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Barca ready for Real test

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There are plenty of big derby matches in football but given the stature of the clubs and the animosity between the fans the biggest derby in Europe takes place on Saturday when Real Madrid travel to Barcelona for what could be the a title-deciding El Clasico.

Barcelona v Real Madrid

You don’t need a history lesson to understand that these two clubs aren’t the best of friends and take great joy in getting one over on each other. In recent times it has been the Barcelona fans who have been doing the majority of the celebrating, losing just one of the last 14 encounters with Real.

That sole victory for Los Blancos came in last season’s Copa del Rey final, and even then they needed extra time to dispatch the Catalonians. Given the way the league has shaped up this season you could describe Saturday’s match as a final, with Real looking to protect the four-point lead they enjoy over Barca.

The gap at the top had been 10 points but a run of 11 straight wins for Barcelona has seen them claw back Real, who have won eight and drawn three in that time. With four games to go after Saturday’s Clasico you wonder whether Jose Mourinho’s men will be able to hold their nerve if they do lose at the Nou Camp.

Real haven’t lost in the league since the first meeting between these two clubs in December but come into the match off the back of a disappointing defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. You might argue Mourinho’s men had one eye on El Clasico, given how important it is, but given recent performances it could well be the tension getting to Real.

They know a win on Saturday will all but hand them their first La Liga crown in four years, ending Barcelona’s domination in Spain. Given the importance of the game, and with the ‘Special One’ in the dug-out, no one would be surprised to see Real employ negative tactics in a bid to get something out of the game.

With that in mind it is no wonder Real are 4/1 for the win, with Barcelona 4/6 and the draw 3/1.

Mourinho’s tactics in previous encounters have been to press Barcelona high up the pitch and chase everything. However, Real looked tired on Tuesday night and to do that at the Nou Camp for 90 minutes will take a super-human effort.

Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola must feel as though he has Mourinho#s number given the way his team has outplayed Real since the Portuguese tactician took over. The 5-0 win for Barca in the league meeting between the two last season must have been a humbling experience for Mourinho as it showed the gulf in class.

Today, that gap has shrunk, but not enough to persuade you to back Real at 4/1. Given how many times this game has taken place recently you can guess what is going to happen: Barca will dominate possession, Real will lose their cool and eventually their discipline before Guardiola’s men strike.

The Barcelona coach will be looking for a reaction from his team after Wednesday’s defeat at Chelsea so expect them to come out all guns blazing, in particular Lionel Messi after his mistake led to the goal at Stamford Bridge.

The Argentine genius has scored the first goal eight times for Barca this season and is 5/2 to do so again. Contrast that with Cristiano Ronaldo – who has the same number of league goals as Messi – at 5/1 and you know which way we think the game is going to go.

Both teams will score, there is no doubt about that given Barcelona’s defending, but the home side will get more on their way to dispatching Real like they do any other team which comes to the Nou Camp.

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Madrid ready for Munich test

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No teams have reached the semi-finals of the European Cup more than Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and now these two giants are set to go head to head in the first of their last-four showdowns on Tuesday night (Bayern 13/8, draw 12/5, Real Madrid 17/10 – 90 minutes).

Bundesliga giants Bayern have reached the last four of this competition 14 times and have only been bettered by their upcoming opponents at the Allianz Arena, with Real playing in an astonishing 23 semi-finals in this tournament.

So this stage of the Champions League is nothing new for these European powerhouses and games in this competition don’t get much bigger than this.

Having lost to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga this month, Bayern are all but out of the race for their domestic title, which will give them the freedom to focus on getting past Madrid over the next couple of weeks.

That’s clearly the mindset of the Bavarian outfit, who decided to rest key players in the form of Mario Gomez, Toni Kroos and Frank Ribery for their last Bundesliga outing.

Gomez (9/2 first goalscorer) is a key figure in the Bayern side and he will certainly be causing the likes of Pepe and Sergio Ramos in the Real defence problems.

With the likes of Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben all capable of a bit of magic in the middle of the park, it should be an intruding battle in the midfield.

Real find themselves just four points clear of rivals Barcelona in La Liga, having held a 10 point lead over the Catalan outfit earlier in the campaign.

Manager Jose Mourinho has to battle on a couple of fronts and he will have some concerns about Barca closing the gap in league, going into this all-important Champions League encounter.

It would be impossible to do a preview on this game without mentioning Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (7/2 first goalscorer) who has already notched up an astonishing 41 goals in La Liga this season.

The 27-year-old has added eight goals in as many games in the Champions League this term to that tally and the former Manchester United star will certainly have the focus on him on Tuesday night.

With Angel Di Maria returning to fitness and Karim Benzema getting back into some decent form, Real certainly have threats all over the pitch.

Neither side particularly has the tightest of defences so expect goals in this semi-final clash at the Allianz Arena.

These two giants are fairly evenly matched and a draw with a number goals is not beyond the realm of possibility.

A 2-2 (12/1 correct score) draw would put Madrid in a strong position, with away goals potentially making a huge difference, in what are set to be two thrilling legs of Champions League football.

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Barca ready for Milan test

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Barcelona as usual are hitting form at the right point of the season but will face a test when they take on unpredictable AC Milan at the San Siro on Wednesday in the Champions League (AC Milan 4/1, draw 11/4, Barcelona 8/11 – Match Prices).

There has not been a more Jeckyll and Hyde pair of performances than the ones witnessed in Milan’s last-16 double-header with Premier League outfit Arsenal in the last round.

The Italians dominated the first leg at the San Siro as they completely out-gunned the Gunners with an accomplished display in front of their fanatical support. However, the Serie A outfit crumbled at the Emirates and were lucky to scrape through to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Manager Massimiliano Allegri will be determined for his side to put on a similar home performance to their demolition of Arsenal when they host the European champions this week.

Zlatan Ibrahimovich (7/1 – First Goalscorer), Robinho and Kevin Prince Boateng were on fire that night and they will certainly be a trio who can cause problems for the sometimes shaky Barca backline.

Likewise Milan have leaked goals at the back this season and with the loss of Thiago Silva to injury, Allegri is going to have to shuffle his pack for Wednesday night.

Barcelona could be smelling blood already and the pace they have throughout their side is going to keep the likes of Alessandro Nesta and Daniele Bonera awake at night.

The Catalan club’s goal-machine Lionel Messi (11/4 – First Goalscorer) is the top scorer in the Champions League this season with seven to his name so far. So do not be surprised if the Argentine magician dances his way through the Milan defence to add to his tally in the competition.

Even when the playmaker does not have the ball he draws the attention of defenders which creates space for those around him, with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Pedro set to be a threat at the San Siro.

The game will depend on which Milan turns up on the night; if they can repeat their efforts from their first clash with Arsenal they may well be able to hold the La Liga giants.

However, Barcelona have so many attacking options and keep the ball so well that they should be able to bag a couple of vital away goals and take a lead back to the Nou Camp.

In Wednesday’s other Champions quarter-final Marseille host Bayern Munich in a massive game for the Ligue 1 side (Marseille 7/2, draw 5/2, Bayern Munich 5/6 – Match Betting).

The encounter at the Stade Velodrome will see the return of Bayern star Franck Ribery (7/4 Anytime Goalscorer) to his former club in the first competitive meeting between the two teams.

It looks likely that Marseille won’t be happy to see the return of the French international, as he is part of strong Bayern side who are more than capable of getting a comfortable win in the south of France.

Les Phoceens have lost nine of their last 19 games in this competition at the Stade Velodrome and you should be able to add another defeat to that tally come the final whistle on Wednesday night.

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Los Che set for Dutch test

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Valencia are rated as one of the favourites to win the Europa League this season but the Spanish giants will first have to get past PSV Eindhoven if they wish have any chance of claiming the European title (Valencia 8/13, draw 14/5, PSV 9/2 Match Betting).

Were it not for Real Madrid and Barcelona, Los Che (7/1 Europa League outright) would be the premier team in La Liga and the outfit from the Mestalla are deservedly one of the favourites to lift the trophy outside of the Manchester giants United and City.

With the likes of Ever Banega pulling the strings in the midfield and Roberto Soldado banging in the goals up front, Valencia have a host of players that will be looking to cause PSV problems on Thursday night.

Manager Unai Emery had to negotiate his side past the challenges Stoke City presented them in the last round and despite getting drawn into a niggly second-leg at the Mestalla, Valencia managed to outplay the Potters.

PSV will pose very different problems for the Spanish tactician as they look to bounce back from their 6-2 defeat at the hands of FC Twente in the Eredivisie on Sunday.

The Rood-Witten did see off Turkish outfit Trabzonspor in the last round of the Europa League and will be no pushovers when they make the trip to Spain.

However Valencia should prove to be too strong at home, as they have been for much of the domestic season, and put themselves in a strong position before the return trip to the Netherlands.

Twente will still be flying high after their convincing victory over PSV, as they look ahead to their matchup with Schalke 04 at De GrolschVeste (Twente 5/4, draw 9/4, Schalke 21/10 Match Betting).

The Reds are currently sitting in second place in the Eredivisie with a game in hand over league leaders AZ Alkmaar and will be confident of getting a result against their German opponents.

They might well be taking on Schalke at a good time as the Bundesliga side have suffered defeats in their last two domestic outings against Bayern Munich and Freiburg.

Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar  will be looking to get one over on Twente on Thursday, if he has managed to shake off the concussion he sustained in the 3-2 victory over England.

With the kind of form Schalke are in at the moment, Twente might just edge this one on home soil, in what should be a closely fought contest.

Fellow Dutch side Alkmaar also face a tough matchup when they take on Udinese, who have come on leaps and bounds in Serie A this season (Alkmaar 6/5, draw 11/5, Udinese 12/5 Match Betting).

Udinese (20/1 Europa League outright) have seen off the likes of Celtic and PAOK Salonika in previous encounters in this competition and could be a dark horse for the Europa League title in 2012.

Frontman Antonio Di Natale is a prolific striker and he will certainly be someone the AZ defence will have to look out for.

Despite topping the Eredivisie and looking in good form, Udinese could get the win in Holland to take back with them to the Stadio Friuli.

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Take Tottenham to pass test

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Tottenham should maintain their challenge to stay on the coat-tails of the Manchester powerhouses when they entertain Everton at White Hart Lane in the Premier League on Wednesday (Tottenham 8/15 draw 3/1 Everton 6/1 – 90 minutes).

The north Londoners take on David Moyes’ men knowing a victory will put them level with second-placed United and three points behind Premier League leaders City in the race for the biggest prize on the domestic stage.

Harry Redknapp has the luxury of recalling the influential attacking triumvirate of Rafael van der Vaart, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale after resting them for Saturday’s 3-0 FA Cup win over Cheltenham and Tottenham will not want to waste what could turn out to be a crucial game in hand.

The top-four hopefuls have scored in every home game in the Premier League so far this season and for all of the ongoing conjecture about an ever-changing back four – Redknapp will again be without Ledley King and William Gallas on Wednesday – it is worth noting Tottenham have only conceded one goal in their last five games at White Hart Lane in the top flight.

Redknapp has played a trick on his squad by making no secret of his desire to bring in a marquee signing in an attempt to keep them on their toes and, on paper at least, only injuries could prevent Tottenham from splitting – or even surpassing – the two Manchester clubs.

They started 2012 as the capital’s top club for the first time in 17 years and there is genuine belief that they could go close to achieving the unthinkable.

The visit of Everton gives them the chance to prove they can deliver on such promise but it will not be easy.

The Merseysiders have picked up recently and thoughts of relegation have eased off the back of a run of just one defeat in five games in all competitions.

Moyes continues to perform miracles with limited resources and Everton can prove belligerent and obdurate opponents on their travels.

They have come through a wretched spell at the end of 2011 – a run which yielded just three wins in all competitions from September 24 to December 17 – to climb up the table and allay fears of a relegation scrap for the time being at least.

The advice here is to stick with the home side because this fixture could mean just that bit more to them and speculative punters may like the Jermain Defoe, who has scored first on his last two starts, and Tottenham 2-0 win ‘Scorecast‘ selection, team news permitting.

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Blues hungry for Wolves test

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It is FA Cup third round weekend and Saturday throws up a whole host of interesting ties, but we will take a look at the trio of games which sees three Premier League sides running the risk of an early exit at the hands of Championship opposition.

BIRMINGHAM v WOLVES (12.30pm)

The early kick-off at St Andrew’s on Saturday see Chris Hughton’s Birmingham looking to take the scalp of their Midlands rivals and Premier League strugglers Wolves.

It would not be a major shock if the Blues did come out on top given that they lifted the Carling Cup and were amongst England’s elite last season before being relegated on the final day of the campaign in May.

Wolves escaped the drop courtesy of a better goal difference and have continued to struggle in the Premier League this season.

Therefore, the Blues will no doubt fancy their chances of some revenge here, as they welcome back fit-again duo Jordon Mutch and Liam Ridgewell, given that they are unbeaten in 11 games on home soil and have lost once in front of their own fans all season to date.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy, who has not seen his side win in their last six league and cup games, could make several changes as his priority is Premier League survival.

Therefore, newcomers Emmanuel Frimpong and Eggert Jonsson may get a start, but Nenad Milijas is still missing as he will serve the third game of a three-match ban.

Wolves have only won away twice this term – in their opening two matches on the road at Blackburn and in the Carling Cup against Northampton – so Birmingham will feel they are there for the taking.

However, when the sides last met in the FA Cup in January 2009, it was Wolves who came out on top at St Andrews 2-0.

A tight game awaits, but with home advantage for Birmingham, we feel the Championship side could come out on top here.

Prediction: Home 90 Minutes @ 11/8
Value Bet: Marlon King 1st Goal Birmingham 2-1 Scorecast @ 35/1

NORWICH V BURNLEY (3pm)

Paul Lambert’s Canaries will be looking to take their good Premier League form into this cup clash against Eddie Howe’s Clarets, who have also been in decent form of late in the Championship.

However, Norwich have not got history on their side having only progressed past the third round once in the past eight seasons, with Leyton Orient coming out on top at Carrow Road 12 months ago.

Lambert is still without full-back Marc Tierney and on-loan Manchester United defender Ritchie De Laet due to respective injury problems, while loan man Kyle Naughton is ineligible.

But the chances are the City chief will hand several of his senior players the weekend off following a hectic festive fixture programme.

That could allow Burnley an opportunity to spring a surprise result as Howe is set to be without the banned full-back Kieran Trippier and injured defender Michael Duff for the trip to Norfolk.

The two sides have never met in the FA Cup before, but Burnley are unbeaten in their previous four league matches, while as for recent form, they have won six of their last eight Championship games so will be confident.

The game could hinge on how many changes Lambert elects to make as Burnley would be capable of winning the match if the Canaries are weakened too much.

But we will give him the benefit of the doubt when he said earlier in the week that he would be sending out an XI he feels can see them through to the fourth round draw.

Prediction: Home 90 Minutes @ 10/11
Value Bet: Burnley/Norwich HT /FT @ 25/1

WEST BROM V CARDIFF (3pm)

A cracking game lies in wait at the Hawthorns as an inconsistent West Brom side go up against Malky Mackay’s high-flying Championship side for the right to progress to FA Cup round four.

Roy Hodgson’s Baggies go into the game without a win or goal in their last three Premier League outings, while they will also be wary of the fact that they have crashed out of the FA Cup against Cardiff’s Championship rivals Reading in the previous two seasons.

Add to that an injury crisis for the hosts, with Chris Brunt, Zoltan Gera, Shane Long, Steven Reid, Jonas Olsson, Jerome Thomas, James Morrison and Youssouf Mulumbu all set to miss out, and Cardiff will be scenting an upset.

The 2008 finalists also have a good recent record against Albion with two wins and three draws in their last five encounters.

Mackay should be boosted by the return of Kevin McNaughton after a calf injury so Craig Conway might have to settle for a place on the bench along with Stephen McPhail and former West Brom striker Robert Earnshaw.

The only conundrum for Mackay is that his side have a Carling Cup semi-final first leg tie against Crystal Palace coming up on Tuesday and that could well affect his team selection plans for this tie.

It is difficult to choose between he two sides and, while neither side will want one, we can see a possible replay on the cards.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 11/4
Value Bet: 2-2 Correct Score @ 14/1

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Tricky NYE test for Hammers

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Saturday sees the final round of Championship matches of 2011 and the sides jostling for position at the top of the table will all be desperate to end the year on a high. We’ll take a look at four key games and try to pick a winner or two (West Ham 6/4 – Championship Outright).

Derby County v West Ham United

The doom and gloom of last season’s relegation now looks to be a thing of the past as the Hammers are sitting pretty in second place in the Championship table with an excellent chance of returning to the top flight at the first attempt.

A win at Pride Park will mean they will probably begin 2012 in the second automatic promotion spot behind Southampton and with it all to play for over the second half of the campaign.

But Sam Allardyce’s men have not been at their best over the past five games with two wins, one draw and two defeats and so Derby can use that as motivation.

They have been good on their travels, however, with seven wins away from Upton Park already and will look to turn over a Derby side who are stuck right in the middle of the chasing pack in 14th spot with 31 points.

The league is so congested that just six points separate sixth from 16th and so any of the sides, Derby included, could make a run for the play-offs next year.

Nigel Clough’s side have also taken seven points from a possible 15 but have won their last two at home and the hard-fought 1-0 victory over Leeds last time out proves that they can mix it with the top teams on their day.

Allardyce is a canny manager and will probably see this as tough encounter and it would be no surprise to see the sides share the points on Saturday.

Odds: Derby 11/4, West Ham Evens, draw 12/5

Middlesbrough v Peterborough

Whatever happens against Posh, Boro will be in the top three at the turn of the year and that is an amazing feat considering how many points they have thrown away at home, with late goals haunting them all season.

Tony Mowbray’s charges have won only five games at the Riverside, with six draws, and it is their away form that has kept them flying high with seven wins on the road this term.

But they face Darren Ferguson’s charges on Teesside in this one and will want to make it three straight victories on their own patch after beating both Brighton and Hull 1-0.

The Boro have won their last four and the confidence and crowds appear to be returning to the former top-flight side and they should be able to take care of a Peterborough side who have already lost six times away from home this term.

The sides drew 1-1 at London Road back in November and, after losing a couple of close ones, last season’s League One play-off winners have taken seven out of nine points and will be looking to make it three successive wins on Saturday.

Fergie’s men do score goals away from home but Boro have conceded just nine at home in the first half of the campaign and so it looks set to be a tight encounter, with a narrow home victory the verdict.

Odds: Middlesbrough 4/6, Peterborough 4/1, draw 11/4

Nottingham Forest v Cardiff City

Cardiff have suffered more than their fair share of play-off heartache in recent seasons but continue to challenge at the right end of the table as they head into the weekend’s clash at the City Ground.

The Bluebirds’ long-suffering fans look set for another roller-coaster ride up to and into the play-offs and they will want to take something from their final encounter of the year to set them up for next year’s promotion push.

Recent form has been mixed and they have failed to win any of the past three matches, but 1-0 victories over Birmingham and Forest just a few weeks ago have kept them in the top four.

Malky Mackay’s men are the draw specialists away from home with seven already but they will have three points on their mind when they face a Forest outfit devoid of confidence and staring up at the majority of the Championship sides.

The East Midlanders have not won in six attempts and have taken just one point from a possible 18 since beating Ipswich 3-2 on November 19 and are currently 22nd out of the 24 teams in the standings.

Steve Cotterill’s men have lost their last three home games and have never really recovered from the 4-0 thumping they received at the hands of Leeds United.

Cardiff may have only won three times away from home but they are tipped to add to that tally this weekend.

Odds: Forest 7/4, Cardiff 8/5, draw 11/5

Burnley v Hull

Hull are one of the form teams in the division with four successive wins before coming unstuck late on at Middlesbrough last time out.

They have garnered 39 points from their first 23 games and sit comfortably in the play-off zone as 2012 approaches.

It has been case of all or nothing for Nick Barmby’s side this season with 12 wins, eight defeats and only three draws to date – all away from home.

So the likelihood is that they will head over the Pennines in search of all three points to keep up their momentum and they will face a Burnley side who have not enjoyed the best of times at Turf Moor this season.

The home fans have witnessed just four wins, with five defeats, and it is the six wins on their travels that has kept Eddie Howe’s men in the top half of the table.

Scoring goals at home has not been a problem for the Clarets with 21 strikes already but they have let in 15 and that is something Barmby will have taken note of ahead of the match.

Hull do not score many away from their own patch and so this one has all the makings of a draw.

Odds: Burnley 11/8, Hull 9/4, draw 23/10

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Spurs to fail Chelsea test

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The festive football action is in full swing and Thursday sees one of the biggest matches of the next few weeks, when Tottenham’s title credentials (16/1 Premier League Outright) will be tested with the visit of Chelsea for a London derby to relish at White Hart Lane.

Spurs are being talked about as genuine Premier League contenders this season after making impressive strides in recent weeks. They sit in third ahead of the Blues’ visit, seven points off leaders Manchester City but with a game in hand, and responded to a 2-1 defeat at Stoke with a narrow 1-0 win over Sunderland last time out.

Harry Redknapp has assembled a squad that, at the very least, seems capable of challenging the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal for a top-four finish while, on their day, they look every inch title contenders alongside City and United.

If they can pick up another three points on Thursday over Andre Villas-Boas’ men, then more people will take notice of what Redknapp is doing at the Lane. Players of the calibre of Luka Modric, Emmanuel Adebayor, Scott Parker and Gareth Bale – although he could miss Thursday’s game due to injury – are top-notch Premier League performers, who would walk into most other side’s starting line-ups. Add to that the impressive way youngster Kyle Walker has cemented his place at right-back, and you begin to see why they are enjoying a superb season.

However, they will not find it easy on Thursday. Chelsea threw away three points at Wigan last week when conceding a late equaliser after Darren Sturridge had put them in front, but the Blues are in much better shape than a few weeks ago with big wins over Valencia and City stopping the critics in their tracks after a recent difficult period.

In Sturridge they have one of the best young strikers out there at the moment, and such is his form and confidence that he is well worth backing in the anytime scorer market at 13/8. Didier Drogba has also rediscovered his best form in recent games and is the first scorer favourite for the visitors at 5/1.

Villas-Boas has split opinion at times this season with some saying his inexperience at this level has shown him up to be a coach whose man-management skills leave a lot to be desired, while he struggles with big egos. Frank Lampard has certainly questioned why he has often been overlooked this season, while £50million signing Fernando Torres rarely gets a look-in these days either.

But others say he is a canny, tactically-astute boss who proved he is one of the best young managers around in those recent impressive wins.

It’s set up for a mouthwatering London derby then. Both of these two like to dictate games and Spurs, at home, will look for an early goal to get them on their way but expect Chelsea to have a big say, too.

The away win, on offer at 7/4, looks a big price in this one and we envisage a narrow win for the Blues (1-2 at 11/1 in Correct Score market) to dent Spurs’ title hopes while, at the same time, doing their own a world of good (Chelsea 14/1 PL Outright).

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Reds’ depth faces Fulham test

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Liverpool (6/5 in Match Betting) are without stricken midfielder Lucas Leiva while Fulham (5/2, Draw 23/10) are expected to make several changes after their Europa League defeat to FC Twente for Monday night’s Premier League clash at Craven Cottage.

Kenny Dalglish’s side are on a run of four straight away victories and have twice enjoyed success in Fulham’s south west London neighbourhood recently – against rivals Chelsea.

But Liverpool paid a high price for last week’s 2-0 Carling Cup quarter-final win at Stamford Bridge when Brazilian star Lucas sustained a serious knee injury which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.

The Anfield club’s midfield resources are already stretched due to Steven Gerrard’s injury so Jay Spearing must now prove himself an able deputy while Maxi Rodriguez, who scored a hat-trick in last season’s corresponding fixture, may also come in (8/1 First Goalscorer).

Rodriguez, who scored in both recent wins over Chelsea, looks like he could be a big price to grab another judging by his record of eleven goals from his last 25 Premier League starts for the club – but ten in his last eight in all competitions (9/4 Anytime).

Fulham picked up knocks to Stephen Kelly and Damien Duff in Holland but have quality in reserve with Chris Baird and Brian Ruiz their likely replacements.

Moussa Dembele (7/1 First Goalscorer) could be fit and Clint Dempsey (8/1) should return from a thigh complaint with Martin Jol determined to see his side improve their goal tally after a series of blanks.

Liverpool can equal a long-standing club record with a win – which would be their seventh consecutive victory on the road in all competitions – while Fulham have won just one of six Premier League games at Craven Cottage this season.

Dalglish’s side have scored two goals in each of those last six away wins – beating Everton, West Brom and Chelsea by a 2-0 margin (9/1 Liverpool 2-0 Correct Score) and Brighton, Stoke and Chelsea by 2-1 (8/1 in Correct Score).

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Eagles test for returning Pearson

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Having spent 17 months away from Leicester City with Hull City, Nigel Pearson has now made a return to the King Power Stadium and his first challenge will be to take all three points against Crystal Palace on Sunday (Leicester City 8/11, draw 5/2, Crystal Palace 4/1).

Pearson was confirmed as the Foxes boss earlier this week following the departure of former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson after a less than convincing start to the Championship campaign.

Leicester currently sit in mid-table and will be eager to close down the gap on the automatic and play-off places before they get too far away in what is once again a very competitive league.

However, three points won’t be easy to come by against a Palace side who have surprised many under their relatively inexperienced manager Dougie Freedman this term.

The Eagles narrowly avoided relegation last season on the final day, however they now find themselves battling in the play-off places and a win over the Foxes would be another big step forward for the London outfit.

Palace will be boosted by the loan signing of Chris Martin, who could make his debut for the club having joined from Norwich City earlier in the week.

The striker proved with the Canaries last season that he is more than capable at Championship level and he will certainly be a danger.

Martins’ introduction will compensate for the loss of talented midfielder Jonathan Williams who sustained a broken leg on international duty with the Wales Under-21 team.

As for the Foxes, they welcome back David Nugent (9/2 – First Goalscorer) following his recovery from a hamstring injury, however Pearson will have to do without the services of suspended Sol Bamba and injured Darius Vassell.

With the return of Pearson, the Foxes should have enough quality to secure all three points this weekend.

Sunday’s other fixture in the Championship sees Bristol City make the tough trip to the New Den to take on Millwall (Millwall 4/5, draw 5/2, Bristol 7/2).

Until their 1-0 defeat to Blackpool in their last outing, the Lions looked like one of the most dangerous sides in the division, with a 3-0 and a 4-1 victory over Coventry City and Ipswich Town respectively.

Darius Henderson (4/1 – First Goalscorer) and Jay Simpson have been in decent goalscoring form and Bristol City’s defence will certainly have their work cut out for them.

Millwall will also welcome Josh Wright into their ranks after he did enough on a recent trial and will be looking to impress if he is given an opportunity by Kenny Jackett.

Bristol City will be looking for their first back-to-back win of the season following their victory of Burnley. Under manager Derek McInnes the club have turned a corner but still have not won a league game at Millwall since 1997 and they may have to wait a bit longer.

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