Getafe v Barcelona, Saturday 3.00pm

He’s not often praised for it because it raises uncomfortable themes but Gerard Piqué once expressed this phenomenon most honestly and accurately. Without quoting Getafe in particular the Barcelona centre half admitted, at the height of his powers around 2011, that there were times when a match, for club or country, held little appeal. His point was that elite footballers can get so used to the ‘champagne’ moments of testing away matches in Milan or Munich, or to Cup semi finals and finals or to games via which the league title is going to be decided that if it’s a cold midweek evening in a little stadium with very few fans, the pitch is lumpy and it’s a commonplace rival with nothing exotic about them then motivation can be hard to dig out.

The general pattern of Getafe games over the last few seasons has established just that pattern for Barça. If they are concentrating, motivated and determined to win then they’ll score four, five or even six against this unloved suburban Madrid team.

But if the Catalans aren’t quite ‘on it’ then they can easily lose or draw. Evidence is at hand in that Getafe drew 2-2 at the Camp Nou last May, a game which cost the title, and won at home as recently as 2011.

Cosmin Contra [what a fearsome flying wing back he was in his day] has made his team hard to beat but goals are their problem. Abdoul Yoda is their main source of goals but has no previous goal record to speak of across his peripatetic career prior to Getafe. Pablo Sarabia does tend to trouble Barça’s defence. Luis Enrique’s equivalents, Leo Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez, finally all scored in the same game in midweek – something you’d imagine we are about to see happen more regularly. Messi has ten goals and an assist in his last five matches and feels unstoppable.

In terms of the pattern of the game Barcelona have a bad habit of starting slowly, often conceding first, and needing what’s called the ‘remontada’ in Spanish football – a comeback win. It’s not beyond imagination that if Getafe were to take the lead they might damage Barcelona with a draw. But you’d need a creative imagination all the same. Barça to win 3-1 (a 9/1 shot) - Messi, Pedro and Suárez to find the onion bag.

MATCH REPORT – Barça v PSG (3-1): Messi, Neymar and Suarez fire #FCBarcelona to top spot http://t.co/znhomcB9Jr pic.twitter.com/59ZQlupVbj

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 10, 2014

Ref watch: Vicandi Garrido – one match, one defeat with Barcelona [Celta at home]

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Atletico v Villarreal, Sunday 6.00pm

This should be fun. Given Villarreal’s relatively recent emergence as a Spanish power there have only been 26 meetings between the sides but they average over three goals per game in that time.

The Yellow Submarine don’t mind torpedoing the Mattress Makers [Colchoneros] in Madrid every now and then – but they don’t insist on it. Polite. And where the crux of this meeting rests is which of the two sides can best cope with intense midweek football better – a factor which has to favour the Spanish champions.

Atleti may only have drawn 0-0 in the Champions League but it was with Juventus and secured group leadership. Villarreal had the long travel to and from Nicosia, their game was on Thursday night rather than Tuesday and Marcelino chose to use a relatively strong lineup.

That said, Villarreal have rattled in twelve goals in their last five games via seven different scorers – Vietto, Gerard, Uche, Moi Gomez, Cheryshev, Bruno Soriano and Nahuel.

Vital for Atlético to win this one however. Through in Europe, Spanish Supercup holders and the last side to beat Madrid it’s still the case that there’s been a big dip since last season – mostly due to the loss of talent sold in the summer. At this stage a year ago Atleti had won twelve, drawn and lost once each, scored 38 and conceded nine for a goal difference of 29 and 37 points. Now it’s won ten, lost and drawn two each, scored only 27, conceded 12 for a difference of 15 and thirty two points. If that drift continues across the season then the title is out of reach.

Diego Godin and Miranda have formed a solid defensive partnership at Atlético which led them to the La Liga title. pic.twitter.com/52C8iQPSdn

— Final Whistle (@FinalWhistle__) December 8, 2014

Miranda (above) should return and gets the odd set piece goal, Raúl García is due a goal and Antoine Griezmann was rested against Juve so should get significant minutes in this one. 2-1 Atleti for me at 7/1.

Ref watch: Pérez Montero – Eight matches with Atleti, one defeat. Reffed these two sides a couple of seasons ago in a 1-1 draw. Horrible news for Villarreal that it’s Pérez Montero – seven matches and not one win under him. Four defeats, three draws.

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Real Sociedad v Athletic Bilbao, Sunday, 8.00pm

The last time an ex Everton manager was in charge of one of these teams in the Basque derby it was all so different. Howard Kendall coached Athletic Bilbao – now it’s David Moyes with Real Sociedad.

Just to add to the Mersey theme the biggest thorn in Kendall’s side back then was former Liverpool striker John Toshack. In charge of Real Sociedad in those late eighties seasons he constantly found a way to beat Kendall’s Athletic in the derby, home or away.

One famous example was in October 1987 when Toshack’s La Real won 4-1 at Kendall’s Athletic with Manchester City Director of Football Txiki Begiristain and Real Sociedad Director of Football Loren both scoring. But another person Toshack tormented as a predecessor to Moyes at La Real was current Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde. When Toshack returned to run things at the Anoeta for the second [but not last] time he won the first Basque derby after his return, in November 1991.

In that Athletic team was a winger who to this day doesn’t know what it feels like to win at the Anoeta – Valverde. As a player he has three draws and three defeats while as a coach with Valencia, Espanyol or Athletic Bilbao three defeats and two draws [including one for Athletic  where his club were two nil up and still lost 3-2]

Result-wise Aritz Aduriz (below, somewhere) is crucial for Athletic. They’ve only scored twice in the 600 minutes they’ve had to play without him this season.

Aritz Aduriz stunner sees Athletic Bilbao to victory over Sevilla http://t.co/s3dxzy9phF pic.twitter.com/J21s0by8D2

— WorldCup NewsRoom (@WCNewsRoom) November 2, 2014

He should start – but how fit is he? Scattered across both squads there are players who’ve scored in this fixture – Muniain, San José, Toquero, Prieto, Vela, Susaeta, Pardo and Iñigo Martínez. But not one with a big track record of rising to the occasion. Agirretxe is out for La Real, as is Mikel and Zaldúa and they fell apart defensively a week ago in Villarreal.

Winning his derby debut would be like winning the Christmas lottery for the Scot – but a point, rather than the jackpot, looks a better prospect and the draw is 11/5.

Ref watch: Fernández Borbalán – twenty six matches with Athletic, eight wins [two of which in the Basque derby], twelve defeats and five red cards. With La Real 20 matches, only four wins – one of which the 3-1 defeat of Barcelona last season.

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce takes his side north to the Lancashire coast for a tough assignment against Ian Holloway’s Tangerines looking to make a swift return to the top of the Championship after Southampton knocked them off their perch with a 4-0 win against Derby on Saturday.

However, they will have to try and pick up the maximum points without the suspended pairing of skipper Kevin Nolan and Matt Taylor following their respective recent red cards.

It will be a blow for Allardyce, who has seen his side struggle on the road in recent weeks as they have won one, drawn one and lost four of their previous six away matches.

Blackpool, who are five points behind West Ham going into the game and can go third with a win, are unbeaten in their last six on home soil with three wins and three draws, so will no doubt be confident ahead of this showdown.

The Seasiders have a much better record in the overall meetings between the two sides, but the Hammers thrashed them 4-0 at Upton Park earlier in this campaign and triumphed 3-1 in last season’s Premier League clash at the same venue.

A close match looks to be in the offing and it is difficult to pick a winner so a draw is perhaps the likely outcome.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: West Ham/Draw HT/FT @ 12/1

Barnsley v Birmingham (7.45pm)

Chris Hughton takes his high-flying Blues to South Yorkshire looking to cement their place in the play-off places with three points following an impressive 1-1 draw at Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

A win could take Birmingham up to third if Blackpool fail to defeat West Ham and they head to Oakwell in great form on the road with four wins from their last six outings, with 17 goals scored and just three conceded.

It won’t be easy against Keith Hill’s Tykes, who defeated crisis club Portsmouth 2-0 on Saturday and are set to hand Stephen Dawson and David Cotterill first appearances.

Barnsley are in mid-table and have won three and lost three of their last six at home so it could be a case of waiting to see which team turns up on the night.

Regardless of that, we suggest the Blues will have too much for the Yorkshiremen and should continue their march up the Championship table.

Prediction: Away Win 90 Minutes @ 11/10
Value Bet: Birmingham To Win 3-1 Correct Score @ 16/1

Millwall v Middlesbrough (7.45pm)

Middlesbrough head down to south London refreshed following a weekend off and no doubt buoyed by their first win of 2012 against Nottingham Forest last Tuesday which has left them handily placed in eighth spot and just one point off the play-off places.

Tony Mowbray’s side had been in the top six all season until a disastrous January saw them slip down the Championship table.

However, Boro seem to have settled the ship of late with the win against Forest following on from draws against Crystal Palace and Leicester in the league.

Barry Robson is set to return from a hand injury and could replace midfielder Kevin Thomson who starts a two-match suspension after his red card against Forest.

The game will come too soon for Nicky Bailey, while Scott McDonald is a long-term absentee with a knee injury.

Millwall come into the game on the back of their FA Cup fifth-round defeat at the hands of Bolton at the New Den looking for a win to move nine points clear of the relegation places.

However, with just one win and two draws from their last six in all competitions on home soil it is not good reading for Kenny Jackett’s men.

The Londoners are boosted by their great overall record against Boro, with 13 home wins and only four defeats from 23 previous home encounters. But Boro will take comfort from their 3-2 win in last season’s corresponding fixture.

Another difficult game to call and, with both sides being amongst the Championship’s draw specialists, it would not be a surprise if they share the spoils on Tuesday.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: 1-1 Draw Correct Score @ 11/2

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The former Mallorca boss has guided Sevilla to impressive back-to-back wins over Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid in his first two matches since replacing Antonio Alvarez, who was sacked after a run of one win in five fixtures.

Now, the resurgent rojiblancos face 16th-placed Sporting, who have picked up two points from their last four matches, although Sevilla striker Alejandro Alfaro is not expecting an easy game (8/1 Sevilla 2-0 in Correct Score Betting).

He said: “It will be a fiercely disputed game, but we’re working really hard and we are going there to win it.”

Sporting have a decent home record against Sevilla but lost both meetings with the Andalusians last season, but they catch a break with a couple of injuries potentially depriving Manzano of two key men.

Sporting coach Manuel Preciado recognises the opportunity that presents itself because Sevilla wingers Jesus Navas and Diego Capel may be missing from the line-up.

“It’s better for me,” he told Marca.”Possibly for the fans not, but for me it is. This team has great speed and if neither of them play it’s best for us.”

Sporting captain Rafael Sastre admitted in AS: “We all know the potential that Sevilla have. They have a squad of very versatile and, most notably, very fast players Capel, (Diego) Perotti and Navas being very good examples.

“The change of coach has been good for them, or so it seems, and now they are a more difficult team to beat than a few weeks ago.”

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England

The Manchester United forward has travelled with the rest of the squad despite strong allegations over his private life being made in the Sunday tabloids.

Speculation suggesting Rooney might pull out has proven to be unfounded and he is set to partner hat-trick Jermain Defoe up front against the notoriously stingy Swiss defence.

Coach Fabio Capello will be delighted to call on Rooney’s services as he looks to take another step towards restoring the feel-good factor around the national side (Rooney 4/1 – First Goalscorer).

The Italian is already without Peter Crouch and Bobby Zamora while Emile Heskey retired from international football after the World Cup.

Capello also has Carlton Cole and Darren Bent at his disposal in Switzerland although both are still feeling their way on to the big stage and their lack of experience would have been a worry without Rooney.

But one player whose lack of experience will not count against him is Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Capello admits he was forced to bring the 23-year-old back down to earth after his debut in a friendly two summers ago which explains his lack of action in South Africa a couple of months ago.

“He probably started to play in the first XI too early,” said Capello. “He started to think ‘I am the best’.

“You have to understand what happens in the mind of the young player. Sometimes it is this. But in two years he has come back.”

Capello added: “He improved a lot last year when he played at Birmingham. That was a really important period for him.

“With any young player, the most important thing is his quality. Now it is really up to him.”

Swizterland drew 0-0 with Australia in a friendly on Friday so Tuesday’s game marks the start of the qualifying campaign and coach Ottmar Hitzfeld insists Rooney remains the danger man (Switzerland 16/5 – To Keep A Clean Sheet against England).

He claimed: “Fabio Capello is not able to leave a player of his class out.

“I am no psychologist but Wayne Rooney is looking sharp and I am sure he will perform well.

“The only reason he didn’t do well in the World Cup was that he was injured beforehand and didn’t have time to make his fitness up in time for the tournament.”

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Wayne Rooney

The Manchester United star is in the spotlight after stories in the News of the World and the Sunday Mirror.

But an FA spokesman said that, as things stand, Rooney will be on board when the players head to Basle for their Euro 2012 qualifier.

Rooney had a hand in all three of Jermain Defoe’s goals against Bulgaria on Friday night in the 4-0 win at Wembley, and is expected to start providing he is in the right frame of mind.

The 24-year-old had ended a five-month goal drought in his club’s 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham last week.

If he does not play, Capello has a problem as to who should partner Defoe, with Peter Crouch and Bobby Zamora unfit.

West Ham’s Carlton Cole or Sunderland’s Darren Bent could earn a start against the Bulgarians.

In the absence of the injured Michael Dawson in defence, Capello must decide between West Ham’s Matthew Upson, Everton’s Phil Jagielka or Bolton’s Gary Cahill.

“I have to decide about the position but Cahill is young and has a big future,” said Capello.

“It is good for the players who have not played a lot of games to come into the team when we are doing well. It is not so easy when we are not.”

The England (2/9 to win qualifying group G) manager says Rooney revelled on Friday in a slightly deeper position than he has been used to.

“Rooney was always been given the licence to move around freely but this time he had to come back more and to play in the hole,” said Capello.

“With James Milner left, Theo Walcott on the right and then Adam Johnson later, it was a great position for him.

“It depends on the opponents. If they put one midfielder in front of their back four the position Rooney played is not as easy.

“But in this game, with Defoe running behind the defence I chose it for him.”

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The holders were on Monday preparing themselves for an overall trip of around 1,000 kilometres – including a stay in the French city of Cannes – on a coach because of the flight complications caused by the the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland.

The revised plan has led to suggestions Barca could suffer from heavy legs and tired minds when they finally arrive in Italy.

However, Catalan midfielder Busquets said there would be no complaints from the players.

He said: “We are in with a chance to reach another final and we don’t want to throw that away.”

He added: “We know Inter will make it tough for us. We have been having a lot of big games and it’s not the ideal way to travel to Milan, but there can be no excuses. We have to get a good result that will allow us to go into the second leg with confidence.”

The two teams met in the group stages of Europe’s premier club competition earlier this season – Barca drew 0-0 in Milan and beat Inter 2-0 at the Nou Camp – but Busquets has those games will count for precious little at the knockout stage of the tournament.

Jose Mourinho accused his Serie A title-chasers of standing and admiring the Spanish champions following the defeat and Busquets expects the Portuguese tactician will have done his homework.

He said: “Inter know us better and they will be better prepared for our tactics.”

Mourinho is desperate improve on Inter’s record of having not won a major European trophy since the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in 1965 and Busquets has warned it could be a difficult night (2/1 Internazionale – To Qualify).

He added: “Their confidence is high after getting through against teams like Chelsea and the fact that there is a chance of making the final will mean they come out really fired up.”

France international Eric Abidal is struggling to shake off a thigh injury but was expected to travel along with 20-year-old reserve defender Andreu Fontas in the only new additions to the squad that had to settle for a goalless draw with local rivals Espanyol in La Liga at the weekend.

However, coach Pep Guardiola is still missing Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta, who could be out until mid-May with a hamstring tear, and Ukraine international Dmitrio Chygrynskiy, who is ineligible.

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Inter Milan

Reigning champions Barca were forced to take to the road for the San Siro showdown on Sunday afternoon due to air travel restrictions in force across Europe caused by the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano.

However Mourinho feels the Spanish Primera League giants will not be too affected for the game given that they enjoyed an overnight stop in the French resort of Cannes en-route to Italy.

He said: “I don’t think it will matter. It is their body, their mind that has to respond.

“If it happened to me, I would try to transform a problem into motivation, something to enjoy, to have the squad together due to a difficulty.

“It doesn’t seem like a drama to me.”

Mourinho also acknowleged that Barca’s Argentinian international Lionel Messi (Messi 8/11 Anytime Goalscorer) deserves ’special attention’, but ruled out man-marking the player, who has scored 40 goals for his club in all competitions this season.

“Above all let’s see how they play because I don’t know,” Mourinho added. “None of us know. He could play right, left, centre. We don’t know.

“What we know is that he is an important player and football, for me, is not about marking man to man. It’s not for me.

“It is not one against Messi and 10 v 10, it will be 11 v 11, although he deserves special attention.”

Barca managed to draw at Inter in Group F earlier in the competition before winning the return match 2-0 at the Nou Camp and Mourinho admitted they were ‘far superior’ in that game. However he does not feel that will have any bearing on their semi-final (Inter 19/10, Inter 11/8, draw 23/10 90 Minutes) meeting.

“In the [second] game in the group, Barca showed that they are far superior. They won easily, deserved to win and in that game we were not capable of responding to them,” he said.

“But that was November, many months ago. They have followed their path, we have followed ours and it seems like we are a lot better than we were in November.

“I accept that they are favourites – this does not offend me – but I think it’s 50/50.”

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