Football Previews

Europe was not on the lіps of eіther Augsburg coach Markus Weіnzіerl or hіs Cologne counterpart Peter Stoger as they prepare for theіr showdown thіs Saturday. The sіxth-placed Bavarіans are currently on course for a place іn the Europa League, even іf they have won only two of theіr last 11 matches, whіle Cologne are only fіve poіnts adrіft of ...

Levante manager Lucas Alcaraz іs refusіng to get carrіed away after seeіng back-to-back wіns guіde hіs team to the brіnk of Prіmera Dіvіsіon safety. Alcaraz takes hіs team to Real Socіedad on Frіday nіght knowіng that a vіctory would put them as good as safe wіth three games remaіnіng іn the season. But he іs stayіng calm as he prepares ...

Marseіlle coach Marcelo Bіelsa has taken responsіbіlіty for hіs sіde’s dіsmal end to the season. OM led Lіgue 1 for the early part of the campaіgn but have faded rapіdly and traіl leaders Parіs St Germaіn by 14 poіnts ahead of Frіday evenіng’s game at strugglіng Metz. More tellіngly, they are three poіnts outsіde the fіnal European qualіfyіng place held ...

Espanyol full-back Anaitz Arbilla says his team want to erase the memory of their disappointing display against Barcelona and “start again from scratch” when they play Granada on Thursday. The Catalans may have only lost 2-0 to their bitter local rivals on Saturday but they barely created any chances despite being at home, and were at times played off the ...

Nuno wants Valencia to take the game to Rayo Vallecano on Thursday night with every point precious in their bid for a Champions League return. Los Che are back in the Primera Division top four courtesy of Monday’s 4-0 demolition of relegation-threatened Granada, although they will begin the game at Vallecas in fifth should Sevilla win at Eibar on Wednesday. ...

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis hopes his team can maintain their winning momentum and beat Empoli in Tuscany on Thursday. The azzurri are riding a three-match winning streak in Serie A that has put them firmly in contention for a top-three finish and a spot in next season’s Champions League. The Naples outfit, following 3-0 wins over Fiorentina and Cagliari, ...

Boss Nigel Pearson has warned his Leicester side they have achieved nothing yet despite climbing out of the relegation zone. The Foxes are a point above the Barclays Premier League bottom three ahead of Wednesday visit of leaders Chelsea. Leicester have won their last four games, including Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Burnley, to lift them out of the drop zone ...

Roma coach Rudi Garcia is not going to panic ahead of Wednesday’s game at Sassuolo despite his team’s precarious hold on third place in the Serie A standings. A top-three finish is required to have a chance of playing in next season’s Champions League. The sides that come in first and second will qualify directly for the competition. Garcia’s team ...

Sampdoria will have to dig in on Wednesday against Hellas Verona and for the rest of the season as they try to overcome the loss of top scorer Citadin Eder to injury. Looking to hold on to a Europa League-qualifying position, Samp will have to cope without their Italian forward after he sustained a knee ligament injury in Sunday’s 4-2 ...

Torino want their upset of three-time defending champions Juventus to be a launchpad to achieve Europa League football for next season. The Granata travel to Sicily to face Palermo on Wednesday after beating city rivals Juve in Serie A for the first time in two decades. Toro had lost their previous seven meetings against Juve. “This is the icing on ...

Lazio coach Stefano Pioli is hopeful his side can start a new winning streak against Parma on Wednesday that will carry them to a second-place finish in Serie A. Fourteen points behind runaway league leaders Juventus, Lazio are trying to beat Roma and Napoli to a runners-up finish that would ensure direct qualification to the Champion League. “We want to ...

Juventus will look to get their Serie A title march going once again when they host Fiorentina on Wednesday night. The Bianconeri are 14 points clear of Lazio at the top of the standings with six games remaining but have lost some momentum with two defeats in their last three Serie A games. Juve have not lost at home all ...

Chievo have hit form at just the right time and go into Wednesday’s match at home to relegation-threatened Cagliari knowing that victory would ensure them of Serie A football next season. The Verona outfit have lost just one of their last eight league games and held second-place Lazio to a 1-1 draw in Rome on Sunday to climb to 14th ...

Atalanta’s Serie A survival hopes have been hit by a five-match suspension for top scorer German Denis. The Argentinian forward, who will begin serving his ban on Wednesday when Atalanta visit Cesena, was punished after entering Empoli’s changing room on Sunday and punching opposing defender Lorenzo Tonelli. Denis, who has netted eight goals this season including a stoppage-time equaliser to ...

Genoa will have to make a late-season push to qualify for the Europa League without Argentinian forward Diego Perotti, starting with Wednesday’s game at AC Milan. Perotti has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign after sustaining a serious thigh injury in Sunday’s 3-1 triumph over Cesena. The South American, who has struck four goals and set up ...