Resurgent Man City visit Leicester

A buoyant Manchester City will aim to continue their resurgence on Saturday when they face the Barclays Premier League's bottom club Leicester City.

Manuel Pellegrini's men trailed leaders Chelsea by eight points after being held to a 2-2 draw at Queens Park Rangers on 8 November, and also looked set to face Uefa Champions League heartache following two disappointing results against Group E rivals CSKA Moscow.

But the BPL champions have since reeled off six wins on the spin in all competitions, breathing new life into their season.

They are now only three points adrift of Chelsea and will head to Leicester in high spirits after securing a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with an impressive 2-0 victory at Roma on Wednesday.

James Milner, one of Man City’s star performers in the Stadio Olimpico, said: "We started the season sloppily, but since the last international break we have hit form and got results.

"We have played well in some games and not so well in others, but still managed to grind out the results, and that is massively important."

Man City's success in Rome was all the more laudable given that three key players - Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure - were absent through injury or suspension.

Aguero, the Barclays Premier League's top scorer with 14 goals from 15 appearances, is set to be absent until the new year due to the knee problem he picked up in last weekend's 1-0 victory over Everton.

Pellegrini can welcome back Toure, whose ban only applies to Uefa competitions, while skipper Kompany is expected to return from a hamstring injury.

In contrast to their opponents this weekend, Leicester come into the game in poor form, having gone 10 matches without a win.

Nigel Pearson's men have picked up only two points since their thrilling 5-3 triumph over Manchester United in September and will remain in the bottom three even if they secure another shock success on Saturday.

Leicester have been hit by an injury to goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who faces four to six weeks out with a broken metatarsal, meaning Ben Hamer is set to start.

The Foxes are at least boosted by the return of captain Wes Morgan from suspension and Paul Konchesky is also available after his red card in last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa was rescinded.

Zoumana Bakayogo (knee) remains sidelined, but Matthew Upson (foot) and Dean Hammond (calf) could make their first-team comebacks.

Leicester City (from): Hamer, Smith, De Laet, Konchesky, Moore, Morgan, Simpson, Upson, Wasilewski, Albrighton, Cambiasso, Drinkwater, Hammond, James, King, Knockaert, Mahrez, Powell, Hopper, Lawrence, Nugent, Schlupp, Taylor-Fletcher, Ulloa, Vardy, Wood.

Manchester City (from): Caballero, Hart, Wright, Boyata, Clichy, Demichelis, Kolarov, Kompany, Mangala, Nastasic, Sagna, Zabaleta, Fernandinho, Fernando, Lampard, Milner, Nasri, Navas, Silva, Sinclair, Toure, Dzeko, Jovetic.

Match Appointments

Referee: Jonathan Moss

Assistants: L Betts, D England

Fourth Official: P Gibbs

Match Facts

Leicester have caught opponents offside more often than any other Barclays Premier League team this season (46).

Leonardo Ulloa has netted six goals from just nine shots on target in the BPL this term.

Wes Morgan has blocked more shots than other player in the league in 2014/15 (22).

No need for new signings - Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has risked angering frustrated fans by saying the under-performing London club do not need any January signings if everyone in the current squad stays fit.

The Frenchman has come under mounting criticism in recent weeks as Arsenal's title challenge has faltered at an early stage again with a 3-2 Premier League defeat to Stoke City last weekend provoking an angry reaction from some supporters.

The Arsenal boss was subjected to a torrent of verbal abuse from fans at a railway station after Saturday's reverse.

Club officials also blocked unhappy supporters from displaying banners calling for Wenger to be sacked ahead of Arsenal's 4-1 victory at Galatasaray on Tuesday.

Yet with Arsenal trailing league leaders Chelsea by 13 points, Wenger, who has reputation for keeping his powder dry in the transfer market, said there was no immediate need for January reinforcements unless injuries forced his hand.

"There will be very little activity," he told reporters on Friday. "Quiet in first three weeks, frenetic in last few days. Usually the market is not busy in January.

"If everybody is fit and available, we don't need to go into transfer market."

Wenger said he may have to rethink his plans if defender Laurent Koscielny fails to recover from a calf injury he suffered in their victory over Southampton on December 3.

The French centre back joins Aaron Ramsey (hamstring) and Nacho Monreal (foot) on the sidelines for Saturday's game against Newcastle United, along with the suspended Calum Chambers.

Wenger has found an unlikely ally in Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, who the Frenchman once shoved in a touchline skirmish.

Pardew described the incident at the train station as 'totally disrespectful' and told Arsenal fans they should be grateful to Wenger for all he has achieved at the club.

"We had a problem once but we sorted it out," Wenger responded.

NFD clubs return to league duties

After a goal fest in the NFD Nedbank Cup midweek qualifiers, its back to the bread and butter of the league for the 16 clubs this weekend.

Cape Town’s two Parow-based clubs, FC Cape Town and Vasco da Gama were the only two teams from the Mother City to make it through to the next round of the Nedbank Cup. And both sides will be hoping that their victories can be a morale-booster ahead of their respective Cape derbies this weekend.

Vasco da Gama (eighth) take on Santos at the Athlone Stadium in a match in which neither team can afford to lose. The Peoples’ Team have dropped to 12th position after failing to take a point from their last three matches, while the last time Vasco won in the league was when they beat Milano in mid-October.

“It wasn't our greatest performance in the Nedbank Cup win over Highlands Park,” said Vasco assistant coach Keenin Lesch after the midweek win, “but certainly a morale booster for the league. We hadn't won in six games so this win was perfect to take the pressure off before Friday's derby with Santos.”

The second Cape derby of the weekend sees FC Cape Town hosting Milano United at the NNK Rugby Stadium, on Saturday. Milano will be out to keep intact their position as log leaders going into the Christmas break, and are also looking to bounce back from their Nedbank Cup defeat to Golden Arrows in Durban.

The African Beasts on the other hand will have a spring in their steps after a midweek win over Baroka FC, and will be hoping this can translate to league form, where they have slipped to fifth position after just one win in their last eight NFD matches.

Jomo Cosmos meanwhile will be targeting a home win against the team they beat earlier this week in the Nedbank qualifiers, Cape Town All Stars. All Stars will however be hoping for a fourth successive league win, although Ezenkosi will know that they can jump to the top of the table if they win and Milano fail to beat FC Cape Town.

Needing to bounce back from two successive defeats, in which time they conceded eight goals, are Golden Arrows, who host Highlands Park on Saturday in Durban.

There is just one game on Sunday, which sees title-contenders Thanda Royal Zulu away to Garankuwa United. Thanda (3rd position) have been one of the NFD’s most consistent performers this season and will be favourites against a Garankuwa side who are in the relegation zone and four points clear of safety.

Weekend fixture list:

Friday, December 12, 2014

19:30 Santos v Vasco Da Gama - Athlone Stadium

Saturday, December 13, 2014

15:30 Jomo Cosmos v Cape Town All Stars - Vaal University of Technology

15:30 Golden Arrows v Highlands Park - Chatsworth Stadium

15:30 Witbank Spurs v Royal Eagles - Puma Rugby Stadium

15:30 FC Cape Town v Milano United AFC - NNK Rugby Stadium

15:30 African Warriors v Black Leopards - Charles Mopeli Stadium

15:30 Baroka FC v Maluti FET College - Old Peter Mokaba Stadium

Sunday, December 14, 2014

15:30 Garankuwa United v Thanda Royal Zulu FC -Lucas Moripe Stadium

Mikel hammer fess UCL goal

Supa Eagus midfida, John Obi Mikel don score hin fess champions League goal for hin career as de guyman dey among de playas wey score for Chelsea lass nite.

Since de year wey Mikel Obi don carry hin bag enta Chelsea, na only 4 goals na hin de Naija man don score for de Blues, but ground kon level for am again.

Na for de 56 minute na hin Mikel take score de goal for de 3-1 bilala wey Chelsea take hama Sporting Lisbon lass nite for Stamford Bridge.

Wetin kon surprise all Chelsea fans be say de coachi, Jose Mourinho start Mikel for de match wit Matic wey bin no allow Mikel to dey start match tay tay.

Foma Arsenal captain. Cesc Fabregas na hin fess score for Chelsea, and bifor Lisbon sabee wetin dey happen, Andre Schurrle don score de secon goal for de Blues afta 16 minutes.

Sporting Lisbon bin dey fite back for de match make dem score, but na de goal wey Mikel score na hin kon finish dem patapata.

De goal wey John Obi Mikel score lass nite, na hin go be hin numba 5 goal wey hin go score since 2006 wey de guy enta Chelsea.

No more provincial Udinese - owner

Udinese will no longer be a provincial club perennially struggling for survival once their new stadium is finished, owner Giampaolo Pozzo said on Wednesday.

They are building a compact 25 000-capacity stadium on the site of their current ground and will become only the second Serie A club, alongside Juventus, to own their own arena.

"We are doing some important work so that we can get out of the provincial dimension," Pozzo told Italian media.

"Serie A is unbalanced. There are five or six clubs with significant revenue and the rest are provincial outfits just trying to survive," he added.

Pozzo said the new stadium, due to open next year, would give Udinese extra sources of revenue which would allow them to keep their top players.

Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, now with Arsenal, and Morocco defender Mehdi Benatia, at Bayern Munich, are among the players to have left Udinese in the last few years.

"We hope that an increase in revenue which enable to keep the players at Udinese for many years and avoid them leaving for other clubs," he said.

"This will allow us to achieve important results on the pitch as well. We want to start the season with a more ambitious target than simply staying up."

Despite being perceived as a mid-table side and currently lying eighth in the standings, Udinese have qualified for European competition several times in the last few years.

Real Madrid seeking perfect twenty

La Liga leaders Real Madrid will look to make it 20 consecutive victories in all competitions as they travel to managerless Almeria on Friday for their final league outing of the year.

The European champions head off to Morocco next week to contest the Club World Cup and will be keen to keep their fine run going into 2015.

After downing Celta Vigo last weekend, a comfortable 4-0 victory over Ludogorets Razgrad in midweek saw Los Blancos beat the previous Spanish record of 18, a figure set by Barcelona in the 2005/06 season.

Real became only the sixth side to go through the group stage with a clean sweep of victories in the Champions League – they are the only side to do it twice – and their fine form is delighting boss Carlo Ancelotti.

"It is a result we have achieved with extraordinary seriousness and an incredible amount of professionalism," the Italian said of his side's run.

"It is not easy preparing for each game with the same levels of motivation and eagerness that these players are showing. I know that I have an extraordinary group of players."

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 28th goal of the season and his 72nd overall in the Champions League on Tuesday and will look to continue his lethal form in front of goal as they visit an Almeria side who have not won in the league since September.

Monday's 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Eibar finally cost Francisco Rodriguez his job with the Andalusians only above the relegation zone on goal difference.

Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Isco and Toni Kroos were the only first team regulars not handed the night off by Ancelotti in midweek, so the likes of Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema are set to return.

James Rodriguez will be missing, though, as the World Cup's top goalscorer joins fellow midfielders Luka Modric and Sami Khedira on the sidelines after picking up a calf injury against Celta last weekend that is likely to see him miss the rest of the year.

Should Madrid continue their irresistible form, the pressure will be on Barcelona when they visit Getafe on Saturday looking to remain within two points off the league leaders.

The Catalan outfit – who got a great boost with a fine 3-1 win over Paris Saint Germain in their Champions League clash on Wednesday to finish top of the group – needed more magic from Lionel Messi to dig them out of a tricky situation after Espanyol struck first in the Catalan derby last weekend.

As ever, the Argentine delivered with his third hat-trick in his last five outings to inspire a 5-1 victory and stretch Barca's winning streak in the league to four games after back-to-back defeats rocked their title hopes in October.

Champions Atletico Madrid will also try to remain in the title hunt when they host Villarreal on Sunday.

However, attention will be on the stands in the first game at the Vicente Calderon since a Deportivo La Coruna fan was killed close to their ground prior to the match between the two sides on November 30.

Atletico have tried to distance themselves from the Frente Atletico ultras group that has been implicated in the fighting that provoked Francisco Jose Romero Taboada's death, yet it remains to be seen if the club will close the section where they are normally located, or distribute tickets to other fans.

The Spanish football league has clamped down on abusive chanting in the wake of the incidents a fortnight ago with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Rayo Vallecano, Deportivo and Granada all set to face fines.

Meanwhile, David Moyes has the chance to bounce back from his side's humiliating 4-0 defeat at Villarreal last weekend, which the Scot admitted could even have been "much worse," in the biggest game of his reign to date when they host Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby.

Fixtures:

Friday

Almeria v Real Madrid

Getafe v Barcelona
Valencia v Rayo Vallecano
Cordoba v Levante
Malaga v Celta Vigo

Sunday

Espanyol v Granada
Sevilla v Eibar
Atletico Madrid v Villarreal
Real Sociedad v Athletic Bilbao

Real win streak threatened by injuries

Real Madrid face Almeria in La Liga on Friday aiming to extend their record winning run to 20 matches but injuries are beginning to take their toll.

Ancelotti's side have been in blistering form and a 4-0 victory over Ludogorets in the Champions League on Tuesday set a new Spanish record of 19 wins in all competitions.

Injuries are becoming a concern, however, with James Rodriguez going off against Celta Vigo last weekend to join Luka Modric and Sami Khedira in the treatment room.

Asier Illarramendi has earned a chance to claim a regular place in the side but the team are looking stretched in midfield with Xabi Alonso having joined Bayern Munich in the last transfer window.

"We are waiting to see how well Modric and James recover and then we will take a decision after Christmas," coach Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference on Thursday.

"Illarramendi has come in and has done well and can play in different positions in the midfield. (Toni) Kroos can also play in different roles but at the moment there is no need to move him from where he is in the centre."

Real lead the La Liga table with 36 points from 14 games and Ancelotti believes it is important for them to beat Almeria and keep their confidence high before they travel to play in the Club World Cup in Morocco next week.

"It is an honour to train this team and the record shows that we are playing well. There are no trophies but it gives you belief," Ancelotti said.

"We have been looking ahead to the Club World Cup and making plans. Whatever happens in the next few games though it has been a fantastic year for Madrid and we want to finish it on a high note."

Barcelona are just two points behind Real having won their last eight games largely down to the prolific form of Lionel Messi.

They beat Paris St Germain on Wednesday to finish first in their Champions League group and travel to Getafe on Saturday.

Champions Atletico Madrid, four points behind the leaders in third, have also hit form and are unbeaten in six games as they prepare to take on Villarreal.