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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Ecuador vs Germany International friendly 29-05-2013

Ecuador vs Germany
Football: International friendly match
Match date: 29 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 18:30 GMT
Venue: Stadium: GEO Group Stadium, Boca Raton

 On Wednesday (29 May, 18:30 GMT) Ecuador meet Germany at the GEO Group Stadium for an international friendly match. Ecuador coach Reinaldo Rueda will bring the best starting-eleven, while DFB manager Joachim Löw have to pass on many key-players.
 Ecuador is on a good way to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. The team of manager Reinaldo Rueda will be second in the table of the South America qualifying with six wins, two draws and two defeats. The best four teams will qualify for the World Cup 2014. Currently Ecuador have a 5-point advantage to fifth-placed Venezuela and furthermore Ecuador have one game in hand. The last match brought a 4:1 qualifier win over Paraguay. The stars in Ecuador's team are the midfielders Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) and Christian Noboa (Dinamo Moskva) and the forwards Felipe Caicedo (Lokomotiv Moskva) and Christian Benitez (CF America). Ecuador will start with the best formation.
 Germany is not bringing over all the talent from Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Dortmund. Players such as Gotze, Reus, Neuer, Lahm, Hummels,  Muller and Schweinsteiger won't feature. Regulars Kroos and Badstuber are injured. Schurrle isn't likely to feature either. Ozil and Khedira won't join the party as Real Madrid still has a game to play in the BBVA Liga. Veteran striker Klose will join in later.  Podolski and Mertesacker will be the definite seniors in a relatively experimental German eleven. That said; Low will of course be able to field a very strong side.


Newell's Old Boys vs Boca Juniors Copa Libertadores - 29-05-2013

Newell's Old Boys vs Boca Juniors
Football: Copa Libertadores - Round number: 2
Match Date: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 - 22:30 PM EDT
Venue: Estadio Marcelo Alberto Bielsa - Rosario, Provincia de Santa Fe
Referee:‬ G. Delfino‎ 

 Boca Juniors are one of the powerhouses of Argentina and indeed South American football. With 30 league titles to their name, as well as 6 Copa Libertadores and 3 Intercontinental titles too. Boca were beaten finalists in last year’s edition, going down in a fierce battle with Corinthians. This season has been a disaster on a league front with Boca currently 19th from 20 teams with 2 wins, 7 draws and 6 defeats. They are safe from relegation (for now) under the countries complex three season aggregates ruling. In Copa Libertadores they have 4 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats so far. They had a relatively straight forward group but struggled to dominate Nacional, Toluca and Barcelona, scraping though by 1 point. In last 16 knockout they were drawn against last year’s winners Corinthians again and no one outside of Buenos Aires predicted a Boca victory. However La Bombonera was rocking and they prevailed at home 1-0. In Brazil they were then expected to capitulate but with a game plan and a solid performance they matched Corinthians. A goal from returning hero Juan Riquelme from about 40 yards summed up the performance and Boca prevailed. Legendary coach Carlos Bianchi is back for a third spell and the belief in the club and fans is so high they could do it, even without a side anywhere near what they are used to.



Sunday, May 26, 2013

Espanyol vs Barcelona 26-05-2013 Spanish Primera Division

Espanyol vs Barcelona - Spanish Primera Division
Match date: 26 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 18:00 GMT
Venue: Estadi Cornellà-El Prat -Cornellà de Llobregat
 Referee:‬ David Fernández‎ 

Espanyol and Barcelona has nothing to play for but honor in this Primera Division local derby. Barcelona are crowned BBVA Liga champions, and still people talk about the team needing a revolution. After all; they only won the league and reached the Champions League semis. No small expectations, nopes!
Neither team has much to play for with regards to league positions, with the hosts firmly established in mid-table while Barcelona wrapped up their 22nd La Liga title two weeks ago.
Espanyol have lost three of their last four games, including last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Deportivo La Coruna.
 With nothing to play for but honor I think Espanyol has a better chance than normal. Barcelona shook off their shameful exit of the Champions League in a good way domestically, but for them it is probably all about next season now in the back of their minds. 

 Possible line-ups:
 Espanyol: Alvarez; Rodriguez, Colotto, Alvarez, Javi Lopez; Baena, Verdu, Mubarak, Gomez; Stuani, Sergio Garcia.
Barcelona: Pinto; Dani Alves, Correia, Pique, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Iniesta, Xavi; Tello, Sanchez, Villa.

Lazio vs AS Roma Coppa Italia - 26-05-2013


Lazio vs AS Roma - Coppa Italia
Match date: 26 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 18:00 CET
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Italy 
 Referee:‬ D. Orsato‎ 

Lazio fans are also disillusioned after their team who were battling for a Champions League for much of the season before dropping away to finish sixth and miss out on even the Europa League. The Biancocelesti are coming into the game after a 0:1 away defeat against Cagliari in the Italian Serie A. Their performance wasn't the best, but it seemed like they were more focused on the final.
As for Lazio, their biggest concern is over the fitness of their midfield playmaker Hernanes, who missed the Aquile's last match. Bruno Pereirinha, Stefan Radu, Michael Ciani and Ogenyi Onazi are in doubt, though there's hope they'll return alongside the Brazilian. Louis Saha is unavailable.
Lazio currently have the bragging rights in the Derby della Capitale, having won three of their last four meetings with the giallorossi. In their two league meetings this term, Lazio came out 3-2 winners in the first one, while the second one ended in a 1-1 draw.
 Roma go into the game in good form, with 5 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat from their last 9 games. This sequence is all the more impressive when you see they played Milan, Napoli, Lazio and Inter in that time. The side look far more comfortable under Auerelio Andreazzoli. The Zeman experiment went as expected with the side scoring goals for fun and playing entertaining attacking football whilst also slipping down the table as they capitulated defensively time and time again. Roma finished the Italy Serie A season in 6th with 18 wins, 8 draws and 12 defeats. They go into this game keen to win and gain a silver star for what would be their 10th Coppa Italia success and also to enter Europa League. Roma have injuries to Martin Skelenburg in goal and Daniele De Rossi, but good news in tha Marquinhos is recovered from injury. Talisman Francesco Totti will go into the game fresh as he has missed recent game time with a suspension.

 Possible line-ups:
 Roma (4-2-3-1): Lobont, Marquinhos, Burdisso, Castan, Balzaretti; Bradley, De Rossi; Lamela, Totti, Marquinho; Destro.
Lazio (4-5-1): Marchetti, Konko, Cana, Biava, Radu; Candreva, Onazi, Ledesma, Hernanes, Lulic; Klose.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich 25-05-2013 Champions League Final

Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich  
Football: UEFA Champions League Final
Match date: 25 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 18:45 GMT
Venue: Wembley Stadium - London
 Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
 
On Saturday, 25 May - 18:45 GMT , Borussia Dortmund meet FC Bayern Munich at the Wembley Stadium for the UEFA Champions League 2012/13 final. It will be the first all-German final in history.
 FC Bayern Munich is on the best way to the perfect season. Bayern have won the Bundesliga with a 25-point advantage to runner's up Dortmund, furthermore they are in the Champions League final and the DFB Cup final. So Bayern can win the triple. Heynckes' side is in excellent form. The 25 official matches since the winter break brought 23 wins, 1 draw (1:1 vs Dortmund) and only 1 defeat (0:2 vs Arsenal). Very impressive was Bayern's performance in the semi-finals against FC Barcelona - 4:0 in Munich and 3:0 in Barcelona. Not in the squad through injuries are Holger Badstuber and Toni Kroos.
In the playoffs Arsenal was beaten in a 3-3 thriller that saw Bayern go through due to one more goal scored away. After that Juventus were beaten 4-0 (2-0 both home and away) before Barcelona was humiliated 7-0 (4-0 home, 3-0 away). Everyone knew Bayern Munich could beat Barca, but if someone had said Bayern would win 7-0 after two legs, would you have believed him?
Bayern Munich still miss German International Kroos (Midfielder) as well as defenders Rafhina and Badstuber. I doubt this will influence the outcome though.
Borussia Dortmund started their domestic season poorly, but once they found they're feet they secured 2nd behind runaway Bayern Munich. In the Champions League they started off in the group of death with Real Madrid, Manchester City and Ajax. Every opponent was sent home losers. They didn't look uncomfortable away either. Dortmund played really well away to Real Madrid and Man City, and could easily have won both ties (draws). Ajax was beaten comfortably.
In the playoff Shakthar Donetsk was comfortably beaten 5-2 on aggregate, before they beat Malaga in a thriller of proportions. After that Real Madrid was taken out 4-3 (4-1 at home, 0-2 away).
Jurgen Klopp should be able to field close to his best side. Bayern Munich bound Gotze isn't a likely starter, but other than that the big guns will join the party. He is world class, so he's obviously going to be missed. At the same time it will allow players like Reus and Lewandowski to shine even more.

 Possible line-ups:
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1): Weidenfeller – Piszczek, Hummels, Subotic, Schmelzer – Gundogan, Bender – Grosskreutz, Gotze, Reus – Lewandowski.

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; Phillip Lahm, Dante, Jerome Boateng, David Alaba; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luiz Gustavo; Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller, Franck Ribery; Mario Mandžukić.

Head-to-Head:
 Last meeting: 04.05.2013: Borussia Dortmund - Bayern Munich 1:1
Wins Borussia Dortmund: 26
Wins Bayern Munich: 45
Draws: 29


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Club Tijuana vs Atletico Mineiro 24-05-2013 Copa Libertadores

Club Tijuana vs Atletico Mineiro
 Football: Copa Libertadores
Match date: May 24, 2013 - Kick Off Time: 1:30 AM BST
Venue: Estadio Caliente — Tijuana
Referee:‬ H. Buitrago‎

Club Tijuana are a very young club in Mexico but have all the right infrastructure to go far. They have a single league Mexico Apertura victory from 2012 to their name. Tijuana have not had a good Clausera, indeed they finished 10 of 18 teams with 6 wins, 3 draws and 8 defeats. Struggling away from home for the majority of the closing season.Tijuana have been a revelation in this year’s Copa Libertadores however. With a record of 5 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat, they remain undefeated at home so far and indeed have yet to concede a goal despite facing up to the likes of Corinthians, Palmeiras and Millionares. Key men of Xolos are attacking midfielder Fernando Arce, winger Fidel Martinez and defensive mainstay Javier Gandolfini. Missing this game with a suspension is Pablo Aguilar.
Atletico Mineiro have experienced great success in the local state Minas Gerais championship (winning 42 titles) but have only managed the 1 win in Brazil Serie A. Mineiro have not had the best of years until recently. Finishing 2 in 1999 was their only decent finish until last year. In 2012 with a fine squad assembled they challenged for the title for most of the long season. Fluminense prevailed in the end but Mineiro more than matched them. Mineiro in this seasons Minas Gerais state championsip have had a good warm up. In a weak regional section were only eternal rivals Cruzeiro challenges them they finished at champions again with an overall record of 12 wins, 0 draws and 3 defeats. Including in this run was a sequence of 8 consecutive home wins. In Copa Libertadores this season Atletico Mineiro without a doubt have been the most impressive side so far. With 7 wins, 0 draws and 1 defeat they have breezed through the tournament scoring 22 and conceding 11. They have a very dangerous squad with Ronaldinho turning back the clock and totally dominating games. Accompanied by tournament top scorer Jo and assisted by crack striker Diego Tardelli and backed up with the exciting midfielder Bernard. Mineiro will be missing full back Richarlyson is missing but back up defender Julio Cesar is for me the better player.












Boca Juniors vs Newell's Old Boys Copa Libertadores - 24-05-2013

Boca Juniors vs Newell's Old Boys
 Football: Copa Libertadores
Match date: May 24, 2013 Kick Off Time: 1:30 AM BST
Venue: Estadio Alberto Jacinto Armando - Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Referee:‬ M. Vigliano‎ 

Boca Juniors are one of the powerhouses of Argentina and indeed South American football. With 30 league titles to their name, as well as 6 Copa Libertadores and 3 Intercontinental titles too. Boca were beaten finalists in last year’s edition, going down in a fierce battle with Corinthians. This season has been a disaster on a league front with Boca currently 18th from 20 teams with 2 wins, 7 draws and 5 defeats. They are safe from relegation (for now) under the countries complex three season aggregates ruling. In Copa Libertadores they have 4 wins, 1 draw and 3 defeats so far. They had a relatively straight forward group but struggled to dominate Nacional, Toluca and Barcelona, scraping though by 1 point. In last 16 knockout they were drawn against last year’s winners Corinthians again and no one outside of Buenos Aires predicted a Boca victory. However La Bombonera was rocking and they prevailed at home 1-0. In Brazil they were then expected to capitulate but with a game plan and a solid performance they matched Corinthians. A goal from returning hero Juan Riquelme from about 40 yards summed up the performance and Boca prevailed. Legendary coach Carlos Bianchi is back for a third spell and the belief in the club and fans is so high they could do it, even without a side anywhere near what they are used to.
Newells Old Boys have experienced success in Argentina but not to the levels of the bigger sides. 5 national titles is all they have to show for it but they hope to change that this year. They are having a spectacular season and could go all the way in the league and here in Copa Libertadores. Playing entertaining, attacking football they sit at the top of Torneo Final after 14 games. With a record of 9 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats the only thing stopping them from succeeding is the difficulty of fighting on two fronts. Newell’s have struggled a little in the league over the last month or so as they try and balance the two competitions. In Ignacio Scocco they have a striker capable of anything and his scoring rate is sensational. They have quality in all areas and the aggressive defender Gabrial Heinz is marshalling the defence, the backline is probably their main weak point as they do tend to concede. So far in Copa Lib this season its been a bit hit and miss for the side from Rosario with 4 wins and 4 defeats so far. They had a similar tie in the last round with another all Argentine affair this time with struggling Velez, it was a close tie but Newells went through on away goals.

 Possible line-ups:
 Boca Juniors: Agustín Orión, Leandro Marín, Matías Caruzzo, Guillermo Burdisso, Clemente Rodríguez, Cristian Erbes, Leandro Somoza, Walter Erviti, Juan Román Riquelme, Juan Manuel Martínez y Nicolás Blandi.
DT: Carlos Bianchi
Newell’s Old Boys: Nahuel Guzmán, Marcos Cáceres, Santiago Vergini, Gabriel Heinze, Milton Casco, Pablo Pérez, Diego Mateo, Rinaldo Cruzado, Víctor Figueroa, Ignacio Scocco y Maxi Rodríguez.
DT: Gerardo Martino














Saturday, May 18, 2013

Barcelona vs Real Valladolid La Liga - May 19, 2016

Barcelona vs Real Valladolid
 Football: Spanish Primera Division
Match date: 19 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 19:00 GMT
Venue: Estadio Camp Nou, Spain 
 Referee:‬ Ignacio Iglesias‎ 

 La Liga champions Barcelona welcome Real Valladolid to Camp Nou on Sunday evening, looking for a victory to continue their recent good form.
The Catalan outfit clinched their 22nd title by beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 last weekend, which was their eighth win in 10 league games.
 Barcelona with 3 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in their last 6 matches in all competition doesn’t look like your typically Barcelona record. They will probably let goalkeeper Valdes rest since he struggles with a foot problem, Messi will be out for the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury. Mascherano could make his first appearance for Barcelona in over a month of recovering from a knee injury.  Real Valladolid comes in to this game with their usually random record with 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses in their last 6 games. They have been like this most of the season. Valladolid travels to Camp Nou without any injury concerns which boost their chances at least.

 Possible line-ups:
 Barcelona: Pinto; Dani Alves, Correia, Pique, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Iniesta, Xavi; Tello, Sanchez, Villa .
Real Valladolid: Hernandez; Rukavina, Rueda, Valiente, Balenziaga; Rubio, Perez, Ebert, Oscar, Larsson, Guerra.









AS Roma vs Napoli 19-05-2013 Italian Serie A

AS Roma vs Napoli - Italian Serie A
Match date: 19 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 18:45 GMT
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Italy 
 Referee:‬ L. Banti‎ 

 Napoli visits the Italian capital for a final show-down with their eternal rivals Roma. With the two teams in a nothing-to-lose stage, one can expect an entertaining match. This will be largely a fight between the strikers of both the teams. These are the two teams that have played a consistently attacking brand of football right from the start. Moreover, the pedigree of the strikers on both sides is such that one goal could open the floodgates.
 Roma go into the game with a chance of 6th but seem to have all their eggs in one basket and are resting players for next week’s Coppa Italia. Despite playing one of their most fierce rivals and with a real need to take a win and try and finish above Lazio.  Roma have been in decent form with 4 wins, 3 draws and just 1 defeat. Roma are currently in 7th with 17 wins, 8 draws and 12 defeats. If Lazio slip up in their game at Cagliari they can be overtaken if Roma win. Francesco Totti is suspended, while Daniele De Rossi, Vasilis Torosidis , Leandro Castan, Federico Balzaretti, Michael Bradley, Pablo Osvaldo and Marquinhos will all drop to the bench.
Napoli have won 8 of their last 9 matches in Serie A, 5 of their last 5. They scored at least 2 goals in 8 of their last 9 games and there have been over 2.5 goals scored in their last 5 Serie A fixtures. On the other side, Roma collected 8 under 2.5 goals in their last 10 games in Serie A. They didn't concede in three of their last four games. Indeed, they had kept only three clean sheets in 22 league games under Zeman.
  
Possible line-ups:
 ROMA (4-3-3): Lobont; Piris, Burdisso, Castan, Torosidis; De Rossi, Bradley, Florenzi; Lamela, Marquinho; Destro
NAPOLI (3-4-2-1): De Sanctis; Rolando, Cannavaro, Grava; Maggio, Dzemaili, Behrami, Armero; Hamsik, Pandev; Cavani.













Siena vs AC Milan Italian Serie A - 19 May 2013

Siena vs AC Milan - Italian Serie A
Match date: 19 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 18:45 GMT
Venue: Artemio Franchi, Italy 
 Referee:‬ M. Bergonzi‎ 

 Siena welcome Milan to Tuscany with the promise of a stroll around the pitch and an easy three points.
Milan have beaten Siena in their last 8 matches in all competitions. Siena have lost 5 straight matches and have failed to record a single goal in their last 5 home games. I have seen some people trying to temper expectations with notions like “well Siena are tough at home.” That’s a load of mortadella, Milan must take this game and take it handily.
 Siena are in terrible form and have imploded under the intense pressure of the relegation run in and lost their last five matches. With just 2 wins in the last 12 matches and a 6 point deduction at the start of the season they struggled in the recent months to perform. Siena sit in 19th in Italy Serie A with 9 wins, 9 draws and 19 defeats, they would have had a fighting chance on the last day of the season without the deduction of points but sadly it wasn't to be. There are no new injury worries for the home side.
AC Milan are in great form going into this match with just 1 defeat in 2013 in Italy Seria A. In a run spanning 19 games they have 12 wins, 6 draws and just a solitary away defeat to champions Juventus.Milan are seeking a Champions League place but have to equal the result of Fiorentina who play the hopeless Pescara.Milan are currently in 3rd in Italy Serie A with 20 wins, 9 draws and 8 defeats. Sulley Muntari is suspended for the game while Riccardo Montolivo and Bojan are both injured.










Chelsea vs Everton 19-05-2013 Premier League

Chelsea vs Everton  - Premier League: Round 38
Match date: 19 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 15:00 GMT
Venue: Stamford Bridge, England 
 Referee:‬ A. Taylor‎ 

 Chelsea round off a long season in which they are likely to finish 3rd. They need to beat Everton to secure that third place finish which guarentees a spot directly in Champions League. If they fail to beat Everton then Arsenal could overtake them and force Chelsea to qualify in a playoff next year. In the league Chelsea are unbeaten in seven matches (5 wins, 2 draws) Benitez has shifted the dynamic of the team away from John Terry and Frank Lampard with David Luiz anchoring the side in a defensive midfield role and more emphasis placed on Ramires wide right and Oscar or Hazard wide left. Fernando Torres is looking a little better but is still a yard or two of his Liverpool best. Ramires is suspended here and Ryan Bertrand misses out injured. Late tests will be made on John Terry and Eden Hazard. Team news will be updated after the midweek Europa League final against Benfica in Amsterdam.
 David Moyes' last game as Everton manager and the players will be keen to see the veteran Scot leave on a bang following the 2-0 win over West Ham United last weekend. Whilst Everton have struggled to win at the best teams, they have, as said, enjoyed a reasonable record. In the last 10 games Everton have 6 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat. The side is playing very well and has fully deserved the 6th place finish they have already been guaranteed. Leon Osman has been ruled out of David Moyes’ final match in charge, after picking up a knee problem. His absence could see Marouane Fellaini drop back into central midfield, allowing Ross Barkley a chance in “the hole” behind Victor Anichebe, though Moyes could opt for a 4-4-2 and start with Nikica Jelavic. Phil Neville will miss out again due to a knee problem. Everton have kept a clean sheet in 5 of their last 6 matches in the Premier League but they have failed to win their last 7 away matches and failed to score in 5 of their last 7 away EPL matches too.

 Possible line-ups:
 Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta • Ivanovic • Cahill • Cole; Lampard • Luiz; Mata • Oscar • Moses; Torres.
Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard; Coleman • Distin • Jagielka • Baines; Gibson • Fellaini • Mirallas • Pienaar; Barkley; Anichebe.










Friday, May 17, 2013

Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid 17-05-2013 Copa del Rey Final


Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid 
 Football:Spanish Copa del Rey Final
Match date: 17 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 19:30 GMT
Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu - Madrid, Spain 
 Referee:‬ Carlos Clos‎ 

 Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Football Match will be in 17-05-2013 at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid), Spanish Copa del Rey Final .
 Real have contested the final of the competition a massive 37 times, out of which they won 18. They defeated Barcelona in the final last year, and so they are the reigning champions of this competition too. The men in white have been in decent form of late although they were held to a 1-1 draw by Espanyol last weekend. Before that, they had won four straight games. Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane will miss the final due to a knee injury. However they have some players who are expected to return for the clash, Alvaro Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Mesut Ozil are all likely to overcome their minor injuries.
 Atletico Madrid has no new injuries to report and midfielder Mario Suarez has recovered from his back injury and is ready to replace Tiago.Atletico have won several Europa League titles in recent years, but they have been going through a bit of a drought on the domestic front. Los Colchoneros last lifted the Copa del Rey trophy back in 1996 and could have ended their barren patch three years ago, but Sevilla defeated them in the final. 

Possible line-ups:
 Real Madrid: López; Essien • Albiol • Ramos • Coentrão; Khedira • Alonso; María • Özil • Ronaldo; Benzema.
Atletico Madrid: Courtois; Juanfran • Miranda • Godín • Luis; Koke • Gabi • Suárez • Turan; Falcao • Costa.











Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Benfica Lisbon vs Chelsea Europa League Final - 15-05-2013

Benfica Lisbon vs FC Chelsea
  UEFA Europa League Final
Match date: 15 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 18:45 GMT
Venue: Amsterdam ArenA, Netherlands 
 Referee:‬ B. Kuipers‎ 

 On Wednesday the 15th of May, Benfica Lisbon face Chelsea FC at the UEFA Europa League final in the Amsterdam Arena (18:45 GMT ). It would be the first title for the Portuguese side since 1962, Chelsea won the Champions League trophy in the last season against Bayern Munich. 
  Chelsea has done well in the last stages of the English Premiership and has now secured Champions League football for next season. I'd say it looks like Rafael Benitez finally has gotten his "on-loan" Chelsea side to play the way he wants. Chelsea has no new injury worries or suspensions,  and Benitez should have a very fit squad as he has been tinkering with the first eleven in his usual style.
Benfica Lisbon lost their last game of the Portuguese league against FC Porto with 1:2. It was a defeat with horrific consequence, because Benfica lost the league leading position and Porto will win the championship for sure. But Benfica can win two tournaments in this season if the beat Chelsea in the Europa League and Vitória Guimarães in the Portuguese cup. Benfica started in the UEFA Champions League in 2012/13, but they only finished the group stage on the 3rd place. At the knock out stage of the Europa League, Benfica eliminated Leverkusen, Bordeaux, Newcastle and Fenerbace. Now Benfica got the chance to win the first title since they have won the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1962.

 Possible line-ups:
 Benfica (4-2-3-1): Artur – Pereira, Luisao, Garay, Melgarejo – Perez, Matic – Salvio, Gaitan, Lima – Cardozo.
CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cech – Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Terry, Bertrand – Lampard, Mikel – Moses, Oscar, Benayoun – Torres.














Monday, May 13, 2013

Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic 15-05-2013 English Premier League


  This week FootyMad's match preview focuses on the game between Arsenal and Wigan Athletic at 18:45 GMT on 14th May 2013 in the Premier League.
Arsenal have been playing quite well at home, winning 3, drawing 2, and losing just 1. A total of 10 goals have been scored by the Gunners in those games, with 5 conceded.
Wigan Athletic have an average recent record on the road, picking up two good wins, but losing three, from the last six. The Latics's have scored 8 goals in these games, but conceded an alarming 10.
Arsenal is 10-4-3 in the Premier League since January, and hasn't lost a game in the last eight. They haven't got any new injury worries either. Oliver Giroud is out through suspension. Wenger has plenty of attacking options though, so he has no excuses.  
Wigan triumphed in the FA Cup final and will come into this game on a high. They'll need that against a motivated Arsenal side that won't underestimate them. Wigan hasn't reported new injuries, but Beausejour, Figueroa and Stam will still be out.

Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic
2012/2013 English Premier League, Round 37
Match date: 14 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 18:45 GMT
Venue: Emirates Stadium, England 
  Referee:‬ M. Dean‎

 Possible line-ups:
 Arsenal: Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal; Ramsey, Arteta, Rosicky; Walcott, Cazorla; Podolski. 
Wigan Athletic: Robles; Boyce, Scharner, Alcaraz; McArthur, McCarthy, Watson, Espinoza; McManaman, Kone, Maloney.







Reading vs Manchester City EPL 14-05-2013

Reading vs Manchester City - English Premier League, Round 37 

On Tuesday, 14th May at 19:00 GMT, Reading FC will host Manchester City at Madejski Stadium for Round 37 of the 2012/2013 English Premier League. 
 Manchester City fans will remain in disbelief for some time after Wigan Athletic stole the FA Cup from them in the late minutes of Saturday's final. The match was scoreless until the 90th minute when Wigan had a breakthrough courtesy of a well-placed header from Ben Watson. Citizens effectively have second place in the league wrapped up, they would need only a point from either Reading or Norwich City in their final two matches.
 Reading boss Nigel Adkins, meanwhile, has no fresh selection concerns so is likely to retain the side that beat Fulham 4-2 last Saturday.
In the reverse fixture between these two sides in December, City scraped past Reading at home thanks to Gareth Barry's 93rd-minute winner.

Match date: 14 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 19:00 GMT
Venue: Madejski Stadium, England 
 Referee:‬ M. Atkinson‎ 

Possible line-ups:
 Reading: McCarthy; Gunter, Mariappa, Morrison, Kelly; Robson-Kanu, Karacan, Guthrie, McCleary; McAnuff; Pogrebnyak.
Manchester City: Hart; Richards, Kolo Toure, Lescott, Kolarov; Garcia, Rodwell, Milner, Nasri; Tevez, Dzeko.













Saturday, May 11, 2013

Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona 12-05-2013 La Liga

Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona - Spanish Primera Division

Atletico Madrid will come into the game with Barcelona from a very packed week, after having played Celta Vigo on Wednesday. Before the game with Celta Vigo, Atletico Madrid finished the game against Deportivo La Coruna in a goalless draw. They have a fantastic home record, but their motivation might waver slightly with the Copa Del Rey final against Real Madrid next week.
 Atletico held high hopes of finishing second in La Liga this season, and thus temporarily ending the dominance of the big two, Barcelona and their neighbours and bitter rivals Real Madrid. However, their form has dipped in the latter half of the season, and an over-reliance on the goals of Radamel Falcao has meant that they haven't picked up too many points when the Colombian hasn't scored. Falcao will almost certainly leave the Estadio Vicente Calderón in the summer, meaning that Atletico must act decisively to satisfactorily replace him.
Barcelona go into Sunday's game knowing that three points will secure them the league title.Their La Liga success could already be sealed if Real Madrid fail to win on Saturday night, but manager Tito Vilanova will call on his side to put on a professional performance in Spain's capital city.
Lionel Messi came off the bench to score twice last week, and it is expected that he will be recalled to the starting lineup.

Possible line-ups:
 Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Courtois – Juanfran, Godin, Miranda, Filipe Luis – Koke, Tiago, Gabi, Adrian – Falcao, Costa.
Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes – Alves, Pique, Adriano, Alba – Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta – Sanchez, Messi, Pedro.

Match date: 12 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 17:00 GMT
Venue: Estadio Vicente Calderón - Madrid
Referee:‬ Pedro Pérez‎ 







AC Milan vs AS Roma - Italian Serie A 12-05-2013

AC Milan vs AS Roma - Italian Serie A
Match date: 12 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 18:45 CET
Venue: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza - Milano
 Referee:‬ G. Rocchi‎

 Roma travel to Milan this weekend to face AC Milan in their bid to cement their place in the top five of the Serie A. For once, they will be happier leaving home, as the last month’s derby with Lazio resulted in ugly incidents of violence. They have defeated Fiorentina last week away from home. Milan will be cooler and calmer than Rome. However, once the play begins at the San Siro, Roma are likely to find that Milan are a more attacking and resourceful team than Fiorentina were last week.
 Roma are at the fifth position, with 58 points from 35 points. They are in more urgent need to win this match than Milan, as Udinese and Lazio are breathing down their neck. Their fifth position is at risk if they lose this match.
 Roma sit in sixth place, two points off the Europa League places with two games to go. They do have the opportunity of European football elsewhere as they're in the Coppa Italia final with Lazio.
They were surprised with a 1-0 loss to Chievo and now they are in danger of being caught up by 6th place, Udinese. Anyway, the Giallorossi have defeated Fiorentina last week away from home.
Andreazzoli should field a 4-3-3 with Bradley and Florenzi in midfield, leaving Pjanic out at the start. Federico Balzaretti remains out through suspension but Bogdan Lobont is expected to have shaken off a knock in time to play.
AC Milan enters this match with a +27 goal differential, fifth in goals scored and third in goals conceded. They have won 10 of their last 11 Serie A matches  while Roma have scored more goals than any other team in the league in this season. Had they defended better, they would have been in a much better position.

 Possible line-ups:
 Milan (4-2-3-1): Abbiati; Zapata, Yepes, Abate, Constant; Flamini, Muntari, Nocerino; Boateng, El Shaarawy, Balotelli.
Roma (4-3-3): Lobont; Marquinhos, Castan, Balzaretti, Torosidis; Florenzi, Bradley, De Rossi; Lamela, Osvaldo, Totti.










Olympique Lyonnais vs PSG 12-05-2013 France Ligue 1

Olympique Lyonnais vs PSG - France Ligue 1
Match date: 12 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 19:00 GMT
Venue: Stade de Gerland — Lyon
 Referee:‬ Referee:‬ S. Lannoy‎

 Olympique Lyonnais vs PSG  will be played on 12-05-2013 at Stade de Gerland (Lyon) for a French Ligue 1 match.
 Lyon is sitting in 3rd position, currently getting a ticket for the next Champion’s League qualifications. They have a total of 63 points, 4 points behind Marseille, so the 2nd spot is nearly impossible to reach for Lyon now. They will try and make sure to consolidate this position which is vital for such a club. They won 3 of their last 5 games, with a draw and a loss. It seems like the coach found a good pair of midfielders in Grenier and Gourcuff. At home, they have a 10-4-3 record.Lyon are at the third position, having garnered 63 points from 35 matches. They need at least a point from this match to hold on to the third spot. They are facing a spirited competition from Nice, who are just three points behind. A defeat for Lyon here will make the race more exciting.
 Olympique Lyonnais Football Team are currently in 3rd position of the French ligue 1 Table. Lyon wants to qualify for the Champions League spot. They have to keep winning to stay in the third position as Lille is only 3 points below them. In the past five matches they have 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. They have been undefeated in the past four games.









Friday, May 10, 2013

Espanyol vs Real Madrid 11-05-2013 Spanish Primera Division

Espanyol vs Real Madrid - Spanish Primera Division
Match date: 11 May 2013 - Kick Off Time: 20:00 GMT
Venue: Estadi Cornellà-El Prat - Cornellà de Llobregat.
Referee:‬ Fernando Teixeira‎

 Real Madrid vs Espanyol Football Match will be played on 11-05-2013 at Estadi Cornellà-El Prat (Cornellà de Llobregat) for a Spanish Primera Division match.
 Espanyol Football Team are currently at 11th position with 43 points. They’ve had a decent season so far and will be happy with a draw against the likes of Real Madrid. In the past five matches, they have won two, drew one and lost the remaining two games. Their recent match was a loss against Sevilla 3-0 away.
 Real Madrid with 4 wins and 1 loss in their last five games; their home record is 9 wins and 1 draw in their last ten matches. Real Madrid is currently placed 2 in the standings of La Liga after 34 played games; 24 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses. They have six clean sheets home and have never failed to score on home soil. Their top scorer is the Portuguese attacker Cristiano Ronaldo with 33 goals in his 32 appearances. Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Arbeloa are all out due to injuries. Raul Albiol is suspended.

 Possible line-ups:
 Espanyol: Casilla; López • Colotto • Moreno • Capdevila; Forlín • Sánchez; Stuani • Verdú • Mubarak; García.
Real Madrid: López; Nacho • Varane • Carvalho • Marcelo; Essien • Modrić; María • Kaká • Ronaldo; Higuaín.





Juventus vs Cagliari 11-05-2013 Italian Serie A

Juventus vs Cagliari - Italian Serie A
Match date: 11 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 16:00 GMT
Venue: Juventus Stadium - Torino
 Referee:‬ G. Calvarese‎ 

 Juventus vs Cagliari Football Match will be played on 11-05-2013 at Juventus Stadium (Torino) for an Italy Serie A match. G. Calvarese‎ will be the match referee.
 Juventus may have wrapped up the Scudetto already, but they could still set a new league points' record in the final two games of the season.
Juventus team have been in fine form recently, winning their last nine league games, while Cagliari have struggled, having not won in four matches. Antonio Conte is expected to name a strong Juventus lineup but he will be without Paul Pogba, who continues to serve his three-match ban for spitting.
Cagliari is currently at 11th position with 43 points.  They have been struggling in form recently with 3 losses, 1 draw and 1 win in the past five matches.. Their recent match was a loss against Parma away for a score 0-1.Cagliari arrive in Turin with their sights still set on a top-10 finish with three points separating them from that position with two games still to be played.

 Possible lineups:
Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini; Pirlo, Vidal, Marchisio, Asamoah; Giovinco; Vucinic.
Cagliari: Agazzi; Perico, Rossettini, Astori, Murru; Dessena, Nainggolan, Ekdal; Thiago Ribeiro, Nene, Ibarbo.








Bayern Munich vs Augsburg Bundesliga - 11 May 2013

Bayern Munich vs Augsburg 
German Bundesliga: Round 33
Match date: 11 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 13:30 GMT
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany 
 Referee:‬ M. Fritz‎ 

 In a derby Bayern Munich host the FC Augsburg on Saturday afternoon.Bayern Munich have the league wrapped up after a phenomenal season. Unbeaten in the league since the end of October! (a 2-1 home to Leverkusen) FC Hollywood are without doubt the best side in world football at the moment. In the unbeaten run they have won 22 matches while drawing 4 (with 63 goals score and 10 conceded) Bayern Munich are a awesome all round side whose style of play is so fluid they are almost unstoppable. Their supreme play was in evidence when they totally dismantled Barcelona 7-0 over two legs in the recent Champions League Semi-Final. With the league wrapped up and the big one at Wembley in Champions League to come and also a DFB Pokal final on the horizon its likely we will again see fringe players here. The level of players may drop but its only fractional as these squad members fit in seamlessly and the also play with a higher level of intensity. Rafinha is suspended and will miss the rest of the season but expect the likes of Jerome Boateng, Anatoliy Tymoshchuck and Claudio Pizarro to feature.
 Just nine points gained Augsburg in the first half of the season, but as they play tremendously well in 2013, they have a real chance to stay in Bundesliga again. Still they are in a dangerous position, are equal on points with Düsseldorf on a non-relegation place, but are just two points ahead of Hoffenheim and if lose in Munich could drop to a direct relegation position. Though Augsburg defend well and play very disciplined, they still have a huge problem in front of the goal, also didn't score last Sunday when lost 0:2 in Freiburg. That was the ninth away dafeat of the season (3-4-9). 

 Possible line-ups:
BAYERN MUNICH: Neuer; Lahm • Buyten • Dante • Alaba; Martínez • Schweinsteiger; Robben • Müller • Ribéry; Mandžukić.
AUGSBURG: Manninger; Verhaegh • Vogt • Klavan • Ostrzolek Hahn; Morávek • Ji • Werner • Baier; Mölders.









Thursday, May 9, 2013

AZ Alkmaar vs PSV Eindhoven Dutch Cup 09-05-2013

AZ Alkmaar vs PSV Eindhoven - Dutch Cup
Match date: 9 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 16:00 GMT
Venue: De Kuip Stadion, Netherlands 
 Referee:‬ B. Kuipers‎
 AZ Alkmaar vs PSV Eindhoven Football Match will be on 09-05-2013 at Stadion Feijenoord (Rotterdam) for a Holland Eredivisie match.
 AZ Football Team are currently on 10th position of the Netherland Eredivisie table with 39 points, they have been sub par this season so far. In the past 5 matches they have won 3 matches, lost once, and drew once. They have been playing much better recently. Their recent match was against PEC Zwolle, which they won 4-0 playing at home. They will be expecting to continue their run of results with a win at home.
In their semi-final, PSV had little trouble in their clash with newly promoted club PEC Zwolle, as Juergen Locadia struck a hat-trick in the 3-0 win. After finishing 2 in the Eredivisie, behind rivals Ajax, PSV are now aiming to end up this season on a great note with a win in this cup. PSV won 4 of their last 5 games with 17 goals scored in those last 5. They are doing very well but will have to be a bit more solid defensively in this final.
PSV’s key players such as Lens and Mertens (both with15 goals in Eredivisie) and captain Van Bommel are in great shape. Dick Advocaat also said that it was a major prize to claim. There is no doubt that they will not think about their 2 spot in the league.


Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Inter Milan vs Lazio 08-05-2013 Italian Serie A

Inter Milan vs Lazio - Italian Serie A
Match date: 8 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 18:45 GMT
Venue: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza - Milano

 Lazio visit Milan for a mid-week game against Internazionale in the Serie A next week. There are many things in common between these two teams, but none of them positive.  Both these teams are among the could-have-beens of the season. They have played well at times, and played miserably on occasions. They are likely to finish the season with nothing to show off for their toil.  One of these teams can finish within the top-five of the league – provided the team wins all the remaining four matches, and Roma and Udinese struggle in their remaining four matches.
Inter Milan with 1 win and 4 losses in their last five games; their home record is 4 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses in their last ten matches. Inter is currently ranked 8 in the standings of Serie A after 35 played games; 16 wins, 5 draws and 14 losses. They have four clean sheets home and have failed to score twice on home soil. Their top scorer is Rodrigo Palacio, the Argentine attacker has scored 12 goals in his 31 Serie A appearances but unfortunately for Inter is he out due to a thigh injury. Dejan Stankovic, Gaby Mudingayi, Luca Castellazi and Joel Obi are all long-term injury concerns for Inter. Diego Milito and forward partner Antonio Cassano are also out. The list goes on with, Matias Silvestre, Javier Zanetti, Walter Samuel, Esteban Cambiasso, Fredy Guarin, Walter Gargano and Yuto Nagatomo sums up their injury list up.
Lazio comes in to this game with 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses in their last five games; their away record is 1 win, 3 draws and 6 losses in their last ten matches. Lazio is currently ranked 7 in the standings of Serie A after 35 played games; 16 wins, 7 draws and 12 losses. They have six clean sheets away and have failed to score ten times on away ground. Their top scorer is Miroslav Klose with 15 goals in his 26  Serie A appearances. Giuseppe Bivia is out due to a suspension. Ederson, Alvaro Gonzalez and Stefano Mauri are all out. Senad Lulic and Stefan Radu are in uncertain status but are likely to play since they both participated in the 6-0 game against Bologna a few days ago.

 Possible line-ups:
 Inter Milan: Handanovič; Jonathan • Juan • Ranocchia • Chivu; Álvarez • Kuzmanović • Cambiasso • Kovačić; Cassano • Rocchi.
LAZIO: Marchett; Biava • Konko • Dias • Radu; Hernanes • Candreva • González • Ledesma • Lulić; Klose.



 








Real Madrid vs Malaga live 08-05-2013 Spanish Primera Division

Real Madrid vs Malaga
 Spanish Primera Division
Match date: 8 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 19:30 GMT
Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Spain 

 Real Madrid vs Malaga Football Match will be played on 8 May 2013 at Estadio Santiago Bernebeu (Madrid) for a Spanish La Liga match.
 Real Madrid with 4 wins and 1 loss in their last five games; their home record is 9 wins and 1 draw in their last ten matches. Real Madrid is currently placed 2 in the standings of La Liga after 34 played games; 24 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses. They have six clean sheets home and have never failed to score on home soil. Their top scorer is the Portuguese attacker Cristiano Ronaldo with 33 goals in his 32 appearances. Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Arbeloa are all out due to injuries. Raul Albiol is suspended.
 Malaga Football Team are currently in 6th position in the La Liga table with 53 points and they are not having the best of form so far. They have been great this season and Pelligrini has made this team into a good contender for this season. In the past 5 matches, they have been struggling a bit with 3 losses and 2 wins. Their recent match was against Granada which they lost 1-0 against Granada. They’ll be hoping to win this match as they are hoping to stay in 6th or above to qualify for the Europa League.


Sunday, May 5, 2013

Napoli vs Inter Milan Serie A - 05-05-2013



 The Italy Serie A football match between Napoli (2nd) and Inter Milan (7th) kicks off on 05 May 2013.
 Napoli has played 17 Italy Serie A matches this season on Stadio San Paolo. On home ground SSC Napoli has won 12, drawn 4 and lost 1 matches. This ranks the Azzuri 2nd in home team performance in the Italy Serie A.
Napoli with 4 wins and 1 draw in their last five games; their home record is 6 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses in their last ten matches. Napoli is currently ranked 2 in the standings of Serie A after 34 played games; 20 wins, 9 draws and 5 losses. Napoli has six clean sheets at home and have failed to score once on home soil. Their top scorer is Edison Cavani with 23 goals in his 30 appearances. Hugo Campagnaro is their only uncertainty at the moment.
Inter comes in to this game with 1 win and 4 losses in their last five games; their away record is 3 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses in their last ten matches. Inter is currently ranked 7 in the standings of Serie A after 34 played games; 16 wins, 5 draws and 13 losses. They have five clean sheets away and have failed to score five times on away ground. Their top scorer is Rodrigo Palacio, the Argentine attacker has scored 12 goals in his 25 appearances but unfortunately for Inter his he out due to a thigh injury and they said he might be away for a month. Dejan Stankovic, Gaby Mudingayi, Luca Castellazi and Joel Obi are all long-term injury concerns for Inter. Diego Milito and forward partner Antonio Cassano are also out. The list goes on with, Matias Silvestre, Javier Zanetti, Walter Samuel, Esteban Cambiasso, Fredy Guarin, Walter Gargano and Yuto Nagatomo rounds their injury list up.


Napoli vs Inter Milan - Italian Serie A
Match date: 5 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 18:45 GMT
Venue: Stadio San Paolo, Italy 
 Referee:‬ A. Giannoccaro‎

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Manchester United vs Chelsea EPL 05-05-2013

Manchester United vs Chelsea 
 Premier League: 36. Round
Match date: 5 May 2013
Kick Off Time: 15:00 GMT
Venue: Old Trafford, England 
 Referee: Howard Webb

 Man United host Chelsea on Sunday in what is usually a crucial game for both sides. However this year, with United having secured the title already (and with their secondary target of a record points haul now out of reach) there's less at stake for Alex Ferguson's men; nevertheless Chelsea shouldn't expect an easy game as they pursue a Champions League qualifying place.
 Manchester United come into this game in great form having won 13 of their last 14 home games with their only defeat coming at home to neighbours Manchester City. Anyway, the Red Devils appear to be losing focus now that the title is sown up and they’re out of all cup competitions. The Red Devils have won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five games, and appear to be content to coast to the end of the season.
Ashley Young is Sir Alex Ferguson’s only sure-fire absence for the remainder of the campaign. However, two shorter-term injuries make Danny Welbeck and Nemanja Vidic minor doubts for this weekend’s matchup. Nemanja Vidic has recovered from a calf complaint, though, while Paul Scholes is expected to make the bench having built up his fitness following a knee problem.
Chelsea are still in the battle for a top 4 place and currently hold a 1 point lead over Arsenal and 3 point lead over Tottenham.  They still have to play Tottenham so it’s very important they keep their 3 point gap over them.
Chelsea also played on Thursday in the Europa League semi final which they won 3-1 against Basel.  They have had a huge number of games this season with their various competitions and I’d be worried about the fitness of the players at this late stage.
Chelsea should have the most motivation here as they still have a top 4 place to fight for but Manchester United are not a club who will take their foot off the gas at the end of the season.  They will want to prove they are the strongest team in the league this year and gain as many points as possible.

 Possible line-ups:
 Manchester United (4-2-3-1):  David de Gea; Rafael, Jonny Evans, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra; Michael Carrick, Phil Jones; Antonio Valencia, Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa; Robin van Persie.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Petr Cech; Cesar Azpilicueta, Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry, Ashley Cole; David Luiz, John Obi Mikel; Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Oscar; Demba Ba.









Friday, May 3, 2013

Swansea City vs Manchester City EPL - 04-05-2013

Swansea City vs Manchester City
2012/2013 English Premier League, Round 36
Date: 04.May.2013 - 14:00 GMT
Stadium: Liberty Stadium - Swansea
Referee: Michael Jones

 On Saturday, 4th May at 14:00 GMT , Swansea City will host Manchester City at Liberty Stadium for Round 36 of the 2012/2013 English Premier League.
 Swansea have really struggled over the past few months after an excellent season up to then.  It’s tough for a team to maintain motivation when they are under no pressure of relegation or fighting for a European place so it’s understandable their performances would drop off.  They will hope to gain a few more points before the end of the season and finish in the top half.
Manchester City look to have 2 place sewn up with a 6 point lead over 3 place Chelsea.  Big changes will happen in Manchester this summer and could start with manager Roberto Mancini moving on and it’s rumoured Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini will be brought in to replace him.  The squad also needs freshened up as a failure to add quality to last season’s title winning team meant they were well behind in the title race this season.
 The Citizens returned to winning ways last week with a 2-1 victory over West Ham United, but their hold on a second place finish remains in jeopardy. Chelsea and arsenal are six and seven points behind them and will be pushing to win-out the season in hopes of at-least claiming a top four spot. Manchester City has never won at the Liberty Stadium but will hope to end that streak on Saturday.


Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich 04-05-2013 Bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich - Bundesliga: 32nd matchday

 Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich Football Match will be played on 4-05-2013 at the Signal Iduna Park (Dortmund) for a Bundesliga match.
 Dortmund came through a scare against Real Madrid in midweek to get through to the Champions League final in London.  They had plenty of chances to kill off the game but two late goals from Madrid had the tie on a knife-edge  but Dortmund hung on to go through 4-3 on aggregate.
 FC Bayern Munich have the chance to win the triple - Bundesliga, DFB Cup and Champions League. Bayern are already new Bundesliga champion and they are in the finals of the DFB Cup and the Champions League. Very impressive was Bayern's performance in the semi-finals against Barcelona. Heynckes' side beaten the Spanish league leader with 7:0 on aggregate (4:0 in Munich, 3:0 in Barcelona). Bayern München have won 21 of their 22 official matches since the winter break, their only defeat was the 0:2 against FC Arsenal in the Champions League Round of 16. Not in the squad for the match at Borussia Dortmund are Holger Badstuber and Toni Kroos (both injured). 

 Possible line-ups:
 BORUSSIA DORTMUND: Weidenfeller; Großkreutz • Santana • Hummels • Schmelzer; Kehl • Şahin; Hofmann • Gündogan • Reus; Schieber.
BAYERN MUNICH: Neuer; Lahm • Buyten • Dante • Alaba; Martínez • Schweinsteiger; Müller • Pizarro • Shaqiri; Gómez.

Date: 4 May, 2013 - 16:30 GMT
Stadium: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
Referee: Peter Gagelmann




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