Ligue 1 Betting Preview: Round 21 Goal.com looks at round Round 21 of Ligue 1 from a betting perspective...

Match: Lorient v PSG 19/1/08 (17:10 cet)

Average odds (1X2): 2.51 2.87 2.82

This is definitely not a good time for Lorient to be playing against PSG. The capital club have started the new year with a real bang, first thumping Lens 3-0 and then Valenciennes 4-0 in the midweek Cup.

Suddenly, the pressure is really being lifted off manager Paul Le Guen, especially as the team have a cup semi final to look forward to. PSG players are now going to have their tails really up and confidence will be high. They have played some great football recently - the sort that many people expected from them this season - but, the question is whether or not it can continue.

Facing Lorient, they won't be coming up against a side that's consistent in attack. This will be a slow paced game and I actually expect the visitors to be the team that does most of the attacking.

Lorient recently lost their last match, ending their 8 game unbeaten run, and they will find it tough against the best away side in Ligue 1. Except for the injury to Didier Digard (PSG), both squads should be in perfect condition. Preference goes to the visors to pick up at least a point.

Leaning X2

Match: Auxerre v Strasbourg 19/1/08 (20:00 CET)

Average odds (1X2): 1.96 3.01 3.83

Auxerre will look to build upon their midweek cup win when they take on Strasbourg. It took a last-minute goal to beat Marseille 1-0 and send the Burgundy club through into the semi finals. Still, this will be a major confidence boost for Jean Fernandez’s men, but now attention must turn to ligue matters, and this is an important match against a direct rival near the bottom of the table.

Auxerre are just 3 points clear of the relegation zone whilst their opponents are only a point further ahead. Auxerre at home are traditionally strong and so far this season only 4 teams in Ligue 1 have won more in front of their own fans than AJA.

Strasbourg have been going through a tough period and won just 1 of their last 8 games. They produced an awful performance last weekend when they lost 0-1 at home to Nice, and if they keep playing like this then they will continue to lose games.

The African Nations Cup doesn’t have as much of an affect on these two teams with the only major absence being Sammy Traore of Auxerre. Strasbourg look set to be without key striker Eric Mouloungui who is injured. Preference definitely goes to Auxerre to win.

Leaning - home win

Match: Le Mans v Bordeaux 19/1/08 (20:00 CET)

Average odds (1X2): 2.55 2.88 2.75

The biggest shock in the midweek cup was undoubtedly Le Mans beating Lyon 1-0. It's hard to say exactly how this could happen, but it was one of those cup things where a team is really motivated to do well against the odds.

This performance will have taken quite a lot of energy out of Le Mans and it must be remembered that at this moment in time, they are very depleted in terms of squad condition. In addition to a few injuries they have lost some really important players to the African Nations Cup.

Last weekend they were outplayed by lowly Sochaux so it seemed as if they were about to start a downward trend. The Lyon victory would’ve given them some confidence, but facing Bordeaux now won't be easy.

The visitors played superbly last wee,k beating Auxerre 4-1, probably their best performance of the season. ‘Les Girondins’ are unbeaten in 5 games and still harbour ambitions of claming the title, but they must keep winning. They have the 3rd best away record in ligue 1, and should at least avoid defeat. Preference goes with the X2 bet.

Leaning X2

Match: Marseille v Valenciennes 19/1/08 (20:00 CET)

Average odds (1X2): 1.72 3.23 4.73

Both of these teams lost in the midweek cup so will have to try and hit back in the ligue. The loss to Auxerre was probably more disappointing to Marseille, who will have eyed the competition as an ideal chance to win some silverware and also as a route into Europe.

But this defeat wasn’t unexpected because Marseille have been badly affected by the African Nations Cup, losing some of their best players such as Tai Taiwo and Mamadou Niang. They looked poor away in Rennes last week and they could be tested once again this Sunday by Valenciennes.

But the visitors have their own problems, not least recovering from the nightmare 0-4 defeat to PSG in midweek. Away from home they are one of the worst teams in ligue 1 and have won just once all season. It seems here that this match will be contested by 2 teams who will be far from their best, so it could go either way.

The stingy bookies are far too short with Marseille at around 1.75: there is no value in that. Home advantage could be important and they are rightful favourites, but the best option is probably to refrain from betting because it‘s too unpredictable.

Leaning - no bet

Match: Metz v Monaco 19/1/08 (20:00 CET)

Average odds (1X2): 3.25 2.95 2.21

Although it’s only early in his reign, the introduction of new manager Yvon Pouliquen hascertainly breathed some fresh air into Metz. First they hammered Vesoul 6-1 in the French Cup, and then last weekend drew 1-1 away in Lille, ending a barren run of 6 consecutive ligue defeats. The team is playing much better and it took a 95th minute goal from Lille to deny them victory in that game. They face a virtually impossible task to avoid relegation, but the players are at least now showing that they are capable of some sort of fight.

The pressure once again will be upon the shoulders of their opponents this weekend, as Monaco will be expected to win. But it won't be easy, and the visitors have been known to be inconsistent this year. They also come here on the back of 3 consecutive away defeats, although did win at home to Lorient last week.

Metz do have the potential to play well and it seems as if the new manager has already got more out of his players than coach Francis De Taddeo. Pouliquen is a coach I rate very highly and its hardly a surprise that this has happened. I think Metz are capable of getting some points out of the match, so it’s worth gambling on the 1X bet at decent odds.

Leaning - 1X

Match: St Etienne v Rennes 19/1/08 (20:00 CET)

Average odds (1X2): 2.14 2.93 3.38

St Etienne have won just 2 of their last 10 matches and come into this clash on the back of 3 consecutive defeats. The pressure is starting to mount on coach Laurent Roussay and its important that the team get back to winning ways as soon as possible.

Normally at home they are strong, although the loss of a few players to the African Nations Cup appears to have hit them quite hard. Key midfielder Pascal Feindouno will be greatly missed once again. But St Etienne are still a pretty good home team and have lost just once in front of their own fans this year. That defeat came in their last match at Le Stade Geoffroy Guichard where they somehow succumbed to PSG 0-1. Last weekend they had plenty of possession against Valenciennes, but failed to make it count and didn’t create enough chances.

Against Rennes they will face an improving team, and one that beat Marseille 3-1 recently. Guy Lacombe appears to have got the team playing well and he will eye some points again this weekend.

Last year, Rennes won this match 3-1 and they would love a repeat result. However, due to their strength at home, preference will go to St Etienne and the 1X bet.

Leaning - 1X

Match: Sochaux v Lille 19/1/08 (20:00 CET)

Average odds (1X2): 2.22 2.91 3.25

This is a key relegation clash between two teams at the bottom of the ligue table.

Sochaux now have a new manager and Francois Gillot’s first game in charge ended in victory last weekend. Sochaux outplayed a depleted Le Mans side to win 2-0 and they will eye another 3 points this weekend. But the Montbeliard club have had some real problems at home this season and have only won once so far. Only Metz have a worse record in front of their own fans, so it’s a record they simply must change if they are to avoid relegation. There is enough quality in the squad though and they would appear to have more momentum than their opponents.

Lille could only draw 1-1 at home to lowly Metz last week and produced an awful performance. This is really a crunch game and home advantage could be important. This year, the Sochaux crowd has begun to get on the backs of the players, but now that they have a new manager in charge it may improve. Preference will go to the hosts, at least to avoid defeat.

Leaning - 1X

Match: Toulouse v Caen 19/1/08 (20:00 CET)

Average odds (1X2): 2.11 2.94 3.49

This looks to be a potentially tough match to predict, although Toulouse will hope that home advantage proves crucial. They lost last week in Lyon, although this was an expected defeat. ‘Les Violets’ produced a fairly good performance and will hope to carry some sort of momentum through into this game.

Prior to the loss they had gone on an unbeaten run of 4 matches,although they also suffered a French Cup defeat against lower ligue opposition. Toulouse have been badly affected by the African Nations Cup, and in addition to a few injuries and suspensions, the squad should be in poor condition once again. They are a hard side to predict and a lot rests on the shoulders of key striker, Johann Elmander.

Caen had had a poor season before they beat Toulouse a few months ago. Since then, they haven’t looked back and only lost 2 of their last 13 games. Now the question is exactly how much ambition they have left and whether or not they can challenge for European positions. They have perhaps been lucky in picking up some wins, but will do their best to keep things tight at the back. Key attacker, Yoan Gouffran returns from injury for the game which is a boost. It’s a really hard one to predict and could go either way - it's probably best to avoid betting.

Leaning - no bet

Match: Nice v Nancy 20/1/08 (18:00 CET)

Average odds (1X2): 2.33 2.87 3.09

This looks set to be a really hard match to predict and is capable of going either way. Nancy were expected to win in the midweek cup, but instead suffered a shock 0-3 defeat away in Lens. This was only their 3rd defeat of the season and was such a surprise, especially the magnitude of the loss. Maybe this result will be the start of their ‘bubble bursting’ and it will be important for them to get back on track this weekend in the ligue.

But a trip to the south coast is never easy and Nice are unbeaten at Le Stade Du Ray for over a year. Still, it's probably a good time to be playing against them because they miss a lot of players to the African Nations Cup. This wasn’t highlighted last week as they dominated Strasbourg, key midfielder, Ederson putting in an especially good performance.

But Nancy should be a much tougher test than Les Alsatians and if someone is to beat Nice at home, then it could quite easily happen this Sunday. I think overall we will see a very tight match with 0-0 a definite possibility. If anyone is to win, then 1 goal will probably be enough. The match is best left alone due to its unpredictable nature, although an under 2.5 goals is worth looking at.

Leaning - no bet

Match: Lens v Lyon 20/1/08 (20:55 CET)

Average odds (1X2): 4.04 3.07 1.89

Two teams who had contrasting fortunes in the midweek cup now face each other in the Sunday evening clash. But the results in midweek were not as expected, Lyon losing 0-1 in Le Mans and Lens beating Nancy 3-0.

For Lens, this was a complete surprise because they had been absolutely awful against PSG the previous weekend. Maybe the cup made the players extra motivated, but very few people saw it coming in any case.

Lyon on the other hand were disappointing in Le Mans and Alain Perrin (pictured) has demanded a vast improvement. He even said that a ligue 2 team might’ve beaten them , they were that disappointing in midweek. I expect the players to respond and Lyon to play much better in this game. Last season they thrashed Lens 4-0 in this fixture and completely blew them away. Lyon have the capability to do that to anyone in this ligue and its difficult to see how Lens can hurt them, especially without key striker Aruna Dindand, who is at the African Nations Cup.

The visitors will have been given a severe kick up the backside after the awful cup result, so they should hit back by claiming victory.

Indecisive Fred Could Still Leave Lyon Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has expressed a defree of impatience with what he calls the indecisiveness of

Lyon have revealed that their Brazil striker, Fred, might still join Tottenham Hotspur or Middlesbrough - despite claiming that he is no longer interested in a move to England.

The 24-year-old said he had turned down offers from Premier League sides in order to stay in France with the serial Ligue 1 champions.

However, Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas, said with more than a hint of sarcasm: "He has just announced that he is staying? That's great.

"But he can also say the day after that he's leaving for Spurs or Middlesbrough because they gave him what he wants."

Aulas added: "What bothers me most is his indecision. If I knew that he said this because he really wanted to stay, I would be relieved."

Fred had earlier been keen to leave Les Gones after losing his place in the first team to in-form striker Karim Benzema.

Fred Rejects Tottenham And PSG Fred has revealed that he received offers from both Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain and turned them down and

The Brazilian striker is set to leave Olympique Lyonnais during the current transfer window after failing to win a regular place in the team this season.

Juande Ramos' interest in Fred may raise a few eyebrows at White Hart Lane given the littany of attacking options available.

"For the moment, I have only received two offers, from Paris and Tottenham," he told L'Equipe. "PSG made the first offer to me. I refused it. With Tottenham, it is the same.

"Meetings have taken place with my brother. I think that we are going to see things materialise by Wednesday.

"Lyon have held talks with other clubs, not me. Not yet anyway."

While Fred has claimed that he rejected an offer from PSG, his current club believe that he is only holding out for better personal terms before joining them.

"Lyon have noted the declarations made by Fred in the press this morning and recall that the Brazil international has confirmed on several occasions his desire to play for PSG," a club statement read.

"Moreover, Lyon confirm that the different offers received so far for a transfer of Fred are close to one another, that they correspond overall to the expectations of the club and that essentially they differentiate from one another only by virtue of bonus fees involved and methods of payment.

"Lyon would like to make it clear that it is the player, of course, who will choose his final destination and that if Fred isn't transferred, he will stay available to coach Alain Perrin."

Fred On The Way To Boro Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp accepted defeat in the race to sign Lyon striker Fred, claiming that Middlesbrough were wil

The French champions recently revealed they had accepted bids for Fred from Portsmouth, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain, but also stated that they wished for the Brazilian to remain in France.

However, it seems the talented hot-shot will not be arriving at Fratton Park any time soon after a disgruntled Redknapp hinted that the player demanded excessive wages.

"Fred? Fred who? There is no way we can afford Fred at Lyon. I think he's going to Middlesbrough anyway," Redknapp told the Portsmouth News.

Juande To Rescue Miguel From Mestalla

The 28 year old has become available after falling foul of the new disciplinarian coach at Valencia- Ronald Koeman.

The White Hart Lane club are looking to strengthen all across the back line, and recently had an £8 million bid for Rangers Alan Hutton rebuffed. This development has reportedly unsettled Pascal Chimbonda, who has voiced his intention to leave.

Valencia have raised the possibility of a cash plus player swap with Spurs involving Chimbonda so a quick deal could be on the cards, although Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Newcastle are tracking Chimbonda.

Juande Ramos knows Miguel from his time in Spain and rates him highly. The former Benfica full back has 45 caps for Portugal and has always stated his desire for a move to England one day.

Chelsea and Arsenal were linked with the player last year before he signed a new 5 year contract in September.

Tottenham also look set to complete the signing of Miguel’s international team-mate Tiago this week from Juventus. The former Chelsea and Lyon midfielder is determined to leave the Turin giants after falling out of favour with trainer Claudio Ranieri.

“I can't stay here any longer” said Tiago. “The best thing for me would be to leave.”

Although personal terms have yet to be agreed, it is expected that he will complete a £9.7 million move very soon.

Ligue 1 Round-Up: Marseille And Monaco Dish Out Thrashings, PSG Lose Out

Saturday 19 January (all times local)
17:10 Lorient 1 - 0 Paris Saint-Germain
20:00 Auxerre 1 - 0 Strasbourg
20:00 Le Mans 1 - 2 Bordeaux
20:00 Marseille 3 - 1 Valenciennes
20:00 Metz 1 - 4 Monaco
20:00 Saint Etienne 2 - 0 Rennes
20:00 Sochaux 1 - 1 Lille
20:00 Toulouse 1 - 0 Caen
Sunday 20 January
18:00 Nice vs Nancy
20:55 Lens vs Lyon

Lorient 1 - 0 Paris Saint-Germain

Despite a late fightback from PSG, Lorient still prevailed in this weekend opener thanks to their early superiority.

Talk of a Paris revival quickly disappeared as Lorient started by far the better side, duly taking the lead 20 minutes in.

Granted, they had some poor defending to thank. Saifi was able to take advantage of an error from Ceara to ghost through and fire in a shot, which Bourillon turned past Landreau into his own net.

Luyindula skied a rare Parisien effort over the bar soon afterwards, but the story of the first half was largely a Breton one, even allowing for Audard's tremendous save from a Mendy header.

PSG could have equalised twenty minutes into the second period after Rothen set up Diane, but Audard was spared having to pick the ball out of his net.

A few more chances were forthcoming, but Lorient had already done enough.

AJ Auxerre 1 - 1 Racing Strasbourg

Auxerre somehow failed to score more than once as a Racing side well and truly in freefall halted their slide with a late equaliser.

AJA had the best possible start when Kahlenberg freed Chafni on the right, with the latter in turn playing a fine cross for Niculae to hit a parried effort home for an early lead.

There were yet more great chance to come - Kahlenberg himself launched a fine solo effort, while Mignot came close with an incredible 40-yard chip, but 1-0 it stayed to the halfway point of the first half.

Racing then had a chance themselves, but it was quite clear that AJA were enjoying their football. Even Renteria's brilliant second half solo run - leaving essentially the entire Auxerre defence in his wake - was insufficient to really test the home 'keeper.

Instead, Kahlenberg and Niculae ran riot at the other end, and were unlucky not to add to their lead as the game drew to a close.

That made it all the more heartbreaking for the home support when Fanchone got on the end of a long ball to beat Sorin, stealing a point to take back up north.

Le Mans Union Club 1 - 2 Girondins de Bordeaux

A game's worth of action settled this encounter in the first half as Bordeaux kept up their European challenge at the expense of the MUC's.

Le Mans actually had the first chance through Matsui, but he found his effort clawed off the line by Jurietti before Girondins decided to take matters into their own hands.

Cavenaghi hit a fine shot from the edge of the box to beat Pele just a few minutes later, and could have scored immediately afterwards were it not for a reflex stop from the home 'keeper.

Fernando was able to double the advantage soon afterwards after good work from Cavenaghi and Bellion, but Le Mans ere given a glimmer of hope when Tallec was able to break free in the box to fire past Rame.

Jurietti then saw a straight red just before the interval for fouling Douillard, and suddenly everything was that much harder.

However, Bordeaux were able to contain Le Mans with relative ease, particularly when the hosts themselves went down to ten men after Cerdan's "last man" foul on Wendel, which esentially killed off the hosts entierly.

Olympique Marseille 3 - 1 Valenciennes AFC

Valenciennes' miseries were further compounded as Marseille kept their fine Ligue run going with a stylish victory.

But despite Marseille's colossal recent home record, Valenciennes in fact started in some style, more than once bringing out some good stops from Mandanda.

However, the OM were to go in at the interval the happier side, Djibril Cisse netting his third in four games after Cana crossed in for a fine left-footed finish.

Julien Rodriguez made it 2-0 right after the break, though, to all but kill off the VAFC challenge, and as the hosts' heads went down, Cisse was able to add a third after capping off a superb team move involving Nasri, Zenden and Traore.

To their credit, Valenciennes were able to pull one back through Audel after a breakdown in communication between Mandanda and Rodriguez.

But it was too little, too late, as Marseille had already merited their win.

Metz FC 1 - 4 AS Monaco

Monaco's inconsistent nature was not exactly put to the test in Metz, with the hosts capitulating to yet another home loss en route to relegation.

Metz had had a few long-range efforts, but for the most part, it was clear that Monaco were in control, mostly thanks to dreadful home defending.

Menez made it 1-0 on the half-hour mark after concluding a well-crafted move by rounding Marichez to fire into an empty net, and just sixty seconds later, Delhommeau's error allowed Piquionne through to double the advantage.

Les Grenats were thrown a lifeline just after the interval when Aguirre lessened the deficit, but Gakpe's long-range effort six minutes from time confirmed the win that was in truth sealed long ago.

AS Saint Etienne 2 - 0 Stade Rennais

In a game short on chances, Saint-Etienne proved that they had enough in the tank to take all three points.

The first-half was close-fought, but Dernis' early goal was enough to separate the sides at the interval. The midfielder slotted home unopposed after being selflessly put through by Gomis.

Dabo very nearly doubled the advantage soon after, but on the whole there was little to shout about in the opening 45.

The second half saw a few more chances for both sides, but only one team really had any conviction about them. That was the verts, who sealed the win six minutes from time as Gomis headed home a winner after a corner.

Sochaux 1 - 1 Lille OSC

Lille won't receive much use from a mere point, but they'll be happy to get it after contesting 85 minutes with a man fewer than their opponents.

Debuchy was sent off just five minutes into this encounter after hacking down Isabey, and thus began a period of pressure from the hosts.

Erding got on the end of a fine through ball from Isabey but saw his shot turned over the bar, and the pressure didn't let up until the very end of the half.

The two linked up again, in fact, just before the interval to make it 1-0 after a fine piece of teamwork.

Lille could have been dead and burried just after the interval, but the referee, a Herve Piccirillo, cancelled his spot-kick decsion just seconds after having given it, due to offside.

As if to truly crush the dreams of the home support, Obraniak then broke forward to equalise on the counter.

Lille 'keeper Malicky then kept his side in it as Sochaux struggled in vain to win this relegation scrap.

Toulouse FC 1 - 1 Stade Malherbe Caen

Toulouse and Caen fought out a draw down south in what was perhaps the fairest possible result after an entertaining game.

TEF managed to take a lead in at the half time break, but it was against the run of play. For Caen had already had a host of chances - albeit wayward ones - by the time that 35th minute lead came about.

Still, Dieuze must be credited with a confident finish after rising to meet a corner, although Thebaux could have done a lot better with it.

However, after an eventful second period in terms of half-chances, the game was levelled when Deroin fired in a low shot from the edge of the area with twenty minutes to go.

And for all the frenetic pace and excitement, that was the end of the goalscoring action.

Portsmouth Set To Sign Tiago – Report Portsmouth are close to completing the signature of Juventus midfielder Tiago Mendes, according to The Sun.

Tiago only joined the Bianconeri in the summer from Lyon for €13m, however he has been a huge disappointment in Turin.


Juventus Coach Claudio Ranieri had been singing Tiago’s praises before last weekend, saying that the 26-year-old had shown great improvement in training in recent weeks.


This led the Italian media to speculate that Tiago could secure his future at the club, as well as force Juve to scrap plans to sign Liverpool’s Momo Sissoko, if he played well against Catania on Saturday evening.


However the Portuguese international had a disastrous game and was substituted at half-time with the Bianconeri trailing 1-0.


Following their eventual 1-1 draw in Sicily, many believe it is inevitable that Tiago will be offloaded and according to The Sun, Portsmouth will be the benefactors.


The Premiership-outfit are desperate for reinforcements as their squad has been ravaged by players participating in the African Cup of Nations.


Manager Harry Redknapp is a big admirer of Tiago and is ready to splash out just over €10.5m to get the ex-Chelsea man.


This fee would probably suit Juve, although it would represent a loss of €2.5m for less than six months service.

 

Mancini Set For Contract Re-Negotiations The chances of Amantino Mancini have been boosted after it was revealed that the player’s agent will meet wi

It had seemed inevitable that Mancini would leave Roma either this month or in the summer after discussions to extend his contract, which runs out in 2009, completely collapsed.


Roma have so far refused to break their salary cap to meet Mancini’s demands, leading to interest from a host of clubs including Liverpool, Lyon and Manchester City.


However there is still some hope remaining that the skilful winger could stay as new talks have been arranged for this week.


“There is a problem with the contract talks, but it is just a financial issue,” Pradè revealed on the Roma Channel. “Mancini’s professionalism has never been under question.

“In the next week, on Tuesday or Wednesday, we will meet his agent Gilmar Veloz and go forward with discussions.

“It’s only normal that there are things to talk about as everyone tries to protect their own interests.

“The important thing is that this doesn’t have an effect in the dressing room. These kind of things can cause unrest, so we need to manage it well.”


Mancini was in fine form yesterday afternoon, scoring a thunderous winner in Roma’s 2-1 win at Atalanta.

Steaua Striker Dica Seals Benfica Transfer Benfica have snapped up Romanian international striker Nicolae Dica for €5m

Steaua Bucharest striker Nicolae Dica has completed a move to Portuguese giants Benfica, it has been announced.

The 27-year-old, who has been capped 22 times for his country, moves to the Supaliga despite speculation during the last 2 seasons linking him to French champions Lyon.

Dica leaves Steaua after three-and-a-half seasons in which he appeared 114 times and scored 52 goals.

Named Romania's player of the year in 2006, Dica twice lifted the domestic championship before his departure.

However, he faces a tough task to repeat the feat this season with Benfica: the Eagles may be second in the table but they are a massive 11 points behind rivals and current champions Porto.

Portsmouth Set To Sign Tiago – Report Portsmouth are close to completing the signature of Juventus midfielder Tiago Mendes, according to The Sun.

Tiago only joined the Bianconeri in the summer from Lyon for €13m, however he has been a huge disappointment in Turin.


Juventus Coach Claudio Ranieri had been singing Tiago’s praises before last weekend, saying that the 26-year-old had shown great improvement in training in recent weeks.


This led the Italian media to speculate that Tiago could secure his future at the club, as well as force Juve to scrap plans to sign Liverpool’s Momo Sissoko, if he played well against Catania on Saturday evening.


However the Portuguese international had a disastrous game and was substituted at half-time with the Bianconeri trailing 1-0.


Following their eventual 1-1 draw in Sicily, many believe it is inevitable that Tiago will be offloaded and according to The Sun, Portsmouth will be the benefactors.


The Premiership-outfit are desperate for reinforcements as their squad has been ravaged by players participating in the African Cup of Nations.


Manager Harry Redknapp is a big admirer of Tiago and is ready to splash out just over €10.5m to get the ex-Chelsea man.


This fee would probably suit Juve, although it would represent a loss of €2.5m for less than six months service.

Spurs Insist Bent Not Going Anywhere Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Damien Comolli has once again denied reports that Darren Bent is set to be s

Bent has struggled to make an impact since his high profile move from Charlton in the summer, having managed just four goals in 20 games.


This is a slender return for £16.5 million spent on any striker, but Comolli's latest comments suggest that the North Londoners are not about to give up on their big summer signing so quickly.

“The majority of the reports that I have read are completely wide of the mark,” he told the club’s official website.
“I feel it is important to clarify a couple of things that are unhelpful - namely that reports that Darren Bent is for sale are totally inaccurate and, furthermore, we are not in the market for any strikers.”

Tottenham have been linked with a move for Lyon striker Fred, and it was suggested that they would sell Bent in order to free up cash and make room for the Brazilian.

Spalletti Tips Hat To Inter AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has conceded that it will take something very special for his team to overhaul white-hot

With just one loss this season, the second-placed Giallorossi are having a strong campaign by any measure. They still find themselves seven points behind the defending champions, however, who are yet to lose a single game this campaign and have shown no signs of letting up.


"It's clear that it's going to be very hard to catch Inter," admitted Spalletti. "We will not give up but we must applaud what others do.

"If Inter continue to win and we are unable to catch them, we can only compliment them for their excellent campaign.

"But in order to reach Inter's level, we would need at least two or three top players."

Spalletti's concluding sentence was a thinly veiled message to the capital club's directors, who have yet to bring in a single new recruit this winter, choosing instead to concentrate all their efforts on convincing Amantino Mancini to stay on board. At least it appears that all their hard work in this regard will pay off, as the latest reports from Rome suggest that the Brazilian winger will put pen-to-paper on a new deal despite being heavily courted by the likes of Liverpool, Lyon and Manchester City.
Roma play host to Catania on Sunday, but without their inspirational skipper Francesco Totti who has come down with a nasty bout of the flu. Inter, in the meanwhile, entertain relegation threatened Parma.

Schalke - Porto 19/02 » 05/03 »
Roma - Real Madrid 19/02 » 05/03 »
Olympiacos - Chelsea 19/02 » 05/03 »
Liverpool - Internazionale 19/02 » 11/03 »
Celtic - Barcelona 20/02 » 04/03 »
Lyon - Man. United 20/02 » 04/03 »
Fenerbahçe - Sevilla 20/02 » 04/03 »
Arsenal - Milan 20/02 » 04/

CAN 2008 Preview – Mali Goal.com takes a look at Mali's African Cup of Nations chances...

Mali come into their first African Cup of Nations since 2004 after surprisingly failing to qualify for the tournament in 2006. Whil they may not possess riches to compare with the Ivory Coast, for instance, they have several prominent European-based players, including Fredi Kanoute at Sevilla and Mahamadou Diarra at Real Madrid.

Mali haven't been exactly regular participants at the African Cup of Nations - four qualifications prior to 2008 - and they have never been to a World Cup. However, when they have played, they have done well. Their best performance came in 1972 when they finished as runners-up, and the three other occasions (1194, 2002 and 2004) saw them finish in fourth spot.

Malian football was given a significant boost when the tournament was hosted there in 2002, and the investment in the local football infrastructure bore almost immediate results. In 2003 the U-20 side finished third in the World Youth Championships; a year later, the core of that team got to the quarter finals of the 2004 Olympics, holding Mexico to a draw in the group stages before going out to a late extra-time goal from Italy.

Mali have never had such a strong side with so many players based at some of Europe's top sides. Optimism has reached new heights in the country, with hopes raised to the effect that they might be able to go one better than their 1972 performance. The qualifying campaign did nothing to temper such dreams, with Mali finishing top of the group with the best defensive record of any of the qualified 15 sides.

With only 1 goal conceded in the 6 matches - shipped in their home draw against Benin, who have also qualified - the defence is obviously a strong point. In one of the tighter groups where three sides still had a chance of qualification going into the final match day such a good defensive record is highly impressive. Vital goals from Fredi Kanoute and Mamadu Sidibe in their final match against Togo secured Mali their place at Ghana, but also sparked off ugly scenes which culminated in Sidibe being stabbed by an angry Togolese supporter.

Whilst hopes were high after qualification, recent friendly results since have brought fans back to earth after their heroes were beaten 3-2 by both Senegal and Algeria before Christmas. However, the Mali management have put a positive spin on these events, and there is a degree of relief that the whole country hasn't become totally carried away on a wave of optimism prior to the kick off for the tournament.

The draw for the tournament hasn’t done Mali any favours, placing them in a group with the Ivory Coast and Nigeria, as well as Benin, whom they failed to beat in qualifying. French coach Jean-Francois Jodar has played down his side's chances of pulling off a shock in the tournament and has sought to play down their ability to even make it past the group stage claiming that both the Nigerian and Ivorian squads are stronger.

Despite the public pessimism of the coach, Mali do possess a strong side, although there are a number of players drawn from outside Europe. Players called up from Algerian, Moroccan, Qatari and even domestic football will play alongside the more established talents such as Kanoute and Diarra.

In goal they start with Soumailia Diakite, a goalkeeper based with leading Malian side Stade Malien, who currently top the first division. The 23 year old was first choice in the Olympic team. He is backed up by two European based keepers: Mahamadou Sidibe plays in Greece for PAS Giannina whilst Oumar Sissoko is at French side Metz.

The defence is marshalled by Lens centre back Adama Coulibaly, who is a rock at the heart of the back-line for both club and country. Coulibaly started his career with Marseille but got his first chance in the red and gold of Lens and is one of the first names on the team sheet for new coach Jean-Pierre Papin.

His centre-back colleague also plies his trade in France with Auxerre: Sammy Traore is a former PSG centre-back who was surprisingly released in the summer despite being one of the better performers for the club. Both powerfully buil.t Coulibaly and Traore will provide firm barriers and were key components in Mali's stingy defence during qualification.

Another defensive option is Cedric Kante, who is with Nice and one of their first choice full-backs, having already made 18 appearances for them this season in Ligue 1 in their rise to 7th.

Yet another defender to look out for is 26 year old Moussa Coulibaly, currently under contract to MS Algiers of Algeria. One of the Olympic players, he has been watched by several Spanish clubs including Villarreal and Barcelona, but remains in Algiers for now.

The midfield is dominated by the presence of Real Madrid midfielder Mahamadou Diarra, who has been nominated for African Footballer of the Year last season. The former Vitesse Arnhem midfielder made his name in French football with Lyon after proving himself to be a combative tackler as well as an excellent distributor of the ball. He has since gone on to make nearly 50 appearances for Real Madrid in the 18 months at the club after being drafted in by Fabio Capello to stiffen up Real’s defensive options.

A similar type of player to Diarra is Mohamed Sissoko, who is still with Liverpool, despite constant speculation linking him with a move away to Juventus in the winter transfer window. Although only used sparingly this season by Benitez, Sissoko is a player in the same mould as Diarra, and the pair form an almost impenetrable midfield.

From the right Mali usually opt for Seydou Keita, who secured himself a high profile move to Sevilla in the summer to link up with his colleague Kanoute. The former Lens midfielder scored 15 times in just over 150 games for the French side before moving to Andalucia. He scored 2 goals in his first 10 league games for Sevilla, including an impressive long range effort against Valencia.

On the left is Drissa Diakite, who in his youth won favourable comparisons with Bayern midfielder Ze Roberto. Another of the Nice based players he has made 9 appearances in the league for them and has been linked with moves to Everton, Newcastle and Real Zaragoza. Now 2,2 the time is right for Diakite to show what he can do on an international stage.

Up front Mali’s undoubted star is Fredi Kanoute. The former West Ham and Spurs striker has enjoyed 2.5 fabulous seasons in Spain with Sevilla with a goal ratio of one every other match. This season Kanoute already has 8 in just 12 La Liga appearances and hopes will be resting on Kanoute’s shoulders that he can keep the goals coming in Ghana.

His most likely partner is Lokomotiv Moscow striker Dramane Traore, who has endured a frustrating season with the Muscovites, as they finished 7th. Nevertheless Traore has done wellin the colours of his country, scoring 3 of Mali's 4 goals in those 3-2 friendly defeats.

Mali, if they wish, can also employ an out and out target man in the shape of Mamady Sidibe, the Stoke City forward, who was involved in his side’s recent 0-0 draw against Newcastle United. Although not a striker with a formidable goal ratio, his work-rate and ability to win the ball in the air makes him a useful player in the squad and means that Mali can adopt a long ball style if they wish.

Although the majority of the side that reached the semi-finals is still intact from 4 seasons ago, Mali will find it tough going to qualify from the group. On paper both the Ivory Coast and Nigeria look stronger outfits. Therefore a good start against Benin will be crucial as they look to replicate their achievements from recent editions of the tournament.

Main man – Fredi Kanoute: with 8 goals in 18 internationals Kanoute, needs to take his club form onto the international stage. With a solid defence and midfield keeping the opposition at bay defensive tightness should be assured but to win games Mali need goals, and they will look mainly to Kanoute to provide these. If Kanoute can get the goals flowing then Mali could be outside bets yet.

Prediction – the best team to go out at the group stage.

Prem Preview: Birmingham - Chelsea What: Barclays Premier League Who: Birmingham City (16th, 20pts) v. Chelsea (3rd, 47pts) When: Saturday, 19th Ja

It’s the Blues versus the Blues at St. Andrews in the return match of the season’s opening day.


Birmingham - A Thorn In The Side Of The Big Four


Birmingham secured another tremendous result against one of the league’s top sides last Saturday as they pegged Arsenal back to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates.


Overrun at first, Alex McLeish’s side rode their luck and then took their chance before valiantly holding on against a Gunners onslaught.


That followed a game at Old Trafford in which they were unfortunate to take nothing from a lethargic United. They also got a 0-0 draw at Anfield, but Birmingham aren’t only about compact football and negative draws.


Their 3-0 thrashing of Middlesbrough and tremendous 3-2 win at Tottenham proved their ability to bomb forward and smash in goals – particularly on the counter attack.


Never was that more evident than on the opening day against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where they took the lead through Mikael Forssell, got back to 2-2 thanks to Kapo’s thunderbolt, but eventually lost out to Essien’s winner.


Former Chelsea man Forssell says the Londoners can expect more of the same this time around. "There is certainly no point in sitting back against Chelsea,” explained the Finnish international. “I believe every time we push on and try to score a goal it actually takes the pressure off our defence."


The Blues have been spending money under new boss McLeish but the team really need points – they only lie above the relegation zone on goal difference.



Can Chelsea Close The Gap To The Frontrunners?

After numerous dour but generally effective displays Chelsea kicked things up a notch last weekend with an impressive 2-0 win over Tottenham. Juliano Belletti proved he only scores great goals with yet another spectacular long-range effort, while great work from Joe Cole put through Shaun Wright-Phillips to double Chelsea’s lead.

Avram Grant’s side have registered seven wins and two draws from their last ten Premier League games, and have lost just one in 25 in all competitions. The Blues remain third in the table, but crucially they are now nearer to front two United and Arsenal (4pt gap) than Liverpool in fourth (8pts).

Chelsea are missing many key players as the African Cup of Nations prepares to kick off, but regardless they possess a strength in depth most Premiership sides do not have. And with £15m signing Nicolas Anelka now leading the front line the Blues have one of the most highly rated strikers in the league at their disposal. What is more, most of the midfielders are capable of chipping in with regular goals, while the defence has consistently proven its stability.

Despite their indifferent start, this Chelsea squad is easily of the quality of those that won back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006. But a win on Saturday is a must to remain hot on the heels of the league’s front two – the good news for fans is that they’ve never lost against Birmingham in the Premier League.


FORM GUIDE

Birmingham Match Result Date Championship
Arsenal - Birmingham 1 - 1 12/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Huddersfield Town - Birmingham 1 - 2 05/01/2008 FA CUP
Man Utd. - Birmingham 1 - 0 01/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Birmingham - Fulham 1 - 1 29/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE
Birmingham - Middlesbrough 3 - 0 26/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE
Bolton - Birmingham 3 - 0 22/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE



Chelsea
Match Result Date Championship
Chelsea - Tottenham 2 - 0 12/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Chelsea - Everton 2 - 1 08/01/2008 CARLING CUP
Chelsea - QPR 1 - 0 05/01/2008 FA CUP
Fulham - Chelsea 1 - 2 01/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Chelsea - Newcastle 2 - 1 29/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE
Chelsea - Aston Villa 4 - 4 26/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE


TEAM NEWS

Birmingham

The Blues have completed the signing of James McFadden but the Scot wasn’t registered in time for this match. Elsewhere, Damien Johnson missed training in the week with a sore back but isn’t likely to miss out. McLeish will probably stick with the same XI that drew with Arsenal, leaving new signing David Murphy, who’s just recovered from a hamstring injury, on the bench.

Likely XI (4-4-2): Taylor – Kelly, Ridgewell, Schmitz, Queudreu – Larson, Muamba, Johnson, Kapo – O’Connor, Jerome

Chelsea

Frank Lampard is back in training but it’s unclear whether Avram Grant will put him straight into the starting line-up. John Terry is definitely out as he continues to recover from a foot injury and Andriy Shevchenko is also sidelined. Drogba, Kalou, Obi and Essien are all on international duty but Nicolas Anelka could make his full debut and latest signing Branislav Ivanovic is also available for selection.

Likely XI (4-4-2 diamond): Cech – Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, A Cole – Makalele – Malouda, Wright-Phillips – Ballack – Anelka, J Cole


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Birmingham – Liam Ridgewell

The former Villa man has become a real fan favourite since moving across Birmingham in the summer. And with displays such as last week’s at Arsenal, it’s easy to see why. The centre-back was dogged and committed as he batted almost everything the Gunners threw at the Birmingham goal. Ridgewell and the rest of the back four may need a repeat performance against Chelsea on Saturday.

Chelsea – Florent Malouda (pictured)

Birmingham have taken points from Arsenal and Liverpool and forced Manchester United to work hard by packing the midfield and defending resolutely. If Chelsea want to break the Blues, they may need to do so from wide areas. Shaun Wright-Phillips has utilised his run of games to great effect, and now Florent Malouda, recently returned from injury, will be looking to emulate the feat. The pacy Frenchman has netted just once in the league since joining from Lyon, but would be equally happy to provide a winning assist


PREDICTION

Birmingham are one of those lesser sides who are incredibly tough for better teams to beat. But Chelsea are often more successful than their rivals at picking up points in this type of game. There may be the odd moment of class, otherwise it’s likely to be systematic, efficient and unadventurous stuff from Avram Grant’s side.

Birmingham City 0-1 Chelsea