AC Milan v Inter Milan Match Preview and Betting Tips

Saturday April 2nd 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on ESPN)

The final Milan derby of the season won't just be of interest to fans of the two teams involved on the night. The fact that AC Milan have dropped five points in their last two games means that third and fourth-placed Napoli and Udinese will also have a keen eye on this match-up between first and second in Serie A.

On Saturday evening, Leonardo will face the club which he was coaching this time last year for the first time. Not many have been brave enough to make the switch from one Milan club to the other, and the Brazilian has drawn some criticism for moving to his old rivals. Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso was asked recently whether he would ever consider moving to Inter: "Anything can happen, but not this," he replied. "I would rather go work in a kitchen." 

Gattuso: "I wish Leonardo well, but I also hope that he doesn't win anything with Inter."

Another professional who has been involved with both clubs - Zlatan Ibrahimović - has had his recent three-match ban reduced to two on appeal, but this means that he will still have to sit out the derby. I speculated before the Palermo-Milan game that Ibrahimović’s ban may be timely considering his lack of form of late, but the fact that coach Allegri’s alternative attacking options failed to find the net against Palermo suggests that the Swede’s absence could prove damaging for Milan. Cassano, Pato, Boateng and Robinho all featured for the Rossoneri in Palermo, but the home side still managed to keep a clean sheet for the first time in nine games. One positive for Milan is that Inter's key central defender Lúcio is also suspended for this game.

The last time these two met, Inter were in disarray under Rafa Benitez and Milan cruised to a 1-0 win despite having to play the final 30 minutes with ten men. This time, Milan haven't managed a win since their lacklustre exit from the Champions League at Tottenham and they are without their top scorer who scored the winning goal in the last derby. Incidentally, none of the last fourteen Milan derbies have ended in a draw.

Inter are aiming to win their sixth scudetto in a row, and their momentum has been impressive at this crucial time of the season. They have reduced a huge points deficit between themselves and Milan to just two since Leonardo's arrival, and the Nerazzurri have also become only the second team in Champions League history to lose at home and then go through by winning away in a second leg. While the Milan derby is always difficult to predict, Inter look the more solid unit heading into this game.

Prediction – Inter to win – 3pts

Match odds:    AC Milan                         7/4

                      Draw                             2/1

                      Inter                              8/5

AC Milan: Last 5 Serie A Results

19.03.2011 – Palermo      1-0     AC Milan

13.03.2011 – AC Milan     0-0     Bari

05.03.2011 – Juventus    0-1     AC Milan

28.02.2011 – AC Milan     3-0     Napoli

20.02.2011 – Chievo       1-2     AC Milan

Inter: Last 5 Serie A Results

20.03.2011 – Inter           1-0    Lecce

11.03.2011 – Brescia        1-1    Inter

06.03.2011 – Inter           5-2    Genoa

27.02.2011 – Sampdoria   0-2    Inter

19.02.2011 – Inter           1-0    Cagliari

Serie A – week 30 round-up

With only eight rounds of games remaining, the Serie A title race just got a lot more interesting in a weekend which yielded wins for each of the top five teams with the exception of league leaders AC Milan.

Lazio kicked off the weekend on Saturday with a solid 1-0 victory over Cesena which temporarily lifted the Romans back into the top four. Udinese reclaimed fourth place on Sunday afternoon however by beating Catania 2-0 at home thanks to a first-half goal from Gökhan Inler and a second-half penalty which was won by Alexis Sánchez and converted by the league’s top scorer Antonio Di Natale.

Palermo produced the shock result of the weekend when they ended a run of five straight defeats by beating table-toppers AC Milan on Saturday evening. Dorin Goian’s 10th minute goal was enough to earn three points for the Sicilians in what was Serse Cosmi’s first win as Palermo coach.

Inter took full advantage of this slip-up by their city rivals on Sunday afternoon when they scored a 1-0 home win over struggling Lecce. Though Giampaolo Pazzini looked to have controlled the ball with his hand before slotting home his second-half goal, it was allowed to stand and eventually decided the game. Inter are now just two points behind Milan and this weekend’s results have increased the significance of the Milan derby, which is the next fixture scheduled for the league’s top two.

Pazzini: lending a hand to Inter's title challenge

Napoli drew within three points of the top of Serie A when they beat Cagliari 2-1 in the Sunday evening game. Their title challenge looked to be in serious doubt just three weeks ago when they were soundly beaten by AC Milan, but two second-half goals from Edinson Cavani were enough to defeat Cagliari and launch Napoli right back into contention for the Scudetto.

The bottom side in Serie A effectively waved goodbye to the top division as they lost 2-1 to Chievo in front of a healthy home support. Chievo had gone six games without a win, yet Bari failed to earn any points from this game and their immediate future now surely lies in Serie B.

Elsewhere, Francesco Totti scored twice for his second game in a row to earn a share of the spoils for Roma at Fiorentina. Genoa came from behind to earn a point at Bologna, while their city rivals Sampdoria lost 1-0 at home to Parma. And finally, goals from Miloš Krasić and Alessandro Del Piero earned Juventus their first win in over a month, over second-from-bottom club Brescia. You can watch Del Piero's excellent winner, complete with appropriately excited commentary, on the football blog page.

There will be no Serie A action next week, due to international fixtures. Join the Del’s Football Tips Facebook Page to be notified of any match previews/tips in the meantime.

Til then…

Serie A – week 30 results

Fiorentina     2-2    Roma           

Bari             1-2    Chievo           

Bologna       1-1    Genoa              

Inter           1-0    Lecce               

Juventus      2-1    Brescia             

Sampdoria    0-1    Parma              

Udinese        2-0    Catania             

Napoli          2-1    Cagliari

Lazio           1-0    Cesena             

Palermo       1-0    AC Milan

Napoli v Cagliari Match Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday March 20th 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on ESPN)

Napoli managed their first win in three weeks last Sunday evening in the same game which saw playmaker Ezequiel Lavezzi return from a three-match suspension. Coincidence? No - in fact, the second half of this game encapsulated just how crucial the presence of their Argentinian playmaker has been to Napoli’s successes this season.

Parma had taken a surprise lead over the visitors before Lavezzi sprung to life in the second half to spark an impressive recovery by his team. Frontman Edinson Cavani hasn’t scored in the last month, but Lavezzi’s return is likely to help the second most prolific striker in Serie A to find the net again. Napoli will need to show consistency if they are to remain ahead of in-form Udinese, who sit just three points behind the Azzurri with a superior goal difference.

Captain Paolo Cannavaro - key to Napoli's defensive unit

Cagliari’s recent form had been respectable until they became Udinese’s latest victims last week. After a very disappointing start to the season, the Sardinians have managed to accumulate enough points to practically ensure safety from relegation. They are currently in tenth place in Serie A, and have demonstrated impressive team spirit since losing top scorer Alessandro Matri to Juventus in January.

The Stadio San Paolo is a proverbial fortress for Napoli, and the last time they conceded a league goal here was when they beat Bologna 4-1 on November 21st last. Expect the home side to keep a clean sheet for the sixteenth time this season while claiming all three points from Sunday evening’s game.

Prediction – Napoli to win to nil – 3pts

Match odds:    Napoli                           4/7

                     Draw                           13/5

                     Cagliari                         5/1

                     Napoli to win to nil          6/4

Napoli: Last 5 Serie A Results

13.03.2011 – Parma       1-3     Napoli

06.03.2011 – Napoli       0-0     Brescia

28.02.2011 – AC Milan    3-0     Napoli

20.02.2011 – Napoli       1-0     Catania

12.02.2011 – Roma        0-2     Napoli

Cagliari: Last 5 Serie A Results

13.03.2011 – Cagliari      0-4     Udinese

06.03.2011 – Bologna     2-2     Cagliari

27.02.2011 – Cagliari      1-0     Lazio

19.02.2011 – Inter         1-0     Cagliari

13.02.2011 – Cagliari      4-1     Chievo

Udinese v Catania Match Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday March 20th 2011, 2pm GMT

Udinese broke into the top four in Serie A on Sunday thanks to a 4-0 win over Cagliari. The Friuli side have the best record in Italy in 2011, and their last defeat was in December at Lazio, who they dislodged from fourth place last week.

Last season’s top goalscorer Antonio Di Natale is setting the pace once again with 24 goals to his name this season. His strike partner Alexis Sánchez has also netted 12 for the Bianconeri, whose attacking style of football has earned them plenty of plaudits from the Italian press of late.

Udinese seem unstoppable at the moment, and can look forward to European football next season if they can maintain current form for the remaining nine Serie A fixtures. It is unfortunate that Sánchez and some of the other stars from this exciting unit are likely to have been lured to bigger European clubs by the time next season rolls around. On a more encouraging note for Udinese fans, coach Francesco Guidolin has just signed a new three-year contract with the club despite speculation that he was being lined up to replace Luigi Del Neri at Juventus.

Guidolin plans to continue shouting at Udinese players until June 2015

Catania scored a valuable win over struggling Sampdoria last week to lift themselves to fourteenth in the table, four points above the relegation zone. The last time these two met was in November, when Catania beat a less consistent Udinese 1-0. The Sicilians are far more assured at home than on the road however, and they are unlikely to prevent Udinese from recording their fourth straight win in comfortable fashion on Sunday.

Prediction – Udinese -1 (handicap betting) – 3pts

Match odds:    Udinese                      4/9

                     Draw                         3/1

                     Catania                      6/1

                     Udinese -1                 11/8

Udinese: Last 5 Serie A Results

13.03.2011 – Cagliari      0-4    Udinese

06.03.2011 – Udinese     1-0    Bari

27.02.2011 – Palermo     0-7    Udinese

20.02.2011 – Udinese     0-0    Brescia

13.02.2011 – Cesena      0-3    Udinese

Catania: Last 5 Serie A Results

13.03.2011 – Catania      1-0     Sampdoria

06.03.2011 – Fiorentina   3-0     Catania

27.02.2011 – Catania      2-1     Genoa

20.02.2011 – Napoli        1-0     Catania

13.02.2011 – Catania      3-2     Lecce

Palermo v AC Milan Match Preview and Betting Tips

Saturday March 19th 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on ESPN)

AC Milan travel to Sicily tomorrow in an effort to extend their five-point lead at the top of the table ahead of Inter’s game against Lecce on Sunday. The Rossoneri were frustrated by Bari last Sunday at the San Siro, but they will fancy their chances of taking all three points against a side who have now lost their last five matches.

With a record of 9 wins, 4 draws and just one defeat on their travels, Milan boast the best away record in Serie A this season. They will have to make do without talisman Zlatan Ibrahimović tomorrow, as he was handed a three-match ban for striking Bari defender Marco Rossi in last week’s 1-1 draw.

This suspension may not be as disastrous for Milan as it seems however, as Zlatan’s impact has been negligible in recent weeks. He played a huge part in Milan’s fortunes until the Winter break, but has been on the wane since then. A chance for the Swede to recharge his batteries, and a chance for Antonio Cassano (who scored the equaliser for the league leaders last week) to get some time on the pitch may be a welcome temporary arrangement for all concerned.

Fifty million - true or false?

Serse Cosmi has now lost his first two games in charge of Palermo, who had serious European ambitions until their season took a nose-dive a couple of months back. His side made the news in bizarre fashion this week when club president Maurizio Zamparini responded to rumours that Napoli are interested in Palermo striker Javier Pastore by claiming that he is already considering a €50 million offer from elsewhere for Pastore. I wonder if the outspoken Zamparini is also considering whether his decision to replace former coach Delio Rossi at such a crucial stage in the season was a wise one?

While the Stadio Renzo Barbera used to be a tough place for any club to visit, Palermo’s confidence is at rock bottom right now and everything points to a Milan victory tomorrow.

Prediction – AC Milan to win – 4pts

Match odds:    Palermo                      13/5

                     Draw                         23/10

                     AC Milan                    evens

Palermo: Last 5 Serie A Results

13.03.2011 – Genoa       1-0    Palermo

06.03.2011 – Lazio         2-0    Palermo

27.02.2011 – Palermo     0-7    Udinese

19.02.2011 – Bologna     1-0    Palermo

13.02.2011 – Palermo     2-4    Fiorentina

AC Milan: Last 5 Serie A Results

13.03.2011 – AC Milan    0-0     Bari

05.03.2011 – Juventus    0-1     AC Milan

28.02.2011 – AC Milan    3-0     Napoli

20.02.2011 – Chievo       1-2     AC Milan

12.02.2011 – AC Milan    4-0     Parma

Bayern Munich v Inter Milan Match Preview and Betting Tips

Tuesday March 15th 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on Sky Sports 4)

Following AC Milan’s exit from this competition last week, Inter are the only Italian club who remain in contention for a European prize this season. Last year’s Champions League winners will have to overturn a 1-0 deficit however if they are to progress to the quarter finals of this year’s competition.

Bayern Munich manager Louis van Gaal announced this day last week that he will leave the club at the end of this season due to differences with the Bayern board. Last year’s Bundesliga winners have had a disappointing domestic campaign this time around, and they won’t retain their title this year.

Inter are also trailing in the race to retain their domestic league title, but are not as far from the top of the table as their German opponents. Their hopes suffered a setback on Friday however, when they conceded a late equaliser at relegation candidates Brescia. Bayern thrashed Hamburg 6-0 on Saturday, in a game which yielded a hat-trick for dangerous Dutch winger Arjen Robben.

Robben - hoping to avenge last year's defeat to Inter in the final

So what should we expect from this meeting of last year’s Champions League finalists? While Bayern retain the same manager which brought them all the way to the final (for now), Inter have had two different coaches since their 2-0 win in last year’s final. While Leonardo has been doing a good job since taking over in December, he is no Jose Mourinho, and Inter no longer play with the assurance they showed under the Portugese coach.

They are faced with the task of keeping a fit and in-form Robben and Franck Ribéry quiet in front of their home fans, a tough task for even a fully-fit squad. Inter are depleted at the moment however – key central defender Lucio is injured, but will make the trip to Germany. If he is unable to play he will probably be replaced by Ivan Cordoba – who has struggled with injury himself - or Christian Chivu. Diego Milito is also likely to miss out due to injury, so Goran Pandev is likely to partner Samuel Eto’o up front for the Nerazzurri. Key midfielder Esteban Cambiasso is also a doubt, as he missed the Brescia game due to injury. Bayern have no new injury concerns.

If Inter do go through tomorrow, they will become only the second team in Champions League history to lose at home and then go through via an away win in the second leg. The odds are against them for a reason, and I think their defence of the Champions League will end tomorrow in a game which should feature a few goals.

Prediction – Bayern Munich to win – 5pts

Match odds:    Bayern Munich                         19/20

                     Draw                                      13/5

                     Inter                                      11/4

Updates...

As you may have noticed, the Serie A table has been added to the site. This will be updated every Monday at the latest, so you can check each team's standing as well as their recent results.

The Football Blog Page has also been updated, this time with videos of both the goal of the weekend and the miss of the weekend in Serie A.

If you use Facebook, feel free to click the "like" button on the Del's Football Tips Facebook page to be notified every time new match previews are posted. It's at the top of the page.

Thanks to everyone who has sent feedback and comments by email. If you wish to get in touch, you can do so by emailing delsfootballtips@gmail.com

Serie A – week 29 round-up

Napoli went into their game yesterday evening knowing that a win would re-launch their faltering challenge for the Scudetto after both of the Milan clubs dropped points to the bottom two in Serie A.

Inter were held to a 1-1 draw at Brescia on Friday evening in a game which they dominated, but could have lost had Júlio César not saved Andrea Caracciolo’s penalty in the 90th minute. Samuel Eto’o put the visitors ahead from an 18th minute corner but they failed to convert a series of subsequent chances to extend their lead, Goran Pandev proving particularly wasteful in front of goal. Caracciolo levelled the game with six minutes of normal time remaining, and he then went on to first miss Brescia’s penalty and then earn himself a second yellow card for kicking the ball away in stoppage time.

AC Milan were also held to a 1-1 draw by a well-organised Bari side at the San Siro. Bari took the lead from a set-piece before half time, but Antonio Cassano came off the bench to earn a point for the home side. Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimović received a straight red card for a body punch which he swung at Marco Rossi late in the game – will he miss the Milan derby as a result?

Cassano celebrates scoring against his hometown club

Their listless first half performance at Parma indicated that Napoli were reluctant to take advantage of the points dropped by the two teams above them in the table. Ezequiel Lavezzi sprung to life after the break however, and the Argentinian set up an equaliser for Marek Hamšík before lifting the ball over the Parma goalkeeper to put Napoli ahead.  Daniele Galloppa was sent off for the home team about half an hour before Christian Maggio wrapped up the points for Napoli just before the final whistle. With just nine games to go, and with Inter and Milan still to play one another, Napoli are now just six points off top spot.

Lazio have not won a Rome derby while playing as the away side since 1998, a trend which continued yesterday when they lost 2-0 thanks to a brace from Roma captain Francesco Totti. Tempers frayed during a tense affair which saw Lazio finish with nine men. Stefan Radu and Christian Ledesma were both dismissed in the second half, for a headbutt and dissent respectively. Roma are now just two points behind their rivals, who fall out of the top four for the first time since late September.

The Udinese goal machine motored on this weekend, this time visiting Cagliari and winning 4-0. Mehdi Benatia opened the scoring, and Antonio Di Natale added two more to his tally, but the goal of the game was a superb individual effort from Alexis Sanchez. Udinese have the best record in Serie A in 2011, and yesterday they moved into the Champions League spot which had previously been occupied by Lazio.

The last time Juventus lost four games in a row was almost fifty years ago, and they managed to avoid doing so this season by earning a draw at Cesena on Saturday. Juve appeared to receive very favourable treatment from referee Mauro Bergonzi on the night, but still finished with ten men and failed to defend a two-goal lead. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was lucky to only see yellow when he conceded a penalty by bringing down Cesena’s Marco Parolo in the 41st minute. 

Juventus were 2-0 up at the time, thanks to two impressive finishes from Alessandro Matri. Luis Jiminez then converted the above-mentioned penalty, and Juventus were reduced to ten men when Marco Motta received a second yellow before the break. An eventful second half was predictably dominated by Cesena, but Buffon pulled off some fantastic saves to preserve Juve’s advantage. What looked like a definite Cesena penalty for a foul by Giorgio Chiellini was ignored by the referee, before Parolo capitalised on a half-clearance to earn a share of the spoils for the home side. A point was the least Cesena deserved, and they are now unbeaten in four games.

Buffon: "Thanks ref!"

Elsewhere, Genoa made it two defeats from two games for new Palermo coach Serse Cosmi. Another new coach got off to a losing start yesterday when Catania beat ten-man Sampdoria 1-0 to continue their impressive home record. Fiorentina won away from home for just the second time this season, beating Chievo 1-0. Bologna also won 1-0 on the road, and the three points earned at Lecce will help their push for survival in Serie A.

Serie A: week 29 results

AC Milan    1-1      Bari        

Cagliari      0-4      Udinese    

Catania      1-0      Sampdoria        

Chievo       0-1      Fiorentina          

Genoa       1-0      Palermo    

Lecce        0-1      Bologna    

Parma       1-3      Napoli

Roma        2-0      Lazio                

Cesena      2-2      Juventus  

Brescia      1-1      Inter

Parma v Napoli Match Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday March 13th 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on ESPN)

This is a meeting between two teams who are fighting for points for different reasons. Napoli have picked up just a single point from their last two league games, and as a result have slipped from second to third place in the table, two points above Lazio.

Parma’s erratic form leaves them in fifteenth place in the table, one point above the danger area. They have achieved a consistency of sorts in recent weeks, but their current average of one point per game may well lead them into a nervy end to this league campaign. Parma have certainly not lived up to their fans’ expectations this term having finished last season in eighth place.

Injury worries surround Parma’s attacking trio of Sebatian Giovinco, Hernan Crespo and Carvalho Amauri, who may be selected but are unlikely to be at their best. Massimo Gobbi and Gabriel Paletta will be suspended for Parma on Sunday, as will Napoli’s Andrea Dossena and Salvatore Aronica.

"El Pocho" - returns from suspension on Sunday evening

Napoli will receive a huge boost ahead of this fixture as playmaker Ezequiel Lavezzi returns from his three-match suspension. The Azzurri have lacked a cutting edge without Lavezzi, and their top scorer Edinson Cavani has failed to find the net in his absence.

Napoli have been a formidable force this season, and this hasn’t changed overnight. Fans and coaching staff blamed refereeing decisions for their failure to overcome Brescia, and coach Walter Mazzari will be forced to watch this one from the stands as he was sent off for dissent last week. Napoli need to start picking up points again to ensure a successful finish to their season, and Lavezzi’s return should help them to do so on Sunday.

Prediction – Napoli to win – 4pts

Match odds:    Parma                        9/5

                     Draw                         21/10

                     Napoli                        6/4

Parma: Last 5 Serie A Results

06.03.2011 – Chievo     0-0     Parma

27.02.2011 – Roma       2-2     Parma

20.02.2011 - Parma      2-2     Cesena

12.02.2011 - AC Milan   4-0     Parma

06.02.2011 - Parma      1-1     Fiorentina

Napoli: Last 5 Serie A Results

06.03.2011 – Napoli      0-0     Brescia

28.02.2011 – AC Milan  3-0     Napoli

20.02.2011 – Napoli      1-0     Catania

12.02.2011 – Roma       0-2     Napoli

06.02.2011 – Napoli      2-0     Cesena

AC Milan v Bari Match Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday March 13th 2011, 11.30am GMT (live on ESPN)

While disappointing, AC Milan’s midweek exit from the Champions League at the hands of Tottenham means that they can now concentrate their attentions solely on Serie A and the Coppa Italia. With just 10 games remaining in their domestic league, the Rossoneri will aim to maintain their five-point lead by dispatching with Bari on Sunday.

Can Mutti engineer a great escape from relegation for Bari?

Bari, for their part, are desperate for points at the moment. They have occupied the bottom spot in Serie A for quite some time now, and are effectively thirteen points from safety given their goal difference. A Bari win on Sunday would be a huge shock, but the southerners may fancy their chances of upsetting a team still wounded by their Champions League exit.

The last time these sides met was in the Coppa Italia on January 20th. Milan were comfortable 3-0 winners on that occasion, but Bortolo Mutti has taken charge of Bari since, and their defence has become noticeably more resilient. They visited Udinese last Sunday and forced the Bianconeri's normally rampant attackers to rely on a 76th-minute penalty for their victory.

On their day Milan’s front three can dismantle most defences, however they won't relish the task of breaking down a well-organised Bari side in Sunday’s early fixture. Milan will have to work hard for the points at the San Siro, and I don't expect this to be a high-scoring affair.

 

Prediction – under 2.5 goals – 3pts

Match odds:    AC Milan                      1/5

                     Draw                           9/2

                     Bari                           14/1

                     Under 2.5 goals             6/5

AC Milan: Last 5 Serie A Results

05.03.2011 – Juventus  0-1  AC Milan

28.02.2011 – AC Milan  3-0  Napoli

20.02.2011 – Chievo     1-2  AC Milan

12.02.2011 – AC Milan  4-0  Parma

06.02.2011 – Genoa     1-1  AC Milan

Bari: Last 5 Serie A Results

06.03.2011 – Udinese  1-0  Bari

27.02.2011 – Bari        1-1  Fiorentina

20.02.2011 – Lazio      1-0  Bari

13.02.2011 – Bari        0-0  Genoa

06.02.2011 – Brescia   2-0  Bari

Brescia v Inter Match Preview and Betting Tips

Friday March 11th 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on ESPN)

Inter visit the Mario Rigamonti stadium tonight ahead of a crucial Champions League game in Munich on Tuesday. The defending Champions are the only Italian side who remain in contention for a European trophy, but first the Milan side must attempt to overcome what will be a stern test of their abilities in this Serie A fixture.

“For us it is fundamental to win, but it is not going to be easy because Brescia are a difficult team to decipher, said Inter coach Leonardo, making football sound a little like rocket science. It is hardly shocking to hear a manager announce that his team are focused on the task in hand, but Inter’s recent form indicates that his words contain substance. They have won their last four Serie A games, scoring five last time out against Genoa.

Samuel Eto'o put two past Genoa last time out

Brescia have drawn their last three games, surprising many last week by escaping Napoli without having conceded any goals. Giuseppe Iachini’s side have won only twice in 2011 however, and are in desperate need of points. They are second from bottom in the table, three points from safety. Defender Pietro Accardi is suspended for the Rondinelle tonight following his booking in the Napoli game, while Inter are missing the injured Motta, Samuel, Chivu, Milito and Cambiasso.

While Brescia’s form has improved in recent weeks, Inter seem focused on catching their city rivals in the race for this season’s Scudetto. They have the firepower to overcome a stubborn Brescia defence, and I expect them to warm up for their Champions League game by making it five league wins in a row.

Prediction – Inter to win – 3pts

 

Match odds:    Brescia                      9/2

                     Draw                        13/5

                     Inter                         4/6

Brescia: Last 5 Serie A Results

06.03.2011 – Napoli       0-0    Brescia

27.02.2011 – Brescia      2-2    Lecce

20.02.2011 – Udinese     0-0    Brescia

13.02.2011 – Brescia      0-2    Lazio

06.02.2011 – Brescia      2-0    Bari

Inter: Last 5 Serie A Results

06.03.2011 – Inter           5-2    Genoa

27.02.2011 – Sampdoria   0-2   Inter

19.02.2011 – Inter           1-0    Cagliari

16.02.2011 – Fiorentina    1-2   Inter

13.02.2011 – Juventus     1-0    Inter

Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma Match Preview and Betting Tips

Tuesday 8th March 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on Sky Sports 4)

Roma visit Donetsk tomorrow in an effort to overturn the 3-2 defeat they suffered in the first leg of this tie at the Stadio Olimpico. Former player Vincenzo Montella is in charge this time, following the dismissal of Claudio Ranieri two weeks ago.

Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu is expecting a difficult challenge from his teams Italian opponents: “They need to score, and naturally they will be playing attacking football.” The Ukranians resumed their domestic league campaign on Friday after the winter break with a 1-0 win at Sevastopol, while Roma nicked a slightly fortuitous 2-1 win at Lecce in their last game on the same day.

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Shakhtar have won all three of their home games in the group stages of the Champions League, and this will be their first ever home knockout game in this competition. Indeed, they boast an unbeaten record in their last eleven home European games.

Roma will have to make do without the services of Brazilian striker Adriano, who has been sidelined for some time due to a shoulder injury. Marco Cassetti is suspended, as is Jeremy Menez who scored the most impressive of the first legs five goals. Centre-back Olexandr Kucher and midfielder Fernandinho have both been ruled out for Shakhtar due to injury.

The current Roma side have looked a shadow of the team which almost won the Scudetto last year. This is the most crucial week of their season so far, as they will face city rivals Lazio in Serie A immediately after the visit to Ukraine. The change of coach was obviously an effort to turn their domestic and Champions League fortunes around, but there is little evidence of an immediate improvement and progress in the Champions League may be too big a task for the relatively inexperienced 36-year-old Montella.

A draw will suffice for Shakhtar on the day, but I fancy their chances of going through in style by winning another European game at home.

Prediction – Shakhtar Donetsk to win – 5pts

Match odds:         Shakhtar Donetsk          evens

                          Draw                           13/5

                          Roma                           11/4