Macedonian TV Channels

Watch Macedonia in EuroBasket 2011

2011-08-30T05:09:00.000-07:00

Watch Macedonia in EuroBasket 2011.
31.08.2011 14:20 CET Macedonia - Montenegro

Live Streaming: Macedonia - Moldova

2009-02-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

Dont forget tomorrow at Macedonian TV Channels, Macedonia - Moldova, friendly match.

Live Streaming: Catania - Juventus Match Preview

2009-02-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

Watch this match and many other at Macedonian TV Channels.

Kick Off: Sunday February 8, Stadio Massimino.

Catania Sliding Down

After a fairly decent start to the season Catania began their roller-coaster ride. It really has been up and down for Walter Zenga's men; floating with the European places then back down towards the rougher end of the table. The coach has it all to do if his side are to survive this term. Any further slips ups could see him come under further scrutiny from unforgiving president Pietro Lo Monaco.

No fixture this season is likely to be tougher than the visit of Juventus and it's not the game the Rossoazzurri would have wanted having lost their last five on the bounce. Catania's last success came against Roma back in week 17, albeit in suspicious circumstances as the Etnei ran out 3-2 winners. The Sicilian outfit are just eight points above the relegation zone.

Zenga can take comfort from the fact that he was through all this last season, but he would prefer to avoid the same route if possible. Zenga's side have a good record against the Bianconeri. The reverse back in week four ended in a 1-1 draw.

Amauri had given Juve the lead in that match, but like on so many occasions this season, the Bianconeri allowed themselves to be pegged back as Giavinto Plasmati pounced to get the equalizer. The Massimino-based side will be hoping for a similar outcome this weekend, but Plasmati will not be there though; he joined Atalanta on loan during the January transfer window.

However, Zenga will be relying on Giuseppe Mascara and Michele Paolucci to do the business, both men have scored 12 goals between them this season. Nevertheless in their last three fixtures against the Old Lady, Catania have held Claudio Ranieri's men to a 1-1 draw in each, all those games have come within the last year.

Home form has been impressive. Seven wins, three losses and one draw at the Massimino this term, the defeats were against Inter, Udinese and Bologna. Zenga can take comfort that Juve head to Sicily with abject form on their shoulders in Serie A. The Turin-based side are winless in their last two Serie A games and the Sicilians will be confident of piling further woes on Juve.

Old Lady Looking Frail

It's not looking good for in the black and white half of Turin. Juve have failed to win maximum points in three of their last four Serie A games, such form has had the critics fire at Claudio Ranieri and the bookmakers have raised the odds over Scudetto chances at Vinovo.

The midweek win over Napoli in the Coppa Italia did nothing to change the recent views. Ranieri's side were lucky to win on penalties, and they escaped embarrassment thanks to the Partenopei's lack of confidence from twelve yards.

Catania away from home is not the game Juve would have liked, just ask Roma. However, with the Scudetto heading towards Inter, there is only won result which will matter to both coach and players, a win. A draw will not be good enough for the Bianconeri. They have already lost second place to Milan and high-flying Genoa are hot on their heels. Anything less than a win could even see the Old Lady's Champions League hopes in jeopardy.

A dark cloud is hanging over Ranieri, but the coach will be relieved to know he has the backing of the board, despite the recent drop in form. Juve's record away from home is nothing special and neither does it suggest championship winning form.

Five wins, three draws and a hat trick of losses have seen points being dropped on the road, many believe the team's Scudetto chances have evaporated, but the players and coach will be eager to silence the critics and get the hunt for the league back on the right track. The return from injury of David Trezeguet has boosted the team and the Frenchman could be the key against Catania.

The frailties will only turn into strength by reinforcing them with points and the Old Lady are desperate for them as the bag has been looking empty rather than full.

Form Guide

Catania

Feb 1: Atalanta 1-0 Catania

Jan 28: Catania 0-2 Inter

Jan 25: Genoa 1-1 Catania

Jan 18: Catania 1-2 Bologna

Jan 11: Napoli 1-0 Catania

Dec 21: Catania 3-2 Roma

Juventus

Jan 31: Juventus 2-3 Cagliari

Jan 28: Udinese 2-1 Juventus

Jan 24: Juventus 1-0 Fiorentina

Jan 18: Lazio 1-1 Juventus

Jan 11: Juventus 1-0 Siena

Dec 21: Atalanta 1-3 Juventus

Team News

Catania

Midfielder Pablo Ledesma is still in the treatment room. He has been training away from the rest of the squad as he is not ready for a full return to action. Zenga has no further injury or suspension concerns ahead of the Juve date and he is likely to stick with the same team which lost to Atalanta last week.

Probable Starting XI 4-3-3: Bizzarri, Silvestre, Terlizzi, Stovini, Capuano, Izco, Carboni, Baiocco, Morimoto, Paolucci, Mascara.

Juventus

The big blow this week was news that Paolo De Ceglie has been ruled out for six weeks after suffering from two fractured ribs. Gianluigi Buffon has recovered from flu and he should start. Claudio Marchisio is on his way back from a recent knock, but remains doubtful for Sunday. Jorge Andrade, Jonathan Zebina, Mauro Camoranesi, Hasan Salihamidzic, Giorgio Chiellini and Cristiano Zanetti are all injured. David Trezeguet could get the nod from the start.

Probable Starting XI 4-4-2: Buffon, Grygera, Legrottaglie, Mellberg, Molinaro, Marchionni, Sissoko, Poulsen, Nedved, Amauri, Del Piero.

Players To Watch

Catania: Keep an eye on Mascara. The hitman has been in hot form in training this week and will be looking to get on the score sheet against Juventus. Zdenek Grygera will need to be in top form on the right as he will come up against the quick wide man who will prowling and ready to scrap. His shooting is also deadly anywhere in and around the box.

Juventus: Amauri has scored 11 goals this term but he seems to have lost his touch in recent weeks. Ranieri put the Brazilian hitman through his paces this week with extra training sessions focussing on heading and shooting. The former Palermo man should, therefore, be ready for action and all fired up to bang some goals in.

Prediction

Both teams are desperate to bounce back albeit for very different reasons. Juve's Scudetto hopes could be dashed with a loss, while Serie B football will be looming for the Sicilians if they fail to bring home the points. The Massimino will be sold out and Juve will not like the passionate Sicilian crowd being the twelfth man for the opposition. However, the Old Lady have enough to come away from Catania with maximum points.

Catania 1-2 Juventus

Live Streaming: Roma – Genoa Match Preview

2009-02-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

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Kick-Off: Sunday 1 February, 15:00 CET. Stadio Olimpico, Rome.

Roman Sights Set On Fourth Place

The chances of Roma winning this season’s Scudetto have been non-existent for the large part of the season, mainly as a result of their dreadful form early on that saw them languish in the bottom four during the opening ten rounds.

In recent times, the Giallorossi have enjoyed an amazing resurgence in the league and, incredibly, victory this weekend will see them go level on points with their opponents, Genoa, who that currently occupy the fourth and final UEFA Champions League qualifying position.

Despite the fact that there is almost one half of the season to be played, the Romans can ill afford to lose this weekend. Defeat will see them slip six points behind their opponents, with 23 rounds of 38 played.

The capital outfit have made some important acquisitions in the past week, with Marco Motta and Souleymane Diamoutene joining the club from Udinese and Lecce respectively. With the number of injuries Roma are currently coping with in defence, these two men may be called upon immediately to make their mark at the club.

As always, the Stadio Olimpico has proven to be a difficult venue for the visiting clubs to attain points from this term; the Giallorossi have managed to win seven out of their ten home fixtures. Their only slip-up thus far has come against Inter, when they were hammered 4-0 midway through October.

The Giallorossi certainly have it all to play for in this match. They will be desperate to bounce back from their disappointing draw against the cellar dwellers of Reggina last weekend.

With this in mind, expect an inspired Roma outfit to take to the field this weekend, searching for a win that could take them within touching distance of Champions League football once again...

Genoa Keen To Extend Unbeaten Run

The surprise package of Serie A have gone from strength-to-strength this season. Genoa currently find themselves sitting pretty in fourth place, boasting 40 points to their name - just eight less than they recorded for the whole of last season.

Whilst the likes of Fiorentina, Napoli and Lazio have slipped down the table in recent times, the Rossoblu have been the one side that have maintained their incredible run of results over the course of the season.

In fact, Genoa are unbeaten in their past 12 league fixtures, whilst they have lost just once in their past 17, which was against Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin in mid-November.

They are undoubtedly one of the most in-form sides in the competition at present, and so they will certainly be a tough test for the Giallorossi this weekend.

The Grifoni easily defeated the Romans the last time these two sides met earlier in the season. They triumphed 3-1 at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, and so the visiting team can also be confident of overcoming their opponents.

If they are to play as they did earlier in the season this weekend, then there is no reason why they won’t be able to register a shock victory at the Stadio Olimpico. If they were to upset Roma, it would be a result that would make their quest for Champions League football a genuine possibility.

FORM GUIDE

Roma

February 1 v Reggina (A) DREW 2-2

January 28 v Palermo (H) WON 2-1

January 25 v Napoli (A) WON 3-0

January 21 v Inter (A) LOST 1-2 (Coppa Italia)

January 18 v Torino (A) WON 1-0

Genoa

February 1 v Palermo (H) WON 1-0

January 28 v Milan (A) DREW 1-1

January 25 v Catania (H) DREW 1-1

January 18 v Lecce (A) WON 2-0

January 13 v Inter (A) LOST 1-3 (Coppa Italia)

TEAM NEWS

Roma:

The latest news on the injury front for Roma concerns the injuries to Cicinho and John Arne Riise, who have both picked up knocks in the past week. Riise is set to miss the next month with an ankle injury, whilst the Brazilian has suffered from a slight contusion to his knee in training.

In addition to this, Marco Cassetti is one week through his three month lay off, which has been cause by a severe muscular strain. Vincenzo Montella is still out injured. Christian Panucci is unlikely to take part in this contest, despite making a public apology to the club for his recent outburst.

The club’s new signings Marco Motta and Souleymane Diamoutene may be required at some stage this weekend, and so it will be interesting to see how they fair on debut with the club.

Probable Starting XI – (4-3-1-2): Doni; Cicinho, Juan, Mexes, Tonetto; Brighi, De Rossi, Aquilani; Pizarro; Vucinic, Totti.

Genoa:

There has been no change whatsoever on the injury front for Genoa so coach Gian Piero Gasperini will have an unchanged squad at his disposal for this all important fixture. Matteo Paro and Alessio Scarpi both remain on the sidelines, as does Brazilian midfielder Thiago Motta, who will miss one more week with the minor muscular strain he picked up against Milan.

The side’s star man Diego Milito failed to train on Thursday due to a fever, however, the club remain optimistic that he will take part in this crucial fixture this weekend.

Possible Starting XI – (3-4-3): Rubinho; Biava, Ferrari, Bocchetti; Mesto, Milanetto, Juric, Criscito; Jankovic, Milito, Sculli.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Roma – Mirko Vucinic: The Montenegrin hitman will be aware of the significance of this clash this weekend, and so expect a match winning performance from the man who has scored seven goals to date this season. He is undoubtedly a big game player, and he has proven this on more than one occasion over the past few years. With this in mind, the Genoa defensive unit will need to closely monitor this player’s every move.

Genoa – Matteo Ferrari: The former Roma player will return to the Stadio Olimpico to face the Giallorossi for the first time since his departure in the summer. The 29-year-old defender spent three seasons with the capital club, and his knowledge and experience will be critical to the final result. He has already declared that he will do his utmost to overcome his former club this weekend.

PREDICTION

This match promises to be a thrilling battle between two of the form sides of the competition. Roma have everything to play for as they can ill afford to drop points at home. Genoa will be confident of doing the double over the Giallorossi following their impressive performance when these two sides last met earlier in the season. Having said this, the home ground advantage should be enough for Spalletti and his men to attain all three points.

Roma 2-1 Genoa

Live Streaming: Wigan Athletic - Fulham Match Preview

2009-02-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

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Kick-Off: Saturday, February 7, 15:00 (local time). JJB Stadium, Wigan.

Seventh Heaven

These are positive times for Wigan Athletic. Under Steve Bruce, who has done a superb job since taking charge after leaving Birmingham City last season, the club sit in the lofty heights of seventh in the Premier League.

If they can continue their current level of performance for the remaining 14 games of the league season, they will be in the running for a spot in next season’s Europa League, which would represent tremendous progress.

Key players Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey left the club in the January transfer window, but Bruce was able to hold on to the likes of Antonio Valencia, who reportedly rejected Real Madrid, and was able to replace the departed duo with players such as Mido, Hugo Rodallega, Charles N’Zogbia and Ben Watson.

The Latics will be confident of winning this game in front of their home fans after a spell of four Premier League games without a win, against difficult opposition.

They have only lost three times in twelve home games in this campaign and have the firepower and organisation to ensure that any visitors receive a tough day at the office.

Fulham have never won at the JJB Stadium, and if Bruce’s men can keep that record going on Saturday, it will be another step towards the completion of a very positive season.

Away Struggles

Last week’s victory over Portsmouth consolidated Fulham’s place in the Premier League’s top ten, and with Roy Hodgson’s men currently holding two games in hand on most of their immediate rivals, optimism of a good league finish will be high, with European qualification not out of the question.

Two new signings have been made, experienced midfielder Olivier Dacourt arriving at Craven Cottage along with Giles Barnes, who is on-loan from Derby Country, with a view to making the move permanent at the end of the season.

Traditionally, Fulham are very strong at home, and have big problems on their travels. The club have upheld that reputation this year, having lost only one out of eleven matches at home, and failing to win in their eleven fixtures away from Craven Cottage.

This year, though, they have made themselves harder to beat on the road, securing five draws, mostly goalless, including against the likes of Liverpool and Aston Villa. But the fact just three goals have been scored in those eleven encounters will surely concern Hodgson.

Fulham have games at home to West Bromwich Albion, Hull City and Blackburn Rovers in their upcoming fixtures, all games they will be confident of winning. Therefore, even if they continue to struggle away from home, their overall progress should not be hampered too heavily.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wigan - Mido

Mido has made a bright start for Wigan since joining the club from Middlesbrough in January. After scoring in his debut against Liverpool, the striker will be looking forward to developing a goal-scoring partnership with his Egypt international team-mate, Amr Zaki.

Fulham – Mark Schwarzer

Fulham don’t tend to score many goals away from home, so if they are to return to west London with anything from their trip to Wigan, ever-present goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer will have to be on top of his game. The Cottagers have conceded an average of less than a goal a game this season, and will be keen to keep that record going.

FORM GUIDE

Wigan

Jan 31 Aston Villa 0-0 Wigan (Premier League)
Jan 28 Wigan 1-1 Liverpool (Premier League)
Jan 17 Manchester City 1-0 Wigan (Premier League)
Jan 14 Manchester United 1-0 Wigan (Premier League)
Jan 11 Wigan 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)

Fulham

Jan 31 Fulham 3-1 Portsmouth (Premier League)
Jan 27 Sunderland 1-0 Fulham (Premier League)
Jan 24 Kettering 2-4 Fulham (FA Cup)
Jan 18 West Ham 3-1 Fulham (Premier League)
Jan 03 Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Fulham (FA Cup)

TEAM NEWS

Wigan

Wigan are set to receive a double boost with Amr Zaki and Antonio Valencia, two key players, expected to shake off injuries to start the match.

Charles N'Zogbia is set to make his debut on the left wing after signing from Newcastle United in a £6 million deal last week.

Previous XI (0-0 Away V Aston Villa): Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Boyce, Figueroa, De Ridder, Cattermole, Scharner, Brown, Koumas, Mido.

Fulham

New Fulham signings Olivier Dacourt and Giles Barnes have both been included in the match-day squad ahead of the game at the JJB Stadium, although it remains to be seen whether they will start the match on the substitutes' bench.

Diomansy Kamara is nearing a return, although this game will come too soon, while Chris Baird has tonsillitis and is definitely out.

Previous XI (3-1 Home V Portsmouth): Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Dempsey, Etuhu, Murphy, Davies, Zamora, Johnson.

PREDICTION

At the start of the season you would have got long odds on these two clubs battling it out for a European spot, with both expected to be fighting relegation, so a lot of credit must go to both managers.

The two teams have performed superbly overall, but both will be looking to kick on now after some inconsistent results of late, albeit against difficult opposition.

Fulham’s away record leaves a lot to be desired, and, for me, Wigan are an impressive outfit capable of picking up the three points here.

Wigan 1-0 Fulham

Live streaming: Blackburn Rovers – Aston Villa Match Preview

2009-02-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

Watch this match and many others at Macedonian TV Channels.

Kick-Off: Saturday, February 7, 15.00 GMT.
Ewood Park, Blackburn.

Sitting Pretty

Despite being held to a goalless draw last time out, Aston Villa remain in fourth place in the Premier League, five points ahead of Arsenal and looking increasingly like securing Champions League football next season.

Martin O’Neill’s men also confirmed their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup in midweek, comfortably beating Championship side Doncaster Rovers, albeit in a replay at Villa Park.

Next up for the Villans is the chance to secure a club record seventh successive away win, against a team in the relegation zone and on a ground when they triumphed 4-0 last season.

Holy Grail

Whilst O’Neill was thrilled to see his side overcome Doncaster on Wednesday night and book themselves an FA Cup last 16 tie with Everton, he has this week admitted that the Premier League remains Villa’s ‘Holy Grail’.

With that in mind, the Irishman managed to rest several key players against Doncaster, including Gabriel Agbonlahor, Gareth Barry, James Milner and Brad Friedel ahead of Saturday’s fixture.

With Emile Heskey now on the books and the likes of Ashley Young and John Carew back in the squad, Villa possess real strength in depth and their current position may well have added strength to Arsenal’s desire to recruit Andrey Arshavin.

Whilst Ewood Park is not the easiest away ground to visit, the Midlanders' away form is lethal, and with the chance to, temporarily at least, move level on points with Liverpool, who play later in the day, a fit and relatively fresh Villa squad will surely be relishing their trip north.

Stopping The Rot

However, whilst Blackburn remain mired in trouble, sitting in the drop zone and indeed only one point off the bottom, Sam Allardyce’s men are on a decent run of form.

Rovers are unbeaten in their last nine games, since ‘Big Sam’ took over, and haven’t suffered defeat since the beginning of December when Wigan Athletic triumphed 3-0.

Furthermore, the Ewood Park outfit tasted FA Cup success in midweek, with a 2-1 victory over Sunderland,

The win means they will now play Championship side Coventry City at home in the fifth round and they will fancy their chances of reaching the quarter-finals of the competition.

Santa Cruz Stays

Whilst the cup will prove a welcome distraction to Rovers’ season, Premier League survival remains the priority.

Allardyce received a welcome boost this week after managing to keep hold of star striker Roque Santa Cruz, despite strong interest from Manchester City.

Although it looks unlikely the Paraguayan will remain at Ewood Park beyond this season, with the transfer window closed and his immediate future now confirmed, Blackburn will be hoping to he can reproduce last season’s form.

Santa Cruz hit 19 goals in the league last term, and whilst he has managed only a paltry three in this campaign, the Ewood Park faithful will now be hoping he can add to this tally and provide the goals that will see them to safety.

FORM GUIDE

Blackburn Rovers
Feb 4: Blackburn 2-1 Sunderland
Jan 31: Middlesbrough 0-0 Blackburn
Jan 28: Blackburn 2-2 Bolton
Jan 24: Sunderland 0-0 Blackburn
Jan 17: Blackburn 3-0 Newcastle

Aston Villa
Feb 4: Aston Villa 3-1 Doncaster Rovers
Jan 31: Aston Villa 0-0 Wigan Athletic
Jan 27: Portsmouth 0-1 Aston Villa
Jan 24: Doncaster 0-0 Aston Villa
Jan 17: Sunderland 1-2 Aston Villa

TEAM NEWS

Blackburn Rovers

Brett Emerton is out for the season but Allardyce could hand new signing El Hadji Diouf a first Rovers start.

Possible Starting XI: Robinson, Ooijer, Nelsen, Samba, Warnock, Dunn, Diouf, Grella, Pedersen, McCarthy, Roque Santa Cruz.

Aston Villa

After resting a number of key players in midweek, O’Neill will welcome back the likes of Gareth Barry, Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milner to his starting lineup.

Emile Heskey is also likely to return meaning fit again John Carew may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Possible Starting XI: Friedel, Cuellar, Knight, Davies, Luke Young, Ashley Young, Petrov, Barry, Milner, Heskey, Agbonlahor.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Blackburn Rovers – Roque Santa Cruz

Blackburn managed to resist the advances of Manchester City and hold on to striker Roque Santa Cruz in the transfer window, which may prove to be a vital bit of non-business.

Whilst the former Bayern Munich man appeared to be keen on linking up with former boss Mark Hughes, he remains at Ewood Park and in the midst of a relegation battle.

Although he has managed only three goals in the Premier League so far this season, Sam Allardyce must now be hoping the Paraguayan can score the goals that will keep relegation at bay

Aston Villa – Ashley Young

Ashley Young returns to Premier League action for the first time since he picked up a red card, and a three match ban, at the Stadium of Light.

Whilst Villa have maintained their place in the top four without their talisman, he was missed last week against Wigan Athletic, who ground out a goalless draw at Villa Park.

Young returned, and was surprisingly named as captain, in midweek in the FA Cup win against Doncaster, and his invention will surely be required to break down what promises to be a stubborn Rovers defence.

PREDICTION

Recent form and home advantage suggest Blackburn will be a tough challenge for Villa, but if they are intent on finishing in the top four, this is surely a must-win game for O’Neill’s men.

Both sides were in action in midweek, albeit with much changed squads, although Rovers were required to play extra-time which could prove a factor.

Villa, meanwhile, have the opportunity of claiming a club record and the chance to move level with Liverpool on Saturday, which suggests they may just hand ‘Big Sam’ his first defeat as Blackburn boss.

Blackburn Rovers 1-3 Aston Villa

Live streaming: Manchester City - Middlesbrough Match Preview

2009-02-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

Watch this game and many sport events at Macedonian TV Channels.

Kick-Off: Saturday February 7, 12:45 GMT, City of Manchester Stadium

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

The Manchester City squad cannot seem to get on the same page as each other following a busy and turbulent January transfer window. After signing some £40 million worth of new talent, Mark Hughes has been busy as ever in his managerial duties. City's 2-1 win over Newcastle was marred by concerns surrounding Robinho’s sexual assault accusation, and the bad behaviour continued as Micah Richards was arrested and questioned on suspicion of assault shortly after the 1-0 loss to Stoke for an incident that occurred on Christmas Eve. City face a number of on-and-off the field problems, which Hughes will be hoping the squad can put behind them by putting away a struggling Middlesbrough side. However, Sparky will be well aware that Boro have undone City by a score-line of 10-1 in their last two successive league meetings.

Shay Given should make his debut for the Citizens as Joe Hart begins the unfamiliar role of an understudy for the first time in well over a year. Hughes spoke out about his concern at the team’s lack of an experienced keeper, with Hart still quite young in goalkeeping terms. Hughes will be depending on Given to marshal his back line that has conceded just three less goals than the relegation-zoned Teeside visitors. Shaun Wright-Phillips should feature after escaping a possible retroactive ban by the FA for violent conduct against Rory Delap last week, which could begin a league uproar with the winger’s marginal “violent” reaction in contrast with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jose Bosingwa’s unpunished antics last weekend.

In Some Trouble

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate’s side is in some trouble, with an astounding 12 game’s played without a win as they sit second from the bottom. No team has gone longer without victory in the Premier League this season, but Southgate will feel good when he looks at Boro’s recent results against the Citizens and knows there are other sides who are struggling for points at the bottom of the table. Middlesbrough are the kryptonite that has plagued Manchester City’s super-rich side recently, but with Boro unable to score in their last three, they will have to come up with goals somehow in this affair.

Last weekend Brad Jones took over for Ross Turnbull in nets and impressed in the 0-0 draw with Blackburn. Jones should retain his place in the starting XI as Southgate searches for a long-term servant for the number one jersey. The departure of Mido paved the way for Marlon King to be brought in on loan by Southgate, in hopes that the English-born Jamaican can bring some goal-scoring prowess to his underachieving side.

FORM GUIDE

Manchester City

Blackburn 2-2 Man City (EPL)
Man City 0-3 Forest (FA)
Man City 1-0 Wigan (EPL)
Man City 2-1 Newcastle (EPL)
Stoke 1-0 Man City (EPL)

Middlesbrough

Boro 1-1 Sunderland (EPL)
West Brom 3-0 Boro (EPL)
Wolves 1-2 Boro (FA)
Chelsea 2-0 Boro (EPL)
Boro 0-0 Blackburn (EPL)

TEAM NEWS

Manchester City

Hughes will be able to select Shaun Wright-Phillips ahead of his possible ban and Shay Given for his debut in this tie, and is only without long-term absentees Martin Petrov, Valeri Bojinov and Michael Johnson. Bojinov should return to full training next week after an extended stay on the sidelines with a torn Achilles.

Daniel Sturridge and Benjani have recovered from their respective knocks and could return to the side who will look to improve on their goalless loss last weekend.

Richard Dunne will miss out as he serves the last game of his three-match suspension.

Squad: Given, Hart, Zabaleta, Onuoha, Richards, Bridge, Ball, Garrido, Ben Haim, Wright-Phillips, Kompany, Fernandes, De Jong, Elano, Ireland, Robinho, Sturridge, Bellamy, Vassell, Caicedo.

Probable XI: Given, Richards, Onuoha, Kompany, Bridge, Zabaleta, De Jong, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Robinho, Bellamy.

Middlesbrough

Southgate will be relieved at the return of Didier Digard and Gary O'Neil from their suspensions as the gaffer looks to seal his first win of the new year.

Brad Jones should get the nod ahead of Ross Turnbull, while Afonso Alves will want to add to his two goals he has already scored against Manchester City this season. Marlon King could also feature as an extra goal scoring threat.

Andrew Taylor and Jeremie Aliadiere are out with ankle injuries but the French striker should return sooner rather than later.

Squad: Jones, Turnbull, McMahon, Hoyte, Huth, Pogatetz, Riggott, Wheater, Bennett, Digard, O'Neil, Bates, Shawky, Tuncay, Downing, Arca, A Johnson, Porritt, King, Alves, Emnes.

Probable XI: Jones, McMahon, Pogatetz, Riggott, Wheater, Johnson, Downing, Digard, O’Neil, Tuncay, Alves.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester City

After a scoreless loss last week, the focus will fall on the Manchester City’s offence this week and their creative maestro Stephen Ireland. The Citizens' player of the season has been on fire this campaign, and the rest of the team seem to depend on the young Irishman.

Middlesbrough

With goals being the main problem on Teeside, Afonso Alves will look to find the back of the net against a side he’s already put two past this season. The Brazilian was brought to Boro with a host of goal-scoring expectations after prolific displays in for Heerenveen, but has failed to hit full stride in England.

PREDICTION

Gareth Southgate needs a win if he is to potentially avoid a relegation battle, and after coming out of the January transfer window with most of his squad intact, he will be expected by the Middlesbrough board to bring the boys out of trouble. Mark Hughes is under pressure after spending large sums in January to better the Citizens mid-table position, but with a host of off-field problems the Sky Blues could have a lot on their plate.

Shay Given should bring the experience Hughes was looking for to the side as the goalkeeper has been in shining form this season. Perhaps with a 12-year Premier League veteran in their side, City could improve in their goals conceded tally that has been a large stumbling block for the relatively high-scoring side. Middlesbrough have the last few results against City in their favour, but with their inability to score matched with City’s solid home form and revamped side, the Citizens should begin their ascent up the table instead of down towards Boro’s lowly spot.

Man City 2-1 Middlesbrough

Live Streaming: Lecce - Inter Match Preview

2009-02-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

Watch this and many matches at Macedonian TV Channels.

Kick-Off: Saturday February 7, 18:00 CET, Stadio Del Mare, Lecce
Inter Still Not Convincing

Jose Mourinho’s Inter haven’t looked like the same since the new year started. Although they have won twice in Serie A and twice in the Coppa Italia in 2009, their only truly convincing performance came in the away match against Catania, and they ruined the momentum built up by that game with a dire 1-1 home draw against lowly Torino.

In that match against the Granata, Inter had a chance to move eight points clear on top of the table after Juventus fell to a 3-2 home defeat to Cagliari. Instead, they played a bland first half, displaying none of the aggression and desire that they showed in the match at Catania just a few days before, and only improving after Torino opened the scoring early in the second half. Although they ended up missing a hatful of chances and hitting the woodwork twice, it was only right that Inter did not pick up three points as they once again failed to put in a convincing performance.

It seems clear that when the Nerazzurri don’t play with maximum concentration and motivation, or when they are not completely fit, they can struggle and lose points against just about any team. The team relies too heavily on the individual performances of players such as Maicon, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Esteban Cambiasso, and Walter Samuel for their success, without having a well-oiled, recognisable style of play.

This lack of real quality football has always come back to haunt Inter on the European stage, while in Serie A their pragmatic, physical, aggressive style of play has been enough to see them triumph over the last few years. Of course, it’s no secret Mourinho was brought in to make the team succeed in the Champions League, but so far the team have struggled badly in Europe, losing twice in probably the easiest group in the competition, and in Serie A they have six points less than this time last season. They will need to step it up considerably if they are to have any chance against Manchester United next month.

That they are still six points clear at the top of the table indicates that this is a season without a truly dominant and convincing side. Juve have been showing all of their limitations in their most recent matches, losing successive games against Udinese and Cagliari, while Milan have been playing perhaps the best football, but have yet to show the consistency to get more than two or three victories in a row and play as well against the small teams as against the big guns.

Getting a win in this match against an in-form Lecce side would be absolutely vital for Inter to put pressure on second-placed Milan, who have an easy-looking match at home against Reggina, while third-placed Juventus travel to Catania.

Lecce In Confident Mood Following Siena Victory

After failing to record a single away victory before the Christmas break, Lecce broke their duck in the first match of the new year with a memorable 2-1 victory away to Fiorentina. Last weekend, in another match played in Tuscany, they repeated the feat, beating Siena 2-1.

Those somewhat unexpected triumphs have allowed Lecce to steer four points clear of the relegation zone, but their home form is starting to get worrying. Their last win at the Stadio Via Del Mare came back on 28 September, when they beat Cagliari 2-0. They also recently allowed Torino to come away with a 3-3 draw after leading for most of the match.

Aside from that victory against Fiorentina, Lecce have managed to trouble the big teams regularly this season, losing only to late goals against Inter at San Siro, against Juventus at home, and holding Milan to a 1-1 draw in Lecce. That said, they also lost 3-0 to both Roma and Napoli, but considering Inter’s unconvincing current form, there’s little chance they will win as comfortably as those teams did.

The Nerazzurri’s recent history at the Via Del Mare stadium also doesn’t give them much reason to be overly optimistic, as they have frequently stumbled to draws or even defeats, such as in the 2003/2004 and 1999/2000 seasons.

Due to the Giallorossi’s period in Serie B, their most recent home match against Inter was in January 2006, when they were beaten 2-0 thanks to goals by Luis Figo and Dejan Stankovic in the last 15 minutes of the match.

FORM GUIDE

Lecce

01/02 (Serie A): Siena-Lecce 1-2

28/01 (Serie A): Chievo-Lecce 1-1

25/01 (Serie A): Lecce-Torino 3-3

18/01 (Serie A): Lecce-Genoa 0-2

11/01 (Serie A): Fiorentina-Lecce 1-2

Inter

01/02 (Serie A): Inter-Torino 1-1

28/01 (Serie A): Catania-Inter 0-2

25/01 (Serie A): Inter-Sampdoria 1-0

21/01 (Coppa Italia): Inter-Roma 2-1

18/01 (Serie A): Atalanta-Inter 3-1

TEAM NEWS

Lecce

Gianni Munari and Giuseppe Vives are injured, while Guillermo Giacomazzi is suspended.

Possible formation (4-3-3): Benussi; Polenghi, Stendardo, Fabiano, Esposito; Ardito, Edinho, Ariatti; Papa Waigo, Castillo, Tiribocchi.

Inter

Adriano will complete his three-match suspension after this one, but him aside Mourinho has a full squad available. At the time of writing it’s unknown whether Mario Balotelli will be called back into the squad for this one.

Possible formation (4-3-1-2): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Samuel, Maxwell; Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari; Stankovic; Ibrahimovic, Cruz.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jose Castillo (Lecce)

The 33-year-old striker Lecce signed last summer from Serie B side Pisa is the team’s top scorer so far, with six goals. This is his first season in Serie A, after a long career in lower league South American and Italian clubs. Since his arrival in the peninsula, however, the Argentinean has scored 126 goals in 230 matches, so perhaps his success in the top flight is not entirely surprising.

Dejan Stankovic (Inter)

After nearly sealing a shock transfer to Juventus last summer, the Serbian midfielder has been playing one of his best seasons ever for Inter. His 2007/2008 season was particularly disappointing, so his return to form will no doubt please the fans, as with his skill, intelligence, and terrific shooting, he is essential to Inter’s attacking moves.

PREDICTION

It could be a tricky evening for Inter, but they should still be able to win this one as they have been at their best playing away from home so far this season, with the exception of the match at Atalanta.

Lecce-Inter 0-1

Live Streaming: Milan - Reggina Match Preview

2009-02-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

Watch many sport events at macedoniantv.blogspot.com

Kick-Off: Saturday, February 7, 20:30 CET. San Siro, Milan

Movin’ On Up

Milan are in second place in the Serie A, having overtaken Juventus following last Sunday night’s 3-0 pasting of Lazio, in Rome no less. That win keeps Milan six points behind Serie A leaders Inter.

The victory was achieved with a performance that was more simplistic than it should have been. Lazio tried to attack and win the match, but Christian Abbiati was superb when called upon between the posts for Milan. Also, Milan were able to limit the involvement of Mauro Zarate, who had given the Rossoneri plenty of trouble the first time around earlier in the season.

Most surprising of all, however, is the way that David Beckham played, assisting on the first two goals. Beckham has sparkled since arriving in Italy for resumption of play after the winter break. And he was again decisive in this match. He beat the offside trap and put in a perfect pass to Alexandre Pato for the first goal just before half-time.

On the second goal, which occurred shortly after play restarted following the break, Beckham floated in a free kick to the back post that Massimo Ambrosini headed in with authority.

The third goal was scored by Kaka, who has three goals in the three matches played since he rejected the mammoth offer to join Manchester City.

The embarrassment of riches in attack for Milan at the moment could be set to decrease in the near future, however. David Beckham is slated to return to America in early March unless his lawyers can find a loophole in his contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS.

Going Down

Now in their seventh consecutive season in Serie A, it appears as though Reggina could be on their way back to the Serie B for the first time since the 2001-02 season. They are bottom of the table currently, with seven points separating them from safety.

After four straight seasons of forty or more points, Reggina only have a paltry fifteen from twenty-two matches played this season. Predictably, their away form is much worse than at home. From 11 encounters on the road, they have been victorious just once and have lost on eight occasions. However, the most shocking statistic of all is that they have scored only three goals in those 11 away matches.

In this current match, they will be hard fought to get any points at all. Milan will surely try to put the shackles on Bernardo Corradi, who has scored nearly half of Reggina’s goals this term― he has nine to his credit.

Add to that the fact that Reggina favor a three-man defence, and things could be quite difficult for the southern Italian side.

FORM GUIDE

Milan

11/01 (Serie A): Roma 2-2 Milan

17/01 (Serie A): Milan 1-0 Fiorentina

25/01 (Serie A): Bologna 1-4 Milan

28/01 (Serie A): Milan 1-1 Genoa

01/02 (Serie A): Lazio 0-3 Milan

Reggina

11/01 (Serie A): Reggina 2-3 Lazio

17/01 (Serie A): Siena 1-0 Reggina

24/01 (Serie A): Reggina 0-1 Chievo

28/01 (Serie A): Torino 0-0 Reggina

01/02 (Serie A): Reggina 2-2 Roma

TEAM NEWS

Milan

Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Marco Borriello and Kakhaber Kaladze are injured. Having not yet made an appearance this season, Nesta is training hard to get fit and could be back on the pitch soon.

Mathieu Flamini and Paolo Maldini both return from suspension, while Andrea Pirlo is suspended for receiving a yellow card against Lazio last weekend. Daniele Bonera is facing suspension should he be cautioned.

Possible Formation (4-3-2-1): Abbiati; Zambrotta, Bonera, Maldini, Jankulovski; Beckham, Flamini, Ambrosini; Kaka, Seedorf; Pato

Reggina

The visitors will have to do without the services of Luca Vigiani, Emmanuel Cascione, Franco Brienza and Antonio Giosa, who are all injured.

They have no suspended players, but Andrea Costa, Francesco Cozza and Maurizio Lanzaro are facing suspension if they get cautioned.

Possible Formation (3-5-2): Campagnolo; Lanzaro, Valdez, Santos; Krajcik, Barilla, Cozza, Carmona, Costa; Di Gennaro, Corradi

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Milan

Despite scoring against Lazio last Sunday, Kaka was ineffective in that match and the previous one versus Genoa. However, that goal against Lazio was well taken, and could be the push he needed to get out of whatever lull in his play he was experiencing.

Amazingly, David Beckham continues to turn back the years and put in fantastic performances on the right wing. His two assists in Rome in the last match were both pinpoint passes for his teammates to easily score from close range.

Reggina

Bernardo Corradi is the main target in attack, but don’t discount Davide Di Gennaro. He was seen as ‘one for the future’ while coming up in the Milan youth system before being included in the deal that brought Marco Borriello back to Milan last summer. Still co-owned by Milan― along with Genoa, and on-loan with Reggina― he will definitely be eager to show Milan what they are missing.

PREDICTION

The goals have been flying in for Milan this year, as they have scored eleven times in five matches this year. The three-man backline of Reggina will struggle against the Milan attack, and it will show in the final score.

Milan 3-0 Reggina

Live streaming: Bundesliga Konferenz Match Preview

2009-02-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

Friday 6th February (all times local)

20:30 Arminia Bielefeld – Hertha Berlin

Saturday 7th February

15:30 Schalke 04 – Werder Bremen
15:30 Karlsruher SC – Hamburger SV
15:30 Bayer Leverkusen – VfB Stuttgart
15:30 VfL Wolfsburg – VfL Bochum
15:30 Borussia Moenchengladbach – 1899 Hoffenheim
15:30 Eintracht Frankfurt – 1.FC Koeln

Sunday 8th February

17:00 Energie Cottbus - Hannover
17:00 Bayern Munich – Borussia Dortmund

Arminia Bielefeld – Hertha Berlin

Hertha Berlin will (like Hamburg did last week) have the chance to go top of the table for a short while at least with a win in the Friday evening encounter with Bielefeld.

Arminia though will go into the match with an extra spring in their step and added confidence following their rather surprising away win last weekend over Werder Bremen. Markus Schuler should return from suspension so Radim Kucera may switch to the centre of defence with Markus Bollman dropping to the bench.

Hertha began 2009 with a home win over Eintracht Frankfurt with Marko Pantelic grabbing both goals. The prolific Serbian however will be missing with a knee injury meaning Raffael will play up front with Andriy Voronin.

Arne Friedrich is also a doubt with a back injury, so Kaka is on standby. Marko Babic could be set for his debut.

Schalke 04 – Werder Bremen

This clash of the so-called titans sees both clubs further down the table than they would like, and with the pressure to get three points mounting on both trainers. Schalke are currently 9th whereas Werder are right behind them in 10th.

The Koenigsblauen came away from the AWD Arena last Saturday wondering how on earth they hadn’t won the game after creating numerous chances. They didn’t convert any though and lost to a solitary goal from Sergio Pinto.

Orlando Engelaar looks set to come into the midfield to replace Fabian Ernst, who signed for Besiktas in the transfer window.

Werder got 2009 off to a poor start losing 2-1 at home to Arminia Bielefeld last Sunday. How times have changed. The corresponding fixture last season saw Werder win 8-1.

Diego and Claudio Pizarro are both still serving bans following their red cards against Karlsruhe at the end of last year. Naldo will however return to the defence, with Daniel Jensen also possibly coming in for Jurica Vranjes.

Karlsruher SC – Hamburger SV

Hamburg announced themselves as serious title contenders last week with their 1-0 win over Bayern Munich. A defensively sound performance against the Bavarians saw the Rothosen top of the table for a few hours and they will want to return to the summit as soon as possible.

Martin Jol added four players in the transfer window so expect to see a few of them on the bench this weekend. Ivica Olic remains suspended, while Bastian Reinhardt is also missing with the foot injury suffered last week.

Karlsruhe trainer Edmund Becker is refusing to hit the panic button after watching his side lose to Bochum last weekend, but it doesn’t look good for the Baden club at the moment, sitting as they do down in 16th, just two points above bottom side Moenchengladbach.

Mahir Saglik could be set to make his debut for KSC up front.

Bayer Leverkusen – VfB Stuttgart

Leverkusen play their first match in their new temporary 'home' at the LTU Arena in Dusseldorf, with Stuttgart the visitors. The Werkself were held to a point last week against Dortmund so will want to take all three and keep pace at the top of the table.

Bruno Labbadia has Brazilian defender Henrique fit again after he was a late withdrawal last weekend. He should take the place of Lukas Sinkiewicz.

Stuttgart recovered well from their 5-1 hammering in the Cup at the hands of Bayern with a hard-fought 2-0 home win over Moenchengladbach last Saturday.

The question trainer Markus Babbel has to answer is how to line up his attacking midfielders. He either keeps faith with Jan Simak and Martin Lanig, or he could bring in Roberto Hilbert, Yildiray Basturk, or Elson.

VfL Wolfsburg – VfL Bochum

It was Wolfsburg’s form in the second half of last season which saw them make it into the UEFA Cup places and trainer Felix Magath will be hoping for more of the same at the start of 2009.

Last week however the Wolves were held by Koeln, so he will be demanding three points this week at home to Bochum. Grafite is a slight worry with a knee problem, so Japanese attacker Okubo could fill in.

Bochum climbed out of the drop-zone last weekend with their win over fellow strugglers Karlsruhe and will be keen to put some more distance between themselves and the bottom three.

Marcel Koller will in all likelihood keep faith with the same XI that beat Karlsruhe last weekend with Joel Epalle playing behind the strikers and Mimoun Azaouagh on the right.

Borussia Moenchengladbach – 1899 Hoffenheim

It is top versus bottom at the Borussia Park this weekend with 27 points separating Hoffenheim and Moenchengladbach. The two promoted sides have enjoyed wholly differing seasons with the Hoff at the summit and the Fohlen in the basement.

Gladbach got off to a losing start last weekend, eventually going down to a 2-0 defeat at the Mercedes-Benz Arena to Stuttgart. Hans Meyer will be without Brazilian defender Dante as he recovers from injury so Steve Gohouri and Roel Brouwers will form the central defensive partnership.

Hoffenheim began life in their new stadium with a win over Energie Cottbus with debutant striker Boubacar Sanogo on target. Ralf Rangnick will be demanding another three points against a struggling Fohlen side as the Hoffenheim fairy tale continues.

Chinedu Obasi returned to training on Wednesday but it seems unlikely that he will be rushed back into action and may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Eintracht Frankfurt – 1.FC Koeln

Eintracht Frankfurt host Koeln at the Commerzbank Arena with both sides looking for their first wins of 2009. The Adler went down to a 2-1 defeat last week to Hertha Berlin, whereas Koeln held Wolfsburg to a point at the Rhein-Energie Stadion.

The promoted side are currently above Frankfurt in the table and it will be interesting to see whether that remains the case for much longer. Friedhelm Funkel may opt to bring Markus Proell back into goal, while Aleksandar Vasoski could make an appearance on the bench after a long injury lay-off.

Christoph Daum will welcome back top scorer Milivoje Novakovic after he missed last week's game through suspension, so the question just remains as to who partners him. Sergiu Radu scored last week and is better defensively than Manasseh Ishiaku, so he could get the nod.

Energie Cottbus – Hannover

Cottbus, as expected, are in a relegation fight, and losing to Hoffenheim last week came hot on the heels of their DFB Pokal exit. With a home game this weekend, trainer Bojan Prasnikar will be demanding three points to give the lausitzer something to build on in the coming weeks.

Cvitanovic and Timo Rost have slight knocks so Savo Pavicevic and Ivica Iliev are ready to fill in.

Hannover rather fortunately came away with all three points from their encounter with Schalke last week. Dieter Hecking still has a long injury list and now Hanno Balitsch is ill so he may have to reshuffle once more.

Bayern Munich – Borussia Dortmund

The final match of the round sees Bayern Munich hosting Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena on Sunday.

The Bavarians dearly wanted to get 2009 off to a winning start in the league after their trouncing of Stuttgart in the Cup, but came unstuck against Hamburg last Friday, losing 1-0. At home this weekend, nothing less than a win will do for Juergen Klinsmann’s side.

The Dortmunder held them to a 1-1 draw in the return fixture this season, although Bayern did thrash Dortmund 5-0 last season at the Allianz Arena shortly before the DFB Pokal final.

Klinsmann has both Hamit Altintop and Tim Borowski chomping at the bit to start and if Miroslav Klose doesn’t recover from his injury knock, then Landon Donovan will make his Bundesliga debut alongside Luca Toni.

Dortmund for their part performed well last week in holding Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-1 draw and face a tough task getting anything from their trip south.

Juergen Klopp welcomes Tamas Hajnal back following suspension, while Blaszczykowski could make an appearance following injury alongside Alexander Frei in attack.

Live Streaming: Handball 21 January

2009-01-20T19:20:00.000-08:00

Today we have a lot games from the World Handball Championship in Croatia. The biggest event is Macedonia - Germany for us Macedonians. Our national team won over Poland the finalist in the last championship in 2007. Therefor now the Macedonians will know that they must win to keep their chances high for going to the next round.

The schedule for today is:

Australia vs Romania
Algeria vs Russia
Cuba vs Korea
Hungary vs Argentina
Macedonia vs Germany
Sweden vs Kuwait
Slovakia vs France
Poland vs Tunisia
Spain vs Croatia

You can watch the games live and free from Croatia 2009 at Macedonian TV Channels.

Live streaming: Croatia - South Korea

2009-01-15T15:44:00.000-08:00

Today starts the world handball championship in Croatia. Macedonian TV Channels as all other main events give you opportunity to watch the event.

The first game is Croatia and South Korea. You will be able to watch the game here and live.

So 20:30 CET at Macedonian TV Channels.

Live Streaming: World Men Handball Championship, Watch Macedonia!

2009-01-08T15:06:00.000-08:00

The World Men Handball Champinship starts in few days. The host nation will be Croatia. Our Macedonia plays in a group with Germany, Poland, Russia, Tunisia and Algeria.

The tournament starts at 16 january 2008 with the game Croatia - South Korea.

You can see live and free whole matches in which Macedonia will play, therefor here is the schedule for the groups.

Saturday 17. January 2009
Group C Macedonia : Tunisia

Sunday 18. January 2009
Group C Algeria : Macedonia

Monday 19. January 2009
Group C Poland : Macedonia

Wednesday 21. January 2009
Group C Macedonia : Germany

Thursday 22. January 2009
Group C Macedonia : Russia

There will be other games from the tournament, just stay tuned with Macedonian TV Channels.

Live streaming: Marseille – Atlético Madrid Preview

2008-12-09T06:16:00.001-08:00

Watch the matches with Macedonian TV Channels. Live and free!

Atlético Madrid travel to Marseille this week for a game which will play some part in deciding who finishes top in Group D and who qualifies for the UEFA Cup. The French side only have to match the result of PSV Eindhoven to ensure their European dream lives on, albeit in a different competition, whilst Atlético will have to better the result of Liverpool to guarantee they finish top…

Bad Blood

This fixture might be deciding European qualification on the pitch but, nevertheless, it has drawn more attention for the events off the field that followed the first meeting in Madrid. That game, which ended with the home side winning 2-1, was marred by crowd trouble and just recently a chief Marseille ultra, Santos Mirasierra, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years for his involvement in the incidents.

Naturally the match created some resentment from the French fans, who felt they had been treated harshly by the Spanish police, and they have followed that up by reportedly sending death threats to Atlético Madrid and their fans. The Spanish side originally said that supporters would not travel to France for the match but that has been changed and it is believed that some will, albeit protected by police for much of their trip. These terrace incidents have threatened to overshadow the match that will take place on the pitch but it should not be forgotten that there is a lot to play for on Tuesday evening.

For Marseille not only is it a chance to avenge their defeat in the Spanish capital, but also a chance to guarantee a third-place finish and therefore a UEFA Cup spot. At the Vicente Calderón they were perhaps unfortunate to lose, bearing in mind they created a few chances after going behind, but their main problem was conceding so early in the match. The early goal from Sergio Agüero was exactly what the home fans and coach wanted and in France they will be keen to make sure the same thing does not happen.

Much like the game in Spain though, Marseille are in quite indifferent form heading into the clash, even though they sit just three points off the pace in the league. Erik Gerets’ side have won just one of their four matches on the domestic front, whilst the visitors to the Stade Véledrome find themselves on an undefeated streak stretching back to mid-October when they were beaten by rivals Real Madrid.

Return To Form

The side from the capital might still be way off the pace set by leaders Barcelona but at least they are winning games, both at home and away. The latest result was a 5-2 thrashing of Sporting Gijón at El Molinón and they will be buoyed by the fact that each day they are edging closer to that fabled fourth spot. The defence might still be suspect but in Europe it has almost passed as solid and they should be confident heading into this encounter.

Whether or not Javier Aguirre will play a strong side, with qualification already assured, is not yet known, but it seems very unlikely that he will field a team that he feels are not capable of winning. The Mexican has already made changes to the squad, with Paulo Assuncao, Simao and Johnny Heitinga all left in the capital, which means Ignacio Camacho, Miguel de las Cuevas and Luis Perea are in the squad. The latter two could well start, but Camacho is more likely to come off the bench and replace either Maniche or Raúl García in midfield.

For Atlético, first place in the group would mean that they could draw much weaker rivals in the knock-out stages of the competition whilst, if they finish behind Liverpool, they could meet some of the big guns. The Mexican will more than likely stick with the same core of the side that he has done throughout, but he could make some minor changes, like starting Florent Sinama-Pongolle ahead of Agüero or giving a midfielder a rest for the night.

FORM GUIDE

Marseille

Dec 06 Marseille 2-1 Nice (Ligue 1)

Nov 30 Toulouse 0-0 Marseille (Ligue 1)

Nov 26 Liverpool 1-0 Marseille (Champions League)

Nov 23 Marseille 2-2 Lille (Ligue 1)

Nov 15 Marseille 2-3 Lorient (Ligue 1)

Atlético Madrid

Dec 06 Sporting Gijón 2-5 Atlético Madrid (La Liga)

Nov 30 Atlético Madrid 4-1 Racing Santander (La Liga)

Nov 26 Atlético Madrid 2-1 PSV Eindhoven (Champions League)

Nov 23 Numancia 1-1 Atlético Madrid (La Liga)

Nov 16 Atlético Madrid 4-1 Deportivo La Coruña (La Liga)

TEAM NEWS

Marseille

The coach will field his strongest side for this match and fortunately for him he has a near-fully fit squad to choose from.

Hatem Ben Arfa only started on the bench against Nice at the weekend but he should come back into the starting eleven here, and Marseille will more than likely line up with Mamadou Niang on his own up front.

Probable Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Mandanda – Bonnart, Zubar, Hilton, Taiwo – Ziani, Cana – Zenden, Koné, Ben Arfa - Niang

Atlético Madrid

Javier Aguirre has a fully fit squad to choose from but he has decided to leave a few key players out of the squad and may rest more from the start.

Paulo Assuncao, Simao and Johnny Heitinga will not travel, whilst Miguel de las Cuevas, Ignacio Camacho and Luis Perea are in the squad.

Whether or not the coach will leave Agüero or Diego Forlán on the bench is not known, but it would be a surprise if he went with both up front for this match.

Probable Line-Up (4-4-2): Coupet – Perea, Ujfalusi, Pablo, Pernía – Maxi Rodríguez, Maniche, Raúl García, Miguel – Forlán, Sinama-Pongolle

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Marseille

Mamadou Niang caused the Atlético Madrid defence all kinds of trouble in Spain and he will be hoping for more of the same in France on Tuesday evening. The Senegal international has been in good form as of late and his strength and power will test the Spanish centre-backs to the full. With able attackers around him he should get good service and his finishing could be the key for Marseille.

Atlético Madrid

Raúl García was one of the best players on the pitch in the first meeting in Spain and he may well get his chance to star again in France. The Spaniard dominated proceedings from midfield and really put himself about, tackling hard and making sure his passes found their target. Whilst he hasn’t got a lot of match time this season he should be preferred ahead of Miguel de las Cuevas and he will be keen to impress the coach.

PREDICTION

There is no doubt that Marseille have more to win from this match than Atlético Madrid and it would be surprising if there wasn’t an element of revenge amongst the side. After the incidents in Spain it is sure to be a heated encounter, and whilst a draw might not suit either side it could well end up that way if both sides go hell for leather and try to win.

Marseille 2-2 Atlético Madrid

Enrique Cerezo put a brave face on what will be a fraught trip for Atlético de Madrid to Marseille on Tuesday amid all the security concerns surrounding the threats from the French club's fans.

L'OM's more fervent supporters have sent hundreds of warnings to Los Colchoneros in the build-up to the match and they have been taken so seriously that the club has completely altered its plans.

Instead of flying to Marseille the night before the game for training and media activities, Atlético jetted in on Tuesday morning to avoid being targetted over night.

French and Spanish security forces believe that Marseille fans will only protest rather than cause any violence and Cerezo is relieved that the situation appears to have calmed before the game.

"We are travelling without any risks and we want to take all three points from the game against Olympique," Marca quote him as saying before leaving for the French city.

"We are going there to win the match. We want to finish on top of the group and I think we can do that."

Marseille fans were outraged at the treatment they received at the hands of Spanish police when the two sides met in Vicente Calderón earlier this season and are upset that one supporter has been imprisoned for three-and-a-half years for causing trouble at the game.

Lorik Cana is hoping that Marseille can ignore off-field events and focus on beating Atlético de Madrid to stay in European competition on Tuesday evening in Stade Vélodrome.

L'OM's captain is well aware of the talk of security fears ahead of the encounter, but prefers to think about matters on the pitch as his side need a victory in order to enter the UEFA Cup.

With only one victory in their five Champions League games so far, the French giants are already out of the competition, but Cana is hopeful that they can finish third in Group D.

"We want to continue in Europe and for us that means the UEFA Cup," he told reporters ahead of the game. "I think we gave a good image of the club in the Champions League but it's the duty of the big clubs to play in Europe.

"That means it's Marseille's duty to stay involved, especially because we'd be one of the teams most likely to go all the way."

"[Atlético] made life tough for us at important moments of the match," explained the 25-year-old. "Collectively, they're strong and they have lots of experience too.

"That means we can't just worry about one or two players. The simple fact they'll be continuing in this competition proves their worth."

Cana then reflected on the absence of influential striker Mamadou Niang who has been ruled out of the encounter with a broken bone in his foot and is confident that the squad can cover for him.

"It's very difficult to lose him," he continued. "He's our first-choice forward and one of our main attacking strengths, so if you remove him the team is not as strong.

"But we also have other players who will give their all for the club in the games to come. Maybe they can't replace him, but we need the level of our performances to stay high."

Live streaming: PSV Eindhoven - Liverpool Match Preview

2008-12-09T06:14:00.000-08:00

Watch the matches with Macedonian TV Channels. Live and free!

Liverpool travel to Holland to take on PSV Eindhoven in their final clash of the Champions League group stages. It is something of a dead rubber, for the visitors at least, and questions are being asked as to whether they will put on their best show…

Second Is Best?

The Reds have already secured safe passage to the knock-out rounds, as they sit all but top of Group D – only Atletico Madrid’s slightly superior goal difference keeps them in second spot.

But that doesn’t seem to worry the Merseyside club terribly much. Indeed, it could work out better for them if they concede first place to Atleti, pending results in the other groups. Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, said as much when discussing his side’s prospects yesterday.

"It is difficult to know whether you want to finish first or second," Benitez said. "We cannot play an English side in the last 16, so that reduces the options. Looking at the groups we could finish top and end up playing against Juventus or Real Madrid. It is also possible to face Lyon or Bayern Munich so it is very difficult to decide who you’d rather play next."

Still, top spot would guarantee the Anfield giants a home game in the second leg of their last-16 tie, something which has served them well in the recent past. And after trouncing PSV in the reverse fixture earlier this season, they must be favourites to claim the points tomorrow night.

Slim Chance

The Dutch giants have no hope of progressing from the group. They sit last, their inferior goal difference leaving them behind Olympique Marseille, although they share the same number of points.

Thus, PSV are still able to snatch a spot in the UEFA Cup if OM lose to Atletico – who have already qualified – if they defeat Liverpool at home, or if they draw, or even if they lose.

But that all depends on the French side. If Marseille match Eindhoven’s effort, then they will continue their European campaign and the Eredivisie giants will drop out of continental competition altogether.

So expect PSV to field a strong line-up, versus Liverpool’s potentially weak one, in what could be their final hit-out in Europe this season.

FORM GUIDE

PSV Eindhoven

Nov 16 Ajax Amsterdam 4 - 1 PSV Eindhoven
Nov 22 PSV Eindhoven 4 - 0 SC Heracles Almelo
Nov 26 Atlético Madrid 2 - 1 PSV Eindhoven
Nov 29 Heerenveen 2 - 2 PSV Eindhoven
Dec 06 PSV Eindhoven 4 - 2 FC Groningen

Liverpool

Nov 15 Bolton 0 - 2 Liverpool
Nov 22 Liverpool 0 - 0 Fulham
Nov 26 Liverpool 1 - 0 Marseille
Dec 01 Liverpool 0 - 0 West Ham
Dec 06 Blackburn 1 - 3 Liverpool

TEAM NEWS

PSV Eindhoven

The hosts have a few injury concerns, most notably Ibrahim Afellay. The promising playmaker has been out of action since suffering a sprained ankle against Atletico late last month. Jan Kromkamp is carrying a similar knock.

Dirk Marcellis and Nordin Amrabat returned recently, while Danny Koevermans could feature despite a calf problem.

Last XI (vs. Heerenveen): Isaksson; Culina, Brechet, Rodriguez, Salcido; Mendez, Nijland, Simons, Dzsudzsak; Koevermans, Lazovic.

Liverpool

Fernando Torres will be missing until the New Year after re-injuring his hamstring against Marseille. Dirk Kuyt is also injured, meaning Robbie Keane could be recalled after sitting out Saturday’s win over Blackburn Rovers. David N’Gog and Ryan Babel are other striking options.

The likes of Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard could well be given a breather in favour of bench-warmers like Damien Plessis, Diego Cavalieri, Yossi Benayoun and the under-fire Lucas Leiva.

Last XI (vs. Blackburn): Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Insua; Alonso, Mascherano; Benayoun, Gerrard, Babel; Kuyt.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven)

The Australian international is one of the more unassuming players to grace Europe’s elite competition, but he is often at the heart of all that is good about PSV. Solid as a rock, neat on the ball, tidy with a pass and, most of all, a tireless worker. Can play pretty much anywhere and everywhere, and will be vital to his side’s chances against the Reds.

Lucas Leiva (Liverpool)

The Brazilian youngster has come in for staunch criticism in recent weeks due to his lacklustre performances. Has had few starting opportunities this term – Alonso, Mascherano and Gerrard are stiff midfield competition, after all. But after receiving a vote of confidence from Rafa Benitez he should be given the chance to answer his critics. Will he step up?

PREDICTION

Even if the visitors field an under-strength side, it’s hard to see them losing – unless they really want to. PSV have looked out of their depth in the Champions League this term, and an immediate exit from European play would be no surprise.

PSV Eindhoven 0-1 Liverpool

Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun has conceded that his long-term future may lie away from Anfield, as he grows increasingly frustrated with a bench-role at the club.

Benayoun was officially unveiled as a Liverpool player on the same day as Ryan Babel, and today, both Ajax-schooled signings have voiced their discontent and sought to have their respective futures clearly defined by Rafael Benitez.

After Babel's declaration that he wished to return to Amsterdam on loan comes the Israel captain's admission that he will re-assess his options during the January transfer window and at the end of the season.

Like Babel, Benayoun has been limited mostly to substitute appearances for the club this season, despite some consistent showings on the occasions he has had to impress.

The 28-year-old revealed that he would leave Merseyside with a heavy heart, but Benitez's lack of rotation policy this season has left him kicking his heels on the bench, more often than not.

He is quoted as saying in the Sun: "The boss had a chat with me a couple of weeks ago after stuff appeared in the newspapers about my future.

"I didn't ask for any talks - he said he wanted to speak to me about it and he just told me to stay calm, because I would get my chances in the team.

"We agreed it was important now for me to put any of my personal feelings to one side and concentrate on trying to keep us at the top of the table.

"There will be time for me to think about my situation in January or at the end of the season."

Out of the Loop

"So for now I'm happy to put that behind me and focus on doing my bit for the team. The problem for me is the manager is not rotating as much as he used to.

"It is the same 11 players every week, and they are doing so well, so no one can really complain.

"I have to be patient, but I'm still not sure whether, in the long term, my future will be here."

Reigning Dutch title holders PSV are keen on adding Swedish youngster Ola Toivonen to their squad as soon as the transfer market re-opens.

The Champions League contenders are continually being linked with the attacking midfielder, but haven't reached an agreement with his club yet.

However, Swedish paper Sportbladet claims to know that both sides have been negotiating about the transfer fee for the past couple of days and have almost reached an agreement.

Malmo have reportedly set a €4 million asking price for the 22-year-old hot prospect.

"I'm very happy with PSV's interest and I hope the transfer will go ahead. Swedish players always perform good in The Netherlands and I'm ready to show my class to the rest of Europe," said Toivonen to Sportbladet.

Live streaming: Barcelona - Shakhtar Match Preview

2008-12-09T06:13:00.001-08:00

Pep Guardiola has maintained his professional stance and told reporters that Barcelona are concentrating on the visit of Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday before thinking about playing Real Madrid, but he is in the minority.

While Bernd Schuster has already made a poor attempt at starting the mind games by talking about Los Merengues' chances in the game at the weekend, the Blaugrana boss has refused to be drawn, so far.

However,while the Barça boss may only want to talk about his team's sixth and last Champions League group game, his actions have already signalled what he really has his mind on.

Four youth teamers have been called into the squad for the Shakhtar game with Botía, Xavi Torres, Abraham and Víctor Vázquez all hoping to be given the chance to prove themselves on the European stage.

Being saved for Madrid are no lesser figures than Víctor Valdés, Lionel Messi, Xavi, Carles Puyol, Thierry Henry, Dani Alves, Yaya Touré and Rafael Márquez, who will all be in line to start at the weekend.

The reason for the hosts being able to play with their squad and raise no objections from either Shakhtar or either of the other two teams in the group is that all the positions have already been decided.

Barça's victory in their last outing against Sporting Clube in Lisbon ensured that they would finish first while the Ukrainian outfit booked third spot and a place in the UEFA Cup with a convincing win against Basel.

Points Tally

Shakhtar do have one reason for wanting to cause an upset however, as a victory would see them earn their highest points total in the group stage in their history.

Guardiola will also not want to taste defeat just four days before Madrid visit, or to end a run of 20 games without a loss that stretches back to the first game of the campaign in late August.

While the majority of first team players will be rested, those that do come in from the youth team or are given a chance from the shadows will know that they have to perform and maintain the club's current incredible form.

In a season that has already see Barcelona score 60 goals, the Catalan giants have netted 16 in their five Champions League group games and are just one short of the haul that their trophy-winning side of 2006 managed.

While the current coach will not allow any predictions to be made about how far his team can go this term, the belief around Camp Noun is very high, but that may not transmit on Tuesday.

While the club recorded their highest attendance of the season on Saturday against Valencia, a large of number of members will stay away in midweek and wait for the Saturday encounter to draw them back.

That may go against the hosts who are always praising the fans for their influence, so it will be interesting to see if Shakhtar can unsettle Barça in front of a half-empty stadium.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona

06/12 H 4-0 Valencia
29/11 A 3-0 Sevilla
27/11 A 5-2 Sporting Clube
23/11 H 1-1 Getafe
16/11 A 2-0 Recreativo
12/11 H 1-0 Benidorm

Shakhtar Donetsk

30/11 H 1-0 Karpaty
26/11 H 5-0 Basel
21/11 H 2-0 Lviv
16/11 H 1-0 Dynamo Kyiv
08/11 A 2-0 Tavriya
04/11 A 0-1 Sporting Clube

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

With eight first-team players all rested, it will be a chance for youth and second string players to put themselves forward for contention against Real Madrid, while Guardiola will also be keen to see how certain members of his squad react to playing at the highest level.

Probable Starting XI: Jorquera, Cácers, Sylvinho, V. Sánchez, Piqué, Keita, Busquets, Gudjohnsen, Pedor, Hleb, Bojan

Shakhtar Donetsk

The visitors still have several players missing, with Ilsinho, Rustam Khudzhamov, Igor Duljaj and Olexandr Kucher all having missed the last few weeks of the campaign.

Probable Starting XI: Pyatov, Srna, Rat, Chygrynskiy, Kucher, Adriano, Hübschmann, Jadson, Willian, Brandao, Moreno

PREDICTION

It does not take a brave person to predict a Barcelona home win each time that they play in Camp Nou, but the fact that so many first-choice players will be missing could mean that Shakhtar have a chance of causing what would be a surprise. But the doubt comes when considering that the visitors have nothing of genuine need to play for, having already settled their place in the UEFA Cup in the new year.

Barcelona 2 - 0 Shakhtar Donetsk

Barcelona maintained their unstoppable march at the top of the Primera Division standings after a barnstorming 4-0 victory over title rivals Valencia at the weekend. But for once in a very long time, red-hot forward Lionel Messi was overshadowed by a teammate during the game.

Striker Thierry Henry grabbed a hat-trick while the Argentine was unable to get on the scoresheet and he failed to shine like he did in previous games. He was eventually taken off for Pedro with ten minutes to go and he did not appear happy exiting the pitch.

Barcelona’s own media mouthpiece, Sport carried a series of images of Messi returning to the bench looking disappointed and even coach, Pep Guardiola was not able to cheer him up as they shook hands.

But the Blaugrana trainer assured that the 21 year old was not upset by the substitution.

“Messi participated little during the game and when he is not able to contribute more, he is always sad.

“He is a vital player for us and he deserves everything but he was not disappointed with the substitution… just with his own performance.”

Press reports in the peninsula allege that Juventus director of sport Alessio Secco has been tracking Razvan Rat for some time.

The 27-year-old is reportedly on the radar of several European clubs, but Shakhtar Donetsk coach Mircea Lucescu has confessed that the defender has already enquired after the Old Lady.

“I have heard about the Bianconeri’s interest, but there is nothing official yet,” the former Inter boss told Turin newspaper Tuttosport.

“I have not spoken with their directors so far, but Razvan has indeed come to me and asked me about the Italian championship and Juve in particular.

“I explained everything, but I also warned him to keep his feet on the ground, as it is too early. However, it is highly likely and logical that a team like Juventus are interested in a great player like him.”

The full-back has been with the Ukrainian giants since 2003 and has over 50 international caps to his name.

“I think he would adapt well to Serie A, thanks to his great experience,” continued Lucescu. “Lazio knocked on our door in the summer and so did German and English sides, but they were not persuasive enough. We’ll see how the situation will evolve over the next few weeks.”

Live streaming: Basel - Sporting Match Preview

2008-12-09T06:10:00.000-08:00

It's a "meaningless" game at St. Jakob-Park, meaning that even the most talented ticket-seller has a real job on their hands to hype this one up to the punter.

Sporting will finish 2nd and Basel 4th in their group regardless of what happens in Group C on Tuesday evening, so there is just pride - and the small matter of UEFA prize money - to play for.

Sporting won the first match between the sides this season 2-0 back in Lisbon, while Basel have still managed just one point in their entire European campaign.

But both sides converge in terms of league form, which isn't going as well as hoped. The Portuguese outfit are third in their Liga, three points off leaders Benfica and one behind surprise front-runners Leixoes, who beat Sporting last month.

Basel are one point behind current leaders FC Zurich in the Swiss Super League, with coach Christian Gross feeling the heat after the 2-0 loss at Neuchatel Xamax two matches ago.

FORM GUIDE

Basel

04 Dec 08 Aarau (H) WON 3-1 (League)
30 Nov 08 Neuchatel (A) LOST 2-0 (League)
26 Nov 08 Shakhtar (A) LOST 5-0 (CL)
22 Nov 08 Thun (A) WON 4-0 (Cup)
16 Nov 08 Zurich (H) DREW 1-1 (League)

Sporting

05 Dec 08 Estrela Amadora (A) WON 3-1 (League)
30 Nov 08 Vitoria (H) WON 2-0 (League)
26 Nov 08 Barcelona (H) LOST 5-2 (CL)
22 Nov 08 Naval (A) WON 1-0 (League)
16 Nov 08 Leixoes (H) LOST 1-0 (League)

TEAM NEWS

Basel

Scott Chipperfield could return to the squad ahead of schedule, although Marcos Gelabert, Ronny Hodel and David Abraham are likely to miss out. Coach Christian Gross may rotate in Fabian Frei, Pascal Schuerpf, Michel Morganella and other youth prospects either as starters or substitutes.

Probable Starting XI: Stockli; Zanni, Marque, Ferati, Safari; Ergic, Stocker, Frei, Eduardo, Carlitos; Derdiyok.

Sporting

Rui Patricio is out suspended after his sending-off against Barcelona in Matchday 5. Tonel and Fabio Rochemback could make their respective returns from injury, but Pedro Silva is set to miss out again while Abel remains doubtful. Youngsters such as Daniel Carrico are expected to feature while Paulo Bento uses this match to try out some new ideas.

Probable Starting XI: Tiago; Pereirinha, Carrico, Anderson Polga, Caneira; Miguel Veloso, Fábio Rochemback, Joao Moutinho, Izmailov; Derlei, Vukcevic.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Basel - Eduardo: The 29-year-old will be key to Basel if they're to find the score-sheet, although he's unlikely to net himself from out on the left. Instead his assist play will come into force.

Sporting - Fabio Rochemback: Rochemback is in many ways the forgotten man of Brazilian football, having sunk into obscurity during his time with Middlesbrough. However, now that he's back at Sporting he has every chance of recovering his reputation, and he can keep that going against Basel.

PREDICTION

With this game being completely meaningless for both sides the number of changes to the line-ups may be a major factor. However, Basel have some less-than-impressed home fans to win over again,

Basel 1-1 Sporting

Fiorentina have been heavily linked with Sporting Lisbon player Miguel Veloso over the last couple of months as they look to reinforce their squad. The agent of Veloso, Paulo Barbosa, spoke to Firenzeviola.it about the Viola's interest in the midfielder.

"I have a good relationship with him (Fiorentina sporting director Pantaleo Corvino)," revealed the agent. "However, I haven't spoken to him recently. The last meeting we had was two months ago and we talked about various things as well as Veloso."

Sporting are through to the Champions League round of 16, while Fiorentina have been knocked out of the competition. However, the agent believes that financial factors could play a part in if his client does move away from Lisbon.

"With the economic crisis going on right now, it is possible to revisit the price of €8 million."

According to the latest reports, Milan are also inquiring about the availability of the player.

Basel continued their embarrassing Champions League campaign with yet another heavy defeat, this time at the hands of Shakhtar Donetsk, who have sealed third place in Group C and will be playing UEFA Cup football in February.

The Man of the Match on the night was Jadson, who netted a hattrick of superb strikes, with Willian and Yevhen Seleznyov picking up a goal each.

From the first whistle, the hosts looked a far more accomplished side, with a few early exchanges making Basel look very much out of their depth, despite Shakhtar themselves having not yet found their rhythm.

There was no shot on target until the 18th minute, when Croatian international Darijo Srna won himself a free-kick, which he curled over the wall only to be denied by Franco Costanzo in the visitors' goal.

Midway through the first half, Basel put together their first convincing attacking move, which culminated in youngster Valentin Stocker having his header tipped over the bar.

Shakhtar were back down the other end within seconds, though, with Fernandinho showcasing his skill before Willian blasted wide.

Basel began growing in confidence as the half-hour approached, but after 32 minutes it was shattered when Jadson smashed an exceptional opening goal into the top corner, capping a superb counterattack in which he himself, Willian and Razvan Rat had played key parts.

It remained 1-0 at the break - either side of which the visitors looked full of intent - but it was to count for nothing when Willian doubled the scoreline for Shakhtar after 50 minutes.

Fernandinho had just forced a fine save from Costanza, but he had no chance when Willian - who had not allowed some rough treatment from Basel defenders to deter his attacking instincts - worked his way past two players before producing a sublime finish into the far corner.

Basel, knowing by now they were out of Europe, lost what little fight they had left and continued committed careless fouls as the game looked to be heading towards a scrappy and uneventful finish.

Shakhtar had other ideas. Shortly after the hour mark Jadson got his second and the hosts' third, Basel again blitzed on the counterattack, with Srna's ball fizzed across goal for the Brazilian to slot home at the far post.

And less than 10 minutes later, he had his hattrick, with the Swiss again caught on the break, Willian pivotal once more, along with Fernandinho and Jadson as ever on hand to smash home from close range.

On the 75 minute mark, Shakhtar made it five, with Jadson this time turning provider for substitute Selevnov, who took his shot well and early at the near post.

Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov was called into perhaps his first meaningful bit of action throughout the entire game in the dying minutes, when a promising Basel attack resulted in a close-range effort from promising striker Erin Derdiyok, who was denied by the Shakhtar stopper, with full-time following soon after and Basel's misery and humiliation very much compounded.

Live streaming: Werder Bremen - Inter Match Preview

2008-12-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

Watch the matches with Macedonian TV Channels. Live and free!

Inter Looking For European Confidence Boost

Although Inter have started the Serie A season in highly impressive fashion, earning a massive six-point lead ahead of eternal rivals Juventus and Milan, in the Champions League they have almost always disappointed so far. That they have still managed to qualify for the next stage with one game to spare, after collecting just eight points, only indicates how sub-standard this Group B really is.

The Nerazzurri’s dominance in Serie A has perhaps become even more emphatic since coach Jose Mourinho’s arrival, as they have already beaten some top-class opposition such as Juventus, Roma, and Lazio this season. However, the Portuguese coach was brought in mainly to bring European success - after all, his predecessor Roberto Mancini already led the team to three consecutive league titles, and could only be faulted for Inter’s failures in the Champions League.

Mourinho has been asked a number of times why his side seem to have a different identity in Europe compared to Serie A, where they have thrashed the likes of Roma and Lazio on their own pitch. The coach has put it down to the fact that Inter were drawn in too easy a group, and that complacency crept into his side after they earned seven points in their first three games. A lack of concentration in their subsequent games against Anorthosis Famagusta, who held Inter to a 3-3 draw in Cyprus, and Panathinaikos, who beat them 1-0 at San Siro, was cited as the reason for the Nerazzurri’s struggles.

By saying that his team need a big-name opponent to perform well in the Champions League, Mourinho has already put huge pressure on the team and himself for the upcoming knock-out matches. It seems more evident than ever that Inter and their coach will be almost completely judged on what they achieve in the Champions League. Of course, that may seem cruel, because in this competition you also need a lot of luck and you have to perform at exactly the right time, without needing the consistency that is required to win a league, which is one of Inter’s main strengths. But the fact is that not reaching the most important European Cup final for 36 years is pretty shocking for a club of Inter’s fame.

The situation in Group B still sees Inter needing a victory in this match to secure the top spot, so this is a good opportunity for the team to show they can do important things in Europe as well. Beating Werder away from home is not an easy task, even though Panathinaikos showed it can be done by triumphing 3-0 at the Weserstadion on the 4th matchday. The German side, who have yet to win a match in this group, will not be without an agenda of their own, as they still have a chance to seal a UEFA Cup spot by finishing third, although qualfication for the last 16 is no longer possible.

Werder Looking To Salvage UEFA Cup Spot

It’s been a disappointing season so far for Werder Bremen, who finished second in the Bundesliga last season, as they are dangling in the middle of the table with 11 points behind joint leaders 1899 Hoffenheim and Bayern Munich in the German league. In the Champions League, Thomas Schaaf’s side were eliminated after the 2-2 draw away to Anorthosis in their last match, their fourth draw in five matches in the competition.

Clearly the decisive moment in their demise was the 3-0 home defeat by Panathinaikos in the fourth game, although starting off with a 0-0 home draw against Cypriot debutants Anorthosis was also hardly promising. They followed that up with a creditable 1-1 draw away to Inter, but ruined everything by earning just one point against Panathinaikos, who had failed to get a single point before facing Werder.

They still have a chance to make it into the UEFA Cup, and they will be certainly motivated to get their first victory of the section against Inter, but they will also be dependent on the result of Panathinaikos-Anorthosis Famagusta. Anything less than a win against the Italian champions will knock them out of Europe altogether, but even three points would not be enough in the (admittedly unlikely) event that Panathinaikos lose to Anorthosis.

Certainly Werder can take heart from their performance in the earlier game against Inter at San Siro, in which they never looked second best and were always threatening going forward. Still, it must be said that Inter were not in full swing yet as Mourinho was still looking for his best formation. The Nerazzurri’s defence in particular has improved notably, although it remains to be seen if they will play with the same formation as in Serie A, or if Mourinho decides to rest some players in consideration of the fact Inter are already qualified.

A similar situation occurred in the 2004/2005 season, in which Inter and Werder were also drawn in the same group. The Nerazzurri, then led by Roberto Mancini in his first season at the club, managed to qualify after just four games, making the fifth one against the German side almost academic, although they still had to secure first place. On that occasion, Valerien Ismaël opened the score from the penalty spot in the 50th minute, but Obafemi Martins equalised for Inter six minutes later. Werder ended up second in the group and qualified along with Inter.

FORM GUIDE

Werder Bremen

06/12 (Bundesliga): Karlsruher SC-Werder Bremen 1-0

29/11 (Bundesliga): Werder Bremen-Eintracht Frankfurt 5-0

26/11 (Champions League): Anorthosis Famagusta-Werder Bremen 2-2

23/11 (Bundesliga): Hamburger SV-Werder Bremen 2-1

16/11 (Bundesliga): Werder Bremen-1.FC Köln 3-1

Inter

06/12 (Serie A): Lazio-Inter 0-3

30/11 (Serie A): Inter-Napoli 2-1

26/11 (Champions League): Inter-Panathinaikos 0-1

22/11 (Serie A): Inter-Juventus 1-0

15/11 (Serie A): Palermo-Inter 0-2

TEAM NEWS

Werder Bremen

Daniel Jensen, Martin Harnik, Petri Pasanen, and Boubacar Sanogo are injured, while Diego is suspended.

Possible formation (4-4-2): Wiese; Fritz, Naldo, Mertesacker, Tosic; Baumann, Frings, Hunt, Özil; Almeida, Pizarro.

Inter

Christian Chivu, Patrick Vieira, Julio Cruz, and Walter Samuel are out injured for this one. Adriano and Mario Balotelli make their return to the squad after being left out for the match against Lazio.

Possible formation (4-3-3): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Burdisso, Materazzi, Maxwell; Zanetti, Cambiasso, Bolzoni; Figo, Adriano, Balotelli.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Claudio Pizarro (Werder Bremen)

The experienced striker has scored his only Champions League goal of the season so far in the earlier match against Inter at San Siro. The Peruvian also found the net when he faced the Nerazzurri at San Siro with Bayern Munich’s shirt in the 2006/2007 group stage. It seems he is more comfortable playing in the Bundesliga than anywhere else, as he did not succeed in his short stint at Chelsea, whom he joined in 2007 but left on loan last summer. So far he has already found the net 10 times for Werder, the club he had already played for between 1999 and 2001, before enjoying a successful six-year stint at Bayern.

Mario Balotelli (Inter)

Mourinho has indicated that he will give the promising 18-year-old some playing time in this match after leaving him out of Inter’s last two league games due to lack of training discipline. The youngster answered his coach’s criticism well by giving a dazzling performance for Inter’s Primavera youth team last weekend. Although he has shown he is able to show his class in important matches last season, having scored a number of important goals for Inter’s Scudetto push, he has also shown signs of arrogance and complacency, which certainly isn’t a good sign. But if there is anyone who can teach him a good work ethic and discipline, it’s Mourinho.

PREDICTION

Inter need a win to finish first, which along with the team’s desire to prove themselves on the international stage, will probably be enough motivation. Still, with Inter in the Champions League you never know what could happen, and Werder’s desire to at least reach the Uefa Cup will also be strong. But with Inter’s away form being very impressive this season (they’ve only managed to win by more than one goal away from home so far), I think they will end the group stage on a high and get a confidence boost ahead of the knockout rounds.

Werder Bremen-Inter 0-1

The Daily Mail reports that Manchester City are lining up a €17 million bid for Esteban Cambiasso, the Inter Milan midfielder.

Although perhaps not a household name in England, the Argentine international is widely regarded as one of the best holding players in Serie A.

The 28-year-old has become a mainstay for the Nerazzurri since joining from Real Madrid in 2004, and it seems that City manager Mark Hughes has taken a shining to him.

Sparky has made no secret of his intention to toughen up the spine of his Sky Blues squad, and an energetic yet intelligent player like Cambiasso certainly fits the job description.

It remains to be seen how genuine City's supposed interest is, and whether it will affect their long-established desire to sign Lassana Diarra from Portsmouth.

A day after the club heard that striker Claudio Pizarro would serve a three match ban for being sent off, the Green and Whites have been informed by the DFB that Brazilian midfielder Diego must sit out the next four Bundesliga matches.

There was a bit of an altercation right at the end of the 1-0 loss against KSC on Saturday, which saw referee Guido Winkelmann dismiss Pizarro for putting his hand into the face of Martin Stoll.

The match official however missed Diego grab Christian Eichner by the throat in the ensuing melee and the DFB disciplinary committee has decided to take retrospective action having watched video footage of the incident.

The suspension will see the Brazilian sit out this weekend’s clash with Wolfsburg as well as the first three games following the winter break.

The loss of Pizarro and Diego will be a huge blow to a Werder side already struggling in the league and will surely have trainer Thomas Schaaf fuming at their indiscipline.

Live streaming: Panathinaikos - Anorthosis Match Preview

2008-12-09T06:04:00.001-08:00

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Anarchy

With Athens resembling more a war-zone than a stage for what should be a fascinating Champions League clash, there might be a regrettably unique atmosphere at the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The city in a state of shock and anger following the death of 15 year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos, who was shot dead by police following an altercation with a group of youths on Saturday.

Athens has now suffered from three days of rioting, with police clashing with protesters who have damaged shops, buildings and filled the streets with violence.

Police have reacted with stun grenades in some situations, with Molotov cocktails also having been used by some rioters – there have been violent scenes also in other pars of the country, including Thessaloniki and Trikala.

The situation is perhaps reminiscent of rioting that lasted for weeks following the killing of a teenager by police in 1985 and with such a history in mind, there have been suggestions from within the Greek media that the Panathinaikos-Anorthosis match might be canceled.

It wouldn’t be the first time European football’s governing body have taken such an action: AEK Athens' Champions League qualifying tie with Sevilla was postponed in the wake of the bush fires that plagued Greece last year.

Character

For all of their inconsistency this season, character has been one fairly constant characteristic displayed by Henk Ten Cate’s Panathinaikos side.

They rebounded superbly from their disappointing home draw with Asteras Tripolis to record a morale-boosting 2-1 win away against Skoda Xanthi at the weekend, despite going down to ten men.

However, it has been their Champions League campaign that has given life to the season: a stunning 3-0 victory away against Werder Bremen was followed by a famous win at the San Siro, leaving them a point away from qualification from the Last 16 the European football’s premier club competition.

If they can manage that at home to Cypriot underdogs Anorthosis Famagusta, it will mark the return of Greece’s traditional European stars to the continental theatre.

They certainly have the players and manager to progress but will they falter against supposedly weaker opposition as they have done so often this year?

Their season – and the future of manager Henk Ten Cate – will depend on the answer to that question.

Literally surrounded by a community in turmoil, some of whom may be looking to this match for a brief escape from the harsh realities of a modern Greece, the time is now for Panathinaikos to show its true character.

Can They Do It?

Thirty-two year old former Euro 2004-winner Traianos Dellas is arguably Anorthosis Famagusta’s biggest star, to put into perspective the scale of their accomplishments amidst the grandiose spending of cash-laden clubs that tend to dominate the Champions League.

The unfashionable Cypriots are just one win away from potentially facing the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid in the knockout stages of the competition, after qualifying for the group stage for the first time in their history with a stunning victory over Greek giants Olympiakos during the qualifying rounds.

Most pundits would have been forgiven for thinking that their famous two-legged victory would be the pinnacle of their achievements in Europe this season but former player Temuri Ketsbaia has fashioned a superbly disciplined and ultra-organized outfit who have unsettled the establishment.

A 3-1 win over Panathinaikos and a 3-3 draw with Inter Milan in Larnaca will live long in the memories of Cypriot football fans but qualification from the group stages might just mark the emergence of a new force in European football.

But can they emerge victorious from what could be an emotionally charged night in Athens?

FORM GUIDE

Panathinaikos

Nov 15: Larissa 1 – 1 Panathinaikos (Greek Super League)
Nov 22: Panathinaikos 3 – 0 Thrasyvoulos (Greek Super League)
Nov 26: Inter Milan 0 – 1 Panathinaikos (UEFA Champions League)
Nov 29: Panathinaikos 1 – 1 Asteras Tripolis (Greek Super League)
Dec 6: Skoda Xanthi 1 – 2 Panathinaikos (Greek Super League)

Anorthosis Famagusta

Nov 17: Anorthosis Famagusta 2 – 1 ALKI (Marfin Laiki League)
Nov 23: Apollon 1 – 2 Anorthosis Famagusta (Marfin Laiki League)
Nov 26: Anorthosis Famagusta 2 – 2 Werder Bremen (UEFA Champions League)
Dec 1: Anorthosis Famagusta 3 – 0 Atromitos (Marfin Laiki League)
Dec 6: APOEL 1 – 0 Anorthosis Famagusta (Marfin Laiki League)

TEAM NEWS

Panathinaikos

South Africa international Bryce Moon – who impressed during the early stages of the competition before being sidelined with a rather lengthy injury – is still not available for selection and is joined on the sidelines by Sweden international Mikael Nilsson and Brazilian winger Gabriel, both of whom have not been included in Henk Ten Cate’s matchday squad, along with striker Rodrigo Souza.

Anorthosis Famagusta

Former Real Madrid man Savio picked up a knee injury during the 1-0 loss away to APOEL at the weekend and his experience will be missed in Athens. However, the absence of the Brazilian has been countered by the return of goalkeeper Arian Beqaj and Cedric Bardon, whilst Paulo Costa and Georgios Theodotou have been included in the squad to travel to Greece despite their respective injury concerns.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Panathinaikos

Giorgios Karagounis is again the pick for the man to watch in this game, particularly given Anorthosis’ reputation for defensive organization. If they prove difficult to break down in Athens, Karagounis’ set-pieces could be crucial, as can his ability to produce flashes of brilliance that more often that not win football matches – the away win against Bremen being the perfect example. However, the Greek international is not just reduced to moments but a consistent drive and enthusiasm he leads his team so effectively with – one that will be needed on what should be a unique Athenian night.

Anorthosis Famagusta

The OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium is a familiar hunting ground for Euro 2004-winner Traianos Dellas, the centre-back having signed for the Cypriots from AEK Athens during the summer. An international teammate of Karagounis, his international and Champions League experience will be crucial to his side’s chances in Greece, just as it has been throughout the campaign. Will provide a threat from set-pieces that could also come in handy, should Ten Cate’s outfit opt to sit back in the knowledge that they will progress with only a point.

PREDICTION

Not counting the emotional factor that could spur on Ten Cate’s men in Athens, from a purely football perspective, they appear to have too much class and experience for their opponents on this occasion – though, we have said that often about Anorthosis during the competition.

However, the Cypriots will themselves be distracted by a recent investigation and subsequent arrest of president Andreas Panteli over embezzlement claims – their first league loss of the season at the weekend won’t have helped morale.

A win in Athens is a lot to ask of Famagusta and they might just rue a missed opportunity at home to Bremen, where they threw away a two-goal lead that might have otherwise seen them take a huge step towards qualification.

I’m going for a 2-0 home win for Panathinaikos, with the visitors being forced to play a slightly more open game than they are used to and being exposed by a tactically-savvy opposition.

Panathinaikos 2-0 Anorthosis Famagusta

Tonight’s UEFA Champions League match between Panathinaikos and Anorthosis Famgusta in Athens is in danger of being postponed, with the riots in the Greek capital into their third day and showing no signs of slowing down.

The violence in the city of Athens has escalated since the death of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos on Saturday, who was shot by police after a reported altercation.

Rioters have taken to the streets over the past three days in retaliation to the teenager’s death, with the situation worsening and police reportedly unable to bring control to the city.

They have responded with stun grenades, with many of the protests taking a violent turn, the use of Molotov Cocktails, petrol bombs and the destruction of banks, shops, hotels and vehicles prominent.

With the city centre of Athens almost totally destroyed, there have been reports from within Greece that a state of emergency might be declared by the government in order to control Anarchists who have fuelled the seemingly unstoppable violence.

Despite such scenes, UEFA’s Greek-Cypriot Vice President Marios Lefkaritis has told Cypriot newspaper Politis that the mach is still scheduled to go ahead as normal.

However, with the funeral of Alexandros Grigoropoulos set to be held this afternoon, the situation remains tense before this evening’s scheduled kick-off.

The violence shows no signs of subsiding either, with the situation reminiscent of the killing of a teenager by police during a demonstration in 1985.

That death was met by weeks of rioting and with Greece’s fragile social and economic situation also in mind, it may be that the postponement of the match by UEFA is a realistic possibility.

If the match were to be postponed, it would mean the group’s other match between Werder Bremen and Inter Milan would not go ahead.

UEFA delegates are set to meet with club representatives and police to assess the situation and decide on the appropriate action.

Ahead of his Panathinaikos side’s crucial UEFA Champions League clash with Anorthosis Famagusta this evening, manager Henk Ten Cate has called for a celebration of football amidst scenes of mourning and retaliation in Athens.

The death of 15 year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos – who was shot by police on Saturday – has sparked three days of rioting in the Greek capital, violence spilling out onto the streets in particular areas of the city.

In his pre-match press conference, the Panathinaikos manager called for a celebration of football to transcend the social ills that are currently plaguing the city.

“I don’t think there will be any episodes because football is a celebration,” Ten Cate said. “Also, we are in a very good condition and we want to convey that feeling to our fans.

“In the end, we want everyone to leave the stadium happy.”

Despite international coverage of the protests, with Greek students and anarchists reportedly at the heart of them, the immediacy of the situation has perhaps not dawned on the Panathinaikos squad, who apparently live in areas of the city removed from the conflict.

“With regards to the incidents themselves, the players and I mostly live in the suburbs and as such don’t have a clear understanding of what is happening beyond what we see on the news,” Ten Cate said.

“But we ought to stay focused because victory is important for Greek football as a whole.”

The match will be staged at the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium in Athens, where Dutchman will be hoping to celebrate his 54th birthday with passage into the Last 16 of the competition – a draw will suffice for the Greeks.

“This match could be my best birthday present,” Ten Cate said.

“Who else has 70,000 guests at his party?”

Live streaming: Roma - Bordeaux Match Preview

2008-12-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

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Roma host Bordeaux at the Stadio Olimpico, as the two sides do battle in the final matchday of the Champions League group stage for this season. Both teams have it all to play for this week, as Group A remains as open as any, heading into the last round of matches.

Roma Set Sights On Top Spot

On match day one of the competition the Giallorossi were humiliated by the Romanian debutants CFR Cluj, at the same venue that this week’s contest with Bordeaux takes place.

Just four matches later however, the Romans are sitting pretty atop of Group A, with nine points next to their name, one clear of Chelsea, who face the Romanians in London in the corresponding round of matches.

After such a dismal start to their domestic campaign, Luciano Spalletti’s men have dramatically turned their season around in recent times, as they have managed to win five successive encounters in all competitions, and six from their last seven, with their only blemish coming against Bologna in a 1-1 draw.

The capital club have moved up to 13th place in the Serie A standings, and with a game in hand against a struggling Sampdoria side, they could astonishingly find themselves just four points adrift of the fourth place Napoli, as they edge closer to that final Champions League qualifying position for next season.

The club’s convincing 3-1 victory away to Cluj two weeks ago will give them confidence heading into this clash with Bordeaux, a side that require will require all three points to progress further in this competition.

Their French opponents will be determined to give their all this week, and so the Giallorossi simply must be on top of their game if they are to claim victory and assure themselves of top spot in the process.

Roma have taken part in this competition in six of the past eight seasons, and they have progressed from the group stage in all but one of their previous campaigns. Despite this however the Romans have never finished on top of a group, and so they will be keen to change that fact this week at home, with a win over Bordeaux.

Spalletti’s men will certainly be aware of the significance of this particular contest, as although a draw will be enough to progress, it won’t be enough to finish in top spot. A first place finish will mean that the Romans will avoid the likes of Barcelona, and most likely Manchester United and Arsenal in the next stage.

A result is a necessity for the club, and having done so well to get in the position they are currently in, it would be extremely disappointing to see them not make the most of this brilliant opportunity.

Qualification On The Bordeaux Minds

After a disastrous start to their Champions League campaign, Laurent Blanc's Bordeaux have been given a tremendous opportunity to qualify for the knock-out stage of the competition.

Their campaign commenced with successive defeats to Chelsea and this week’s opponents Roma, results that left the French outfit languishing at the bottom of the group.

Back-to-back wins over Cluj and a well deserved 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea however, has given Blanc’s side a lifeline heading into the final round of matches in the group stage.

A win for the French club will confirm their progression, and if Cluj were to attain a result in London against Chelsea, then the French would astonishingly finish on top of the group, with a win against Roma.

Things seem to be on the up at Bordeaux at present, as not only have they managed to turn around their dismal Champions League campaign, however they have also started to improve in their domestic competition, as they have avoided defeat in five of their past six matches. As a result, they now find themselves in fourth place, just five points off the pace set by Lyon, who have had their problems in recent times.

Despite this however, lingering in the minds of the Bordeaux players will be their poor record against Italian opponents over the years. The French club has recorded three victories in 13 matches against Italian opponents, all of which have come at home. The other matches have produced three draws and seven defeats.

It will certainly be a tough ask for Blanc’s men to travel to Rome and defeat the Giallorossi, however if they wish to progress, then they will have no option but to do exactly that. Just as Cluj did on matchday one, Bordeaux will need a minor miracle to assure themselves of qualification through the group stage, against a much improved and determined Roma side this week.

FORM GUIDE

Roma

December 6 v Chievo (A) WON 1-0

November 30 v Fiorentina (H) WON 1-0

November 26 v CFR Cluj (A) WON 3-1 (Champions League)

November 23 v Lecce (H) WON 3-0

November 16 v Lazio (H) WON 1-0

Bordeaux

December 5 v Valenciennes (H) WON 2-1

November 29 v Sochaux (H) DREW 0-0

November 26 v Chelsea (H) DREW 1-1 (Champions League)

November 22 v Rennes (H) DREW 1-1

November 16 v Lyon (A) LOST 1-2

TEAM NEWS

Roma:

It’s no coincidence that the club’s form on the field has improved, as the injuries have steadily decreased. However, for this week’s contest with Bordeaux, Spalletti will have to do without several of his players, who will be forced to watch from the sidelines.

Heading this list is Alberto Aquilani, who will miss once again after picking up an injury prior to the Cluj match two weeks ago. He is joined on the sidelines by David Pizarro, who is struggling with a knee injury, as is Mirko Vucinic, who also remains in doubt for the contest. The young striker Stefano Okaka has been ruled out again with a slight muscular strain, whilst Max Tonetto is set to miss with an achilles problem.

Possible Starting XI: (4-3-2-1) – Doni; Cicinho, Juan, Mexes, Riise; Brighi, De Rossi, Perrotta; Menez, Baptista; Totti

Bordeaux:

Unfortunately for Blanc’s sake, he will also be without a number of players for this all important battle in Rome, none more so significant than his captain and number one goalkeeper Ulrich Rame, who is set to miss again as a result of a groin injury. Mathieu Valverde is set to start in goal for the visitors this week, despite his inconsistency between the sticks in recent times.

The club’s Brazilian forward Jussie is still out with a hamstring strain, whilst star midfielder Yoann Gourcuff has thankfully overcome a minor thigh strain, in time for this contest. Meanwhile, Pierre Ducasse (ankle), Henrique (calf) and Henri Saivet (foot) are all struggling to overcome their respective injuries, and will definitely miss this clash.

Possible Starting XI: (4-1-3-2) – Valverde; Jurietti, Diawara, Chalmé, Planus; Diarra; Fernando, Wendel, Gourcuff; Cavenaghi, Chamakh

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Roma – Francesco Totti: The Roman captain has well and truly overcome the knee injury that hampered the early stages of his 2008/09 season. He is quickly regaining his best form, as he has shown in recent weeks. Since his return from injury, ‘Il Capitano’ has been an integral part of the Roma revival, and he has managed some brilliant goals along the way, including a stunning free kick against Cluj two weeks ago. The stage is set for him this Tuesday to continue his good form, as he looks to lead his side to a first place finish in the group stage, for the first time ever in this competition.

Bordeaux– Fernando Cavenaghi: The French club’s Argentinean hitman has been in stunning form in the Ligue 1 this term, as he has managed to find the back of the net on nine occasions thus far. Having said this however, he is yet to open his account in the Champions League, and so he will be desperate to do so in Rome this week, in his club’s most important match of the season to date. He has scored in six of the club’s last nine league matches, and so the Giallorossi back four will certainly have to keep a close eye on his every movement this week, as he looms as a real threat for Bordeaux.

PREDICTION

It is going to be a heated affair at the Stadio Olimpico this week, as both sides will come out firing from the word go. The visitors will be the more desperate early, so expect them to have a few early opportunities to break the deadlock. Expect a high scoring affair, with Bordeaux certainly finding a goal through somewhere, at some stage in the contest. The Giallorossi will be too strong on the night however, and will record their sixth successive victory in all competitions, with Totti bagging a brace for the capital club.

Roma 3-1 Bordeaux

Roma is preparing to make a last minute evaluation of Mirko Vucinic's condition to determine whether he is fit enough to play in tonight's crucial Champions League showdown against Bordeaux.

Vucinic is hoping to recover from a right knee injury which saw him miss Saturday's league game at Chievo, in which the Giallorossi triumphed thanks to a 1-0 score line and a goal from Jeremy Menez.

Bordeaux travel to Roma in the last of the group stage matches to determine the outcome of group A.

The Italians currently lead the group with nine points, one more than Chelsea and two more than Bordeaux, and only require a draw to be sure of qualifying after a 3-1 win at Cluj two weeks ago.

The hosts will be without the injured Max Tonetto, Alberto Aquilani and David Pizarro, and should Vucinic fail to recover, it is likely that Roma will play with Menez and Julio Baptista behind captain Francesco Totti in attack.

Regular Bordeaux goalkeeper, Ulrich Ramé, has featured in only ten of les Girondins’ 17 Ligue 1 fixtures this season due to problems with his thigh, however, he will make a return from injury against AS Roma in the Champions League this evening. The 36 year-old goalkeeper has promised that he, and his team-mates, will be fully focused on beating the Italian side and progressing in the Champions League.

“We have believed we can win in Rome since the end of the match against Chelsea,” the stopper explained to regional paper Sud-Ouest. “In terms of motivation, concentration and desire, everyone will be 150%.”

Injury has not only prevented Ramé from playing a regular role in Bordeaux’s league campaign, it has also barred him from participating frequently in Europe’s premier competition. Of Bordeaux’s five Champions League games to date this season, Ramé has played in only two, leaving substitute goalkeeper Mathieu Valverde to play in the other three fixtures.

After Valverde was left on his derrière all too easily by Nicolas Anelka when Bordeaux played Chelsea in Matchday 5, head coach Laurent Blanc will be pleased to see the return of his, more reliable, first choice goalkeeper, who made assurances about his fitness.

“There is no secret to it; with muscular problems, the best ally is time,” explained the former Angers goaltender. “This injury was not serious, it was just embarrassing. It proved there is a weakness in the muscle.”

In his 12 years with Bordeaux, Ramé will not have played a more important match than tonight’s fixture against Roma. He will want to ensure that he, and his fellow Marins et Blancs, make the most of it.

Live streaming: Chelsea - CFR Cluj Match Preview

2008-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

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Time To Deliver

Away-day blues have not been the order of the day for Chelsea in the Premier League this season, but in Europe's top club competiton, Luiz Felipe Scolari's side have struggled on the road; their form has led them to matchday six, unsure of their fate.

A defeat and a pair of draws away from Stamford Bridge have not exactly left the Pensioners teetering on the brink, but Group A has been a little closer than Chelsea would have wanted.

In fact, the Blues need to beat their guests to ensure a seventh consecutive knock-out spot in this tournament as momentum has stalled and faltered.

At one stage in this group, Chelsea were four points clear and destined for the last 16, but their last two matchdays have been underwhelming to say the least. Roma and Bordeaux have caused Chelsea's charge to be disrupted and seen last season's finalists accrue only one point from their last six.

Domestically too, Stamford Bridge is no longer the fortress it was, with a combination of Scolari's openness and a clutch of injuries causing the veneer of invincibility, crafted by Messrs Mourinho and Grant, to be dismantled.

Arsenal and Liverpool have both won there this season, while Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have all plundered rewards from the Bridge.

However, determination levels should be high enough to make light work of the Romanians in a competition in which home wins have been easy to find for the English side.

There has been a suggestion throughout his stewardship of Chelsea that Luiz Felipe Scolari struggles for a 'Plan B'. Without goals coming through their favoured, high-tempo style of play, the Blues have toiled in vain for a spark or ingenuity against rigid opponents with the ambition only to stop Chelsea scoring.

Sixty minutes of Cluj's team bus in front of goal may have the locals shifting in their seats.

The Wooden Spoon?

There is always a danger, in any sport, that when you undermine the underdog's role in a drama, he will plunge his teeth in your shin. Chelsea, justifiably, will fancy themselves to consign the Transylvanians to the wooden spoon placing in Group A and move into the last 16, but the Blues must not underestimate the bearing that Cluj can have, and indeed have already had, on the outcome of this group.

Despite flying high for the first two matchdays, Cluj have been sharply cut down to size after a run of three successive defeats, but it is their efforts against the likes of Chelsea and Roma that have ensured Group A is the only group with two qualification berths still up for grabs.

Their four points may have been better utilised when divided up amongst the English and Italian giants, but it is testament to Cluj's impact on their debut Champions League campaign that they still have the slenderest hope of making it to the UEFA Cup.

Domestic duty ended on the first weekend of December for the Romanian champions, and now they contemplate the winter break. However, before breaking out the mulled wine and ski-pants, there is one more match to be played; Cluj now have their own vampire cats to let loose amongst the Chelsea pigeons.

Admittedly, Cluj have been off the pace this season, and certainly over the past few weeks. Maybe the surprise factor has been taken out of the upstarts but a quick glance at the Romanian Liga 1 table would suggest that the Transylvanians are behind the standard they set themselves last season.

Heading into the hibernation, Maurizio Trombetta's side lie fourth, six points off Dinamo Bucharest's tally; last season, they were top, 11 clear.

How a spoil-job against Chelsea may raise morale going into the spring, and catapult the side back into the Champions League standings next season.

FORM GUIDE

Chelsea:

6 Dec v Bolton Wanderers (A) Premier League WON 2-0

30 Nov v Arsenal (H) Premier League LOST 2-1

26 Nov v Bordeaux (A) Champions League DREW 1-1

22 Nov v Newcastle (H) Premier League DREW 0-0

15 Nov v West Bromwich Albion (A) Premier League WON 3-0

CFR Cluj:

1 Dec v Gaz Metan Medias (H) Liga 1 WON 2-1

26 Nov v Roma (H) Champions League LOST 3-1

21 Nov v Pandurii Targu Jiu (A) Liga 1 LOST 2-1

16 Nov v FC Arges Pitesti (H) Liga 1 WON 2-0

13 Nov v FC Sportul Studentesc (A) Cupa Romaniei WON 1-0

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea:

Once again, Luiz Felipe Scolari is cursed by injuries and he has selection problems all over the field. Juliano Belletti and Ricardo Carvalho are still missing from his defence, while Michael Essien and Joe Cole's ongoing problems rule them out of midfield contention. Franco Di Santo's hamstring strain limits attacking options, while Frank Lampard serves a one-game ban. On the positive front, Deco is welcomed back after his suspension.

Possible Line Up: Cech - Bosingwa, Terry, Ivanovic, A Cole - Mikel, Ballack, Deco - Malouda, Kalou, Anelka

CFR Cluj

No suspensions to report for the Transylvanians, but they are still short of personnel through injury. Mainstays Eduard Stancioiu and De Sousa are the latest victims, while Tony, Didi and Diego Ruiz remain sidelined.

Possible Line Up: Claro - Muresan, Cadu, Alvaro Pereira, Panin - Dani, Culio, Dubarbier, Deac - Trica, Koné

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea:

Without Frank Lampard, Chelsea's most experienced European campaigner will come to the fore. Michael Ballack has made a
low-key return from injury, but excelled when circumstance thrust him to the fore last season. A big game is expected.

CFR Cluj:

In perhaps his last European fixture of the season, Sebastian Dubarbier has a chance to augment his already burgeoning reputation. Rumours of interest from the brighter lights of Serie A may have the Argentinean prospect relishing the opportunity to rise to the occasion. Arguably, Cluj's most consistent player over the group stage.

PREDICTION

Home form has not been a problem for the Blues in this competition, with two wins already registered. A third looks a certainty, considering what is at stake.

Chelsea 2-0 CFR Cluj

Plucky Romanian outfit CFR Cluj may already be consigned to fourth place in Champions League Group A, but have shown enough to suggest that they can go out with a bang. They've pounced on what they consider to be a lack of respect towards them from the Chelsea camp and will use it as motivation.

It's the scenario Chelsea didn't want. They should already have guaranteed European football after Christmas, but find themselves with one last game that could yet break them. They already lost a one-off Carling Cup clash with Burnley at Stamford Bridge and their performances have not been as convincing in recent weeks as they were at the start of the season.

The other group game between Roma and Bordeaux could help settle Group A matters, but the Blues - finalists last term - will simply want to win comfortably and chase away any clouds of doubt.

However, they'll be without skipper Frank Lampard. He's suspended, giving boss Luiz Felipe Scolari a headache.

Still, Portuguese ace Deco, in high spirits after scoring an acrobatic strike against Bolton Wanderers at the weekend, is confident that Chelsea can ease through without their talisman.

"It will be difficult to play without Frank, as he is a great player and one of the leaders of this team," Deco admitted, "But I think we can win without him.

"Of course, we would have liked him to play. He is out, however, and we need to come up with a solution to that.

"We have to win the game. It has been difficult for us with so many injuries.

"We know our responsibilities. It will be a difficult game, but if we win we will qualify for the next stage."

Yssouf Kone has warned Luiz Felipe Scolari to watch out ahead of Cluj's visit to Chelsea in the Champions League tomorrow night. It is essential that Chelsea win the game in order to ensure qualification for the knock-out phase of the competition.

Kone has already played a part in the downfall of one Chelsea boss. The Burkinabe striker was in the Rosenborg team that drew with Chelsea in the opening game of last year's competition.

That game turned out to be Jose Mourinho's last game in charge, and now Kone has Scolari in his sights.

"I heard that Scolari would go back to Brazil if they didn't beat us," said Kone.

"But if Chelsea don't beat us tomorrow, he will really be in trouble. We will try our best tomorrow because it is really important for us to go back home with a result.

"Right now Chelsea are under the pressure, the biggest pressure in the group.

"Chelsea will have to work hard to beat us but it won't be easy for them. We will be playing without any pressure. They have big players but we are not bad either. It will be worth more than just three points to us if we win."

Chelsea currently sit a point behind Roma and a point ahead of Bordeaux in Group A, and need a victory to make sure that they are not eliminated from the group stages of the Champions League for the first time ever.

Although Cluj have little to play for apart from pride, having already been eliminated, they should not be underestimated. They went away to the Olympic Stadium in Rome in their opening group game and won 2-1.

And coach Maurizio Trombetta insists his team will not lack motivation tomorrow.

"Playing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is enough motivation for us," said the Italian.

"Unfortunately for us we have no chance of going any further. But we were outsiders in Rome and won and so maybe with a little luck and concentration, we can to it again against Chelsea."

Live streaming: Women's European Championship Handball

2008-12-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

As you know from yesterday we give you opportunity to watch some matches from Women's European Championship Handball. The hosts are Macedonia, therefor we have 2 live games per day, everyday of the championship.

Today we have:

18:15 Hungary - Romania
20:15 France - Denmark

Enjoy the European Championship with Macedonian TV Channels.

Live streaming: Bordeaux - Rennes and Paris SG - Lyon

2008-11-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

This saturday we have 2 matches from the French League One. Bordeaux - Rennes, a derby, and another bigger PSG - Lyon. Two this derbies will be covered at Macedonian TV Channels. The show starts at 19:00 CET so better be here at time for dont missing it.

Grosso will not play?!

Over the past several years, Italian international defender Fabio Grosso has been plagued by constant health problems.

The former Inter player picked up an injury close to his fibula during the Azzuri's recent friendly with Greece and will now be forced to sit out Lyon's clash against Paris St. Germain on Saturday in Ligue 1 action.

Grosso has found it hard to gain any consistency in his season due to niggling injuries. It is not yet known how long this latest setback will keep the defender out of action.

The former Palermo player signed for Lyon in the summer of 2007 and when at full fitness, he is considered a key part of coach Claude Puel's plans and a consistent member of the starting XI.

Lyon currently lead Ligue 1 with 33 points going into the fifteenth matchday, while PSG are ten points behind Les Gones.

French League One weekday Preview:

Saturday 22 November 2008 (all kick-off times CET)

1900 Girondins de Bordeaux vs. Stade Rennais
1900 SM Caen vs. AJ Auxerre
1900 Grenoble Foot38 vs. Le Havre AC
1900 FC Lorient vs. Toulouse FC
1900 AS Saint-Étienne vs. OGC Nice
1900 Valenciennes vs. FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
2100 Paris Saint-Germain vs. Olympique Lyonnais

Sunday 16 November

1700 AS Monaco vs. Le Mans UC72
1700 FC Nantes vs. AS Nancy-Lorraine
2100 Olympique de Marseille vs. Lille OSC

Girondins de Bordeaux vs. Stade Rennais

Sixth plays third in this intriguing clash at the Stade Chaban Delmas on Saturday evening. Les Girondins, still smarting from a defeat against Olympique Lyonnais last weekend, will look to swiftly recover against a side that has gone unbeaten since mid-August.

Achieving victory will be no easy task for Laurent Blanc’s men, particularly as they will have half an eye on a forthcoming Champions League clash with Chelsea next Wednesday. First-choice goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé is still the main absentee, while central defender Henrique may still be out.

Guy Lacombe’s Rennes side moved into third spot last weekend following a victory over Monaco - their third in succession in Ligue 1. Defensively, the Breton side remain sound, although their offensive sector may be short in numbers. Olivier Thomert is a doubt due to injury, while Mickaël Pagis and Olivier Sorlin have both picked up the flu. Romain Danzé may also sit out with the longer-term concerns Patrice Luzi, Julien Esteban (who is nearing a comeback) and Sylvain Marveaux.

SM Caen vs. AJ Auxerre

There has been a great deal of fanfare over the last seven days about Caen striker Steve Savidan’s inclusion in the French squad, making him the third player from the Normandy club to be capped for les Bleus. The club’s official website carried minute-by-minute reports on ‘Savigol’s’ progress on Wednesday evening, but it is very much a case of back to reality for all concerned this weekend.

The French international forward will start in attack, but his usual wingmen are absent. Khalid Ben Khalfallah and Juan Eluchans will both be missing until 2009, while Anthony Deroin and Grégory Leca could also be sidelined for a similar time span.

Opponents Auxerre will also have their selection headaches. Captain and key midfielder Benoit Pedretti will not feature before the Christmas break, while Ireneusz Jelen, Robert Popov and Jérémy Berthod will also be absent. There is hope that Julien Quercia could return from a groin problem, though.

Grenoble Foot38 vs. Le Havre AC

In pre-season, both of these newly promoted clubs would have pinpointed this fixture as a key match in their season. Having made a strong start, it may not be quite as important to Grenoble at present as it is to Le Havre. However, the home side will be keen to secure a victory in order to continue treading water in the centre of the table.

GF38’s recent form has slipped a little in recent times, picking up only one win in their last seven matches. Back-to-back losses against Olympique de Marseille (3-0) and Toulouse (2-0) have sent Mehmet Bazdarevic’s side out of the top ten for the first time this season. They have defensive problems for this fixture as Milivoje Vitakic is banned, while Maxene Flachez is an injury doubt. Jimmy Mainfroi is, of course, missing long-term.

Le Havre’s problems come in attack, although Jean-Marc Nobilo remains hopeful of being able to call upon the services of either Yannick Boli or Cédric Fauré to privide a goal threat. The in-form Jean-Michel Lesage should certainly start.

FC Lorient vs. Toulouse FC

Once a hero at the Stade du Moustoir, André-Pierre Gignac is really starting to find his feet in Toulouse after a difficult first season with the club. With eight goals to his name already, he has scored approximately 75% of his side’s league goals this season. This will be a huge worry for Alain Casanova, head coach of the Pink City side, should his star man pick up an injury or lose form. At present, though, he can be content.

The injury situation for le Téfécé is looking very good at just now. Only third choice goalkeeper Olivier Blondel will sit out.

This is in stark contrast to the Breton club’s worries, although they have managed to bring back goalkeeper Fabien Audard, central defender Sylvain Marchal and full-back Christophe Jallet to the fold. Yann Jouffre, Rafik Saifi and Jérémy Morel are all definitely missing, while Bakary Soro will probably sit out, too.

AS Saint-Étienne vs. OGC Nice

Crisis-hit club Saint-Étienne continue to lurch from one disaster to the next. Although Alain Perrin’s arrival may have temporarily steadied the ship off the field, les Verts continue to lack fortune on the park. Perrin will have a massive injury headache on his hands for the next two weeks as Sainté have been shorn of their first-choice back four.

Central defenders Stathis Tavlaridis and Sylvain Monsoreau will both sit out due to injuries sustained over the course of the week and join left-back Mouhamadou Dabo and right-back Loïc Perrin on the unavailable list. Adding to their woes is Bayal Sall’s continued suspension. Sainté’s best defensive midfielders - Christophe Landrin (injury) and Blaise Matuidi (suspension) - are also absent.

Nice’s form, in contrast to their hosts', is rather strong. Les Aiglons have won each of their last four games and should be able to welcome back top scorer Loïc Rémy to their side. Le Gym will view this fixture as a fantastic chance to move into the top three.

Valenciennes vs. FC Sochaux-Montbéliard

Each match that Valenciennes play at present could be head coach Antoine Kombouaré’s last. A former Paris Saint-Germain central defender, he is beginning to lose the support of the fans, despite being highly regarded in many circles.

Injuries have been the main problem for VA this season, although this is little excuse for dropping to the foot of the table and failing to secure a three point haul since mid-August. The latest blow for the northern club is that Yassine Bezzaz will be missing until the New Year, while Filip Sebo joins Karba Bangoura and Jean-Louis Leca on the sidelines for this key match. Johan Audel, Rafael Schmitz and Rudy Mater are all doubts of varying degrees.

Francis Gillot will be able to empathise with Kombouaré as his side, too, have been hit with selection problems. These have been most acute in defence, where the ex-Lens boss cannot call upon starters Stéphane Pichot or Jacques Faty, while a number of back-ups are also struggling. Carlao should return from a nasty head knock last weekend to play, while there are also doubts over Nicolas Maurice-Belay, key striker Mevlut Erding and his deputy, Francileudo Santos.

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Olympique Lyonnais

Undoubtedly Saturday’s biggest fixture is the fascinating clash between PSG and Lyon. Les Gones have complained bitterly about the timing of this match, noting that it clashes with their Champions League schedule. Still, with a seven point advantage at the summit of Ligue 1, they can afford to drop points - even in an encounter against one of their supposed rivals.

For this reason, it is difficult to envisage the use of Jérémy Toulalan or Fabio Grosso in this fixture, as both are considered doubtful by the Rhône Valley club. Although John Mensah should be fit again, Anthony Réveillère will go to left-back with Lamine Gassama playing on the right. Bodmer is now a long-term problem for les Gones, who will also be without François Clerc, Fabio Santos, Miralem Pjanic and Cesar Delgado.

Les Parisiens will approach this game on a high and boasting a strong record against the other top contenders in Ligue 1; Paul Le Guen’s men have beaten both Bordeaux and Marseille already this season. Buoyed by what is sure to be a stunning atmosphere at the Parc des Princes, the home side will be missing only Loris Arnaud for sure. Kezman and Chantôme are doubtful.

AS Monaco vs. Le Mans UC72

Defeats in their last two fixtures have kept Monaco firmly anchored in the bottom half of the league table after two successive victories had threatened to lift Ricardo’s side out of total obscurity. However, the Brazilian coach faces this banana skin of a home match against Le Mans still some way short of his strongest squad.

In terms of first team picks, goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier has a broken finger and will, of course, make way for Flavio Roma, while Vincent Muratori continues to be sidelined with a knock. Strikers Djamel Bakar and Serge Gakpé have yet to feature this season, with the latter expected to miss out until January at the earliest.

Le Mans, who boasted a terrific away record before losing to Lyon - a defeat that was quickly followed up with a loss in Sochaux - travel to the principality hoping to replicate last weekend’s excellent showing. MUC beat Valenciennes 1-0 courtesy of a goal straight from a corner kick by Mathieu Coutadeur. Even so, the Sarthe side created a hatful of chances and could easily have won by a greater margin. Saber Ben Frej, Thorstein Helstad and Fredrik Stromstad are their injury concerns this week, with the latter two in with a chance of playing.

FC Nantes vs. AS Nancy-Lorraine

Do not expect an open, attractive game of football at the Stade Beaujoire on Sunday, when two of the league’s most notoriously scrappy teams meet. It may only be November, but both these sides will be looking to quickly boost their league position and will see this as a winnable fixture.

Nantes, who have not won in their last five matches, have endured a run of form that is far from impressive. Never the most subtle of sides at the best of times, les Jeunes have picked up only two points from a possible 15, although they have lost only once at home all season. Their injury position is improving too, with only David De Freitas, William Vainqueur and Stefan Babovic missing this week.

Pablo Correa, the Nancy coach, continues to have injury headaches as he is desperately short of defenders. Abbes Ouaddou and Michael Chretien may be the only first team players missing but, with a whole raft of reserves out, the Lorraine coach is very limited in his options.

Olympique de Marseille vs. Lille OSC

Following their shocking capitulation against Lorient last weekend, Marseille have been charged with the very tricky task of unhinging Lille if they wish to keep their title dreams alive. Trailing Lyon by seven points, les Phocéens cannot afford to allow les Gones to disappear over the horizon.

This match will be a real test of priorities for Eric Gerets, as l’OM play Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday – a match that will eliminate the Mediterranean club if they cannot win it. Definitely out are Tyrone Mears, Renato Civelli, Mathieu Valbuena and Mamadou Samassa, while Bakary Koné and Karim Ziani both seem unlikely to feature.

Lille, who recorded a stunning win over Saint-Étienne last weekend, are a side packed with talent and certainly should not be written off here...they are one of those sides in Ligue 1 capable of beating anyone if they play well. With Debuchy back from suspension, Rudy Garcia could have the luxury of a full squad, as Tulio de Melo, Grégory Tafforeau and Franck Béria near fitness.

Live streaming: Manchester City - Arsenal

2008-11-21T21:06:00.000-08:00

Another derby match in the Premiership. Manchester City are not so fortunate and they are at the middle of the table. Arsenal are aiming for the top. Dont miss this game. Only at Macedonian TV Channels, 16:00 CET.

Fighting for Points

Mark Hughes may have scrapped for a draw against a tough Hull City side, but with Arsenal and Manchester United on Manchester City’s radar the Welshman will be wishing the Blues took all three points from their KC Stadium visit. As Arsenal travel to the City of Manchester Stadium, both managers will be feeling the pressure to pick up points in this busy and crucial stage of the Premier League season with Manchester City in real danger of falling into the relegation zone.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart’s injury has cast the spotlight on back-up Kasper Schmeichel as the club scour the market for a stand in keeper to sign on loan with past Chelsea fill-in Magnus Hedman turning down the chance to sign for Manchester City in a short-term deal. Hughes will be used to the ever-present injury concerns that continue to plague his early months at the helm of the club.

Hughes is also in the midst of negotiating young striker Daniel Sturridge’s contract extension as the academy star’s current deal runs out in the summer. Its seems that Hughes is continuing to play damage control as the Blues stutter through the first half of the season.

The club that began the season with sky high expectations continue to slip down the table and need a big win against a top four Arsenal side that are looking for points as well.

Unforgiving Internationals

Arsène Wenger’s comments on the ill-timed scheduling of this week’s international friendlies foreshadowed the bad news that would come Arsenal’s way involving young winger Theo Walcott who will be sidelined for a minimum of three months after dislocating his shoulder and receiving surgery after picking up the knock on England duty. The cards just are not falling in the Frenchman’s favor. After falling to top four contender Aston Villa at home Wenger will hope his boys can bounce back and restate their dominance at the top of the Premier League table.

The loss of Walcott will be a big blow for Arsenal who are already dealing with internal turmoil after under-fire captain William Gallas conceded that he has personally broke up several dressing room scuffles. The pressure seems to be getting to the Gunners who have failed to show their free-flowing, quick-touch football can produce results over the long haul.

Defensive struggles have long gripped the Gunners who let Philippe Senderos join AC Milan in the summer while injuries continue to plague the back-line. The Gunners will be without Kolo Toure as he recovers from a calf injury he picked up on international duty. Lightening strikes twice for Arsène Wenger as he loses another to the international break, but he will be hoping that lightening doesn’t strike twice in the Premier League by losing two in a row.

FORM GUIDE

Manchester City

Middlesbrough 2-0 Man City (EPL)
Bolton 2-0 Man City (EPL)
Man City 3-2 FC Twente (UEFA)
Man City1-2 Tottenham (EPL)
Hull 2-2 Man City (EPL)

Arsenal

Stoke City 2-1 Arsenal (EPL)
Arsenal 0-0 Fenerbahce (CL)
Arsenal 2-1 Man United (EPL)
Arsenal 3-0 Wigan (LC)
Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa (EPL)

TEAM NEWS

Manchester City

The Blues will be without number one Joe Hart who is out for the next few weeks with an ankle injury. Martin Petrov has had surgery at long last and will be out for up to four months. Richard Dunne returns from his one game suspension after a successful run-out with the Irish national team midweek. Shaun Wright-Phillips showed fantastic form for the English national team against Germany and Mark Hughes will be hoping the fan favorite does the same at Eastlands.

Last Starting XI: Hart (Schmeichel), Zabaleta, Richards, Ben Haim, Garrido, Kompany, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Vassell, Robinho (cap.), Benjani (Jo).

Arsenal

Arsène Wenger will be without Theo Walcott and Kolo Toure for this affair as Emmanuel Eboue and several other stars are still on the mend. Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo de Silva continue to recover from their long-term injuries as Bacary Sagna is still out with an ankle injury. Cesc Fabregas is suspended for this tie as Wenger looks to field a young team to face the Blues. Johan Djourou could be handed a rare start with Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor returning to the front of the Arsenal attack.

Last Starting XI: Almunia, Sagna (Toure), Gallas, Silvestre, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Denilson, Nasri, Diaby (Adebayor), Bendtner (Vela)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester City

With Joe Hart out, Kasper Schmeichel takes the keeper spot after more than a year without a Premier League start. Schmeichel dramatically saved a Robin van Persie penalty early last season under Eriksson, and the City faithful will be hoping the Dane can come up with more heroics this time around.

Arsenal

William Gallas has endured a lot of scrutiny as Arsenal captain, and with Arsenal dropping points as of late, eyes will be on the skipper as the Gunners try and stay strong away from home. The defense has been a big falling point for Arsenal so far this season and Gallas will be hoping to be an anchor in the Gunners defence.

PREDICTION

Manchester City have been solid at home, yet the last time a big four side came to the City of Manchester Stadium they left with a win. Manchester City have dropped points to both Chelsea and Tottenham at home and the London luck might be against them as Arsenal look to escape the Northeast with three points. Arsène Wenger is eager to stay atop the table and within touching distance of Liverpool and Chelsea. A win here could go a big way in saving their domestic campaign while a Manchester City loss would doom the Blues to the drop zone. Mark Hughes will be counting down the days until the transfer window opens and reinforcements arrive.

Manchester City 1-2 Arsenal

Live streaming: AC Milan - Chievo

2008-11-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

Milan hosts Chievo at Italian seria A and we thing that match will be the most interesting from sunday evening matches. The match starts at 15:00 CET and we hope that you will be with us.

Di Carlo: In Milan to win

The Flying Donkeys are in the relegation zone and they are desperate for some points.

Coach Domenico Di Carlo's first game in charge of Chievo ended in a 2-0 defeat against Juventus last week, and now his job is even more difficult as he takes his fighting troops to Milan.

The Rossoneri are in hot form at the moment but Di Carlo is confident of causing a potential shock.

"We are going to Milan thinking about three points," Di Carlo told Calciomercato.com.

"This has to be our mentality. If we take a point then it will be good, if not it will be bad.

"However, we will try and we believe we can do it.

"I will not settle for anything less. I am asking my team to play like we did against Juventus.

"We have to show we are a team and that we have the courage to fight until the end."

Although the coach is confident, it will be a difficult task to pull off.

The Gialloblu have not won away from home this season. They have lost four and drawn one on the road.

Ancelotti: I am not rooting for Palermo

After losing the top spot to city rivals Inter last week following their 1-1 draw away to Lecce, Milan are eager to get back on top of things in Serie A again. They have a good chance this weekend, as they welcome Chievo, while Inter face a tough trip to Palermo.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti gave a press conference earlier today in which he talked about a number of topics.

On the injuries that have hit the team lately, he said: "It's true, we do have a number of absences, but I still think that in one way or another I'll be able to put out a competitive side. Somehow I'll be able to make up for the losses we have suffered over the past week."

On tonight's Palermo-Inter match: "I will watch the game without rooting for Palermo. We are meeting Palermo soon, the match is interesting to me especially from that point of view. I like watching football in general, yesterday for example I watched Alessandro Costacurta's Mantova play really well, which is another confirmation that Milan are bringing up excellent coaches, thanks to the culture transmitted by Sacchi."

Last week there was some apparent disagreement between Ancelotti and vice-president Adriano Galliani, who said that Milan should not comment on the performances of referees the day after Ancelotti did just that following the Lecce game.

"There's no problem with Galliani, I expressed my opinion, the manager expressed that of the club, I don't know where the problem lies," the coach said about that.

Finally, on Juventus, Ancelotti said: "They managed to get out of a difficult situation very well. At the moment I think they are very compact, for this reason the players' individual qualities are emerging."

Live streaming: Pelister - Vardar

2008-11-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

The derby in the Macedonian football. Today at week 13, Pelister will host the hot rival from Skopje. Pelister are 7th with great score of 3 wins at home and Vardar are 4th with not so shiny away form. Both squads have good players especially Vardar, which have all exRabotnicki squad.

We expect tight match, new coaches of both Pelister and Vardar to prove their tactical knowledge. But at most we expect good football.

We hope you will join too at Macedonian TV Channels, and you will help the promotion of the Macedonian football.

Dont forget 13:00 CET sunday 16 november 2008, Pelister - Vardar.

Live streaming: La Havre - P.S.G. and Lille - St. Etienne

2008-11-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

Today we have 2 matches from French League One.

At 19:00 CET we have La Havre - P.S.G and at 21:00 CET we have Lille - St. Etienne.

The matches you will be able to see live at Macedonian TV Channels. Enjoy!

Saturday November 15 2008 (all kick-offs CET)

1900 AJ Auxerre vs. FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
1900 Le Havre AC vs. Paris Saint-Germain
1900 Le Mans UC vs. Valenciennes FC
1900 Olympique Marseille vs. FC Lorient
1900 AS Nancy-Lorraine vs. SM Caen
1900 Toulouse FC vs. Grenoble Foot38
2100 Lille OSC vs. AS Saint-Étienne

Sunday November 16 2008

1700 OGC Nice vs. FC Nantes
1700 Stade Rennais vs. AS Monaco
2100 Olympique Lyon vs. Girondins de Bordeaux

AJ Auxerre vs. FC Sochaux-Montbéliard

Having gone five matches without conceding a goal, Auxerre will have been disappointed to have slipped to a loss against Bordeaux last weekend before a somewhat embarrassing 2-0 defeat against Vannes in the Coupe de la Ligue on Tuesday evening. Admittedly, the Burgundy club were a number of players down due to injury and can expect to be again on Saturday.

Captain Benoit Pedretti will be their greatest loss but Ireneusz Jelen, Jérémy Berthod and Robert Popov will also be missing. The likelihood is that Julien Quercia will be absent because of a thigh problem.

Sochaux, who won their first league match of the season last weekend, also lost to Ligue 2 opposition in midweek. Les Lionceaux were edged out 1-0 by Lens after extra-time but deserved better. A lengthy injury list has not shortened any since last weekend, although Mevlut Erding could return. Stéphane Dalmat is banned.

Le Havre AC vs. Paris Saint-Germain

It has been an excellent week for Le Havre. After securing an important win over Caen in the Normandy derby last weekend, Le Havre built on their success by becoming the first French team since August to beat Rennes, winning in the Coupe de la Ligue last weekend.

Yannick Boli, who is on loan from PSG, missed the midweek win over Rennes due to injury and is doubtful to face his parent club on Saturday evening. Nikola Nikezic is expected to be the only other casualty for HAC.

Les Parisiens, who were also triumphant in the Coupe de la Ligue on Wednesday evening, travel north without long-term injury problem Loris Arnaud, while Paul Le Guen will sweat on the fitness of Mateja Kezman and Ceara. Both look unlikely to play.

Le Mans UC vs. Valenciennes FC

Antoine Kombouaré, head coach of Valenciennes, could be entering the last chance saloon in Le Mans on Saturday evening as the pressure on his job intensifies. It has been eleven matches since VA last claimed a victory while they have not even mustered a goal in three.

When Johan Audel was introduced from the bench in last weekend’s 1-0 loss in Nancy after a spell out due to injury, the youngster introduced some real spark to the attack and will likely be asked to play from the start in Le Mans. Siaka Tiéné and Rudy Mater are the only two players definitely missing for the northern club – both are banned.

Le Mans, who have lost their last two, will give late fitness tests to star man Mathieu Coutadeur as well as Norwegian midfielder Frederik Stromstad. Grégory Cerdan is banned while Saber Ben Frej is injured.

Olympique Marseille vs. FC Lorient

Marseille know that to keep the pressure firmly applied to Lyon and Bordeaux at the top of the table, they must win matches such as Saturday’s fixture at the Stade Vélodrome against Lorient.

Eric Gerets’ side will be without a number of squad defenders such as Zubar, Civelli and Mears due to injury, while El-Amine Erbate’s status in the squad is uncertain due to family issues. Mamadou Samassa sits out while Baki Koné is a doubt due to injury.

These problems pale into insignificance when Lorient’s situation is considered. Although second-choice goalkeeper Lionel Cappone returns from an injury to keep goal, les Merlus face Ligue 1’s most potent attack without several first choice players. Audard, Jouffre, Saifi and Jallet would all be expected to start in normal circumstances but are sidelined. Hamed Namouchi will miss the next month due to injury.

AS Nancy-Lorraine vs. SM Caen

Strong league form was not enough to inspire Nancy to a similar performance in the Coupe de la Ligue as they slumped to a 2-0 loss against PSG. Head coach Pablo Correa was incensed by the performance of his side and launched a stinging attack on his fringe players in the press the following day.

Key man Youssouf Hadji will be recalled to the squad having been rested in midweek but Abbes Ouaddou will be missing until the winter break due to injury. He joins fellow defenders Michael Chretien, Joel Sami and Geoffrey Adjet on the sidelines. Strikers Gaston Curbelo and Basile Camerling are also making their way back from injuries.

Arguably, Caen will be hampered by injured to a greater extent. First team regulars Anthony Deroin, Juan Eluchans, Grégory Leca, Fahid Ben Kalhfallah and Jérémy Sorbon will all be missing from Franck Dumas’ squad to play at the Stade Marcel Pichot.

Toulouse FC vs. Grenoble Foot38

Times are starting to become tough for Alain Casanova’s Toulouse side after scaling the heights of Le Championnat to as high a point as second. One win in five has seen the men from the Pink City slip down the rankings to sixth spot – still well above pre-season expectations.

The midfield Étienne duo, Didot and Cappoue, will return to the squad after suspension while there is also good news on the injury front as Moussa Sissoko and Daniel Braaten both returned to training this weekend, leaving Blondel as their only injury concern.

Mehmet Bazdarevic’s Grenoble squad have been the overachievers of the Ligue 1 season to date but draws have stalled their progress of late – three in their last five fixtures. Laurent Courtois and Milos Dimitrijevic are both banned while Paul Cattier and Jimmy Mainfroi are injured.

Lille OSC vs. AS Saint-Étienne

Saturday night marks the dawn of a new era at Saint-Étienne as new head coach Alain Perrin and director of football Damien Commoli team-up for the first time when les Verts play Lille.

Unfortunately for Sainté, there is still a lengthy list of injury problems for the new management team to cope with. The defence is particularly troubled by selection problems. Loic Perrin and Mahamadou Dabo are both still injured while Yohan Benalouane is suspended along with Bayal Sall. Les Verts will have a full complement of strikers but will have to do without midfielders Christophe Landrin and, probably, Geoffrey Dernis.

Lille’s position is very different as Grégory Tafforeau, Tulio de Melo and Franck Béria should all return to the fold, leaving head coach Rudy Garcia with a full complement of players. Though LOSC under-performed against PSG last Sunday night, losing 1-0, great changes seem unlikely.

OGC Nice vs. FC Nantes

There were no risks taken by Nice head coach Frédéric Antonetti in midweek when his side faced third tier Créteil in the Coupe de la Ligue. Although the minnows worried their more illustrious opponents at times, les Aiglons would soar through the match 3-0. Playing on Sunday, Nice should have had sufficient time to recover so that fatigue is not an issue.

Three players are expected to be missing for the Mediterranean club, with Loic Rémy the main absentee. Also injured are Kafoumba Coulibaly and Mahamane Traoré.

Elie Baup, head coach of Nantes, has had plenty of injury headaches in recent times but his squad is getting back towards full fitness. Daniel Abdoun will not be fit to play on Sunday but there is hope that Ibrahim Tall and Kévin Das Neves will both return. De Freitas is a further doubt while Nantes will miss Christian Bekamenga and Ivan Klasnic due to bans.

Stade Rennais vs. AS Monaco

Guy Lacombe may have watched his side lose their lengthy unbeaten domestic run in Le Havre on Wednesday evening but it will not be viewed as a great disaster by the Breton coach. Rennes played a solid match but missed too many chances and were punished when they conceded a penalty three minutes into stoppage time.

With Jimmy Briand back from suspension, as well as right-back Rod Fanni, such problems in front of goal should not be so apparent. Thomert and Danzé are both doubts while the usual trio of Esteban, Luzi and Marveaux are all missing.

Monaco’s injury list is also sizeable, with youngster Yannick Sagbo, who made his debut against Lyon last weekend, missing until next year. He joins a lengthy injury list that has not shortened any since last weekend.

Once again Monaco head coach Ricardo will call upon his young players in an important fixture, with Alexandre Licata and Yohan Mollo particular impressive in recent weeks.

Olympique Lyon vs. Girondins de Bordeaux

Undoubtedly the fixture of the weekend will be played at the Stade Gerland on Sunday evening as last season’s top two clubs tussle for early season supremacy. Lyon may have made the slightly sharper start in the league but a Bordeaux win would bring Laurent Blanc’s side right back into contention.

Les Gones, who won this match-up last season to take a major step towards a seventh consecutive league title, were shocked by Ligue 2 side Metz in midweek (pictured) but will recall all their big guns for this fixture. If there is a weakness in the Lyon side, it remains in a defence that is shorn of John Mensah, Mathieu Bodmer and François Clerc. Fabio Santos and Miralem Pjanic will also be missing.

Blanc also has selection problems, though. First choice goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé is missing but second choice, Mathieu Valverde, who was taken to hospital last weekend after being accidentally kicked in the head by Auxerre’s Dennis Oliech, should be fit to play. Ducasse is definitely missing while Mathieu Chalmé, Jussie and Gabriel Obertan are uncertain to feature. Left-back Franck Jurietti may not feature after going AWOL earlier this week.

Live streaming: Arsenal - Aston Villa

2008-11-15T06:41:00.000-08:00

Live here 16:00 CET saturday the match between Arsenal - Aston Villa. Only at Macedonian TV Channels.

Shifting Sands, Changed Fortunes

Arsenal, on the rack little more than a week ago, their Premier League title chances apparently hanging by a thread, are buoyant again after two well-received victories. In contrast, Aston Villa, who had been poised to displace the Gunners in the top four, unexpectedly lost their last two Premier League games. So while third-placed Arsenal are seeking a third straight win in all competitions,. Villa will be anxious to avoid a third successive League defeat.

The games that revived Arsenal's fortunes and helped restored manager Arsene Wenger's reputation were last Saturday's pulsating 2-1 victory over defending champions Manchester United, and Tuesday's impressive 3-0 demolition of a full-strength Wigan side by a team of Arsenal's precociously talented youngsters in the Carling Cup.

Villa, who had been knocking on the door of the Big Four after some excellent results and performances, stumbled to a 2-0 defeat at struggling Newcastle and a shock home loss at the hands of Villa old boy Gareth Southgate's Middlesbrough. Those set-backs came either side of an encouraging 1-0 away win against Slavia Prague in the Uefa Cup.

Arsenal's win against Manchester United was achieved with a depleted side shorn of first-choice strikers Emmanuel Adebayor (injured against Stoke) and Robin van Persie (suspended after being dismissed in the same game). The Gunners' aim now has to be to attain consistency and close the six-point gap on second-placed Liverpool and leaders Chelsea.

Past Games, Late Goals

Villa, having slipped to fifth in the table, would need to beat the Gunners by a five-goal margin to overtake them. But if that seems unlikely, the Gunners have been held to 1-1 home draws on both previous occasions that Villa have visited the Emirates. In fact Martin O'Neill's Villa tenure began with one of those 1-1 draws in August 2006. On the other hand, Villa have not beaten Arsenal, home or away, in 19 attempts. The last time they won on Arsenal's turf was in early November 1993. The Gunners have not lost a home Premier League game against a club from the Midlands since Wenger became manager. And Villa have won only one of their last 26 league games in London, a sequence spanning more than four years.

Arsenal's third goal against Wigan on Wednesday was their 50th of the season and came in the their 20th match so far. They've scored in each of their last 10 Premier League games and there has been a last-minute goal in each of their last six League matches – though not always in their favour. In the corresponding fixture last season, too, Arsenal substitute Nicklas Bendtner equalised against Villa with virtually the last kick of the game.

That deprived Villa of a long overdue win against the Gunners, but maintained the Villans' fairly dismal record of just one win against the 'Big Four' clubs in 35 attempts since April 2004. That solitary win was a 2-0 triumph against Chelsea at Villa Park in September 2007, the latter throes of Jose Mourinho's reign. Their last away win against any of that elite quartet was back in May 2002 at Stamford Bridge, when they won 3-1.

Overall, the two clubs have met 158 times in League contests, with Arsenal claiming 64 wins, Villa 58, and 36 games being drawn. In the Premier League the record reads Arsenal 16 wins, Villa five, and 11 draws. In League games on Arsenal territory only, the Gunners have won 42 times, Villa 20, and there have been 17 draws. In 16 Premier League meetings at Arsenal, the Gunners have been victorious on nine occasions, and Villa just twice, with five games ending all-square - including both of the last two.

How The Managers See It

Assessing his opponents ahead of Saturday's game, Wenger told journalists this week: "They are physically strong and technically efficient. They have a lot of pace and can adjust their style. They can play in the air and on the ground.

"It's a very, very open Premier League now. It's tougher this year and more interesting, and it looks like anyone can drop points, which is good for us. It's a massive game - a big, big test after the United game. We've built up belief and this game will give us a big answer."

His Villa counterpart O'Neill commented: "On their own patch they are a very fine footballing side.

"It will be an interesting game because they now think they are back on track for the title. It was a big game for them against Manchester United last weekend - it was a game they had to win and they did it. Now it's up to us because we have to try to win a game to put ourselves back on track."

FORM GUIDE

Arsenal

11 Nov (Carling Cup) v Wigan (H) WON 3-0
08 Nov (Premier League) v Man Utd (H) WON 2-1
05 Nov (Champions League) v Fenerbahce (H) DREW 0-0
01 Nov (Premier League) v Stoke (A) LOST 1-2
29 Oct (Premier League) v Tottenham (H) DREW 4-4

Aston Villa

09 Nov (Premier League) v Middlesbrough (H) LOST 1-2
06 Nov (Uefa Cup) v Slavia Prague (A) WON 1-0
03 Nov (Premier League) v Newcastle (A) LOST 0-2
29 Oct (Premier League) v Blackburn (H) WON 3-2
26 Oct (Premier League) v Wigan (A) WON 4-0

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal

Wenger could have Emmanuel Adebayor and Manuel Almunia back from injury, but will definitely be without Robin van Persie, who is suspended, and Emmanuel Eboue, who has an injured knee. Eduardo and Tomas Rosicky are also ruled out still.

Squad: Almunia, Fabianski, Diaby, Sagna, Fabregas, Toure, Nasri, Gallas, Vela, Walcott, Denilson, Ramsey, Song, Silvestre, Wilshere, Gibbs, Djourou, Clichy, Bendtner, Adebayor.

Last Starting XI: Fabianski, Hoyte, Song Billong, Djourou, Gibbs, Wilshere (Bischoff 76), Randall, Ramsey, Merida, Simpson (Lansbury 76), Vela (Fonte 84).
Subs Not Used: Mannone, Coquelin, Ogogo, Frimpong.

Last Starting XI in Premier League: Almunia (Fabianski 78), Sagna, Gallas, Silvestre, Clichy, Walcott (Song Billong 77), Fabregas, Denilson, Nasri, Diaby (Toure 86), Bendtner.
Subs Not Used: Vela, Ramsey, Wilshere, Djourou. Booked: Gallas, Sagna, Clichy.

Aston Villa

Stilliyan Petrov and Luke Young could return after injury for O'Neill. James Milner is again likely to partner Gabriel Agbonlahor in the Villa attack if striker John Carew fails to recover in time from an injured hip.

Squad: Friedel, Guzan, Luke Young, Cuellar, Davies, Laursen, Shorey,Milner, Sidwell, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor, Carew, Harewood, Gardner, Routledge, Salifou, Knight, Delfouneso.

Last Starting XI: Friedel, Cuellar, Davies, Laursen, Shorey (Harewood 70), Reo-Coker, Sidwell, Barry, Milner, Agbonlahor, Ashley Young.
Subs Not Used: Guzan, Routledge, Salifou, Knight, Delfouneso, Gardner.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal

Given Villa's pace on the wings, the game is likely to be an interesting challenge for left-back Gael Clichy. The Frenchman who took over o smoothly from Ashley Cole for the Gunners has been their most consistent defender for the last couple of seasons, showing good awareness and positional sense and sharp turn of speed, and offering vital width to Arsenal's attacks. He recently scored his first-ever goal for the club, and has also made a vital goal-line clearance - as well as a slip that cost a goal against Spurs.

Samir Nasri scored two fine goals against Manchester United last weekend and will be looking to maintain that form and momentum, cutting in dangerously from the flanks. Another of Wenger's French contingent, he is proving to be an astute summer purchase - and will be keen to add to his five-goal haul for the season so far.

Aston Villa

In his Blackburn days, American goalkeeper Brad Friedel was regularly inspired against the Gunners, and he will be looking to make life as hard as possible for the Arsenal forwards again on Saturday. Remarkably, it will be Friedel's 165th consecutive Premier League appearance, a sequence that began with Rovers at the start of the 2004-05 season, and means he needs just one more game to equal the run of David James, who made 166 consecutive appearances for Manchester City and Portsmouth between 17 January 2004 and 27 April 2008.

Further forward, Steve Sidwell will hope to start, or at least be involved, for two reasons. Firstly, he will be eager to erase the memory of his errant back-pass that gifted Tuncay Sanli the winning goal for Middlesbrough last weekend, taking the gloss off his own first goal for Villa in the same match. Secondly, having begun his career with the Gunners - and won two FA Youth Cups in Arsenal colours in 2000 and 2001. Having moved in 2003 to Reading, and then in 2007 to Chelsea before joining Villa in summer 2008, Sidwell would love to impress on his return to the club where he was unable to break into the first-team.

PREDICTION

This game is delicately and intriguing poised. Villa are certainly better than their last two League results, while Arsenal need to build on their two wins of the last eight days and prove that they have the composure, consistency and character to silence the doubters. Martin O'Neill will be desperate for his side to regain the winning touch and get their bid for a Champions League place back up and running. Wenger knows his team cannot afford many if any more slip-ups, especially at home. Both managers will stretch the other's tactical ingenuity and responsiveness, but ultimately it is the players who must deliver. There will be plenty of top class ones out on the pitch, all with high stakes to play for. But the Gunners have an excellent recent record against Villa, will be determined to maintain the momentum of their victory over United, and should have the self-belief to try and control the game. In Villa's previous two visits they scored early on and forced the Gunners to chase the game; if Arsenal can start at a high tempo, impose themselves and be first to break the deadlock, they are capable of going on to win the game.

Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa

Live streaming: Metalurg - Barcelona

2008-11-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

Handball is different then the football. Here Macedonia has good teams. We all remember winning of the Champions league (Women) of Kometal Gjorce Petrov (now just Gjorce Petrov), we all remember and know that Macedonia will be part of the European Championship in Zagreb (Men).

Also we know that every team that plays as away in Macedonia can be defeated. But ...

Barcelona is damn so good at every sport, football, basketball, handball, but we the Macedonians hope that Metalurg can with this match with the magic that courts in Skopje have. To be able to share the joy or the sorrow with us, connect at Macedonian TV Channels, 16:55 CET saturday, maybe you will be a part of the history.

Live streaming: Real Madrid - Malaga

2008-11-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

Real Madrid lost against Juventus, last wednesday. Maybe this match can free them from frustrations. We are left to see what will happen live and free at Macedonian TV Channels. The match starts saturday 20:00 CET. Be with us.

Bernabéu Alarm Bells

Just three days after applauding Juventus hero Alessandro Del Piero off the pitch with a rousing standing ovation, the Bernabéu faithful will welcome their beleaguered Madrid side back to the turf, demanding nothing less than a convincing and immediate end to their current decline in form.

Los Merengues have now lost three of their last five competitive games, picking up only one win in the process. Although they remain unbeaten in La Liga since the opening day loss at Deportivo La Coruña, last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Almería was greeted with disgust not only by their fans but also poignantly by the players themselves, some of whom have willingly admitted that the team are struggling to perform at present.

Coach Bernd Schuster has already taken the first steps to prevent the alarm bells – and the whistling by the home fans – from reaching catastrophic decibels by holding an emergency rally with his players in the hopes of inciting a response.

The next five weeks will be pivotal for the men in white to save their season, even though the new campaign is only a little over two months old. Their first obstacle will be this Saturday’s meeting with newly-promoted Málaga, but the first real test will come next Wednesday when they take on Segunda B minnows, Real Unión, in the second leg of the Copa del Rey, a tie in which they must overturn a 3-2 deficit if they are to remain in the tournament that they so desperately want to win.

Then comes the remaining two group matches of the Champions League: a trip to BATE Borisov and a home clash with Zenit St Petersburg; two games that they must win to keep alive any hopes of nicking top spot off Juventus in the group and progressing safely to the knock-out phase.

All that will culminate with the grandfather of all derbies on the 14^th of December, the El Clásico battle with Barcelona. Even with the minor stutter in midweek against Basel, the Blaugrana have been simply irresistible and at the rate they have been dismantling their opponents over the past month or so, Madrid would not stand a chance if they were to meet based on current form.

Even though there’s every possibility Barça will slide into a slump of their own come derby day, Los Blancos simply have to rediscover their touch as soon as possible to avoid being embarrassed by their eternal nemesis.

More Misery From Málaga?

Málaga were just one of the many teams over the past few weeks who felt the full force of Barça’s uncontainable fury. They entered the clash against the Catalans last weekend as one of the form teams, having pieced together four successive league wins, but they were no match for Pep Guardiola’s men on the pitch as they were steamrollered 1-4 at home.

But Los Boquerones are well aware that they have a glorious opportunity to pull off an upset against a fragile and vulnerable Madrid side on Sunday and they will not hesitate to heap more misery on the reigning La Liga champions should they be presented with that chance.

On the flip side of the coin, however, the Andalucians could be walking straight into the den of a wounded animal and if the men in white do happen to awaken from their slumber all of a sudden, Antonio Tapia’s side could be facing the full brunt of another fury.

Current Málaga president Fernando Sanz, a former Los Blancos player, will have mixed emotions when he sets foot in the VIP box seat at the club once run by his father, Lorenzo. But he is confident that his own charges will be fully motivated to take down Madrid on the pitch and atone for the crushing defeat they suffered last week.

FORM GUIDE

Real Madrid

Nov 05 Real Madrid 0-2 Juventus (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)

Nov 02 UD Almería 1-1 Real Madrid (LA LIGA)

Oct 30 Real Unión 3-2 Real Madrid (COPA DEL REY)

Oct 26 Real Madrid 3-2 Athletic Bilbao (LA LIGA)

Oct 21 Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)

Málaga

Nov 01 Málaga 1-4 Barcelona (LA LIGA)

Oct 29 Málaga 1-1 Real Mallorca (COPA DEL REY)

Oct 26 Sevilla 0-1 Málaga (LA LIGA)

Oct 19 Málaga 2-1 Getafe (LA LIGA)

Oct 05 Recreativo Huelva 2-1 Málaga (LA LIGA)

TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid

Arjen Robben is out for six weeks after suffering a second degree muscle tear in his right calf during the warm-up for the Juventus game. Sergio Ramos, meanwhile, picked up a foot injury during the match itself and he is now certain to miss the Málaga clash. Also likely to be sidelined is striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who aggravated his knee problem in midweek.

Pepe, on the other hand, is making good progress in recuperating from the bruised left thigh he sustained last weekend at Almería, and although he is still slightly doubtful at this stage, he has resumed normal training with the rest of the squad. Rubén de la Red is expected to be omitted again to ensure he recovers fully from his black-out episode a week-and-a-half ago.

Probable Starting XI (4-3-3): Casillas – Salgado, Cannavaro, Pepe/Heinze, Marcelo – Sneijder, Gago, Guti – Higuaín, Raúl (c), Drenthe

Málaga

Duda has successfully had the booking he picked up against Getafe three weeks ago revoked by the Appeals Committee, which means that his yellow card count goes back to zero.

Defender Adriano Rossato and forward Salva Ballesta are the only two injury casualties for Málaga and they have both been omitted from the trip to Madrid as they continue with their rehabilitation.

Coach Tapia has already confirmed that he will take the same squad that he used against Barcelona to the capital and without too many options or much quality on the bench, he is likely to summon an identical first XI.

Probable Starting XI (4-4-2): Arnau (c) – Gámez, Rosário, Welington, Calleja – Eliseu, Miguel Ángel, Apoño, Duda – Baha, Adrián

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Royston Drenthe was Madrid’s most threatening player in the impotent display against Juve last Wednesday, and with his team’s midfield starved of any creativity or flair, this could be a chance to finally herald his arrival on the big stage and elevate himself from a promising young player to the next big superstar.

Wesley Sneijder was infuriated with his own ineffectual performance in midweek against Juventus, when he was substituted, and he will be out to make amends. He desperately needs to re-invigorate his collaboration with Guti in midfield to spark the team’s attack back to life, but in truth, every player in white on Saturday will have to seriously pull his weight to haul the club out of this rut.

PREDICTION

If Madrid fail to perform inside the first 45 minutes, expect the Bernabéu to be blanketed by white handkerchiefs by half-time. There’s an urgent need for Schuster’s men to respond and bounce back immediately but a simple win may not even be enough for the fans to leave the stadium satisfied. This is one of those games where the merengues have to turn on the style to win any kind of approval and applause from the die-hard supporters.

Real Madrid 3-1 Málaga

Live streaming: Hamburger - Borussia Dortmund

2008-11-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

Hamburger without Van Der Vaart and Kompany are 5th, Borussia Dortmund are one place behind, 6th. We expect interesting Match between the both clubs. It will be mid table derby. You can watch it live and free at Macedonian TV Channels. Saturday 15:30 CET be here for live free Bundesliga 1.

Hamburg once again stumbled to an embarrassing away defeat last weekend and need to respond with a win. Their visitors Borussia Dortmund however are unlikely to make it easy for Martin Jol’s side as they look to bag all three points themselves. An interesting encounter waits at the HSH Nordbank Arena on Saturday.

Away Day Blues

Once again it was a case of the away day blues for Hamburg last weekend as they were on the receiving end of a 3-0 defeat at the AWD Arena in Hannover. What made the defeat all the more disappointing/ surprising was the fact that the Niedersachsen side were depleted through injury.

That was the third away game this season that the ‘Rothosen’ have been on the end of a comprehensive 3-0 beating. Back in September Wolfsburg hit three past them to inflict their first loss of the season and then a few weeks ago they were beaten by the very same scoreline by table-topping Hoffenheim.

On a positive note, after both the Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim losses Martin Jol’s side responded with a home win, so the omens aren’t good for Saturday’s visitors Dortmund. They beat Mönchengladbach 1-0 following the Wolfsburg defeat and then downed Stuttgart 2-0 following on from the Hoffenheim debacle.

A 'Good' Start To The Season

With just one defeat this season (4-1 v Hoffenheim) Dortmund have moved themselves up to 6th in the table and will be ruing the fact that so many games have ended in draws rather that wins.

Dortmund trainer Jürgen Klopp has has however confessed to being generally pleased with the start his side have made to the Bundesliga season. "When one thinks of the quality of opponent we have had so far, I must say that we have made a good start.

"If we had managed two more points from the recent home games against Hanover and Hertha instead of drawing them, I would be calling it a very good start"

His side will get the chance to make up for that slight disappointment on Saturday when they travel North to face Hamburg. The last two encounters at the HSH Nordbank Arena may have ended in losses, but the visitors can point to recent victories away at Hamburg to boost their self-confidence.

Much is being made of the whole Petric/ Zidan situation, with both coming up against the former sides, but at the end of the day three vital Bundesliga points are on offer, and that is more important than either Petric or Zidan putting one over their old side.

FORM GUIDE

Hamburg

01/11/08 v Hannover (a) LOST 3-0 (Bundesliga)

29/10/08 v VfB Stuttgart (h) WON 2-0 (Bundesliga)

26/10/08 v 1899 Hoffenheim (a) LOST 3-0 (Bundesliga)

23/10/08 v MSK Zilina (a) WON 1-2 (Uefa Cup)

19/10/08 v Schalke (h) DREW 1-1 (Bundesliga)

05/10/08 v Energie Cottbus (a) WON 1-2 (Bundesliga)

Borussia Dortmund

02/11/08 v Bochum (h) DREW 1-1 (Bundesliga)

29/10/08 v 1.FC Köln (a) WON 0-1 (Bundesliga)

26/10/08 v Hertha Berlin (h) DREW 1-1 (Bundesliga)

18/10/08 v Werder Bremen (a) DREW 3-3 (Bundesliga)

05/10/08 v Hannover (h) DREW 1-1 (Bundesliga)

02/10/08 v Udinese (a) DREW 2-2 (lost on pens) (Uefa Cup)

Head To Head Record in Hamburg:

15/05/08 Hamburg 1 Borussia Dortmund 0

10/02/07 Hamburg 3 Borussia Dortmund 0

25/05/08 Hamburg 2 Borussia Dortmund 4

19/03/05 Hamburg 2 Borussia Dortmund 3

10/04/04 Hamburg 0 Borussia Dortmund 2

TEAM NEWS

Hamburg

Martin Jol has a number of selection concerns ahead of the Dortmund match. Guy Demel and Nigel de Jong are definite non-starters, while striker Paolo Guerrero is rated as doubtful with a muscle problem. It remains unclear as to whether full back Marcell Jansen will be able to play any part as he continues to recover from injury.

Long-term casualties Romeo Castelen and Timothee Atouba remain out of contention. Jerome Boateng should deputise for Demel, while Brazilian Alex Silva will continue to play in midfield in place of de Jong. His compatriot Thiago Neves could be an alternative should Guerrero miss out.

Probable Starting XI: Rost, Boateng, Mathijsen, Reinhardt, Aogo, Jarolim, Alex Silva, Trochowski, Guerrero, Olic, Petric

Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund trainer Jürgen Klopp will be boosted by the news that Tamas Hajnal and Nelson Valdez (both muscular problems) as well as the ever-dangerous Blaszczykowski (nose operation) resumed first team training on Friday.

Brazilian Tinga could however miss out with an adductor injury. He will undergo a late fitness test before kick off. Former HSV striker Mohamed Zidan is expected to sit on the bench, but could be used at sometime during the match.

Probable Starting XI: Weidenfeller - Owomoyela, Subotic, Kovac, Lee - Kehl - Tinga (Sahin), Kringe - Hajnal - Kuba, Valdez (Zidan).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hamburg- Mladen Petric

Back in the summer came the surprise transfer of Croat forward Mladen Petric from Dortmund to Hamburg with Mohamed Zidan and a few million euros going the other way. He has hit the goal trail straight away for his new employers, but another on Saturday against his ex-club would be even more special for him. With Zidan looking to do the same, an interesting match-up is in store.

Borussia Dortmund- Mohamed Zidan

Mohamed Zidan was described as a “flop” during his time at the HSH Nordbank Arena. He arrived in a big-money move from Mainz, but never really won favour with former Hamburg trainer Huub Stevens and struggled for games let alone goals. His move to Dortmund to join up with former mentor Jürgen Klopp was the ideal change for him. It would be a real boost to him, if he could get one over Hamburg this weekend. Watch for him coming off the bench in the second half to score the winner.

PREDICTION

I remember writing the same thing following their defeat to Hoffenheim, but Hamburg will want to show a reaction following last weeks loss to Hannover. Then, they beat Stuttgart and this weekend I believe they will once again secure all three points, but they will be made to work by Dortmund.

Hamburg 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

Live streaming: Arsenal - Manchester United

2008-11-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

Saturday we have great match from English Premier League. Two rivals, two titans play with eachother. Wenger against Ferguson, Adebayor against Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be happy at the end. Watch this wonderful match, live and free at Macedonian TV Channels. The match starts at 13:45 CET with live streaming from it.

Gunners Out Of Ammunition

The words ‘goal shy’ and ‘Arsenal’ are rarely uttered in the same breath. The Gunners are used to being the cavaliers of Premier League football, delighting the Emirates crowd with their artistry on the pitch as they craft goals from the highest order.

Arsenal fans have certainly not seen this type of play in the last week. The team from North London slumped to an impotent 2-1 defeat at Stoke City at the weekend, before following this up on Wednesday night with a 0-0 draw against Fenerbahçe in the Champions League. Just two weeks ago they had thrashed the Turkish club 5-2.

This failure in attack was the last thing that under fire manager Arsene Wenger would have wanted. The problems for the French manager were only supposed to be at the other end of the pitch.

The full ferocity of the critic’s barbs had been projected there due to the soft centre of the Arsenal team.

This weakness at the back has seen them concede over twice the amount of goals that top of the table Chelsea have. The tipping point for this came in the recent shambolic draw with bitter rivals Tottenham, where a two goal lead in the 89th minute turned in to a 4-4 draw at the final whistle.

A repeat showing against United would be disastrous for the Gunners' hopes of getting their hands on the Premier League trophy they’ve not held since the 2003/04 season.

Arsenal will also be out to prove that they can compete with the top teams in the division after losing to the lower lights of Fulham, Hull City and Stoke City in the early months of the campaign.

With Emmanuel Adebayor injured, Robin Van Persie suspended, and Theo Walcott doubtful, it’s going to take a big performance from the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Nikolas Bendtner and Samir Nasri to get the Gunners firing once again.

United Out To Roo-in Wenger’s Day

Manchester United travel to the Emirates in the knowledge that a win could provide a critical blow to the title hopes of one of their Premier League rivals. We may only be in the early weeks of November, but the stakes are already that high.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s charges rarely fail to go for the jugular in these circumstances. You can bet the Scottish manager will be inspiring his troops to get the right result at a time when the Gunners are struggling at home and in Europe.

This determination to claim United’s first win at the Emirates Stadium was borne out by the side Ferguson selected for the mid-week Champions League game with Celtic.

The team that took the pitch at Parkhead for the 1-1 draw was lacking several of its usual star names. Players such as Dimitar Berbatov, Anderson, Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney warmed the bench on a cold Glasgow night.

The Red Devils put in a stuttering performance in their absence, going behind to a delightful lob from Scott McDonald in the early minutes of the match. Relentless pressure from the away team ensured, but the Bhoys goalkeeper Artur Boruc was hardly forced into making a save before Ryan Giggs finally broke Celtic’s resistance in the 84th minute.

Introducing Berbatov and Rooney to the fray changed the course of this match as Nani and Carlos Tevez struggled to fill their void.

Rooney should be a particularly effective weapon for United against the Gunners. He has always proved a nuisance to Wenger’s team, with the ex-Everton man continuing this run by scoring in the 4-0 FA Cup 5th round win last season.

A repeat of this kind of display could launch United closer to Chelsea and Liverpool and leave Arsenal stranded outside of the title race.

FORM GUIDE

Arsenal:

5th November vs. Fenerbahçe (H) drew 0-0 (CHAMP LG)

1st November vs. Stoke City (A) lost 2-1 (PREM)

29th October vs. Tottenham Hotspur (H) drew 4-4 (PREM)

26th October vs. West Ham United (A) won 2-0 (PREM)

21st October vs. Fenerbahçe (A) won 5-2 (CHAMP LG)

Manchester United:

5th November vs. Celtic (A) drew 1-1 (CHAMP LG)

1st November vs. Hull City (H) won 4-3 (PREM)

29th October vs. West Ham United (H) won 2-0 (PREM)

25th October vs. Everton (A) drew 1-1 (PREM)

21st October vs. Celtic (H) won 3-0 (CHAMP LG)

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal:

Arsene Wenger is in the midst of an injury crisis as he welcomes United to the Emirates Stadium. Captain William Gallas (thigh) and Theo Walcott (shoulder) are rated as having only a ‘50-50’ chances of playing, Bacary Sagna (knee) is also a doubt, whilst Mikael Silvestre (broken nose) may be risked against his old side. Emmanuel Eboue (knee) and Emmanuel Adebayor (knee) join Eduardo Da Silva (broken leg) and Tomas Rosický (hamstring) on the Gunners treatment list. Robin Van Persie’s red card against Stoke denies Wenger of his services for this game.

Last starting XI (vs. Fenerbahçe.): Fabianski, Toure, Djourou, Silvestre (Song Billong 83), Clichy, Ramsey (Diaby 59), Fabregas, Denilson, Nasri, Bendtner (Vela 59), Van Persie.
Subs Not Used: Mannone, Sagna, Wilshere, Gibbs.

Squad: Almunia, Fabianski, Mannone, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Djourou, Silvestre, Song Billong, Clichy, Ramsey, Diaby, Fabregas, Denilson, Nasri, Wilshere, Gibbs, Walcott, Bendtner, Vela.

Manchester United:

United right back’s Gary Neville (undisclosed) and Wes Brown (thigh) both have a good chance of making in to the Ferguson's squad for this game. Edwin Van Der Sar should take back the goalkeeper’s jersey from Ben Foster after being rested for the trip to Celtic. Owen Hargreaves (knee) and Paul Scholes (knee) stay on the sidelines as they slowly recover from long term injuries.

Last starting XI (vs. Celtic): Foster, Rafael Da Silva (Evra 66), Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani (Berbatov 46), Tevez (Rooney 71), Giggs.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Anderson, Park, Evans.

Squad: Van Der Sar, Kuszczak, Foster, Rafael Da Silva, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, Neville, Brown, O'Shea, Anderson, Park, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Berbatov, Tevez, Rooney.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal:

Cesc Fabregas’ goal scoring start to last season set up the Gunners’ title charge. His ineffectual displays this term have stunted Arsenal’s challenge in its infancy. On current form, it’s hard to even justify his place in a central midfield crying out for a defensive influence. With Arsene Wenger facing a striking crisis for this game, Fabregas needs to get back to his best and dust off his shooting boots.

Manchester United:

Wayne Rooney has been a thorn in the side of Arsene Wenger since his introduction to Premier League football. He announced himself to the footballing world in 2003 with a long distance pile driver against the Gunners, and helped to end the London clubs 49 game unbeaten run in 2004 by gaining a controversial penalty. Sir Alex Ferguson will be looking for another match winning contribution from his Scouse firebrand on Saturday afternoon.

PREDICTION

Unlike the often dull clashes between the ‘Big Four,’ Arsenal and Manchester United encounters normally provide heaps of entertainment. This pattern should continue on Saturday as both teams need a win to kick start their title charges.

Expect plenty of goal line excitement as these two Premier League heavyweights slug it out for the three points.

Arsenal 2-2 Manchester United

Ferguson:

Sir Alex Ferguson has welcomed the heightened security arrangements put in place by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium ahead of Manchester United's visit to North London on Saturday.

When United last played at the Emirates, manager Ferguson complained that the Arsenal fans were allowed too close to the visitors' dugout.

However, while the behaviour of the Arsenal fans did not impress the Scot, he also concedes that United's supporters often cross the line when their team take on the Gunners.

There is one vile 'song' in particular that United fans regularly abuse Wenger with, and Ferguson wants them to cut it out.

"I hope it stops," he said. "There has been a focus on fans' chants, not just towards Arsene Wenger but other managers too.

"It is ridiculous. The police should be doing more.

"When you consider the chants that have been levelled at us about Munich you would think United fans would understand very well the sensitivity of the situation.

"I don't agree with it at all. Hopefully the fans appreciate when it comes to me too.

"I would like to think other clubs share the same view as I have in terms of criticism towards the manager. There is enough to admire in our game without denigrating people."

Having conducted an internal review, Arsenal intend to station another three stewards immediately behind the dugout, and have an 'ejection squad' standing by to act if any fans misbehave.

Ferguson has welcomed this, but feels the design of the Emirates Stadium lends itself to potentially inflammatory confrontations.

"The problem is the fans are right behind you. They are almost in the dugout really," he said.

"It is quite right they have improved the security because last year was pretty unsavoury. In fact, I think it was nasty.

"I can turn myself off from it and concentrate on the game. But I knew what was going on.

"When the stewards tried to intervene they were attacked by some Arsenal fans. They had to remove our stewards from there and bring their own in.

"It should not happen when you build a modern stadium like that. It is too open for my liking.

"It is a weakness in the planning that you don't provide safety for the visiting substitutes and staff."

Wenger:

Arsene Wenger has often admitted that his insistence on relying on Arsenal's youth policy is his own personal experiment.

It is therefore incredible to suggest that the Alsatian will leave something he has dedicated so many years in building up, especially as he has always iterated his belief in honouring contracts.

Arsenal are in the midst of a sorry run of form after a disappointing and mistake-prone 4-4 draw against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, an embarrassing loss to newly-promoted Stoke City, and a midweek stalemate versus Fenerbahce.

The odds are against the Gunners getting a result when Manchester United visit on Saturday, especially with so many first-teamers receiving treatment or serving bans, so that dismal run may well continue through the weekend.

Wenger, speaking to the Daily Mail, has once again stated his love for the club, and it will take more than rumours for him to leave north London.

"I love it here. I don't question my commitment for Arsenal and I could show you concrete signs that I've done that over the years. The solution for me at the moment is to trust my players, because I believe they have the strength to succeed," he said.

Regarding his recruitment policy, he added: "The solution is not always to buy players. The solution for me at the moment is to trust the players I have because I trust their strengths, I trust their intelligence, so let's show it."

In terms of quality, Wenger feels his side can match the one that Sir Alex puts out on Saturday. "I believe we are as good. It is down to us to develop well and to show that we can win big games. Manchester United is a great side but we have a good opportunity to show we can beat them.

"I believe in my team and I'm very proud of the job I'm doing as well, even if at the moment we are not as good as I want them to be."

Programs from Macedonian Televisions (TV Channels)

2008-11-06T03:57:00.000-08:00

At the moment in Macedonia exist many TV Channels that offer TV shows in Macedonian languages. We have Sitel TV, A1 TV, A2 TV, Telma, Kanal 5, Alfa TV, Sky Net, Sky Net Plus, Sitel 3, MTV, Nasa TV ... and many others. You can watch them for free here at Macedonian TV Channels.

If you have special request, what program you want to see just send us mail at this e-mail.

You must write the e-mail in the following format:

Subject:[Request] TheNameOfTheShow

Message:

TheNameOfTheShow starts at 20:00 CET, wednesday 22 march 2009 at A2 TV.
I want to see it.

Live streaming: Tottenham Hotspur - Dinamo Zagreb

2008-11-05T15:18:00.000-08:00

UEFA cup, Modric plays against his former club, dont miss it, only at Macedonian TV Channels, free and live. Starting 21:00 CET Tottenham - Dinamo.

Make sure to visit this blog for many updates about live and free Macedonian and worldwide sport events.

Spurring Along Nicely

Thursday night’s UEFA Cup fixture sees Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb arrive at White Hart Lane as Harry Redknapp takes charge of his first UEFA Cup game in charge of Tottenham.

Redknapp has certainly turned things around since replacing Juande Ramos last month. Although Spurs still remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, they have seven points from their last three games and notably beat league leaders Liverpool last time out.

Certainly the Lilywhites will be looking to take some of that form into their European campaign which got off to a poor start in their opening game in Group D.

Tottenham slumped to a 2-0 away defeat to Udinese and to compound matters had midfielder Jamie O’Hara sent off to complete their misery.

Of course the Spurs boss will be hoping his change of fortunes extends to the UEFA Cup and that he can maintain his unbeaten run since taking the White Hart Lane hotseat.

Modric Reunion

The tie also sees Luka Modric face his old club having left Zagreb for London over the summer in a €20.5 million move.

The Tottenham midfielder enjoyed a successful six years in the Croatian capital winning three league titles, including two league and cup doubles.

Whilst his career in England is yet to really kick off Redknapp has spoken of his desire to build a team around Modric and he will surely relish playing against his former team mates.

Team mate Vedran Corluka also began his career at Dinamo, yet is cup-tied for the clash having played for Manchester City earlier in the competition.

Dinamo Warning

Yet Modric will be well aware that Thursday night’s fixture will be a tough challenge for Tottenham, despite their current reversal in form.

Zagreb currently top the Croatian league with eight wins out of 12 and have tasted defeat only twice this season.

Unlike Spurs, they were also successful in their first group game against NEC Nijmegen although they left it late.

Dinamo were 2-1 down with less than ten minutes to go but late goals salvaged an important win for Branko Ivanković's men who sit joint top of the group with Udinese.

Familiar Faces

Whilst Luka Modric will be facing familiar opponents, Zagreb also possess two players whom many Spurs’ fans will recognise from their time in the Premier League.

Midfielder Igor Biscan spent five years at Liverpool and even possesses a Champions League winners medal from his time at Anfield, despite being an unused substitute in the final.

Striker Bosko Baloban also endured a rather ill-fated spell at Aston Villa and was eventually released by the club after failing to impress.

Zagreb On The Road

Whilst the two sides have never met before in the UEFA Cup, Zagreb do have experience of English football, although with little success in recent years.

The Croatian side have yet to win against an English team and indeed their most recent visit to North London ended in a 5-1 aggregate thrashing by Arsenal in the Champions League 2006/07.

In eight fixtures against English opposition they have yet to win and will be hoping to break their duck at White Hart Lane on Thursday night.

FORM GUIDE

Last Five Results

Tottenham

Nov 1st: Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool
Oct 29th: Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham
Oct 26th: Tottenham 2-0 Bolton
Oct 23rd: Udinese 2-0 Tottenham
Oct 19th: Stoke 2-1 Tottenham

Dinamo Zagreb

Nov 2nd: Inter Zapresic 1-3 Dinamo Zagreb
Oct 23rd: Dinamo Zagreb 3-2 NEC Nijmegen
Oct 5th: Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Osijek
Sept 28th: Slaven Koprivnica 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Sept 21st: Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 Hadjuk Split

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham

Jamie O’Hara is suspended following his red card against Udinese and Vedran Corluka and Roman Pavyluchenko are both cup-tied.

Harry Redknapp has hinted that he might give some of his squad players a chance and is likely to rest Ledley King, whilst Jermaine Jenas may miss out through injury.

Teenager John Bostock is likely to be on the bench.

Possible Starting XI: Gomes, Hutton, Dawson, Woodgate, Gunter, Bentley, Huddlestone, Zokora, Modric, Lennon, Bent.

Dinamo Zagreb

Dinamo look to have recovered from a virus that wiped out ten of their squad recently and forced the cancellation of a league match however, they may be missing Mihael Mikic who is struggling with a knee injury.

Possible Starting XI: Kelava, Lovren, Biscan, Carlos, Ibanez, Mikic, Vrdoljak, Badelj, Sammir, Morales, Mandzukic

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tottenham – Luka Modric

Modric looks a different player under Harry Redknapp and will know all about Thursday night’s opponents having spent a considerable part of his career as a Zagreb player.

After a slow start to his Spurs career there have been signs in recent weeks of the form that persuaded the Lilywhites to fork out over €20 million for the playmaker and he may have the guile required to break down Dinamo.

Dinamo Zagreb - Mario Mandzukic

The 22-year-old striker looks to have a big future ahead of him and Tottenham fans may remember him as the man who scored Croatia’s solitary goal in their 4-1 defeat to England recently.

He scored last time out against NEC and with the Tottenham defence looking particularly shaky in recent weeks should ensure Gomes and co. have their hands full.

PREDICTION
After losing their opening match to Udinese, Tottenham will be desperate for a win and the confidence gained from good results against Arsenal and Liverpool should stand them in good stead going into this match.

However, despite possessing a poor record against English opposition Zagreb should provide a stiff test as the reigning Croatian champions sit top of both their domestic lead and Group D.

Spurs still look shaky at the back so goals would seem a certainty but Harry’s boys may just have enough to claim their first win of the group.

Prediction: Tottenham 2-1 Dinamo Zagreb

Tottenham last match player ratings:

Against Liverpool:

Tottenham

Gomes - 6: The Brazilian kept Spurs in the game with some fantastic saves, but was not without mistakes as once again he failed to convince when coming to collect aerial deliveries and almost gifted a goal to Gerrard following a poor low clearance.

Corluka - 7: Looked to get forward whenever possible and from time to time provided some useful crosses. Perhaps needs to work on his tackling and tracking back as Liverpool got at Spurs down the left in the first half.

King - 8: A solid display from King, proving that on his day he is one of the best centre-backs in the Premiership, if not Europe. Constantly outmuscled his opponents and put Jamie Carragher under pressure for the Spurs equaliser.

Woodgate - 7.5: Like his defensive partner King, proved that he is one of the finest centre backs England can call upon. Rarely put a foot wrong and played a key role in keeping Liverpool's goal tally down to one in the first half.

Assou-Ekotto - 6: Defended reasonably well and rarely gave the ball away when in possession, preferring to play the simple pass. However, could be much more effective if he dared to get forward and give Spurs some width down the left hand side.

Bentley - 7: Showed glimpses of quality with his passing and crossing but needs to get involved a little more as he can really prove a threat, which he showed by playing a part in Both Spurs goals.

Zokora - 6: Provided some useful shielding at times but needs to refrain from getting forward as much if he is to be truly effective in the holding role.

Huddlestone - 5: Did not have too much of an effect on the game, his passing was not at its best.

O'Hara - 6: Hard-working and committed but was largely ineffective on the wing due to a lack of pace and dribbling skills.

Modric – 7.5: Never shied-away from the ball and was Spurs’ most dangerous player when in possession. Looked for the killer pass when possible and not afraid to shoot.

Bent - 7: Although he rarely looked like getting on the scoresheet himself, he never gave in and his work effort paid off as he set up the corner for the Spurs equaliser. Also reacted well to provide the pass to Pavlyuchenko for the Spurs winner.

Substitutes:

Hutton – 7: Much more of an attacking threat than Assou-Ekotto, showing good pace and dribbling.

Pavlyuchenko - 7: Did not really have much possession of the ball or many chances on goal, but Spurs looked a lot more dangerous when he was on the pitch. Got the winning goal by getting himself in a goalscoring position

Lennon - 6

Live streaming: Real Madrid - Juventus

2008-11-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

Starting 20:45 CET today you will be able to watch the match between Real Madrid and Juventus, live free only at Macedonian TV Channels. After that there will be the match between Fiorentina – Bayern Munich. Dont miss the action at our place.

How quickly time flies. When these two sides met in the reverse clash in Turin a mere two weeks ago, Real Madrid were in outstanding form while Juventus were knee-deep in crisis. Now, four games later, the two teams have swapped fortunes.

Trouble Holding On

The Spanish behemoths have hit a minor slump ever since the 2-1 loss at Juventus on Matchday Three. They have now won just once in their last three games and only two from their last six in all competitions.

More disconcertingly, Bernd Schuster’s men have been displaying this frustrating habit of throwing leads away – and sometimes certain victory – due to their lack of concentration and their inability to kill off a game, despite constantly dominating their opponents in every department.

This potentially costly Achilles' heel is a direct result of the team’s ineffectiveness in front of goal. But they are by no means struggling to find the back of the net. They have scored in every single game so far this season although their efficiency rate – something that they prided themselves in last term – has dropped dramatically in recent outings.

In all fairness, Los Merengues have scored more goals than their form guide will actually show. It’s just that most of them have been disallowed for offside. Whether or not they were correctly or incorrectly flagged by the officials is still a controversial and hotly debated topic. But you just feel that if a team score that many offside goals in successive matches, perhaps it’s time to start re-assessing their approach to the game.

Madrid also seem to have this knack of hitting poor form just before taking on Italian opposition. Last season, they were enduring their worst streak of the entire campaign when they faced AS Roma in the first knock-out round of this competition. The men in white went on to lose 4-2 on aggregate after going down in both legs in a defeat that ended their 14-game winning streak against Italian rivals at home. But at least they still have a near unblemished record against Juventus.

Anything You Can Do…

Madrid’s failure to triumph at Juve a fortnight ago has extended their winless run in Turin to 46 years. But then the Bianconeri do not have all that proud a record at the Bernabéu, either.

They have lost their last four visits to the Spanish capital in Champions League/European Cup competition and the last time they won there was – yes, you guessed it – 46 years ago when they beat the Merengues 1-0 in the second leg of the quarter finals in the 1961/62 edition.

Of course, Madrid actually won the first leg by the same scoreline in Turin – hence the identical home record – and ever since then, neither have been able to break the impenetrable curse of winning at their rivals’ own backyard.

But the Old Lady will fancy their chances of pulling off something special this time around. Claudio Ranieri’s troops have now strung together four wins in succession, thanks largely to the morale-boosting 2-1 triumph over Madrid which has proven to be the catalyst for their revival.

There are still doubts, however, as to whether or not Juventus can continue their upward momentum. Ranieri has yet to truly win over the pundits with his team selection and tactics, while the players collectively have looked far from convincing even in victory.

With the exception of the 4-0 thumping of Artmedia Petržalka in the Champions League qualifiers in pre-season, Juve have not scored more than two goals per game since the new campaign officially kicked-off. While many a critic may label their style of play as unadventurous, it is, however, a case study for Madrid on how not to throw away a lead.

FORM GUIDE

Real Madrid

Nov 02 UD Almería 1-1 Real Madrid (LA LIGA)

Oct 30 Real Unión 3-2 Real Madrid (COPA DEL REY)

Oct 26 Real Madrid 3-2 Athletic Bilbao (LA LIGA)

Oct 21 Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)

Oct 18 Atlético Madrid 1-2 Real Madrid (LA LIGA)

Juventus

Nov 01 Juventus 2-0 AS Roma (SERIE A)

Oct 29 Bologna 0-1 Juventus (SERIE A)

Oct 25 Juventus 1-0 Torino (SERIE A)

Oct 21 Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)

Oct 18 Napoli 2-1 Juventus (SERIE A)

TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid

Schuster does not have any major injury concerns but he does have several key players still doubtful for selection. Centre-back Pepe sustained a bruised left thigh against Almería last Sunday, and although he is recovering smoothly, it is still uncertain if he will reach full fitness in time. Midfielder Mahamadou Diarrà, meanwhile, picked up a knock in his knee in the same game and he, too, will have to run a late fitness test.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, however, has resumed normal training after shaking off a knee injury but likewise, Schuster still has to decide if he is ready to play a significant role in the game. Miguel Torres is also back after recovering from a muscle tear but Rubén de la Red, who fainted and collapsed last week against Real Unión in the Copa del Rey, is still recuperating at home.

Probable Starting XI (4-3-3): Casillas – Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Pepe/Heinze, Marcelo – Sneijder, Gago/Diarrà, Guti – Robben, Van Nistelrooy, Raúl (c)

Juventus

Defenders Dario Knežević and Zdeněk Grygera have added themselves to Juventus’ long casualty list after picking up injuries over the past week. Knežević had to undergo surgery to remove damaged cartiliage in his knee while Grygera suffered a thigh injury at the weekend against Roma.

David Trézéguet, Gianluigi Buffon, Cristiano Zanetti, Jorge Andrade and Christian Poulsen are just a few others who are sidelined with various ailments while midfielder Claudio Marchisio has failed to shrug off the ankle sprain he sustained in the reverse clash two weeks ago. But the good news for Ranieri is that the likes of Mauro Camoranesi, Tiago and Vicenzo Iaquinta are all back to full fitness.

Probable Starting XI (4-4-2): Manninger – Mellberg, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro – Camoranesi, Sissoko, Tiago, Nedvěd – Amauri, Del Piero (c)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Real Madrid

Los Merengues have sorely missed Ruud van Nistelrooy and his ruthless efficiency in front of goal, and his return should give the team a much-needed attacking thrust. Wesley Sneijder is slowly rediscovering his form ever since his comeback from pre-season injury, and his set-piece bombardments will be crucial for Madrid. If he and his compatriot Van Gol can dial into each other’s frequencies, then they should have no problems breaching even the most tenacious of Juve defences.

Juventus

Amauri and Alessandro Del Piero have been responsible for lifting Juventus out of their gloom, producing the goods – and the goals – when they were needed most. But it was Giorgio Chiellini who was the “rock” star in Turin two weeks ago, single-handedly keeping out everything Madrid could throw at the back-line, and he will have to be at his sharpest again to stop what should be the even more attack-minded Los Blancos at the Bernabéu.

PREDICTION

Schuster’s orders to his players will be simple: do not concede the early goal. Or any goal for that matter. But considering how many times they have blown their lead when they do score first themselves, it might not be such a good idea for them to net the opener either.

One way or the other, as history has shown, there will be nothing to choose between these two sides and it will be a closely fought battle with a tight margin expected at the end of the 90 minutes The safest bet, though, would be to go with history and a Madrid win.

Real Madrid 2-1 Juventus

Matchday 4 in Group F sees the return match between Fiorentina and Bayern Munich at the Artemio Franchi with the Viola looking to make up for their 3-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena and boost their chances of making it to the knock-out stage.

All Or Nothing

Fiorentina will be aware that only a win will do on Wednesday if they are to have any chance of making it to the illustrious knock-out stage. The Italian side currently sit third in Group F with just two points from three games, which puts them three behind Olympique Lyonnais and five behind leaders Bayern.

And with Lyon at home to Steau on Matchday 4, coach Cesare Prandelli will have to inspire his troops to a win at home against Bayern if he is to avoid having to settle for the Uefa Cup for the remainder of the season.

Recent form has been good, but the Viola did come unstuck at the weekend to end a run of five unbeaten in the league. They lost the Tuscan derby on Sunday away to rivals Siena thanks to a solitary late goal from Houssine Kharja.

“I think we played really well for about an hour,” said Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli. “Then Siena suddenly went close to scoring on the counterattack and we lost our balance as Siena grew in confidence in the latter stages.

“All we lacked was a goal when we were dominating in the first half. However, I believe our defenders and midfielders have to start scoring because we cannot always count on goals from our attackers.”

Fiorentina are definitely up against it after two draws and a loss in their first three games in the Champions League, but the Viola are certainly not looking on it that way and feel they have what it takes to turn things around and make it through. The Viola could end up facing a make-or-break match with Lyon on Matchday 5. But a win over Bayern will be required first.

“We are not afraid,” Serbian midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanović explained to uefa.com. “They are, of course, great clubs, so we will have to play well. However, we've shown we're able to match them, and we played very well away at Lyon. Now we have two home matches and we want to win both, so that we're still in the game.”

French goalkeeper Sebastian Frey echoed those sentiments believing that Fiorentina could turn things around. “We still believe. We know it will be really difficult. We will give everything, but we still have three games to play, and we will give our best in these three games” he told uefa.com.

“If we go through, it will be a dream come true. If we don't, we will have to admit the other teams were better than us.”

Time For Experience To Show

The much publicised crisis at Bayern Munich seems to have abated and trainer Jürgen Klinsmann looks to be finally getting things right on the pitch. After the Bavarian’s worst start to a Bundesliga campaign in over 30 years, the club have now won five in a row in all competitions and find themselves well placed in both the domestic league and the Champions League.

Their 3-0 home win over Fiorentina last time out sent them top of Group F, and puts them in the driving seat to finish in pole position and make it through to the knock-out stage. Bayern know what is expected of them at the Artemio Franchi and taking a point away will not be the end of the world for them (as it could for Fiorentina).

The seemingly comprehensive win over their Italian counterparts on Matchday 3 wasn’t however quite as one-sided as the final score might suggest. ‘La Viola’ created a number of chances and were very unfortunate not to have found the back of the net at the Allianz Arena.

“It was a great result, but we were lucky they didn't score” captain Mark van Bommel said after the first match in Munich. “Of course I was happy with the three points and the three goals, but the match was difficult.

“They had a few chances, and normally they would have scored one of them. We're lucky we won the game” he added.

Knowing that a point is sufficient for them could however be a slight hindrance for Bayern if they think they can sit back and soak up the Fiorentina pressure which is sure to flow towards their goal.

The Bayern party however know deep down that a point would see them through to the knock-out stage. “A point wouldn’t be a bad result” explained chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “It would be a step in the right direction towards the quarter-final. Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger echoed those sentiments adding: “A point would be enough, but we want to win.”

FORM GUIDE

Fiorentina

02/11/08 v Siena LOST 1-0 (Serie A)

29/10/08 v Inter (h) DREW 0-0 (Serie A)

26/10/08 v Palermo (a) WON 1-3 (Serie A)

21/10/08 v Bayern Munich (a) LOST 3-0 (Champions League)

18/10/08 v Reggina (h) WON 3-0 (Serie A)

05/10/08 v Chievo Verona (a) WON 0-2 (Serie A)

Bayern Munich

01/11/08 v Arminia Bielefeld (h) WON 3-1 (Bundesliga)

29/10/08 v Eintracht Frankfurt (a) WON 1-2 (Bundesliga)

25/10/08 v VfL Wolfsburg (h) WON 4-2 (Bundesliga)

21/10/08 v Fiorentina (h) WON 3-0 (Champions League)

18/10/08 v Karlsruhe (a) WON 0-1 (Bundesliga)

04/10/08 v Bochum (h) DREW 3-3 (Bundesliga)

TEAM NEWS

Fiorentina

Despite Mutu’s reported knee injury, he started against Siena on Sunday, but was substituted after 66 minutes. Kuzmanovic was only used in the final 15 minutes, while Montolivio was rested completely. There was however an injury during the Siena game to full back Comotto, who had to be replaced after just 15 minutes.

Juan Manuel Vargas suffered a thigh injury in training last week and remains a doubt for the Bayern match. Gilardino should come back into the team to partner Mutu, meaning that Pazzini will have to drop down to the subs’ bench.

Probable Starting XI: Frey, Zauri, Gamberini, Dainelli, Pasqual, Kuzmanovic, Felipe Melo, Montolivio, Santana, Mutu, Gilardino

Bayern Munich

The big absentee for Bayern is Luca Toni, who is forced to sit out the return to his former club. The former Viola idol hit 47 goals in 67 games during his time at the Artemio Franchi and he would dearly have loved to play. As it is, his rib injury is taking longer to heal that first expected.

Jürgen Klinsmann will also be without other long-term absentees Philipp Lahm, Willy Sagnol and Hamit Altintop, but other than that will have a full squad to choose from.

The only question mark is with regards his formation. On Saturday he opted to play Miroslav Klose as a lone striker with three attacking midfielder supporting. Zé Roberto may return to his usual midfield role after filling in at full back.

Probable Starting XI: Rensing, Oddo, Lucio, Demichelis, Zé Roberto, van Bommel, Ottl, Schweinsteiger, Borowski, Ribéry, Klose

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fiorentina- Alberto Gilardino

The Italian marksman will be fresher than most after sitting out the past two league games because of his suspension for his handball goal against Palermo. The Viola have been a little profligate in front of goal of late and will need Gilardino to tuck away his chances if they are to have a hope of taking all three points. With Adrian Mutu reportedly far from full fitness, much of the attacking onus will fall on the former Milan striker.

Bayern Munich- Franck Ribéry

The Bundesliga Player of the Year last season has had a slow start to the current season after returning from injury, but in the past few games his form has returned and that has coincided with a return to winning ways for Bayern.

PREDICTION

It is a difficult match to call. Fiorentina know that they must win if they are to have a chance of making it through to the knock-out stage sitting as they do two points behind French side Lyon. Bayern know that a draw will do for them and with their European experience they should have the expertise to get at least that. For the Viola, much will depend on the way Mutu and Gilardino take any chances that come their way.

Fiorentina 2-2 Bayern Munich

Enjoy the show!

Live streaming: Roma - Chelsea Match Preview

2008-11-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts another matchday from the groups of the Champions League. Be sure to follow the events with Macedonian TV Channels, live and free. Visit us. 20:45 CET.

Roma host Chelsea in the fourth matchday of the UEFA Champions League this week, in a crucial contest for both sides that will have a big say in the final standings of the group.

The Giallorossi will be desperate to come away with a result from this match, as they can ill afford to lose any further ground on the other two teams in the group, whilst the Blues will be keen to confirm their spot at the top of Group A with victory in Rome this week.

Is There Any Hope For Roma?

Roma have continued their dreadful start to the 2008/09 campaign in recent weeks, as they have dropped three places since these two sides last met. I Lupi are currently in 17th position, and with no real signs of improvement being shown by the Romans, one wonders how they will ever get their season back on track.

As previously mentioned, they are currently in the bottom four of the league, with just seven points to their name, from the opening 10 rounds of football. They do have a match in hand against Sampdoria, which was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch last week; however the Giallorossi would find themselves no higher than 15th, with victory in that match.

They are one point clear of the relegation zone at present, and are desperately in search of some answers in regards to why they are having such a miserable time this season. They once again have to square up against arguably one of the most in-form side in all of Europe in Chelsea, a side that will be confident of taking all three points away from this game.

It’s Roma’s first return to the Olimpico in this competition since the first match day, when they were absolutely humiliated by the Romanian debutants CFR Cluj, as they were defeated 2-1. It was a disastrous start to the competition, and since that performance, things have gone downhill for the capital club.

Spalletti’s men will certainly have to be at their best if they wish to take even a point from this contest, and will need to be firing from the word go. It certainly won’t be easy for a side that has scored just the once in five competitive matches, with that being a consolation penalty against Udinese to Francesco Totti.

The Giallorossi failed to score a single goal in the league throughout the month of October, and will definitely be hoping to put that form behind them, and start fresh in November, a month that they kicked off with a 2-0 defeat away to Juventus.

In addition to this, the Blues have a tremendous defensive record in this competition, as they have failed to concede a single goal thus far, making life for the Romans all the more difficult this week.

Spalletti’s men will undoubtedly be nervous heading into this contest, as another defeat could put their ambitions of progressing through the group stage of this competition in serious jeopardy. Along with this, the Italian club has lost five of their past six matches against English opposition, including their last three, in which they have coincidentally failed to score in.

It’s a crucial match for the Giallorossi in terms of their final position in the standings, as the result of the Bordeaux-Cluj match could make matters worse for their ambitions of qualifying, if they are to go down to Chelsea this week.

As was the case in the first leg, the capital club will go in search of a miracle to emerge victorious in this contest, especially considering their poor form of late, however a draw would be a respectable result from this match, so expect them to approach the clash as they did at Stamford Bridge.

Blues Keen To Confirm Top Spot

The English giants have been simply outstanding this season in all competitions, as they have recently reclaimed top spot in the Premier League, and are three points clear in Group A of the Champions League.

Despite slipping up against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge recently, Chelsea reaffirmed themselves as one of the top clubs in England, with a comprehensive 5-0 demolition of Sunderland at the weekend. In fact, 5-0 was the same score line that the Blues took into their previous encounter with the Giallorossi, following their triumph over Middlesbrough three weeks ago.

Their defensive record in the Premier League has been second to none, as they have conceded just four goals in eleven matches; an incredible record. As well as this, they are one of just two teams who remain undefeated and without a goal conceded in this continental competition.

Scolari’s men have had their problems this season however, mainly on the injury front, with knocks to key players throughout the campaign. Just to name a few, the likes of Deco, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien have all spent significant time on the sidelines, and have just, or will soon make a return to the squad – or in Essien’s case, require up to another six months out on the sidelines.

The English giants have been brilliant nonetheless, and still have managed to play the football required to lead the way in the Premier League and their group in the Champions League, which many expected to be the case anyway. Credit should be given to Luiz Felipe Scolari, who in his first year as coach of Chelsea has been phenomenal for the club.

In the Champions League, they have played just the one game on the road to date, and that was away to CFR Cluj in Romania, a match that ended 0-0. That result proved to be an extremely disappointing outcome for the Blues, who will be desperate to make amends for a poor showing on the road this week in Rome.

As was the case in their previous meeting, the facts and figures generally point towards a Chelsea victory at the Olimpico, as along with their great recent record in the Champions League; the club has lost just the one match in their past 24 outings in all competitions – with that being the recent defeat against Liverpool.

Scolari has such a strong squad at his disposal, and this is proven by their great run of results this season, despite the injuries they have had to deal with along the way. There are some fresh injury concerns in the Chelsea camp; however the London based club will remain confident of taking all three points home with them from this contest.

They will be desperate to win this encounter, as a vital three points on the road in Rome, will go a long way to consolidating their position at the top of Group A. If they do win, they will have 10 points from four matches, making top spot in the group a certainty, if it already isn’t...

FORM GUIDE

Roma

November 1 v Juventus (H) LOST 0-2

October 26 v Udinese (H) LOST 1-3

October 22 v Chelsea (A) LOST 0-1 (Champions League)

October 19 v Inter (H) LOST 0-4

October 5 v Siena (A) LOST 0-1

Chelsea

November 1 v Sunderland (H) WON 5-0

October 29 v Hull City (A) WON 3-0

October 26 v Liverpool (H) LOST 0-1

October 22 v Roma (H) WON 1-0 (Champions League)

October 18 v Middlesbrough (A) WON 5-0

TEAM NEWS

Roma:

The major injury concern for the Giallorossi concerns the fitness of Francesco Totti, who was forced to miss the Juventus match a few days ago, with a recurrence of pain in his injured knee. Il Capitano faces a race against time to be fit for this contest; however the early reports suggest that he will be utilized at some stage of the match.

Meanwhile, Marco Cassetti is certain to miss once again, as he continues to struggle to recover from a thigh injury, as is the case for Alberto Aquilani, who will miss another week also due to a thigh injury. Julio Baptista made a successful return to the starting line-up against Juve, and may be used from the start once again this week.

Possible Starting XI: (4-2-3-1) – Doni; Panucci, Juan, Mexes, Riise; De Rossi, Pizarro; Perrotta, Baptista, Vucinic; Totti

Chelsea:

The news off the field for the Blues continues to take a turn for the worse, as Ashley Cole has become the latest casualty for Scolari’s team. According to the latest reports from the Chelsea training ground, Cole picked up a calf strain in the side’s 5-0 win at home against Sunderland on the weekend, and is in serious doubt to take any part in Rome this week.

In addition to this, Chelsea has been rocked by the news that Michael Essien will require another six months on the sidelines, meaning that his season could be all but over, due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee. He is joined on the sidelines by Michael Ballack, who is out with a foot injury, Joe Cole, who is doubtful with an ankle injury, and also Ricardo Carvalho, who recently returned from a knee injury of his own, only to strain his hamstring in his first match back against Hull City, meaning that he will be out of action for the next three weeks.

Possible Starting XI: (4-4-2) – Cech; Bosingwa, Terry, Alex, Bridge; Mikel, Deco, Lampard, Malouda; Drogba, Anelka

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Roma – Daniele De Rossi: The talented Roman midfielder was the only shining light in his side’s disappointing 2-0 defeat in Turin at the weekend. Obviously if the Giallorossi are to have any luck this week against Chelsea, then De Rossi must be supported by his team mates, however he will certainly need to be at his absolute best if this is to be the case. He will be responsible for anchoring the Roman midfield, as well as working hard at both ends of the park, and so his performance will be absolutely critical to the final result on the night.

Chelsea – Nicolas Anelka: The French striker continued his brilliant run of form this season, with a well deserved hat-trick against Sunderland at the weekend. He now has eight goals to his name for the Premier League season, which is not a bad effort in eleven matches. He leads the way in the Premier League scoring charts, alongside Zaki of Wigan, and so he will be keen to continue this form in the Champions League, whilst making a name for himself on the big stage in the process.

PREDICTION

It should be an entertaining battle in Rome this week between two sides desperate for victory, for differing reasons. Roma have it all to play for, as their sixth successive defeat in all competitions will put their ambitions to qualify through the group stage of this competition in serious doubt, and also the future of coach Luciano Spalletti, which will be in hot water if a positive result is not the outcome.

A draw wouldn’t be a bad result for either side, as a point in Rome for Chelsea should still be enough for them to guarantee themselves top spot in the group, with a home fixture against Cluj and a trip to Bordeaux still to come.

It will be a tight affair, solely due to the fact that Roma will play for a draw in this match, as they did in London, and so I’m going to tip the result to be a scoreless, but action packed draw at the Stadio Olimpico.

Roma 0-0 Chelsea

Live streaming: Anorthosis Famagusta - Inter Match Preview

2008-11-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts another matchday from the groups of the Champions League. Be sure to follow the events with Macedonian TV Channels, live and free. Visit us. 20:45 CET.

Inter Could Seal Qualification

After winning their first match at home against Champions League debutants Anorthosis Famagusta two weeks ago, Inter will be looking to seal their qualification from Group B with a second victory against the Cypriot side.

Although they only won the first match 1-0, it was hardly a close contest, as Inter controlled the game from start to finish. The winner was scored by Adriano, who has since been frozen out of the squad by coach Jose Mourinho after coming late to training following the goalless draw against Genoa, a few days after the match against Anorthosis.

Inter’s league form has been erratic lately. Last weekend, they interrupted a series of games in which they hadn’t conceded goals with a chaotic 3-2 victory away to Reggina. After two goalless draws against Genoa and Fiorentina, they had the ball in the net twice in the first 25 minutes against the relegation strugglers, but somehow allowed them back into the game with two easily avoidable goals.

It must be said that Inter were the better side before and after Reggina equalised, hitting the woodwork twice and missing a host of chances. But the winner by defender Ivan Cordoba came only in injury time, needlessly making it a very stressful afternoon for the Inter faithful. It was an important victory, although it was not enough to regain the top spot in Serie A, as new leaders Milan are one point ahead following their victory against Napoli.

Although Inter scored three times, the goals came from full back Maicon, defensive midfielder Patrick Vieira, and center back Cordoba, indicating that Inter’s strikeforce hasn’t really hit its stride yet. Mourinho fielded a very offensive side, including strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mario Balotelli, and wingers Amantino Mancini and Ricardo Quaresma, but only Ibra proved truly decisive with his perfect assist for Maicon’s first goal.

All in all, the Nerazzurri remain an unpredictable side. When you think their attack is fine, while the defence needs some work, they play a series of games without conceding goals. And when you think they are struggling to score while their defence looks solid, they win 3-2 against a relegation battling side like Reggina.

However, it’s likely that the ease with which Inter were winning against the Amaranto made them lose their concentration. That kind of thing is unlikely to happen against Anorthosis, because this is the Champions League, and even though the Cypriots are clearly inferior to Inter, the Nerazzurri know that in Europe complacency is fatal.

Anorthosis Still Looking Good

After making an excellent start to their Champions League campaign with a draw away to Werder Bremen and a home win against Panathinaikos, their second against a Greek side after eliminating Olympiakos in the preliminary round, Anorthosis were forced to surrender to their first defeat away to Inter on the third matchday.

It was by no means a humiliation, but it was virtually all Inter from start to finish, as the Cypriots resorted to highly defensive tactics in hopes of getting a point against the Italian champions. Still, their situation in Group B remains hopeful, as they are second with four points from three games, which is probably more than they had expected beforehand. With Werder one point behind and Panathinaikos three points behind, they are still in an excellent position to qualify.

Since their 1-0 defeat to Inter on Matchday 3, Anorthosis have been in action twice in their domestic league, suffering a shock 4-0 loss away to Omonia just five days later, and recovering last Friday with a 2-0 home win against APOP. The Cypriot champions lost their top spot in the league to APOEL, who are one point ahead of them.

Considering their very impressive home record in this competition so far, Anorthosis will certainly fancy their chances of getting a result against Inter. In the preliminary rounds, they beat Pyunik 1-0, and hammered both Rapid Wien and Olympiakos 3-0 when they played in their home stadium at Larnaca. In the group stage, they confirmed their strength at home as they beat Panathinaikos 3-1 on the second matchday.

Of course, Mourinho’s side are of another category compared to those teams, but a win for Inter in Cyprus is by no means a foregone conclusion. The Italian side are known to be vulnerable when playing in Europe, and have already suffered a number of surprising defeats to supposedly lesser teams, such as Fenerbahce last season, Sporting Lisbon two years ago, and even the likes of Malmö and Lugano going back more than ten years ago.

FORM GUIDE

Anorthosis Famagusta

31/10 (Cypriot league): Anorthosis Famagusta-APOP 2-0

27/10 (Cypriot league): Omonia-Anorthosis Famagusta 4-0

22/10 (Champions League): Inter-Anorthosis Famagusta 1-0

18/10 (Cypriot league): Anorthosis Famagusta-AEP Paphos 0-0

01/10 (Champions League): Anorthosis Famagusta-Panathinaikos 3-1

Inter

01/10 (Serie A): Reggina-Inter 2-3

29/10 (Serie A): Fiorentina-Inter 0-0

26/10 (Serie A): Inter-Genoa 0-0

22/10 (Champions League): Inter-Anorthosis Famagusta 1-0

19/10 (Serie A): Roma-Inter 0-4

TEAM NEWS

Anorthosis Famagusta

Ioannis Skopelitis (ankle), Stefanos Voskarides (foot), Georgos Theodotou (back), Nikos Nikolau (ankle), and Traianos Dellas (muscle) are out injured.

Possible formation (4-5-1): Begaj; Katsavakis, Samaras, Leiwakabessy, Constantinou; Dobrasinovic, Laban, Costa, Savio, Frousos; Sosin.

Inter

Luis Figo, Luis Jimenez, Sulley Muntari, Esteban Cambiassso, and Christian Chivu are out injured, while Adriano has not been called up for this one due to disciplinary reasons.

Possible formation (4-3-3): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Burdisso, Maxwell; Zanetti, Stankovic, Vieira; Quaresma, Ibrahimovic, Mancini.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Loukasz Sosin (Anorthosis Famagusta)

The 31-year-old Polish international is a typical targetman, a big, strong striker who is always a handful for the opposing defence. Since joining Anorthosis in 2007, Sosin has scored 20 goals, confirming his goalscoring chops after finishing as top scorer in the Cypriot league three years in a row between 2004 and 2006 while playing for Apollon Limassol. He’s yet to score a goal in the group stage of the Champions League, but he helped his side get there with 3 goals in the preliminary rounds, and is currently the team’s top scorer of the season.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)

This season more than ever, ‘Ibra’ is proving to be Inter’s most important source of danger up front. Even when he doesn’t score, he’s always there to be provide that little something extra to break down a stubborn defence, like he did last weekend against Reggina with a wonderful pass to Maicon for Inter’s opening goal. Although he won’t win the Ballon D’Or this year, it seems only a matter of time for the Swede, and there’s little doubt that if he manages to lead the Nerazzurri to end their 44-year drought in the competition, he will be the front-runner to capture the accolade next year.

PREDICTION

Including preliminary rounds, Anorthosis have won all four their games in the Champions League so far, so it will be interesting to see whether they can get a result against Inter. Certainly Mourinho’s team are favorites in this one, but a draw would not be that much of a shock. Still, Inter will probably manage to just enough to seal their qualification to the next round.

Anorthosis Famagusta-Inter 0-1

Live streaming: Olympique Marseille - PSV Match Preview

2008-11-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts another matchday from the groups of the Champions League. Be sure to follow the events with Macedonian TV Channels, live and free. Visit us. 20:45 CET.

Olympique Marseille host PSV on the fourth match day of the UEFA Champions League this week, in a match that promises to be an intriguing battle between a French giant and a Dutch powerhouse.

The Eindhoven side dominated the home match and beat Olympique Marseille 2-0, thanks to a Danny Koevermans brace. However, The French were lucky that PSV missed several huge chances, because the damage could have been a lot worse.

No crisis at Marseille

Olympique Marseille ended a run of three games without a win in all competitions by beating Saint Etienne on Saturday. Goals from Benoit Cheyrou, Hatem Ben Arfa and Taye Taiwo prevented Eric Gerets's side from slipping out of the title contention at an early stage of the campaign.

Marseille's Belgian manager Eric Gerets insisted that there's no crisis at the club, despite the somewhat disappointing results so far. However, there's no doubt about it that the L'OM fan base expects more from their heroes.

The match against PSV will be a crucial one for Olympique Marseille when it comes to their European ambitions. They lost their first three Champions League matches and qualifying for the next round is as good as impossible.

Nevertheless, the group's third place means qualification for the UEFA Cup and PSV have only three points more than the French.

Star player Hatem Ben Arfa was involved in a small incident with his Belgian boss last week, when he refused to come off the bench in the dying minutes of the Ligue 1 game against PSG. However, Ben Arfa apologized for his behaviour and was fined by the club to end the trouble.

Marseille's Belgian manager will be without strong forward Mamadou Niang, who has sustained a groin injury, to add more misery to Marseille's attacking problems. The French side have a lack of goal scoring instinct and they've already shown their interest in Olympique Lyon striker Fred and in Caen's Steve Savidan.

UEFA Cup or Champions League?

PSV have been struggling domestically for a while, but recorded two consecutive victories in the last week to get their title bid back on track. Arjen Swinkels's own goal and Danny Koevermans's chip from outside the box helped the Eindhoven side to a 2-0 win against Willem II.

PSV boss Huub Stevens expressed his delight with PSV's outstanding defensive organization in the last two matches, but still isn't convinced of his side's attacking power.

Additionally, the PSV supporters are still complaining about the lack of big names up front and it remains to be seen if Danny Koevermans can silence his critics once again.

The Eredivisie giants lost their first two matches against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool and proceeding to the next round seemed impossible. However, they bounced back against Marseille and another win against the French makes them a worthy contender for the two top spots in the group again.

Furthermore, defeating Olympique Marseille means the elimination of the French for the third place on the table, good for qualification for the UEFA Cup.

Like Eric Gerets, PSV boss Huub Stevens had a small incident with a player, too. Nevertheless, Edison Mendez is part of the match selection, despite his outburst on the training ground on Sunday.

Additionally, Mexican defender Carlos Salcido is far from happy with his manager after losing his spot in the starting XI. Stevens no longer tolerates Salcido's inability to speak Dutch on the pitch and claims that communicative problems have cost the Dutch side too much points already.

FORM GUIDE:

Olympique Marseille

Nov 1 v Saint Etienne (Ligue 1) WON 3-1

Oct 29 v Nantes (Ligue 1) (A) DREW 1-1

Oct 26 v PSG (Ligue 1) (H) LOST 4-2

Oct 22 v PSV (Champions League) (A) LOST 2-0

Oct 19 v Valenciennes (Ligue 1) (A) WON 3-1

PSV

Nov 1 v Willem II (Eredivisie) (H) WON 2-0

Oct 28 v ADO Den Haag (Eredivisie) (A) WON 2-0

Oct 25 v Roda (Eredivisie) (H) LOST 3-2

Oct 22 v Olympique Marseille (Champions League) (H) WON 2-0

Oct 18 v NAC Breda (Eredivisie) (A) LOST 2-1

TEAM NEWS:

Olympique Marseille

Marseille manager Erik Gerets won't be able to use powerful striker Mamadou Niang, while defender Julien Rodriguez isn't fully match fit yet. However, Charles Kabore and Benoit Cheyrou are back after small injury trouble.

Probable Line-up: Mandanda - Bonnart, Hilton, Cana, Taiwo - Ziani, Cheyrou, M'Bami, Ben Arfa - Grandin, Kone

PSV

PSV boss Huub Stevens will be without injured trio Jeremie Brechet, Nordin Amrabat and Bas Roorda. The Eindhoven side will most likely start in a 4-2-3-1 formation with towering forward Danny Koevermans as the starting striker and Edison Mendez and Balasz Dszudszak on the wings.

Probable Line-up: Isaksson - Marcellis, Simons, Addo, Pieters - Bakkal, Wuytens - Mendez, Afellay, Dzsuzsak, Koevermans

Players To Watch:

PSV – Danny Koevermans

The 30-year-old striker netted twice in the first meeting between the two sides and scored a fantastic goal on Saturday evening against Willem II. The former AZ star might not be a world class striker, but he's definitely a pain in the neck for every defence.

Marseille – Hatem Ben Arfa

Ben Arfa was one of the top transfers last summer and he has already shown exactly why he is so highly rated. He has been undoubtedly one of Marseille’s best players. The attacking midfielder is both tricky and fast and if the PSV defence are not fully focused he has the ability to either slide a team-mate in to score or to have a pop himself.

PREDICTION:

The home side will be eager to bounce back after the 2-0 defeat in the away match. However, they were totally outclassed in Eindhoven and it remains to be seen if the home advantage will help them enough in grabbing a good result. Nevertheless, players like Bakary Kone and Hatem ben Arfa have the ability to find the net from out of nowhere, while PSV hugely depend on the class of young playmaker Ibrahim Afellay. It's very unlikely that the match will result in a draw, since the Eindhoven side haven't drawn a match since 15 April. Therefore, I predict a small victory for the French side.

Olympique Marseille 1-0 PSV

Live streaming: Barcelona - Basel Match Preview

2008-11-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts another matchday from the groups of the Champions League. Be sure to follow the events with Macedonian TV Channels, live and free. Visit us. 20:45 CET.

If many teams had embarked on the run of form that Barcelona are currently enjoying the media and fans would be praying for the bubble to burst, but so strong are the Catalan outfit that it is difficult to see where there next defeat will come from.

Pep Guardiola stepped up from steering the Blaugrana's B team to promotion from the fourth tier of Spanish football to replace Frank Rijkaard and a few eyebrows were raised.

But the club's former playmaker and fans' favourite is already writing a second chapter for himself in the club's history, even if people are remaining cautious about just how far he can take the team this season.

FC Basel visit Camp Nou on Tuesday knowing full well what the new-look Spanish league leaders are capable of, having lost by five goals when the two sides met in Switzerland a fortnight ago.

Bojan Krkic scored twice while Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Xaci all added to the emphatic scoreline that saw Barça take one further step towards booking their place in the next phase.

Three more points in the encounter this week and, if Shakhtar do not beat Sporting Lisbon, then the Catalan outfit's passage will be confirmed and they can continue to focus on domestic matters.

Christian Gross and his players need not think that they did much more wrong than the majority of the teams that the Blaugrana have met in recent weeks as only Athletic Bilbao have been able to reduce the potency of Barça's full-strength forward line.

Eleven-In-A-Row

Atlético de Madrid were hit for six at Camp Nou, before a single sufficed in San Mamés, and then Basel let five in as did Almería in the following encounter and at the weekend Málaga were beaten 4-1 on their own rain-sodden patch.

Not only do Barça score goals and concede very few, but they now have that consistency that has led them to the top of the table in the Spanish league, but also led them on a run of 11 consecutive wins in all competitions.

Guardiola has been quick to state that while it has been incredible, he does not want to even consider that the job is done with 87 more points up for grabs between now and the end of the season.

The Champions League may be slightly more of a lottery than la Primera, given that after Christmas the knockout stages can see the favourite stumble if they slip up in just one match.

But for now, Barcelona will be content with keeping their run going for as long as possible and that means seeing off Basel for the second time in as many weeks.

Losing the last game in Europe did not do Gross' side much harm as they bounced with back-to-back domestic wins against Bellinzona and Sion to move clear at the top of the Super League table.

Qualifying from Group C of the Champions League may prove to be slightly more tricky as Basel have yet to procure a point from their first three matches and defeat in Camp Nou could see it become virtually impossible to do so.

RECENT FORM

FC Basel

30/10 H 3-0 Sion
25/10 A 3-2 Bellinzona
22/10 H 0-5 Barcelona
05/10 A 1-1 Grasshoppers
01/10 A 0-2 Sporting
27/09 H 1-2 Young Boys

FC Barcelona

01/11 A 4-1 Málaga
28/10 A 1-0 Benidorm
25/10 H 5-0 Almería
22/10 A 5-0 Basel
19/10 A 1-0 Athletic Club
04/10 H 6-1 Atlético

TEAM NEWS

FC Barcelona

Guardiola has continued his practice of naming his squad for home games on the morning of the match. Éric Abidal is set to miss out as he continues his comeback from a knock, while Seydou Keita and Gaby Milito are the only other two absentees. More to follow.

Probable Starting XI: Valdés, Alves, Sylvinho, Márquez, Puyol, Touré, Xavi, Busquets, Messi, Hleb, Bojan

FC Basel

Scott Chipperfield will miss Basel's remaining three group games after being told that he must undergo surgery, while Carlitos could return to the side after recovering from an injury that has seen him miss the majority of October. More to follow.

Probable Starting XI: Costanzo, Zanni, Safari, Marque, Abraham, Huggel, Ergic, Rubio, Perovic, Streller, Deriyok

PREDICTION

Basel may have regained their confidence since letting in five against Barça last time out with a couple of domestic wins, but the Blaugrana have continued to look formidable and could well collapse if they concede an early goal here. A repeat performance is not out of the question at all.

FC Barcelona 5 - 0 Basel

Live streaming: Sporting - Shakhtar Donetsk Match Preview

2008-11-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts another matchday from the groups of the Champions League. Be sure to follow the events with Macedonian TV Channels, live and free. Visit us. 20:45 CET.

Two weeks after Sporting's win over Shakhtar in Donetsk comes a rematch that is vital for both sides...

On The Edge

The hosts stand on the brink of an historic qualification for the next stage. Victory over the Miners on Tuesday evening, coupled with a defeat for Basel against Barcelona, will result in confirmed qualification for the Portuguese outfit.

Even if Basel do manage a point against the Blaugrana second place will still be all but assured for the Leões, who have never before advanced past this stage of the competition.

In this sense they lag behind the other two Portuguese giants, Porto and Benfica, and although their odds of lifting the trophy proper are slim they would secure huge amounts of bragging rights by becoming the best side of the year to emerge from the Iberian country.

Downhill

Shakhtar, meanwhile, have regressed somewhat of late, allowing Dynamo Kiev to overtake them on the continent as well as at home.

After winning the 2007-08 championship the Miners are now mid-table in the Ukrainian Premier League; this, coupled with their disappointing European form, has made for unrest in Europe's far east.

Defeat at home to Sporting has rendered qualification for the last 16 a distant dream, and one that could be mathematically extinguished in Lisbon.

Even if it is not, anything less than a win will for all intents and purposes consign the Hirnyky to the UEFA Cup at best and ignominious (although unlikely) elimination at worst.

Instant Replay

The last game between the sides, played a fortnight ago at the RSK Olimpiyskyi, resulted in a narrow win for Sporting.

A late goal from Liedson was sufficient for the Lions to roar into a commanding second place lead in the group, but it is far from the case that this strike was inevitable.

Indeed, injury-riven Shakhtar were arguably the better side for the vast bulk of the game, and as such Paolo Bento's men perhaps got out of jail.

Mircea Lucescu's outfit, though, are more of a force at home than away, so even if they feel that they have a record to set straight it will be very much easier said than done.

FORM GUIDE

Sporting

01 Nov 08 Rio Ave (A) WON 1-0 (Liga)
26 Oct 08 Paços de Ferreira (A) DREW 0-0 (Liga)
22 Oct 08 Shakhtar (A) WON 1-0 (CL)
18 Oct 08 Uniao Leiria (A) WON 1-0 (CL)
05 Oct 08 Porto (H) LOST 2-1 (Liga)

Shakhtar

01 Nov 08 Zorya Luhansk (H) WON 3-1 (League)
29 Oct 08 Zakarpattia Uzhhorod (A) WON 4-1 (Cup)
26 Oct 08 Kharkiv (A) DREW 0-0 (League)
22 Oct 08 Sporting (H) LOST 1-0 (CL)
18 Oct 08 Kryvbas Kryvyi (H) WON 1-0 (League)

TEAM NEWS

Sporting

Right-back Marco Caneira has been called up after making his comeback after a stomach muscle rupture at the weekend, but Simon Vukcevic remains out with illness. Tonel, hitherto ever-present at the back in the CL, misses out with a leg injury: Caneira should slot in for him. Sporting have no suspension worries.

Possible Starting XI: Rui Patricio; Abel, Caneira, Anderson Polga, Miguel Veloso; Rochemback, Moutinho, Izmailov; Romagnoli; Derlei, Liedson.

Shakhtar

Ilsinho will miss out due to a metatarsal injury, while Luiz Adriano is also set to skip this game. Brandão, rested at the weekend, should surely return to the line-up. The spine of the team should remain as normal, with Hubschman, Chygrynsky, Fernandinho and of course Brandão all set to take part. Brandão and Srna are one booking away from suspension.

Possible Starting XI: Pyatov; Srna, Kucher, Chygrynsky, Shevcuk; Hubschman; Ilsinho, Jadson, Fernandinho, Brandão; Luiz Adriano.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting - Liedson: The decisive goalscorer in the last round, Brazilian forward Liedson is his side's best ever Champions League goalscorer, having hit 18 in 36 appearances. At 30 years of age the legendary goal-getter is entering the twilight of his career, but surely he has another couple of good seasons in him yet.

Shakhtar - Brandão: Rested for the weekend's league win, coach Lucescu will roll out the big guns in the form of Brandão. The irrepressible Brazilian has just three career Champions League goals to his name, but averaging over 1 in 2 in the Ukrainian Premier League, it's clear that he has the talent. Now it's time to prove it on the continental stage.

PREDICTION

Shakhtar won't go lightly but once again Sporting will prove just too strong. Could it be Liedson yet again? Seems possible...

Sporting 1-0 Shakhtar

Live streaming: Werder Bremen – Panathinaikos Match Preview

2008-11-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts another matchday from the groups of the Champions League. Be sure to follow the events with Macedonian TV Channels, live and free. Visit us. 20:45 CET.

Two sides who would have fancied their chances of progressing through the UEFA Champions League group stages after a rather favourable draw this season have both struggled during the early part of their respective European campaigns.

Thomas Schaaf’s aesthetically pleasing Werder Bremen side have failed to replicate the free-flowing form that has seen them score 27 goals in 11 Bundesliga games this season on the continental stage, scoring only three goals in their opening three encounters.

Two of those came during their last encounter, a 2-2 draw against Panathinaikos in Athens a fortnight ago, where Hugo Almeida’s late equalizer gave the Germans a much needed point – and denied Panathinaikos what would have been a crucial first win of the campaign.

Henk Ten Cate’s men fought their way to a character-building league win on the weekend, easing the pressure on the under-fire Dutchman, whose side have collected only one point in Europe so far this season, following a home loss Inter and an embarrassing collapse in Cyprus.

Entertainers

Despite their relative lack of success on the domestic scene so far this season – they currently lie in eighth place with sixteen points, nine off leaders Hoffenheim – a haul of twenty-seven goals has helped maintain Werder Bremen's recent standing as one of the great entertainers of European football.

However, with that tag comes inevitable defensive frailty, though their style in Europe this season has been slightly more reserved at times.

Undefeated on the continent, Schaaf’s men have found themselves in an extremely close race to qualify from the Champions League group stages, largely a result of their scoreless draw at home to unfashionable Anorthosis Famagusta on the opening matchday.

They redeemed themselves somewhat with an entertaining 1-1 draw at the San Siro, before salvaging a precious point against Panathinaikos in Greece, where they maintained their slight lead over Henk Ten Cate’s men.

A win in Bremen on Tuesday will almost certainly eliminate any chance of the Athenians progressing past the group stages and assuming Inter are able to win in Cyprus, should put the Germans in a position from which to qualify for the knockout rounds.

And given their reputation for attacking football – and Panathinaikos’ for defensive frailty – you wouldn’t bet against them…

Must Win

Panathinaikos’ last encounter against Bremen presented a chance for redemption after a Cypriot disaster, where their European ambitions were dealt a huge blow by Temuri Ketsbaia’s Greek giant-killers.

A club with established European pedigree, qualification from the group stages was arguably made a realistic possibility by a fairly equitable draw – yet they have not registered a single victory.

After going behind to Bremen in Athens, forgotten man Vangelis Mantzios grabbed a headed double to set the Greeks on their way to what should have been a crucial victory, until an absence of man-marking that has epitomized their defensive worries this season allowed Almeida to head past a helpless Tzorvas.

In more recent times, domestic troubles – a two match winless streak at home, including an embarrassing 3-2 loss to Ergotelis – have heaped pressure on manager Henk Ten Cate, who earned something approaching breathing space by guiding his men to a gutsy win away against an Alvaro Recoba-inspired Panionios outfit on Sunday.

The Greeks will need a similarly desperate defensive display in Germany on Tuesday if they are to have any chance of victory – one that they will need to achieve if they are to harbour realistic expectations of progressing past the group stages.

FORM GUIDE

Werder Bremen

October 18 Werder Bremen 3-3 Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)

October 22 Panathinaikos 2-2 Werder Bremen (Champions League)

October 25 Hannover 96 1-1 Werder Bremen (Bundesliga)

October 28 Werder Bremen 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)

November 1 Werder Bremen 5-1 Hertha Berlin (Bundesliga)

Panathinaikos

October 19 PAOK Salonika 0-0 Panathinaikos (Greek Super League)

October 22 Panathinaikos 2-2 Werder Bremen (Champions League)

October 26 Panathinaikos 2-2 Iraklis (Greek Super League)

October 29 Panathinaikos 2-3 Ergotelis (Greek Super League)

November 1 Panionios 1-2 Panathinaikos (Greek Super League)

TEAM NEWS

Werder Bremen

Thomas Schaaf will be without the services of talismanic midfielder Torsten Frings, after the Germany international picked up his third yellow card of the competition in Greece, meaning he will be suspended from the encounter at the Weserstadion.

Germany wing-back Clemens Fritz has overcome the muscular problems that have kept him out of Werder’s last two encounters, returning to full team training on Sunday and appearing a chance to start on Tuesday. Otherwise, the Bundesliga outfit emerged from a 5-1 weekend win over Hertha Berlin largely unscathed.

Panathinaikos

Andreas Ivanschitz is a conspicuous absentee from Henk Ten Cate’s travelling party to Germany, with the Austria international ruled out by injury along with Brazilian striker Rodrigo Souza, while teen prodigy Sotiris Ninis – who played against Panionios at the weekend – appears to have been ruled out of the upcoming clash with Bremen after suffering a training-ground injury.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Werder Bremen

Former Chelsea striker Claudio Pizzaro is Bremen’s top-scorer this season across all competitions this season, with seven goals in the Bundesliga so far. The Peru international has been in fine form, scoring a double at the weekend during his side’s 5-1 romp over Hertha Berlin. He may have lasted barely 30 minutes in Athens two weeks ago but he will no doubt have a more lengthy role to play when Ten Cate’s men visit Germany.

Panathinaikos

The influence of Greece international Giorgios Karagounis cannot be understated. His drive and general enthusiasm will be crucial to Panathinaikos’ attacking display in Bremen – one that they will need if they are to have any chance of victory at the Weserstadion.

PREDICTION

Logic suggests the free-scoring Germans will enjoy the space afforded to them by a defensively disjointed Panathinaikos outfit, whilst history is also in the favour of Thomas Schaaf’s men: the last time the Greeks traveled to the Weserstadion for Champions League football, they were thumped 5-1.

However, Henk Ten Cate’s side rallied in the face of adversity on Sunday, overcoming the loss of Bryce Moon to a red card to grab a massive victory away against Panionios. With the same spirit and a little bit of fortune, there’s no reason why they can’t revive their European campaign with an unlikely victory.

I’m tipping Panathinaikos to show a united front and steal a win in Germany, blowing the race for second-spot wide open in Group B.

Live streaming: Liverpool - Atletico Madrid Match Preview

2008-11-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts another matchday from the groups of the Champions League. Be sure to follow the events with Macedonian TV Channels, live and free. Visit us. 20:45 CET.

A fortnight ago, Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez retuned to his home town as the Reds took on Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderón, which was freed up for the contest despite concerns over crowd behaviour.

It wasn't exactly a classic, but both sides got what they wanted from the fixture in the end. Robbie Keane scored after 14 minutes despite hints of offside, but Simão Sabrosa – a player Benitez is a known admirer of – drove a low shot past Pepe Reina inside the last ten minutes.

The point leaves both sides sitting pretty in Group D ahead of the return leg in Liverpool...on paper at least. If Dutch side PSV Eindhoven were to beat Marseille in the other fixture, any loser in this game would all of a sudden be under massive pressure – just one point ahead in second with two games to go.

Lead from the Front...or thereabouts

Since the last Champions League game much has been made of Liverpool's blossoming Premier League title challenge.

Before the first Atletico clash, they edged back-to-back games against upstarts Manchester City and Wigan, both to the tune of 3-2. Then, Benitez's troops completed Mission Improbable, beating Chelsea at The Fortress, AKA Stamford Bridge. A hard-fought win over Portsmouth followed and many started thinking that this Liverpool side could be for real.

Indeed, normally coy Rafa started to discuss his side's surge to the league summit with enthusiasm and confidence. He admitted that he was planning to 'lead from the front' and was oozing something of a 'told you so' attitude as the chip started to remove itself from his shoulder after several seasons of piloting an also-ran operation.

Then came the Tottenham acid test. Harry Redknapp's revitalised Spurs had shown Arsenal what they were made of, coming back to draw 4-4. However, even with that warning shot, the Reds couldn't fare any better and were beaten 2-1. It was very telling. Dirk Kuyt scored after three minutes, but Rafa's falterers missed a ridiculous amount of chances and allowed Spurs to steal their points.

One game on, Liverpool need to show that they're unflappable. Second in the Premiership only on goal difference, five time European Champions – they should cruise this one, right?

Still in Hospital

As for Atleti, Simão's strike in the first game probably kept his boss Javier Aguirre in his job. Simão's brace in their next game in Villarreal's El Madrigal, where they scored two late goals to draw 4-4 with the Yellow Submarine, made it that little bit safer.

An unconvincing win in the Copa del Ray followed. Diego Forlan gave Atleti an undeserved lead over Segunda División B outfit Orihuela just before the break and, although they did improve after the interval, Atleti failed to kill off the 'Skorpion' fully and still have a little work to do in the second leg.

Then came Real Mallorca and, finally, the performance Atleti were waiting for from the man they were waiting for – Sergio Agüero. Komeback kid Kun bagged a first half brace and looked pretty sharp in shrugging off the Balearic outfit, who were in dazzling form beforehand.

Boss Aguirre sees signs of improvement, but admits that his side are still wounded.

Relishing being up to sixth, he said, "We've come out of the intensive care unit, but we are still in hospital. We had gone four weeks without winning and we're aware that we have to improve."

On half-fit talisman Agüero, he warned, "He's still a couple of weeks away. I'm taking him to Liverpool, but we aren't reliant on him."

Maybe not, but like Liverpool superstar Fernando Torres, who's similarly unfit, few would disagree that having Kun in the starting XI would be a massive confidence boost.

Aguirre himself will be keeping a low profile on the night, as he begins a two match ban.

Stats

Atleti are travelling to Anfield, where the Reds have won eight of ten at home, losing none. In comparison, the Spanish side have won four of ten on the road, conceding ten in their last two Liga outings. However, Atleti have failed to score on just one of those away days, although it was the Champions League trip to Schalke.

Liverpool are three goals from scoring their 300th strike in the elite competition. However, they've not beaten a Spanish club in five attempts. Atleti's record in England includes one win – against Leicester of all teams – three draws and two losses.

FORM GUIDE

Liverpool

Nov 01, 2008 Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool EPL

Oct 29, 2008 Liverpool 1-0 Portsmouth EPL

Oct 26, 2008 Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool EPL

Oct 22, 2008 Atletico Madrid 1-1 Liverpool CL

Oct 18, 2008 Liverpool 3-2 Wigan EPL

Oct 05, 2008 Manchester City 2-3 Liverpool EPL

Atlético

Nov 01, 2008 Atletico 2-0 RCD Mallorca Primera

Oct 29, 2008 Orihuela 0-1 Atletico Copa

Oct 26, 2008 Villarreal 4-4 Atletico Madrid Primera

Oct 22, 2008 Atletico 1-1 Liverpool CL

Oct 18, 2008 Atletico 1-2 Real Madrid Primera

Oct 04, 2008 Barcelona 6-1 Atletico Primera

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool

The big fitness sweat, of course, is over the fitness of striker Fernando Torres, who has a 70% chance of recovering from his hamstring injury to feature against his former side, according to Benitez.

Otherwise, the decks are more or less clear.

Last Starting XI (vs. Tottenham): Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Dossena, Kuyt, Mascherano, Alonso, Riera (Benayoun 78), Gerrard, Keane (Babel 66).

Atlético

Luis García and Florent Sinama Pongolle would enjoy running out against their former employers on Merseyside.

However, the main news concerns the aforementioned Argentine Agüero, who has been strongly tipped to start despite Aguirre's public reservations.

'Keeper Gregory Coupet is back in the squad after injury. However, a pair of defenders in the shape of Giourkas Seitaridis and the influential Tomas Ujfalusi are out.

Diego Forlán will be relishing the “very special” trip, with the brace he scored for Manchester United at Anfield in 2002 sure to be in his mind.

Last Starting XI (vs. RCD Mallorca): Leo Franco, Antonio López, Perea, Heitinga, Pernía, Maxi Rodríguez, Paulo Assunção, Maniche, Simão (Luis García 87), Forlán (Sinama Pongolle 67), Agüero (Raúl García 82).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool

The Atleti camp has Fernando Torres firmly in mind when they contemplate the mission ahead. Boss Aguirre asserted, "I want him to be 100% fit and playing against us, as I want us to be challenged by the very best."

Former Red Luis García added: "When I was here we did not have player like Torres. He's given Liverpool that extra dimension and made them a better team."

Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard are also match-winners, but all eyes will be on El Niño, whether he plays ninety minutes or six.

Atlético

Agüero starting would be a massive boost, but he can't be fit enough to dominate throughout. A man who can do that, however, is Simão Sabrosa.

The man will not give up and, as Spurs showed at the weekend, the Reds often struggle to kill off plucky sides like the one Simão will inspire.

PREDICTION

I have a feeling both sides would take the draw if they were offered it before the match.

However, this would be a great one for Liverpool to win and I think they might just edge it. They could do with turning their many chances into insurmountable leads at the moment, but Atleti are sure to battle all the way.

Liverpool 2-1 Atlético Madrid

Live streaming: CFR Cluj - Bordeaux Match Preview

2008-11-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts another matchday from the groups of the Champions League. Be sure to follow the events with Macedonian TV Channels, live and free. Visit us. 20:45 CET.

Bordeaux’s 1-0 home victory two weeks ago against CFR Cluj, blew this Champions League group right open. With each side having played each other once, Roma, Cluj and Bordeaux can still all qualify second in this group, with Chelsea most likely to finish top.
With Roma losing to Chelsea and Bordeaux picking up their only points so far against Cluj, all three sides are so close that Tuesday’s game will be vital in seeing who can go on to the knockout stages.

In The Running

After losing their opening two games Bordeaux were able to keep themselves in the running for the knockout stages by gaining 3 vital points at home. It was a close game, and in the end all that was between the sides was an own goal from Cadu just 10 minutes into the second half.

Bordeaux

Back To Winning Ways

But for CFR Cluj it’s a case of trying to get back to winning ways. The Romanian shocked Europe’s elite competition when they stunned Roma by beating them 2-1, before getting a draw against Chelsea.

The Bordeaux defeat was a knockback and Cluj will know how important this game is if they are to qualify.

Cluj are currently second in their group, level on points with Roma and just one point ahead of Bordeaux. A win tonight for them would put them in the driving seat for second place, if Roma fail to get anything against Chelsea in the other game.

Their recent form has been pretty hit and miss over the last couple of weeks, but this game is one that they can’t afford to slip up, with games against Roma and Chelsea ahead for both sides this is one that both know is a must win in every sense of the word.

Form Guide

CFR Cluj

October 31st Vs FC Unirea Urzicieni (H) – WON 1-0 (League)

October 26th Vs FC Timisoara (A) – LOST 2-1 (League)

October 22nd Vs Bordeaux (A) – LOST 1-0 (Champions League)

October 17th Vs Dinamo Bucharest (H) – WON 1-0 (League)

October 14th Vs Universitatea (A) – DREW 3-3 (League)

Bordeaux

November 1st Vs Nancy (A) – LOST 1-0 (Ligue 1)

October 28th Vs Le Harve (H) – WON 4-0 (Ligue 1)

October 25th Vs Nice (A) – DREW 2-2 (Ligue 1)

October 22nd Vs CFR Cluj (H) – WON 1-0 (Champions League)

October 18th Vs Toulouse (H) – WON 2-1 (Ligue 1)

Team News

CFR Cluj

Eugen Trica was sent off in these teams previous fixture two weeks ago and so he’s suspended for this game. And Ciprian Deac could start in attack, as coach Trombetta has to sweat over the fitness of forwards Didi, and Diego Ruiz.

Probable Starting XI: Stăncioiu, Tony, Mureşan, Dubarbier, Dani, Koné, Culio, Cadú, De Sousa, Dani, Pereira.

Bordeaux

Manuel Valverde returns in goal after Ulrich Rame picked up a groin injury in their game against Nancy. Fernando is Blanc’s only other injury concern. The midfielder is struggling with a back problem, but still looks set to start.

Probable Starting XI: Valverde, Gouffran, Diarra, Fernando, Jurietti, Gourcuff, Wendel, Diawara, Chalmé, Obertan, Chamakh.

Players To Watch

CFR Cluj: The Argentine Culio was the shining star for CFR Cluj in their bright start. He grabbed both goals in their opening win against Roma, and he put in a solid midfield performance against Chelsea as well. He’s a confidient, talented player and vital if Cluj are to qualify.

Bordeaux: Yoann Gourcuff has been a star since his loan move from Milan. The youngster failed to shine in Italy but has been a revelation since returning home to France, a creative midfielder who opens doors for this side.

Prediction

With Chelsea and Roma awaiting for both teams in their remaining two games, both managers will know how important it is for these two teams to pick up points in this game. Cluf have the home advantage, but the French side have been in good form and a draw seems to be the most likely result here.

CFR Cluf 1-1 Bordeaux

Live streaming: Tottenham Hotspur - Liverpool

2008-11-01T04:45:00.000-07:00

Tottenham raise their form, Liverpool at on the top. It will be interesting match for us to watch here live and free, Macedonian TV Channels. Dont forget the match starts at 18:30, be sure to be here for it.

Liverpool Game Is Huge For Spurs - Cesar

Cesar Sanchez feels that revitalised Tottenham Hotspur can really get their season up and running by beating Premier League leaders Liverpool in North London this evening.

The former Real Madrid goalkeeper is unlikely to play - he is currently reserve to Brazilian Heurelho Gomes - but he told Spanish newspaper Marca: “It is going to be a top match.

“Tottenham v Liverpool is huge in England and the fans are dying to watch it. Besides, meeting old friends such as Rafa [Benitez] is always great. He used to coach me at Valladolid, and I have not seen him for a while, as well as Alvaro Arbeloa. Playing against Spanish colleagues is always a pleasure.”

First choice keeper Gomes has made a number of well-publicised blunders during Tottenham's rocky start to the season, and Cesar feels new manager Harry Redkanpp could soon give him a chance to come into the team and do better.

“We are living a tough situation and I am prepared like always for an opportunity, when the gaffer will tell me it is my turn to play,” he said. “No doubt my time will come, as the season is long.

“Anyway, I am currently settling into a new style of football, new surroundings and learning the language."

Cesar, 37, joined Spurs from Real Zaragoza, who were relegated at the end of last season, so he knows about battles at the bottom of the table.

He feels Spurs have been unlucky this season, but expects them to start climbing the table and putting the smiles back on fans' faces.

He told Marca: “This is a good experience to me, I am learning, as everything is different from what I was used to. I feel like when I started my career. Training sessions are very serious here, which means a lot to me.

“For sure the club are far from their expectations at the moment. We have been unlucky and narrowly lost many times after tight games, and every time a slight detail proved a prejudice."

Cesar has also seen compatriot Juande Ramos leave the club, and commented: “What happened is not surprising regarding the results we achieved. It makes you feel sad because he is Spanish and he is a good guy, but at the end of the day you have to carry on working because life goes on. Juande worked well and that will help us shine in the future.

“Right now it is all about new ideas and we have to adapt in order to succeed the best we can. They [Spurs] just won an important title last season [Carling Cup], something that did not happen for a long time.

Fenerbahce's Spain international, Daniel Guiza, has recently been linked with Spurs, and Cesar said: “For sure Guiza is a great player that would strengthen the team.

“I would be delighted that such a top player, who is also Spanish, would join us, as his arrival would prove massive for us and as well for Spanish football.”

Benitez: Here's How We'll Stay On Top

In the world of athletics - particularly in middle and long distance running - there's often a pace-setter sent to the front to set a decent tempo. Once they've fulfilled their purpose, they drop out and the real contenders battle it out of the medals.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez hopes that his Reds aren't merely setting the pace ahead of another Chelsea-Manchester United title tussle.

However, although the Reds will have had nosebleeds after climbing to the top so quickly, many think that this season really could be different for the domestic underachievers. Rafa seems to have a stronger, deeper squad and experienced players reaching their peak, with everyone buoyed by Spain's Euro 2008 win in the summer.

Now, the Spanish gaffer has warned his troops that life will be different and difficult at the top and knows that the Reds must make both mental and tactical adjustments in order to lead from the front.

He explained: "The players know the position we are in and how to handle it is easy. Everyone must be calm, take their time in matches, with feet firmly on the ground.

"The message is that we will try to be at the top for a long time, but we must just win the next three points every time.

"How will we do it? We must learn to be patient, learn to handle the situation we are now in. We need to regain the ball quickly when it is lost, and show more composure."

Insisting that the opposition will treat Liverpool differently now that they're flying high, he continued: "Teams will now try to defend against us, make us come at them. Now we must show we can handle that sort of approach.

"Look at [Steven] Gerrard in the [win over Portsmouth]: he looked tired and they were man-to-man marking him.

"We are top and teams will come to Anfield and try to defend. It is important that we keep the ball, control the game and stop the counter-attacks."

To be honest, Rafa, it doesn't sound that "easy"!

Live streaming: Manchester United - Hull City

2008-11-01T04:40:00.000-07:00

Hull play good, Manchester are the champions, we have interesting match there to watch live free at Macedonian TV Channels. The match starts at 16:00 CET, and be sure to not miss the action, Manchester United, has to win.

Everton v Fulham
Fulham put in a great performane in the middle of the week. Mark Schwarzer was on guard to keep goal and maintained a clean sheet, Brede Hangeland in front of him put in a sound defensive performance, and pint-sized striker Andy Johnson was as sharp as a tack at the opposite end. It is a good time to play Everton considering their stuttering form, but Goodison Park is not a ground where the Cottagers have found much joy.

Chelsea v Sunderland
The Blues are still without key personnel. Joe Cole, Michael Ballack, and Michael Essien are still out of action, but powerful striker Didier Drogba could feature. Sunderland have their own injury problems, as Martin Fulop will continue to deputise for Craig Gordon. Roy Keane was disappointed with his side's poor showing midweek, and was critical of their pass and move. Chelsea got a result against Hull, something the other London clubs failed to do when they faced the east Yorkshire outfit, so Keane will have a tough task ahead of him on the training ground if the Mackems are to leave Stamford Bridge with anything.

Manchester United v Hull City
Sir Alex Ferguson mentioned how Cristiano Ronaldo is nearing his peak form after the wing wizard's midweek brace over West Ham United. Hull City come off the back of a loss against Chelsea and will be relieved that they can follow that up with a trip to Old Trafford (!). Tigers boss Phil Brown has oft kept the same starting line-up, but will be forced to make a change as regular Ian Ashbee is suspended. Should Hull lose on Saturday then it will be the first time in the club's history that they will suffer back-to-back defeats in England's top division.

Middlesbrough v West Ham United
The Teesiders enjoyed a fine win over Manchester City on Wednesday with goalkeeper Ross Turnbull producing a solid effort between the sticks. Turnbull is yet another local talent to rise through the ranks at Middlesbrough, but it was forward Tuncay Sanli who helped provide the necessary impetus to facilitate the win. 'Boro boss Gareth Southgate has called on their home fans to be the 12th man. His opposite number Gianfranco Zola is content with his team's display against United despite the loss and will take solace from the fact that the home side have never recorded successive victories in the history of the Premier League.

Portsmouth v Wigan Athletic
Portsmouth have one erratic defence. One game they will keep a clean sheet, and on another day they'll concede six. They may have to make do without pivotal centre half Sol Campbell and roaming wing back Glen Johnson as both will need late tests to prove their fitness. Wigan Athletic didn't record a single point in October so Steve Bruce will be rallying his side to turn their form on it's head for November. Amr Zaki has been a key player, and with Antonio Valencia back to full fitness there could be a goal guarantee in this tie.

Stoke City v Arsenal
It was a comedy of errors for Arsenal against hated rivals Tottenham Hotspur. They had a two goal cushion twice in the game but defensive lapses ultimately cost them and they could well come unstuck against Rory Delap's infamous route one long-range throw ins. Stoke though will have to be on guard as it is a rare for the Gunners to misfire for a whole 90 minutes. William Gallas and Emmanuel Eboue will be left in London so Kolo Toure will likely partner Mikael Silvestre.

West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn will be without key striker Roque Santa Cruz, and midweek goalscorer Stephen Warnock. West Brom's Ishmael Miller who netted his first of the season against Newcastle United could be in line for another appearance. Baggies boss Tony Mowbray has been stressing the importance of concentration, as he attributes some of their conceded goals to a seeming lack of it. Rovers manager Paul Ince on the other hand had been drilling home a lesson in finishing and chance conversion. Ince's men were seventh at the beginning of last month but have since slipped down the table to only three positions above their weekend opponents.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool
The lily whites are, in the words of David 'Boo boy' Bentley, 'buzzing', and believe they can use the four points from their last two games as a springboard to greater things. Liverpool though will do all that they can to maintain their three point cushion at the head of the table. Republic of Ireland international Robbie Keane returns to his old stomping ground and it will be interesting to see the sort of reception he receives. Reds manager Rafa Benitez has warned his side of the dangers that Luka Modric, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Jermain Jenas, and David Bentley pose, but with a strong defence to choose from the league leaders may be more comfortable at the back than the gaffe-prone Gunners.

Sunday November 2

Bolton Wanderers vs Manchester City
Bolton's Gavin McCann will return after his one game suspension, as will Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta. Mark Hughes has recently praised the form of Elano, who has been shifted further down the field while fellow Brazilian Robinho and diminutive winger Shaun Wright Phillips probe forward and help supply the main striker. Since the phenomenal investment from the Abu Dhabi group the Citizens have not exactly gone on the run that the most predicted. Stephen Ireland though has been one of the most consistent Premier League performers this season and is capable of unlocking any defence with his current range of passing and with Bolton bottom of the table, head coach Gary Megson could face a further embarrassment.

Monday November 3

Newcastle v Aston Villa
Nicky Butt and Michael Owen may make their Magpies return, and interim boss Joe Kinnear will be able to pick from as strong a squad as he is likely to get considering the Tyneside plague that seems to curse those that play at St James'. Aston Villa have been touted by Sir Alex Ferguson as the likeliest team to challenge the monopoly the top four have on the Champions League places, and a further win on Monday will add credence to that statement, should they lose though they have the longest trip home out of all the away sides on matchday eleven.

Live streaming: Everton - Fulham

2008-11-01T04:37:00.000-07:00

First day of november, first match of week 11 of the English Premier League. Today at 13:45 CET, Everton and Fulham play and you will be able to see, live free stream at Macedonian TV Channels. Dont miss the action.

Saturday’s early game in round 10 of the Premier League sees Everton host Fulham. The two clubs sit within a point of each other in the bottom half of the table, although they each had highly contrasting aims when the season kicked off.

Sticky Start

The Blues of Everton have endured what, on the surface at least, seems a puzzling first quarter of their campaign. After finishing fifth last term they had hoped to be pushing for Champions League places in May 2009. They have considerable work to do if they wish to achieve that aim.

David Moyes’ men sit 12th and hold the worst defensive record in the league, having conceded 19 goals in 10 games. Their frailty at the back is surprising considering they let in fewer goals than any other team outside the top four last season. Tony Hibbert has been out injured, but Phil Neville is no slouch as a deputy right-back; otherwise, the rearguard is unchanged from last term.

Some feel that is part of the problem. Everton were slow to get going in the transfer market during the summer; in fact, their first signing – Danish defender Lars Jacobsen, who is yet to play – came on August 26. Louis Saha, Carlo Nash, Segundo Castillo and Marouane Fellaini followed, but they weren’t quite the Pablo Aimars, Joao Moutinhos or Vagner Loves the fans had been hoping for.

However, things are beginning to improve for the Toffees. A comeback draw against Manchester United last weekend was followed by a midweek win over Bolton Wanderers, record-signing Fellaini providing the goals in each encounter. They will hope, and expect, to continue their upward trend against Fulham.

Consolidation

After Danny Murphy’s header against Portsmouth secured the Cottagers’ safety on the final day of last season, manager Roy Hodgson made it clear that he would not be able to handle another finish as tense as that one.

Fulham recruited a mix of proven performers and rough prospects during the summer and released plenty of underperforming, over-the-hill and injury-plagued players. The likes of Andrew Johnson, Bobby Zamora, Mark Schwarzer and Zoltan Gera arrived while David Healy, Carlos Bocanegra, Philippe Christanval, Brian McBride and several others departed.

At the back, the Londoners have been superb – they have shipped just eight goals this season. However, a goal difference of zero indicates that there has been very little joy going forward. Hodgson has laid the blame upon his midfielders, highlighting in particular the average form of Jimmy Bullard.

A midweek win against Wigan Athletic soothed a few fears, but Fulham will have to bring their ‘A’ game to Everton. Manchester United could only manage a 1-1 draw in the Toffees’ backyard; how is an impotent strike-force going to go, regardless of how leaky Moyes’ back-line is?

FORM GUIDE

Everton

Oct 29 vs. Bolton (A) WIN 1-0
Oct 25 vs. Man United (H) DRAW 1-1
Oct 18 vs. Arsenal (A) LOSS 1-3
Oct 05 vs. Newcastle (H) DRAW 2-2
Oct 02 vs. Standard Liege (A) LOSS 2-3

Fulham

Oct 29 vs. Wigan (H) WIN 2-0
Oct 26 vs. Portsmouth (A) DRAW 1-1
Oct 18 vs. Sunderland (H) DRAW 0-0
Oct 04 vs. West Brom (A) LOSS 0-1
Sep 27 vs. West Ham (A) LOSS 1-2

TEAM NEWS

Everton

Tim Cahill is expected to return to the starting line-up after coming off the bench against Bolton in his first game back after a three-match suspension. Louis Saha, Leon Osman or Steven Pienaar could make way for Cahill; as the Toffees are at home, it is likely one of the midfielders will be demoted to the bench.

Possible XI: Howard – Neville, Yobo, Lescott, Baines – Fellaini – Arteta, Cahill, Osman/Pienaar – Saha, Yakubu.

Fulham

Seol Ki-Hyeon sat out the midweek win over Wigan due to a knee problem, while Finnish defender Toni Kallio was laid low by a virus. Both are doubts for the weekend, although Kallio is thought the more likely to return to action.

Possible XI: Schwarzer – Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky – Davies, Murphy, Bullard, Gera – Johnson, Zamora.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Everton

While the prospect of Tim Cahill returning is a frightening one for Fulham, one cannot look past Marouane Fellaini’s superb form. The Belgian midfielder struggled initially after his 15million move from Standard Liege, but three goals in four games has – in manager Moyes’ opinion – justified the price-tag.

Fulham

Can’t go past Andrew Johnson on his return to Merseyside. The England forward left Everton during the summer after growing frustrated with his lack of first-team opportunities. Fresh off a brace against Wigan, AJ will be eager to upstage his former team-mates.

PREDICTION

On paper, the teams cancel each other out. On one hand, Everton are talented yet leaky; on the other, Fulham are tight yet toothless. Also, both clubs are building up some reasonable form. The signs point to a stalemate.

Everton 1-1 Fulham

Live streaming: Germany - Wales Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

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A shock wave struck the Germany camp on Saturday when striker Kevin Kuranyi failed to report to the team bus after his team’s 2-1 victory over Russia. It was later found that the Brazilian-born Kuranyi had left the Signal Iduna Park at halftime, having had his frustration over not playing reach a fever pitch.

Kuranyi has since apologized both publicly and privately, but Germany coach Joachim Löw has vowed to never again select the 52-times capped forward.

Germany will hope to put the Kuranyi drama behind them and go four points clear of Wales in Group 4 with a win tomorrow. Following a good showing against Russia in which he scored the second goal, skipper Michael Ballack skipped practice on Monday after complaining about a right calf injury. The Chelsea midfielder is currently a doubt for tomorrow’s match.

If Ballack is unavailable to play, Torsten Frings will be given the opportunity to appeal to Löw for a starting role. In the Russia match, the Werder Bremen midfielder was a surprising absentee from the German starting eleven as Löw opted to pair Thomas Hitzlsperger with Ballack in central midfield.

Against a Welsh team that will undoubtedly play defensive football, intensity and willingness to run will be crucial for German victory. Complacency in any manner will prevent goal-scoring opportunities, especially against a Welsh side that may include three central defenders, and could spell trouble on the defensive end as well.

For this reason, the form of such hard-workers as Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, and Michael Ballack will be of utmost importance to Germany.

Ahead of tomorrow’s match, Welsh defender Gareth Bale spoke confidently of his team and issued a statement of intent: “We’re going there looking for a result… There’s no reason why we can’t do that.”

Recent history agrees with Bale; nearly a year ago, Wales visited Germany in Frankfurt and finessed their way to a 0-0 draw. For the young Welsh team, the key to success was their effort.

The Welsh played terrifically energetic defense and held a rather smug German side to very few opportunities. The visitors nearly pulled off the winner as Carl Fletcher sent a shot from 18 yards just wide of the post.

Since then, the young Welsh team has gained experienced and matured. A month ago, the Welsh were somewhat unlucky to have lost 2-1 away to Russia. After Bale was fouled in the penalty area in the 17th minute, the Tottenham Hotspur fullback had his penalty shot saved. The match ended in a 2-1 victory for Russia after a late winner from Pavel Pogrebnyak.

Against Germany, Wales will again try to use their energy and tenacious defense to frustrate the home side and disrupt their rhythm. Wales will take to heart the old adage that “the best offense is a good defense” as they will try to force Germany to overextend itself on the attacking end before punishing the home side on the counterattack.

With any luck, Wales may end tomorrow’s match on top of group four.

FORM GUIDE:

Germany

10/11/08 Germany 2 Russia 1 (World Cup Qualifier)

9/10/08 Finland 3 Germany 3 (World Cup Qualifier)

9/6/08 Liechtenstein 0 Germany 6 (World Cup Qualifier)

8/20/08 Germany 2 Belgium 0 (Friendly)

6/29/08 Germany 0 Spain 1 (Euro Final)

Wales

10/11/08 Wales 2 Liechtenstein 0 (World Cup Qualifier)

9/10/08 Russia 2 Wales 1 (World Cup Qualifier)

9/6/08 Wales 1 Azerbaijan 0 (World Cup Qualifier)

8/20/08 Wales 1 Georgia 2 (Friendly)

5/28/08 Iceland 0 Wales 1 (Friendly)

TEAM NEWS

Germany

The German camp has been reluctant to report much on Ballack’s injury, so it’s hard to predict a definite lineup. If Ballack is healthy, we can expect the same starting eleven Löw used against Russia. Otherwise, Torsten Frings will likely replace Ballack in central midfield.

Probable Starting XI: Adler – Lahm, Westermann, Mertesacker, Friedrich – Trochowski, Hitzlsperger, Frings, Schweinsteiger – Podolski, Klose

Wales

With a full squad of healthy players in the Welsh camp, the only uncertainty is what formation John Toshack will decide to use. Conflicting reports indicate either a 4-5-1 or a 5-4-1 formation from the Welsh. Either way, the presence of a lone striker up front means that 18-year-old Sam Vokes will be relegated to the bench following an underwhelming performance against Liechtenstein.

Probable Starting XI: Hennessey – Bale, Williams, Nyatanga, Morgan, Gunter – Edwards, Koumas, Fletcher, Davies – Bellamy

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Germany – Lukas Podolski

At the moment, Podolski is the only dependable goalscorer on the German team. If he is in form, Germany will score 2 or more goals. If not, the home team may be in for a frustrating evening. A lot depends on how defensive the Welsh line up. Podolski tends to use space created by his partner, but will have a difficult time doing just that if the Welsh line up with three central defenders.

Wales – Craig Bellamy

The former Liverpool striker will hope to score against the tall and formidable combination of Per Mertesacker and Heiko Westermann. One advantage that Bellamy has is his pace, which by far exceeds that of the German centre-backs. A long ball forward to Bellamy could make all the difference for Wales.

PREDICTION

Much of the media has been playing up the Kuranyi ordeal as part of a larger crisis in the Germany camp, but I reject these claims. Kuranyi left because he was fifth in the pecking order on his national team; if anything, his departure solidifies the fact that Germany have a very solid striking contingent. Of course, a lot will depend on the resolve of both teams, which won’t be evident until the match begins.

Still, Germany have been phenomenal in tournament qualification for quite some time, and I can’t imagine them slipping up badly tomorrow. Wales, on the other hand, still have some maturing to do before they realize their potential.

Germany 2-0 Wales

Live streaming: Belgium - Spain Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:18:00.001-07:00

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Spain's previous three opponents in Group Five may al be due respect but none of them have offered the sort of challenge that Belgium will pose on Wednesday evening in Brussels.

La Furia Roja will face their toughest test yet when they take on the Red Devils as both sides look to prove a point in what is proving to be a very attractive encounter.

Since winning the European Championships, the Spanish have been riding high and the change of coach appears to have actually lifted the side rather than done any harm as the switch has been relatively seamless.

Luis Aragonés will have been very thankful that he was talked out of stepping down two years ago after now being able to leave in a blaze of glory and Vicente del Bosque has been pleased with the feel good factor he has inherited.

A few tweaks here and there have meant that there have been few questions from the players about their roles and there have been no complaints from a public that is still basking in their summer success.

Del Bosque has not only maintained the feel good factor, he has also maintained a very successful run with four wins out of four in his opening quarter of games and will be hoping to continue that in midweek.

Winning in Denmark in an August friendly was encouraging even if the team then struggled to record a one-goal victory at home against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the opening qualifier a few weeks later.

Surprise Start

Armenia were seen off in the next match and then at the weekend, Estonia were shown that the Spanish could actually be becoming stronger as they were beaten by a commanding display from the visitors to Tallinn.

Now Del Bosque must take his side up against the Belgians who have made a start that has surprised almost everyone bar the players and coach René Vandereycken.

In their first qualifying game last month, the team known as the Rode Duivels or the Diables Rouges depending on your location, looked like they maybe in for another scrap for points after only being able to edge past Estonia by the odd goal in five.

Their outlook improved when they held Turkey to a draw in Istanbul and was followed up by a comfortable two-goal victory against Armenia to move the team into second place in the group behind the Spanish.

Not losing any of their first three has given Belgium a huge boost after they were defeated six times in qualification for Euro 2008 and finished ten points behind group leaders Poland.

Despite that run Vandereycken kept his post and has been told to continue building towards a place and taking something against the Spanish would certainly be a huge step forward towards reaching his goal of a place in the World Cup Finals.

For Spain, they will consider it to have been a very good start and will begin to focus on their encounters with Turkey, which could decide who finishes on top of the group.

RECENT FORM

Belgium

11/10 H 2-0 Armenia
10/09 A 1-1 Turkey
06/09 H 3-2 Estonia
20/08 A 0-2 Germany
30/05 A 1-3 Italy
26/03 H 1-4 Morocco

Spain

11/10 A 3-0 Estonia
10/09 H 4-0 Armenia
06/09 H 1-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
20/08 A 3-0 Denmark
29/06 N 1-0 Germany
26/08 N 3-0 Russia

TEAM NEWS

Belgium

TBA

Spain

TBA

PREDICTION

Spain tend to struggle against teams that defend in numbers and that is what their hosts here are likely to do to avoid the mistakes that allowed the Estonians to scored twice in their first match of the qualification stage. Del Bosque has already stated that this will be a difficult game, but neither side will be disappointed with a draw.

Belgium 1 - 1 Spain

Live streaming: Iceland - Macedonia

2008-10-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

This match will be live here at Macedonian TV Channels. Stay tuned...

The results so far in group nine seem to point to one unmistakeable fact – The Netherlands will finish top by some considerable distance.

The Dutch are hugely superior in every department to the both Iceland and The Republic of Macedonia, and indeed to Scotland and Norway who complete this section. The ability of the likes of Van der Vaart and Sneijder should see them cruise to the finals. But that doesn’t mean the remainder of the matches are not hugely intriguing.

After Scotland’s heroics against France in the last campaign, they may very well have been justified as instilling themselves as favourites to challenge Holland, and certainly to grab the play-off spot. But during a blistering hot day in Skopje in Septmeber, Macedonia proved too strong on home soil against their lacklustre opposition. Later that night, Eidur Gudjohnsen slammed home an equaliser to earn Iceland a 2-2 draw in Oslo. The opening exchanges made it perfectly clear that the battle for second spot would be open and fiercely contested.

The fixtures since have done little to sway this opinion. Scotland travelled to Reykjavik and earned a slightly fortuitous 2-1 victory. Norway were then unlucky to only leave Hampden with a point in the 0-0 draw on Saturday. These results put major focus on this match. A win for either side would give their play-off chances a major shot in the arm.

Iceland come into the match from a 2-0 loss in Holland on Saturday. It’s the kind of fixture that you cannot expect to take anything from, so they won’t be overly disheartened by the loss. Instead they will focus all of their energy on the Macedonians on Wednesday, where a win would put them onto four points, and level with Scotland.

Macedonia on the other hand have only played two matches, and after Ilco Naumoski poked home against Scotland they went down 2-1 to a Dutch side who were made to fight all the way for their victory. A win on Wednesday would put Macedonia onto six points, and clear into second place, giving them a crucial psychological advantage at this early stage.

Iceland’s true star is of course Barcelona hit-man Gudjohnsen, who has found somewhat of a renaissance under Pep Guardiola after being frozen out for the majority of last season. He will spearhead their attack, backed up by a workmanlike side that includes Premiership stalwarts such as Hermann Hreidarsson and Heidur Helguson. Despite the success of these individuals, they are however arguably the weakest of the four play-off challengers in terms of depth of talent, but in this type of match home advantage can never be discounted, and the Macedonians won't enjoy the long trip north to play in sub-zero conditions.

However, they have never been more buoyant. Currently sitting in the highest FIFA ranking in their 15-year history (46th), they have managed some impressive results in recent years. England, Croatia, and Turkey have all failed to beat this fledgling nation, and now they appear in position to mount a qualification challenge. Former Olympiacos coach Srecko Katanec is in charge of the Eastern Europeans, who will feel they have a genuine chance of sparking a surprise by landing a play-off position. Like Iceland, they hold one truly international class player in their ranks – Goran Pandev. The Lazio player has fifteen goals at this level, and although the majority of their players ply their trade in smaller leagues in Europe, they have a drive and togetherness that makes them a force to be reckoned with, in this group at least. They have never qualified from a major tournament since breaking away from Yugoslavia at the beginning of the 1990's. Will the players ever have a better opportunity than this to make themselves heroes?

It is fair to say that no side in this group can be discounted for qualification, which means it could potentially be the tightest, and most tense, group of all in the race to South Africa for World Cup 2010. This match will go a long way to deciding the fate of both nations.

FORM GUIDE

Iceland

11 Oct 08 Holland 2-0 Iceland (WCQ)
10 Sep 08 Iceland 1-2 Scotland (WCQ)
07 Sep 08 Norway 2-2 Iceland (WCQ)
20 Aug 08 Iceland 1-1 Azerbaijan (Friendly)
28 May 08 Iceland 0-1 Wales (Friendly)

Macedonia

10 Sep 08Macdonia 1-2 Holland (WCQ)
07 Sep 08Macedonia 1-0 Scotland (WCQ)
20 Aug 08 Luxembourg 1-4 Macedonia (Friendly)
26 May 08 Macedonia 1-1 Poland (Friendly)
26 Mar 08 Bosnia 2-2 Macedonia (Friendly)

TEAM NEWS

Iceland

Iceland have no major injury or suspension worries for this match, but may well be tired from their weekend exerctions, which could lead to a slight tweaking of personnel.

Possible XI: Gunnleifsson, R. Sigurdsson, K. Sigurdsson, Hreidarsson, I. Sigurdsson, Gislason, B. Gunnarsson, B. Saevarsson, V. Gunnarsson, Gudjohnsen, Hallfredsson

FYR Macedonia

Ilco Maumoski, the conqueror of Scotland, misses out through suspension after picking up two yellow cards. Goran Popov didn’t even make the squad through injury. It remains to be seen whether Katanec will opt to play two up or to play for a point instead, but if the former it will likely be Pandev and either Maznov or Stokjov who will lead the line.

Possible XI: Milosevski; Noveski, Sedloski, Mitreski, Georgievski; Sumulikoski, Maznov, Petrov, Lazarevski; Pandev, Stojkov/Maznov.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Eidur Gudjohnsen is the clear star of the Iceland team, and they need a big performance from their record goalscorer tonight if they are to be victorious. He has often been deployed in a role off a main striker for his country, but he is best utilised as a focal point to the attack. His is in decent form for his club Barcelona and once again the nation expects a big display from their legendary player.

Goran Pandev is not quite as prolific as he should be at club level with Lazio, and sometimes this lack of goals affects his play with the national side. 15 goals in 48 games isn’t the best record, but when on form he is unstoppable. This season he has 4 goals in 6 games with his club – can he carry this into the international arena?

PREDICTION

It is a must win for Iceland, but FYR Macedonia are the better side and they also have the benefit of having a free weekend to prepare while Iceland struggled in Holland. However it will be a tight and low-scoring affair and both sides may have to settle for a draw.

Iceland 1-1 Macedonia

Live streaming: Malta - Hungary Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned at Macedonian TV Channels to see the links where can you watch this match for free. Only at Macedonian TV Channels.

Malta host Hungary at the Ta Qali stadium in the fourth game for both teams in Group 1. Morales in the two camps could not be more different at this stage of the qualifiers and in the end might play an important role in the final result.

After an excellent (for their standards) European Championship qualifier and very positive friendly results, including a 7-1 drubbing of Liechtenstein, Malta’s form has gone downhill.

During these qualifiers, the Maltese national side have so far suffered 10 goals from three games played, whereas they have yet to score a goal in their favour.

This obviously does not bode very well against a Hungarian side that had one of its best starts in the qualifiers in the past 20 years. In fact the visitors believe that they have one of their best teams in recent history and this was proven by the results obtained so far in the first three games.

A top two spot for them is highly unlikely, though, with teams like Sweden, Denmark and Portugal competing for these positions, but they can definitely give the higher ranked national sides a tough time and even pull off some surprises.

For Malta, this is realistically one of the two only games where they can obtain at least a point, but the entire squad seems very disappointed with how things are going and coach Fitzel has hinted that he might step down following this match.

Even though the defeats against Denmark and Portugal were predictable, the 3-0 loss in Albania was a blow for the confidence of the squad and only a positive result in this game could restore their pride.

FORM GUIDE

Malta
Oct 11 Denmark 3-0 Malta (WC QUALIFIER)
Sep 10 Albania 3-0 Malta (WC QUALIFIER)
Sep 06 Malta 0-4 Portugal (WC QUALIFIER)
Aug 20 Estonia 2-1 Malta (FRIENDLY)
May 30 Austria 5-1 Malta (FRIENDLY)

Hungary
Oct 11 Hungary 2-0 Albania (WC QUALIFIER)
Sep 10 Sweden 2-1 Hungary (WC QUALIFIER)
Sep 06 Hungary 0-0 Denmark (WC QUALIFIER)
Aug 20 Hungary 3-3 Montenegro (FRIENDLY)
May 31 Hungary 1-1 Croatia (FRIENDLY)

TEAM NEWS

Malta
Mifsud will once again lead the Maltese attack. His speed and technical abilities can be the hosts' main hope for a positive result in this game.

Hungary
Koeman will welcome Gera back in the team, but Hajnal is a doubt for this clash.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Malta
Mifsud is Malta’s top scorer and the local fans will be hoping he re-discovers his scoring vein against Hungary in order to open the tally for this group and even help his side obtain those morale boosting points.

Hungary
Torghelle is Hungary’s main marksman and therefore he will have the responsibility to lead the visitor’s forward line and score those vital goals in order for his side to go back home with the full points.

PREDICTION

Hungary have probably learnt this lesson this time and will not repeat the same mistakes they made two years ago. In the end it will not be a big win for the visitors, but they will still manage to beat their hosts.

Malta 1-2 Hungary

Live streaming: Italy – Montenegro Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned at Macedonian TV Channels to see the links where can you watch this match for free. Only at Macedonian TV Channels.

Italy Starting To Click Under Lippi

Italy are just starting to click again under Marcello Lippi, following a slightly rocky start to his second spell in charge.

Lippi famously led the Azzurri to World Cup glory in Germany two years ago and, after a disappointing Euro 2008 under Roberto Donadoni, he was brought back to the helm to lead the defence of their trophy in South Africa.

However, the restart for Lippi was not the smoothest. In his first game, the Azzurri had to fight back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 friendly draw against Austria.

Italy then kicked off the qualifying campaign with a fortuitous 2-1 win over Cyprus last month in Larnaca, before improving slightly to beat Georgia 2-0.

Lippi received a great deal of criticism in the press, with calls for him to drop many of his older players. This he did for Saturday’s match with Bulgaria (see team news below), and Italy put on an authoritative display to pick up an excellent goalless draw in Sofia.

The Azzurri remain at the top of Group 8, with seven points from three games, and will be looking to seal a fine October by defeating Montenegro in Lecce.

Montenegro No Mugs

On first inspection, one would assume that Montenegro are one of international football’s true minnows. Just over a year old, with a population of under 700,00, and a FIFA ranking of 117, you would be forgiven for having such an outlook.

However, this is all just an illusion, and in fact Montenegro are certainly a team of young talented players who, on their day, certainly can give some bigger sides a run for their money.

The Brave Falcons can boast that three of their number will compete in this year’s edition of the Champions League - captain and all-time top scorer Mirko Vucinic, Simon Vukcevic and Stevan Jovetic - of Roma, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina respectively.

Montenegro have shown great promise in qualifying Group 8 so far, drawing both of their September matches against Bulgaria and the Republic of Ireland, games they probably felt they should have won.

Against Bulgaria, Zoran Filipovic’s men led 2-1, and looked to be set for a fine victory, when they conceded a last minute equaliser, and had to settle for a point.

Four days later Ireland came to town, and despite controlling possession, the Montenegrins just couldn’t break down Giovanni Trapattoni’s typically well-oiled defence.

Montenegro are not expected to get anything from their trip to Italy and, indeed, the most famous player in their history, Dejan Savicevic, has even confessed that it will take something of a miracle. However, Italy must certainly not underestimate the Balkan nation, or they could be in for a rude awakening.

FORM GUIDE

Italy

11/10 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier): Bulgaria-Italy 0-0
09/09 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier): Italy-Georgia 2-0
06/09 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier): Cyprus-Italy 1-2
20/08 (Friendly): Italy-Austria 2-2
22/06 (Euro 2008): Italy-Spain 0-0 (2-4 on penalties)

Montenegro

09/09 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier): Montenegro-Ireland 0-0
06/09 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier): Montenegro-Bulgaria 2-2
20/08 (Friendly): Hungary-Montenegro 3-3
31/05 (Friendly): Romania-Montenegro 0-4
27/05 (Friendly): Montenegro-Kazakhstan 3-0

FORM GUIDE

Italy

Italy coach Marcello Lippi made widespread changes to his squad for the double-header against Bulgaria and Montenegro. Alessandro Del Piero and Andrea Barzagli were dropped, while Gianluigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi, Andrea Pirlo, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Marco Materazzi, Nicola Legrottaglie, Marco Cassetti, Fabio Grosso and Angelo Palombo were all injured.

Four new faces were called, and two of these made their debuts in Sofia, Simone Pepe and Giuseppe Rossi, the latter who came on as a substitute. Christian Maggio and Fabiano Santacroce are still waiting for their first minutes in an Italy shirt.

Lippi is unlikely to make too many changes for this game, although he is without Luca Toni, who is suspended after being booked on Saturday, and has been replaced in the party by Fabio Quagliarella. Daniele De Rossi and Rino Gattuso are both struggling with injuries, but could pull through.

Probable Team: Amelia; Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Dossena; Gattuso, De Rossi, Aquilani; Di Natale, Gilardino, Pepe

Montenegro

There will be two familiar faces on show for Serie A fans, with Jovetic and Vucinic both expected to play, the latter who has now recovered from an injury that had threatened to rule him out.

Montenegro have no fitness worries, and are expected to make two changes from the Ireland game, with Burzanovic and Bogavac coming in for Pekovic and Zverotic.

Probable Team: Vukasin; Pavicevic, Batak, Tanasijevic, Jovanovic; Drincic, Burzanovic, Boskovic, Bogavac; Jovetic, Vucinic

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Italy – Daniele De Rossi

De Rossi was outstanding at the weekend in Sofia, taking charge in midfield, and being a real general. The Roma captain-in-waiting is struggling with a minor injury, but if he is passed fit, it will be up to him to dominate proceedings in the middle-of-the-park, and lead Italy to victory, just like he did during the 2-0 win over Georgia last month, when he scored both goals.

Montenegro – Stevan Jovetic

The 18-year-old is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting young talents, and he has already scored three goals in just five outings for his national side. Such is his talent that Fiorentina were convinced to pay Partizan Belgrade €8million for his services over the summer. Watch out for the attacker’s skilful running and creative playmaking.

PREDICTION

Italy have a whole host of injury problems, and Montenegro must certainly not be underestimated despite their low FIFA ranking. However, Lippi’s men should still have more than enough to win. Don’t expect a cricket score though.

Italy 2-0 Montenegro

Live streaming: Portugal - Albania Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:10:00.002-07:00

Stay tuned at Macedonian TV Channels to see the links where can you watch this match for free. Only at Macedonian TV Channels.

Portugal will be hoping to kick-start their World Cup qualifying campaign at home on Wednesday as they host dark horses Albania…

Uninspiring Start

Despite being within touching distance of group leaders Denmark, Portugal will be fairly disappointed with their start to the qualifying campaign. Of most concern will be the fact that they lost their first home game 2-3 to Denmark, thereby heaping unnecessary pressure on the squad for the road ahead. Additionally, the frontline, while full of fancy tricks, looked short on finishing quality against Sweden on Saturday, and will need to improve against a gutsy Albanian side.

On paper, however, Portugal are by far the strongest side in the group. Of course, tired old clichés about games being played on paper come to mind, but Portugal should realistically have enough quality to claim a playoff place, at the very least, by the end of the campaign. The fact that players like Quaresma and Danny were on the bench against Sweden, not to mention injured players like Deco, Carvalho, Maniche and Simao in reserve, indicates the Portugal have far more depth than their rivals.

Down to Earth

After two games, Albania were indulging in delusions of grandeur after finding themselves top of the group, but a 2-0 loss away to Hungary sent them plummeting to fifth position, albeit on the same points as Hungary and Portugal above them. Still, they would certainly have taken four points from three games if offered beforehand.

On Wednesday night, however, the Albanians face their most crucial match of the campaign. If they can scrape a draw, or even put in a respectable performance in defeat, it will prove to the rest of the group that they are there to compete. If the Portuguese attacking pressure overwhelms them, it will be a major blow to confidence and alert the other sides that they can be bullied. In reality, Albania do not have enough depth to seriously challenge for a qualification place, but they are more than capable of ruining other team’s campaigns.

FORM GUIDE

Portugal

DREW 0-0 (A) Sweden (World Cup Qualifier - 11th October)

LOST 2-3 (H) Denmark (World Cup Qualifier – 10th September)

WON 4-0 (A) Malta (World Cup Qualifier – 6th September)

WON 5-0 (H) Faroe Islands (Friendly – 20th August)

LOST 2-3 (N) Germany (Euro 2008 Quarter Final – 19th June)

Albania

LOST 2-0 (A) Hungary (World Cup Qualifier – 11th October)

WON 3-0 (H) Malta (World Cup Qualifier – 10th September)

DREW 0-0 (H) Sweden (World Cup Qualifier – 6th September)

WON 2-0 (H) Liechtenstein (Friendly – 20th August)

LOST 1-0 (N) Poland (Friendly – 27th May)

Team News

Portugal

Portugal are missing the considerable experience of Ricardo Carvalho, Maniche, Simao, and most significantly Deco, whose absence was certainly felt in Sweden. The only change to the starting line-up could come in the form of Danny or Quaresma replacing Nani.

Probable Starting X1 – Quim- Bosingwa, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Paulo Ferreira – Meira, Meireles, Moutinho – Danny, Ronaldo, Almeida

Albania

Despite their loss to Hungary, it was an encouraging performance and it is hard to see Albania making any changes to their line-up in such a short space of time.

Probable Starting X1 - Beqaj – Beqiri, Vengelli, Dallku, Curri – Cana, Agolli, Duro, Skela – Lala, Bogdani

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Portugal– In the absence of Deco, it will be up to Joao Moutinho, his heir apparent, to pull the strings in midfield and provide a sorely needed link between the midfield and attack. After a quiet game in midweek he will be seeking to impress.

Albania– Lorik Cana, the captain of Marseille, is the only Albanian player with considerable experience at the highest level of football, after having participated in his club’s recent Champions League campaigns. He will need to draw on all of his experience to guide Albania to an unlikely result in Braga.

PREDICTION

Despite their underwhelming start to the campaign, Portugal should have too much firepower for Albania. Eager to impress their home fans, they should ease to a comfortable victory.

Portugal 3-0 Albania

Live streaming: Northern Ireland - San Marino Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:10:00.001-07:00

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It’s been a poor start for Northern Ireland so far in Group 3, two away defeats and a draw at home leave them with just one point from their opening three games. Their away form has been a big problem in recent times and it once again seems to have damaged their qualification chances before it really even got started.

San Marino, the international scene’s whipping boys, have already lost their opening two games, 3-1 and 2-0, and Northern Ireland are surely looking forward to this home tie.

Northern Ireland currently lie second last with Wednesday's opponents just under them, and for San Marino qualification was never on the cards. However, after a bad start it doesn’t look as if it is for Nord either. Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia are all fighting tight at the top of this group, while favourites Czech Republic still only have one point from their opening two games.

Away Day Blues And Home Comforts

Once again Northern Ireland’s away form has hurt their chances of qualifying for a major tournament. Slovakia beat them in their opening game 2-1 before pride was restored in Windsor Park with a one-all draw with the Czech Republic.

Defeat last Saturday in Slovenia seriously hurt their chances of progress. Ireland played well against the Slovenians for the most part. It was a scrappy affair but it looked as if Nord would be the team to break the deadlock. Kyle Lafferty had the best chance in a one-on-one but the keeper did well to prevent him. Late on, they lost their focus and Slovenia snapped up two late goals in the last six minutes to steal victory.

Their away form has always been a problem, but at home they are capable of beating anyone. San Marino are unlikely to change that, but even at this early stage it looks as if the World Cup may once again just be out of reach.

David Healy is a concern for Nord. His goalscoring touch has saved and lifted this side so much in previous years but he’s yet to score in this campaign. That will be of concern to his manager Nigel Worthington, who will hope that sooner rather than later Healy and his strike partner Kyle Lafferty can click and start the goal flow.

Joke

The minnows of world football, San Marino have become a bit of a joke on the world scene. But in Euro 2008 qualifiers, they nearly shocked the Republic when they were seconds away to a historic draw, only for Ireland to rob victory at the death.

As with every qualifying campaign however San Marino look to be here just to make up the numbers. Once again they will have to sit back and accept the defeats that are bound to come their way.

They have already lost twice in these qualifiers and it’s unlikely to change this week. With a population of about 30,000 in the whole region, it’s always going to be hard for them to compete at this level.

Form Guide:

Northern Ireland

11th Oct Vs Slovenia (A) – LOST 2-0 (World Cup Qualifier)

10th Sep Vs Czech Republic (H) – DREW 0-0 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier)

6th Sep Vs Slovakia (A) – LOST 2-1 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier)

20th Aug Vs Scotland (A) – DREW 0-0 (Friendly)

26th Mar Vs Georgia (H) – WON 4-1 (Friendly)

San Marino

11th Oct 08 Vs Slovakia (A) – LOST 3-1 (World Cup Qualifier)

10th Sep 08 Vs Poland (A) – LOST 2-0 (World Cup Qualifier)

21st Nov 07 Vs Slovakia (A) – LOST 5-0 (European Championship Qualifier)

17th Oct 07 Vs Wales (A) – LOST 2-1 (European Championship Qualifier)

13th Oct 07 Vs Slovakia (H) – LOST 7-0 (European Championship Qualifier)

Team News

Northern Ireland:

Jonny Evans is unavailable after picking up a yellow card against Slovenia last Saturday; Michael Gault from Linfield has been drafted into the team. He may go into midfield with Chris Baird dropping back into defence.

No fresh injury worries for Nigel Worthington however after the weekend’s match as the six counties hope that Healy and Lafferty can get a few goals to boost their confidence.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Maik Taylor (Birmingham City), Alan Mannus (Linfield), Jonathan Tuffey (Partick Thistle).

Defenders: Chris Baird (Fulham), Gareth McAuley (Ipswich Town), Jonny Evans (Manchester United), George McCartney (Sunderland), Aaron Hughes (Fulham), Ryan McGivern (Manchester City)., Michael Gault (Linfield).

Midfielders: Steve Davis (Glasgow Rangers), Keith Gillespie (Sheffield United), Michael O’Connor (Crewe Alexandra), Dean Shiels (Hibernian).

Forwards: David Healy (Sunderland), Peter Thompson (Stockport County), Warren Feeney (Cardiff City), Martin Paterson (Burnley), Kyle Lafferty (Glasgow Rangers).

San Marino

San Marino are at full strength squad going into this game.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Aldo Simoncini (San Marino), Federico Valentini (S.P. Tre Fiori), Michele Ceccoli (A.C. Libertas).

Defenders: Nicola Albani (Olympia Secchiano), Davide Simoncini (Torcona Calcio), Fabio Vitaioli (S.S. Murata), Maicol Berretti (SS Santarcangiolese), Mauro Marani (S.S. Pennarossa), Simone Bacciocchi (Sporting Novafeltria), Matteo Andreini (S.P. Tre Fiori), Giacomo Benedettini (S.P. Tre Fiori), Gianluca Bollini (S.P. Tre Fiori), Alessandro Della Valle (Scot Due Emme).

Midfield: Carlo Valentini (S.S. Murata), Michele Marani (S.S. Pennarossa), Fabio Bollini (S.S. Murata), Giovanni Bonini (AS Real Misano), Damiano Vannucci (A.C. Libertas), Matteo Bugli (Olympia Secchiano), Mattia Masi (Virtus Poggibonsi), Paolo Mariotti (S.S. Pennarossa), Davide Vagnetti (A.C. Juvenes/Dogana), Federico Nanni (A.C. Libertas).

Forwards: Manuel Marani (S.S. Murata), Andy Selva (Sassuolo), Matteo Vitaioli (ASD Cagliese), Giacomo Bologna (S.P. La Fiorita), Marco De Luigi (Santa Giustina).

Players to Watch

Northern Ireland

Well last weekend, it was Kyle Lafferty and not David Healy who stood out as the man most likely to score. Lafferty got around well, made himself available whenever possible and looked as if he would make the breakthrough, and he would have had it not been for the block by the Slovenian keeper. If Lafferty can perform at this level, he may be the answer to Nord’s over reliance on Healy.

San Marino

There’s not many stars or millionaires in this side. Their main threat would probably be Andy Selva in attack. The 32 year-old from Rome has represented San Marino over 40 times, scoring eight goals.

Prediction

Northern Ireland are near unbeatable at home, and San Marino are used to losing so the likelihood of an away win is unimaginable. Could be a few goals, nothing spectacular, should be a comfortable Northern Ireland victory.

Northern Ireland 2-0 San Marino

Live streaming: Republic Of Ireland - Cyprus Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:09:00.001-07:00

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The Trapattoni effect seems to be taking hold: four points from Ireland's first two games on the road is no more then he could have asked for. The Irish looked a far more organised and concentrated team then they were in their previous campaign. And they’ll be looking to avenge the nightmares of a 5-2 defeat and a 1-1 home draw that they achieved in Euro 2008 qualifiers with the Cypriots last time out.

Cyprus are perhaps unlucky to only have one point from their opening games. Last month they lost 2-1 to Italy, Antonio Di Natale scoring an injury time goal to put an end to a memorable night for them. And last Saturday they drew 1-1 with Georgia, missing a penalty in that game.

Republic of Ireland currently lie second in the group, three points behind leaders Italy with a game in hand. Cyprus lie just above Georgia who are last. Bulgaria and Montenegro are third and fourth respectively.

Terrible Nights

Ireland under Steve Staunton had some terrible nights in qualifiers, Cyprus inflicted two of the more torrid ones. Firstly, Ireland lost 5-2 in Cyprus - after a sloppy and amateurish display Ireland got no more then they deserved with the Cypriots easily beating them. And in Staunton’s last game as manager, Cyprus embarrassed Ireland in Croke Park, when they outplayed the hosts and drew 1-1. A last minute Steve Finnan goal saved Ireland’s blushes in style but it was far more then deserved.

After a long search Ireland found their replacement in the legendary Italian Giovanni Trapattoni, and a lot’s changed. Firstly they look far more organised then before. They look more comfortable on the ball and they look more confident, they now seem like a side who really believe they can win and play on the main stage.

Concentration was a big problem last time out with Ireland conceding goals that cost them points late in the game. That looks to have changed now, Ireland ran the clock down well in Montenegro in their previous qualifier to earn a respectable draw.

This time Ireland really believe they can qualify to the World Cup. They’ll be happy with second but Italy and Bulgaria have had slippy starts and Ireland look in good shape to challenge for top spot.

Waiting

This is a night, I’m sure, that the Irish players have been waiting for every since the draw was made. Cyprus, the team who inflicted so much pain and shame on Steve Staunton’s side, are back and Ireland will look to get revenge for what happened previously. This is a chance to show how this team has changed and grown under their new coach.

Damien Duff returns to the side after missing Ireland’s openers, and after scoring in his last game with Newcastle he’ll look to make an impression on his return. Aiden McGeady is likely to join him and despite showing plenty of promise in the Scottish Premier League he has yet to shine on the international stage but Trapattoni is showing plenty of faith in him and that could be just what he needs.

Richard Dunne and John O’Shea have looked a good centre back partnership for Ireland, but with Finnan out they may need to move around to accommodate the likes of Paul McShane.

And for Robbie Keane this could be a big year, he’s 28, finally playing Champions League football, and captaining his country looking to reach a World Cup. He has a massive role to play for the Irish, and will be looking to score his first goal under the Croke Park lights.

No Fools

But Cyprus are no fools. Ireland saw that in their last two meetings. Cyprus were unlucky in their first game of these qualifiers against Italy. A late goal by Di Natale, denied them a point at home. And in Georgia, they missed a penalty early on but they managed to take the lead through Michalis Konstantinou, only to concede and miss out on a win.

They are a good team, they are confident, organised and capable of giving any team a hard time. They came to Croke Park last year and outplayed the Irish, they’ll come looking to leave with a point this time too.

To do that they’ll need Konstantinou; he scored two against Ireland in Cyprus in 2006, and after scoring in their last game he’ll look to add to his international tally.

FORM GUIDE

Republic of Ireland

10th Sep Vs Montenegro (A) – DREW 0-0 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier)

6th Sep Vs Georgia (A) – WON 2-1 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier)

19th Aug Vs Norway (A) – DREW 1-1 (Friendly)

29th May Vs Colombia (N) – WON 1-0 (Friendly)

24th May Vs Serbia (H) – DREW 1-1 (Friendly)

Cyprus

11th Oct Vs Georgia (A) – DREW 1-1 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier)

6th Oct Vs Italy (H) – LOST 2-1 (World Cup 2010 Qualifier)

20th Aug Vs Switzerland (A) – LOST 4-1 (Friendly)

19th May Vs Greece (A) – LOST 2-0 (Friendly)

6th Feb Vs Ukraine (H) – DREW 1-1 (Friendly)

TEAM NEWS

Republic of Ireland

There is some good news for Giovanni Trapattoni before this game. Damien Duff is fit and available for selection after missing Ireland’s first two games last month through injury. That’ll mean that Stephen Hunt is likely to lose out as Aiden McGeady joins Duff on the wings.

But there has been some vital casualties for Ireland. Steve Finnan and Stephen Kelly are both out which leaves Trapattoni having to reshuffle the defence possibly losing John O’Shea in the centre.

Central midfielder Steven Reid is out with a knee injury and so Liam Miller looks set to join Glenn Whelan in the middle.

But it is full strength in attack with Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle set to lead the line again.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Shay Given (Newcastle United), Dean Kiely (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Murphy (Scunthorpe United).

Defenders: Alex Bruce (Ipswich Town), Damien Delaney (Queens Park Rangers), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), Kevin Kilbane (Wigan Athletic), Joey O’Brien (Bolton Wanderers), John O’Shea (Manchester United), Paul McShane (Hull City).

Midfield: Stephen Hunt (Reading), Aiden McGeady (Glasgow Celtic), Damien Duff (Newcastle United), Liam Miller (Sunderland), Andy Reid (Sunderland), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City).

Forwards: Kevin Doyle (Reading), Robbie Keane (Liverpool), Andy Keogh (Wolves), Shane Long (Reading), Daryl Murphy (Sunderland).

Cyprus

Georgos Theodotou, Marinos Satsias and Alekos Alekou have been dropped. Otherwise Cyprus have a full squad to select from.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Michalis Morfis (APOEL), Antonis Georgallides (Omonia Nicosia), Sofronis Avgousti (Apollon Limassol).

Defenders: Stelios Okkarides (Apollon Limassol), Andreas Constantinou (Anorthosis), Lambros Lambrou (Anorthosis), Demetris Daskalakis (AEK Larnaca), Marios Elia (APOEL), Parakevas Christou (APOEL), Elias Charalambous (Omonia Nicosia).

Midfielders: Marios Nicolaou (Panionios), Christos Marangos (Apollon Limassol), Constantinos Makrides (Metalurh Donetsk), Constantinos Charalambides (APOEL), Chrysis Michael (APOEL), Alexandros Garpozis (Apollon Limassol), Efstathios Aloneftis (Omonia Nicosia), Kyriacos Pavlou (Omonia Nicosia).

Forwards: Dimitris Christofi (Omonia Nicosia), Yiasoumis Yiasoumi (Ethnikos Achnas), Michalis Konstantinou (Iraklis), Ioannis Okkas (Omonia Nicosia).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Republic of Ireland

There’s number of key players, and a few who could influence a game like this, but in international football your captain is your main man, and with Ireland it’s no different. Robbie Keane is an important link for Ireland, especially under Trapattoni’s tactics. He has a vital role in linking a midfield which will sit deep, to attack. With his move to Liverpool in the summer Keane is flying high and Ireland will need him on form to qualify.

Cyprus

Michalis Konstantinou has to stand out as the Cypriot’s key figure. The 30-year-old is his country's all time leading scoring with 25 goals in 63 appearances. He’s a strong, commanding forward, and can hold the ball up well. Above all he has no problem hitting the target. He’s a confident player - he scored two goals against the Irish in their encounter in the European qualifiers in Cyprus in 2006, and he’ll look to hurt them again.

PREDICTION

Ireland will not take many chances in this game, and are highly unlikely to concede five as previously against this side. But if veterans Duff and Keane can pull the strings it could be a comfortable victory.

The Cypriots are not to be underestimated and they’ll push Ireland at every opportunity, but it may not be enough to prevent a home win.

Republic of Ireland 2-0 Cyprus

Live streaming: Greece - Switzerland Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned at Macedonian TV Channels to see the links where can you watch this match for free. Only at Macedonian TV Channels.

Unbeaten Greece will face their toughest test so far when they welcome Ottmar Hitzfeld’s Switzerland to the Giorgios Karaiskakis on Wednesday.

The former European champions are yet to concede a goal in their attempt to qualify for South Africa 2010 – a feat that, if accomplished, would send the Greeks to only their second World Cup ever.

Rehhagel’s side are currently at the top of their group with nine points and eight goals scored, after two away victories against Luxembourg and Latvia in September and a comfortable home win over Moldova at the weekend.

Contrastingly, the Swiss have only amassed four points from their opening matches and their new manager suffered the embarrassment of a 2-1 loss to lowly Luxembourg in Zurich.

Relief must have been the prominent feeling in St. Gall on Saturday though, when goals from Alexander Frei and Blaise N’Kufo gave Ottmar Hitzfeld his first competitive victory as Switzerland manager.

Redemption will be complete for the Euro 2008 co-hosts if they can manage a victory in Greece on Wednesday…

Chokers?

Four years ago in Portugal, Greece exposed the psychological frailties of some of Europe’s football superpowers as they stunned the world with their Euro 2004 victory.

Since their exploits on one of football’s biggest stages, Rehhagel’s side have failed to live up to the lofty expectations that have accompanied their achievements: Greece spectacularly collapsed during their attempt to qualify for the 2006 World Cup before blitzing their Euro 2008 Qualifying Group to qualify for successive European Championships for the first time in their history – before leaving Austria without a point.

Despite the transformation of an entire football culture and identity within the space of a few years, where the Greeks have gone from easy-beats to a European heavyweight, a disastrous Euro 2008 campaign will have been a major disappointment to their fans.

Perhaps the Greek national team is a victim of its own success, with inevitable scrutiny following the majority of their performances, particularly at major international tournaments.

However, when one analyses their post-Euro 2004 campaigns, there exists a conspicuous inability for Rehhagel’s team to win their most crucial matches. It was an issue that prevented them from travelling to Germany two years ago and which stifled the defense of their European crown during the summer.

Worryingly for the Greeks, it was at this exact same stage in qualifying for Euro 2008 that they suffered an embarrassing 4-1 loss at home to Turkey.

The similarities between that encounter and this Wednesday’s are striking: the Greeks had won all three of their opening matches at that stage and were top of their group, as they are now. They were also facing their main rivals for top spot – a title to which Switzerland can at least, theoretically, lay claim.

However, Rehhagel appears to have injected new life into his side, with younger talent beginning to form an integral part of his plans, the likes of which include Samaras, Torosidis and Papadopoulos.

Redemption

Switzerland began their campaign with a 2-2 draw in Israel, in their first match under the leadrship of former Bayern Munich manager Ottmar Hitzfeld.

The Swiss threw away a two-goal lead at the Ramat Gan, after strikes from veteran duo Hakan Yakin and Blaise N’Kufo.

It was a missed opportunity for the Schweizer Nati, who allowed the Israelis to steal a point through Yossi Beynayoun and Ben Sahar.

Under former manager Kobi Kuhn, the Swiss performed admirably as co-hosts of this summer’s European Championships, slightly unfortunate to be knocked out of a group that included Turkey, the Czech Republic and Portugal.

The progress made during Kuhn’s seven year reign will certainly raise expectations for the vastly experience Hitzfeld, whose reign has started with a draw, a loss and a win.

A defeat at home to Luxembourg may yet prove to be a decisive result in the context of World Cup Qualification – the former Bayern Munich manager will no doubt be aware of the importance of consistently dispatching of apparently weaker opposition, despite his lack of experience as a manager on the international stage.

The victory against Latvia on Saturday was one that was characterized by a determination which the Swiss will need to reproduce in Greece. Alexander Frei was again imperious as captain, scoring the opening goal of the match and generally looking the home side’s greatest goal-scoring threat.

However, the win is not enough to make up for the home loss to Luxembourg – only by grabbing three points in Piraeus will Switzerland find redemption.

FORM GUIDE

Greece

18/06/08 Greece 1 – 2 Spain Euro 2008

20/08/08 Slovakia 0 – 2 Greece Friendly

06/09/08 Luxembourg 0 – 3 Greece World Cup Qualification 2010

10/09/08 Latvia 0 – 2 Greece World Cup Qualification 2010

11/10/08 Greece 3 – 0 Moldova World Cup Qualification 2010

Switzerland

15/06/08 Switzerland 2 – 0 Portugal Euro 2008

20/08/08 Switzerland 4 – 1 Cyprus Friendly

06/09/08 Israel 2 – 2 Switzerland World Cup Qualification 2010

10/09/08 Switzerland 1 – 2 Luxembourg World Cup Qualification 2010

11/10/08 Switzerland 2 – 1 Latvia World Cup Qualification 2010

TEAM NEWS

Greece

Otto Rehhagel’s biggest concern is the fitness of Giorgos Karagounis. The Panathinaikos captain and Euro 2004-winner picked up an injury whilst on Champions League duty in September and has been given two training sessions to prove himself ready to face the Swiss on Wednesday.

There appears to be better news as far as Giourkas Seitaridis is concerned, with the Atletico Madrid defender apparently having overcome injury concerns which threatened his chances of appearing at all for Greece this week. The La Liga side reluctantly allowed the right-back to link up with his international team-mates and he completed 90 minutes against Moldova on Saturday – logic will suggest he will do so again against Switzerland.

Switzerland

Alexander Frei seems to have fully overcome the injury which ended his Euro 2008 campaign. After missing out on his side’s opening qualifier against Israel, the captain has gone on to start the last two matches under Hitzfeld and appears to be approaching his goal-scoring best.

Center-back Johan Djourou may prove to be Switzerland’s biggest casualty, after sustaining a head injury against Latvia on the weekend. His absence is compounded by Phillipe Senderos’ injury woes, which will leave Hitzfeld without his two first-choice center-backs in Piraeus.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Greece

Angelos Charisteas’ aerial abilities might be decisive against a Switzerland side without the imposing Phillipe Senderos. The Greek striker showed a clinical touch in front of goal against Moldova, scoring twice and looking his side’s most dangerous attacking option. His work-rate and willingness to get into goal-scoring positions have served Greece well over the years and should do so again on Wednesday.

Switzerland

Without a doubt, Alexander Frei. The presence and form of the Bundesliga striker is crucial to any chance Switzerland have of reaching South Africa. His pace, skill and shooting accuracy make him dangerous
from a variety of angles and distances, which might cause a less mobile Greek defense a few problems.

PREDICTION

Switzerland have lost their two first-choice central defenders – Greece, meanwhile, have two in-form strikers in the form of Giorgos Samaras and Angelos Charisteas. Logic would suggest that the Greeks will outscore their opponents but the home side’s chances might rest on the young shoulders of center-back Avraam Papadopoulos, who will need to use his pace to track the effervescent Frei.

Live streaming: Belarus - England Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned at Macedonian TV Channels to see the links where can you watch this match for free. Only at Macedonian TV Channels.

Considering confidence among fans and within the squad itself after the Euro 2008 failure was of a similar low to that of 1994, should England have been offered a 100 per cent start after three games to their road to South Africa campaign, even the most ardent of Anglican ale enthusiasts would have traded a finite supply of Greene King IPA in order to seal the accord with a happy hoppy finish.

In fact any initial skepticism has been diluted due to a 11 goals scored after 270 minutes of football and the imminent possibility of the finest possible start to a World Cup qualifying season providing the Three Lions carry on roaring in Minsk.

Emile Heskey, a once maligned figure, is now seen as enjoying a renaissance and is now arguably an untouchable. As, in the eyes of Fabio Capello, it is the powerful Wigan forward who allows national darling Wayne Rooney to blossom.

"Rooney is very important for us," Capello said after the flattering 5-1 Kazakhstan win. "But Heskey is important for him. Defenders always go towards Heskey. When that happens, it creates a bit of space for Rooney — whose movement is so good."

Despite the impressive and still burgeoning partnership of Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe at club level, if Heskey carries on gifting Rooney space to attack and score then the Pompey pair may not be able to add to their 28 and 31 respective cap hauls.

Capello even has partnership problems in other areas of the pitch. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are both fit, both started against Kazakhstan, but once again failed to find the glittering form that has guided their Premier League sides to Champions League finals.

The Belarusians may pose some distinct problems for the English. Such is the esteem that Capello holds the side in he went as far as to compare them to Arsenal, but without key midfielder Aliaksandr Hleb the home side may be impotent in attack.

FORM GUIDE

Belarus

10 Sep 08 Andorra (A) WON 3-1 (WCQ)
6 Sep 08 Ukraine (A) LOST 1-0 (WCQ)
20 Aug 08 Argentina (H) DREW 0-0 (Friendly)
02 Jun 08 Finland (A) DREW 1-1 (Friendly)
27 May 08 Germany (A) DREW 2-2 (Friendly)

England

11 Oct 08 Kazakhstan (H) WON 5-1 (WCQ)
10 Sep 08 Croatia (A) WON 4-1 (WCQ)
06 Sep 08 Andorra (A) WON 2-0 (WCQ)
20 Aug 08 Czech Republic (H) DREW 2-2 (Friendly)
01 Jun 08 Trinidad & Tobago (A) WON 3-0 (Friendly)

TEAM NEWS

Belarus

Squad

Goalkeepers: Zhevnov (Moskva), Veremko (BATE Borisov), Amelchenko (Moskva).

Defenders: Omelyanchuk (FC Terek Grozny), Filipenko (Spartak Moscow), Skverniuk (Krylya Sovetov Samara), Verkhovtsov (Naftan Novopolotsk), Molosh (Nosta Novotroitsk), Sosnovski (BATE Borisov).

Midfielders: Kulchiy (Rostov), Hleb (Barcelona), Korytko (Chornomorets Odessa), Strakhanovich (MTZ-RIPO), Stasevich (BATE Borisov), Putsila (Hamburger SV), Pavlov (Dnepr Mahilyow), Sitko (Vitebsk), Chukhley (Dinamo Minsk).

Forwards: Kutuzov (Parma), Bulyga (Luch-Energiya Vladivostok), Hleb (MTZ-RIPO), Rodionov (BATE Borisov).

Probable Starting XI: Zhevnov - Chukley; Filipenko; Verkhovtsov; Omelyanchuk - Kulchiy; Putsila: Stasevich; Stasevich; Strakhanovich - Bulyga.

England

John Terry has been ruled out after suffering a recurrence of a back injury so Matthew Upson will likely maintain his starting role while Rio Ferdinand will sport the armband.

Ashley Cole has not travelled with the rest of the squad as he has also been sidelined.

Squad

Goalkeepers: James (Portsmouth), Green (West Ham), Carson (West Brom).

Defenders: Brown (Manchester United), Johnson (Portsmouth), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Lescott (Everton), Upson (West Ham), Bridge (Chelsea), A Cole (Chelsea).

Midfielders: Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Walcott (Arsenal), Barry (Aston Villa), Jenas (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Downing (Middlesbrough), Wright-Phillips (Manchester City).

Strikers: Heskey (Wigan), Crouch (Portsmouth), Rooney (Manchester United), Defoe (Portsmouth).

Probable Starting XI: James - Brown; Ferdinand; Upson; Bridge - Walcott; Lampard; Barry; Gerrard - Rooney; Heskey.

PREDICTION

Aliaksandr Kulchiy has accumulated over 60 caps for Belarus and has played in a variety of positions down the flank. The width and experience he provides could prove crucial.

Emile Heskey is a nuisance player. If you don't mark him and double up on Wayne Rooney then the Wigan man will find space to get a header on target, but if you tightly mark the no-nonsense bruiser then you afford Rooney even more space. It's a catch-22 if ever there was one, and Capello may be on the cusp of coaching a promising partnership that can go on to bloom.

Belarus 1-3 England

Live streaming: Austria - Serbia Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned at Macedonian TV Channels to see the links where can you watch this match for free. Only at Macedonian TV Channels.

Goodnight Vienna?

When Austria defeated France by three goals to one at the Ernst Happel Stadion on Saturday 6 September of this year, it seemed that Czech head coach Karel Brückner, newly appointed in the role, was leading the country to a bright new international future.

Only the previous month, Austria had nearly sprung a massive surprise by grasping a two goal lead in Italy only to eventually succumb to the Azzurri’s force and ending with a draw.

Such strong foundations have not been built upon as the Austrian challenge for World Cup qualification has, apparently, crumbled against pressure from two of the qualifying groups supposed make-weights.

Coming off the high of destroying France was easy for the Austrians as they froze in Lithuania, limping away from Vilnius with a 2-0 defeat to put their fine start in perspective.

But Austria would hit a new nadir for the new millennium on Saturday as they struggled to a 1-1 draw against the Faroe Islands. The rocky outcrops do not seem to suit the Austrians as they also crashed to a famous defeat in the country back in 1990, leaving their Euro ’92 hopes in tatters.

While the World Cup dream for Austria cannot yet be ruled out – they still sit third in their group, ahead of France – Brückner’s troops will certainly feel that they are not in the position they should be at present.

Victory on Wednesday evening would certainly provide something of a tonic, although group leaders, Serbia, should provide a very different challenge.

The starting eleven will not necessarily be tampered with but the tactics employed certainly will. A more introspective side will be utilised, with the Austrians looking to take advantage of their prowess from deadballs – three of their four goals in qualifying have arrived from set-plays.

Striving For Victory

“We will go to Vienna for three more points,” stated Serbian head coach Radomir Antić after watching his side dismantle Lithuania on Saturday evening.

Leading the group after three matches, Antić’s side appear to have overcome a tricky start to the new head coach’s life in charge. A 2-0 victory against the Faroe Islands at home was unimpressive in the extreme while the Serbians never threatened to upset an uncertain looking French side in Paris as they struggled to a 2-1 defeat in their opening double-header in September.

The change in the pace and quality of the football the team played on Saturday in the success against Lithuania was really quite remarkable. Switching from a mechanical, rather predictable side against France, the Serbians played some lovely fluid football on Saturday and will be looking for more of the same against Austria.

Of course, Lithuania are not a side that possess the same quality as France. Or are they? Antić described the Lithanians as “the best organised side” in the section, hinting that, he feels, they can at least cause other sides serious headaches.

While the Austrians are at a low having failed to break down the Faroes Islands, Serbia are certainly on a high. “I saw so many good things,” Antić enthused to UEFA.com after Saturday’s triumph, “We changed ourselves. I am not delighted only with the result. A 3-0 win is brilliant, but we showed that we can play another way. First at all, our passes were precise. If you play precisely, you have peace. If you have peace and concentration, you can repeat each of your ideas and just wait for a goal. Three points, first place – this Serbia side proved to me that we can be a great team.”

If Serbia are to become “a great team” that means they will have to find a route to World Cup qualification. With main rivals France and Romania floundering a little at present, Antić will see Wednesday’s fixture as the ideal opportunity to give Serbia the upper-hand in the battle for automatic qualification.

TEAM NEWS

Austria

Saturday’s result will be seen as a disaster for Austria’s hopes of finishing in the top two spots in the group and, therefore, alterations will be made to the side’s tactics, although the personnel will remain largely familiar. Of course, the nature of the forthcoming home fixture against Serbia is very different to the draw in the Faroe Islands.

Werder Bremen youngster Martin Harnik limped off during the first half of Saturday’s draw and must be considered a heavy doubt for Wednesday’s match but, otherwise, the Austrian side appears to be in good health.

Predicted line-up: Manniger; Garics, Prödl, Stranzl, Pogatetz; Scharner, Ivanschitz, Fuchs, Holzl; Hoffer, Janko

Serbia

Radomir Antić has had just one injury scare in his squad with defender Ivica Dragutinović forced off mid-way through the first half of the victory over Lithuania with an injury. Into his berth will come Mladen Krstajić of Schalke 04. Krstajić, a tall centre-back, should hope to cope with the aerial threat of Austria with a degree of comfort.

Vast changes are unexpected in the side after such a fine showing last Saturday.

Predicted line-up: Stojković; Ivanović, Krstajić, Vidić, Obradović; Milijas, Stanković, Krasić, Jovanović; Zigić, Pantelić

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Austria

The midfield will be the key battleground on Wednesday evening, with the side that fairs better in the central area likely to claim all three points. Paul Scharner of Wigan Athletic may be more commonly used in the rearguard by his club side but, at international level, he is more widely known for his play in the centre of the field. A disruptive influence to the opposition, the rangey 28 year-old also provides yet another target to hit from set-pieces.

Scharner had previously retired from the international game but returned after coaxing from Brückner.

Serbia

Although the Serbians will need their entire side to have a very solid game if they are to upset Austria, particularly defensively, it will be team leader Dejan Stanković who shall be their key man.

At 30 years old, Stanković has vast experience at both domestic and international level and is a canny, tenacious performer for his country. Withdrawn in the opening moments in the recent qualifier against France due to injury, he will be eager to make up for this with a match-winning performance in Vienna.

PREDICTION

A tight match should be forecast here as Austria have proven themselves to be very difficult to beat at home in recent times, losing only three goals in Euro2008 when they were predicted to be hammered left, right and centre. Despite this, the Austrians lack punch in attack and, with Serbia’s confidence high following weekend success, they may have just a little too much quality for their hosts. It will be close though.

Austria 0-1 Serbia

Live streaming: Slovakia – Poland Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned at Macedonian TV Channels to see the links where can you watch this match for free. Only at Macedonian TV Channels.

With both Slovakia and Poland recording victories at the weekend, this Group 3 qualifier gives both sides the chance to take a big step towards their ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Top Spot On Offer

Slovakia are well positioned in third place just a point behind both Slovenia and Wednesday’s opponents Poland, so the result of this game will have a large bearing on who will top the group going into the new year.

The Slovaks have struggled to reproduce the success they had as part of the unified Czechoslovakia since their birth as an independent nation in 1993, and trainer Vladimir Weiss will want to be the first trainer to take Slovakia into a major finals tournament.

They got their Group 3 campaign off to a winning start with a deserved 2-1 win over Northern Ireland with goals from Martin Skrtel and Marek Hamsik. That win however was followed up with a 2-1 away loss to Slovenia in Maribor.

At the weekend they made a return to winning ways with a 3-1 victory away to San Marino even though they had to play the final quarter of an hour with only ten men after Roman Kratochvil was sent off. Goals from Sestak, Kozak, and Karhan sealed the win, although San Marino did pull one back via Andy Selva.

So with the next round of qualifying fixtures not scheduled until next year, it could well be that Slovakia top the group including Poland and the Czech Republic going into 2009.

Time To Spark

Poland were back to their best on Saturday as they produced a highly impressive display to beat group rivals Czech Republic 2-1 at the Slaski Stadium in Chorzow.

Goals from Pawel Brozek and Jakub Blaszczykowski fired Leo Beenhakker’s side to the top of Group 3 and brought back memories of the impressive form they showed while qualifying for Euro 2008.

Their relatively poor display at this summer’s finals tournament had brought a little pressure on the normally feted Dutch trainer, but the display at the weekend will have gone a long way to reassuring the doubters and has put Poland in a very good position in the group.

The victory in Chorzow against Petr Rada’s Czech outfit came exactly two years to the day after Poland produced what was then considered their finest performance under Beenhakker - a 2-1 win over Portugal in the same stadium with the same German referee in charge.

That victory over Portugal proved to be the spark that set the ‘Bialo-czerwoni’ on the road to Euro 2008 qualification and the hope is now that Saturday’s win will have the same effect on their campaign to reach South Africa.

The Poles campaign didn’t get off to the best of starts with a 1-1 home draw against Slovenia, but they responded well in their next game when beating San Marino 2-0 in Serraville, even though they were given a scare or two by the minnows.

Now the challenge for Leo Beenhakker’s men is to produce another winning display in Bratislava so as not to take the gloss off of their weekend showing against the Czechs.

FORM GUIDE

Slovakia

11/10/08 v San Marino (a) WON 1-3 (WC Qualifier

10/09/08 v Slovenia (a) LOST 2-1 (WC Qualifier)

06/09/08 v Northern Ireland (h) WON 2-1 (WC Qualifier)

20/08/08 v Greece (h) LOST 0-2 (Friendly)

24/05/08 v Switzerland (a) LOST 2-0 (Friendly)

Poland

11/10/08 v Czech Republic (h) WON 2-1 (WC Qualifier)

10/09/08 v San Marino (a) WON 0-2 (WC Qualifier)

06/09/08 v Slovenia (h) DREW 1-1 (WC Qualifier)

20/08/08 v Ukraine (a) LOST 1-0 (Friendly)

16/06/08 v Croatia (n) LOST 1-0 (Euro 2008)

TEAM NEWS

Slovakia

Full team news to follow...

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Kamil Contofalsky (Zenit Petrohrad), Dusan Kuciak (MSK Zilina), Lubos Hajduch (MFK Ruzomberok)

Defenders: Peter Singlar (Slovan Liberec), Martin Sktrel (Zenit Petrohrad), Jan Durica (Saturn Moscow), Milos Brezinsky (Sparta Prague), Marek Cech (FC Porto), Otto Szabo (Slovan Bratislava), Peter Petras (Saturn Moscow)

Midfielders: Matej Krajcik (Slavia Prague), Jan Kozak (Artmedia Petrzalka), Marek Sapara (Rosenborg), Marek Hamsik (Napoli), Blazej Vascak (AC Cesena)

Forwards: Marek Mintal (FC Nürnberg), Stanislav Sestak (VfL Bochum), Filip Holosko (Manisaspor), Andrej Hesek (FC Nitra)

Poland

Both ‘bad boys’ Artur Boruc and Dariusz Dudka have been recalled following their antics in Lvov. It is tough on Fabianski to have to give up his starting berth to the Celtic keeper, but Beenhakker seems to favour the fact he is playing more regularly for his club side.

Leo Beenhakker has also called up 31 year old Lukasz Sosin from Cypriot side Anorthosis as he seeks a regular goal scorer. He will however be without the injured defensive duo of Bartosz Bosacki and Grzegorz Bronowicki.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Artur Boruc (Celtic), Lukasz Fabianski (Arsenal), Wojciech Kowalewski (Iraklis)

Defenders: Michal Zewlakow (Olympiakos), Grzegorz Wojtkowiak (Lech Poznan), Piotr Polczak (Cracovia), Jakub Wawrzyniak (Legia Warsaw), Marcin Wasilewski (Anderlecht), Mariusz Jop (FC Moscow), Marcin Kowalczyk (Dynamo Moscow), Dariusz Dudka (Auxerre)

Midfielders: Mariusz Lewandowski (Shakhtar Donetsk), Rafal Murawski (Lech Poznan), Roger Guerreiro (Legia Warsaw), Tomasz Bandrowski (Lech Poznan), Radoslaw Majewski (Polonia Warsaw) Jacek Krzynowek (VfL Wolfsburg), Jakub Blaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund), Rafal Boguski (Wisla Krakow)

Forwards: Euzebiusz Smolarek (Bolton), Robert Lewandowski (Lech Poznan), Lukasz Sosin (Anorthosis Famagusta), Lukasz Piszczek (Hertha Berlin), Pawel Brozek (Wisla Krakow)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Slovakia-Stanislav Sestak

The VfL Bochum striker has one goal to his name already in this current World Cup qualifying campaign and he will be looking to add to his account at home to Poland this week. The 25 year old hit 13 goals in his debut season in the Bundesliga following his move from MSK Zilina last season for what now seems a snip (€750,000).

Poland-Jakub Blaszczykowski

The Borussia Dortmund full-back/ winger was, alongside Roger Guerreiro, Poland’s best player against the Czech Republic on Saturday and his goal to beat Petr Cech was a moment of magic as he lofted the ball over the Chelsea man. Leo Beenhakker is not exaggerating when he claims that ‘Kuba’ is as valuable to Poland as Cristiano Ronaldo is to Portugal and Manchester United.

PREDICTION

Poland are on the up following their superb win over the Czech Republic and I feel they will triumph in Bratislava. There is plenty of quality in Leo Beenhakker’s squad and they should take pole position in Group 3 thanks to a win over Slovakia on Wednesday.

Slovakia 1-2 Poland

Live streaming: Norway – Netherlands Match Preview

2008-10-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned at Macedonian TV Channels to see the links where can you watch this match for free. Only at Macedonian TV Channels.

Norway:

Norway haven’t made the start they were dreaming of. Their first match against Iceland ended 2-2, while the away fixture against Scotland finished 0-0.

Therefore, the Norwegians have to record a good result on Wednesday in order to keep their qualifying chances alive. Their key men will most likely be Aston Villa striker John Carew and top scorer Steffen Iversen.

Norway haven’t won a single match in their last six meetings and will have to do their utmost to grab a good result against favourites Holland.

However, manager Age Hareide claims to know how they can beat their opponents.

“They always have a difficult time against well organized teams and it’s up to us to expose their weaknesses. We can definitely beat them if my plan works out well.”

The Netherlands:

Holland manager Bert van Marwijk will be a satisfied man after the first two WC Qualifiers. Oranje defeated Macedonia 2-1 and Iceland 2-0 and are sitting atop the table with six points after two matches.

The Netherlands are still plagued by injury troubles and will miss several key players on Wednesday. However, shot-stopper Edwin van der Sar has opted to come out of international retirement to replace Maarten Stekelenburg. The Manchester United man will play his last match ever for Oranje.

Young PSV defender Dirk Marcellis made his international debut for Holland on Saturday and was quite impressive as right back. The hot prospect will most likely start once again.

Liverpool winger Dirk Kuyt will possibly come up against his former Liverpool teammate John Arne Riise and is looking forward to the game.

"He's a good friend and sometimes we used to play golf together. He's not a bad golfer either and often beat me. That gives me something to avenge in Oslo."

Kuyt continued. "It would be a dream if we could make that nine points on Wednesday evening. Obviously that's what we're aiming for."

FORM GUIDE:

Norway

11/10/08 v Scotland DREW 0-0 WC Qualifier

06/09/08 v Iceland DREW 2-2 WC Qualifier

20/08/08 v Ireland DREW 1-1 International friendly

28/05/08 v Uruguay DREW 2-2 International friendly

26/03/08 v Montenegro LOST 3-1 International friendly

Netherlands

11/10/08 v Iceland WON 2-0 WC Qualifier

10/09/08 v Macedonia WON 2-1 WC Qualifier

06/09/08 v Australia LOST 2-1 International friendly

20/08/08 v Russia DREW 1-1 International friendly

21/06/08 v Russia LOST 3-1 (o.t) Euro 2008

TEAM NEWS:

Norway

Steffen Iversen and Thorstein Helstad, Tom Hogli and Bjorn Helge Riise were all doubtful for last Saturday’s match against Scotland.

Definitely out are Mohammed Abdellaoue Martin Andresen, Per Ciljan Skjelbred and Vladimir Demidov.

Manager Hareide isn’t sure yet who he’ll pick as Norway’s first goalkeeper choice. Knudsen and Jarstein have both played one match in this qualification campaign and it remains to be seen who will start against the Oranje.

Possible starting XI: Knudsen, Hoiland, Wahler, Hangeland, J.A. Riise, B. Riise, Gamst Pedersen, Grindheim, Winsnes, Iversen, Carew

The Netherlands

Trainer Bert van Marwijk is plagued by injury troubles and will be without the injured likes of Stekelenburg, John Heitinga, Khalid Boulahrouz, Arjen Robben, Nigel de Jong and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

Therefore, van der Sar will be the starting goalkeeper. Dirk Marcellis will most likely replace Heitinga as right back, Demy de Zeeuw will come in for Nigel de Jong, while Babel will start as left-winger for Robben. Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt will have to fight it out with Robin Van Persie’s for the right-winger position.

Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder and Schalke man Orlando Engelaar both missed the last international matches for Oranje, but are both back to fight for their country after their injuries.

Possible starting XI: Van der Sar, Ooijer, Marcellis, Mathijsen, Van Bronckhorst, De Zeeuw, Van Bommel, Van Persie, Van der Vaart, Babel, Huntelaar

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Norway – John Carew

The Aston Villa striker is the most important player for Norway at the moment. The towering forward has already scored four league goals this season and is in superb form. He will cause the Holland rearguard a difficult evening if he can reach his top level. Nevertheless, his last Norway goal dates back to the international friendly against Montenegro and it’s about time that the 29-year-old finds the net again for his country.

The Netherlands – Ryan Babel

The former Ajax winger was outstanding against Iceland and was a constant threat for the Icelandic defenders. His speed will prove to be a mighty weapon against the relatively slow Norwegian defenders. However, he needs to work on his finishing and crosses. A player with his qualities should score more goals and offer more assists.

PREDICTION

The Norwegians really need a good result to stay in the race for qualification, while the Dutch can already eliminate their first opponent if they grab a win. Norway’s home advantage could help them in grabbing a decent result, as well as Holland’s long injury list. Norway will most likely give their utmost and I think they can grab a point with some opportunistic play. The strength of lone forward John Carew will be a nightmare for Joris Mathijsen. Even with several injuries, the Oranje still have some classy forwards and it seems unlikely that they won’t find the net in Oslo. Therefore, a draw seems to be the most likely result.

Norway 1-1 The Netherlands