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12.05. (Sun) 20:45 Milan - Roma

Written By maxtv on Saturday 11 May 2013 | 20:45


PROBABLE LINEUPS

MILAN
Abbiati
Abate • Zapata • Mexès • Sciglio
Flamini • Muntari • Nocerino
Boateng • Balotelli • Shaarawy

ROMA
Lobonț
Torosidis • Marquinhos • Castan • Balzaretti
Bradley • Rossi • Florenzi
Lamela • Osvaldo • Totti

Back in November, not many people would have had AC Milan down as Champions League contenders with the Rossoneri languishing in mid-table, but their remarkable turnaround can be completed if they beat Roma on Sunday.

A win against the Giallorossi will ensure third place and a chance to qualify for Europe's premier competition as they enter the play-off round before the group stages next season.

Milan's Daniele Bonera, Luca Antonini and Riccardo Montolivo are all doubts for Sunday's clash and will be assessed beforehand.

Nigel de Jong and Bojan are unavailable, but there are no suspension concerns for coach Massimiliano Allegri. Mario Balotelli is expected to recover from a fever to take his place in the line-up but Giampaolo Pazzini could step up if necessary.

Roma, meanwhile, have one absentee in goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg which means Bogdan Lobont will get the nod, but there are no suspensions for Aurelio Andreazzoli to contend with as they continue their chase for a Europa League spot.

DID YOU KNOW?
On November 11, after a 3-1 loss to Fiorentina, AC Milan sat 13th in Serie A but since then 16 wins from a possible 24 have seen the Rossoneri storm to third.
Stephan El Shaarawy is the club's top scorer on 16 goals but has found the back of net just twice in his last 18 appearances.
The Rossoneri have only lost one of their last four encounters against Roma, but it was a 4-2 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico this season.
Roma sit in sixth place, two points off the Europa League places with two games to go. They do have the opportunity of European football elsewhere as they're in the Coppa Italia final with Lazio.
AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has been heavily linked with a move to the capital club, but the 45-year-old has denied such rumours.
Pablo Osvaldo is the club's top scorer this season with 16 goals.

Prediction
Both teams have everything to play for, but despite beating Fiorentina, Roma's 1-0 reverse to Chievo midweek has killed their momentum. Milan, meanwhile, have been formidable at home having not lost in their last 11 league matches at San Siro and it may just give them the upperhand in this one.

Editor's Prediction
Milan 2-1 Roma

12.05. (Sun) 19:00 Atletico Madrid - Barcelona


PROBABLE LINEUPS

ATLETICO MADRID
Courtois
Juanfran • Miranda • Godín • Luis
Gabi • Tiago
García • Adrián • Turan
Falcao

BARCELONA
Valdés
Alves • Piqué • Correia • Alba
Xavi • Busquets • Iniesta
Pedro • Messi • Villa

Atletico Madrid midfielder Mario Suarez is a doubt for Sunday's clash against Barcelona after suffering a ligament injury in the midweek win at Celta Vigo.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and striker Diego Costa also picked up knocks in Wednesday's match but are expected to be fit in time for the weekend.

Lionel Messi has recovered from a hamstring injury and is set to start for Barcelona after coming off the bench to score twice in the 4-2 win over Betis last Sunday.

Victor Valdes (foot), Pedro (illness) and Javier Mascherano (knee) have been declared fit, while Cesc Fabregas returns following a one-match ban.

DID YOU KNOW?
Atletico Madrid have won just one of their last four home matches in La Liga (W1, D1, L2).
With just 28 goals conceded, Los Colchoneros boast the best defensive record in the Primera Division.
Radamel Falcao has scored five goals in his last five matches for Atletico.
Barcelona have won just one of their last seven away matches in all competitions (W1, D3, L3).
The Catalan giants have won their last five encounters with Atletico Madrid.
Barca have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four games across all competitions, conceding 11 goals in that sequence.

Prediction
Atletico will be fully focused on Friday's Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid after guaranteeing Champions League football for next season with the win over Celta Vigo on Wednesday. Barca will be determined to finally clinch the Liga title, while Messi's expected return to the starting line-up will also give them a boost.

Editor's Prediction
Atl. Madrid 1-2 Barcelona

12.05. (Sun) 17:00 Manchester United - Swansea


PROBABLE LINEUPS

MANCHESTER UNITED
De Gea
Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra
Valencia, Carrick, Scholes, Kagawa
Van Persie, Chicharito

SWANSEA CITY
Tremmel
Rangel, Williams, Monk, Davies
Britton, De Guzman
Routledge, Pablo, Dyer
Shechter

Sir Alex Ferguson has few injury and suspension problems to deal with as he prepares to name his final Manchester United starting XI for a game at Old Trafford.

Wayne Rooney, however, may well not feature as speculation continues to mount about his future at Old Trafford - the 27-year-old reportedly asked to leave the club a fortnight ago.

The Premier League champions will be without right-back Rafael (suspended) after he saw red for a kick at Brazil team-mate David Luiz in their home game with Chelsea last time out.

Danny Welbeck (knee) missed Sunday’s clash with the Blues, but could be set to return to the first team squad, however, Ashley Young (ankle) and Darren Fletcher (illness) are out for the rest of the season.

Michael Laudrup, a leading candidate to replace Ferguson's successor David Moyes at Everton, looks likely to be without leading goalscorer Michu (hamstring) for the Swans’ trip to the north west.

Goalkeeper Michel Vorm (head) is a severe doubt after suffering a nasty clash of heads during Tuesday’s win over Wigan, whilst midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng (dead leg) may return after missing the past two games.

Chico Flores (calf) and Roland Lamah (hamstring) could both return to the first-team squad.

DID YOU KNOW?

After 1,498 games in charge of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson will take charge of a game at Old Trafford for the final time on Sunday afternoon. He's won 894 of those, with 337 draws and 267 defeats.
The Scot has already wrapped up a 13th Premier League crown - the 20th overall for United - and they will lift the trophy in front of their fans at Old Trafford after the clash with the Swans.
Two wins in their last two games would see United finish with 91 points and equal their second-highest points total in the Premier League era which they earned in the 1999/00 season. Their all-time high is the 94 points they claimed when winning the title for a second consecutive season in 1993/94.
Swansea striker Itay Shechter's goal in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Wigan on Tuesday was his first club goal since scoring for Bundesliga side Kaiserlautern in October 2011 - more than 18 months ago.
The south Wales club can guarentee a top-half finish with a win. After 36 games they have one point fewer than the 47 points they managed last season, when they finished 11th.
Michael Laudrup's men, along with eighth-placed West Brom, are the only sides in the top flight to have a goal difference of nil. No side since Tottenham in 2008-09 has finished the season with a level goals for and against tally.

Prediction
Although this match is effectively a dead rubber, Sir Alex Ferguson will not want to end his outstanding reign in the Old Trafford hotseat with a defeat, and his United side should have far too much quality for Swansea on Sunday afternoon.

For their part the Swans have remained competitive in the latter stages of the season despite already claiming a place in Europe, with their win against Wigan on Tuesday having major consequences at the foot of the Premier League.

But they should be easily brushed aside by the English Champions who will want to mark their 20th top-flight crown in style.

Editor's Prediction
Man Utd. 3-0 Swansea City

12.05. (Sun) 16:00 Fulham - Liverpool


PROBABLE LINEUPS

FULHAM
Schwarzer
Riether, Senderos, Hangeland, Riise
Kacaniklic, Karagounis, Enoh, Emanuelson
Ruiz
Berbatov

LIVERPOOL
Reina
Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Enrique
Lucas, Henderson, Shelvey
Downing, Sturridge, Coutinho

Mladen Petric and Simon Davies remain doubtful for this fixture after both players missed the 4-2 loss to Reading with hip and hamstring problems respectively.

Alexander Kacaniklic is likely to start over Damien Duff on the right after a good performance off the bench against Reading. Steve Sidwell will miss the rest of the season though suspension.

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard misses out after undergoing surgery on a persistent shoulder problem.

Daniel Agger and Joe Allen are also out for the season so Martin Skrtel will come in to the backline while Philippe Coutinho will continue as playmaker.

With no Gerrard or Allen, Jonjo Shelvey could get the nod in midfield – especially after the stunner he scored for the U21s this week.

Luis Suarez is unavailable as he serves his 10-match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic.

DID YOU KNOW?
Fulham have lost their last four in the Premier League and have won just three of their last 12.
After a run of six goals in six games at the start of the year, Fulham top scorer Dimitar Berbatov hasn’t hit the back of the net since 1st April – six games ago.
The Cottagers’ biggest defeat of the season was a 4-0 reverse against Liverpool.
Liverpool are unbeaten in six in the Premier League, with just one defeat in 11 in all competitions.
The Reds’ 6-0 win over Newcastle two weeks ago was the fourth time this year they’ve won by a margin of four or more goals, including the 4-0 romp over Fulham in December.
Fulham did the double over Liverpool last season, the first time they beat the Reds twice in the same season.

Prediction
Even without their top scorer, the Merseyside outfit will have too much for their opponents who have struggled to pose much of a goal threat in their recent games. Unless Berbatov finds some form in front of goal, the Cottagers won’t prove too difficult for Brendan Rodgers’ charges.

Editor's Prediction
Fulham 0-3 Liverpool

12.05. (Sun) 15:00 Genoa - Inter


PROBABLE LINEUPS

GENOA
Frey
Granqvist • Portanova • Manfredini • Antonelli
Matuzalém
Kucka • Bertolacci
Rigoni
Borriello • Flores

INTER
Handanovič
Schelotto • Chivu • Pasa • Nagatomo
Cambiasso
Kovačić • Álvarez
Kuzmanović
Guarín • Rocchi

Despite a run of five matches without defeat, Genoa coach Davide Ballardini looks set to switch to a 4-1-2-1-2 formation from his tried-and-trusted 3-5-1-1 for the visit of Inter on Sunday.

As a result, two personnel changes from the midweek 0-0 draw with Torino see Emiliano Moretti and Mattia Cassani replaced by Andreas Granqvist and Antonio Floro Flores.

However, the Ligurian side will not be able to call on trio Cristobal Jorquera, Ruben Olivera and Damiano Ferronetti - all of whom have been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Meanwhile for the Nerazzurri, on the back of an alarming nine losses in their last 12 matches, they also make a series of alterations ahead of their trip to the Marassi, with Ezequiel Schelotto, Simone Pasa and Yuto Nagatomo incoming.

Regarding the club's well-documented list of absentees, Jonathan, Andrea Ranocchia, Gaby Mudingayi, Luca Castellazzi, Rodrigo Palacio, Dejan Stankovic and Walter Samuel are all doubtful and unlikely to be risked.

There is no change, though, for season-ending casaulties Javier Zanetti, Joel Obi, Diego Milito, Ibrahima Mbaye, Walter Gargano and Matias Silvestre, while Alvaro Pereira and Juan Jesus are suspended.

DID YOU KNOW?
Inter are unbeaten in their last 12 Serie A meetings with Genoa, winning eight and drawing four.
However, the Nerazzurri have lost each of their last three away league games, scoring just once.
Yuto Nagatomo has netted both his first and last Serie A goal against Genoa, respectively in March and December 2011.
Genoa have lost each of their last four home matches against Inter without scoring any goals.
Nonetheless, the Rossoblu are unbeaten in their last four home games in Serie A.
Striker Ciro Immobile scored his fifth and last league goal in the reverse fixture against Inter.

Prediction
They may be one of Serie A's present in-form teams, but Genoa's recovery has seen them pick up more draws than victories - the joint second-highest haul in the division - and that coupled with an Inter side who will be more than happy with a share of the spoils to end their run of defeats means a stalemate should be the order of the day in Liguria.

Editor's Prediction
Genoa 1-1 Inter

12.05. (Sun) 14:30 Stoke City - Tottenham


PROBABLE LINEUPS

STOKE
Begovic
Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Shotton
Nzonzi, Adam, Whitehead
Walters, Crouch, Jerome

TOTTENHAM
Lloris
Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto
Parker, Dembele
Lennon, Bale, Sigurdsson
Adebayor

Stoke enter Sunday’s clash in fine spirits after Wigan’s 3-2 defeat to Swansea all-but cemented the Potters' place in the Premier League next season.

The scene at the Britannia, however, is not as rosy as would be expected. The rising tide of frustration directed at manager Tony Pulis over his style of play and the club’s perceived stagnation has been an enduring presence towards the end of the season, and Pulis will be out to silence his critics come Sunday with a competitive performance.

He could be without the services of Mark Wilson for the clash after the defender was withdrawn with a hamstring injury during his last last outing at Sunderland.

Andy Wilkinson and Glenn Whelan were both expected to return to the fray during that match, but their absence at the Stadium of Light has raised concerns of that the pair are suffering with more serious injuries than initially diagnosed.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have undoubtedly entered the business end of their season as they vie for Champions League qualification with Chelsea and arch-rivals Arsenal.

A draw at Stamford Bridge kept them firmly in the running, but Villas Boas will have no interest in returning from Sunday’s match without all three points as his side sit one point behind Arsenal and a distant three behind Chelsea with just two games remaining.

Moussa Dembele is expected to return to action after recovering from an injury picked up against Southampton last weekend, but will be subjected to a late fitness test before the team travels up north.

A vital late equaliser against Chelsea could earn a place in the starting XI for Gylfi Sigurdsson, whilst Emmanuel Adebayor’s man-of-the-match showing at Stamford Bridge will likely see him lead the Tottenham line once more.

DID YOU KNOW?
Stoke are unbeaten in their last three Premier League clashes against Tottenham, with one win and two draws.
The Potters have hit the target fewer times than any other side this season (110).
Stoke need just one point to guarantee mathematical safety.
The last time Tottenham lost a game to a side sitting in the bottom half of the table was in November, during a 1-0 shock home defeat to Wigan.
Apart from Aston Villa (13), Spurs have scored more goals (12) over the past six games than any other club in the Premier League.
Tottenham are undefeated in nine of their last ten away matches in the top-flight.
Andre Villas Boas’ two previous meetings against the Potters, with both Chelsea and at Tottenham, have ended goalless.

Prediction
Despite Stoke’s impressive record against Tottenham in recent outings, what’s at stake for the visitors will most likely determine the outcome of Sunday’s clash. Moreover, the technical superiority of the Spurs’ ranks serves only to compound the struggle that Stoke are expected to endure at the weekend.

Editor's Prediction
Stoke City 0-2 Tottenham

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