Pro Eleven Headline News
Liverpool aims to close gap without Torres
Liverpool enters the weekend trailing leaders Manchester United by seven points, but they will have the chance to close that gap to four with a win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
United will not be in action in the Premiership this weekend with the club meeting Tottenham in the Carling Cup final on Sunday, so the chance is there for the Reds to try and put the heat back on the defending champions.
However, if they are able to beat a Middlesbrough side that is winless in its last 14 league games, Liverpool will likely have to do so without the services of striker Fernando Torres.
The Spaniard suffered an ankle injury in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, and manager Rafael Benitez is not yet sure how serious the injury is.
"We don't know how bad it is yet," Benitez said. "Probably he will miss some games. We have a game in three days' time and it will be difficult for him to be ready."
Even without Torres, Liverpool will have to feel confident that they can leave the Riverside with three points, while manager Gareth Southgate's team will have a tough time ending its lengthy winless streak against a team that has lost just once all season.
Boro's last league win came in early November against Aston Villa, and much of the team's struggles can be attributed to their struggles in front of goal, with Boro scoring just 18 times in 26 games, the fewest in the entire Premiership.
Despite its struggles in the league, Boro was able to book a spot in the FA Cup quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over West Ham on Wednesday as Stewart Downing and Tuncay Sanli each scored in the opening 20 minutes.
Southgate will be hoping his side can carry that success over into the league this weekend, but that is a lot to ask, even without Torres to contend with.
Chelsea is three points back of Liverpool in third place and the Blues will host a Wigan side that is pushing for a European place, Arsenal tries to close the gap on the top four with a win at home against Fulham, while Everton hosts last-place West Bromwich.
On Sunday, fourth-place Aston Villa hosts a Stoke City team that is two points clear of the drop zone, Blackburn has won once in eight games in all competitions and they visit Hull City, mid-table clubs Manchester City and West Ham square off at Upton Park and Bolton hosts Newcastle with both teams trying to get further away from the bottom three. Sports Network
Ranieri calls for Juve focus
Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri has told his side they must put the disappointment of their midweek Champions League defeat to Chelsea to one side as they prepare to resume their league campaign at home to Napoli.
The Bianconeri lost the opening leg of their last-16 tie with the Blues 1-0 in London on Wednesday night.
Didier Drogba scored the only goal of the game in the 12th minute, after which Ranieri's side showed enough to suggest they can still yet progress when the second leg is played at the Stadio Olimpico on March 10.
Ranieri, however, is putting such thoughts out of his mind for now and has called on his players to do the same as they look to bridge the nine-point gap to Serie A leaders Inter Milan.
"We left a good impression in London, but also the three points and I'm interested in results," he said in a press conference.
"We've lost the first leg and we'll be playing for everything in the return, but at the moment we have to only think about Napoli."
Juve will be favoured to eat into Inter's advantage, for 24 hours at least, as they come up against a Napoli who have not won away to Juve in 21 years and who have slipped down the table to 10th on the back of a seven-game winless run.
Inter do not play until Sunday, when they host resurgent Roma, and Ranieri knows it is weekends such as this that his side must pick up points on Jose Mourinho's men if they are to wrest the title away from the reigning three-time champions.
The 57-year-old, however, is not taking the Partenopei's threat lightly after Juve failed to breach their defence in their Coppa Italia match in Turin earlier this month.
Juve escaped from that tie 4-3 on penalties, and Ranieri knows his side must play better tomorrow.
"We know it will be a difficult match, we will find a battling team, who are going through an odd spell, but have five more points than last year," he said.
"We saw in the cup match that they are a difficult team to play."
Ranieri will be without midfielder Mauro Camoranesi, who fractured a rib in the defeat to Chelsea.
However, with his squad at almost full fitness the coach believes his team are well placed to attack the final three months of the season.
"We're recovering all our injured players. We wanted to get to March in this situation and we've done it and now we have to give everything in each of the three competitions," he said.
Napoli coach Edy Reja has admitted he can not put his finger on his side's recent slump, with their away form even more dire - they have lost each of their past seven away league fixtures.
"I cannot recognise this Napoli," Reja said in the wake of last week's 1-0 defeat to Genoa.
"The lads have to regain their self-belief and be sure about their own quality."
Reja's hopes will not be helped by the absence of Uruguay midfielder Walter Gargano who was ruled out of the trip north with an ankle injury sustained against Genoa. Sportinglife
Real Madrid turns focus to Espanyol
Real Madrid lost the first leg of its round of 16 Champions League series to Liverpool on Wednesday in Madrid, but the two- time defending La Liga champions have quickly turned their focus to Espanyol.
Real Madrid, which is seven points back of first-place Barcelona, is undefeated in nine straight league matches since losing to Barca in mid-December. That run has Real back in the title race, and a trip to Espanyol on Saturday could allow the club to move within four by the end of the weekend.
"I think it's normal for everyone to be disappointed after [Liverpool], but I think my men are already thinking about the match with Espanyol," Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos said. "We want to capitalize on our positive streak in La Liga."
The 1-0 loss to Liverpool notwithstanding, Real Madrid has been one of the top teams in Europe over the last two months. Real's nine-game win streak in league play includes seven shutouts.
Last weekend, Real blasted Real Betis 6-1, getting two goals from both Raul and Klaas Jan Huntelaar - who is not on the Champions League roster.
Ramos knows Real Madrid can't afford to let Barca slip away again, and a win at Espanyol this weekend is a priority.
"We can't afford to drop points if we want to catch up with Barcelona. We have to take three points in every game," Ramos said.
Espanyol just climbed off the bottom of the La Liga table last week, posting an amazing 2-1 win over Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Espanyol handed Barca just its second loss in La Liga this season, snapping a 22-game win streak for the local rivals.
Ramos won't let his team overlook Espanyol this week, claiming the club is much better than their record shows. Espanyol has just four wins, the lowest in the league.
"Espanyol are good enough to be higher up on the table. Their previous result probably boosted their morale and we expect them to play tough," Ramos said. "Nevertheless, we shouldn't think about our opponent and just focus on taking more points.
"Espanyol need to avoid relegation and they have to snatch points any way they can. Something very important is a stake for them."
Real Madrid will try to turn its fortunes in the Champions League in two weeks, but the league comes first.
"We'll think about La Liga first; we have to win all our games. We'll think about the Champions League when it returns," Real's Marcelo said.
Also Saturday, Athletic Bilbao hosts Sevilla.
On Sunday, Atletico Madrid hosts Barca, Valencia hosts Valladolid, Real Betis hosts Villarreal, Numancia hosts Deportivo, Racing hosts Osasuna, Almeria hosts Getafe, Sporting Gijon hosts Mallorca and Malaga hosts Recreativo. Sports Network
