Opta Facts La Liga 2012-13 Matchday 27

Real Betis v Osasuna
Osasuna have scored in only one of their last six clashes with los beticos in La Liga (1-2 in December 2011), coincidentally their only victory in this run (2D).
Since September 2008, the Green-and-Whites have only drawn one away game 0-0 in La Liga, and that was their game at the Reyno de Navarra earlier this season.
Osasuna have not picked up consecutive away wins in the Primera since March 2011, when they won in Malaga and Alicante.
Betis are unbeaten in four home league games (W2 D2), conceding just one goal in total.
Pepe Mel's side have scored exactly three goals in each of their last two league games; Pabon (three) and Molina (two) have scored five of these six goals between them.
Osasuna are the lowest scorers in La Liga this season (22) and have also scored a league-low nine first-half goals.
In the seven games that Kike Sola has scored in in La Liga this term, Osasuna are yet to lose (5W 2D).
Neither Real Betis nor Osasuna have picked up a single point having conceded the first goal this season.
All five matches involving either Real Betis or Osasuna this season that Hernandez Hernandez has refereed have ended in home wins.

Rayo Vallecano v Espanyol
Rayo have lost their last five successive top-flight meetings with Espanyol, their worst ever La Liga run against los pericos.
Espanyol are also unbeaten in four trips to Vallecas in La Primera (2D 2W); they last lost there in 1999 (1-2).
The Madrid-based side have not scored in either of their last two home clashes with the Catalans in La Liga, with Azkoita getting their last goal in this fixture back in 2002.
Espanyol have the opportunity to record three successive victories at a single stadium in Madrid for the first time in their long top-flight history.
Leo Bapistao scored his first and only brace in the reverse fixture with Espanyol this term.
Joan Verdu, who also scored a brace in the reverse fixture, has scored seven league goals this season, equalling his best ever top-flight goal haul (also seven with Deportivo in 2008/09).
Paco Jemez's side have only won one of their last five league games (1D 3L), but that was in Vallecas against Atletico (2-1).
Despite only losing one of their last eight league games (5W 2D), Espanyol have gone two games without scoring.
Without Piti's 10 goals this season, Vallecano would only have 25 points and would be just two points above the relegation zone.

Real Valladolid v Malaga
Real Valladolid have gone five games against Malaga in La Liga without a win (2D 3L), with two of those coming on home soil (1D 1L).
Malaga have only lost one of their last six trips to the Jose Zorilla in La Primera (1W 4D).
Djukic's side have only won one of their last six league games (3D 2L) and that was away from home (1-2 in Vallecas).
Malaga have already won five away games this season; one more than the whole of last term.
Valladolid have not won a league game in the Zorilla since top scorer Oscar (nine goals) scored his most recent strike (2-0 v Zaragoza in January).
Isco has scored in each of Malaga's last two away wins, netting three goals in total during those games.
Only Real Madrid have scored as many goals as Valladolid in the opening 15 minutes of games this season (11).
Malaga have lost just two points after scoring the first goal of the game this season, a league-low figure.
Javier Saviola has been offside more often than any other player in La Liga this season (every 47 minutes on average).

Barcelona v Deportivo La Coruna
Barcelona have won five and lost none of their last seven clashes with Deportivo in the league (D2).
The Catalan giants have won six of their last seven league meetings with Depor in the Camp Nou, though they did draw their last one in May 2011.
The Galician side drew 0-0 at the Nou Camp on their last visit there; only one side (Sevilla) has repeated that result away at Barcelona in the last two seasons.
Barcelona have not lost successive league games since May 2009 when they were beaten by Osasuna on home soil.
Deportivo have only won 17 points from 26 games this season; assuming three points for a win, no team has ever stayed up with as poor a record as this at the same stage of a La Liga term.
Barcelona have scored the most goals in Europe's top five leagues this season (83), Deportivo have conceded the most (56).
Lionel Messi has scored eight league goals against Depor but only two on home soil.
Deportivo winger Pizzi is one of only two players to have scored a direct free kick against Barcelona in La Liga this season.
Lionel Messi has scored in 16 consecutive league games, his best ever record.
Only Cristiano (14.9) and Messi (20.2) have averaged a shot more frequently than Riki this season (one every 27 minutes).

Mallorca v Sevilla
The last time Sevilla lost on the island in La Liga was in the season they were relegated to the Segunda (3-1 in 1999). Since then, they have won five and drawn six of 11 games.
The Islanders have only won one of their last 10 league meetings with Sevilla (D3 L6) and that was away from home (1-2 in 2010).
If they do not win this game, Mallorca will equal their Liga record of 10 home games without a victory (currently D3 L6).
Sevilla have only won one away game all season, the same record as relegation threatened Celta Vigo.
Beto is yet to keep a clean sheet in any game (league or cup) with Sevilla this season, conceding 13 in seven in all competitions.
Each goal scored by Tomer Hemed this season has earned Osasuna one point (eight goals, eight points won).
Mallorca have scored the highest percentage of goals by strikers in La Liga this term (69%).
Jesus Navas has had more shots without scoring than any other La Liga player (53) but has also created more chances from open play than any other player (53).
Only against Athletic (four) has Jesus Navas scored more goals than he has against Mallorca (three).
Unai Emery has only won one of five trips to Palma as a La Liga manager (D2 L2) and has never won when Gregorio Manzano has been the home manager (D1 L3).

Athletic v Valencia
Athletic Bilbao are without a win in eight league meetings with Valencia (1D 7L), with their last victory coming at the San Mames back in 2009 (3-2).
Los Che have won their last three trips to the Cathedal in La Liga, they have never won four in a row there.
Only Espanyol (50) have lost more games as an away side at the San Mames than Valencia (46) in top-flight history.
Iker Munain, who has not scored in the league this season, scored his first home goal against Valencia in 2009.
Roberto Soldado is the last player to score a hat-trick against Athletic at the San Mames, doing so in this fixture last season.
Bilbao have lost their last two home league games; they have never lost three in a row under Marcelo Bielsa.
Valencia have not lost any of their last five away games (4W 1D), a record that coincides with Valverde's appointment as boss.
Markel Susaeta has participated in more goals than any other Athletic player under Bielsa (11 goals, 13 assists).
Jonas (five) and Soldado (four) have scored 60% of Valencia's league goals between them in 2013.

Levante v Getafe
Levante have only won three of their 11 top-flight meetings with Getafe (D4 L4), with two of those coming in Valencia.
The Blues have only won one of their five Liga trips to the Ciutat de Valencia (2D 2L), though that was in this fixture last season (1-2).
Las Granotas have lost their last two home league games; they have never lost three in a row under JIM.
Getafe have won three successive league games on the road; they last won four in a row away from home in 2010/11.
Adrian Colunga has scored more goals than any other Spanish player across Europe's top five leagues in the year 2013 (six).
Levante have gained more points from losing positions on home soil than any other team this season (12).
Four of the five goals scored following Pedro Leon assists this season have been headers.
Obafemi Martins has gone four home league games without scoring; his last goal at home came back in the final game played at the Ciutat in 2012.

Celta Vigo v Real Madrid
Celta Vigo have lost their last two clashes with Real Madrid in La Liga, they have not lost three in a row against them since 1995/96.
The Whites have won their last five trips to the Balaidos in La Liga, scoring exactly twice in their last three.
Celta Vigo have not defeated Real Madrid at home in the league since May 2001 (3-0) but they did beat them in the Copa del Rey earlier in this campaign (2-1).
Celta have only won one of their last eight league games, on home soil against Granada in Abel Resino's first game in charge (2-1).
No team in Europe's top five leagues has won more games than Real Madrid in 2013 (seven).
Abel Resino has experienced a victory over Real Madrid as a La Liga manager; his Levante side won 1-0 at the Bernabeu thanks to a penalty from Salva.
Celta have scored a league-low four set piece goals this season, though three of them have come at the Balaidos.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 10 of Real Madrid's 23 league goals in 2013, though he has gone three successive games without scoring.
Iago Aspas has participated in 60% of Celta Vigo's goals this season; a league-high proportion for a single side.
Of the 10 defenders involved in the most duels this season, Sergio Ramos has lost the fewest (96).

Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad
Atletico Madrid have won four of their five clashes with Real Sociedad in the league since the Basque side won promotion.
The side from San Sebastian have not gone two games at the Calderon without defeat since 2002/03, when they qualified for the Champions League for the first and only time.
The Red-and-Whites have scored exactly one goal in six of their last eight home league clashes with Real Sociedad.
Atleti have won all 13 home league games this season and have kept a clean sheet in their last eight.
Radamel Falcao has scored in two of his three league meetings with Sociedad, but all four goals scored across these two games were at the Anoeta.
Carlos Vela has participated in at least one goal in each of his last five league appearances (four goals, two assists).
Atletico are the only team in La Liga yet to concede a penalty this term; they last conceded one in April 2012 against Real Madrid.
Diego Simeone's side have scored a league-high eight goals from corner sitiuations this season.
Real Sociedad have conceded the second fewest fouls (306) and have been fouled the second most times themselves (404) this season.

Real Zaragoza v Granada
Zaragoza have won five consecutive games against Granada at La Romareda in La Liga, scoring 10 goals and conceding just once.
Granada have only won one of 14 visits to Zaragoza in the top-flight, and that was their first ever trip there (2-3 in 1942/43).
Los Manos are the only team in La Liga yet to win a game in 2013.
Granada have lost three successive league games; they have not gone four in a row without a point since promotion.
Helder Postiga has scored four headed goals already this season; over the last 10 years, no Zaragoza player has scored more in a single La Liga campaign.
The Red-and-Whites have benefited from two own goals this season; both coming during Lucas Alvarez's short reign as boss.
Zaragoza have netted a league-high 72% of their goals from set pieces this season.
Granada are one of two teams (with Malaga) to have not thrown away a single point from a winning position on the road this season.
Only Gorka Iraizoz (one every 19 minutes) has made a save more frequently than Tono (22) in this La Liga campaign.

IVAN OBRADOVIĆ (SARAGOSA, ŠPANIJA) PROGNOZIRA 27. KOLO

08.03. (Fri) 20:45 Genoa - Milan

PROBABLE LINEUPS

GENOA
Frey
Bovo, Portanova, Morretti
Pisano, Rigoni, Tozser, Vargas, Antonelli
Bertolacci
Borriello

AC MILAN
Abbiati
Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant
Flamini, Ambrosini, Montolivo
Boateng, Balotelli, El Shaarawy

Four years ago AC Milan supporters wouldn’t have been allowed to travel to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. In 1995, a Genoa fan was stabbed to death by Milan ultras outside this stadium, and it was only in 2010 that the ban on away fans was lifted.
Both sets of ultras would do well to keep their team’s targets in mind when this match kicks off on Friday. AC Milan are just five points behind Napoli ahead of the 28th round of fixtures and Genoa are fighting to stay above the relegation zone.

Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri has as close to a full squad as he could hope to have this late in the season, with only defender Didac Vila and midfielder Nigel de Jong out injured.

Philippe Mexes returns from suspension and will start in the centre of defence for the Rossoneri, who will no doubt have one eye on next week’s Champions League match away to Barcelona.

Genoa, who lost 3-1 to Roma the last time out, will be missing striker Antonio Floro Flores, who has a muscle problem, and midfielders Marco Rossi and Ruben Olivera will both miss out due to calf strains.

Enis Nadarevic is injured as well, and while Brazilian midfielder Matuzalem returns from suspension he has been experiencing muscle problems and could miss out. Midfielder Juraj Kucka is suspended.

DID YOU KNOW?

AC Milan have posted the best record in Serie A since the last time they faced Genoa - an October 27 match that ended 1-0 in favour of the Rossoneri.

Milan have not lost in Serie A this calendar year, and their only defeat in 2013 in all competitions came against Juventus in the Coppa Italia.

Giampaolo Pazzini’s brace in Milan’s 3-0 win over Lazio last weekend took him to 12 Serie A goals on the season. He and Stephan El Shaarawy have combined for 26 tallies so far this season. The next-highest goalscorer for the Rossoneri is Mario Balotelli, with four.

Genoa have won just three times in Serie A since the end of November - a stretch of 13 matches that now has them fourth-from-bottom in the division.

Striker Marco Borriello, who represented Milan between 2008 and 2010, is Genoa’s highest scorer this season with eight goals.

Genoa last beat Milan in 2010 and have since taken just one of a possible 15 points from the Rossoneri.

Prediction
Milan are one of the form teams in Europe at the moment and a struggling team just trying to keep its head above water is unlikely to get in the way. There will be fireworks (literally) during this one—the history of the fixture almost requires it—but on the field the Rossoneri shouldn’t have much trouble defeating their hosts.

Editor's Prediction
Genoa 0-2 Milan

Serie A Opta Facts - 8-10 March

Atalanta - Pescara
These two sides have met only seven times in Serie A: Atalanta lead by two wins to one, with four draws, including that in the reverse fixture (0-0).
Neither side has ever scored more than two goals in this fixture so far.
Atalanta are unbeaten in Bergamo against Pescara (2W 1D).
Atalanta have won only two of their last 11 league games, losing six and drawing three.
Atalanta are winless in their last five home games (3D 2L), and have failed to score in two of the last three on their own ground.
Pescara have picked up only one point from their last eight league games, failing to score in six of these.
Pescara have scored only one goal in their last four away games in Serie A, conceding 11.
Atalanta have picked up 10 red cards so far in the league - a joint-record amongst the top-5 European leagues shared with Sevilla.
Giacomo Bonaventura scored against Siena his first Serie A brace last weekend; he has been directly involved in three of Atalanta's last four goals in the league, scoring two and making one assist.

Cagliari - Sampdoria
Cagliari are unbeaten in their last eight Serie A meetings against Sampdoria (4W 4D).
Sampdoria have failed to score on the last three occasions they've played against Cagliari.
The Sardinians have kept a clean sheet in seven of their last eight games played at home against Samp.
Against Samp, Cagliari have recorded the most wins (21) and draws (25) so far in the top-flight.
Last Sunday's defeat against Bologna ended Cagliari's seven-game unbeaten run in the league.
Against Bologna, Cagliari also failed to score for the first time after 10 Serie A games.
Cagliari are unbeaten in their last four home games in the league (2W 2D).
Cagliari netted four goals in their last home game against Torino - previously they had netted only five in seven games at their ground.
Samp are unbeaten in the last six match-days (4W 2D).
The Blucerchiati have conceded only four goals in their last 10 fixtures, and one in the last six; however, they've failed to score in their last three games on the road.
The last time Sampdoria kept three consecutive clean sheets away from home in Serie A was in October 2004.
Daniele Conti, who scored his first ever Serie A brace in his last home appearance against Torino, has already scored three goals against Samp, his favourite target after Roma (five).
Only Lionel Messi (13) and Cristiano Ronaldo (10) have scored more goals than Mauro Icardi (eight) in 2013 amongst the top-5 European leagues.

Chievo - Napoli
Chievo and Napoli have never drawn in Serie A: the Partenopei lead by five wins to four so far, and had the better in the reverse fixture at the San Paolo (1-0).
In Verona, Chievo lead by three wins to one in the top-flight.
Napoli have won their last two league games against Chievo, without conceding a single goal.
Previously, Chievo had notched up three wins in a row, keeping a clean sheet twice.
Chievo have collected only one point from their last five league games, scoring four goals in the process.
However, Chievo have lost only one of their last 10 home games in the league (4W 5D).
Napoli have drawn their last four league games - their longest winless run in this campaign.
Napoli have scored only one goal in their last three Serie A games - prior to that, they had scored in 14 games in a row (on average 2.2 goals per game).
Edinson Cavani has failed to score in his last five league games - his longest goal scoring drought since October 2011.
El Matador has never failed to score in six consecutive games for Napoli in the league.
Valon Behrami has made (122) and won (94) the most tackles in this competition this season.
Morgan De Sanctis is the Serie A ‘keeper with the most clean sheets so far in this campaign (11).

Genoa - AC Milan
This will be the 90th meeting between these two sides in Serie A: AC Milan lead by 43 wins to 14, with 31 draws.
Genoa have drawn against AC Milan more games than against any other Serie A opponent.
Genoa's last win against the Rossoneri was back in May 2010 - since then four wins for Ambrosini & co and a draw.
Genoa have scored only one goal in their last five Serie A meetings against AC Milan.
Seven of the last 11 meetings played at the Marassi between these two sides have ended as a draw, with two wins apiece completing the record.
Genoa have won three of their last four league games at home, as many as they had won over their previous 17 games at the Marassi.
AC Milan have collected 21 points in 2013 - more than any other side in this competition.
However, away from home the Rossoneri have won only one of their last five games (in Bergamo against Atalanta).
Genoa have lost 17 points from leading situations (only Roma have done worse with 18), while AC Milan have lost the lowest number of points after taking the lead (only four).
Five of Genoa's last nine goals have been scored by Marco Borriello, who has bagged only one against his former team so far, when he was at Roma.
Mario Balotelli has found the net in both of his two previous visits to Genoa in the league.
Giampaolo Pazzini has already scored 12 goals in 21 league appearances so far for AC Milan, more than twice as many as he netted in 33 appearances for Inter last term.

Inter - Bologna
Bologna have won only one of their last 15 meetings against Inter in Serie A, right in their last trip to the San Siro in February 2012.
Prior to that, Inter had remained unbeaten for 10 home games in the league against Bologna (8W 2D).
These two sides have shared the points only once over their last 10 league meetings (0-0 in August 2010).
Inter have won only three of their last 11 league games (4W 4L), conceding an average of two goals per game in the process.
Inter have recouped 14 points from trailing situations in this campaign, including three in their last fixture against Catania (from 0-2 down to 3-2).
The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in their last 11 home league games, winning seven and drawing four.
Bologna have won back to back games for the first time in this competition (vs Fiorentina and Cagliari) - the last time the Felsinei won three in a row was between April and May 2012.
Bologna haven't shared the points away from home in their last 15 Serie A games (11L 4W).
Bologna have scored the most goals from direct free-kicks so far in this Serie A (six).
Last Sunday against Catania, Rodrigo Palacio scored his 8th Serie A brace - he has scored a goal and made three assists in his last two league appearances against Bologna.
Alessandro Diamanti has been directly involved in five of Inter's last nine goals (scoring two and making three assists).

Juventus - Catania
Since their return to Serie A, Catania have lost only four times in 11 meetings against Juventus, with six draws.
Juventus have scored in their last 20 games against Catania in Serie A (on average 1.9 goal per game).
Both sides have scored in each of their last five meetings in Turin.
Juventus had the better in the last game against Catania in Turin (3-1 in february 2012), prior to that the Sicilians had remained unbeaten in four league games at Juve's ground.
Juventus have suffered only one defeat over their last eight league games, winning four.
Only twice over their last 53 Serie A fixtures Juventus have conceded more than two goals in a game.
The Old lady have recorded three wins and a draw in their last four games at the Juventus Stadium, conceding only one goal in the process.
Juventus have already kept 12 clean sheets - a league-high this term.
Catania have conceded four goals in their last two games, one more than the total they had shipped over their previous seven fixtures in the league.
The Sicilians have won three of their last six away games, as many as they had won over their previous 52 games on the road.
Juventus have scored the joint-most goals through subs this season, nine alongside Roma.
Mirko Vucinic has already scored seven goals against Catania, all when he was at Roma - only against Udinese (10) has he netted more.
This fixture will see the two best free-kick specialists of the Serie A: Andrea Pirlo (five goals this season from direct free-kick) and Francesco Lodi (four).

Lazio - Fiorentina
Fiorentina won the reverse fixture 2-0, after Lazio had won the previous four meetings against the Viola in Serie A.
Fiorentina have not scored more than two goals against Lazio in any of their last 21 league meetings, since April 2000.
Fiorentina have netted only four goals over their last 12 visits to Lazio's ground in Serie A.
Lazio have won only one of their last seven league games (2D 4L).
However, the Biancocelesti have won seven of their last nine home games, losing only one.
Taking into account only the last six match-days, Lazio would be 16th in the table, alongside Palermo and Siena on four points.
Over the last six match-days of Serie A, Fiorentina have alternated between an away loss and a home win.
Lazio are unbeaten from leading situations in this campaign (10W 1D), while the Viola have lost the most points from leading situations away from home (11).
Fiorentina have scored 19 goals from set-piece (incl. penalties) - a competition-high this term.
Libor Kozák has netted three goals in four league appearances against Fiorentina, his favourite target so far. Against the Viola he also scored his first ever goal in Serie A.
Lazio are Adem Ljajic's favourite target: two goals scored for him against the Biancocelesti, including his first in this competition in September 2010.

Palermo - Siena
Right against Siena, Palermo made their return to Serie A after 32 years in September 2004 (Palermo-Siena 1-0, with a goal from Luca Toni).
The Sicilians have won their last three home games against Siena, without conceding a single goal.
Overall, at the Barbera Palermo lead by five wins to two in the top-flight.
Palermo are winless in their last 13 league games - currently the longest run without a win in Serie A.
Palermo haven't conceded goals in their last two Serie A games, before this they had failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous 13 league fixtures.
Palermo have scored the fewest goals from dead balls this season in Serie A (three), while Siena have shipped the most from set-piece situations (17).
Siena have failed to score in their last two league games - this is the first time the Tuscans have not scored in consecutive games since December 2011.
Siena are winless in their last 11 games away from home (3D 8L).
Neither Palermo nor Siena have managed to win from trailing situations this season: 12L 2D for the Rosanero, 14L 1D for the Tuscans.

Parma - Torino
Parma are unbeaten in their last seven meetings against Torino in Serie A (5W 2D).
Over these last seven games, the Ducali have scored an average of 2.3 goals per game against the Granata.
Parma have won seven of their last eight games against Torino at the Tardini, in between a 1-0 win for the Granata in Feruary 2002.
Torino have scored only two goals on their last eight trips to Parma combined.
Parma have recorded just three draws and five losses in their last eight league games, and have lost the last three.
The Ducali have taken only one point from their last six fixtures in Serie A.
Parma have picked up only one point from their last three home games, after they had remained unbeaten for 15 consecutive home games in the league (11W 4D).
Torino have won only one of their last six games, with 3D and 2L.
The Granata have lost their last two games on the road - this season they've never lost three in a row away from home.
Last Sunday, Torino shared their sixth goalless draw of the season - a record amongst the top-5 European leagues.
Amauri is the player with the most headed shots on target (12, including three goals) in Serie A.
Rolando Bianchi has already scored four goals against Parma, his favourite target in Serie A, all coming in his last three appearances against the Ducali.

Udinese - Roma
Over the past five seasons, the record between Udinese and Roma is perfectly even: four wins apiece and a draw.
Overall, these two sides have shared the points only once in their last 15 league meetings (1-1 in March 2009).
Udinese have won three of their last four games against Roma at the Friuli, previously the guests had won this fixture six times out of nine.
Roma lost their last game played at Udinese's ground by a scoreline of 0-2 - prior to that, the Giallorossi had scored in 14 games in a row at the Friuli.
Udinese have shared only one draw in their last nine league games, winning five in the process.
Udinese have scored only four goals in their last seven games, after they had netted 14 in the previous six match-days.
Roma have won their last three games, after they had failed to win for six consecutive rounds in the league (2D 4L).
Roma won their last away game, before that they had taken only one point from their previous five league games on the road.
Roma have kept only one clean sheet in their last 13 away games in Serie A (excl. the 3-0 awarded against Cagliari).
Antonio Di Natale has already scored 13 goals against Roma, more than against any other Serie A opponent, including six in his last six appearances against the Giallorossi.
Francesco Totti has also netted 13 against Udinese, three of which came in his last three appearances.

Ligue 1 Opta Facts - 8-10 March

Rennes - St Etienne
St Etienne are winless in their last six away games in Rennes in Ligue 1 (D3, L3).
The last seven encounters between these teams have averaged less than one goal per game.
Rennes have only won once in their last six league games (D3, L2).
St Etienne are unbeaten in their last eight Ligue 1 games (W6, D2), longest current run.
St Etienne have only lost once in their last 12 away league games (W5, D6).
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored in the last six matchdays, longest current run.

Paris SG - Nancy
Nancy are unbeaten in their last three trips to Paris in Ligue 1 (W1, D2).
PSG have only kept a clean sheet once in their last four Ligue 1 games (against Marseille).
PSG have always won after scoring the opening goal at home in L1 this season (9).
Nancy have won two of their last three away games in Ligue 1 (in Marseille and Sochaux).
Nancy have only kept one clean sheet in their last 16 away games in Ligue 1.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored four goals in his last three competitive home games.

Ajaccio - Lorient
Lorient are unbeaten in their three competitive games in Ajaccio (W1, D2).
Ajaccio have scored in each of their last six home games in Ligue 1.
Lorient have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine league games.
Lorient are the only team not to have kept a single clean sheet in Ligue 1 in 2013.
Lorient have failed to win any of their four away league games in 2013 (D1, L3).

Brest - Toulouse
Three of their last four encounters in Brest in Ligue 1 have ended in a 0-0 draw.
Brest have failed to win any of their last seven home games in L1 (D2, L5), worst current run.
Toulouse are winless in their last eight away games in L1 (D3, L5).
Toulouse have failed to score in four of their last five Ligue 1 games.
Magaye Gueye has assisted three of Brest's last four goals in L1 (own goal excl.).
Eden Ben Basat has managed one shot on target in his 220 minutes of play for TFC in L1.

Evian TG - Sochaux
Sochaux are unbeaten against Evian TG in their four competitive encounters (W3, D1).
The four competitive games between ETG and Sochaux have averaged 3.7 goals per game.
Evian TG are winless in their last 10 Ligue 1 games (D5, L5), longest current run.
Sochaux have failed to score in four of their last five away games in Ligue 1.
Sochaux have only won four of their last 30 away games in Ligue 1 (D8, L18).
Edouard Butin has scored three goals and delivered one assist in two league games against ETG.

Troyes - Reims
Troyes have lost 19 points from losing positions in L1 this season, more than any other team.
Troyes have conceded the most goals in the last 30 minutes in Ligue 1 this season (27).
Reims have only won once in their last 33 away league games (D7, L25).
Reims have only kept one clean sheet in their 13 away games in L1 this season.
Benjamin Nivet is involved in 53% of Troyes' home league goals this season (7 goals, 2 assists).
Nicolas Fauvergue has failed to score in his last 803 minutes of play in L1 2012/13 (21 shots).

Valenciennes - Lille
Lille have failed to win any of their last five trips to Valenciennes in Ligue 1 (D3, L2).
Lille have won their last four Ligue 1 games, best current run.
Valenciennes have only lost twice in their last 14 home league games (W8, D4).
Valenciennes have only scored six goals in their last 11 league games.
Lille have only kept one clean sheet away from home in Ligue 1 this season (v Evian TG).
Salomon Kalou has scored three goals in his last five competitive games for Lille.

Nice - Montpellier
Montpellier have won their last three trips to Nice in L1 without conceding a goal.
Nice have only lost once in their last 13 home league games (W8, D4).
Nice have scored 74% of their goals in the second half (29 out of 39), more than any other team.
None of Montpellier's last 70 games in Ligue 1 has ended in a 0-0 draw, longest current run.
Montpellier have scored in 92.3% of their league games since last season (60 out of 65).
Souleymane Camara is the most prolific substitute in L1 in the 21st century with 16 goals.

Bordeaux - Bastia
Bastia have only won twice in their 29 away games in Bordeaux in L1 (D7, L20).
Bordeaux and Bastia have registered the most 0-0's in L1 this season (5 each).
Bordeaux have lost their last four league games, worst current run.
Bordeaux have failed to score in five of their last six home games in Ligue 1.
Bastia have won all six of their league games after scoring the opening goal this season.
Anthony Modeste has failed to score in his last 648 minutes in Ligue 1.

Lyon - Marseille
Marseille have only won twice in their last 20 away games in Lyon (D8, L10).
The last eight league encounters between Lyon and Marseille have averaged 4.4 goals per game.
OL have won 13 points from losing positions in L1 this season, more than any other team.
12 of Marseille's 15 wins in Ligue 1 this season have been by a one goal margin, more than any other team.
Marseille have failed to win any of their four away games in Ligue 1 in 2013 (D2, L2).
Bafetimbi Gomis has scored seven goals against Marseille in L1, more than against any other opponent.

Bundesliga Opta Facts - 8-10 March

FC Augsburg - 1. FC Nurnberg
Nurnberg haven't lost any of their last 13 competitive matches against Augsburg (W8 D5).
Augsburg haven't scored against Nurnberg in 585 minutes, a drought running over six games.
Just one goal has been scored in all three previous Bundesliga meeting between Augsburg and Nurnberg (Nurnberg won 1-0 in 2011/12, goal by Alexander Esswein).
Nurnberg are the only Bundesliga team that Augsburg haven't yet scored against in the top flight.
Augsburg gained nine points from their 17 games in the first half of the season. They have already gained twelve points from only seven games in 2013 (i.e. second half of the season).
With a victory in this game, Augsburg (currently on position 16) could reduce their deficit between themselves and Nurnberg (position 12) from seven to four points.
Nurnberg haven't won any of their last 10 away games in the top flight (D4 L6), which is currently the longest run of this kind in the Bundesliga. Their last away victory came on matchday three at Monchengladbach (3-2).
Since their last promotion to the top flight, Nurnberg have lost eight of their nine games on a Friday (one victory against Eintracht Frankfurt on February 18th, 2011).
Nurnberg's top goal scorer Sebastian Polter and Augsburg's Daniel Baier will both miss this game due to suspension.

Bayern Munich - Fortuna Dusseldorf
Dusseldorf haven't won any of their last seven Bundesliga matches against Bayern Munich (D1 L6). Their last victory in the top flight versus Bayern came in April 1991 (1-0).
Bayern have won their last three Bundesliga games against Dusseldorf without conceding a goal (which also means that Dusseldorf haven't scored in 335 minutes against Bayern).
Bayern won their first eight Bundesliga matches in the first half of the season (goal difference 26-2) and their eighth victory (matchday 8) came against Dusseldorf (5-0). Ahead of this game, Bayern have won their first seven games of the season's second half (current goal difference in these seven games 20-1).
Bayern Munich's current record of 63 points and their goal difference of +56 have never been reached by any other team in Bundesliga history after 24 games. Borussia Dortmund - who broke a Bundesliga record with 81 points in 2011/13 - had "only" 55 points after 24 games last season.
Bayern haven't lost any of their last 22 competitive games (W18 D4).
Bayern have won their last 10 competitive games. They haven't had such a long run since 2009/10, when they won 13 consecutive (competitive) games.
Bayern have lost only one of their last 22 Bundesliga home games (W18 D3 L1).
Bayern kept a clean sheet in 17 of their last 28 Bundesliga home games (goal difference in these 28 home games: 85-12).
Dusseldorf haven't won any of their last eight away games in the top flight (L7 and a 1-1 at Dortmund).
Mario Gomez has scored four goals in his last four Bundesliga appearances. He has been involved in a goal every 55 minutes on average in his competitive games this season.
Dusseldorf's keeper Fabian Giefer made an error last week, which led to a goal for the opposition (1-1 against Mainz). It was his fourth error leading to a goal (more than any other keeper).

FC Schalke 04 - Borussia Dortmund
Schalke have won only one of their last five Bundesliga games against Dortmund (D1 L3).
Dortmund have won their last two away games at Schalke. Only between 1964 and 1967 have they won four consecutive away games at Schalke.
Schalke haven't conceded as many goals (currently 39) after 24 games since 1987/88 (59).
Dortmund have scored in their last 16 consecutive Bundesliga games (level with their run in April 1995 - March 1996). They could set a new club record with a 17th game against Schalke.
Schalke are waiting for their 400th Bundesliga home victory (currently 399).
Schalke have currently won back-to-back games in the Bundesliga for the first time under coach Jens Keller.
Schalke's Jermaine Jones will miss the game due to previously picking up his fifth yellow. He has been booked in the top flight for Schalke every 216 minutes on average - that's the highest rate of all players in Schalke's Bundesliga history (considering only players with at least 25 appearances).
Since summer 2011, no defender has provided as many assists as Dortmund's Lukasz Piszczek (13) and Schalke's Christian Fuchs (12).
Robert Lewandowski has scored in each of his last six Bundesliga games. He could equal the club record set by Timo Konietzka in 1964/65, who scored in seven consecutive Bundesliga games for Dortmund.
Roman Weidenfeller will soon concede his 300th Bundesliga goal as a Dortmund keeper (currently 299). No other keeper has made as many Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund (276) as Weidenfeller.

SC Freiburg - VfL Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg are still waiting for their first Bundesliga victory at Freiburg (D3 L6). No other team have made as many visits to Freiburg in the Bundesliga (9) without winning even one game there.
Freiburg have won their last five Bundesliga home games against Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg's last point at Freiburg came back in 2001/02 (0-0).
Against no other team have Freiburg won five consecutive home games in their Bundesliga history.
Felix Magath was dismissed as Wolfsburg coach after a 0-2 home defeat against Freiburg earlier this season (matchday five) and replaced by Lorenz-Günther Köstner (who himself was subsequently replaced by Dieter Hecking).
Freiburg have lost only one of their last 12 competitive games (W6 D5). They have gained eight points from their last four Bundesliga games (W2 D2, like Leverkusen) - only Bayern have won more (12).
Freiburg haven't conceded a goal in their last four Bundesliga home games. This is a new club record.
They didn't concede for 378 minutes in Bundesliga home games back in 2000/01 which is a club record for them. They could, however, easily set up a new record of this kind against Wolfsburg as they currently haven't conceded a goal in 371 minutes (only Bundesliga home games).
Wolfsburg have won only one of their last six Bundesliga games (D2 L3 and a 1-0 victory at Furth).
Wolfsburg have gained as many as 17 points from their away games this season, but only 10 points from their home games.
Wolfsburg have never scored fewer goals (24) in their first 24 Bundesliga games of a single season (like 2006/07).
As a coach, Dieter Hecking has never won a Bundesliga game against Freiburg: He has lost four and drawn two of his six duels with Freiburg (April 2010 - October 2012; all of them as Nurnberg coach).

1. FSV Mainz 05 - Bayer 04 Leverkusen
This is the 14th Bundesliga meeting between Mainz and Leverkusen (W5 D3 L5 each, goal difference 20-20). They drew 2-2 their meeting in the first half of the season.
Mainz haven't won any of their last six competitive games (D4 L2). This has been their longest run without a victory this season.
For the first time in their Bundesliga history Mainz have drawn four consecutive Bundesliga games.
Leverkusen have only won one Bundesliga game after falling behind this season - last week against Stuttgart (2-1).
Leverkusen haven't lost any of their last four Bundesliga games (W2 D2).
Leverkusen haven't won any of their last four Bundesliga away games (D3 L1), but they have drawn their last three.
Mainz have conceded more own goals than any other team (3; their third came last week at Dusseldorf; 1-1. No other team have conceded more than one own goal.)
No other player has scored more Bundesliga goals than Stefan Kießling this season (16, like Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski).
No player other than Kießling has been involved in 22 Bundesliga goals this season (16 goals, 6 assists).
Ivan Klasnic made his first game as a starter for Mainz last week against Dusseldorf. Not only did he score his first goal for Mainz, but also his 50th Bundesliga goal and his first in more than 4.5 years.
Andre Schürrle scored 15 Bundesliga goals for Mainz in 2010/11. No other player has ever scored as many goals for Mainz within one season.

SpVgg Greuther Furth - 1899 Hoffenheim
Their first meeting this season resulted in a draw (3-3) - although Furth fell behind three times during the game. Both former Furth coach Mike Büskens and Hoffenheim coach Markus Babbel were dismissed at a later date.
Furth could set a new historic Bundesliga record: Never have a team gone without a victory in their first 13 home games.
Furth have won only one of their last 22 Bundesliga games (D8 L13 and a 2-1-victory at Schalke on matchday 20).
Hoffenheim have never lost more than five consecutive away games (like currently) in the top flight. They could set a new club record with their sixth away defeat in a row in this match.
Hoffenheim have also never gone without an away victory in more than their current eight game run. A ninth consecutive away game without victory would therefore be a new club record.
Furth have by far the worst home record in the top flight (four points from twelve home games).
Hoffenheim have by far the worst away record (four points from eleven away games).
No team have scored as few goals as Furth (14), while no team have conceded as many goals as Hoffenheim (49).
No teams beside Furth (16 losses) and Hoffenheim (14 losses) have lost more than eleven Bundesliga games this season.
Hoffenheim have scored almost twice as many goals (27) as Furth (14). They have, however, collected only two points more (16) than Furth (14).
Hoffenheim coach Marco Kurz has won only one of his last 23 Bundesliga games (D10 L12)
Furth have conceded only 13 fouls on average per game under coach Ludwig Preis. They conceded 20 per game under former coach Mike Büskens.
With Ludwig Preis as coach, Furth have collected on average one point per game. They collected only 0.55 per game under his predecessor Mike Büskens.

Borussia Monchengladbach - Werder Bremen
Only against Bayern Munich have Monchengladbach lost more Bundesliga games (42) than against Bremen (37).
Monchengladbach have won only one of their last five Bundesliga games against Bremen (D2 L2).
Against no team have Monchengladbach won more home games than against Werder Bremen (25, like against Kaiserslautern).
Bremen have won only one game at Monchengladbach in nine years (D1 L4 W1 - a 4-1-victory on October 23rd, 2010).
Monchengladbach haven't lost any of their last five home games (W3 D2).
Bremen have lost their last three Bundesliga games. They hadn't lost three consecutive Bundesliga games within one season since the end of 2011/12 (four consecutive losses).
Monchengladbach have scored in 16 consecutive home games. They have scored two or more goals in twelve of these 16 games.
Bremen have conceded at least one goal in their last 19 consecutive Bundesliga away games. Only from 1971 - 1973 did they have a longer run of this kind (34 games).
Bremen have scored in every one of their last 15 away games - a club record.
No other team have hit woodwork as many times as Werder Bremen (16). They have hit woodwork seven times in their last seven games.
Thomas Schaaf will appear for the 471st time as coach in the Bundesliga. Only five coaches have managed more BL games.

Hannover 96 - Eintracht Frankfurt
Hannover haven't lost any of their last eight home games against Frankfurt (W5 D3). They have lost only one of their last 14 home games against Frankfurt (W8 D5 and a 1-2 defeat on November 14th, 1987).
Hannover (currently in 10th position) could reduce their points deficit on Frankfurt (currently 4th position) to two points with a victory.
Frankfurt haven't scored a goal in their last four games (their club record is eight games). They have currently attempted 50 shots since their last goal.
Hannover have never scored as many goals as in this season after 24 games (47).
No club in the Bundesliga this season have managed a shot conversion rate as high as Hannover's 23.5%.
No club have faced as many shots in 2013 as Hannover: 147 (63 on target).
Hannover players have made eight individual errors leading to goals, which is the highest amount in the Bundesliga (like Stuttgart).
No team have had a passing accuracy in the opposition half as low as Hannover's 64.3%.
Frankfurt have the highest duel success rate in the Bundesliga (52.0%), Hannover the lowest (46.6%).
No team scored as many times as Hannover from set pieces (18 goals), free kicks (10) and penalties (six).
Frankfurt have conceded only 20% of their goals from set pieces (only Nurnberg have a lower proportion).
Both teams have conceded more goals after counter-attacks (eight each) than any other club.
No Bundesliga keeper has made more saves than Hannover's Ron-Robert Zieler (109) and Frankfurt's Kevin Trapp (94, like Stuttgart keeper Sven Ulreich).

VfB Stuttgart - Hamburger SV
Stuttgart and Hamburg are meeting for the 96th time in the Bundesliga. Only Bremen and Hamburg have played against one another in the Bundesliga more often (98 duels).
Stuttgart have won their last three competitive games against Hamburg.
Never in their Bundesliga history have Stuttgart had such a poor home record after eleven (home) games: twelve points and a goal difference of -7.
No Bundesliga team have performed as poorly as Stuttgart in 2013 (four points, goal difference: 5-14).
Stuttgart have lost four games after a leading (a league-high, like their 16 points which they have given away after a leading).
None of the players sent on the pitch by Thorsten Fink as a substitute have ever scored under his reign (141 substitutions).
Vedad Ibisevic has scored 42% (11 goals) of Stuttgart's Bundesliga goals (26). Only Augsburg striker Sascha Mölders has currently scored a higher proportion of his team's goals (43%; 9 of 21).
Stuttgart's Martin Harnik has scored each of his nine competitive goals this season on the road (*prior to Thursday night's Europa League game)
No player has made more assists in 2013 than Hamburg defender Denis Aogo (four assists, like Leverkusen striker Stefan Kießling).

07.03. (Thu) 21:05 Tottenham Hot. - Inter

PROBABLE LINEUPS

TOTTENHAM
Friedel
Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Naughton
Livermore, Parker
Lennon, Bale, Sigurdsson
Defoe

INTER
Handanovic
Zanetti, Juan, Chivu, Pereira
Gargano, Cambiasso
Schelotto, Cassano, Guarin
Palacio

Brad Friedel will likely replace Hugo Lloris in goal for Tottenham, with the American becoming first-choice in cup competitions following the France captain's promotion to Andre Villas-Boas' Premier League XI.

Clint Dempsey (calf) is unlikely to feature and Mousa Dembele (knee) faces a race to be fit after limping out of Sunday's north London derby.

Jermain Defoe made his return from injury against the Gunners and could replace Emmanuel Adebayor in attack after the Togo man was stretchered off with an ankle problem

Antonio Cassano was dropped for Inter's weekend win over Catania after a row with manager Andrea Stramaccioni, but could find himself back in first-team contention to face Andre Villas-Boas' side after apologising and receiving a fine from the club.

The Italian is likely to link up with Rodrigo Palacio after the Argentine scored two late goals to seal a narrow win for the Nerazzurri over the Sicilian outfit.

Stramaccioni's side are plagued with injury problems as top-scorer Diego Milito (knee) is out for the season, while centre-backs Walter Samuel (Achilles) and Andrea Ranocchia (knee) also remains sidelined.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tottenham have been on fine form domestically, having not lost in 12 league matches - their best unbeaten run in Premier League history.

Inter, meanwhile, have not so fared so well in their own league, having won just three of their last 12 Serie A matches as they sit in fourth, trying to remain in contention for a spot in next season's Champions League.

Gareth Bale has also been enjoying himself in the league. The Welshman has scored seven goals in his last five league appearances for the club. He is 7/2 to score two or more goals with Coral.

Bale, even putting aside his current run of form, will bring back bad memories for the Italian side, as he memorably tormented the Nerazzurri in both of their group stage matches in the 2010-11 Champions League, particularly at San Siro as the flying winger scored a hat-trick despite Inter's 4-3 win.

Inter do, however, have their own in-form striker as, despite often featuring off the bench, Rodrigo Palacio has been directly involved in 23 goals for his club this season, including all two of their goals scored in their comeback win over Catania on Sunday.

The Nerazzurri have been poor away from home recently, as they have only managed a solitary point from their last seven away league games, also conceding 16 goals in the process.

07.03. (Thu) 19:00 Stuttgart - Lazio

PROBABLE LINEUPS

STUTTGART
Ulreich
Sakai, Tasci, Rudiger, Boka
Kvist
Harnik, Gentner, Holzhauser, Traore
Macheda

LAZIO
Marchetti
Pereirinha, Biava, Ciani, Radu
Ledesma
Candreva, Gonzalez, Hernanes, Lulic
Kozak

Stuttgart have won just once in the Bundesliga this calendar year and come into Thursday’s Europa League match against Lazio a disappointing 11th in the division. But the Europa League has been a silver lining for them all season and they will hope to pick up where they left off in the competition when they won 2-0 away to Genk in the last round.

Manager Bruno Labbadia will have to make a change up top, however, as Vedad Ibisevic is suspended, and fellow forward Cacau is still recovering from a cruciate ligament rupture and will not be back until the middle of next month.

Winger Tunay Torun has a hamstring injury and misses out, as does midfielder Johan Audel. Mamadou Bah is out for the rest of the season due to a broken leg and right-back Tim Hoogland is fighting off a bout of flu.

Lazio boss Vladimir Petkovic will have to once again make do without German striker Miroslav Klose, who is still recovering from a serious knee injury, and Antonio Rossi has a hamstring problem.

Right-back Abdoulay Konko is still a month away from his return to the lineup following a knee injury, and midfielder Cristian Brocchi will be unlikely to feature again this season after fracturing a metatarsal.

DID YOU KNOW?

Stuttgart have won just one of their last nine Bundesliga matches—a streak that goes back to December 2012.

Only four Bundesliga sides (Nuremberg, Wolfsburg, Augsburg and Greuther Furth) have managed fewer than Stuttgart’s 26 goals in 24 Bundesliga matches so far this season.

These sides last met in a club friendly in July 2007. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and the goals came from Stefano Mauri and Alexander Farnerud.

Like Suttgart, Lazio have been struggling domestically of late and have won just two of their last eight matches in Serie A.

After an entertaining 3-3 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach in the first leg of the Round of 32, Lazio were 2-0 winners in the Italian capital thanks to goals from Antonio Candreva and Alvaro Gonzalez.

With five goals in the competition, Lazio striker Libor Kozak is second only to Edinson Cavani in Europa League goal-scoring.

Prediction
Both sides are coming off weekend losses, but Lazio’s form book is slightly better than Stuttgart’s. The guests will find the back of the net here, and Stuttgart will likely struggle against one of the stingier defenses in Italy. A score draw is on the cards.

Editor's Prediction
VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Lazio

07.03. (Thu) 19:00 Steaua - Chelsea

PROBABLE LINEUPS

STEAUA BUCHAREST
C. Tătăruşanu
F. Gardoş • V. Chiricheş • C. Râpă • I. Latovlevici
A. Prepelita • A. Chipciu • C. Tănase • Adrian Popa I
Adi • R. Rusescu

CHELSEA
P. Čech
Azpilicueta • B. Ivanović • David Luiz • R. Bertrand
F. Lampard • Ramires
V. Moses • Oscar • Mata
Fernando Torres

Chelsea's trip to Bucharest comes just prior to their FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford, meaning Rafa Benitez may be inclined to rest key players.
Only Yossi Benayoun (ankle) and Oriol Romeu (knee) are expected to miss out through injury, but John Terry (knee) may not be risked following a fairly stuttering return from a spell on the sidelines.

Benitez's rotation of his strikers suggests Fernando Torres will come back into the team after Demba Ba's goal-scoring appearance against West Brom at the weekend, while Ashley Cole may be rested, allowing for Ryan Bertrand to come back into the side.

Romanian champions Steaua come into the tie with almost a full squad to choose from as Laurentiu Reghecampf looks to continue his side's impressive run in the competition.

Daniel Georgievski (fibula) remains out for the hosts but, aside from the Georgian defender, Steaua can call upon a full-strength side.

Brazilian forward Adi Rocha could come back into the side in place of Stefan Nikolic, while Cristian Tanase should retain his role in the starting line-up despite receiving a red card during the win over Gaz Metan at the weekend.

DID YOU KNOW?

Chelsea and Steaua have never faced each other before in a competitive match.

The Romanians finished top of their Europa League group, above Stuttgart, FC Copenhagen and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Molde.
From their last 12 away matches in the Europa and Champions League, The Blues have three wins.

Liverpool were the last side to face the Romanian side, leaving Bucharest with a 1-1 draw in December 2010.

Reghecampf's side have lost only four of their previous 20 home matches in Europe.

Chelsea's group of players includes 19 foreign players, while Steaua have just five.

The average age of Steaua's first-team squad is 24.1, compared to 27 for Chelsea.

Chelsea's two Europa League goals so far this season have been scored in the final 15 minutes of ties.

Steaua have scored eight times in the last 15 minutes of European matches this season, 42 per cent of their overall output.

Chelsea are 6/1 to beat Steaua 1-0 with Coral.

07.03. (Thu) 18:00 Anji - Newcastle United

PROBABLE LINEUPS

ANZHI
V. Gabulov
A. Eshchenko • João Carlos • Ewerton • Y. Zhirkov
O. Akhmedov • L. Diarra
M. Boussoufa • Jucilei • Willian
S. Eto'o

NEWCASTLE
R. Elliot
J. Perch • S. Taylor • M. Yanga-Mbiwa • D. Santon
V. Anita • Y. Cabaye
S. Marveaux • M. Sissoko • J. Gutiérrez
P. Cissé

Anzhi have no new injury worries and go into the game with a full squad of players to choose from, with superstars such as Willian, Samuel Eto'o and Lassana Diarra all set to play from the start.

Newcastle could welcome back Hatem Ben Arfa (hamstring), but Fabricio Coloccini (back) has been ruled out by manager Alan Pardew.

Ryan Taylor (knee) is close to recovery, however he is unlikely to return to action until the end of the month.

Tim Krul (ankle) remains on the sidelines after picking up an injury in the last round against Metalist Kharkiv and Steve Harper's absence with a knee injury means Rob Elliot will continue in goal.

DID YOU KNOW?

Newcastle have faced Anzhi star Samuel Eto'o in European competition before, the Cameroonian was part of the Real Mallorca side that suffered a 7-1 aggregate Uefa Cup loss to the Magpies in 2004.

Shola Ameobi played in the second leg of that tie and will move level with Alan Shearer on 38 European appearances for Newcastle if the plays in both legs of this tie.

The Magpies have beaten a Guus Hiddink side in the past, as they overcame PSV Eindhoven over two legs in the quarter-finals of the 2003-04 Uefa Cup before losing to Marseille in the next round.

Anzhi have won all seven of their Europa League home games this season, scoring 12 times and conceding just once.

Samuel Eto'o is 4/1 to score the first goal in the game with Coral.

Hiddink's side have only lost twice in their domestic league this term, with defeats against Rubin Kazan and CSKA Moscow both coming away from home.

As a football club, Anzhi are 99 years younger than Newcastle, having only been formed in 1991.

This tie marks the first time that Newcastle have faced Russian opposition in European competition.

06.03. (Wed) 20:45 Paris Saint Germain - Valencia

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Sirigu
Jallet, Alex, Sakho, Maxwell
Lucas Moura, Matuidi, Chantome, Pastore
Lavezzi, Gameiro

VALENCIA
Alves
Pereira, Victor Ruiz, Mathieu, Guardado
Parejo, T Costa
Feghouli, Banega, Jonas
Soldado

Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti is without suspended duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti for the Champions League clash against Valencia on Wednesday.

Ibrahimovic's red card in stoppage time in the first leg sees him band for two games by Uefa, though the French club have appealed a possible ban for the quarter-finals. The Swede, who featured in the shock 1-0 defeat to Reims at the weekend, is set to be replaced by Kevin Gameiro.

Verratti's replacement is undecided however. David Beckham is in line to make his first Champions League appearance since a 4-0 defeat for AC Milan to Manchester United in 2010, with Clement Chantome also in the mix.

Thiago Silva is unlikely to be thrown straight back into action, as Ancelotti is expected to make do with Mamadou Sakho and Alex, with Christophe Jallet on the brink of a return ahead of a disappointing Gregory van der Wiel.

Meanwhile, Valencia coach Ernesto Valverde is set to play Frenchman Jeremy Mathieu in defence for the trip to Paris following injuries to Ricardo Costa and Adil Rami, both of whom are not in the 19-man group.

Sofiane Feghouli - born in Paris - should play, with Roberto Soldado leading the line as the Spaniards aim to put an end to PSG's dream of Wembley.

DID YOU KNOW?

Paris Saint-Germain, who last made it into the quarter-finals in 1994-95, have won their last five games in the competition.

The Ligue 1 leaders are unbeaten in 22 home fixtures in Europe, since a 4-2 defeat to Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2006.

Les Parisiens have scored all 16 of their Champions League goals inside the box.

The next goal PSG concede will be the 50th against them in Champions League/European Cup history.
Valencia's first-leg defeat ended a 17-game unbeaten run against Ligue 1 opposition.

On the three occasions that Valencia have suffered a first-leg defeat in Uefa competition, they have gone on to lose every tie.

Ernesto Valverde will be hoping to steer the club to their first quarter-final since 2006-07, when they were eliminated by Chelsea.

Thiago Silva, Blaise Matuidi (PSG) and Antonio Barragan, Vicente Guaita and Tino Costa are all within a booking of suspension.

Prediction
The Ligue 1 leaders are limited considerably with the suspension of goal-machine Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and at times they've looked largely without their talismanic striker. Nevertheless, Valencia's own problems, notably in defence, sees them unlikely to progress. PSG have the quality, even if the visitors possess the know-how at this stage. It'll be narrow, but Carlo Ancelotti's side should finish the job.

Editor's Prediction
PSG 1-0 Valencia

06.03. (Wed) 20:45 Juventus - Celtic

PROBABLE LINEUPS

JUVENTUS
Buffon
Barzagli, Bonucci, Peluso
Pirlo
Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Marchisio, Asamoah
Vucinic, Giovinco

CELTIC
Forster
Matthews, Ambrose, Wilson, Izaguirre
Ledley, Wanyama, Commons
Forrest, Hooper, Samaras

With his side being three goals ahead in the tie, Juventus boss Antonio Conte is likely to leave out defender Giorgio Chiellini who made his return from injury in the 1-1 draw with Napoli on Friday night after being out since December.

Conte also has doubts over the fitness of Martin Caceres and Nicolas Anelka (both back) and therefore probably won’t be risked for the second leg, while Paolo De Ceglie, Nicklas Bendtner and Simone Pepe (all thigh) all continued to be sidelined with long-term injuries.

Celtic arrive in Turin knowing they need a miracle in order to qualify for the quarter-final stages, but boss Neil Lennon has good news with talismanic striker Georgios Samaras returning during the 2-1 defeat away to Motherwell in the SPL last Wednesday.

However, Scott Brown's ongoing abductor problems will force him to miss the trip, while Swedish full back Mikael Lustig (thigh) also looks set to sit the game out.

DID YOU KNOW?

Juventus are unbeaten in Europe for almost three years, recording eight wins and nine draws, with their last defeat being a 4-1 thumping away to Fulham.

The Serie A leaders also have an impressive record at home in the Champions League, having only lost once in their last 29 games.

Stephan Lichtsteiner, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal will miss the first leg of a potential quarter-final tie should they receive a yellow card.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is the only survivor of the last fixture between the two sides in Turin, when a last-minute Nicola Amoruso penalty saw Juventus claim a controversial 3-2 victory.

Celtic have failed to get by the last 16 stage since the creation of the Champions League, falling at this hurdle twice, at the hands of AC Milan and Barcelona.

The Parkhead side have yet to record a win in Italy, having only recorded three draws in their nine visits to the country.

The victory Neil Lennon’s side recorded at Spartak Moscow during the second game of the group stages was Celtic’s first away victory in the Champions League in their last 21 games.

The SPL leaders fielded a side during their opening group stage fixture with Benfica that included 10 players making their Champions League debuts.

Prediction
The result in Glasgow makes this game nearly irrelevant, as the SPL leaders are unlikely to be able to overcome a three-goal deficit, while making sure that the home side don’t add to their advantage. Juventus should ultimately be able to see out the game and claim a place in the last eight of the Champions League with a comfortable home victory.

Editor's Prediction
Juventus 2-0 Celtic

05.03. (Tue) 20:45 Manchester Utd. - Real

PROBABLE LINEUPS

MANCHESTER UNITED
De Gea
Rafael, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra
Carrick, Cleverley
Welbeck, Rooney, Kagawa
Van Persie

REAL MADRID
Lopez
Arbeloa, Varane, Ramos, Coentrao
Khedira, Alonso
Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo
Benzema

Jose Mourinho has first-choice goalkeeper Iker Casillas back in his squad for the game at Old Trafford for the first time since January 23, but it remains unlikely that the Spain international will feature.

Marcelo is also back in contention after recovering from injury and will push Fabio Coentrao for a place at left-back.

The Real Madrid boss rested plenty of key players in the win over Barcelona at the weekend. Alvaro Arbeloa, Sami Khedira, Angel di Maria, Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo will all return to the starting line-up.

Phil Jones (ankle), who impressed in the first leg, is a doubt to feature on Tuesday, though Tom Cleverley is expected to come in for the Red Devils in midfield.

However, Rio Ferdinand is expected to return to the side after missing the win over Norwich at the weekend with illness.

Jonny Evans is likely to once again partner the Englishman in defence, with Nemanja Vidic who played at the weekend, missing out.

DID YOU KNOW?

The two previous Champions League encounters between Manchester United and Real Madrid at Old Trafford have produced 12 goals.

BetVictor are offering 9/1 on over 5.5 goals on Tuesday night.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored seven goals in 23 Champions League games at Old Trafford. He has 16 goals in 18 European games at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Angel Di Maria has four assists in the competition this season, all coming against Manchester teams - three against City and one against United.

Real Madrid are one of two Spanish teams to have beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Champions League. Deportivo La Coruna won 3-2 back in April 2000.

Jose Mourinho has never won a Champions League game at Old Trafford. Porto's progress was built on a 1-1 draw while Inter lost 2-0 at United in 2008-09.

On the two occasions the Real Madrid boss has won the Champions League, his teams have have knocked out English opposition in the last 16.

United have managed only two clean sheets in their last 10 home Champions League games.

Alex Ferguson has only won twice in his 15 competitive encounters with Jose Mourinho.

The Red Devils have had their woodwork rattled six times, the most of any side in the tournament this season.

Prediction
Real Madrid are in rampant form after back-to-back wins over arch-rivals Barcelona in the space of a week and, having rested most of their key players over the weekend, Jose Mourinho's men should be fit and raring to go. Sir Alex Ferguson's side, meanwhile, are coasting in the Premier League and would have had one eye on this tie during their routine win over Norwich at the weekend.

With 12 goals in the last two meetings between these two sides at Old Trafford, expect a high-scoring affair. The Red Devil's defensive record at home in Europe is poor with only two clean sheets in 10, and so Madrid could be favourites to score enough to progress.

Editor's Prediction
Man Utd. 2-2 Real Madrid

05.03. (Tue) 20:45 Borussia D. - Shakhtar

PROBABLE LINEUPS

DORTMUND
Weidenfeller
Piszczek, Subotic, Santana, Schmelzer
Gundogan, Bender
Blaszczykowski, Gotze, Reus
Lewandowksi

SHAKHTAR
Pyatov
Srna, Chygrynskiy, Rakitskiy, Rat
Hubschman, Fernandinho
Teixeira, Mkhitaryan, Taison
Luiz Adriano

Borussia Dortmund will be sweating over the fitness of Mats Hummels, who was forced to sit out of their last two games, with Jurgen Klopp admitting his participation will be in doubt.

However, there are no fresh injury worries, and the likes of Mario Gotze and Lukasz Piszczek, who were rested over the weekend, will come back into the starting line-up.

Shakhtar Donetsk, meanwhile, can be expected to name more or less the same side that faced Dortmund at the Donbass Arena three weeks ago.

One potential change could see Olexander Kucher slot back into the defence after scoring during their first game after the winter break, a 4-1 win over Volyn Lutsk.

DID YOU KNOW?

Dortmund have come out victorious in just two of their last six games in all competitions.

Jurgen Klopp's side have won all of their Champions League home games this season, and remain one of three teams unbeaten in the competition.

The first leg of this tie was the first time that BVB had failed to beat Shakhtar in three meetings between the two sides.

Shakhtar Donetsk won their first-ever European trophy by beating German opposition - Werder Bremen - in the 2009 Uefa Cup final.

The last time the Miners played in Germany, they grabbed a 1-0 win over Schalke, Dortmund's bitter Ruhr rivals.

The Ukrainian champions have scored 22 goals in their last 11 away games in the Champions League.

Prediction
Dortmund will be confident following their win over Hannover over the weekend, and although Shakhtar will put up a fight, I'd expect the Germans to progress to the next round thanks to their positive away result.

Editor's Prediction
Dortmund 2-1 Shakhtar

OPTA Facts - Champions League Last 16, Second leg

Juventus - Celtic
Juventus and Celtic have met five times in the past, with three wins for the Italian club and two for the Hoops.
Juventus have lost only one of their last 20 Champions League games at home (1-4 v Bayern Munich, December 2009), winning 13 and drawing six. They have kept clean sheets in 13 of those games.
Celtic have never won an away game in Italy (six defeats, three draws).
No side has ever overturned a 3-0 deficit at home in the first-leg in the history of the Champions League.
The last three competitive encounters between Celtic and Juventus have produced 15 goals.
Juventus are unbeaten in the Champions League this season, having produced three draws followed by four wins.
Juventus haven't conceded a goal in their last 400 minutes in the Champions League, the longest run in the competition this season.
In the first leg, Celtic had the most shots (17) and their highest possession ratio (53.4%) in the Champions League this season and yet suffered their heaviest defeat of the 2012/13 campaign.
Celtic have the joint-worst defensive record among the 16 teams left in the Champions League this season (11 goals conceded, alongside Arsenal).
Georgios Samaras has scored in each of his three away games in the Champions League this season.

Paris SG - Valencia
PSG became the first French team to beat Valencia at Mestalla in the first leg.
PSG also ended Valencia's unbeaten run of 17 games against French clubs.
No French club has ever kept a clean sheet against Valencia in European competition (19 games).
PSG have won their last five Champions League games, the best run currently. It's PSG's longest streak in the competition since 1994/95.
PSG are unbeaten at home in their last 22 games in European competition, qualifiers included (15 wins, 7draws). Their last defeat dates back to 23 November 2006 in the group phase of the UEFA Cup, against Hapoel Tel-Aviv (2-4).
PSG have won 15 of their last 20 home games in the Champions League (75%). Only Monaco (76%) have a better ratio among teams with at least 10 home games in the competition.
PSG have conceded only four goals in seven Champions League games this season, the joint-best defensive record in the competition.
All 16 of PSG's goals in the Champions League this season have been scored from inside the box.
Ezequiel Lavezzi has scored four goals in his last three Champions League games. He's PSG's top scorer in the competition this season.

Borussia Dortmund - Shakhtar Donetsk
Borussia Dortmund are one of three teams unbeaten in the Champions League this season with Juventus and Schalke.
No Ukrainian team has ever beaten Borussia Dortmund in European competition (including qualifiers) (five losses, two draws).
Borussia Dortmund have won all three of their home games in the Champions League this season, conceding only one goal.
Shakhtar Donetsk have only lost once in their four trips to Germany in European competition (two wins, one draw), against Eintracht Frankfurt (0-3) in UEFA Cup in October 1980.
This is only the second time Shakhtar have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League after 2010/11 when they were eventually knocked out in the quarter-finals.
Shakhtar are unbeaten in their last five encounters with German clubs in European competition (three wins, two draws).
11 of Shakhtar's last 12 goals in the Champions League have been scored by Brazilian players (Texeira (2), Fernandinho (1), Willian (4), Luiz Adriano (3), Douglas Costa (1)).
Shakhtar have scored in 11 of their last 12 away games in European competition (23 goals overall).
Mario Götze is involved in four of Dortmund's last six goals in the Champions League (one goal, three assists).
Shakhtar's Fernandinho has completed the most dribbles in the Champions League this season (27).
All three of Marco Reus' Champions League goals this season have came away from home for Borussia Dortmund.
Of the teams left in the competition only Celtic (66.0%) have a worse passing accuracy in the opposition's half than Borussia Dortmund (71.9%).

Manchester Utd - Real Madrid
Real Madrid are one of two Spanish teams to have beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Champions League (Deportivo La Coruña won 3-2, 19 April 2000).
The Red Devils have only lost once in their last 14 Champions League home games (nine wins, four draws), the last one against CFR Cluj during the group stage this season.
The two Champions League encounters between Manchester Utd and Real Madrid at Old Trafford have produced 12 goals.
Lyon were the last team to knock Real Madrid out at the last 16 stage in the Champions League, back in 2009/10 (0-1, 1-1).
Manchester United have conceded three goals in each of their two home games against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Real Madrid have only won once in their last five away games in England in the Champions League (two draws, two defeats), against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in April 2011.
Real Madrid have only failed to score once in their last 32 Champions League games, against Barcelona in Santiago Bernabeu in April 2011.
Real Madrid have failed to keep a clean sheet in the Champions League this season (10 goals conceded).
Manchester United have had their woodwork rattled six times, the most of any side in the tournament this season.
Real Madrid have had the most shots in this season's Champions League (154, that's 56 more than Manchester Utd).
Alex Ferguson has only won twice in his 15 competitive encounters against José Mourinho (seven draws, six defeats).
Only Didier Drogba has scored more headed goals (8) than Cristiano Ronaldo (7) in the Champions League since 2003/04.
Angel Di Maria's four assists in CL 2012/13 have all been delivered against Manchester teams (3 against City, 1 against United).
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored seven goals in 23 Champions League games at Old Trafford. He has 16 goals in 18 games at the Bernabeu.

Week 2

Malaga - Porto
Porto are unbeaten in their last eight Champions League games against Spanish opposition (four wins, four draws). Real Madrid are the last Spanish side to beat Porto in Europe's premier competition, in October 2003.
Malaga have only lost two of their 25 games in European competition, qualifiers included. Both those defeats were in Porto: against Boavista back in March 2003 (UEFA Cup quarter-finals) and FC Porto in the first-leg.
Malaga are winless in their last four Champions League games, the longest current drought among the teams still left in the competition.
Malaga only had two shots in the first leg against Porto, the fewest attempts in a Champions League game this season.
Porto have conceded only four goals in seven games, the best defensive record in the Champions League this season alongside Juventus and PSG.
Porto have kept the most clean sheets in the Champions League this season (5).
Malaga are the only team yet to concede a first-half goal in the Champions League this season.
Porto last reached the quarter finals of the Champions League in 2008/09.
Porto have won none of their last six away games the Champions League knockout stages, their last win on the road dating back to the semi-finals in May 2004 against Deportivo La Coruna.

Bayern Munich - Arsenal
Bayern Munich are the top scorers in this season's Champions League (18 goals).
The only English team to beat Bayern Munich away from home in Europe (penalties excluded) are Norwich City, back in October 1993 (UEFA Cup).
Bayern Munich have won all three of their home games in the competition this season (12 goals, three conceded).
Bayern Munich have never lost by more than two clear goals at home in the Champions League.
Arsenal have only ever won once in Germany in the Champions League despite travelling there eight times. It was in September 2006 against Hamburg (2-1).
Arsenal have lost their two previous away games against Bayern Munich (one goal scored, four conceded).
Arsenal and Bayern Munich have met five times in the Champions League, with the Bavarians winning three times, Arsenal once and the other one ending in a draw.
Bayern Munich have scored in each of their last 13 Champions League games, the last team to stop them from netting being Basel in February 2012.
Arsenal have only kept one clean sheet in their last 23 Champions League games away from home.
Arsenal have the joint-worst defensive record among the 16 teams left in the Champions League this season (11 goals conceded, alongside Celtic).
Arsenal have had the fewest shots among the 16 teams left in the Champions League this season (57).
Bayern Munich have attempted the most crosses in the Champions League this season (217). All three of their goals in the first leg against Arsenal came from crosses.
Bayern Munich have had 10 different goalscorers in the Champions League this season, more than any other side.
Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic (5) has delivered more assists than Olivier Giroud and Philipp Lahm (4) in the Champions League this season.
Lukas Podolski has scored four goals from four shots on target in the Champions League this season.

Schalke - Galatasaray
Schalke are one of three teams unbeaten in the Champions League this season with Borussia Dotrmund and Juventus.
Galatasaray hadn't reached the knockout stages of the Champions League since 2000/01 when they were knocked out by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
Schalke have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League for the third time after 2007/08 and 2010/11. Both times, they made it at least to the quarter-finals.
Galatasaray are unbeaten in their last five Champions League games (three wins, two draws).
Galatasaray have won their last two away games in the Champions League (against Cluj and Braga).
Galatasaray have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 11 away games in the Champions League.
Schalke are unbeaten against Turkish opposition (two wins, three draws).
Schalke have drawn the most games in this season's Champions League (4).
Schalke have never failed to score in the Champions League this season.
Galatasaray have scored only eight goals in seven Champions League games this season, the lowest among the 16 teams still left in the competition.
Burak Yilmaz has scored seven of Galatasaray's eight goals in the Champions League this season. He is the joint-top scorer in the competition with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona - AC Milan
The last time Barcelona exited the Champions League at the last 16 stage was in 2006/07. It was against Liverpool.
Barcelona have failed to score in their last two Champions League games for the first time since April 2008.
Barcelona have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six knockout games in the Champions League at Camp Nou (four wins, two draws).
AC Milan's last victory against Barcelona at the Camp Nou in the Champions League was in September 2000 (2-0). Since then, they've had two draws and two defeats.
AC Milan have conceded at least three goals in four of their last six away games in the Champions League knockout stages.
AC Milan have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight away games in the Champions League.
AC Milan's last away win the Champions League knockout stages was against Bayern Munich in April 2007 (2-0).
Barcelona (5,447) have completed 3,251 more passes than AC Milan (2,196) in the Champions League this season.
AC Milan's last seven goals in the Champions League have all been in the second-half.
Lionel Messi only made one touch inside the opposition box in the first leg and didn't get a single shot on target.
Stephan El Shaarawy has been directly involved in four of Milan's last eight goals in the Champions League (two goals, two assists).