Manchester United Vs Chelsea: match preview
Manchester United v Chelsea Old Trafford
Kick-off: 15.00 BST.
TV: Live, Sky Sports 1, Highlights BBC ONE Match of the Day2.
Manchester United (Possible, 4-2-3-1): De Gea; Rafael, Jones, Evans, Evra; Carrick, Giggs; Nani, Kagawa, Rooney; Van Persie.
Out: Fletcher (illness), W Keane, Welbeck (both knee), Young (ankle).
Chelsea (Possible, 4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Cole; Lampard, Luiz; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Ba.
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 18:46
Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich meet in Champions League preview
BERLIN (AP) -- Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich won't have to wait for the Champions League final to go head to head.
Dortmund hosts Bayern on Saturday in the Bundesliga in a preview of their Wembley showdown, although this time there won't be nearly as much at stake. Bayern wrapped up the title with six games to spare and Dortmund is all but assured of second place - although both clubs are keen to strike a psychological blow before their meeting in Europe's showpiece on May 25.
Bayern has not beaten Dortmund in five league games but has won every Bundesliga game in 2013. The club's 14-game winning streak is a record.
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 16:04
Fernandes wants Samba to star for QPR
QPR chairman Tony Fernandes wants to build his Championship team around Christopher Samba next season.
The Loftus Road side were relegated alongside Reading last weekend, thanks to the 0-0 Premier League draw between the two sides.
Samba, who moved to London in a big-money January move, has not hit the heights he once enjoyed at Blackburn Rovers but Fernandes still sees him as a key player.
His mammoth wages were thought to be a problem in terms of keeping him on in the second tier of English football, however it now appears he will be staying.
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 15:32
Benitez praises Chelsea fightback
Rafael Benitez praised Chelsea's resilience after they came from behind to beat Basel 3-1 on Thursday and reach the Europa League final.
The English Premier League club reached their third European final in six years thanks to goals from Victor Moses, Fernando Torres and David Luiz, after Mohamed Salah had put Basel ahead in the match at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea had won the first leg in Switzerland last week 2-1, and ultimately progressed with some degree of comfort following a dominant second-half performance in west London.
"We had two clear chances in the first half but did not take them, we conceded the late goal at the end of the first half and the players had to
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 14:07
Europa League: Chelsea 3:1 Basel (Agg 5-2)
A superb David Luiz goal helped Chelsea came from behind to beat Basel 3-1 on Thursday, booking a place in the Europa League final.
Basel, trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Switzerland, led on the night thanks to a neat goal from Mohamed Salah just before half-time at Stamford Bridge, but there was always the sense that Chelsea could come back.
Chelsea's first-half performance was one full of promise but it was evident that they had gears they could go through if need be.
Ryan Bertrand replaced Ashley Cole for Chelsea in the starting line-up, while John Terry dropped to the bench in place of the returning Branislav Ivanovic.
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 14:05
Europa League: Benfica 3:1 Fenerbahce(Agg 3-2)
Benfica beat Fenerbahce 3-1 at the Stadium of Light to set up a UEFA Europa League final showdown against Chelsea.
Nicolas Gaitan scored the first goal of the match and earned the hosts the lead through a clever finish with the outside of his boot, before Dirk Kuyt equalised with a penalty.
Oscar Cardozo restored Benica's lead in 35th minute with a fierce drive from the edge of the box before getting his second after half-time with another unstoppable strike inside penalty area to complete a 3-2 aggregate win.
They will meet Chelsea in the final at the Amsterdam Arena on May 15, following the English Premier League club's 5-2 aggregate victory over Basel.
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 13:58
Premier League: Swansea City - Manchester City
Swansea City will hope to strengthen their bid for a top-10 Premier League finish when they take on Manchester City on Saturday.
Michael Laudrup's side secured the first major trophy of their 101-year history by winning the League Cup in February and could make the campaign a historic one should they improve on last season's 11th-placed finish.
But the Welsh club are suffering something of a hangover from their Wembley win over Bradford City, having claimed just one league success since - a 1-0 victory against Newcastle immediately after.
Admittedly, their opponents at the Liberty Stadium have little to play for, with the Premier League title out of their reach and UEFA C
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Views: 1084
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 01:09
Premier League: Tottenham - Southampton
Nothing less than a win will do for Tottenham against Southampton if they are to regain control of their destiny in the race for a top-four finish.
Andre Villas-Boas' side trail fourth-placed Arsenal by two points but have a game in hand on their local rivals, which could prove vital as they bid for UEFA Champions League qualification.
Spurs kept their quest on track with a 2-2 draw against Wigan at the DW Stadium last time out, as Emmerson Boyce's late own goal salvaged a point for the visitors.
But with Arsenal unbeaten in their last seven league fixtures, Tottenham will surely require three points from a home meeting with mid-table opposition.
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Views: 880
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 01:06
Premier League: West Ham - Newcastle United
Premier League strugglers Newcastle United will hope to reverse their dreadful away form when they visit West Ham on Saturday.
Alan Pardew's side have plummeted down the table in recent weeks and sit 17th after suffering a 6-0 home thrashing at the hands of Liverpool last week.
Only one more club can be relegated from the top-flight after QPR and Reading had their fate sealed on Sunday, and Newcastle are still five points above the 18th-placed Wigan.
But the DW Stadium outfit have a game in hand and will be hopeful Newcastle's woeful efforts on the road this season – they have won just two of 26 away matches in all competitions – continue at Upton Park.
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Views: 956
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 01:05
Premier League : West Brom - Wigan
Wigan desperately need points from their meeting with West Brom on Saturday as the games run out in their Premier League survival bid.
Roberto Martinez's side occupy the final relegation spot and trail 17th-placed Newcastle by five points, albeit with a game in hand.
Their clash with West Brom at the Hawthorns is followed by a game against Swansea on Tuesday and the two fixtures will doubtless go a long way to deciding the club's fate.
Wigan have not won a league game since their 1-0 home victory over Norwich at the end of March and missed out on ending that run by conceding in the 89th minute to draw with Tottenham last time out.
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Views: 951
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 01:03
Premier League: QPR - Arsenal
QPR have nothing but pride to play for when they host Champions League-chasing Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.
A goalless stalemate at Reading last week sealed QPR's fate, with the club set to play the likes of Peterborough United and AFC Bournemouth in the Championship next season.
The nature of that draw was indicative of why Harry Redknapp's side are going down, with a genuine lack of quality going forward – which has seen them score just 29 goals this season, the lowest in the league – costing them a potential victory.
QPR have won just two of their last 14 matches in all competitions and have failed to score in their last three.
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Views: 895
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 01:01
Premier League: Fulham - Reading
Fulham will aim to give their hopes of a top-half finish a boost when they welcome already-relegated Reading to Craven Cottage.
Martin Jol's side fell to a 1-0 defeat at Everton last weekend and have now gone five games without a win since beating local rivals QPR last month.
The London outfit head into this clash with a number of players on the sidelines. Steve Sidwell is still banned following his dismissal against Arsenal, while Ashkan Dejagah, Mahamadou Diarra and Simon Davies are all out through injury.
There is good news for Jol however, with the return of talented defender Sascha Riether imminent after he missed the game at Goodison Park after picking up a knock in
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Views: 888
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 00:59
Bundesliga: Dortmund - Bayern
Saturday sees a dress rehearsal for the upcoming UEFA Champions League final as Borussia Dortmund host Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
The fixture is already the marquee clash of German football, but with this season's title already sealed – Bayern lead the second-placed Dortmund by 20 points – its significance appeared to dwindle in recent weeks.
However, stunning performances from both sides in their UEFA Champions League semi-finals have assured that the eyes of the world will be focused on this fixture, which serves as a preview to the decider of European football's premier club competition, to be staged at Wembley on May 25.
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Views: 806
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 00:57
Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain - Valenciennes
Paris Saint-Germain can clinch the Ligue 1 title when they face Valenciennes at the Parc Des Princes.The Parisians go into this contest knowing a win and anything less than three points for Marseille in their game with Bastia will see them crowned champions of France for the first time since 1994.
However, PSG will have to do it without a number of first-team players with goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, Marco Verratti and David Beckham all set to miss out through suspension after being sent-off in the 1-0 win at Evian.
Thiago Motta is also banned for Carlo Ancelotti's side, but with no injury concerns the men from the French capital should be able to name a relatively strong squad for the visit of a team they dispatched
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 00:55
Vieira hopes Manchester City keep hold of Nasri
Patrick Vieira has hinted that Samir Nasri's future remains at Manchester City after labelling him an "important player" to Roberto Mancini.
By his own admission, Nasri's progress this season has been hampered by injury, but the France international midfielder looked back to his best during last month's FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea.
Nasri was on target in the 2-1 victory over FA Cup holders Chelsea at Wembley and has also impressed in the Premier League in recent weeks.
There has been speculation linking Nasri with a move away from Manchester City but Vieira, the club's football development executive, hopes his fellow countryman stays at Eastlands.
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Views: 796
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 00:52
Vertonghen aware of Southampton threat
Southampton will not be taken lightly by Tottenham on Saturday, according to Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen.
The St. Mary's Stadium outfit have lost just one of their last seven Premier League matches in an impressive campaign that has seen them defeat the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea at home.
They sit 12th in the table and played well in a 2-1 home defeat against Tottenham in October, meaning Vertonghen is aware of the quality Mauricio Pochettino's side possess.
He told the club's official website: "They are a strong side, they want to play football and they've had some amazing results, especially at home.
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Views: 778
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 00:50
Everton to be thanked by Liverpool Kop
Liverpool will pay tribute to Everton on Sunday for the support they have given during the ongoing fallout of the Hillsborough disaster.
Despite being local rivals, Everton have completely stood by the Anfield outfit in their quest for justice after the horrific events in April 1989 which saw 96 Liverpool fans attend an FA Cup semi-final and never come home.
Findings from the Hillsborough Independent Panel have seen the original verdict of 'accidental death' quashed, with new inquests ordered to take place next year, marking real progress in the campaigning from Merseyside.
As a thank you and a mark of respect, Liverpool will place 12,390 cards on the seats at the famous
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Views: 784
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Date: 03.05.2013 - 00:48