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Probably the only thing that sets England apart from other countries is that the Christmas period becomes a real test for players, as they have to play up to four matches in two weeks. Meanwhile, in other European countries, after the Christmas break, this week we will limit ourselves to a review of three matches.
2012.12.22, Saturday
Spain's "La Liga"
21:00 - "Malaga" (4th place) vs. Madrid "Real" (3rd place)
In the last five league matches: "Malaga" - 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss; "Real" - 3 wins and 2 losses.
In October 2010, Manuel Pellegrini, a Chilean who extended his contract with "Malaga" until 2015, will have the opportunity to settle old scores with the "Royal" club. The strategist who led "Real" for years was fired when the team finished second, behind their eternal rival "Barcelona." So, on Saturday, it will be a great opportunity to prove that the Madrid club made the wrong decision. "Malaga," who announced ambitious plans before the season, seems to be slowly getting into shape and realistically aiming for 4th place in "La Liga," which would allow them to compete in the UEFA Champions League group stage. The team has already shown this year that they can play successfully in the Champions League, finishing first in the group ahead of clubs like "Milan" and St. Petersburg's "Zenit."
Madrid's "Real," who played a draw at home with one of the league's underdogs, "Espanyol," in the last round, will undoubtedly be annoyed and will seek only victory. The capital's team is 13 points behind "Barca" in the table, making the championship title seem increasingly unreachable. There have even been reports in the press about the possible departure of coach Jose Mourinho and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo to another club. Such news does not improve the team's atmosphere.
To maintain intrigue in this season's "La Liga," "Real" must win. Otherwise, catching up with "Barcelona" will probably be impossible.
2012.12.22, Saturday
Italy's "Serie A"
21:45 - "Roma" (6th place) vs. "Milan" (7th place)
In the last five league matches: "Roma" - 4 wins and 1 loss; "Milan" - 4 wins and 1 draw.
Similar to phoenixes rising from the ashes, in this match, teams that have scored the most points in the last 5 rounds will meet, although both teams were recently heavily criticized for poor results.
"Roma," led by the relentless veteran team, has been playing productively lately, especially at home. Meanwhile, "Milan" has been demonstrating a playing style that the club's management and fans have long awaited. They have proved they can win by defeating Serie A leaders Turin's "Juventus." Both opponents have their strengths and weaknesses, so predicting the winner of this match is a very difficult task.
Both teams have injuries. "Milan" will definitely be without the injured Nigel de Jong. It is also unclear if the team will be able to count on Brazilian Pato. "Roma" will miss Daniele de Rossi the most if he does not recover by Saturday.
Looking at the head-to-head statistics of the clubs, "Milan" slightly prevails, with 15 wins (Roma won 12 matches). The teams have played to a draw 13 times. These numbers only confirm the earlier statement that the team's capabilities are very similar, and predicting how this match will end is very difficult. But for the fans, it only makes it more interesting.
2012.12.23, Sunday
English "Premier" League
15:30 - "Swansea City" (10th place) vs. "Manchester United" (1st place)
In the last five league matches: "Swansea City" - 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses; "Manchester United" - 5 wins.
This season, "Swansea City" has already managed to play a draw at home against clubs like London's "Chelsea" and "Liverpool" and win away against London's "Arsenal." So, the Welsh team's players know how to play, and it will be interesting to see how they compete against "Manchester United," who demonstrate a stable game and rightfully top the tournament table.
Matches where lower-ranked teams try at all costs to challenge the championship leaders often stand out for their special emotions and become a unique spectacle. It is to be hoped that football fans will not be disappointed this time.
The discovery of the season for "Swansea City" can confidently be called the Spaniard Michu, who already has 12 goals to his name and whom the club acquired for an unbelievable price - 2.6 million euros. The fact that the team's coach Michael Laudrup recently officially stated that the club willing to acquire the talented Spaniard will have to pay up to 30 million pounds sterling. This sizable sum is compared to what the club from Wales paid for the player. This case only proves how successful play can swiftly increase a player's market price. Saturday will be a great opportunity to see how Michu looks playing against the championship leaders. Perhaps someone would like to bet that the Spaniard will score at least one goal?
One of the most important tasks for "Swansea City" will be to stop the attacking leaders of the "Red Devils," Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. The latter has been playing at a high level in recent rounds and is increasingly becoming one of the main reasons for the successful game of "Manchester United." In the last "Premier League" season, both teams beat Sir Alex Ferguson's proteges twice, but the match at the Liberty Stadium ended with a minimal 1-0 away victory, giving the hosts a chance to snatch at least a draw.
