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Can Liverpool end Man City’s unbeaten run?

admin — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:00:14 +0000

Betfair football betting will have no shortage of options for those who want to put money on tomorrow’s big match. Manchester City have looked almost unstoppable this season, but is this the weekend someone finally slows them down? Liverpool have been inconsistent, but with away wins against Arsenal and Chelsea under their belt, it won’t be a surprise if City’s unbeaten streak comes to an end tomorrow at Anfield.

After steam-rolling numerous opponents this season, City will be considered the best bet by most to take the three points. After all, they’ve scored an astounding 42 goals in only 12 matches this season, including six in last month’s memorable win at Old Trafford against archrivals United.

However, Liverpool will fancy their chances to bring City down to earth for at least a weekend, and for good reason. Sure, the two sides are separated by a dozen points, and Kenny Dalglish’s side has dropped points at home against Norwich City and Swansea City, were drubbed 4-0 at Tottenham, and managed only a draw in a dominant performance against United.

But for all of their inconsistencies, their wins at the Emirates Stadium and last Sunday at Stamford Bridge are proof that this is a side that has the confidence and ability to not only hold their own in big games, but to win them, so they won’t be intimidated by the occasion or by the opponent. If City do manage to leave Merseyside with a win, they’ll more than likely have had to work hard for the full 90 minutes to get it.

Liverpool have had their issues on the attacking end, with a failure to make the most of numerous chances hurting them in their four home draws against United, Norwich, Swansea, and Sunderland. But for the most part, they’ve defended very well, with the defeat at White Hart Lane being the only time to date this season that they’ve allowed multiple goals in a game. In fact, they come in tied with City for the best defensive record in the Premier League, with only 11 goals allowed.

That’s an important statistic, given that City have had issues breaking down some opponents this season, even when the final scoreline has been heavily in their favor. But while the likes of Blackburn and Wolves were broken down eventually, that might not happen as easily against Liverpool.

But will Liverpool be able to take and convert chances against City? That’s a big question mark for a side that has managed only 16 goals in 12 matches this season and hasn’t looked clinical in front of goal in some key situations.

However, they are quite capable of creating their share of opportunities against City, and if they put in the kind of defensive performance that helped keep them in a position to come away with a result at Chelsea, all it could take is one moment of opportunism to make the difference. Luis Suarez hasn’t scored a Premier League goal in his last five appearances, but if there ever was a time to break a drought, tomorrow’s it.

But can Liverpool get a result against City, or will they become the league leaders’ latest victim? In the end, it depends as much on which Liverpool side shows up as it does how well City play.

If Liverpool are able to notch at least a point, it’ll do a lot for their confidence going forward as they chase a top-four place. The talent is certainly there to reach the top four, but that talent has to perform more consistently and treat games against the likes of Norwich and Swansea like they appear to treat games like this one.

A favorable result for Liverpool could also help open up the title race, with United still within a reasonable distance and in-form Tottenham lurking in third and with a game in hand on the others at the top of the Premier League table. After their visit to Anfield, City host Norwich before facing Chelsea (away) and Arsenal (away) back-to-back, so this is the start of a key stretch as far as the title race is concerned.

Will Liverpool do their part to liven up the title race, or will City win yet again to take their lead at the top to seven points and give further proof that they are indeed the team to beat this season? The odds are in their favor, but don’t be surprised if Liverpool follow their own script and upset the odds once again.

EPL Tickets: City to face Chelsea & Arsenal in December

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:42:55 +0000

Right now, it looks like the Premier League title will likely be headed to Manchester once again, as arch rivals City and United occupy the top two spots in the table.

City currently hold the advantage, but they stand to receive a couple of stiff tests in a December that features multiple must-see matches. Depending on what happens in those fixtures, the title race could very well get a real shake-up, but those ties also stand to have a bearing on positioning for the Premier League’s other European slots, with so very little currently separating the sides presently sitting third through seventh.

Chelsea v. Manchester City, 12 December

Chelsea rallied in the last few months of last season to revive their title hopes, but if they’re to remain in the title race until the homestretch this season, that rally will have to come much sooner.

A home tie against the current league leaders will offer up the chance to directly make up a little ground, but to capitalize on the opportunity will require a much better performance than what we’ve seen from Chelsea as of late and in big games overall this season. Chelsea have already lost at home to Arsenal and Liverpool, and they also went down at Manchester United in September. In those three defeats, they allowed ten goals, and that could spell trouble against a side who’s seemingly scoring at will at the moment.

Stamford Bridge was once considered a fortress, but that doesn’t appear to be the case now, as shown by Arsenal and Liverpool’s wins. And on top of their form this season, City have won three of the last four times these two sides have faced off in the Premier League, so there’s a real chance Chelsea could be dealing with three home league losses for the first time since the 2003/04 season, the first of the Roman Abramovich era.

For all of their struggles this season, there’s no disputing the talent that Chelsea have, and if that talent can show up against City, this match could be a real classic. And if the hosts can hold serve at home, watch out, because as they showed with last season’s late rally, one win against the right opponent can be all it takes to kickstart a comeback.

Buying football tickets online for a high-profile match like this one can sometimes lead to frustration, especially if you do it at the last minute. But TicketBis has you covered, as Chelsea v. Manchester City tickets are currently available there from £143.89.

Manchester City v. Arsenal, 18 December

It doesn’t get any easier for City after their visit to the Bridge, as the following weekend they welcome Arsenal to the Etihad Stadium.

After a poor start this season, Arsenal have been on fire in the last month and a half, thanks in large part to the fantastic form of Dutch striker Robin van Persie. If they can keep up that hot streak, it’s conceivable the Gunners could be back in the thick of the title mix heading into the new year, but even if a run at the title is ultimately beyond their reach, winning at City could help give them an edge in that wide-open race for third and fourth.

Arsenal actually won 3-0 at City last season, and their recent 5-3 win at Chelsea is a sign that their big-game confidence might have returned. But with a win over Norwich City on 3 December, City will head into this match unbeaten in 17 straight home league matches since a 2-1 defeat to Everton last December, so Arsenal will face a tall task to make it two in a row there.

Tottenham v. Chelsea, 22 December

In that cluster of teams jostling for a place in the top four, who bears the most watching? Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool might seem the obvious answers, as they’re the biggest names in that bunch, but Tottenham could end up trumping them all.

After starting the season with defeats to United and City, Spurs have been in excellent form, and with a favorable run of matches from now until mid-January and again in the last few months of the season, they could be in line to make a lot of noise from here on out.

Tottenham’s toughest match over the next couple of months is when Chelsea visit White Hart Lane, and a win could serve as a real statement of their intent and potential to hit heights they haven‘t in quite some time, as they haven’t finished third since 1989/90.

It’s not often that you see the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea as underdogs, but it’s quite possible and perhaps even probable that Spurs will be favored in this match. Not only are Spurs in far superior form at the moment, but they also haven’t lost to Chelsea at home in the league since the 2005/06 season, winning three and drawing two, including a 1-1 draw last December.

Premier League Tickets with TicketBis

Looking to buy football tickets online? You can find them at TicketBis, an online tickets exchange that helps football fans buy and sell tickets online for matches in the Premier League and beyond.

Real Madrid vs Lyon: When the stats speak against Galacticos

admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:06:34 +0000

Real Madrid and Lyon will lock horns in what is certain to be a pivotal and keenly-contested UEFA Champions League clash at the Santiago Bernabeu. As the European giants prepare for their battle at the Santiago Bernabeu, you can prepare yourself to indulge in some live football betting action.

The Galacticos have opened their European campaign with consecutive wins over Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia and Ajax in Spain to stand on top of Group D with six points. A victory for them tonight will put them in pole position to qualify for the knock-out stages and edge them ever nearer to gaining the coveted top spot also.

Meanwhile, the French side have four points after opening with a draw away to Ajax and then beating Dinamo Zagreb at home. A win for them tonight will see them leapfrog their illustrious Spanish counterparts at the top of the table as Lyon’s coach, Remi Garde, plots the French side’s path to the last 16. The two clubs have faced each other on eight occasions since 2005 with Lyon emerging victorious three times. Real Madrid have only won once with four draws between the familiar foes.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid overcame Real Betis 4-1 in the Primera Division on Saturday with Gonzalo Higuain grabbing a hat-trick for Los Blancos. The Argentine’s goal-scoring exploits will pose a selection dilemma for Jose Mourinho, who can also call on the services of Karim Benzema, with the French striker having returned to full fitness. Marcelo is also in the frame to make the starting line-up after missing out on the La Liga side’s 3-0 victory against Ajax in their previous Champions League fixture due to a suspension. Angel di Maria is another option for the nine-time champions who missed his team’s last two league matches also because of incurring a suspension.

Jose Mourinho’s main concerns lie in defence though. Question marks remain over the fitness of Ricardo Carvalho and should the Portuguese centre-back fail to prove himself, Sergio Ramos can slot in beside Pepe with Arbeloa staying at right-back. Raul Albiol looks set to miss out after fracturing his cheekbone during training with the capital outfit and Nuri Sahin is not expected to feature either. The ex-Borussia Dortmund man has only just recovered from a knee injury and this game looks to have come too soon for his comeback schedule.

Ronaldo and co. will hope they can replicate their dismantling of Lyon like they did last season

Lyon

Lyon head into the decisive clash in a positive mindset after confidently sweeping Nancy aside 3-1 at the Stade de Gerland. However they will be without their talismanic striker, Lisandro Lopez, for their trip to Spain. The 28-year-old attacker is struggling to overcome an ankle strain.

Nonetheless, Lopez remains his team’s only worry for Remi Garde as they will be galvanised by the return of Yoann Gourcuff. The gifted French midfielder came on a substitute in his club’s league victory at the weekend. The Ligue 1 team’s club captain, Cris, also made his return to the field against Nancy as he played the full 90 minutes of the match, despite being out of action for the previous two months.

Madrid vs Lyon Prediction

Real Madrid and Lyon are no strangers to each other and it will be a test for Mourinho’s men as the stats speak against them. But the fact that Madrid managed to overcome Lyon last time around the way they did and how they have improved immensely, the odds are in their favor.

Real Madrid Must Fix Problems Before Barcelona Run Out Of Sight

admin — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:15:57 +0000

Jose Mourinho is right in saying that Real Madrid are currently not in crisis mode, but even he can’t be too pleased with what he’s seen over the last week.

After scoring ten goals in season-opening wins over Zaragoza and Getafe, Real have failed to score in their last two La Liga matches, a shock 1-0 defeat at Levante last Sunday and an equally disappointing goalless draw at Racing Santander on Wednesday. Most football match previews expect a big bounce-back win this weekend against newly-promoted Rayo Vallecano, but looking at the big picture, Real need to catch fire sooner rather than later.

La Liga title favorites Barcelona have drawn both of their first two away matches and have only eight points to Real’s seven through four rounds, so the last two matches haven’t done as much damage as they could have. Still, the margin for error for Real was miniscule to begin with, and even a few two or three-match winless runs over the course of a season can prove costly, considering how rarely Barcelona have stumbled over the last few seasons. Sure, the two head-to-head showdowns with Barcelona will have a say in whether or not Real end Barca‘s run of consecutive titles at three, but Real can ill-afford to drop too many points in matches that they’re expected to win.

Real have some tricky ties to navigate before their hated rivals visit on 11 December, with visits to Real Sociedad and Valencia (the two sides who’ve held Barcelona), trips to Espanyol, Malaga, and Sporting de Gijon, and a home meeting with city rivals Atletico. If there are too many stumbles in that stretch, they could well find their title hopes in tatters if Barca can continue their recent run of success at the Bernabeu.

With the winning pedigree that Mourinho has and the attacking talent he has at his disposal, you can’t expect Real to be down for too long. In the end, it could be that this lackluster week lights a fire under Real that sets them off on an extended winning run that turns the title race on its head. But the sooner that the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Gonzalo Higuain start firing again, the better. Otherwise, the crisis that currently isn’t will be, and there won’t be any denying it.

For more match previews as well as great football stats, visit WhoScored.com.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo Ready To End His Goal Drought Against Malaga ?

Daniel Bergstrom — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:32:18 +0000

Real Madrid last match against Deportivo turned out to be a huge disappointment when they had to satisfy with a goaless draw.

For tomorrow, Real Madrid will return to the Bernabeu after playing their last two games in away match, and host Malaga. It will be a payback time, since Malaga never won against them at Santiago Bernabeu. If you are planning to attend the match you can get your tickets for the Real Madrid v Malaga La Liga match on TixDaq.

Against Malaga in a home match, Real Madrid have earned 24 victories and five draws, scoring 65 goals and conceding only 18, in total 29 matches.

And as usual, Real Madrid has a strong dependency on Cristiano Ronaldo, that lately has been scoring less and less. His last goal was on February 6 against Real Sociedad. And since then, zero goal, although he played in total 409 minutes. And it’s the same for the team, as Real Madrid has only won two of their last four games (Espanyol and Levante) and only scored four goals.

February has become a bad month for the Portuguese, where he only managed to score 2 goals, compared to 11 goals that he got on October last year. And now the el Pichichi title is belong to Lionel Messi with 26 goals, while Ronaldo had to satisfy with 2 goals less. However, the team believes that he will overcome the crisis, and will lead again as the top scorer.

And despite facing the goal drought this year, Ronaldo’s goal chart for this season is still amazing. He already scored 34 goals, 24 in the League, 6 for Copa del Rey, and 4 in Champions League). This figure is higher than last season and when he only collected 33 goals. And hopefully, tomorrow he will ended the goal drought when facing Malaga.

Read a full preview for the match on Real Madrid official homepage here

Derbyanabella,Footballfantalk.com

El Clasico, Real Madrid-FC Barcelona (Latest News, Photos and Videos)

Daniel Bergstrom — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:15:14 +0000

On saturday the 10th of April 2010, 22:00CET El Clasico will be played between the two spanish giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. A clash between two of the giants in the world. We have collected all El Clasico related news, photos and videos here on this page.

Latest El Clasico News

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona : The Whites Showed Their Regrets Through Media – El Clasico

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona : Pellegrini, “We will keep Fighting!” – El Clasico

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona : A Small Fact from Messi – El Clasico

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona : The Curse of 10 – El Clasico

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona : “It was Important Game and I Hate Losing” – El Clasico

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona : Failed to Stop Barcelona – El Clasico

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi Score Opener – El Clasico

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona : Cristiano Hasn’t Give Up La Liga – El Clasico

El Clasico Preview: Ramos To Stop Messi

Guti: This Will Be My Last Classico

Real Madrid vs Barcelona – Alvaro Arbeloa To Stop Lionel Messi – El Clasico

Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Lionel Messi Goals and Predictions – El Clasico