Arsenal v Chelsea – Team News, Possible Starting Lineups,Tactics And Prediction

Arsenal FC host Chelsea FC in the 4^th round League Cup clash at the Emirates, in what promises to be another exciting London derby.

Arsenal have made a flying start to the season and currently lead the Premier League table, with a two points advantage over Chelsea. The Gunners have lost just once in their last 14 fixtures in all competitions and are now being considered as serious title challengers this season. The League Cup still remains one of their best possibilities to win silverware and end the long drought; it is one trophy that has eluded Arsene Wenger during his long stint at the club.

Arsenal are coming into this match on the back of a 2-0 victory over Norwich as Olivier Giroud and Mikel Arteta got on the score sheet. In their last League Cup fixture Arsenal travelled to face West Bromwich Albion and ended up winning the game on penalties. The game ended 1-1 in fulltime with Saido Berahino cancelling out Thomas Eisfeld’s opener.

Chelsea are currently second in the points table and are currently in eye-catching form. They have recovered well from the three consecutive defeats they suffered since their loss to Bayern Munich in the Super Cup. They are currently on a five match winning streak and are undefeated in their last eight matches.

The Blues are coming into this game on the back of a big win against Manchester City. It was perhaps their most important game of the season so far and Jose Mourinho’s men showed enough determination to grab a crucial victory. In their last League Cup match they got a comfortable win over Swindon Town as Fernando Torres and Ramires scored for the away side.

Interestingly Chelsea have had the upper hand over Arsenal in recent meetings between these two sides. Arsenal’s last win over Chelsea came in 2011 when Robin van Persie scored a wonderful hat-trick at Stamford Bridge. The last meeting between Arsenal and Chelsea in a knockout tournament came in the 2009 FA Cup fixture when Didier Drogba scored a memorable late winner.

Arsenal FC – Team News, Lineup And Formation

Arsene Wenger has a host of injury concerns ahead of this fixture as he has had for most of the season so far. Yaya Sanogo, Abou Diaby, Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain are all out of contention for this game, while Mathieu Flamini, who was substituted in the opening ten minutes of the game against Norwich with a groin injury, is the latest addition to that list. The Frenchman is expected to be out for 2-3 weeks. Mikel Arteta, who was shown a red card in the last match, will also serve his suspension in this game.

Arsene Wenger is expected to make as many as nine changes to the starting line-up that was fielded against Norwich in the weekend. Fabianski will replace Szczesny in goal while Monreal, Thomas Vermaelen and Carl Jenkinson will start in the defence alongside Koscielny. With both Flamini and Arteta out of contention, Wenger will have revert back to the pairing of Wilshere and Ramsey in the pivot in front of the defence.

Nicklas Bendtner will lead the line up front as Giroud is rested for this game, while Gnabry and Rosicky will start along with Cazorla behind him. Ozil will start from the bench in this match as Wenger looks to rotate his squad.

While Wenger has enough depth in the attacking third to make these changes without hugely affecting the quality, it is in the defensive half where they might struggle. Chelsea are also expected to field a second string side, but the Blues’ second choice attackers are more than handy. Vermaelen hasn’t been a regular in the side so his form and match fitness will be tested in this game, while Jenkinson has looked shaky defensively whenever he has started on the right.

The absence of Flamini and Arteta could also prove to be a big miss against Chelsea as neither Wilshere or Ramsey are defensively discipline enough to play in the role of a holding midfielder. They will have to be careful about not exposing the back four to the Chelsea attack too often.

Possible Starting Line up [4-3-3]: Fabianski (GK); Jenkinson, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Monreal; Wilshere, Ramsey; Gnabry, Rosicky, Cazorla; Bendtner

Chelsea FC – Team News, Lineup And Formation

Unlike Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho doesn’t have any major injury concern to deal with at the moment. Marko van Ginkel remains the only player on the side-line due to injury ahead of this game.

Mourinho has been furious with the way Chelsea’s game has been scheduled just 48 hours after their big match against Manchester City on Sunday. Earlier he has threatened to field his youth team in protest, but has later back down from the stance and said that the club will have respect the fans. But despite this, none of the players used against Man City is expected to be fielded against Arsenal. Mourinho has enough depth in his squad to use a fairly strong second string side.

Veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer will replace Petr Cech in goal while Cesar Azpilicueta and Ryan Bertrand will replace Ivanovic and Ashley Cole respectively. David Luiz, who has received some criticism for his recent performances, will start in this game alongside young center back Tomas Kalas.

Lampard and Ramires will be rested for this game and the duo will be replaced by the pairing of Mikel and Essien. In the attacking third of the midfield, Juan Mata, who started on the bench against Manchester City, will start along with Willian and De Bruyne. Upfront it will come down between Samuel Eto’o or Demba Ba to lead the line.

Chelsea have a relatively in experienced back line for this game and the midfield will have to protect them. The other problem that the Blues might face is the fact that neither Mikel nor Essien is known for their passing ability – this might slow down their transfer of possession from defence to attack. Juan Mata will be the key as the Spaniard can drop deep and help in building up play from the back.

Possible Starting Line-Up [4-2-3-1]: Schwarzer (GK); Azpilicueta, Luiz, Kalas, Bertrand; Mikel, Essien; De Bruyne, Mata, Willian; Eto’o

Player To Watch Out For

Juan Mata (Chelsea FC)

The Spaniard once again missed out in the match against Manchester City and he has started in only four league matches so far this season. Juan Mata has point to prove in this game. With Arsenal playing Wilshere and Ramsey in the pivot, there might be a lot of space for him to exploit in-between the lines of the defence and the midfield. Also Chelsea will mostly depend on him to orchestrate the build-up play in this game. His performance against Arsenal will have a huge impact on the outcome of this match.

Prediction

Arsenal 2-2 Chelsea [Penalties]

Boyed by the home support and derby atmosphere Arsenal are expected come out all guns glazing. The home side will look to score early in this game and Chelsea will have to be organised to handle it. But the away side will slowly grow into the game and look to hurt Arsenal on the break using their pace upfront. It will be a close game with plenty of goals and one which might be decided on penalties.

Barcelona v Real Madrid (27 October 2013 ~ 00:00) Preview | Probable Lineups, Missing Players, Team News, Prediction

Probable Lineups

Missing Players

Team News

 Barcelona

• Lionel Messi made his first starting appearance following his injury lay-off against Milan in midweek and immediately returned to scoring ways.
• Jordi Alba remains injured, which means Adriano is likely to keep his place at left back.
• After resting him midweek, Gerardo Martino could opt for Carles Puyol to partner Gerard Pique in defense. Otherwise Javier Mascherano will keep his place.

 Real Madrid

• Madrid have few injury worries, though they will regret Xabi Alonso not being fit in time for their showdown with their fiercest rivals.
• Gareth Bale is expected to make just his second starting appearance for his new club following his world record transfer in the summer. The Wales international could take the place of Angel Di Maria on the right flank.
• Despite getting on the score-sheet for France recently, Karim Benzema's struggles at Madrid continue. With yet another below par performance on Wednesday night, he has again become the centre of debate. Nevertheless, Carlo Ancelotti is being tipped to start him at the Camp Nou.
• Ancelotti is set to continue his goalkeeping policy as Diego Lopez will return to the side in place of Iker Casillas.
• Along with Lopez, Isco and Daniel Carvajal are the other two changes to the side that face Juventus, with Alvaro Arbeloa and Sami Khedira making way for them.

Prediction

• Barcelona's form has dipped in the past week, only managing to draw away to Osasuna and Milan during the week. As a result, they have allowed Real Madrid to close the gap between them at the top to just three points.
• Though Ancelotti's Real Madrid side are yet to fully convince everyone, they will travel to the Camp Nou in confident mood after defeating Juventus in the Champions League. They will also be buoyed by their recent record away to Barcelona of two wins, two draws and just one defeat in five games. They have also managed to score at least two goals in each of their last six visits.
• This will be the first Clasico for Barcelona's new star Neymar and he will keen to make an impression. The same can be said of Real Madrid's mega-money signing, Gareth Bale. Meanwhile, this will be the first meeting between new bosses Ancelotti and Martino.
• Playing at home, Barcelona will start as slight favorites though the visitors will know that a loss could be a massive blow to their title hopes. Consequently, as ever when it comes to these games, it should be a highly intense and intriguing affair. 

Belgium U21 vs Italy U21: Betting Preview & Prediction (European Championship U21 - October 15, 2013)

BELGIUM U21 V ITALY U21: PREDICTIONS

Belgium u21 side are pretty much going about their business in the same fashion as their senior team. Four games has yielded four wins with 7 goals scored and just 1 conceded. With a 3-1 win already in the bag over Italy in Prieta its looking good for Belgium. With a solid side consisting of a team in the mould of the seniors its no surprise to see them doing so well.

Italy u21 have only played twice but already they are 9 points behind this rampant Belgian side. After a home 3-1 loss to the group leaders Italy recovered well and beat Cyprus 2-0 in Nicosia. No real standout names for the Italians who are more a workmanlike side than usual.

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BELGIUM U21 V ITALY U21: STATISTICS    

Last 10 matches

Team Statistics Analysis

Performance in UEFA U21 Championship

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EXPECTED LINEUPS

England v Montenegro: Gerrard, Wilshere to Start, Cole Injured – Lineups, Team News And Prediction

England battle against Montenegro at the Wembley in a crucial Group H World Cup 2014 Qualifier on Friday. A battle it is. England have not been exciting in their qualification campaign so far and would look to win Friday’s game to ensure they qualify automatically for Brazil. Anything less and they face the possibility of watching and waiting for other teams to decide their fate. Montenegro are one of the teams in the group with a chance of qualifying still alive. If they draw against England at the Wembley and beat minnows Moldova in their last group game, they will have a very good chance of finishing second at least in the group, giving them a chance of qualifying for Brazil.

England

Now is the time for the English to bury all excuses and turn out a good performance to earn their place in Brazil. So far, England have been ineffectual, only beating minnows Moldova and San Marino by big margins. Friday’s game gives them the opportunity to beat a Montenegro side that has proved to be very difficult opponents for the English in the past. Their two previous encounters in Euro 2012 qualifiers ended in draws, the latter of which involved Wayne Rooney being sent off. Rooney will hope to start this game though in the hole, behind Daniel Sturridge. Tom Cleverley has usually filled that space behind the striker and has been ordinary. Rooney will hope to be more creative than his Manchester United teammate and also to track back and help out in midfield. His comeback means Rickie Lambert will be relegated to the bench.

Baines will play left back in place
of the injured Ashley Cole

Left back Ashley Cole is set to miss out through injury and Everton’s Leighton Baines looks set to grab the opportunity with both hands. Kieran Gibbs will be his replacement on the bench. Roy Hodgson has a decision to make in midfield on whether to play Michael Carrick or Frank Lampard. Carrick has performed well in the Premier League consistently, but Hodgson is thought to play it safe and stick with the experience that Lampard provides. Lampard will be partnered by Jack Wilshere, who will use his pace to harry opposition players into making mistakes and giving the ball away cheaply. Wilshere is seen as the future of English football and Hodgson will want him to be at his alert best to keep the play ticking for the English from midfield.

Skipper Steven Gerrard will then have to be accommodated as a left attacking midfielder, a role he is familiar with. Gerrard will look to build attacks as well as track back to stop the Montenegro midfielders from dominating proceedings. James Milner should come in for the injured Theo Walcott on the right with Daniel Sturridge completing the attacking line. Danny Welbeck is fit but is expected to be a substitute. The centre half pairing of Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill will be persisted with as they would look to keep a Montenegro attack without Juventus’s Mirko Vucinic at bay, while Kyle Walker will make the most of Glen Johnson’s absence through injury as he cements himself in Roy Hodgson’s future plans for England.

Hodgson also has talented Tottenham wide man Andros Townsend at his disposal, but the former Liverpool boss is expected to play safe and go with established international players for this game. Hodgson has in the past displayed a tendency to be pragmatic and cautious, often naming starting line ups to counter opposition strengths than to play to his own team’s positives. Joe Hart will be the undisputed first choice between the posts. Roy Hodgson’s men are on an eight match unbeaten run.

Expected Line Up: Hart; Walker, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines; Milner, Lampard, Wilshere, Gerrard; Rooney, Sturridge

Montenegro

Manager Branko Brnovic knows his Montenegro side still have a shot at qualifying for Brazil and will prepare his side well for the tough test at Wembley. Montenegro have a good recent record against England, having been unbeaten in both those games and Brnovic will hope history repeats itself on Friday. Brnovic will have to get a result without Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic who was injured in the Champions League clash with Galatasaray. This would put more pressure on Manchester City new boy Stevan Jovetic, who will be expected to cause the England defenders a few problems.

Apart from Jovetic, midfielder Elsad Zverotic knows about England plying his trade for Fulham, while former Premier League players Simon Vukcevic of Blackburn and Stefan Savic of Manchester City complete the English connection. FC Seoul striker Dejan Damjanovic will likely replace Vucinic up front. Damjanovic got the goal against in the reverse fixture that was drawn 1-1 in Podgorica in March and will look to repeat his feats in this game if given the chance.

Montenegro may also face this difficult game without centre back Marko Basa, midfielder Miodrag Pekovic and goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic, who are major doubts ahead of the game. Montenegro are without a win in their last five games but will do their best to prevent England from scoring at the Wembley.

Expected Line Up: Poleksic; Jovanovic, Pavicevic, Savic, Volkov; Zverotic, Novakovic, Vukcevic; Kasalica, Damjanovic, Jovetic

Player to watch out for

Wayne Rooney

Rooney will be the key man

The Manchester United man will look to bury his past ghosts of his sending off against these opponents in their Euro 2012 qualifier. Rooney returns to the England team to take his place just behind Daniel Sturridge. Rooney tops the scoring charts in Group H with five goals. He has played in the hole at Manchester United very well and will be looking to link up with the inform Daniel Sturridge, who has got six goals from seven matches for Liverpool in the Premier League this season, to bamboozle the Montenegro defenders. Rooney is key not only for his ability to link up with Sturridge but also because he is a threat from dead ball situations, having scored a few beautifully struck free kicks this season. He will relish testing the Montenegro defence with his curling free kick efforts. Rooney will also track back more actively than Tom Cleverley who never really shone in the role behind the striker in Qualification.

Prediction

England 1-0 Montenegro

Germany v Ireland match preview (World Cup qualifier - October 12, 2013)

Germany are almost assured with a spot in Brazil next year, but they need to get past the challenge of Ireland at home to complete the task. Find here the best Germany v Rep. Of Ireland betting preview, tips, and probable lineups.

GERMANY v IRELAND: MATCH PREVIEW

Germany will qualify for the World Cup if they avoid defeat against Republic of Ireland. They go into this game following successive 3-0 victories against Faroe Islands and Austria and with only one defeat in their last 13 – that coming in a friendly against USA.

The German side will have to collect a positive result without a number of attacking players, including Mario Gomez, Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Marco Reus - all of whom are injured. Both Lars and Sven Bender have been forced to pull out of the squad due to injuries while Marcell Jansen, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Max Kruse are all expected to start against the Republic of Ireland.

Giovanni Trapattoni paid the ultimate price for Ireland’s failed 2014 World Cup qualification campaign when a 1-0 defeat to Austria last month resulted in the termination of his contract. Noel King takes charge for the interim period.

Ireland have lost a few players for this one, with Jon Walters and Keiren Westwood missing the match, along with Hull midfielders Robbie Brady. They also have Richard Dunne and John O’Shea suspended for this one. St Ledger and Aston Villa's Ciaran Clark are the leading candidates to take over in central defence in Germany, although Damien Delaney and Stephen Kelly have both played there in the past. Captain Robbie Keane missed training earlier today with an ankle problem, but it is not expected to rule him out of the encounter in Cologne.

The Irish were thumped 6-1 in Dublin earlier in the group by Germany with Marco Reuss and Toni Kroos each scoring twice.

GERMANY v IRELAND: PROBABLE LINEUPS
Germany (4-3-3): Neuer; Lahm, Jansen, Boateng, Mertesacker; Khedira, Kroos, Schweinsteiger; Ozil, Muller, Kruse.
Ireland (4-4-2): Forde; wilson, Coleman, St. Leger, Clark; Green, McClean, McCarthy, Pilkington; Long, Keane.

GERMANY v IRELAND: TEAM FORM
Germany
11-Sep-2013    Faroe Islands 0 - Germany 3    WCQE
07-Sep-2013    Germany 3 - Austria 0    WCQE
15-Aug-2013    Germany 3 - Paraguay 3    FR
03-Jun-2013    United States 4 - Germany 3    FR
30-May-2013    Ecuador 2 - Germany 4    FR

Ireland Republic
11-Sep-2013    Austria 1 - Ireland Republic 0    WCQE
07-Sep-2013    Ireland Republic 1 - Sweden 2    WCQE
15-Aug-2013    Wales 0 - Ireland Republic 0    FR
12-Jun-2013    Spain 2 - Ireland Republic 0    FR
08-Jun-2013    Ireland Republic 3 - Faroe Islands 0    WCQE

England v Montenegro: Betting preview & Predictions (World Cup qualifier - October 12, 2013)

The qualification rounds are still in process for FIFA World Cup 2014. England will face Montenegro in its net match of World Cup qualifier. Some of teams have qualified but half of teams still struggling for Brazil ticket. This match will be live broadcast from England’s number one & last host stadium of UEFA Champions league stadium which is Wembley. Match date is finalized & it will be played on 12th October, 2013. Kick-off timing are fixed at 3:00 am (GMT+8)

ENGLAND v MONTENEGRO: MATCH PREVIEW

There are just three points separating the top four teams in Uefa World Cup Qualification Group H with England currently top of the log, a point clear of Ukraine and Montenegro with Poland a further two points in arrears. With Ukraine and Poland meeting in Kharkov on Friday night, it might be that the Three Lions are virtually qualified by beating the Montenegrins.

The Three Lions have been unbeaten in their eight games played, conceding a miserly three goals, but four drawn matches mean that their position at the top of the points table isn’t as solidified as it should be. Coach Roy Hodgson’s men played two qualifiers last month. In the first one against Moldova at home, they easily won 4-0 but had to settle for a 0-0 draw away in Ukraine.

 Ashley Cole will miss the meeting with Montenegro after suffering a rib injury in Chelsea’s defeat of Norwich on Sunday. Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs has been called up as his replacement, but Leighton Baines is set to replace Cole in the starting lineup while Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney are set to return to first-team duties after missing the last round of international fixtures through injury.

Montenegro really need victory here if they are to give themselves a decent chance of progressing to Brazil, though – if other results go their way – a draw may suffice to see them to a second place finish and a possible play off. They have drawn two and lost one of their three most recent qualifiers and another defeat here would almost certainly take their destiny out of their own hands.

Coach Branko Brnović will be without key quartet Mirko Vucinic, Mladen Bozovic, Marko Basa and Milorad Pekovic for the trip to Wembley due to injury. Up front, Fatos Beqiraj is expected to partner Stevan Jovetic in the absence of captain Vucinic.

This will be the fourth time that England have played Montenegro and on each of the other three encounters, the best that the Three Lions could manage was a draw. The two teams met in Podgorica in March and played out a 1-1 draw, with England failing to build on Wayne Rooney’s early goal.

ENGLAND v MONTENEGRO HEAD TO HEAD

ENGLAND v MONTENEGRO: PROBABLE LINEUPS
England (4-2-3-1): Hart; Baines, Jagielka, Cahill, Walker; Wilshere, Gerrard; Welbeck, Milner, Rooney; Sturridge
Montenegro(4-4-2): Poleksic; Jovanovic, Dzudovic, Savic, Volkov; Zverotic, Drincic, Krkotic, Boskovic; Jovetic, Beqiraj

ENGLAND v MONTENEGRO: TEAM FORM
England
11-Sep-2013    Ukraine 0 - England 0    WCQE
07-Sep-2013    England 4 - Moldova 0    WCQE
15-Aug-2013    England 3 - Scotland 2    FR
03-Jun-2013    Brazil 2 - England 2    FR
30-May-2013    England 1 - Ireland Republic 1    FR

Montenegro
07-Sep-2013    Poland 1 - Montenegro 1    WCQE
14-Aug-2013    Belarus 1 - Montenegro 1    FR
08-Jun-2013    Montenegro 0 - Ukraine 4    WCQE
27-Mar-2013    Montenegro 1 - England 1    WCQE
23-Mar-2013    Moldova 0 - Montenegro 1    WCQE

Blackjack for Dummies

Blackjack is most commonly a gambling game, originally known by the name of its highest point value: twenty-one. Blackjack is one of the easiest card games. It’s a real “hit”, even with beginners.

Blackjack Basics

The game of Blackjack is contested between a player and the dealer and is tracked by points, wherein the player must reach 21 or more without exceeding the number and beat the dealer’s total in order to win. If a player or dealer exceeds 21, it’s known as a “bust”. Here’s a Blackjack breakdown:

• Dealing - Cards are dealt facedown, and the player is immediately allowed to view his or her hand.
• Hitting – A hit (or “hitting”) is a signal to the dealer that you wish to take another card. A player can hit after their hand is dealt.
• Standing – If a player “stands”, then he or she is satisfied with the current hand. There is a specific “standing” gesture that signifies this to the dealer in land-based casinos, whereas in online casinos it’s as simple as clicking the appropriate button.
• Doubling – This refers to doubling down on a bet. Some casinos determine their own unique rules regarding doubling; however, players can typically double after their first two cards.
• Splitting – You may splittwo cards of the same rank or value into two separate hands. However, you must wager the same amount on the second hand as you’ve made on the first.

House Rules
Blackjack is frequently played in-house at a casino; however, it’s now quite common to play Blackjack online. The rules for Blackjack will depend on the house (or virtual house) as well as the game type. A casino or virtual Blackjack game may use up to eight decks of cards.

In land-based casinos, the house may also choose how the cards are dealt: hand shuffling or continuous shuffling machines. Online table games frequently use shuffling algorithms known as Random Number Generators.

Hand Values

So, how does it all add up? The cards all have point values, as follows:

• Face Value – All numbered cards, 2–10 are valued by the number. Suit does not affect the value.
• Face Cards – Kings, Queens, and Jacks all equal 10, respectively.
• Aces – Blackjack players may value an ace as either 1 or 11.

When it comes to a hand, there are two types: “hard” or “soft”. A hard hand has a concrete value; therefore, the hand doesn’t contain an ace, which can change a hand value in the two ways stated above. A soft hand contains an ace; therefore, the value of the hand may change based on how the player values the ace.

Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack is all about the numbers. Learning to recognize when it’s best to hit and/or stand is the best strategy to take. For example, a hand value of 12–16 could go either way if you decide to hit – remember you don’t want to exceed 21. However, a value of 17 or higher is generally a good hand to stand with since it is fairly high and hitting again is likely to cause you to bust.

Like any game, the more you play, the faster you’ll learn. If you're looking for a Blackjack game, S188 Casino is the right place for you to start with.

Inter Milan v Roma: predictions, tips, odds, free bets and streaming (Serie A - October 6, 2013 ~ 02:45 GMT+8)

Roma will look to maintain their 100% start to the Serie A season on Sunday evening when they face Inter Milan at "Stadio S.Siro". Here you can find a complete Inter v Roma betting preview, probable lineup, and team form.

INTER MILAN v ROMA: MATCH PREVIEW  

Inter Milan are unbeaten this term, with a record of four wins and two draws leaving the Nerazzurri four points behind Roma heading into this clash. They leaked points on draws to Juventus and Cagliari.

Mazzarri will choose the starting eleven he trust more: a 3-5-1-1 with Alvarez and Palacio upfront (and Milito or Icardi ready to play in case of need). Taider and Kovacic will be in contention for a spot in midfield while Zanetti and Chivu are the long-term injuries.

Roma, under the management of Frenchman Rudi Garcia, are enjoying their best ever start to a Serie A campaign with six wins from six league matches and sit two points clear of Napoli and Juventus at the top of the table. Anyway, Roma have yet to take on top opposition in Serie A. Fourth-placed Inter Milan at the weekend will be the first occasion they do and the first real measure of Roma.

Despite some high profile departures from the Italian capital during the summer, in particular Erik Lamela to Tottenham Hotspur, it has not seemed to have had an ill-effect to the team. Defensively, they look rock solid having just conceded the one goal with only Parma able to breach their defence.

Bradley and Maicon will miss this important match through injury while Adem Ljaijc (three goals in 6 six appearances) is doubtful. Rudi Garcia should confirm the same starting eleven we saw against Bologna last week.

Roma have fared rather well against Inter Milan. Last year, they beat Inter twice in Coppa Italia and in Serie A they are unbeaten in their last four meetings with three wins and a draw. Last year, they managed a 1-1 draw on the away and a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture.

INTER MILAN v ROMA: PROBABLE LINEUPS 

Inter (3-5-1-1): Handanovic; Juan, Ranocchia, Campagnaro; Taider, Cambiasso, Nagatomo, GUarin, Jonathan; Alvarez; Palacio.
Roma (4-3-3): De Sanctis; Leandro Castan, Benatia, Torosidis, Balzaretti; Strootman, Pjanic, De Rossi; Florenzi, Gervinho, Totti

INTER MILAN v ROMA: TEAM FORM 

Inter Milan
Sep 29, 2013    Cagliari 1 - Inter Milan 1    ITA1
Sep 26, 2013    Inter Milan 2 - Fiorentina 1    ITA1
Sep 22, 2013    Sassuolo 0 - Inter Milan 7    ITA1
Sep 14, 2013    Inter Milan 1 - Juventus 1    ITA1
Sep 1, 2013    Catania 0 - Inter Milan 3    ITA1

Roma
Sep 29, 2013    Roma 5 - Bologna 0    ITA1
Sep 25, 2013    Sampdoria 0 - Roma 2    ITA1
Sep 22, 2013    Roma 2 - Lazio 0    ITA1
Sep 16, 2013    Parma 1 - Roma 3    ITA1
Sep 1, 2013    Roma 3 - Hellas Verona 0    ITA1

PSG vs. Benfica Preview

Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica both opened Champions League play in Group C with victories. PSG went on the road and crushed Olympiakos, while the Aguias scored a home win over Anderlecht. Now, the group leaders will face off in Paris.

Led by Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG are off to a very strong start to the new campaign. They remain unbeaten through nine matches across Ligue 1 and Champions League play, elevating hopes for the big-spending club.

To keep pace with PSG, Benfica will need to rebound quickly from a frustrating Primeira Liga draw with Belenenses at home. If the club brings similar form to the Parc des Princes, PSG should be on cruise control by the start of the second half.

With that in mind, let's examine all the key information for the UCL clash, followed by a breakdown of the top storyline and a match prediction.

Top Storyline: Which Club Will Take Control of Group C?
Paris Saint-Germain have made steady progress in recent years. They finally returned to the pinnacle of Ligue 1 last season, winning the title by 12 points. Now, the side looks ready to carry that success over to European play.

The addition of Cavani can't be overstated. While Ezequiel Lavezzi provided a serviceable option alongside Ibrahimovic, the Uruguayan superstar brings another world-class forward into the mix and takes a lot of pressure off the Swedish striker.

Although the pair is still building chemistry, the upside is tremendous, and they have already brought a new level of attacking presence to the pitch. PSG must lean heavily on the attack against Benfica, which will likely hunker down defensively and rely on counterattacks on the road.

The Aguias have the ability to play that style of match extremely well. Luisao leads a steady back line, Lazar Markovic and Oscar Cardozo headline an underrated attack, and Enzo Perez serves as the pivot man in the middle.

If they can shut down the PSG attack in the early going and start to frustrate Ibrahimovic and Co., those counterattacking opportunities should become available as their Ligue 1 foes get more aggressive. So the match for Benfica comes down to surviving that initial surge.

While they would love to capture all three points, even a road draw would be a great result. On the flip side, PSG can take firm control of the group by winning at home.

Prediction

Benfica might have been looking ahead to the clash with PSG before taking on Belenenses, but the result is still troublesome. A club wants to head into a key match on a high note, not after a draw with a side near the bottom of the table.

Paired with PSG's continued strong form and the fact they are playing at home, Benfica's poor showing against Belenenses gives the French club the advantage. It should be able to break down the Benfica defensive wall en route to three points and a spot all alone atop Group C.

Paris Saint-Germain 2, Benfica 1

Celti vs Barcelona (2nd October 2013) UEFA Preview & Prediction

Celti vs Barcelona
Football : UEFA Champions League
Venue: Hampden Park
Tuesday 2nd October 2013 – Kickoff time 02:45

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Match Preview :

Celtic welcome Barcelona to Hampden Park tonight hoping they can repeat their heroics of last season when they managed to beat the Catalan Giants 2-1 in the group stages of the Champions League. That was achieved on November 7 last year with Lionel Messi playing and that result proved to be key in their qualification for the knockout round of the competition.

After their opening defeat to AC Milan ended with a defeat on September 18, Celtic knows it is their home games which will make or break for them if they are to progress further in the Champions League. For the record, the Scottish Champions have won seven of their last nine European fixtures at home, with the one defeat coming in the last-16 clash with Italian side Juventus last season.

Celtic will start this match after winning last weekend beating Kilmarnock 5-2 in their domestic league. That result was good to put them second in the Scottish Premiership. Barcelona, meanwhile, top La Liga with a 100% record since the start of the La Liga.

Barcelona started their Champions League with a 4-0 thrashing of Ajax but it needs to be stated they don't have the best of records in Scotland having managed only two wins and one draw from their six matches played there.

Team News :

Celtic Team News :
Celtic boss Neil Lennon could retain the same side that played against AC Milan in their first match with Anthony Stokes and Georgios Samaras both starting in attack. Scott Brown is also expected to Captain the side from midfield, but Nir Biton and Teemu Pukki are both pushing for spots in the starting eleven for this match.

Barcelona Team News :
The visitors will be without Lionel Messi for this match. The Argentine is expected to miss the next three weeks with a hamstring injury. Defensive pair Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba are also both unavailable, meaning that Adriano and Marc Bartra should keep their place in the back four.

Cesc Fabregas is expected to be operating in the centre of the Barcelona attack with Neymar starting from the left. Alexis Sanchez and Pedro will battle it out for a place on the right for the visitors.

Possible lineups

Celtic: Forster; Matthews, Ambrose, Van Dijk, Mulgrew; Brown, Lustig, Izaguirre; Commons, Samaras, Stokes

Barcelona: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Bartra, Adriano; Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta; Neymar, Fabregas, Pedro

Prediction:

Go for Celtic and accept the 1 1/4 ball here. I just can't foresee Barcelona winning by two clear goals. They failed to do that last time even with Messi in the side, and now with him not in the side, can they win by two clear goals? I am on Celtic here.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Celtic 1-1 Barcelona