Samuel Eto'o scored twice as leaders Barcelona came from two goals down to preserve their 22-match unbeaten league run with a 2-2 draw at Real Betis. The point gives champions Real Madrid, currently 13 points behind in second, a chance to cut the gap at the top to ten points when they face Sporting Gijon tomorrow. Juan Melli and former Liverpool man Mark Gonzalez put Betis into a 2-0 lead after just 25 minutes, as Barcelona looked set for their first defeat since the opening day of the season. Eto'o pulled a goal back close to half-time and then equalised six minutes from the end for his 23rd goal of the season, but Barcelona's run of ten straight league wins still came to an end. "A point isn't bad and I can't fault the players for their effort," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. "We dominated the game and had lots of chances to win it, but Betis are a good side and they defended well. After so many consecutive victories, it is normal that we eventually slip up and it happened here [in Seville]." Barcelona had a number of stars in action on international duty during the week and Guardiola rested forwards Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry, while captain Carles Puyol was missing through injury. Barcelona had a nightmare start with Betis scoring twice inside seven minutes. Melli found the target on 18 minutes with a fine header, before Gonzalez struck for the hosts on 25 minutes after the visitors failed to deal with Sergio Garcia's cross. Trailing 2-0, Barcelona got a break seconds before the half when Andres Iniesta used his quick feet to win a penalty. Eto'o stepped up and his weak spot-kick was saved by Ricardo, but the ball fell back into his path and he reacted quickly to prod home the rebound. Barcelona's unbeaten league run that stretched back to the opening day of the season was under threat. >
Juventus forward Alessandro Del Piero reacts during their Italian Series A football match against Sampdoria on February 15, 2009 at the Olympic Stadium in Turin African Debate: CAF Bungles Awards
How credible is the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Player of the Year Award? Not very credible, and unless something drastic is done about this, it will soon become a scandal. Before CAF took over this award in 1992, it was organised by France Football Magazine. Football Football began the awards in 1970 and over time, winners were mainly from Francophone countries or playing in the French league. Nigeria's Austin 'Jay-Jay' Okocha was twice denied the award by CAF, in 1998 and 2004. At the 1998 World Cup in France, Okocha caught the eye so much that Paris Saint-Germain promptly forked out a then record-breaking $17 million to prise the stylish midfielder from Fenerbahce in Turkey. Yet Morocco's Mustapha Hadji was preferred by CAF as the Player of the Year for 1998. And in 2004, Okocha led an average Nigerian team to reach the last four at the Nations Cup in Tunisia, even scoring three goals to emerge as one of the tournament's leading scorers. Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o would later be preferred as Africa's Player of the Year. In 2007, CAF gifted the gong to a surprised Frederic Kanoute of Mali. Didier Drogba was far and away the stand-out player that year but his "undoing" was that he elected to stay back with his national team at the then ongoing Nations Cup, rather than break camp and fly out to pick up his prize in neighbouring Togo. The truth was that the awards ceremony in Togo was ill-timed and once again showed how easily CAF can be manipulated by powerful sponsors, even beyond reason. The 2007 award was a farce, and it went a long way in further reducing the value of what is supposed to be the continent's most prestigious individual accolade. Following on the heels of this was the installation of Togo's Emmanuel Adebayor as Africa's top player for 2008. No one doubts the talent of Adebayor or what he achieved at English club Arsenal last year. Yet, Arsenal did not win anything in the year under review and Togo failed to qualify for the 2008 Nations Cup. Mohamed Aboutrika, on the other hand, played a pivotal role as Egypt won a record sixth Nations cup in Ghana. He scored four goals including the championship winner. Aboutrika followed up on this months later by inspiring Al Ahly to land an unprecedented sixth CAF Champions League trophy. The football in the English Premier League is on a higher level than what we have in Egypt or even the CAF Champions League, but it must also be argued that Adebayor netted 30 goals in 49 games playing alongside top-class players like Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb. By endorsing Adebayor's nomination, CAF has again acknowledged that football on the continent is many light years behind that in Europe. It was more a case of anything foreign, better than what we may ever have here. To CAF's credit, they did what they could not dare do in 2007 - publish a detailed breakdown of how the voting went for the 2008 Player of the Year Award. But even then, it is rather worrying that only 37 of the 53 national team coaches (less than 70%) thought it important to respond to this poll. Would the 16 other coaches not have made a difference in the final outcome? Had CAF been offering these member-nations monetary grants, they would have been oversubscribed by these same countries. CAF must therefore re-design its voting format to be more representative, as it is with the FIFA awards, where both national team coaches and their captains as well as representatives of FIFpro are involved in the voting. If the Cairo-based association insist on bungling this award, it can only mean that organisers of rival such awards may soon be having the last laugh, because the CAF award will soon be a bad joke for football.
Guus Hiddink was announced as Chelsea's interim manager this week, and yesterday he attended his first training session since arriving at his new club. The Dutchman took plenty of positives from his orientation day at Cobham, but he also identified the need to unify the 'team' he has inherited from Luiz Felipe Scolari. "They are very committed, I have seen them training but sometimes you can have a little bit of a different approach to get even more efficiency out of the players," Hiddink told Chelsea TV last night. "That's what I'm aiming for and if you can add those individuals together and make a team, then everyone can bring a little bit more. "I don't like to give anyone much time, not me and not the players. It is too easy to talk commitment because everyone has an obligation to be committed, but in the tactical and the strategic approach during the game we might gain some profit."
Heading into last weekend’s fixtures, it appeared that this match would be the ultimate decider of whether or not Milan would be able to seriously challenge Inter for the title. While this may still be the case, the circumstances have changed a bit. Inter’s consummate 3-0 victory away to Lecce combined with Milan’s shocking 1-1 home draw against Reggina created a furthering of the gap between the neighbouring sides. Inter are now eight points clear of their crosstown nemesis in the Serie A table - and seven points ahead of Juventus, who are in second place. While Lecce had several good opportunities to score, Inter were clearly in control the match last Saturday and ended up winning comfortably. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whom the Nerazzurri have relied upon for goals all season, gave his side the lead in the 12th minute with a low shot inside the near post after he got behind the defence and beat the offside trap. Luis Figo, scoring his first goal of the season, made it 2-0 in the 72nd minute with a header in the middle of the box from a good cross by young left full-back Davide Santon. The result was put beyond a doubt when Dejan Stankovic himself netted with a header in the 82nd minute. This match was a full team effort, but it also showed just much Inter rely on Ibrahimovic. He is their leading scorer by far with 14 goals, with the next highest scoring player having just four goals to his name (Douglas Maicon and Dejan Stankovic). While ‘Ibra’ is sure to start, he will most likely be joined up front by Adriano. Questions have been raised about the Brazilian's match fitness, but he played the majority of the match on Tuesday when Brazil defeated Italy 2-0, so he appears to be in good shape at the moment. On The Other Side Of The Ball Had Milan won last Saturday, then they could have come into this match with hope of a victory to cut the deficit to a mere three points. Of course, that did not happen, and now they are behind Inter by eight points. This presents Milan with the difficult prospect that if they lose this match, they are almost surely out of the Scudetto race, as 11 points would appear to be way too much ground to make up in the remaining 14 matches of the season. The task of winning has become even more difficult with the likelihood that Kaka, their leading scorer and best player, will probably not be able to take any part in this match. He sustained a sprain to his left foot against Reggina on Saturday and had to be substituted. As he walked off the field, or limped I should say, the sinking of Rossoneri hearts in the stadium was almost palpable. On the eve of the most important match of the season for the club, losing your most important player would be an almost guarantee of defeat for most clubs. However, Milan have the services of Ronaldinho in Kaka’s stead. ‘Ronnie’ has failed to sustain the kind of form he has shown in spurts over the course of the season, but he will have memories of scoring his first Milan goal when these clubs first met last September. A True Legend A special mention also has to be given to Milan captain Paolo Maldini. After nearly a quarter of a century at the top of the game, he will hang up his boots at the close of this season. Nowhere has he played better than the encounters with his club’s main rivals, Inter. In a match that brings up such heated passion, he has always showed the uttermost class and control, while playing fantastic football all the while. With his retirement now fast approaching, he will again be needed by his side in his final performance against Inter. FORM GUIDE Inter 21/01 (Coppa Italia): Inter 2-1 Roma 25/01 (Serie A): Inter 1-0 Sampdoria 28/01 (Serie A): Catania 0-2 Inter 01/02 (Serie A): Inter 1-1 Torino 07/02 (Serie A): Lecce 0-3 Inter Milan 17/01 (Serie A): Milan 1-0 Fiorentina 25/01 (Serie A): Bologna 1-4 Milan 28/01 (Serie A): Milan 1-1 Genoa 01/02 (Serie A): Lazio 0-3 Milan 07/02 (Serie A): Milan 1-1 Reggina TEAM NEWS Inter Manager Jose Mourinho has a nearly full squad to choose from except for Mario Balotelli, who is suspended. However, they have no serious concerns in the first team regarding injuries. Cristian Chivu and Nicolas Burdisso are one caution away from receiving a suspension. Possible Formation (4-3-1-2): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Materazzi, Samuel, Santon; Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari; Stankovic; Ibrahimovic, Adriano Milan Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Marco Borriello, Giuseppe Favalli, Emerson and Kaka are all sidelined. Kakhaber Kaladze could return to the squad by featuring in this match, but he faces a suspension if he gets cautioned in this fixture. Andrea Pirlo returns from suspension, but Daniele Bonera is out of this match due to the yellow card he received last Saturday. Possible Formation (4-3-2-1): Abbiati; Zambrotta, Kaladze, Maldini, Jankulovski; Beckham, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Seedorf, Ronaldinho; Pato PLAYERS TO WATCH Inter Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the only player in the squad that has scored in double figures, and he is as essential to his club as any other player in Serie A. ‘Ibracadabra’ gets a lot of criticism for not showing up in the big matches, but Inter can have confidence going into this match knowing that whenever he scores against Milan, they win. Esteban Cambiasso was dominant against the Rossoneri in both meetings last season, but didn’t fare quite as well when they met last September. It’s fair to expect that he won’t have a repeat performance from earlier this season. Milan Without Kaka, Ronaldinho must produce something special for Ancelotti's side to win this match. He scored the winning goal when they last played their eternal rivals earlier this season, and his scoring touch will be needed once again. Although his future has yet to be sorted out, David Beckham will be a necessary component for the Milan cause. He had a bit of a dip in form last weekend, but his time in the red and black half of Milan has by and large been a smashing success so far. PREDICTION Realistically, both sides need a win. In the case of Inter, they will be needing to keep both Milan and Juventus at bay and for Milan, they have to win this match if they are to stay within sight of Inter in the battle for the Scudetto. That being said, neither side will want to take much risk, knowing that a loss will open up a whole new set of problems. Inter 1-1 Milan
Nicolas Anelka scored a hat-trick to ensure Guus Hiddink got off to a winning start as Chelsea FC manager as the Dutchman's new side came from behind to defeat Watford FC 3-1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday. Scare Assistant coach Ray Wilkins was put in charge for the day and Hiddink and owner Roman Abramovich watched on from the stands at Vicarage Road as Chelsea created the lionshare of chances in the first half. The Premiership side were given a scare with 21 minutes to play when Tamás Priskin put Watford ahead, but late goals from Anelka on 75, 77 and 90 minutes eased Chelsea through. Four draws Elsewhere in the FA Cup, there were draws across the board with Premier League sides Hull City AFC, Fulham FC and Blackburn Rovers FC drawing with first division Sheffield United FC, Swansea City FC and Coventry City FC respectively. West Ham United FC drew 1-1 at home to Middlesbrough FC in the day's other tie. Portsmouth celebrate There was only one match in the Premier League, with Portsmouth FC easing their relegation fears with a first league win in ten games, 2-0 at home to Manchester City FC. David James made a Premier League record 536th appearance as Portsmouth won their first game following the dismissal of Tony Adams as manager.
AC Milan will look to upset the odds in what could be captain Paolo Maldini's last game against FC Internazionale Milano on Sunday, with coach Carlo Ancelotti adamant his side "can do well with or without Kaká". Easy motivation Lose on Sunday and Milan can effectively kiss their dreams of a title goodbye, as they would be cast eleven points adrift of their city rivals. However, winning will be no easy task. Kaká is a doubt through injury while José Mourinho's Inter are at full strength. Not that left-back Marek Jankulovski is abandoning hope. "In matches like this, motivation comes easily," he said. "We will go out to win, as always." Optimistic coach The Rossoneri won the first Serie A derby of the season, Ronaldinho heading in the only goal, and with his side a point behind second-placed Juventus, Ancelotti is feeling optimistic. "We are in good form, better than last September when we beat them," said the 49-year-old. "We can do well with or without Kaká, but we have to win." Home record Aside from that defeat against Milan, Inter have lost just once in the league all season, going down 3-1 at Atalanta BC in mid-January, while Mourinho has not lost a home game as a coach since 23 February 2002, when his FC Porto side were beaten 3-2 by SC Beira-Mar. This would be an inopportune moment for that record to slip, and Inter captain Javier Zanetti, playing in his 35th derby, is not taking the occasion lightly. "It is a crucial match; one that means a lot to all concerned," he said. Maldini moment None more so, perhaps, than Paolo Maldini. Now 40, the Milan captain is expected to retire this summer, making this derby – his 55th in 25 seasons with the Rossoneri – probably his last. Jankulovski has his doubts, however. "He is a great champion, a great player, but I don't know if it will be his last derby," he said. "If you see how he's playing now, he could easily carry on, but if it is going to be his last derby it would be nice to win." Danger man For Jankulovski, the key to victory will be stopping Inter's star striker Zlatan Ibrahimović. "Inter are a very strong team, but we have to be especially careful about Ibrahimović," said the 31-year-old. "He can decide matches on his own. They have other very good players, but if there's one player we need to worry about, it's Ibrahimović."
Andriy Voronin struck twice as Hertha BSC Berlin climbed to the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday thanks to a 2-1 win against FC Bayern München, their eighth straight league victory at the Olympiastadion. Voronin hero With leaders TSG 1899 Hoffenheim having lost 4-1 at home to Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Friday this was a chance for either Hertha, in third, or second-placed Bayern to go top and in front of a sell-out 74,200 crowd it was Hertha who made the most of it. Voronin opened the scoring with a header on 38 minutes and though Miroslav Klose's close-range header drew Bayern level with 61 minutes played, the Ukrainian international struck his second goal of the afternoon on the break with 13 minutes to go to seal the points for the Berlin side. Toni injury It was Bayern's second defeat in three league games since the winter break and their afternoon was compounded by striker Luca Toni leaving the field with an ankle injury shortly before half-time. Hertha lead the Bundesliga for the first time this season on 40 points, as they bid to win the title for the first time since 1931, one point more than Hoffenheim with Bayern third on 38. Wolfsburg win VfL Wolfsburg warmed up for Wednesday's UEFA Cup showdown with Paris Saint-Germain FC with a 2-0 win away to Eintracht Frankfurt. Edin Džeko put Wolfsburg in front on nine minutes then Zvjezdan Misimović made the points safe from the spot 21 minutes into the second half. Victory takes Wolfsburg up to sixth, a point above fellow UEFA Cup hopefuls VfB Stuttgart who threw away a two-goal lead before drawing 3-3 at Hannover 96. Stuttgart held Early goals from Mario Gómez (7) and Martin Lanig (22) put the visiting side in command but Hannover hit back with two goals shortly before the break from Jirí Stajner and Jacek Krzynowek to draw level. Mikael Forssell looked to have sealed the points for the home side with an 85th-minute strike, but Thomas Hitzlsperger countered with just three minutes to play to snatch a point. Bremen draw Werder Bremen, the third of Germany's trio of UEFA Cup contenders in action on Saturday, could only manage a 1-1 draw with bottom side VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach. Michael Bradley pulled Borussia level with eleven minutes to play three minutes after Claudio Pizarro had put Bremen, who will meet AC Milan on Wednesday, in front. Elsewhere VfL Bochum 1848 eased their relegation worries with a 2-1 win at home to FC Schalke 04 and Karlsruher SC picked up an important point in a goalless draw at 1. FC Köln.
Richard Kingson might only be Wigan's third-choice keeper, but he can boast more international experience than anyone else at the club. The 30-year-old has 74 caps for Ghana, helping them reach the knockout stages of the World Cup in 2006 and the African Nations Cup semi-final last year. He can also boast to be one of the few keepers to have scored a goal at international level, netting a far-post header against Tanzania. This week, Kingson found himself in opposition to Latics team-mate Amr Zaki when Ghana visited Egypt for a friendly. The clash in Cairo ended in a 2-2 draw, Kingson perhaps having more to smile about after Zaki failed to get on the scoresheet. Wednesday's game was a warm-up for Ghana and Egypt ahead of the start of the third and final stage of their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign. Both countries have already reached next January's African Nations Cup in Angola, now they're targeting a trip to South Africa later in the year. Kingson said: "It was good to play against Zaki this week, it's fun when you face someone from your own club in an international match. "It makes you a little bit more determined to do well, and I'm sure we'll have a chat about the game when we're back at Wigan. "I've got my sights playing on the World Cup next year, and in our qualifying group we have Benin, Sudan and Mali. "The winner of the group goes to South Africa, I really hope it will be us. "I played in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Ghana got to the second round before getting knocked out by Brazil. "But we beat the Czech Republic and the United States in the group stages, it was a very good experience." Kingson became a Latics player last September, the keeper a free agent at the time having been released by Birmingham. He'd been branded a 'waste of space' by Birmingham City owner Richard Sullivan following just three appearances last season, which saw the Blues relegated. But that bitter comment didn't put off Steve Bruce from signing him for a second time, after bringing him to St Andrews. Kingson had caught his eye while playing on loan for Swedish club Hammarby, the majority of the keeper's club football having previously come in Turkey, where he played for six clubs. He also has a Turkish passport. Chances for him have been few and far between at Latics, credited with just one start – in the FA Cup at Tottenham in January. He's been on the bench nine times for league games, with Bruce rotating him and Mike Pollitt as back-up to Chris Kirkland. Kingson is prepared to be patient though, and said: "I'm happy here even though I'm still waiting for my big chance. "To be training with such a good squad of players is great. This is a happy club, with all the players getting on well together. "We share jokes off the pitch, but work very hard on the training ground to make sure we do well in matches. "Being a goalkeeper is difficult because obviously only one of you can play. It's not like other positions. "There's strong competition here, with three goalkeepers, and I'll have to work so that if my chance comes I can take it."
Ryan Giggs will be able to add to his club-record tally of Manchester United FC appearances after extending his contract by one year until June 2010. Record marks The 35-year-old midfielder has spent his entire career with United since first signing forms aged 14 in 1987. He made his debut against Everton FC on 2 March 1991 and in Sunday's 1-0 win against West Ham United FC scored his 147th goal on his 787th club appearance. Capped 64 times by Wales between 1991 and 2007, Giggs is the only player to have won ten English league titles, alongside four FA Cups and two UEFA Champions League successes. He will continue his bid for a third European title when United face FC Internazionale Milano in the first knockout round on 24 February and 11 March. Ambition Giggs told manutd.com: "I feel fit and I'm enjoying my football more than ever. This is an exciting young team and the spirit is great in the dressing room. I want to be a part of that and achieve even more success." Manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who persuaded the teenage Giggs to join United, added: "Ryan is a true professional of the game; his lifestyle, the way he looks after himself, his desire to always want to win is a credit to him and also an inspiration to any young kid who wants to become a footballer. It would be easy for him to be complacent after all he has achieved but he isn't, and that speaks volumes of why the club wanted to extend his services and use that experience."
Milan will send director Umberto Gandini to Los Angeles on Wednesday and his American mission will be to close a deal for David Beckham. Gandini and two of the Italian club's lawyers will fly out to the States after tomorrow's UEFA Cup clash against Werder Bremen in order to convince the Los Angeles Galaxy to part company with the Englishman. The Sun claims vice-president Adriano Galliani has instructed his men to get their brief cases and bring him back some good news on Friday. According to reports, the Rossoneri's entourage will sit down and hold crucial talks with the MLS side and they will try to swing the deal in their favour. So far any attempt from Milan has been swatted away by the Americans, who are playing hardball. Galaxy are not satisfied with the offers they have received so far and they are holding out for more money. Beckham has always stated his desire to stay in Milan despite Galaxy coach Bruce Arena still hopeful of his return. The Italians are still confident of reaching an agreement with the American side in order to avoid further complications before the March 9 deadline. Meanwhile, Beckham may feature for his side on Wednesday night as he is in the squad to play Werder, despite picking up a minor knock during Sunday's 2-1 derby defeat to Inter.
Real Madrid will look to put their Champions League misery behind them as they travel to San Mames to take on Athletic Bilbao this Saturday evening. The hosts have been on a minor slump recently and could do with a win to revitalise their season, whilst Madrid know that they have to pick up three points in their bid to catch Barcelona at the top of La Primera… Copa Comedown Real Madrid might well be suffering from their Champions League exit this weekend but there is no doubt that Athletic Bilbao have also suffered from their own exploits in cup competition. Their victory over Sevilla in the Copa del Rey semi-final was nothing short of breathtaking but it also came at a price, as they almost forfeited the game before it by playing a second-side, and then appeared lacklustre against Barcelona the next match. Whilst losing to Sevilla and the Catalans in the league is nothing to be ashamed of, and was perhaps expected, they could well have done with picking up something from those matches. For, just as it appeared that they could make a charge for the European places, their season started to tail off and results stopped coming. They have now not won in the league for over a month and consecutive draws against Recreativo Huelva and Getafe prove that they have dipped in form. Against Madrid this weekend, the players have commented that they will come out with the same passion that they had against Sevilla in the Copa, and whilst that would test the defending champions, the question has to be asked, can they just turn it on and off like that? Real Trouble If Athletic can fire up the intensity and play with gusto from the beginning then they will give Madrid problems and could make it a week to forget for Juande Ramos. The coach has already seen his side humiliated by Liverpool in the Champions League and the last thing that he will want now is to lose even more ground on Barcelona in the league. Their fortunate draw with Atletico Madrid last weekend means they are six points behind the Catalans before the match and only a win will do. Like Athletic, they will have to improve on recent showings if they are to get anything from the match and plenty of the players this week have admitted that the morale is not exactly high in the camp right now. After Anfield, San Mames is probably one of the last places that Madrid would have wanted to visit this weekend, but the capital side do actually hold a decent record there of late. Los Blancos have won on their last four visits to La Catedral and the last time they were beaten by Athletic was back in 2005 at the Bernabeu. That should help to inspire some confidence in the squad but, with the week that has passed still in their mind, and a passionate home support in their face, will it be enough to see them past Athletic? FORM GUIDE Athletic Bilbao Mar 7 Barcelona 2-0 Athletic Bilbao (La Liga) Mar 4 Athletic Bilbao 3-0 Sevilla (Copa del Rey) Feb 28 Athletic Bilbao 1-2 Sevilla (La Liga) Feb 22 Getafe 1-1 Athletic Bilbao (La Liga) Feb 15 Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Recreativo Huelva (La Liga) Real Madrid Mar 10 Liverpool 4-0 Real Madrid (Champions League) Mar 7 Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid (La Liga) Feb 28 Espanyol 0-2 Real Madrid (La Liga) Feb 25 Real Madrid 0-1 Liverpool (Champions League) Feb 21 Real Madrid 6-1 Real Betis (La Liga) TEAM NEWS Athletic Bilbao The home side should be able to put out their strongest side for this game and Joaquin Caparros looks like he could line-up with the same eleven that beat Sevilla in the Copa. Fernando Llorente should start up front along with Gaizka Toquero but Joseba Etxeberria is not included in the squad, so will not play. Probable Line-Up (4-4-2): Gorka – Iraola, Ocio, Amorebieta, Koikili – David Lopez, Javi Martinez, Orbaiz, Yeste – Llorente, Toquero Real Madrid Unlike their hosts, Madrid have a few injury concerns heading into this match and will be without Fabio Cannavaro and Guti, who have knocks, and also the suspended Michel Salgado and Fernando Gago. The good news is that Pepe and Wesley Sneijder return after missing the Madrid derby through suspension and Christoph Metzelder may get a rare start in defence. Probable Line-Up (4-4-2): Casillas – Ramos, Metzelder, Pepe, Heinze – Higuain, Diarra, Sneijder, Robben – Huntelaar, Raul PLAYER TO WATCH Athletic Bilbao When Fernando Llorente is at his best, Athletic Bilbao are usually at their best, and the striker will need to be at the top of his game this Saturday evening. His height and strength are likely to cause the Madrid defence plenty of problems but he has to make sure that he puts himself about, which he didn’t do against Barcelona last weekend. Real Madrid Arjen Robben has saved Real Madrid on plenty of occasions this season already and in a close match he could well be the difference. His pace and trickery can give any defence nightmares but the key against a well organised Athletic Bilbao side could be whether or not he gets his head up and passes to his team-mates. PREDICTION There is no doubt that Real Madrid simply have to win this game if they are to keep track of Barcelona in the league but they are likely to find it tough going at San Mames. The home support is always passionate, and if the team respond to the crowd and come at the visitors then Athletic could well pick up a point against the defending champions. Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Real Madrid
Guus Hiddink has reiterated his commitment to leading Russia to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and insisted he will not be staying at Chelsea beyond the end of this season. He has revived hopes of silverware at Stamford Bridge this term with an impressive unbeaten start to his stint as temporary manager, a role he is combining with his commitments to Russia. Petr Cech and Michael Ballack, two of the senior stars said to have grown disillusioned under Hiddink's predecessor Luiz Felipe Scolari, both said earlier this week that they would be delighted to see the Dutchman installed on a permanent basis. But Hiddink insists he will not be swayed by them. "They might change their minds about me when I put them on the bench or not even in the squad," he quipped. Hiddink has succeeding in raising the performances of some of Chelsea's big-hitters, most notably Didier Drogba, and he admitted he was delighted with the response he has had from the dressing room. "I have been very happy not just with the regular starters but with all the other players, who I've been watching and observing. Everyone is committed," he said. "But I made it very clear a few weeks ago - and again recently - what the future will be after May 30th. I don't have to do that again." Hiddink's side take on Manchester City on Sunday with the stakes due to be set by the outcome of Liverpool's meeting with Manchester United 24 hours earlier. If Liverpool win, Chelsea will be able to move to within four points of leaders United, albeit having played a game more. Hiddink continues to insist the title is United's to lose and he does not anticipate too much change in the established order of English football in the next season or two, despite the new-found wealth of Sunday's visitors. "It can happen, nothing is impossible in this country, especially when you have the finances," he said. "But there are also the clubs with history, who have played as champions and fought for championships. They have the advantage of their history and the experience of being on top of everyone, if not every year then for a lot of them. This experience is very valuable for the big clubs. "It's not easy to come between those teams if they are well managed," he added. "If they continue as they have for the last few years it will be difficult to come in, but it's always good to have more competition for the title. It's not always a matter of money to make a team. You have to be very careful about positions and the balance of your squad. It is not simply because of money that you have success as a team."