Real Madrid v Levante Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds La Liga 12 February 2012 -
The 90th Minute Soccer Blog
Real Madrid can extend their lead at the top of the table to ten points with a win as they host
Levante in the Spanish Primera Division (La Liga). The match will take place at the Estadio
Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain on Sunday, February 12, 2012.
Aston Villa v Manchester City Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds EPL 12 February
2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog
Manchester City can go on top of the table with a draw or win as they travel to face 14th Aston
Villa in the English Premier League. The match will take place at Villa Park in Birmingham, England
on Sunday, February 12, 2012.
We've had a week to digest
what happened against Manchester United. Plenty has
been said and written about last week but now is the time to look forward and focus on
Goodison.
Roman Abramovich has been at the training ground this week and it will be
interesting to see the level of performance from Chelsea today, to see if his presence has given
the players a kick up the arse to refocus their efforts on climbing up the table.
A trip to Goodison Park is just the tonic needed following our recent troubles, namely a
bizarre, referee-induced three-goal collapse at home against Manchester United.
Wait, what? We rarely win at Everton? Shit.
Mean muggin'
We have actually won at Goodison this season, a 2-1 victory in extra time in the League Cup.
Osasuna v FC Barcelona Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds La Liga 11 February 2012 -
The 90th Minute Soccer Blog
FC Barcelona are seven points back in the title race as they travel to face Osasuna in the
Spanish Primera Division (La Liga). The match will take place at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra in
Pamplona, Spain on Saturday, February 11, 2012.
Udinese v AC Milan Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds Serie A 11 February 2012 - The
90th Minute Soccer Blog
AC Milan can go top of the league table as they travel to face 4th place Udinese in the Italian
Serie A. The match will take place at the Stadio Friuli Udine, Italy on Saturday, February 11,
2012.
Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds EPL 11
February 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog
Newcastle United have won four of their last five league matches as they travel to face third
place Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League.
Sunderland v Arsenal Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds EPL 11 February 2012 - The
90th Minute Soccer Blog
The Black Cats have won their last three league matches as they host 6th place Arsenal in the
English Premier League. The match will take place at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England on
Saturday, February 11, 2012.
Everton v Chelsea Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds EPL 11 February 2012 - The 90th
Minute Soccer Blog
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last five league matches as they travel to face 11th place Everton
in the English Premier League. The match will take place at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England on
Saturday, February 11, 2012.
Celtic v Inverness Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds SPL 11 February 2012 - The
90th Minute Soccer Blog
Celtic have not lost a league match since early October as they host 10th place Inverness in the
Scottish Premier League. The match will take place at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday,
February 11, 2012.
Dunfermline v Rangers Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds SPL 11 February 2012 - The
90th Minute Soccer Blog
Rangers look to close the gap in the title race as they travel to face Dunfermline in the
Scottish Premier League. The match will take place at East End Park in Dunfermline, Scotland on
Saturday, February 11, 2012.
Manchester United v Liverpool Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds EPL 11 February
2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog
Manchester United can go top of the table with a win as they host rivals Liverpool in the
English Premier League. The match will take place at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on
Saturday, February 11, 2012.
Despite Newcastle performing well at the moment and the turmoil we've been through this week, the
Newcastle fans aren't overly confident about getting a result down at the Lane. We're difficult to
beat at home and they worry about their defence up against an inform Bale. Then again there are
some fans that reckon they can get at least a draw or cheeky win out of us given that our strike
force is misfiring and our current main threat in Bale had a shocker against Liverpool.
Liverpool travel to Manchester and Old Trafford to face United for the second time in two weeks
in a match that, depending on your resting heart rate, is either mildly exciting or something
that's possibly life threatening. There's as much to cover off the pitch as there is on, but for
everyone's sanity we'll try to just do the football.
If there is one thing I've noticed about the Liverpool fan forums, it's that our level of
performance and league position in relation to them is directly correlated to how much they bitch
and moan about Spurs and how many posts riddled with bile spewing hatred of us there are.
As you can imagine, this is currently a high proportion.
February kicks off for Liverpool on Monday, with Spurs set to visit Anfield in the first match
of another important month. Liverpool will look to carry their momentum from the domestic cup
triumphs and a comfortable 3-0 win at Wolves into the match, which hopefully signals a turnaround
from a disappointing league stretch to open 2012 that had seen them winless until the final day of
January.
Help me, I'm having nightmares. More, after the jump:
Cold as ice
I'm not even sure this match is as important as what's transpiring around the orbit of England's
Once Brave (Twice-Removed) John Terry- henceforth known as EOBTRJT. Jack cooked up some brilliance
on the matter, as always, which I recommend you all read at once.
THFC1882 brings another new guest writer. Football blogger and Spurs fan
(obviously) Anthony Lombardi previews Tottenham Hotspur's visit to Liverpool:
Liverpool v Tottenham: The Fab Four and Beyond.
This Monday Totteham Hotspur faces Liverpool at Anfield in a clash that is set to have far
reaching effects across the top of the Premier League.
Kickoff from White Hart Lane at 7:00PM GMT/2:00PM EST
Liverpool's youngsters return to NextGen Series action today, with their quarterfinal matchup
with Tottenham's U19s taking place in London. The brief break in senior squad action allows for
attentions to turn to a competition that, on the whole, has been a terrific advertisement for youth
football on the continent.
Wigan currently sit rock bottom of the Premiership, and the confidence on the forums reflects this.
There were quite a few comments about how we've been playing some of the best football in the
league recently, and despite our result against Man City, in which we were robbed (their words, not
mine), the Spurs team that were beaten 1-0 by Wigan last season couldn't break down the lesser
teams, and this season will be a very different prospect.
Back down to Earth for Liverpool, as they travel to the West Midlands to face 19th-place
Wolverhampton. It's a stark contrast from the action of the past week, facing opposition at the
bottom of the table, away from Anfield, and with nothing immediately at stake. And if you've paid
attention to Liverpool at all this season, it's cause for concern, with form against the mid- and
lower-table sides worlds apart from the displays we've seen the last two times out.
THFC1882 welcomes back guest writer Kenny Palmer with a preview of Tottenham
Hotspur versus Wigan.
A week is a long time in football, as Spurs two contrasting performances highlighted. Heroic in
defeat against Manchester City earning plaudits for the character they showed in coming back from
2-0 down to level the scores before losing to an injury time penalty.
This lunchtime, Chelsea travel to Loftus Road to take on QPR in the next round of the FA Cup but
somehow I don't think much of the focus leading up to this one won't be on the football!.
I could sit here all day talking about what happened and what is going to happen in a couple of
days time but there is a football match to be won so I would rather concentrate on that!
The magic of the FA Cup. The combined furor of two players and thus two clubs and two sets of
support groups embroiled in an alleged race row.
And, of course, handshake gate revisited.
Not again
Saturday's FA Cup fixture between visiting Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road is
brimmed with subplots.
The Columbus Crew now has a home on SBNation
Some inter-network news this morning for you all. As you guys may very well know we here at
Stumptown Footy are part of a much larger, bigger and all around fantastic sports network of blogs
and sites. This works out great for you guys since it means we have more resources available and
more clout with which to get us into sports events and the like.
Liverpool's big week culminates with Manchester United's trip to Anfield in the fourth round of
the FA Cup tomorrow, two weeks ahead of their visit to Old Trafford in league. United had the more
arduous task in the third round, traveling across town to the Etihad, where they scraped past City
in a 3-2 win.
Watford away in the 4th round of the FA Cup and the mood in their forums suggests that the result
is a foregone conclusion and that it'll be a "nice" game to watch as the pressure is completely
off. Some fans are hoping we play a weakened side to give them a chance at going through. One fan
reckons that for the number of usual starting 11 players in the Spurs team will be equal to the
number of goals they lose by.
A trip to Wembley and Liverpool's first cup final in nearly five years are on the line tomorrow,
with Manchester City heading to Anfield for the second leg of the League Cup semi-final. Liverpool
have a 1-0 advantage from the first leg after a Steven Gerrard penalty capped a dominant opening
spell for Kenny Dalglish's squad, but there's little illusion that they'll be able to coast into
the final, with City more than capable of turning the tie over.
THFC1882 welcomes another new guest writer. I've been wanting this guy to write
for the blog for ages and finally he's found the time. Here's Adam Nathan with his preview of
Tottenham Hotspur's crucial visit to Manchester City.
Spurs travel to the Etihad on Sunday to face perhaps their fiercest competitors for the Premier
League Title in Manchester City.
Ducky's Note: Starting with this post, and hopefully not dying a premature
death, BigFourZa will feature interviews with other football fans from around the world under the
'Fanboyism' section. The topics will range from match previews, reviews, transfer discussions,
referee rants and a lot more.
Liverpool get back in the swing of things to see out a busy January, heading to the Reebok in
hopes of getting three points for only the second time in six matches. As has mostly been the case
in league over the past month and a half, they won't face an entirely overwhelming opposition, with
Bolton only a point above Wigan in 19th.
This afternoon is a must win game for Chelsea and it really is as simple as that. We cannot afford
to drop points over the next few weeks as we need to try and close the gap to the sides above us
now in the league.
AVB and his Chelsea players have a job on their hands this afternoon as a rejuvenated Sunderland
side under new man-manager Martin O'Neill travel to the Bridge with nothing to lose and everything
to gain.
Stoke City head to Anfield currently sitting alone in eighth and unbeaten in their last four.
Tony Pulis' side has managed success both domestically and in Europe, as they'll accompany the two
Manchester sides in the first knockout round of the Europa League early next month. Liverpool will
hope to continue their relative hot streak at home, during which they've scored eight goals in
their last two matches at Anfield and finally found a way to finish chances.
THFC1882 presents another guest writer. This time it's a guy I've known on
Twitter for a while and he's always got something to say on our beloved Tottenham Hotspur. It gives
me great pleasure to present Kenny Palmer with a preview of this weekend's game:
Wednesday's victory over Everton in the postponed game in hand from the start of the season has
left Spurs level on points with Manchester United and 3 off leaders Manchester City.
The Wolves forums are awash with abuse aimed at manager Mick McCarthy. Not necessarily saying he
should be axed, but criticising his team selection and tactics. There are two schools of thought,
the first that he will play defensive and put 10 men behind the ball, or the second is that he will
put out an attacking side and just go for it.
For the third time in two months, Liverpool and Manchester City square off, this time in the
first leg of their League Cup semi-final. Liverpool's trip to the Eastlands last week ended with
the visitors on the wrong end of a 0-3 result that saw City concede most of the possession but take
the chances they managed to create.
Browsing through the Everton forums finds a lot of uneasy fans worried about thier injury hit side
up against us on Wednesday night. Jagielka, Cahill, Osman, Rodwell, Hibbert and Coleman are all
doubts, but Fellaini and Drenthe both came through their previous match unscathed and should
feature.
They point out that the key to them winning this fixture will be controlling our midfield, a task
that is made infinitely easier if Parker and Sandro are both out.
So the Premier League season is finally here, it's Tottenham Hotspur's opening game versus
Everton..........
That's how the preview for this one should have started, but the unfortunate and unseemly
rioting of early August put paid to Spurs opening fixture. Now this is the game in hand it's vital
that Spurs get maximum points if they want to be taken seriously as title challengers.
This afternoon Portsmouth travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in the FA Cup third round.
Can you believe that just over a year and a half ago, both sides fought out a tight encounter in
the FA Cup final at Wembley!?.
Since then, both sides have had their dramas. We as Chelsea fans think we've had it bad but for
Portsmouth fans, they had to face the reality of their football club being wound up, court cases,
liquidators and contemplating life without their club anymore!
I awake from a two-day coma, just in time for the magic of the FA Cup. Provided this magic
includes Romelu Lukaku and, of course, Josh McEachran I'm all in. Bring forth some elaborate
illusions at the expense of our third-round opponents, Portsmouth.
Setup, the performance, and the prestige.