Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2015/2016) the story so far…,
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 4th of March 2016 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other…,
A weekend where all top 5 leagues are in action is here again after their exploits in the knock out rounds of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. The English FA Cup has also reached the quarter final stages but some teams are not there yet as they need to survive the huddle of Replay. Fatigue is setting in for most teams and Managers are having their hands full with fixture pile up. Our punters at Newfanzone have carefully put all these into consideration while they help you select a 10- game accumulator from Europe’s Top 5 leagues as usual.
4th placed St Etienne are on a good run lately as they are currently unbeaten in their last 6 matches in all competition. The only 2 draws in that time was against Monaco and Marseille.
Same points with 3rd placed Nice, St Etienne will want to keep up the pressure in their quest for a Champions League spot and a win against lowly rated Caen would be on the cards. Caen have struggled for form heading into this fixture at the Stade Geoffroy, they have lost 4 of their last 6 matches. I believe St Etienne will be at an advantage heading into this game being the home side, and winning 4 of their last previous 6 games against Caen.
Manchester United’s Chris Smalling also out injured
Lyon Vs PSG – Both teams to score:
This is the second time both teams will be facing off this month after meeting in a domestic cup competition, where PSG won convincingly thereby sending Lyon out of the tournament. This could be some sort of revenge mission for Lyon as they host PSG at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Lyon are also yet to defeat PSG in any of their last 6 matches and their besst result during that time was a 1-1 draw in 2014. PSG will be going into this game as firm favourites, they are unbeaten since a defeat to Real Madrid in the group stages of the Champions League last year. This match will be interesting and with a lot of goals, I see both teams getting into the score sheet after 90 minutes.
Manchester United Vs Arsenal – Arsenal win or draw :
Manchester United have been poor in 2016, but they could be pardoned as a lengthy injury list has been the major contributing factor to their bad form with 10 first team players currently injured. But loosing to lowly rated sides like Sunderland and Midtjyland will dampen the confidence of a reputable team like Manchester United. Arsenal’s 2 defeats in their last 12 matches have come against Chelsea and most recently Barcelona in the Champions league. They are heading into this game with a good league form after recently condeming league leaders Leicester to another defeat in their last league game.
Arsenal are the inform team between both sides,The red devils are still suffering from their injury worries. Van gaal will have to turn to youth players and they won’t be good enough to rescue their team from a second Arsenal defeat this season. Arsenal would get a result at Old trafford, and walk away with at least a draw.
Watford Vs Bournemouth – Both teams to score:
This is a clash of two strikers, Odion Ighalo of Watford and Benik Afobe of Bournemouth. These two strikers will be leading the line for their respective clubs and there will be high hopes on who comes ontop. Watford have been on an impressive run this season, currently sitting 9th on the log and loosing just one of their last 5 games in all competitions which was against 2nd placed Tottenham. They welcome Bournemouth to the Vicarage Road who have lost their last 3 games which were all played at home. Ironically, Bourneouth are unbeaten in their last 5 away matches.
I expect Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth to come out firing so as to end their poor run and move further away from relegation place. There will be goals and I expect both teams to score at least a goal each.
Italian Serie A
Fiorentina Vs Napoli – Anybody win (Double Chance):
This is one of the most difficult games to forecast in Europe’s top fixtures this weekend. It’s not clear where the pendulum could swing, the ever reliable and inform Napoli have not won in 3games. Their dip in form started after a late defeat to defending champions Juventus who overtook them into first place with that victory. Napoli are yet to recover from that agony of defeat and they need to show character going foward starting from this huge game against the Viola.
Fiorentina are unbeaten in their last 6 games heading into the Europa League 2nd leg against Tottenham.
I believe there will be a winner in this match, either Fiorentina or Napoli will win. It will not end in a draw.
Another huge match in the Serie A this weekend, league Leaders Juventus will look to extend the gap between them and 2nd place Napoli. Although for the first time in a long while this season the Old Ladies have not won in back to back matches, against Bologna and Bayern Munich. It must be said that they showed great character not to loose against Bayern after going behind by 2 goals. Inter Milan presently don’t have the personnel to match this juventus side and they have won only 2 of their last 7 matches in all competition. Roberto Mancini will have to pull a bunny out of the hat to stop the likes of Pogba,Dyabala and Mandzukic.
Juventus will get a result in this game and will get at least a draw.
8th place Wolfsburg welcome inform Bayern Munich to the Wolkswagen Arena when they have won just one of their last 5 league matches. Their poor form heading into this fixture will further set them back in their quest for a spot in Europe. Pep Guardiola’s last defeat with Bayern in all competitions was in December 2015 against Monchengladbach. They have gone on to win every match since then except a shock goaless draw away at Bayern Leverkusen. Muller is scoring again taking some pressure of Striker Lewadowski. While Robben still has a lot to offer since his return from injury. I expect a comfortable victory for Bayern Munich as they extend their lead on the table.
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 27: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Dortmund celebrates his team’s first goal during the Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund at Veltins Arena on September 27, 2014 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Sascha Steinbach/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Borussia Dortmund Vs Hoffenheim – Dortmund win:
Dortmund look certain to finish in the top 4, but just 8 points behind league leaders Bayern Munich they may just pull up a heist on the Bundesliga title if Bayern suffers a slump. To achieve this they must keep their foot on the gas and get maximum points against teams like Hoffenheim especially at the Signal Iduna Park. Dortmund have not lost in their last 12 matches playing just 1 draw in that time. While 17the placed Hoffenheim have won only one of their last 5 matches and are 4points away from safety.
Dortmund will continue their impressive form with a win, star striker Aubumeyang will be expected to provide the goals.
Real Madrid Vs Atletico Madrid – Atletico Madrid win or draw:
A tricky tie whose result would go a long way to test Coach Zinedine Zidane’s ability and competence to lead the Galacticos to success. It has always been a very intense derby whenever a Diego Simeone led Atletico face off with Real Madrid and Zidane is about to get a taste of that. Real Madrid have only won one of thier last 6 matches against Atletico with 3 draws and Atletico winning 2. Real Madird have won their last 7 home matches and they seem to be scoring a lot at home under Zidane, they has been at least 3 goals in each of their last 10 home matches. Atletico Madrid are a resilient side and hard to break down, there has been over 120 clean sheets in over 200 games Simeone has been in charge. Although Atletico are suffering some sort of bad run after winning just 2 of their last 8 matches in all competition. But as they say, form is thrown out of the window when it comes to Derbies.
This will be a tactical game and a battle between the gaffers but i believe Diego Simeone will come out ontop and get a result from the Bernabeu.
Barcelona Vs Sevilla – Barcelona win and Suarez to score:
Last week Suarez scored his way into the record books becoming the 3rd Barcelona player in History to score 40 goals in one season after Ronaldo De Lima and Lionel Messi. The menacing attack trio of Barcelona fondly called the MSN (Messi,Suarez, Neymar) have proven to be too strong for opponents as they have gone on to win 33 matches in all competitions winning 27 and drawing 6 since their defeat to Sevilla in October 3rd 2015. Their latest win was a comfortable away victory against Arsenal in the Champions League. Sevilla’s only victory against Barcelona in their last 6 matches was in the return fixture earlier in the season. Luis Enrique will have revenge on his mind as they welcome 5th placed and inconsistent Sevilla to the Camp Nou. I expect an easy Barcelona win and Suarez getting on the score sheet.
Barcelona Midfielder Sergio Busquets has revealed that Current Bayern Munich Coach Pep Gaurdiola (who happens to be on his way to the Etihad to coach Man City next season) and his wife are the only two people who have got the power to make him leave his current club Fc Barcelona.
Busquets who has been promised an enormous pay rise by his current employers revealed this to ESPN stating : “I’ve always said that there are only two people that can change my decision to be here. One is my wife, who right now is here and is a Barcelona fan, so I don’t think there is going to be a problem on a personal level,” Busquets told ESPN.
“On a sporting level the other person would be Guardiola.
The midfielder might be one of Guardiola’s early recruits at City given the the fact that some players are definitely going to be shown the way out when Pep resumes at Man City, Notable amongst the players expected to leave is City Ivorian Yaya Toure, there’s definitely no love lost between Toure and Guardiola, And Player like Busquets will definitely make fill the void that Yaya might leave.
The Brazilian public prosecutor’s office has decided to press charges against Neymar, the current Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rosell for alleged tax evasion and document tampering, ‘Veja’ magazine has revealed.
According to the weekly Brazilian magazine, which published an excerpt of the complaint, Neymar and his father, who is also amongst the accused, are suspected of having created three shell companies and tampering with documents in order to evade the payment of taxes. “It is patently clear that Neymar and his father established the companies with the sole purpose of using them to receive remuneration from the contracts and to thereby pay less in tax”, assures the public prosecutor who authored the complaint, Thiago Lacerda Nobre.
If found guilty of the crimes, the accused could face up to five years in prison. In the document, the public prosecutor claims that the player and his dad; who is also his agent set up companies to avoid paying the 27.5% tax rate for individuals.
The player allegedly received the majority of his salary from his old club, Santos,and the profits originating from advertising contracts through these companies. The ploy is thought to have enabled them to evade 50% of the tax which they should have paid. Other schemes are said to have been used in connection with the star’s move to Barcelona, hence Bartomeu and Rosell also being charged.
– Crystal Palace have completed the signing of striker Emmanuel Adebayor on a free transfer.
– Cristian Tello has joined Fiorentina on loan until the end of the season.
– Southampton forward Gaston Ramirez has joined Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season.
– Maccabi Tel Aviv have completed the signing of Orlando Sa from Reading.
– Chinese Hebei Fortune have completed the signing of winger Gervinho from Roma.
– Malmo have confirmed the signing of Anders Christiansen from Chievo .
– Roma have signed Stephan El Shaarawy on loan from AC Milan, with an option to buy for €13million.
Emmanuel Adebayor joins Crystal Palace
Today’s reports and rumours:
– According to reports, Aston Villa are closing in on a loan move for Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy.
– Leeds United want to take Aiden McGeady on loan from Everton, according to report.
– Newcastle United have reportedly agreed a £12million deal to sign Andros Townsend from Tottenham
Luis Enrique, credit fcbarcelona.com
– Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique has revealed Neymar will renew his contract at the Camp Nou.
– Real Madrid will not make any signings this month despite the fact that they could be subject to a transfer ban in the near future, according to president Florentino Perez.
– Shola Ameobi has offered to play for Bolton for free until the end of the season, but the Championship club cannot take the striker up on the offer, according to reports.
– Roberto Martinez says there is currently no movement involving players leaving or joining Everton.
– Aston Villa are in talks with Hajduk Split over the signing of their goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic, according to reports.
– Fenerbahce are interested in Roma forward Seydou Doumbia, according to reports.
– Real Betis are reportedly ready to sign Inter Milan defender Martin Montoya.
– Napoli are reportedly very close to reaching an agreement with Empoli for the transfer of defender Federico Barba.
– Eder’s agents are reportedly in England for Leicester City talks, but Inter could match the offer for the Sampdoria striker.
– Lazio midfielder Eddy Onazi is a target for Newcastle, Swansea and Werder Bremen, according to reports.
– Leicester have had a £15.1m bid rejected by CSKA Moscow for midfielder Ahmed Musa, according to BBC.
– ESTAC Troyes President Daniel Masoni has confirmed that he has rejected a €1.6m offer for winger Jimmy Cabot.
– Napoli have turned down a bid worth more than €25m from Wolfsburg for Manolo Gabbiadini, according to reports.
– Chelsea expect the £25m sale of Ramires to Chinese club Jiangsu Suning to be completed before the end of Wednesday.
– Alexandre Pato is on his way to west London after it emerged Chelsea had struck a loan deal with Corinthians.
– Sunderland have submitted a new formal transfer offer for Lorient defender Lamine Koné, according to reports.
– According to reports, Newcastle United are in pole position to sign Chelsea striker Loïc Rémy on loan until the end of the season.
– Liverpool and Shakhtar Donetsk remain far apart in their valuations of Alex Teixeira, according to reports.
– West Ham have a deal in place is to sign Fenebahce striker Emmanuel Emenike on loan with an option to buy in the summer, according to Sky Sports.
– Celta Vigo have rejected an approach for Nolito from Barcelona, according to reports in Spain.
Nwakali
– Kelechi Nwakali’s brother has said that the midfielder is close to joining Arsenal but he is still waiting to be granted a visa.
– Adriano Galliani insists AC Milan have finished their January transfer activity.
Football tit bits:
Louis Van Gaal
– Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal did not offer to resign following Saturday’s defeat to Southampton, sources at the club have told Sky Sports News .
– Manuel Pellegrini has revealed Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany should be back in action in
two weeks.
– Chelsea and West Brom have been fined after being found guilty of failing to control their players during their Stamford Bridge meeting on January 13.
– Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen faces up to eight weeks out of action after scans revealed that he suffered medial knee-ligament damage during Saturday’s 3-1 win at Crystal Palace.
– Qatar’s football association is suing the former German FA president Theo Zwanziger for calling the Gulf nation a
“cancer on world football” following its successful World Cup bid, Düsseldorf’s regional court has said.
The Chelsea maestro has named Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane as his idol. While speaking to English media, Fabregas said that he grew up celebrating the dazzling heroics of the French legend.
‘My first football memory was Zinedine Zidane scoring two goals in the final of the World Cup at France in 1998,’ Fabregas told English media.
He said that winning the 2010 World Cup with Spain was the major influence in his career since it allowed him to follow in the footsteps of the Frenchman.
Fabregas further talked about how he evolved as a kid in Barcelona to Europe’s most lethal midfielder.
“Long before signing for Barcelona, I went for a trial with Albert Benaiges [who ran Barca’s youth teams]. That was the first time I put on the Barcelona shirt in a real game,” Fabregas said to Goal.com.
“There were many things that made me go to Arsenal,” he admits. “I was really happy in Barcelona but I saw how players like Messi and Pique were moved up to the youth ‘A’ team and Rodolfo wasn’t there anymore.”
“They wanted me to move up to the first team within a short time, they believed in me very much but I still couldn’t make out if they were selling me a dream. It was true that Wenger had interrupted his holidays in France to see me and make me the offer in person. That was decisive and we decided to take that route. And everything was phenomenal after that.”
His rise to stardom was meteoric. “It couldn’t have gone better,” he says. “At the age of 16 I was the youngest player in the history of the club to debut, to score in the Premier League and also in the Champions League. That allowed me to reach the level I have been at for the last 12 years and that’s difficult in football today. It’s more physical and the speed is incredible. The only thing you can do is to keep training your body and mind to stay around for as long as possible.”
Cesc Fabgregas playing in the Champions League for Chelsea against Maccabi Tel-Aviv photo credit: Tellementfoot.com
The 28-year-old Chelsea midfielder played an important part for Chelsea yesterday against his former club Arsenal in the London derby which ended 0-1 in favour of the defending champions Chelsea. Fabregas, who showed spectacular form last season which ended with Chelsea crowned the Premier League champions, has failed to replicate the same form this season. In 19 league appearances so far, the Spaniard has only 3 assists and 1 goal to boast of.
– Genoa have completed a loan deal for midfielder Alessio Cerci from AC Milan until the end of the season.
– Leicester have signed Daniel Amartey from Copenhagen on a four-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.
– Sunderland have completed the signing of goalkeeper Steve Harper until the end of the season.
– Fiorentina striker Giuseppe Rossi has signed for Levante on loan for the rest of the season.
– Udinese have signed midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic on loan from Basel for the rest of the season.
– Gaziantepspor have confirmed the loan signing of striker Habib Habibou from Rennes until the end of the season.
– Fiorentina has completed the signing of Cristian Tello from Barcelona on loan.
Christian Tello, photo credit MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB.
Today’s reports and rumours:
– Liverpool have contacted FC Lorient about left-back Raphael Guerreiro, according to reports.
– Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has admitted he is now more open to bringing in new players this month.
– Sampdoria are targeting Twente FC’s Moroccan talent Hakim Ziyech, according to reports.
– FC Nantes President Waldemar Kita has confirmed that Colombian defender Oswaldo Vicarrondo is on the transfer market
– Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has revealed that Thomas Tuchel is the reason he stayed with the Bundesliga club this season.
– Toulouse striker Wissam Ben Yedder has announced via his official Twitter account that he will be remaining at the club until the end of the season, amid intense speculation linking the player with Tottenham, Lyon and Marseille.
– Roberto Martinez has assured Everton fans that none of the team’s key players will be sold in the January window.
– West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Pulis believes the Saido Berahino transfer saga could extend right into the final hours of the January transfer window.
– Swansea have failed with a fresh offer for Napoli striker Manolo Gabbiadini, according to reports in Italy.
– Fernando Torres has an offer to become the highest-paid player in world football, his agent José Antonio Martín has said.
– Manuel Neuer has not ruled out leaving Bayern Munich in the future amid the increasing wages on offer in the Premier League,
– Chinese outfit Jiangsu Suning FC have lodged a formal bid for AS Roma striker Seydou Doumbia, according to reports.
– Roberto Martínez has claimed Sam Byram was not the right player for Everton despite bidding an initial £3.7m for the Leeds United defender before he chose West Ham United.
– Manchester United are ready to spend up to £20million to secure a deal for Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand, according to reports.
Football tit bits:
– UEFA have officially agreed to use goal-line technology at Euro 2016 and next season’s Champions League.
– Manchester United’s Ashley Young has suffered a ‘severe’ groin injury and is to undergo surgery, Louis van Gaal has revealed.
– Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Diego Costa are fit and will be available for selection for Sunday’s showdown with Arsenal at the Emirates.
– Bahraini pro-democracy campaigners have written to FIFA’s top sponsors to raise concerns over Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa’s attempt to become the president of world football’s governing body.
Mitchel Platini
– UEFA executive committee have decided to delay presidential election until Michel Platini’s appeal is heard
– Roberto Mancini and Internazionale have accepted Maurizio Sarri’s apologies after the Napoli coach used “highly
insulting” language during a Coppa Italia match.
– ADO Den Haag has slapped stadium bans on 22 fans it says were involved in racist chants during Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Ajax.
– Spain’s anti-violence committee for sports has asked the Spanish FA (RFEF) to take action over abusive chants from Espanyol fans towards Gerard Pique’s wife Shakira during the recent Copa del Rey game against Barcelona.
The 2016 Deloitte Football Money League – detailing the 2014/15 season – measures a club’s earnings from matchday revenue, broadcast rights and commercial sources, and ranks them on that basis.
The Premier League boasts 17 teams in the top 30 of this year’s Deloitte Football Money League. Manchester United lead the way for English reputation in revenue, keeping clear of rivals Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Real Madrid retained their place at the summit for the 11th year in a row, having generated €577m.
Deloitte Football Money League
(2014/15 revenue):
1. Real Madrid (€577m)
2. Barcelona (€560.8m)
3. Manchester United (€519.5m)
4. Paris St Germain (€480.8m)
5. Bayern Munich (€474m)
6. Manchester City (€463.5m)
7. Arsenal (€435.5m)
8. Chelsea (€420m)
9. Liverpool (€391.8m)
10. Juventus (€323.9m)
11. Borussia Dortmund (€280.6m)
12. Tottenham (€257.5m)
13. Schalke (€219.7m)
14. AC Milan (€199.1m)
15. Atletico Madrid (€187.1m)
16. Roma (€180.4m)
Real Madrid photo credit: El Coleccionista de Instantes Fotografía & Video https:::creativecommons.org:licenses:by-sa:2.0:legalcode
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi picked up a “small strain” against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday while Jordi Alba has been ruled out for 10 days with a hamstring injury.
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique allayed fears about Messi’s fitness by insisting he took the Ballon d’Or winner off at half-time only as a precaution.
The Barcelona coach withdrew Messi, who scored the first of Barca’s six goals against the Basques by netting from the penalty spot, for Arda Turan at the end of the first half with a right hamstring strain, but he hinted that the forward could still feature against Athletic Bilbao in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey quarter final first leg at San Mamés stadium.
“Messi will have tests tomorrow, he has a small strain and had a little discomfort so we preferred not to take any risks,” Luis Enrique said in a news conference.
“We spoke about it at half-time and with the scoreline as it was we did not want to take risks. I don’t like taking risks with any player, so imagine what it’s like with Messi.”
However, Barcelona confirmed on their official website that Jordi Alba, who pulled his hamstring in the 69th minute against Athletic Bilbao, is expected to be sidelined for 10 days.
– St.Etienne have completed the signing of Oussama Tannane from Heracles on a four and a half year deal.
– Basel have completed the signing of Renato Steffen from Young Boys.
– Atalanta have signed Alessandro Diamanti from Watford on loan until the end of the season.
– Palermo have completed the signing of Hungarian forward Norbert Balogh from Debrecen.
– Juan Camilo Zuniga has joined Bologna on a six-month loan from Napoli.
Today’s reports and rumours:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Dortmund and Dante of Munich compete for the ball photo credit ar.fifa.com
– Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed he wants to stay and win trophies at Borussia Dortmund.
– Manchester United are preparing a €40 million summer offer for AC Milan’s 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, according to reports in Italy.
– Schalke defender Joel Matip is set to join Liverpool on a free transfer in the summer, according to reports in England.
– West Brom have had their £7.5million bid for Angers’ Cheikh N’Doye rejected, according to reports.
– According to reports in Spain, Barcelona are close to signing Celta Vigo forward Nolito.
– The father of Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez says his son is happy where he is at the moment despite links with Manchester United.
– Bordeaux want to use some of the money they received from the sale of Henri Saivet to Newcastle in order to buy Red Star Belgrade centre back Vukasin Jovanovic.
– Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Veratti’s agent says his client is more likely to join Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich than move to Spain.
– Manchester United are pursuing Valencia midfielder Andre Gomes after their move for Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez was blocked, according to reports.
– Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs says Nicklas Bendtner is still in the club’s plans.
– Paris Saint-Germain are keeping an eye on Partizan Belgrade winger Andrija Zivkovic, according to L’Equipe.
– Bournemouth will attempt to “hijack” West Brom’s £8m move for QPR winger Matt Phillips, according to reports.
Louis Van Gaal
– Austrian centre-back Aleksandar Dragovic is set to become Manchester United’s first signing of the January transfer window, according to reports.
– One of Ezequiel Lavezzi’s agents, Alessandro Moggi is not sure the player will leave PSG in January, but indicated Inter Milan are interested and talks could be held with Chelsea.
– Liverpool are keeping tabs on Sweden international Emil Forsberg ahead of a possible bid this summer, according to
reports.
– Abdul Baba Rahman admits he is frustrated about the lack of first team playing time he has received since moving to Chelsea.
– New Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane wants to bring French midfielder Paul Pogba to Madrid to be his first Galatico signing, according to reports in Spain.
– AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani confirms the Luiz Adriano will move to China, Stephan El Shaarawy could stay and Gigio Donnarumma offers will be rejected.
– Genoa face competition from Spanish sides Levante and Getafe to loan Fiorentina forward Giuseppe Rossi, according to reports.
– Adriano’s agent confirmed “Roma and Barcelona are discussing a loan deal, but there is nothing completed yet.”
Football tit bits:
– Valencia have reappointed Jesus Garcia Pitarch as sporting director in a bid to help turn around the club’s fortunes.
– Andy Carroll is anxiously awaiting the results of a scan on the hamstring injury he suffered at Bournemouth on Tuesday but the early indication is the West Ham United striker will be out for between four and six weeks.
– FIFA has fined the football associations of Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay for homophobic chants by fans.
– Spain’s national court has ordered Neymar to testify in an investigation into alleged irregularities involving his transfer to Barcelona. The Brazil striker is set to testify on the 2nd of February.
– Chelsea have had their ticket allocation for their Champions League last-16 match with Paris Saint-Germain cut because of the heightened security level in the French capital and the behaviour of their fans last year.
– Roma have parted company with their head coach Rudi Garcia and are expected to appoint Luciano Spalletti as his replacement.
– World football’s governing body FIFA has dismissed suspended secretary general Jerome Valcke with immediate effect.
Real Madrid have parted ways with Coach Rafa Benitez following yesterday’s 2-2 draw with Valencia. Rafa Benitez becomes the second high profile manager to loose his job this season following Jose Mourinho’s sack by Chelsea a few weeks ago.
Rafa Benitez had recently pleaded for more time to turn the fortunes of the Madrid club around.
Real Madrid are currently placed third on the Primera Liga table with 37 point, 2 points behind rivals Barcelona with 39 points in second place but with a game in hand. Local rivals Athletico Madrid currently top the Liga with 41 points.
Benitez’s plea for more time seems to have fallen on deaf ears as Club President Florentino Perez has wielded the big stick seven months after becoming the Coach of Real Madrid. His defensive style of play and his alleged fallout with some of the top players in the Los Blancos are believed to be mainly responsible for his Sack.
While Rumour has it that former coach Jose Mourinho might make a return to the Bernabeu its Former Madrid legendary player Zinedine Zidane who currently coaches Madrid’s B Team Castilla is expected to replace the sacked Spaniard.
This is Game week 16 of our Bookies corner where we help Punters forecast on the best matches to put their money on.
Paul Ayorinde’s (@el_pauleta) predictions:
Italian Serie A
Udinese V Inter Milan- Double chance on Inter Milan:
After winning three matches on a trot, Udinese lost last weekend against high-flying Fiorentina while Inter Milan got a slim victory against Genoa. I expect this match to be tough for Mancini’s men,so i tip Inter Milan to get at least a point away from home on Saturday night.
Juventus V Fiorentina- Both teams to score (BTTS):
Juventus continued their resurgence defeating Lazio at Stadio Olympico in Game week 15 while Fiorentina thrashed Udinese 3-0 last weekend. This match promises to be a cracker and I expect it to be entertaining and full of goals. I am tipping both teams to score at the Juventus stadium on Sunday night.
English Premier League
Norwich V Everton- Double Chance on Everton:
Norwich lost against Watford in Game week 15 while Everton got a draw at home against Crystal Palace. I tip Everton to get at least a point at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon.
Manchester City V Swansea- Man City win:
Manchester City were outplayed in their 2-0 loss to Stoke City in Game week 15 while Swansea’s defeat to Leicester last weekend cost Garry Monk his job. Manchester City will be looking to get back to winning ways when they play Swansea who has just one win in their last 11 matches. I tip Manchester City to win at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.
Aston Villa V Arsenal- Arsenal win:
Aston Villa got a morale boosting draw at St Mary’s in Game week 15 while Arsenal defeated Sunderland 3-1 at the Emirates. Aston Villa manager Remi Garde will face his former manager Arsene Wenger in a match that promises to be entertaining. I expect Arsenal’s attack to be too strong for a week Aston Villa defence. I tip Arsenal to win convincingly at Villa park.
Spanish Liga BBVA
Eibar V Valencia- Double chance on Valencia:
Eibar lost 1-2 against Real Sociedad in Game week 14 while Valencia got a draw against defending champions Barcelona at the Mestalla. This will be Gary Neville’s first La Liga game as Valencia’s coach and i expect his side to put up a good peformance. I tip Valencia to get at least a draw at Estadio Municipal de Ipurúa on Sunday afternoon.
Villarreal V Real Madrid- Both teams to score (BTTS): Villarreal got a 2-1 win against Rayo Vallecano last weekend while Real Madrid defeated Getafe 4-1 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Both sides play attacking football,so am expecting an entertaining match with lots of goals. I tip Both teams to score at Estadio El Madrigal on Sunday night.
German Bundesliga
Mainz V Stuttgart-Double Chance on Mainz:
Mainz defeated Hamburg 3-1 away from home last weekend while Stuttgart got a 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen. I tip Mainz to get at least a point at home on Friday night.
Borussia Dortmund V Eintracht Frankfurt- Dortmund win:
Dortmund got a massive result last weekend when they defeated Wolfsburg 2-1 away from home while Eintracht Frankfurt lost at home against Darmstadt.
I expect Thomas Tuchel’s men to be too strong for Frankfurt,so i tip Borussia Dortmund to win at home on Sunday.
French Ligue 1
Angers V Bordeaux- Double chance on Angers:
Angers continued their fairy tale season when they defeated Olympique Lyon away from home 2-0 last weekend while Bordeaux defeated Guingamp 1-0. I tip Angers to get at least a point at home on Sunday afternoon.
Ademola Adejuwon’s (@demydemo) predictions:
French Ligue 1
PSG vs Lyon- Over 1.5 goals:
Lyon has been disappointing so far in the league as they see themselves lying in 5th position behind the likes of Caen & Angers. Top scorer last season, Alexander Lacazette has been struggling to get goals this season as they also bowed out of the UCL during the week. PSG have been in fantastic form in the league this season and are yet to lose a game in the league. With the firepower of Zlatan,Cavani & Di Maria the Parisians have it in them to score goals when Lyon come visiting.
German Bundesliga
Bayern Munich vs Ingolstadt- Bayern win:
Bayern will look to bounce back from their defeat to Borussia Moenchengladbach last week with a win over newcomers Ingolstadt. Ingolstadt have won more games away from home this season than when playing at home and they might hope to shock the Bavarians at the Allianz Arena. Bayern are at their imperious best and they’ve also welcomed back Frank Ribery to the squad which will further boost their attacking prowess. The only surprise I see in this game is Bayern Munich not scoring more than 4 goals past Ingolstadt.
Bayern Leverkusen vs Borrusia Moenchengladbach- Over 1.5 goals:
In form Moenchengladbach travel to face Bayern Leverkusen this weekend on the back of their famous win against defending champions Bayern Munich last weekend. Bayern Leverkusen have been relatively poor this season with 6 wins out of 15 games. The two sides got eliminated from the UCL this week and will now look to divert all their attention to the Bundesliga to see if they can also get back to the UCL next season. This game would be a very tricky one but both sides would definitely get goals.
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 27: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Dortmund celebrates his team’s first goal during the Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund at Veltins Arena on September 27, 2014 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Sascha Steinbach/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt- Dortmund Double Chance:
Dortmund seem to be closing the gap on league leaders Bayern Munich and they know that they need to be consistently racking up the 3 Points if they want to challenge for the Bundesliga title this season. Frankfurt have conceded 10 goals away from home this season,and also the form of Meier and Seferovic have dwindled a bit which have left them in 13th place on the log. Dortmund can be very erratic,but playing at the home,the least they would get is a draw.
Italian Serie A
AC Milan vs Verona- Milan Win:
Milan welcome bottom place Hellas Verona to the San Siro. Verona have not won any game this season as their form continue to dwindle. Milan haven’t been too convincing also this season even though they bought the likes of Bacca and Luiz Adriano. They drew last time out away to 19th place Carpi, but this time I think Milan knows all the three points is essential if they have to compete with the big boys in the league, knowing most of them have tricky fixtures this weekend.
Napoli vs Roma- Over 2.5 goals:
Two free scoring sides go head to head this weekend. Napoli are 3rd in the league and they surprisingly lost last time out against Bologna. The two teams are through to the next round of the various competitions they are in Europe this season. Roma and Napoli are two free scoring sides that hardly play the typical Italian way. We would expect to see goals in this mouth watering fixture come this weekend.
Luis Suarez
Spanish LA Liga
Barcelona vs Deportivo- Barcelona Win:
It’s a surprise knowing Barcelona have not won in their last two games. The Catalan giants would like to get back to winning ways this weekend as Deportivo comes to the Camp Nou . The MSN will once again bail Barcelona out even if Deportivo tries to be dogged as possible.
Villarreal vs Real Madrid- Madrid Double Chance:
The yellow submarines were once on the top of the LA Liga table but they now find themselves in 5th position after they had a couple of bad results. Villarreal won’t want to meet Madrid at this moment because of the form of Ronaldo and Benzema,but Madrid can also become a very conservative side in a tricky game like this, so Real Madrid might settle for a point.
Arsenal travel to the Villa park to take on Aston Villa who are still struggling to get out of the relegation waters this season.
Arsenal got a victory on their last visit to Villa Park and have won their last 3 meetings against Aston Villa in all competitions. The EPL is very unpredictable this season as even the big boys falter almost every weekend. Arsenal shouldn’t have problem getting past Aston Villa and with the form of Giroud and Ozil in attack for the Gunners,a draw should be the least expectation.
Leicester vs Chelsea- over 1.5 goals:
Table Toppers Leicester City host Chelsea this weekend. It’s been contrasting fortunes for both teams this season. Leicester City have found it easy to score goals in the league unlike their visitors. In Jamie Vardy and Algerian Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City are guaranteed of getting a goal against Chelsea this weekend. Leicester run of fixtures this month are tough and a win against the defending champions will give them more confidence to prosecute their remaining fixtures. Chelsea on the other hand,also need a victory against Leicester at the Kingpower Stadium knowing a victory might as well put their season right back on track. So,goals are guaranteed in this pulsating fixture come Monday night.
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