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Real Madrid eye Atletico in Spanish League clash

It looked like a question of when, rather than if, Barcelona were going to win this season?s Spanish league championship but they have lost their way of late with one point from the last nine.

There is now a genuine title race with Real Madrid.

Barcelona held a substantial 12-point gap over Real back on February 15 but that lead has shrunk to just four points in the space of three games with Barcelona drawing against Real Betis before defeats to Espanyol and Atletico Madrid.

Real have rattled out ten straight wins to play their part and hope to continue their pursuit of Barcelona on Saturday with a derby win over Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"We are four points behind the leaders now and people seem to think our work is over, but this has only just begun," said Real coach Juande Ramos. "Those people who think we'll easily catch up with Barcelona are wrong. This is going to be very long."

Barcelona?s dip in form has been attributed to playing too many games as they fight on three fronts and they were in action in midweek reaching the Spanish Cup final with a 3-1 aggregate win over Real Mallorca.

Barcelona will face Athletic Bilbao in the final and ironically the two finalists meet at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Atletico came from 2-0 down to beat Barca 4-3 last weekend and hope to follow that up with victory over Real to enhance their Champions League hopes with fourth-placed Villarreal three points ahead.

Atletico have not beaten neighbours Real since 1999 and new coach Abel Resino will hope he is the man to break that jinx.

"This time we are going to do Barcelona a favour," said Atletico captain Maxi Rodriguez.

Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas has watched his side close the gap on Barca but said he would rather be in their shoes at the top of the table.

"It was to be expected that Barca wouldn?t win a few matches and something like that could happen to us too," explained Casillas. "I would swap places with them as they are still in three competitions and four points ahead in the league."

Real have a tough week with Atletico and then Tuesday?s Champions League match at Liverpool trailing 1-0 from the first leg.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is under the microscope after his team?s loss of form but remains convinced Barcelona will be crowned champions come May.

"I sense we?ll be champions," said Guardiola. "I always say what I feel and right now I feel like we will start winning again and gain more of an advantage. We just need to get back the shape and aggression we were showing at the start of the season."

Bilbao thrashed Sevilla 3-0 to reach the Spanish Cup final after a 24-year wait so will go to Barcelona on a high.

Sevilla entertain Almeria on Sunday aiming to bounce back from their cup setback and continue their strong league form that has left them third.

Last season?s cup winners Valencia are in freefall and need to get back on the winning trail after collecting just six points from their last eight games.

Valencia, three points off the Champions League spots, travel to bottom side Numancia on Sunday.

Winger Joaquin insists there is no reason to press the panic button and emphasised that the players were still focused on the job in hand despite the club not paying their wages on time due to financial problems.

"Our objective is to be in the top four and we are not far off," explained Joaquin. "We are calm (about the economic situation) and when they can (pay us) they will do."

Valencia?s financial problems have led to speculation that Spanish internationals David Villa and David Silva could be auctioned off to the highest bidder in the summer.

Fixtures

Saturday

Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid, Villarreal v Espanyol

Sunday

Deportivo La Coruna v Racing Santander, Sevilla v Almeria, Getafe v Malaga, Real Mallorca v Real Betis, Osasuna v Sporting Gijon, Numancia v Valencia, Recreativo Huelva v Valladolid .AFP


Fulham aim to trip United on Cup path

Roy Hodgson has been around long enough to remember the last time Fulham reached an FA Cup final.

That was 34 years ago and Hodgson was just a year away from embarking on a managerial career that has seen him fill 16 coaching posts in Denmark, England, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.

Now 61, Hodgson has put all his experience to good use in lifting Fulham from the brink of relegation to within sight of European football in just over a year in charge.

And he is relishing the prospect of derailing Manchester United's charge for an unprecedented haul of five trophies by pulling off an upset in a quarter-final meeting what is arguably the pick of this weekend's ties.

Fulham's run to the last eight has triggered thoughts of the club's last Wembley appearance, the 1975 final.

"This is my first time in the quarter-finals," Hodgson said. "It would be lovely if we could reach the semi-final and even better if Fulham could recreate the magic of 1975."

Hodgson was a spectator at Wembley that day as Alec Stock's side went down to a 2-0 defeat by West Ham.

"Fulham were in the old Second Division at the time but had just brought back Alan Mullery and signed Bobby Moore, people who boosted the team," Hodgson recalled.

"I clearly remember before the game Stock was asked if he was worried about the game, as they were coming up against the famous West Ham team, which contained so many World Cup winners.

"His response? 'Not at all, we're going to have a thunderingly good day out!' The FA Cup is part of the Fulham tradition."

While United pursue their 'quintuple' Chelsea will be looking to extend their winning start to life under Guus Hiddink to five matches. The Dutchman watched his new charges dispatch Watford in the last round but had not formally taken over the team.

Three weeks later, his influence has been clearly stamped on a Chelsea side that looks better organised and significantly more motivated than it did under Luiz Felipe Scolari.

With Michael Essien set to feature for the first time since rupturing knee ligaments in September and Ricardo Carvalho also fit again, Hiddink is set to benefit from a strengthened squad and it is hard to imagine a Coventry side currently residing in the bottom half of the Championship delaying their progress to the last four.

Burnley will also fly the flag for English football's second tier although Owen Coyle's giantkilling side are only at the fifth round stage.

They visit Arsenal on Sunday, looking for a memorable double following their elimination of Arsene Wenger's youngsters from the League Cup in December.

Burnley also accounted for Fulham and Chelsea in that competition and have already beaten Premier League outfit West Brom in the FA Cup.

Arsenal though appear to be on the up having put together an unbeaten run of 16 matches in all competitions and will expect to progress to a quarter-final home tie against Hull.

The final clash of the weekend sees Middlesbrough -- inspired against Liverpool last weekend but woeful against Tottenham on Wednesday -- travel to Everton, for whom the Cup represents the last chance of silverware this season.

Saturday

Quarter-finals: Coventry v Chelsea (1230 GMT), Fulham v Manchester Utd (1715 GMT)

Sunday

Fifth round: Arsenal v Burnley (1330 GMT)

Quarter-final: Everton v Middlesbrough (1600 GMT) AFP


Genoa vs Inter Milan Preview

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has no intention of revising his criticism of his Serie A coaching colleagues.
The "Special One" has insisted instead he is "proud" of himself.

Mourinho sent a shockwave through Italian football earlier this week when he hit back at claims his side had received refereeing favours this season.

He launched personal attacks on Roma coach Luciano Spalletti and Juve's Claudio Ranieri, accusing them of "intellectual manipulation" and creating a divide among the coaches in Serie A.

However, ahead of tomorrow's trip to Genoa, he has stood by his comments.

"I am proud of myself," he said. "If you want to find an adjective to describe how I feel, then it is proud, not angry."

Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini may be his rival tomorrow, but both have shown the utmost respect for each other's work this season.

The sides have already met twice with Genoa clinching a 0-0 draw at the San Siro in Serie A and the same result over 90 minutes in the Coppa Italia, which the Nerazzurri eventually won 3-1 after extra-time.

Mourinho feels Genoa play "some of the best football in Italy" while Gasperini confirmed today that he is on Mourinho's side.

"I think the controversial reaction to his words has launched a deep reflection in the whole world of football," said the Genoa coach.

"Mourinho used strong words, and probably it was not necessary to do so, but some things he said were on everybody's mind.

"Probably he went a bit too far, but he is a big coach and sometimes it is best to stir up a storm rather than pretend nothing is happening."

Gasperini's side can stir up the Serie A title race by inflicting a second straight defeat on the Nerazzurri at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris tomorrow.

Inter were trounced 3-0 by Genoa's city rivals Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday and return to the scene of that defeat with one eye on their crucial Champions League tie with Manchester United next week.

Genoa will aim to take advantage and do themselves, as well as title-chasing Juventus, a favour.

"We are ready for this big game," announced Gasperini. "We are certainly not going to see the same Inter which lost in the Coppa Italia and they are going to want to bounce back immediately.

"But we are strong, motivated and ready to get a positive result.

"The stadium will be full and it will be a great spectacle, and we have a huge desire to give our fans immense pleasure."

Marco Rossi is Gasperini's only injury doubt with Giandomenico Mesto set to take his place out wide.

Mourinho has ruled Christian Chivu and Walter Samuel out of the game, but says Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Nicolas Burdisso are both available again after injury.

That is not to say they will both play, however, since the Inter coach is bound to have more than just an eye on Wednesday's trip to Old Trafford, which means Hernan Crespo, who is ineligible for the Champions League, could start with Mario Balotelli. ESPN Star