Bundesliga: Bayern Münich v Schalke 04

Bayern Münich represent daunting hosts on Saturday for a Schalke side seeking to bounce back from a mauling at the hands of Real Madrid.

The Gelsenkirchen outfit were subjected to a humiliating 6-1 thrashing by Real on Wednesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.

Schalke had entered the fixture in confident mood, with Real having won only once in 25 previous visits to German opposition.

Yet Real are not top of La Liga by accident and a scintillating display from the Spanish side, which saw Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo all score twice, has seemingly put paid to any hopes Schalke have of reaching the quarter-finals.

Life is not likely to get any easier for Jens Keller's men when they travel to the Allianz Arena to face runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern.

Pep Guardiola's charges have been simply unstoppable in Germany's top flight this season, and their relentless march towards a defence of the Bundesliga title shows no signs of being slowed.

The unbeaten Bavarians have dropped points on just two occasions this term thanks to a mix of irresistible attacking displays and defensive solidarity, highlighted by the fact Bayern boast comfortably the best offensive and defensive record in the league with 61 goals scored and just nine conceded.

Bayern may have swept opponents aside this term but goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who was rested last weekend, has warned his team-mates not to underestimate the club he started his career with.

"Schalke are always a strong opponent. You know you have to be careful and you will never win easily against them. We are highly motivated and we need to have the right attitude for the match," he said.

Prior to their heavy defeat against Real, Schalke had displayed excellent form, winning five times in an unbeaten run of league games spanning seven matches.

However, Schalke have lost six games in a row against Bayern without scoring, conceding at least four in the previous three meetings between the teams.

Thomas Muller misses out for Bayern this weekend due to a hamstring injury, while the game could come too soon for Franck Ribery (thigh) and Xherdan Shaqiri (hamstring).

Schalke forward Julian Draxler made his first start since December against Real after an ankle injury and was able to complete the full 90 minutes.

http://ift.tt/Mykz3u via ukbettips.co.uk http://ift.tt/1kcB7gk

Serie A: Milan face Juve challege, Roma host Inter

Milan's recent resurgence under Clarence Seedorf could come to a grinding halt when they face Serie A leaders Juventus on Sunday.

Seedorf has made a fine start to his coaching career at San Siro, losing just one league game since taking over from Massimiliano Allegri last month and keeping Milan in contention for UEFA Europa League qualification.

Indeed, Milan are five points behind fifth-placed city rivals Inter and making up that deficit could be crucial for a team that are 1-0 down from the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 clash with Atletico Madrid.

However, Milan now host the defending champions Juve, who are in pole position to seal a third straight Serie A title having lost just one league game all season.

Juve are nine points clear of Roma at the top of the table and should approach the game with confidence knowing that they have lost only one of the last eight meetings between the two sides in all competitions, although Milan did emerge 1-0 winners at San Siro last season.

Roma will look to keep up the pressure on Antonio Conte's side with a win over Inter on Saturday.

Inter are winless in eight meetings with Roma who, like Juve, have lost just once in Serie A this term - with that reverse coming at the Juventus Stadium last month.

But Walter Mazzarri's Inter are also in strong form with just one defeat in five and will hope that recent acquisition Hernanes, a January signing from Roma's arch-rivals Lazio, can help them secure a long-awaited win against the capital club.

Meanwhile, Napoli travel to relegation-threatened Livorno as Rafael Benitez's side aim to further cement third place.

Napoli cruised to a 4-0 win in the reverse fixture back in October in a fine display at the Stadio San Paolo.

A total of 31 points separate the two sides, but the hosts should take heart from recent performances, which have seen Livorno beat Sassuolo and Cagliari to boost their survival hopes.

Benitez's men know that any slip up will allow Fiorentina, ravaged by suspensions to Borja Valero, David Pizarro and Modibo Diakite following ugly scenes in Monday's draw with Parma, to gain ground in the race for the final Champions League place with victory over Lazio.

Verona host struggling Bologna and bottom club Sassuolo entertain Parma desperate for the points after one win in the previous 12 league games.

Catania and Cagliari will look to ease their respective relegation worries with wins against Genoa and Udinese, while Chievo can pull away from the bottom three with triumph at Atalanta and Torino host Sampdoria.

http://ift.tt/1kcB4RS via ukbettips.co.uk http://ift.tt/MykywC

Europa League: Napoli v Swansea City

Swansea City visit Napoli with renewed confidence after the first leg of their UEFA Europa League last-32 tie ended in a goalless draw.

Garry Monk's men turned in one of their best performances of the season last Thursday to give themselves a fighting chance heading to the Stadio San Paolo.

Indeed, the only thing missing from the Welsh side's display was a goal - something they will be looking to rectify in Italy.

Somewhat frustratingly for Monk, after watching his side fail to score against Napoli in a match they could have won, he then saw Swansea put three past Liverpool on Sunday, but to no avail as the Anfield club recorded a 4-3 win in the Premier League.

Napoli - third in Serie A - might have some concerns about their form, having followed up the draw in south Wales with a 1-1 draw at home to Genoa in the Italian top flight.

Rafael Benitez's side have four wins from their last 10 fixtures, but the Spaniard insists their continued involvement in three competitions is not having an adverse effect.

"It is not a physical issue at all," he said. " The team is good and all staff are involved in both the championship and Coppa Italia - the players know they have to distribute energy.

"Swansea played a great game against Liverpool in the weekend’s Premier League fixtures, despite losing a very close contest.

"They could make things very difficult. We must be prepared to go the distance."

Swansea will be looking to make it into the last 16 for the first time in their history, while Napoli lost out to Viktoria Plzen at this stage last year, suffering a 5-0 aggregate defeat.

Napoli are likely to have Pepe Reina in goal after Rafael picked up a knee injury in the first leg.

Swansea could hand a start to Jonjo Shelvey, who made a goalscoring Premier League return from a hamstring injury against his former club at the weekend.

However, doubts remain over the fitness of attacker Michu, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury since December.

In Michu's absence, Wilfried Bony has shouldered greater responsibility for Swansea and the Dutch forward heads to Italy in form, having scored twice at Liverpool to take his tally for the season to 19 in all competitions.

http://ift.tt/1cOzuRs via ukbettips.co.uk http://ift.tt/1eviADU

Europa League: Tottenham H. v Dnipro D.

Juande Ramos returns to Tottenham with a point to prove on Thursday, but faces a big ask to oust his old club from the UEFA Europa League.

It was the Dnipro head coach who masterminded Tottenham's last trophy triumph as he won the League Cup in February 2008.

Eight months later, however, the Spaniard was sacked with the London club bottom of the Premier League and Ramos now heads back to his former stomping ground bidding to protect a 1-0 lead following the first leg of the last-16 tie between the two sides last week.

The odds appear to be stacked against Dnipro – fourth in the Ukrainian Premier League – reaching the quarter-finals given Tottenham's formidable home record in the competition.

Tottenham have suffered just one defeat in their last 18 Europa League ties at White Hart Lane, winning 12 of those matches, including the last four in a row this season.

Tim Sherwood, Ramos' counterpart, is also expected to name a much stronger starting XI than the one he deployed in Ukraine last Thursday, when the notable absentee was Emmanuel Adebayor, who has scored five goals in his last six games.

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and winger Aaron Lennon sat out the game as well, but the trio all returned to Premier League action at the weekend to suggest they will be involved this time around.

In addition, Sherwood will expect his side to be more ruthless in attack as Roberto Soldado was guilty of a poor miss in the first leg before Yevhen Konoplyanka netted the only goal from the penalty spot.

"We will score at the Lane, guaranteed," stated a confident Sherwood when asked for his views on the return encounter.

Perhaps some of Sherwood's optimism stems from the fact that the playing conditions will suit Tottenham this time around.

A major talking point from the first leg was the state of the Dnipro Arena's pitch, which Sherwood labelled a "disgrace" after seeing the ball bobble badly on an uneven surface.

The two sets of players will experience no such problems on Thursday, although Tottenham could be short on confidence following Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Norwich City.

Midfielder Etienne Capoue sustained a leg injury during the loss at Carrow Road that makes him a doubt.

Dnipro, meanwhile, should feel fresh as Ramos' men had a free weekend due to the fact that the Ukrainian Premier League is still on its mid-season break.

Either PAOK or Benfica await the winners in the next round.

http://ift.tt/MsNvtF via ukbettips.co.uk http://ift.tt/1fFAgRX

Real Madrid hoping to win in Germany for the first time

Real Madrid will be heading into their Round-of-16 tie as favourites against a resurgent FC Schalke team, buoyed by the return of front-man Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

Astonishingly, for a club of Real Madrid’s pedigree, the Spanish side has never won a competitive match in Germany. Most recently, the team from Madrid had the chance to put that horrible statistic to bed, but failed to do so on three occasions.

In the 2011/12 Champions League Semi-finals, Los Blancos conceded in the dying stages of the match against Bayern Munich to lose 2-1 – courtesy of a Mario Gómez goal. Fast forward to the following season and Madrid had the opportunity to atone for their misfortunes twice, but were once again unsuccessful in their endeavours, this time against Borussia Dortmund – failing in the group stage and being utterly put to the sword in the Semi-finals, losing 2-1 and 4-1 respectively.

The Spaniard’s dilemma is perhaps akin to the dynamism and tactical discipline, prominently instilled in German sides. However, Los Merengues will be longing to change such a miserable attribute, currently synonymous with the Spanish giants.

Despite their struggles in Germany, Madrid have been in phenomenal form boasting a remarkable unbeaten run of 26 matches. Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to return to an already formidable line-up. The Portuguese international was imperious in the group stage scoring an unprecedented 9 goals in just 6 games – astronomical figures even by his lofty standards.

The elusive German triumph appears more tangible than ever, testament of Carlo Ancelotti’s magnificent managerial proficiencies in Europe’s supreme club competition. The Italian tactician is a master of the Champions League conquering Europe twice with Milan in 2003 and 2007.

Schalke, meanwhile, have impressed of late, albeit partaking in a scoreless draw at home to Mainz. The Gelsenkirchen based side find themselves consolidating fourth place, determined to finish in the top three. However, the German side is eager to perform on the biggest stage in Europe – with the likes of Draxler, Farfan and Boateng desperate to have an influence on the match.

Given the current form of the Galaticos, – which incidentally is Madrid’s second best undefeated streak, it is difficult to fathom the possibility of a Schalke upset. In addition, Madrid find themselves as out-right league leaders for the first time since May 2012 Therefore, taking confidence into the Champions League should not be a cause for concern. Instead pouring extra pressure on a Schalke side that has high expectations of performing amongst the colossus’s of European football.

Regardless of the outcome, it will certainly be a riveting and exhilarating match between two sides that provide excellent attacking football.

http://ift.tt/1jwmVw5 via ukbettips.co.uk http://ift.tt/1h9Bw0a

UEFA Champions League: Olympiacos v Manchester Utd

Manchester United travel to Olympiacos in good spirits for the first leg of their last-16 UEFA Champions League tie.

It was always going to be a tough season for the three-times champions of Europe, with David Moyes facing the unenviable task of replacing Alex Ferguson.

United's Premier League form may be inconsistent, but Moyes' men have looked convincing in the Champions League, topping Group A, remaining unbeaten and conceding just three goals in six games.

Last Friday's news that striker Wayne Rooney had signed a new deal until 2019 was well received by the club's supporters and the United and England striker scored 24 hours later in a 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace.

Just as encouraging for Moyes is the return of Robin van Persie after a campaign that has been blighted by injury. The Dutchman has still managed to score 14 goals in all competitions this term, with four coming in his last five league games.

Moyes will check on the fitness of Phil Jones, Rafael da Silva and Jonny Evans, who all missed Saturday's win at Selhurst Park, while Danny Welbeck's knee injury looks set to keep him sidelined.

January signing Juan Mata is ineligible, having played for Chelsea earlier in the competition. In more positive news, Darren Fletcher has been added to United's Champions League squad.

United face an Olympiacos side that are coasting the Super League in Greece. Michel's men are unbeaten in the league since February last year and have this season amassed an astonishing goal difference of plus 69, conceding just nine goals.

Olympiacos made it to the last 16 in dramatic circumstances, finishing second in Group C behind Paris Saint-Germain to progress at the expense of Benfica thanks to a superior head-to-head record.

Michel's team could not be going into Tuesday's first leg in better form after demolishing OFI Crete 4-0 at the weekend, a game that included a hat-trick for Serbian striker Marko Scepovic. Like Mata, though, he is ineligible.

But the victory came at a price. Scepovic got his chance because of a thigh injury to forward Javier Saviola, who will now miss the match with United.

January additions Hernan Perez and Ivan Marcano are both available for Tuesday's clash, while Nelson Valdez also joined last month, but an ankle injury means he is a doubt.

The omens are not good for the Greek side. In four Champions League meetings with Manchester United, Olympiacos have been defeated four times, scoring just twice.

http://ift.tt/1k2VGsx via ukbettips.co.uk http://ift.tt/MTfgg1

UEFA Champions League: Zenit v B. Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund's bid to improve on last season's runners-up finish in the UEFA Champions League resumes at Zenit.

Jurgen Klopp's men progressed past Shakhtar Donetsk, Malaga and Real Madrid in the knockout stages to reach the 2012-13 final, before ultimately coming unstuck against fellow Bundesliga side Bayern Munich, losing 2-1 at Wembley as a result of Arjen Robben's 89th-minute winner.

Dortmund topped Group F this term, albeit only narrowly after Arsenal and Napoli also finished on 12 points.

While the Italian side were eliminated from the Champions League, Zenit made it through to the last 16 with half as many points, having finished second in a group dominated by La Liga high-fliers Atletico Madrid.

Zenit's only win in Group G came against Porto, but that sole triumph combined with three draws proved enough to seal a place in the knockout rounds for the second time.

Dortmund, by contrast, had to win four matches to guarantee their progression – with a 2-1 victory at Marseille in matchday six ultimately proving crucial.

After enduring a shaky spell prior to the Bundesliga winter break, Dortmund looked set to return to Champions League action in fine form.

However, the club were sensationally denied a fourth straight league win on Saturday as relegation-threatened Hamburg recorded a shock 3-0 triumph.

Klopp's side are now 20 points behind leaders Bayern following the champions' 4-0 win at Hannover on Sunday, and a point adrift of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

Zenit, meanwhile, have not played a competitive match since their final Champions League group game on December 11 due to Russia's winter break and do not return to domestic action until March 9.

Luciano Spalletti's team sit top of the Russian Premier League thanks to a superior head-to-head record against Lokomotiv Moscow, who also have 40 points, but have been inconsistent in recent friendlies.

CSKA Moscow, Trans and Metalurh Donetsk all suffered defeats to Zenit, but the Russians were beaten by Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist Kharkiv.

Spalletti will have a full squad to choose from barring any late fitness problems, meaning Salomon Rondon – a January signing from Rubin Kazan – could make his Champions League debut.

Marco Reus returned from injury against Hamburg and will be available once again, but Mats Hummels (ankle) is a doubt and Ilkay Gundogan (compression of the spine), Sven Bender (pubic bone inflammation), Neven Subotic (knee) and Jakub Blaszczykowski (knee) are definitely out.

http://ift.tt/1k2VGsr via ukbettips.co.uk http://ift.tt/MTfgfU