Transfer Round Up For January 18th 2016

Done deals:

– Norwich sign Switzerland defender Timm Klose from Wolfsburg on contract until summer of 2019.

– Atalanta have completed the signing of Albanian international Berat Djimsiti from FC Zurich.

– Watford have confirmed the signing of Nordin Amrabat from Malaga.

– Emiliano Insua joins Newell’s Old Boys on loan from Udinese.

Today’s reports and rumours:

– Wilfried Bony is not leaving Manchester City this month, according to his agent Francis Kacou.

Simon Mignolet, Liverpool FC Goalkeepr
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– Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet signs new contract until 2021.

– Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin says he is confident goalkeeper David de Gea is “fully committed” to the club.

– Napoli are reportedly close to sealing a deal for Atalanta midfielder Alberto Grassi.

– Newcastle are set to launch an £18 million bid for West Brom striker Saido Berahino,according to reports.

– Empoli sporting director Marcello Carli confirms Roma and Fiorentina are interested in Lorenzo Tonelli.

Ezequiel Lavezzi
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– Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing PSG forward Ezequiel Lavezzi.

– Fiorentina directors are in Barcelona to finalise a loan move for Cristian Tello, according to reports.

– Wolfsburg will make a move to sign Schalke full-back Sead Kolasinac in the summer, according to Bild.

– Inter Milan have confirmed that they have reached a mutual agreement with Nemanja Vidic to terminate the Serbian centre-back’s contract.

– Sunderland winger Jeremain Lens has insisted he is going nowhere amid speculation that he could leave
the club this month.

– Jonathan Calleri’s father confirms the Boca Juniors striker won’t join Inter, but Palermo are an option.

– Watford in talks with Sunderland over deal to sign goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, according to Sky Sports Sources.

– AC Milan winger Alessio Cerci has reportedly been given the go-ahead to join Genoa, and will have a medical tomorrow.

– Leeds defender Sam Byram will not be joining Everton, according to reports.

– According to L’Équipe, Sunderland will make an offer for Marseille defensive midfielder Alaixys Romao today.

– According to reports, Reims, Lorient and Caen are all interested in signing Troyes’s winger Jimmy Cabot.

– Watford are in advanced negotiations for the signing of Rennes midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré, according to reports in France.

– Liverpool are weighing up a move to bring QPR goalkeeper Robert Green to Anfield, according to reports.

– Inter full-back Dodo has reportedly accepted a loan move to Sampdoria.

– The agent of Fiorentina striker Nikola Kalinic admits “since the winter break he hasn’t played like before”.

– Hull City manager Steve Bruce admits he is “desperate” to permanently sign Arsenal loanee Isaac Hayden.

– Torino President Urbano Cairo wants to hold on to Nikola Maksimovic “at least until the end of the season”.

– According to reports in Germany, Wolfsburg are interested in signing Juventus striker Simone Zaza.

– Roma made an approach for Inter defender Juan Jesus but were rejected, according to reports.

– Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri has hinted that striker Andrej Kramaric could be heading out on loan this month.

– According to reports, Torino are close to signing Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.

Ramires
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– Borussia Dortmund are reportedly interested in Chelsea midfielder Ramires.

– Arsenal have ended their interest in Dinamo Moscow forward Aleksandr Kokorin, according to the Russian club’s former sporting director.

– Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Weigl has said he has no plan to leave amid reports linking him with a move to Manchester City.

– According to reports, Chelsea are considering a quick Alexandre Pato swoop after Diego Costa injury.

– Juventus striker Alvaro Morata will not be sold to Real Madrid, according to the Italian club’s director general Giuseppe Marotta.

Football tit bits:

– Chris Smalling feels Wayne Rooney’s revival at Manchester United owes much to Louis van Gaal’s decision to drop him against Stoke City.

– Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is to be released from jail on February 29, 21 months into a three- and-a-half-year prison sentence for tax evasion.

Lionel Messi
credit: hy.wikipedia.org

– Barcelona have said tests on Lionel Messi’s injury he sustained at the weekend have come back with “great
news” regarding his fitness.

Barca said in a statement on Monday: “Medical tests on striker Lionel Messi this Monday morning have revealed great news. It turns out that the Argentinian has not got a hamstring injury and has just taken a bit of a knock. It is uncertain whether or not he will be available for future matches, but there is nothing major to worry about.”

– Colin Kazim-Richards has been suspended for two weeks by Feyenoord for threatening a journalist.

– Stoke City Chairman Peter Coates has condemned those Stoke City supporters who subjected Aaron Ramsey to shameful chants in relation to the broken leg the Arsenal midfielder suffered at the Britannia Stadium six years ago.

Paul Ayorinde

Transfer Round Up For January 11th 2016 And FA Cup Fixtures…,

Done deals:

– Werder Bremen have signed Thanos Petsos from Rapid Vienna.

– Newcastle sign Senegalese midfielder Henry Saivet from Bordeaux on five-and-a-half-year deal.

– Bournemouth re-sign striker Lewis Grabban from Norwich on a three-and-a-half year deal.

– Bologna have confirmed the signing of striker Sergio Floccari from Sassuolo .

Today’s reports and rumours:

– Rio Ferdinard has urged Manchester United to do everything in their power to sign John Stones and Raphael Varane.

– Chelsea are preparing a £30million offer for AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca, according to reports.

– Southampton are interested in Palermo midfielder Oscar Hiljemark, according to reports in Italy.

Jurgen Klopp
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– Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has ruled out a move for Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato.

– West Brom, Besiktas and AC Milan are all interested in Lyon’s Henri Bedimo, according to L’Equipe.

– Brazilian defender Dante has vowed to stay at Wolfsburg amid MLS links.

– Mauricio Pochetinno says Andros Townsend remains part of the squad and could be involved in the coming games.

– Steven Pienaar might leave Everton for Ajax Amsterdam, according to his business manager Rob Moore.

– Barcelona have opened talks with Ivan Rakitic over a new deal, the midfielder has revealed.

– Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel says he is not planning to sell reported Liverpool target Neven Subotic, calling him “an important part of the group” despite his lack of game time this season.

– According to reports, Federico Fazio is nearing a Tottenham exit having failed to impress at White Hart Lane, with former club Sevilla a likely destination.

– Zenit St Petersburg and Guangzhou Evergrande are preparing offers for Inter midfielder Fredy Guarin, according to reports.

– Barcelona are interested in Manchester City target Leroy Sane, reports German publication Kicker.

Lionel Messi
credit: hy.wikipedia.org

– Chelsea defender Baba Rahman will remain at the club until at least the summer, his advisor has confirmed.

– Inter President Erick Thohir says they have ‘an ample squad’ but ‘it’s possible we’ll make some good buys in the market.’

– Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has insisted that he is not feeling any pressure to sign a new deal with the club.

– Tottenham have emerged as the bookmakers’ favourites to sign Fulham forward Moussa Dembele, ahead of Crystal Palace and Manchester United.

– Lyon have rejected a loan offer from Hellas Verona for the services of Lindsay Rose, according to L’Équipe.

– Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s agent assures it’s “too early” for his client to consider leaving Lazio.

– Fiorentina and Spartak Moscow have agreed terms for on-loan Genoa midfielder Tino Costa, according to reports.

– Torino have reportedly submitted a bid for Sevilla’s Ciro Immobile.

– PSG winger Ezequiel Lavezzi’s move to Inter in January ’is possible’ according to his agent’s associate.

– Swansea manager Alan Curtis has said the club are willing to listen to offers for Jonjo Shelvey.

– Acccording to reports, Aston Villa manager Remi Garde hopes to be handed a large transfer fund to turn around the club’s season after talks with the board.

Football tit bits:

Lionel Messi, FIFA Ballon d’Or

– Louis van Gaal believes Manchester United supporters should be happy their team are through to the fourth round of the FA Cup and suggested that traffic around Old Trafford, rather than apathy, was one of the reasons why many supporters left before the end of the 1-0 win over Sheffield United.

– Paris Saint-Germain have become embroiled in a row with the London-born rapper M.I.A after she wore a modified version of the club’s shirt in one of her music videos. Via Twitter, the 40-year-old has revealed a letter sent to her
record company, Universal Music, by Jean Claude Blanc, PSG’s deputy CEO, last month complaining about the fact she
can be seen in the video for Borders, a song about the global migrants crisis, wearing a white PSG shirt with the words ‘Fly Pirates’ across the middle, as opposed to ‘Fly Emirates’, the French club’s sponsor.

– Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or award for an unprecedented fifth time. The 28-year-old Argentine had 41.33% of the vote, with Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo (27.76%)second and Barca’s Neymar (7.86%) third. “It’s a very special moment for me to be back here on this stage winning again, after being there in the audience watching as Cristiano won for two years “, Messi said after picking up the award.

– FA CUP FOURTH ROUND DRAW

Wycombe or Aston Villa v Man City

Northampton or MK Dons v Chelsea

Bury or Bradford v Hull City

Colchester v Tottenham or Leicester

Ipswich or Portsmouth v Bournemouth

Oxford v Newport or Blackburn

Crystal Palace v Stoke

Carlisle or Yeovil v Everton

Nottingham Forest v Watford

Shrewsbury v Sheffield Wednesday

Exeter or Liverpool v West Ham

Huddersfield or Reading v Walsall

Derby County v Man Utd

Arsenal v Burnley

Eastleigh or Bolton v Leeds

West Brom or Bristol City v Peterborough

Transfer Round Up For January 8th 2016

Done deals:

– Palermo have signed midfielder Bryan Cristante on loan from Benfica.

– Granada have completed the signing of Sergei Guardiola.

– Norwich have signed Portuguese right-back Ivo Pinto from Dinamo Zagreb.

– Boca Juniors have completed the signing of Dani Osvaldo from Porto.

– Dundee Utd sign forward Riku Riski in loan deal from Rosenborg.

– Sunderland have completed the signing of Jan Kirchhoff from Bayern Munich.

– Angers have completed the loan signing of Saïd Benrahma from OGC Nice.

IVO PINTO | Our Portuguese full-back poses for some photographs here at Colney. #ncfc pic.twitter.com/h80SPA6O0K

— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) January 8, 2016

PINTO | Here's our new signing! "My dream is to play in the @premierleague and Norwich have given me the chance." pic.twitter.com/RCgeb4t7hm

— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) January 8, 2016

Today’s reports and rumours:

– Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hopes Mohamed Elneny’s transfer from Basel will be completed in the “next two or three days.

– According to Le Progrès, St Étienne are closing in on a fee agreement with Heracles for Oussama Tannane.

– Bournemouth are still in for Napoli midfielder Jonathan De Guzman, according to reports in Italy.

– Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is keen for the club to bring in a replacement for the recently departed Adnan Januzaj.

– According to reports in England, Stuttgart are interested in signing Chelsea defender Papy Djilobodji.

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard takes on Norwich City’s Jonny Howson
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– Eden Hazard’s father has denied that the Belgium international is seeking a move away from Chelsea and said his current injury problems are down to playing too many games.

– Arsenal are looking to bid for Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes, according to reports.

– Borussia Monchengladbach are set to sign RB Salzburg defender Martin Hinteregger, according to reports in Germany.

– Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is keen on a move to Galatasaray, according to reports in Turkey.

– Caen defender Damien Da Silva has rejected an approach from Premier League side Sunderland this month, according to L’Équipe.

– Aston Villa defender Joleon Lescott is a target for Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy, according to ESPN Soccernet sources.

– Wolfsburg left back Ricardo Rodriquez says he has “not heard” anything about Real Madrid’s interest.

– Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has ruled out leaving Borussia Dortmund as the club announced that there were no plans for any January sales.

– Rayo Vallecano coach Paco Jemez has confirmed his interest in signing Ghanaian midfielder Thomas from Atletico Madrid.

– According to reports in Germany, Liverpool are interested in Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Mario Gotze.

– Bournemouth will complete a £10million deal to sign Benik Afobe from Wolves, this weekend, according to reports.

Emmanuel Adebayor
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– Alan Pardew has denied Crystal Palace are interested in Emmanuel Adebayor.

– Slavisa Jokanovic has sworn to fight to keep Moussa Dembele at Fulham, according to reports.

– Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce has turned his attentions to bringing in a new striker and a right-back, according to reports.

– According to Le Parisien, AS Monaco are in active negotiations for the signing of Ajax’s 19 year old defender Jairo Riedewald.

– Sporting director Cristiano Giaretta warns Udinese have “no intention” of selling Silvan Widmer in January.

– Lorient defender Lamine Koné is the subject of two offers from Premier League sides, Norwich and Aston Villa, according to various reports in France.

– Felipe Melo’s agent rubbishes rumours of a January transfer – “he wants to win the Scudetto with Inter”.

– Reports in the United States claim Roma’s Ashley Cole is close to joining MLS side LA Galaxy.

– Napoli and Torino have reportedly agreed on the terms for the loan of defender Nikola Maksimovic.

– Mauricio Pochettino says Harry Kane will not leave Tottenham, despite reports linking the striker with a move to Real Madrid.

– Sevilla midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has admitted he has heard of transfer speculation regarding Arsenal but insisted he will leave such matters in the hands of his agent.

FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid, Dani Alves vs Cristiano Ronaldo
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– New Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane says there is no chance Cristiano Ronaldo will leave the club while he is in charge.

Football tit bits:

– Barcelona have confirmed that they will appeal Luis Suarez’s two-game Copa del Rey suspension after the Uruguayan’s alleged involvement in a tunnel bust-up with Espanyol’s players.

Luis Suarez

– UEFA Team of the Year: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich); David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Dani Alves (Barcelona); James Rodriguez (Real Madrid), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Neymar (Barcelona).

– Argentina and Uruguay will form a joint bid to co-host the 2030 World Cup, the presidents of the two South American countries said on Thursday.

– Spanish prosecutors have reportedly requested that Neymar be charged on two counts of fraud and corruption relating to his move to Barcelona during the summer of 2013.

Yaya Touré
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– Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has reacted angrily to losing out on the CAF African Footballer of the Year award, saying the decision is “pathetic”, “indecent” and “brings shame to Africa”.

Newfanzone Bookies Corner (Game week 17)

Bookies Corner returns this weekend after an eventful week that has seen the sack of an influential Gaffer in England. We bring to you tips for your betting accumulators which our Punters have carefully picked 10 games all from the top 5 leagues in Europe.

Tobi Olubiyi’s (@tobipreety) predictions:

French Ligue 1

TROYES VS MONACO: MONACO WIN- 3rd place Monaco are playing against 20th Troyes who haven’t won a game all season and have lost 11 games from 18 matches played so far. Monaco are level on points with 2nd placed Angers and would like to keep pressure on their pursuit of the 2nd spot. I don’t expect this to be a tough game for Leandro Jardim’s men who will want to bounce back after a shock 3-0 defeat at Bordeaux in the French Cup. Monaco are undefeated in their last 5 league games so I see them getting a win at Troyes.

ST ETIENNE VS ANGERS – ANGERS WIN OR DRAW: Angers have been the surprise package of the league this season and very few would have envisaged their incredible performance this season which has taken them up to 2nd place only bettered by power house PSG. Saint-Etienne have not won in their last 5 games in all competitions and thier poor form would affect them against high flying Angers. Moulin’s men are in form and are yet to be defeated in their last 5 games in all competitions which included games against Lille, PSG, Lyon and Bordeaux. I expect Angers to get at least a draw in this game.

Manchester United’s Old Trafford a.k.a The Theatre of Dreams, photo credit http://www.guts.com/en https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

English Premier League

MANCHESTER UNITED VS NORWICH CITY- MAN UTD WIN: The Red Devils will be hosting Norwich who have been on a bad run all season with 7 losses from their last 11 matches winning just once during that time. LVG’s men haven’t been fantastic of late themselves without a single win in their last 5 matches in all competitions. This is their chance to end their bad run and they can do that infront of their home fans against 18th placed Norwich. This should be an easy victory for Manchester United and I don’t expect any upsets.

ARSENAL VS MAN CITY – ARSENAL WIN OR DRAW : This has always been an exciting fixture in recent years and it is also a top of the table clash as the 2nd and 3rd placed teams face off at the Emirates. Both teams are in form and neither will want to drop points at this stage, and Arsenal are unbeaten in the last 5 games. I expect Arsene Wenger’s men to get a result at the Emirates.

Mesut Ozil
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Italian Serie A

INTER MILAN VS LAZIO – INTER MILAN WIN : Mancini’s revolution continues at Inter Milan as their form of just 1 defeat in 11 games has seen them leap to the top of the table. Lazio will have a mountain to climb when they travel to the San Siro as they have won only once in 7 games in all competition. I expect Inter Milan to continue their fine form with a win against Lazio.

ATLANTA VS NAPOLI – NAPOLI WIN OR DRAW: Napoli are 4 points behind league leaders Inter Milan and a trip to 8th placed Atlanta could hinder chase for top spot. Napoli have only lost one of their last 5 games in all competition but their only defeat in that time was away from home. It was also their first defeat in 10 away matches. With the form of Higuain and Insigne, I expect Napoli to get something out of this game at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia

Spanish La Liga

ATHLETIC BILBAO VS LEVANTE – ATHLETIC BILBAO WIN : Bilbao will be hosting 20th placed Levante after a run of just 2 defeats in their last 15 matches has seen them rise to 9th place. They will be heading into this game in high spirit while Levante have not won in their last 5 matches. I see Bilbao getting a win in this game against relegation threatened Levante.

REAL SOCEIDAD VS VILLARREAL – BOTH TEAMS SCORE: Although Real Sociedad have not been so fantastic this season with just 4 wins from 15matches, they do score in matches. They have scored at least a goal in 5 of their last 6 matches and only failed to score against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. 5th placed Villarreal have scored 19 goals so far, 2 points more than their opponents. I expect both teams to get at least a goal each in this match.

German Bundesliga

BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH VS DARMSTADT – MONCHENGLADBACH WIN – Monchengladbach are currently having a slight dip in form after a run of 3 straight defeats in all competitions albeit against Manchester City in the Champions league, a 5-0 demolition from Bayern Leverkusen and a close 4-3 defeat against Werder Bremen. They will aim to bounce back against newly promoted Darmstadt‎ who have surpassed all expectations as they lie in 12th place after 16 games . I see the home side getting a much needed victory as they look to push for a place in Europe next season.
‎

HAMBURGER VS AUGSBURG – BOTH TEAMS SCORE – 13th placed AUGSBURG will face a tricky tie at 9th placed Hamburg who have only 1 defeat in their last 5 matches. It’s difficult to separate both teams going into this encounter but I believe both teams would get onto the score sheet. Both teams have already scored at least 19 goals this season so it’s safe to say they are not shy infront of goal.

Newfanzone Bookies Corner (Game Week 16)

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.

English Premier League

Aston Villa vs Arsenal- Arsenal Double Chance:

Aaron Ramsey
Arsenal Vs Liverpool
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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.

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE 2015/16 PREVIEW

With the start of the 2015/16 season a few hours away,it will be interesting to know which team will push for the Title,which will struggle and of course which will Suprise us by been the revelation of the season just like Southampton did in the outgoing EPL Season.

Newfanzone.com previews the season ahead by picking The Potential Title Challengers and The Probable Relegation Battlers.

TITLE CHALLENGERS

ARSENAL

PLAYER(s) IN: Cech,Dragomir

PLAYER (s) OUT: Szczesny,Akpom,Sanogo, Gnabry,Podolski.

Arsenal look to be in the form of their life going into this season as they have had an 100% Pre-season record. The Gunners have the compliment of their full squad with only Wilshire,Rosicky and Welbeck out with various injuries.

Arsene Wenger seem to have found the winning formula with wins against Defending champions Chelsea in the Community shield,coupled with wins over Lyon and German Super Cup champions Wolfsburg in the Emirates cup.

No doubt the French man will hope they start the season with a bang as they already lost the title to Chelsea before December after a poor start to last season where they had 2 wins in 7 games.

The signing of Cech has further made them solid defensively and if they can get a poacher like Benzema, coupled with the form of Coquelin,Ramsey,Carzorla, Ozil and Alexis the Gunners looks odds on favorite for the Title this season. Key thing is consistency and injury to key players if that is settled it seems the cup might remain in London but this time it will be at the Red side.

LIKELY POSITION: 1st

CHELSEA

PLAYER(s) IN: Falcao, Kennedy,Begovic.

PLAYER(s) OUT: Luis,Cech,Drogba,

The Defending champions have had a Pre-season to forget with no wins under 90mins of football and the defeat to their London rivals Arsenal in the Community Shield.

Jose Mourinho still has a strong team that can push for the title this season, but they have to hope Costa niggling hamstring does not force the striker to miss most of their games because in Falcao and Remy Chelsea might not have that striker that could get them 20 league goals this season.

Captain, John Terry has already acknowledge how tough defending their title will be this season but never bet against the Blues. In Hazard, Fabregas,Matic,Willian,Ramires they have one of the best Midfield in the world coupled with their disciplined defence line they will definitely push for the title.

LIKELY POSITION: 2nd

LIVERPOOL

PLAYER(s) IN: Benteke,Firminho,Clyne,Milner,Ings,Bogdan,Gomez,Allan.

PLAYER(s) OUT: Gerrard, Lambert, Jones,Wisdom,Johnson,Sterling,Coates.

Liverpool will want to forget all about last season’s campaign as it was a disappointing one in terms of transfers and also results in the pitch.

Brendan Rodgers have still gone ahead to make more signings this season but this time he has added good quality to his side.

With Gerrard no longer at Anfield the mantle of leadership rests upon young Jordan Henderson and it will be interesting to see how he leads the team as they will try to make an impression this season.

The loss of Sterling shouldn’t be a worry because in Firminho and Benteke they have proven goalscorers especially the Belgian who doesn’t need time to adapt to the demands of the EPL.

Their Achilles heel would be their defence as Rodgers has not signed any centre defensive backup so far in the transfer window. In Lovren, Sakho, Skrtel and Toure they have relatively good defenders
who on their day can repel the deadliest of attack forces. Rogers first seven away fixtures are pretty difficult and if the former Swansea manager does not set the ball rolling he might be the first manager to be axed after all he spent during the summer.

LIKELY POSITION: 5th

MANCHESTER CITY

PLAYER(s) IN: Sterling, Delph, Roberts

PLAYER(s) OUT: Dzeko, Jovetic, Milner,Richards,Sinclair.

Manchester city have surprisingly not done much in the market this season with only Sterling the big money signing they’ve made.

Pellegrini’s team had a decent Pre-season tour but they are no push overs when it comes to the title race. Players like Dzeko and Milner are gone but with Bony they have a good enough cover for star striker and last season top goal scorer Kun Aguero.

Sterling will definitely give City more penetration on the attack and the £49m pounds signing will have to hit the ground running immediately the season starts.

Manchester city stuttered at some point last season due to errors of their back line marshaled by Kompany and the dip in form of Yaya Toure. Pellegrini will hope these guys are fully fit and consistent as well as Aguero and the Spanish wizard Silva then they will definitely have a chance of winning the league title.

LIKELY POSITION: 3rd

MANCHESTER UNITED

PLAYER(s) IN: Depay, Schweinstiger, Schnierderlin, Romero,Darmian

PLAYER(s) OUT: Di Maria, Rafael,Van Persie.

Manchester United have made good signings so far this season mixing experience with youth.

Van Gaal has a bit of issues this season with De Gea trying to force his way out of Old Trafford, how he handles that is left to be seen.

United has failed to sign a Centre back so far despite being linked to Otamendi and Ramos which means they might have to rely on Smalling,Rojo,Jones and McNair who were not too impressive last season.

All eyes will be on Dutchman Memphis Depay who was recently given the No.7 jersey and touted to be the saviour of Manchester United this EPL campaign.

If there is anything United have this season is depth in squad especially in the midfield position but they need to add extra bodies forward with Rooney and Chicharito the recognized strikers.

For United to really challenge for the EPL title this season they need a goal machine and a rock defensively.

LIKELY POSITION: 4th.

RELEGATION BATTLERS

ASTON VILLA

PLAYER (s) IN : Gueye,Gestede,Ayew,Sinclair, Bunn,Amavi,Richards.

PLAYER (s) OUT: Benteke, Delph.

Aston Villa will likely stutter this season after allowing two key players leave this summer but they’ve spent well and shrewdly at that with players like Ayew and Gueye moving over to the Villians.

Tim Sherwood will hope his team gels quickly so as not to avoid the drop and Carles Gil and Jack Grealish continue from where they left off last season.

LIKELY POSITION: 17th

SUNDERLAND

PLAYER(s) IN : Mvilla,Kaboul,Lens,Alvarez,Coates,Matthews.

Sunderland escaped being relegated last season narrowly and they might not be lucky this campaign even though they’ve managed to retain Dick Advocat who was their Messiah last season.

Coates was massive for them last season In the defence and they hope they rake in points especially from their rivals in order to beat the drop once again.

LIKELY POSITION: 18th

BOURNEMOUTH

PLAYER (s) IN: Atsu,Gradel,Ming’s,Distin,King,Fedirichi,Boruc.

New boys Bournemouth aim will be to remain in the league next season. They had fantastic displays and scored loads of goals in the championship last season but this is the premiership. They’ve made good signings but it does not look like they would remain in the premiership after this season.

LIKELY POSITION: 19th

NORWICH

PLAYER (s) IN: Mulumbu,Dorrans,Brady,Kean,Wisdom

It good to see Carrow road host premier league games this season. The last time the Canaries played in the EPL they were a very tough side to beat with Players like Snodgrass, Morrison, Holt and Pilkington not forgetting Manger Paul Lambert.

This is a new Norwich side,the signings the Canaries have made thus far may not be able to push them from the drop zone.

LIKELY POSITION: 20th

You can make predictions indicating your top 4 teams and the 3 teams that will be relegated by sending your tweet to @Newfanzone and @Demydemo on twitter. The Newfanzone comes up every Saturday in City 105.1Fm from 2pm.