© EuroFootball.com
After the latest UEFA Champions League group stage matches have been played, determining who continues the journey towards the title of the best European team, we return to national championship matches. This Sunday it is better to have no other plans, as His Majesty football has prepared us some treats.
2012.12.09, Sunday
English Premier League
15:30 "Manchester City" (2nd place) - "Manchester United" (1st place)
The results of the last five league matches: "Manchester City" - 3 wins and 2 draws; "Manchester United" - 4 wins and 1 loss.
Undoubtedly, this is the most interesting weekend duel. Not only the fans of both Manchester teams are eagerly awaiting it, but fans all over the world. Just remember last year's Premier League finish, when the "Cityzens" became champions in the dying seconds of the final match, even though they were losing 1-2 during the game. Add to that the fact that this is a derby of the city where football has been a religion for many years, and the teams first met back in 1881.
In this year's Premier League championship, "Manchester City" has not suffered a loss yet, but often ends up with draws. The "Red Devils" have not played any draws, but have lost to much weaker opponents. Teams have had different fortunes in European tournaments. After the last Champions League matches, Roberto Mancini's pupils have been criticized by almost all newspapers, while "Manchester United" could afford to give playing time to young, less experienced players and still finish top of their group.
So, "on paper," "Manchester United" seems better and currently has a 3-point advantage, but "Manchester City" will play at home and will definitely want to show their intentions to repeat last season's achievement. Both teams have players unavailable due to injuries - "City" will miss David Silva, Aleksandar Kolarov, James Milner, and Micah Richards, while the "Red Devils" will miss Shinji Kagawa, Anderson, and Nani.
In the previous match, also at the "Etihad" Stadium, the hosts won 1-0. The question of who is currently stronger is very intriguing, and the answer will come on Sunday afternoon. A true football feast awaits.
2012.12.09, Sunday
English Premier League
17:00 Liverpool's "Everton" (6th place) - London's "Tottenham Hotspur" (4th place)
The results of the last five league matches: "Everton" - 1 win, 3 draws, and 1 loss; "Tottenham Hotspur" - 3 wins and 2 losses.
In this match, teams that may not be vying for the English championship this season, but will certainly fight for fourth place, guaranteeing a place in the Champions League group stage, will meet. So, football fans will be interested to see and evaluate whether these teams are worthy of the strongest European football tournament.
"Everton" recently shined their most expensive purchase (15 million pounds sterling) in the club's history - Belgian Marouane Fellaini, who has scored 5 out of the team's last 6 goals, but the team can also score without him. At least that's what his teammates think. "Everton" finished their matches against "Arsenal" and "Manchester City" in draws 1-1, showing that the "Toffees" can compete with anyone. Will the hosts be able to achieve a victory and catch up with points with the London visitors? It is very likely, especially since the "Spurs" team will be without the injured speedster Gareth Bale.
"Tottenham" has been playing well in their recent matches. The team is winning in the Premier League and has progressed in the Europa League tournament. Whether participating in European tournaments is an advantage is an interesting question. On one hand, it is a completely different playing experience, on the other hand, playing on two fronts can take a toll physically. Where "Spurs" will end up, we will see soon, and betting offices favor "Everton" to win.
2012.12.09, Sunday
Italy Serie A
21:45 Milan's "Inter" (3rd place) - "Napoli" (2nd place)
The results of the last five league matches: "Inter" - 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses; "Napoli" - 4 wins and 1 draw.
Milan's "Inter" is struggling. The memorable victory against leaders "Juventus" a few rounds ago stands out. However, later, losses to "Atalanta" and "Parma" followed, results that the fashion capital club fans did not expect. On the contrary, the Neapolitans demonstrate a beautiful and fruitful game and have rightfully secured 2nd place in Serie A. The team's top scorer is Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, who has already scored 17 goals and will pose the biggest threat to the "Inter" goal. It's no wonder he has already attracted the attention of the richest European football clubs. The biggest problem for the Milan club is the team's defense, which concedes frequently and consistently.
The last time the Neapolitans visited Milan, they returned home with a convincing 3-0 victory. Victories have also been achieved in two home matches in 2012, although in the overall statistics of their encounters, "Inter" leads 12-8.
In case of a loss, "Inter" could drop to 5th place in Serie A, as "Fiorentina" and "Lazio" are only 2 points behind. A draw would suit the league leaders "Juventus" the most, as they would extend their lead to 4 points with a victory over "Palermo."
It is worth noting that both teams will continue to compete in Europa League matches and will find out their opponents on December 20 after the draw ceremony.
2012.12.09, Sunday
Spanish La Liga
22:00 Seville's "Real Betis" (4th place) - "Barcelona" (1st place)
The results of the last five league matches: "Real Betis" - 3 wins and 2 losses; "Barcelona" - 5 wins.
The season's surprise, "Real Betis," poses a challenge to the league leaders. Although the teams are separated by 15 points in the standings and judging by the line-ups, the winner of the match should be clear, the outsiders from Seville have already shown that they can beat anyone, including the eternal rivals "Barça."
Speaking of "Barcelona," we cannot fail to mention the eagerly anticipated Lionel Messi's record. It should be remembered that the Argentine is only 1 goal away from equaling the legendary Gerd Müller, who played for Bayern Munich and the German national team in 1972 and scored 85 goals in a calendar year. The little magician has 84 accurate strikes in his tally, and in any of the matches remaining this year, he can break the German's record. So, by watching this match, you could witness a historic event. However, there are no guarantees that the record-breaker will fully recover from the injury he sustained in the match against "Benfica." Millions of fans hope that everything will be fine.
Barcelona has proven more than once that they can win even without L. Messi. If it happens that the Argentine cannot recover in time, Real Betis will not have it easy. Especially since almost half of Barcelona's main squad had the opportunity to rest by not playing in the Champions League match against "Benfica."
2012.12.10, Monday
Russian Premier League
18:00 St. Petersburg's "Zenit" (3rd place) - Makhachkala's "Anzhi" (2nd place)
The results of the last five league matches: "Zenit" - 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss; "Anzhi" - 3 wins and 2 draws.
Things are getting interesting in the Russian Premier League. In the 18th round, Makhachkala's "Anzhi" defeated Moscow's "CSKA" and caught up to the leaders in points. Chasing the top spot is also St. Petersburg's "Zenit." This trio is currently the most realistic contenders for the championship title.
Both teams continue their battles in Europe. "Zenit," unexpectedly winning away against "Milan," secured a spot in the Europa League, while "Anzhi," despite losing their last group match to Bern's "Young Boys," also progressed to the next stage of the Europa League.
However, not everything is as good as fans would like. Brazil's Hulk recently mentioned the possibility of parting ways with "Zenit" if his relationship with Italian coach Luciano Spalletti does not improve, and the club's fans are still waiting to see the powerful forward play as expected. Of course, there are positives to focus on. Currently, the most productive player in the "Premier" League is Zenit's representative, Aleksandr Kerzhakov. One can only speculate who would be the league leader now if Hulk found his game alongside A. Kerzhakov. Maybe it will happen in this match? We can only hope.
"Anzhi" seems to have no problems with their attack. The Ivory Coast representative, Lacina Traoré, who cost the club 18 million euros, is increasingly establishing himself and earning his keep. And we don't need to say much about Samuel Eto'o. This match should be a top-quality football spectacle. Enjoy!
