Monthly Archives: April 2011

Phillips to push Wolves nearer door

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There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and all can have repercussions at either end of the table. Here is a look ahead to all the key fixtures.

Birmingham City (11/10) v Wolves (5/2) Draw (23/10)

Birmingham City need to make their home fixtures count and especially against fellow relegation rivals Wolves. Alex McLeish’s side are only three points above the drop zone but they should have enough about them to sink Mick McCarthy’s troops further into the mire.

Birmingham have won three of the last four league meetings with Wolves – including a key Championship promotion battle at this stage of the season in 2009.

They appear to match up well against Wolves in that they can handle the rough and tumble nature of a West Midlands derby but also possess players with that extra bit of quality to grab a goal in a tight game. Kevin Phillips did it last year by scoring twice as a second half substitute and his record against Wolves is such that he will be a very good bet to be First Goalscorer (9/2) or Last Goalscorer (9/2).

Bet – Birmingham (11/10), Phillips First Goalscorer (9/2) and Last Goalscorer (9/2)

Liverpool (1/2) v Newcastle (6/1) Draw (3/1)

Liverpool have not lost a match at Anfield since Wolves’ shock 1-0 victory back in December and there is no reason to suspect that their run of seven wins and three draws since then will come to an end on Sunday.

Newcastle have picked up six away points from the last 21 on offer and have only scored three away goals since they sold Andy Carroll to Kenny Dalglish’s side.

Carroll’s ability to link up with fellow new boy Luis Suarez is already in evidence and it may be prudent to back both players in the anytime goalscorer market. However, Liverpool’s record of leading at half-time in their last ten shows that they have secured an interval advantage in only four of those fixtures. So take the 3/1 on offer for Draw/Liverpool in the Double Result market.

Arsenal (6/4) v Manchester United (9/5) Draw (9/4)

Arsenal have won only two of the ten matches they have played since the Carling Cup final loss to Birmingham City in February. Their fragile self-belief was cracked by Obafemi Martins at Wembley while Manchester United are now dreaming of ending their season in glory at the same stadium.

The Gunners can cause United problems on their own patch, no doubt about it, and in players like Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie they have more than enough to suggest that they will score.

However, Manchester United will not give an inch and may be worth backing to stun Arsenal by coming from behind to with the match. Totesport are offering 10/1 that United can do what only Tottenham have done at the Emirates Stadium this season.

Bet – Van Persie Enhanced First Goalscorer (6/1), Man Utd to win from behind (10/1)

Manchester City (2/5) v West Ham United (7/1) Draw (7/2)

Manchester City can take another huge step towards Champions League qualification with what should be a routine home win against bottom-of-the-table West Ham in the late Sunday game.

City’s morale will have been boosted by Spurs’ failure to take anything at Chelsea and, if the home side score early, this could be a horrible afternoon for Hammers fans.

Roberto Mancini’s tactics have been conservative at times this season but if David Silva gets on the ball and dictates the play they could score three or more goals for the seventh time since the turn of the year. City are second bottom of the Overs/Unders table – with their games averaging just 2.45 goals, but West Ham are a side they can tear apart and they may end up very comfortable winners in the end.

Bet – Man City (-1 Handicap) (21/20)

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Blues can turn up the heat

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It’s getting to that do-or-die stage of the Premier League season and there is plenty to play for in all six matches on Saturday. The big game of the day sees two London rivals go head-to-head at Stamford Bridge, with connotations for the title race and the battle for Europe.

Chelsea v Tottenham (5:30pm)

Who would have though some six weeks ago that Chelsea could still retain their Premier League title? But four wins on the bounce have offered hope to Carlo Ancelotti’s men, who can cut the gap on Manchester United to three points with a win.
The stats would suggest a home win, with Spurs failing to win at Stamford Bridge since 1990 and stuttering in the league of late. Harry Redknapp’s men have won just one of their last seven league games and will head to west London with confidence dented.
Although Chelsea have midfield issues, with fitness concerns over Michael Essien and Ramires, their rediscovered potency should see them through. Goals are also likely in the evening fixture, with the last 0-0 draw between the sides coming back in 2004.

Match Bet – Chelsea -1 on handicap @ 6/5

Blackburn v Bolton (3pm)

This Lancashire derby will have a huge bearing on whether Rovers survive in the Premier League, but a lack of goals could well prove Blackburn’s downfall once again. Steve Kean’s men have scored just one goal in their last four matches and their leading league scorer – Nikola Kalinic – has just five goals to his name.
Bolton’s recent form has been patchy since their FA Cup humiliation to Stoke, but although they have nothing to play, Wanderers should raise their game for this feisty derby clash.
Rovers will welcome back Steven Nzonzi after suspension, while Bolton will give a late test to on loan striker Daniel Sturridge.
Match Bet – Draw @ 12/5.

Blackpool v Stoke (3pm)

This looks like a must win game for the home side and Blackpool will be buoyed by Stoke’s recent hectic schedule and ever growing injury list.
Ian Holloway’s men have not won since February 22, a run which has seen them slip to just one point outside the drop zone. They played much better against Newcastle last weekend though, and the return of holding midfielder Keith Southern looks to have made them more solid.
Despite what they say, Stoke will have one eye on the FA Cup final now they are safe from the drop. Without injured trio Matthew Etherington, Ricardo Fuller and Danny Higginbotham, the Potters squad looks weaker.
Match Bet – Both teams to score @ 8/13.

Wigan v Everton

Roberto Martinez has targeted six points from Wigan’s last two home games and knows thew importance of this clash for Latics’ season. The home team will have to be at their best though to see of an Everton team in fine form.
Last week’s defeat at Manchester United ended a seven-game unbeaten run in the league for David Moyes’ men and they have won on three of their last four visits to the DW Stadium.
Wigan are boosted by the return of Maynor Figueroa from suspension and they hope Hugo Rodallega can break down a solid Everton backline, which kept a clean sheet when the two teams drew 0-0 at Goodison back in December.

Match Bet – Rodallega to score at anytime @ 13/8.

Sunderland v Fulham (3pm)

These two teams can still go down, but it would take an unlikely turn of events from them to fall out of the top flight this season. Two former Manchester United team-mates will be in opposite dugouts and they could settle for a share of the spoils.

The Black Cats are without Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck through injury and their lack of firepower is a concern. Fulham though have only won once on Wearside since 1975 – a 0-3 success in 2003.

Match Bet – Under 2.5 goals @ 8/13.

West Brom v Aston Villa (3pm)

This Midlands derby looked like it would have had a major bearing on the relegation zone just a month ago, but since then both teams look to have saved their seasons.

A run of one defeat in nine games has seen the Baggies reach 40 points under Roy Hodgson, while Villa have picked up two wins and two draws in their last four games.

West Brom have not beaten Villa home or away since 1985 – a run that spans 17 matches – but Saturday could see the end of that statistic.

Match Bet – West Brom to win @ 6/5.

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Promotion race boiling over

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With only two games remaining in the regular Championship campaign there are still plenty of matters to be resolved with regards to the battle for automatic promotion and scrap to seal a place in the end-of-season play-offs (npower Championship promotion 2010-11).

Only Neil Warnock’s QPR side seem to be assured of a place in the Premier League next season, although they were forced to put the champagne on ice after Norwich’s 96th minute winner against Derby on Easter Monday.

However, with a far superior goal difference and just one point required from their final two matches, the Hoops are finally set to seal their place at the top table of English football and can then focus on wrapping up the Championship title.

The battle to join them, as always, has turned out to be a nerve-jangling, goal-filled affair which has maintained the Championship as one of the most entertaining leagues in world football.

Norwich City

Paul Lambert’s Canaries (1/2 Promotion) are in the box-seat to join QPR in the Premier League automatically as they know wins in their final two games against sides which have nothing to play for  – Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Monday and at home to Coventry on May 7 – will see them clinch back-to-back promotions.

Norwich also appear to have hit form at the right time since a 3-0 defeat at Swansea on April 9 by going four matches unbeaten, including three successive wins in which they have scored 10 goals.

Cardiff City

Dave Jones’ Bluebirds (10/11 Promotion) are now the only side who can realistically take second place as fourth-placed South Wales rivals Swansea must win their final two matches and hope both Norwich and Cardiff lose.

They sit a point behind Norwich with two games remaining – against mid-table Middlesbrough at home on Monday and a tough trip to play-off chasing Burnley on the final day.

However, as far as momentum is concerned, Cardiff have the edge as they have not lost since a 1-0 reverse at Crystal Palace on March 8 with five wins and three draws in the bag since.

The fight to secure the final play-off place is also bubbling along nicely as Cardiff or Norwich, Swansea (13/5 Promotion) and Reading (9/4 Promotion) will be joined by Nottingham Forest, Leeds, Millwall or Burnley and even Hull in 10th spot have an outside chance.

Nottingham Forest

Billy Davies’ side (9/2 Promotion) looked certain for an automatic promotion spot at one stage, before embarking on a disastrous run which saw them slip out of the top-six.

However, they seem to have found some form at the right time to take back the final play-off spot with a two-point cushion thanks to three wins in their last four games, including successive 3-2 victories.

A City Ground date against a Scunthorpe side that is virtually relegated and a trip to a Crystal Palace side that is virtually safe from the drop should also boost Forest’s hopes.

Millwall

Kenny Jackett’s seventh-placed side (9/1 Promotion) are the dark horses in the race for a play-off place as they have ‘done a Blackpool’ by storming from nowhere to become real contenders thanks to six wins and only one defeat in their last nine league games.

They welcome Swansea to the intimidating Den before travelling to face a mid-table Barnsley side that could well have the deck chairs out on the final day.

Plus, if the Lions do roar into the play-offs, the fact they came up from League One by the same route last season will no doubt stand them in good stead.

Burnley

Eddie Howe has impressed since taking over the Clarets (9/1 Promotion) from Brian Laws earlier in the season as he has reversed their flagging fortunes to put them back into the play-off picture.

They sit in eighth spot, level on 67 points with Millwall, following a run of three wins and a draw from their previous four matches which ended a damaging run of four straight defeats.

However, they face a much tougher run-in with a trip to play-off chasing rivals Leeds before a visit of promotion-chasing Cardiff which will not help their cause.

Leeds United

Simon Grayson’s Whites (12/1 Promotion) looked certainties for the play-offs but they have pressed the self-destruct button in recent games. Just one win in eight games has left them in ninth spot and three points off Forest in sixth spot.

Therefore they need to win their final two matches – against Burnley one place above them at Elland Road and at champions-elect QPR on the final day – and hope their rivals slip-up.

It looks a tall order and it seems that Leeds will still be in the Championship next season.

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Survival instincts kick in

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This season’s relegation battle in the Premier League has been one of the most enthralling – and difficult – to predict in many a year. And, with just four games to go, the wise view is that there are realistically still six teams in danger of going down (Premier League relegation 2010-11).

Here we assess which three out of Birmingham, Wolves, Blackburn, Blackpool, Wigan and West Brom are likely to be playing Championship football next term (all odds to be relegated).

Let’s start with West Ham (4/11) and for Hammers fans it does not make easy reading. Currently bottom of the table, Avram Grant’s men are staring at a return to the second tier for the first time in six years, unless they can pick up a couple of wins in the run-in. However, next up is a trip to fourth-place chasers Manchester City and a defeat there, with other results going against them, could leave the picture even bleaker come Monday in the East End.

They do have key games against fellow strugglers Blackburn and Wigan to come yet before a final-day clash at home to Sunderland, but the feeling is even one good result out of those three may not be enough to save the Hammers.

Wolves (4/6) sit second bottom at the minute and are also in worryingly poor form. Without a win in four, Mick McCarthy’s side were outfought at Stoke on Tuesday – A lack of fighting spirit is something they will surely have to rectify against local foes Birmingham on Sunday if they are to give themselves a chance of survival. But Blues are difficult to beat in their own back yard so we see a win for Alex McLeish’s side this weekend to heap more pressure on their Black Country rivals.

It doesn’t get much easier for Wolves as a humdinger of a derby against West Brom follows that before tricky games against Sunderland and Blackburn. Three points out of those three games may seem an achievement but it could also leave them tantalisingly short when it comes down to the final count.

Just four points separate Wigan, Blackpool Blackburn and Birmingham and it looks like one from these four strugglers will eventually go down with the aforementioned two.

And this is where it gets tricky.

Blackpool (4/11) need to rediscover their early-season form – and quick – if they are to avoid a quick return to the Championship. Next up is a home game against Stoke but, sadly for Ian Holloway’s men, a draw looks like the best they can get off the FA Cup finalists. That may not be enough, though, as tough trips to Spurs and Manchester United lie in wait over the next month and we see two defeats there so a win over Bolton in between may ultimately be in vain.

Birmingham (10/1) appear best placed to avoid relegation out of the six and a home win over Wolves this weekend will do their survival bid the power of good. Following on from that Blues take on Newcastle at St James’ Park – again somewhere they can come away from with a positive result – before another very winnable home game against Fulham. By that time they may well be safe anyway.

Blackburn (13/8) have been in freefall but showed signs of fight against Man City on Monday. They should have got something from the game but we expect them to pick up three points from the must-win home game against Bolton on Saturday. Then, a point at West Ham and a win over Wolves on the final day should see Rovers steer clear of trouble.

So that leaves us with Wigan (4/7). Despite a poor run in the second half of the season, Roberto Martinez says he has the full backing of chairman Dave Whelan and is working without pressure in the final run-in. It certainly seemed that way during the vital win at Blackpool earlier this month but then the 4-2 reverse at Sunderland last time out leaves them searching for more wins. In-form Everton visit the DW Stadium on Saturday and we see this ending all square. Then a bold win at Aston Villa and further draws against West Ham and Stoke inches them out of the bottom three in the nick of time.

West Ham – final points total prediction: 35 Position: 20th

Wolves – 36 – 19th

Bpool – 38 – 18th

Wigan – 40 – 17th.

Blackburn – 42 – 16th

Birmingham – 45 – 14th.

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Dream Wembley final looming

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With both away sides securing 2-0 first-leg victories in the Champions League semi-finals this week it looks likely that Manchester United will face Barcelona in the final on May 28. Real Madrid and Schalke might have other ideas but the prospect of a United vs Barca clash is something to whet the appetite – so will the ‘dream’ final happen? (Barcelona 8/15 to win Champions League).

United stuttered their way through the first half of the season and it left a lot of people scratching their heads that they were still at the top of the Premier League table without really hitting their straps.

But their form has picked up in recent months and the first-leg victory over the Germans was one of the best performances by the Red Devils for a long time and they could have scored four or five but for the brilliance of keeper Manuel Neuer.

Led by a resurgent Wayne Rooney, United’s passing and movement off the ball was first class and it looked like men against boys at times.

Can Schalke come back and spoil United’s dream of a third final in four years? Not if they repeat Tuesday’s display, but it is unlikely that they will play that badly again (Schalke 14/1 to qualify for final).

The Bundesliga side defended poorly and the same display at Old Trafford could lead to an embarrassing scoreline.

However, the Schalke players only have to cast their memories back a few weeks to the quarter-finals when they went to the San Siro and beat a decent Inter Milan side 5-2 before completing the job back at the Veltins-Arena.

That result will give them hope that they can turn things around at the Theatre of Dreams on May 4 but they will face a United side who appear to be peaking at just the right time.

Sir Alex Ferguson is a master at getting his tactics spot on and he will know exactly what to do when the men from Gelsenkirchen come calling.

If Schalke’s job seems difficult then Real’s task looks like Mission Impossible and they do not possess Tom Cruise in their side (Madrid 11/1 to qualify for final).

Wednesday’s disjointed, feisty encounter at the Bernabeu was only really ignited by the brilliance of Lionel Messi, who is now being mentioned in the same breath as Pele and Diego Maradona.

The 23-year-old’s two goals highlighted how important he is to the Catalans and, while they might possess world-class players throughout the side, the Argentinian is a cut above anyone else at present.

Real boss Jose Mourinho could well be in hot water for his post-match comments and he is clearly never going to get over his obsession with Barcelona and the perceived injustices of playing against them.

But if anyone can pull off the impossible then the Portuguese tactician is the man. The trouble is he will probably be sitting in the stands after being red-carded during the first-leg encounter.

Mourinho builds his side around a solid defence and his tactics would have been to get to the Nou Camp on level terms at worst, but Pepe’s sending off changed everything and Real will now have to go into the second leg with an attacking mindset.

However, it seems inconceivable that Barca will not score in their own backyard and Madrid are not the sort of side that will be able to score three times away from home.

Therefore it may need the moon to be a shade of blue for United and Barcelona not to progress to Wembley at the end of May and that would be a fitting finale to the season as, on current form, they are clearly the best two sides in Europe.

Barca may possess the best player on the planet but in Ferguson, United have their own trump card.

The veteran Scot will be out to set the record straight after losing out to the Spanish giants in the 2009 final and what better place to do it than at Wembley?

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Villarreal make Porto favourites

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Spanish outfit Villarreal are looking to put a spanner in the works of a potential all-Portuguese Europa League final in Dublin next month ahead of their semi-final first leg with Porto as they aim to reach a first major European final at the third attempt (6/5 Villarreal To Qualify).

The Yellow Submarine are the odd ones out ahead of Thursday’s last-four encounters as they travel to Portugal to face an in-form Porto side at the same time Portuguese outfits Benfica and Braga do battle in their first-leg showdown.

Porto v Villarreal

Villarreal are desperate to end their ‘nearly’ tag after losing 1-0 on aggregate to La Liga rivals Valencia in the semi-finals of the 2004 UEFA Cup before Arsenal defeated them by the same score over two legs in the 2006 Champions League semis.

They will go into battle boosted by their 8-2 aggregate win against Dutch outfit of Twente Enschede in the quarter-finals.

However, Villarreal midfielder Bruno Soriano is under no illusions about the size of the task facing his side, claiming that Porto are clear favourites to progress (8/13 To Qualify).

And while he is happy with Villarreal’s attacking qualities, Soriano is looking for the backline to try and keep it tight so they have a chance on home soil in the second leg (Villarreal 7/2 To Keep A Clean Sheet).

He said: “We have to improve our defence to not concede as many goals. If we can do that, we will have taken a big step forward.”

Villarreal will fancy their chances of securing away goals with Italian forward Giuseppe Rossi (7/1 First Goalscorer) on 10 goals in the Europa League already this season, while Porto’s poor record of 11 wins in 34 attempts against Spanish opposition in Europe means the omens are against the Portuguese.

However, while Soriano’s claim that Porto are favourites could be a possible attempt at mind games, it is not without foundation.

Andre Villas-Boas’ team have enjoyed a storming season in which they have already wrapped up the Portuguese title in style, having won 25 and drawn two of their 27 matches so far, leaving them 19 points clear of Benfica.

Their form in the Europa League is just as prolific as they have secured 12 wins in 14 outings, including all seven away from home which is a warning to Villarreal ahead of the second leg.

They also have plenty of goals, having thrashed Spartak Moscow 10-3 on aggregate in their quarter-final clash, while they boast the competition’s top scorer with Colombian striker Radamel Falcao (5/1 Two or More Match Goalscorer) leading the way with 11.

It is a game that will no doubt contain plenty of goals (11/5 Four Or More Total Goals) and, despite the desperation of Villarreal, Porto should be able to take some kind of lead to El Madrigal for the second leg.

First-leg prediction: Porto To Win 90 Minutes @ 4/6

Value Bet: Porto To Win 3-1 Correct Score @ 11/1

Benfica v Braga

The all-Portuguese affair in the second semi-final on Thursday sees two sides looking to end otherwise disappointing campaigns on a high after dropping into the Europa League (Benfica 5/2, Braga 7/1 – Outright) from the Champions League and living in the shadow of Porto in domestic competitions.

Benfica, in particular, are smarting from the fact Porto wrapped up the Portuguese title courtesy of a 3-1 win against them in Lisbon, before then coming back from a two-goal first-leg deficit in the domestic Cup to dump them out on away goals last week.

They will have the scent of revenge in their nostrils if they can line up a final showdown with Porto next month and that should inspire them to get past Braga in the semi-finals (Benfica 2/5 To Qualify).

Braga will not be pushovers as they have already picked up some notable scalps in European competition this season, dumping Celtic out of the Champions League last July and defeating Arsenal in the group stages.

They saw off Liverpool 1-0 on aggregate in the Europa League round-of-16 before booking their semi-final place on away goals after a 1-1 aggregate draw with Dynamo Kiev.

While scoring goals is not Braga’s forte of late, they clearly know how to grind out a required result (4/1 To Keep A Clean Sheet) and will not roll over for their more illustrious Portuguese rivals.

First-leg prediction: Benfica To Win To Nil @ 13/10

Value Bet: Benfica To Win 1-0 Correct Score @ 11/2

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Fulham set to cross the line

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Fulham are on 39 points and they can end any lingering fears of relegation with a win over Bolton Wanderers at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night.

The Wanderers bounced back from their 5-0 FA Cup hammering against Stoke to record an impressive, albeit rather fortuitous, victory over Arsenal on Sunday.

Bolton’s win all but ended the Gunners’ title challenge but the Whites are not particularly great on the road and Owen Coyle’s men have registered just two wins away from the Reebok this season, drawing five and losing nine.

Fulham are a strong side on home soil and they have accumulated the vast majority of their points at Craven Cottage this season.

One win is all the Cottagers need to virtually guarantee survival and Mark Hughes’ men will be eager to take a maximum haul when Bolton arrive on Wednesday.

Fulham are 4/5 to win the match and take a massive step towards safety, while Bolton are 18/5 and the draw is 5/2.

Hughes chose to rest strikers Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora at Wolves on Saturday but the duo both appeared as substitutes in the second half and as soon as they entered the action Fulham looked more dynamic going forward, with Johnson grabbing the equaliser in the 1-1 draw.

Both Johnson and Zamora are expected to start against Bolton and the pair could well cause the Bolton back-line problems, with Zamora 11/8 and Johnson 7/4 to score anytime.

However, Bolton may still need to be considered a wounded animal and they will be eager to finish as high up in the table as possible after suffering FA Cup heartache.

The Wanderers are currently eighth in the Premier League table but they can move above Everton and to within three points of sixth-placed Liverpool if they can grab a win at Craven Cottage.

Boss Owen Coyle will be hoping on-loan striker Daniel Sturridge can shrug off an ankle knock picked up in the win over Arsenal in time to face Fulham.

The youngster, on loan from Chelsea, is expected to pull through despite the concerns over his fitness and Coyle will be desperate to include Sturridge in his starting XI after seven goals in nine games since his January arrival.

Sturridge is Bolton’s most likely candidate to get amongst the goals and can be backed at 13/8 to score anytime, while he is 11/2 to score the first goal of the game.

The game at Craven Cottage could well be a tight affair and possibly one decided by just a single goal. Fulham’s home advantage and greater need for points could see them emerge victorious in this one and in the Half-time/Full-time market a draw/Fulham result is 10/3.

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Real ready to draw first blood

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Arguably the two best sides in world football go head-to-head on Wednesday night in the first leg of a mouth-watering Champions League semi-final clash and Barcelona are strong 4/9 favourites to qualify for the Wembley final on May 28.

The Catalan giants have been the outright favourites throughout the competition and are currently Evens to lift the trophy, with Real Madrid available at 10/3 after being handed the toughest of draws.

Despite suffering a 5-0 hammering at the Nou Camp earlier in the season, which meant a run of five straight defeats against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, Real have turned the corner and will go into the first-leg clash at the Bernabeu in an ideal position – perhaps reflected in the betting as they are slight favourites at 8/5 to Barca’s 13/8, with the draw on offer at 12/5.

Los Merengues managed to salvage a point in La Liga 10 days ago at the Bernabeu, despite being reduced to 10 men, but then won their first trophy under Jose Mourinho and first since 2008 when they beat their arch rivals in the Copa del Rey last Wednesday, winning 1-0 after extra-time.

Cristiano Ronaldo had struggled to find the net against the Blaugrana but appears to have turned the tide after scoring in both those encounters and should be looked at in the goalscoring markets (4/1 First/Last Goalscorer, Evens Anytime) – particularly as he takes free-kicks and penalties.

Mourinho of course managed to steer Inter Milan past Barcelona at this stage last season and has adopted what appears to be similar tactics aimed at stifling the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta in midfield.

Nobody out-Barcelona’s Barcelona but by employing Pepe in midfield alongside Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira, Real playing an aggressive, counter-attacking style certainly made life difficult for Barca – and expect more of the same on Wednesday.

Despite the wealth of attacking talent on both sides, those last two games have been very tight, cagey affairs and with a second-leg to come, the same is expected as Under 2.5 goals is priced at 4/5, with Over at 10/11.

As well as the tonic of Copa del Rey success, Real will certainly be buoyed by the performance of their ’second-string’ who routed third-placed Valencia at the Mestalla 6-3 on Saturday with Kaka and Gonzalo Higuain scoring five goals between them.

Ricardo Carvalho’s absence through suspension from Wednesday’s clash could be a problem as he has been a rock at the back and potential replacement Raul Albiol, who was sent off in the La Liga clash after hauling down David Villa, looks a weak link.

Sami Khedira’s absence through injury looks less of a blow with Lassana Diarra expected to fill in but it is Barcelona who are struggling more on the injury front.

The left-back position looks problematic with Eric Abidal, Maxwell and Adriano all ruled out and that is certainly an area Real can exploit – be it through Ronaldo, Higuain, Mesut Ozil or Angel Di Maria.

Carles Puyol and Gabriel Milito have both been included in the travelling squad but are on the way back from injury and Guardiola may have to employ a midfielder out of position defensively to cover.

Of course, there is no getting away from the fact that Barcelona have the world player of the year, Lionel Messi, in their ranks and have the potential to beat anybody – with Xavi and Iniesta also pulling the strings.

However, with a second-leg at the Nou Camp to come, Guardiola is sure to play it more cautiously given recent results and would be happy to take them back home still in contention.

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Potters to put Wolves down

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Wolves travel to Stoke on Tuesday night knowing they missed a golden opportunity to ease their relegation fears against Fulham on Saturday. They must now win at a ground which has been described as a ‘bear pit’ if they are to climb out of the relegation zone.

While most Stoke fans will be concentrating on May 15 and the FA Cup final, manager Tony Pulis will be more concerned with picking up the handful of points they need to make sure of Premier League football for another season.

How pivotal the draw against Fulham was for Wolves won’t be discovered until the dust has settled on this season. 1-0 up and with ten minutes left Mick McCarthy’s side were looking good to scramble out of the relegation zone. That was until Andrew Johnson popped up with a late equaliser and let all the air out of Molineux.

After such a disappointing result Wolves haven’t got long to pick themselves back up and put a winning formula together ahead of the derby with Stoke.

Tuesday’s trip to the Britannia Stadium is their game in hand over the majority of the relegation strugglers around them. But the Britannia isn’t exactly the place you want to go when you are looking for nice, easy away day.

Stoke have lost just four times at home all season, picking up maximum points in half of their games on their own turf. Contrast that with Wolves’ shocking away form and you can see why Stoke are 20/23 for the win and Wolves are 10/3, with the draw at 12/5. Wolves have won just twice away from home all season, losing 12 of their 16 matches on the road.

With those stats in mind you might think Wolves were in line for a hammering but that shouldn’t be the case. McCarthy’s men looked pretty solid on Saturday and while Stoke racked up five against Bolton a couple of weeks ago that was seemingly a one-off.

Traditionally these two sides don’t share too many goals between them, with two goalless draws in the last six meetings. For that reason you might look at one or less in the total goals market at 11/5, or under 2.5 goals at 8/11.

With just five games left for Wolves they will look at the trip to Stoke as their toughest game left, with trips to Birmingham and Sunderland to come, along with home games against West Brom and Blackburn. Somewhere in those remaining games they are going to have to find an away win, but it looks very unlikely to come against Stoke.

The Potters look to have been galvanised by their Wembley success and Pulis might argue they deserved to win at Aston Villa on Saturday, rather than share the spoils.

With Stoke on 38 points and still not mathematically safe from relegation Pulis will be eager to make sure they secure their league status quickly so they can turn their attentions to the FA Cup.

With Arsenal and Manchester City still to come they might look at Wolves as their golden ticket to safety. Expect Wolves to put up their usual spirited fight but, in the end, be no match for Stoke.

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Raul the key for Schalke

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The first of the Champions League semi-final first-legs takes place on Tuesday and something has got to give when Schalke 04 host Manchester United in Gelsenkirchen.

Schalke have surprised many en route to the last four, particularly given their domestic form this season, but have reached the semi-finals for the first time on the back of a 100 percent record at the Veltins-Arena, scoring 13 goals and conceding just three.

United on the other hand are no strangers to the latter stages of Europe’s elite competition and this year have made it this far without conceding a single goal on their travels – winning four and drawing one, while they have won 10 of the last 12.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have been installed as the 13/10 favourites in the match betting, while both Schalke and the draw can be backed at 11/5, and there has got to be a case for the German side upsetting the odds.

Schalke made short work of Benfica, Hapoel Tel-Aviv and Lyon in the group stages to progress as group winners, while the 2010 Bundesliga runners-up dispatched Valencia in their last-16 clash.

Many will talk about the amazing 5-2 success in the San Siro against reigning champions Inter Milan but it is worth remembering that they also won the return leg 2-1 despite holding the massive advantage in a game that the Italians were desperate to win.

Although Schalke have precious little experience of the latter stages, a three-time winner and record goalscorer in the competition leads their attack – and Raul (6/1 First/Last, 7/4 Anytime) has got to be considered in the goalscoring betting after notching five to get this far, as well as four goals in three previous appearances against United.

Ferguson’s men do not have history on their side either as they have failed to beat German opposition in any two-legged tie since the tournament was revamped to the Champions League in 1992, despite losing just one of 10 group-stage meetings.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have triumphed at the semi-final stage in 1997 and 2002 respectively – albeit the latter on away goals – while Bayern Munich have twice dumped out the Red Devils in the quarters – in 2001 and last year.

United have struggled on the road in the Premier League and their success in Europe has been built on solid foundations, rather than firepower, so there are unlikely to be many goals – Under 2.5 goals priced at 8/13 – particularly as there is still a game to come at Old Trafford.

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