph Metzelder are not the fastest of centre-backs and could be exposed by pace. Domestically they have not been a brilliant pairing either.
Valencia should be able to see off Schalke, but in Raúl and Huntelaar the Germans have an attacking duo who can never be counted out. Schalke will need to remain solid if they are to cope with the attacking style of a Valencia side that has shrugged off major losses. Neither side is in with a major chance of winning the tournament, but both, especially Valencia, could provide an upset or two.
Tottenham Hotspur Vs AC Milan
Tottenham Hotspur made it through the qualifying rounds before fending off defending champions Inter Milan to secure first place in their group, an impressive achievement for a side in their first ever Champions League appearance. Gareth Bale has been an inspiration for Spurs in Europe, but will not play the first leg away in Milan. Rafael van der Vaart has been equally good since arriving from Real Madrid over the summer break and will have to be the main creative outlet in the absence of Bale.
AC Milan top Serie A and should prove to be a tougher prospect for Spurs than Inter Milan were. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been impressive, netting 13 times in the league and contributing 10 assists as well. He has also chipped in four goals in the Champions League. The full-back positions are problematic for AC and they could be vulnerable from the wings, much as they will be looking to exploit Spurs' defensive frailties.
AC Milan should prove too much for a Tottenham side competing in the Champions League for the first time, but Spurs have shown this season that ruling them out is a risky move.
Aris FC v Manchester City – Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, and Betting Odds – Europa League – 15 February 2011
The UEFA Europa League knockout stage begins with a first leg round of 32 match between Greek side Aris FC and English side Manchester City. The match will take place at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium (aka Harilaou Ground) in Thessaloniki, Greece on Tuesday, February 15, 2011. Kickoff is scheduled for 17:00 GMT (UK time), 18:00 CET (Central Europe), and 12:00 EST (USA Eastern).
Aris FC v Manchester City TV Listings
It will be televised on ITV 4 (UK), Setanta (Ireland), Sky Sport (Germany), Sport TV1 (Portugal), C+ Futbol (Spain), ANT 1 (Greece), and on Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East).
“Tomorrow we face the strongest team of the institution this year.She and Saint Etienne are the best teams have come in Thessaloniki.It is one of the richest teams with terrible roster and should give 120% now our ability to get a positive result, which we owe to our world.Moreover, we must maintain our history and not lose unbeaten in our ground.And the undefeated Kleanthis Vikelidis a big incentive, but challenge players to face the type of cake that took him to Barcelona or a team’s fourth striker and plays a key went to Real Madrid.It is a challenge for our players to make their best and I think they will.When afraid, you can not face anyone.The value of Manchester City is great, but fear not win any.Need to exaggerate, to meet the requirements of this struggle.I know all the players of the City, but the team may change and the 11 players and to get the same level of performance.
Man City player Joleon Lescott
“We’ve got to be positive, believe in our own ability and not give them any encouragement early on,” he declared, “If we do that we can get some momentum and take it from there, but we’ll need to keep it quite tight.
“We have to limit their chances, make few mistakes early on because that always encourages the crowd to be more vocal and get on your back. As a player, you tend to get more nervous that way. If we can limit them, it should make the game easier as it goes on.
“I tend to relish these occasions though, it’s why you become a footballer, to play in European competition and big games, and Tuesday is a massive game for us.”
“It’s a good thing that we are playing so soon. You don’t tend to dwell on defeats too long and it does help when you have a game so close. For me it’s just the same as when you win, you just want to play and keep your confidence. This game is a great opportunity for us to put Saturday behind us.
“But we will show Aris respect. We’re not sure of what they are capable of, so we have to expect anything. You have to be more aware of your surroundings when you play teams you don’t know as much about. It’s sure to be an intense atmosphere so we have to stick together.”
Man City manager Roberto Mancini
“Do I think we are still mentally strong? I do not think that will be a problem,” said the Italian.
“We played very well against United and the defeat was hard to take. But now we have another important game to focus on.
“We have three days to prepare for this game and we know it will be very difficult. Aris are a good team with good players and have already beaten Atletico Madrid.
“But this is an important time for us and we need to start a winning run. If we play like we did against United we can win a lot of games.”
“City and St Etienne are the best teams to have come to Thessaloniki.
“It is one of the richest teams with a fantastic squad and we must give 120% to get a positive result, which we owe to our fans.
“Moreover, we must maintain our history and not lose our unbeaten record on our ground.
“It is a challenge for our players to produce their best and I think they will. If you are afraid, you cannot face anyone. The value of Manchester City is great, but we will not win if we play in fear.”
