The Big Weekend Preview

The FA Cup final (preview here) takes center stage in England this weekend but there are some massive games in Europe over the next few days. The battle for the French title goes down to the last day, Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen face off in the German Cup final and we are likely to witness intriguing final day games in Italy and Turkey.

SM Caen v Girondins Bordeaux, Ligue 1, May 30, 2009

In a thrilling finish to the 2008/2009 season, France is the last of Europe’s big leagues still to be decided. After England, Spain, Italy and Germany, this weekend the curtain comes down on the most hotly contested of championships.

Bordeaux will be champions for the first time since 1999 if they manage to secure a point at Caen this Saturday. They will be crowned Ligue 1 champions for the sixth time in the club’s history if they avoid defeat away to Caen in Saturday’s final round of the season, or if they lose to Caen, and Marseille fail to beat Rennes.

Marseille fans will take some hope from the fact that since Caen were first promoted to the French top flight in 1988, Les Girondins have never returned from nine trips to Normandy with all three league points. Suffering seven defeats and earning just two draws - in their nine meetings Bordeaux have scored just three goals and conceded 18!

During the 2007/2008 season, Bordeaux suffered a crushing 5-0 defeat away to the SMC, finishing the game with just nine men after the sending’s-off of Mathieu Chalmé and Marc Planus.

Not only do Caen have a surprisingly good record against Bordeaux they also need the points to avoid relegation to Ligue 2. Caen, currently 17th, will survive if they win the game. If they draw with Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne and Nantes both lose, they will also stay in the top French division.

As ever Caen will be relying on Steve Savidan, who scored 14 goals this season more than any player at Bordeaux. He claimed last week that he would do everything he could to defeat Bordeaux to help Marseille win the title and, of course, help Caen avoid relegation to Ligue 2. Savidan has a fine average of 15 goals per season in the last five seasons (since he joined Valenciennes in the 2004/2005 season).

“We know what he said, that he wants to help OM win it by scoring against us,” said Bordeaux forward Yoan Gouffran, who joined Les Girondins from Caen last summer. “As a result, we are even more extremely motivated to take him on.”

Bordeaux are though the form team in France in recent weeks thanks to ten successive league wins and earlier this week Yoann Gourcuff, won three prizes: Player of the Year, Best Goal of the Year and Team of the Year member. Going into the match at Caen there has still been no resolution on Gourcuff’s future and the “new Zidane” will be looking to cap a fine season with a title win.

Following their win at Monaco last week, Bordeaux would set another record if they can make it 11 at Caen and the victory over the side from the south ensured they would not lose a home game all season.

In the first meeting between the two teams, Bordeaux won 2-1, Yoann Gourcuff and Fernando Cavenaghi scored the goals for the home side. If further evidence were needed as to the importance of this game, after an hour and a half, all tickets for this game were sold out and the Stade Michel d’Ornano will be full with more than 20,000 fans, expecting to see how the French title race and relegation battle pans out.

101gg predicts: Caen 1 – Bordeaux 2 (15/2)

Full match odds here.

Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen, DFB Pokal, May 30, 2009

A terrific German season comes to a close on Saturday with the showpiece DFB Pokal final. Just like the Bundesliga, which was won by Wolfsburg, it features two high-profile teams who struggled somewhat this season in the league with Leverkusen finishing in ninth and Bremen in tenth.

It is fitting that this tournament starts in August since it must have felt like a long season for fans of Werder Bremen. They disappointed in the league but reached the UEFA Cup final and have produced some impressive displays in European competition with wins over AC Milan and Hamburg.

They have also produced some of their best football of the campaign in the DFB Pokal with victories over Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg and Hamburg, who they seemed to take particular delight in seeing off this season.

Bremen’s lead-up to the final also means it will be an emotional occasion for at least two players.

Diego secured his big money move to Juventus and will be eager to make up for missing the UEFA Cup final through suspension. In addition captain Frank Baumann has announced he is to retire after this game and it would be a fitting way for the 33-year-old to bow out, with a victory in his last game for the club he has served with distinction since 1999.

Much like Hoffenheim, who were first at the winter break, Leverkusen had a pretty awful second half of the season after they had finished the midway part of the season in third position.

Like Bremen they have also reserved some of their best performances for the major cup competition in Germany with wins over Energie Cottbus and the biggest scalp of all, Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen will be pinning their attacking hopes on the German pair of striker Patrick Helmes and on-loan Bayern Munich starlet Toni Kroos. Helmes scored over twenty goals this season and Kroos, who is in doubt for the final due to his involvement in the German Under-19 squad, has been tipped for big things for a number of years now.

For both sides this is their final opportunity to qualify for the Europa League next season following disappointing league campaigns. Despite their two earlier games this season being low scoring (1-1 draw and a 2-0 win for Leverkusen) German pundits are expecting a high scoring affair as both teams look to add some gloss to a disappointing season.

101gg predicts: Werder Bremen 2 – Bayer Leverkusen 0 (11/1)

Full match odds here.

Fiorentina v Milan, Serie A, May 31, 2009

This final day encounter has much more riding on it than could have been expected as one club will secure an automatic Champions League group stage position while the other will have the hassle of playing in the qualifying round of the premier competition in Europe.

Fiorentina, currently in fourth, kept her chances alive with a late equalizer against Lecce last week to take advantage of rivals Milan’s defeat to Roma at the San Siro. The Viola need two win with a two-goal advantage if they are to overtake Milan in the table and make it to third place on the final week of the league season

(Juventus are also in the mix on the final day of the Serie A season, they are in third place currently, level on points with AC Milan and play Lazio at home.”The Old Lady” have a goal difference of 37 compared to 35 for Milan and 36 for Fiorentina.)

Fiorentina has done well in the absence of star striker Adrian Mutu and will probably keep on playing Cesare Prandelli’s 4-2-3-1 formation with Donadel and Montolivo in the middle of the pitch, behind the attacking trio in midfield.

Juan Vargas who is usually a left back will start again on the left flank of the attacking midfield after impressing in this position recently, Steven Jovetic will continue playing instead of the sidelined Mutu. Mario Santana and Emiliano Bonazzoli are also sidelined. Felipe Melo and Dario Dainelli miss the final game due to suspension.

The Artemio Franchi stadium will be packed as Fiorentina fans are preparing a “warm” welcome to Milan, trying to push their players as much as they can as this is a season defining match for both clubs.

This is both a massive and historical match for Milan as it is also the last match of the stellar career of legendary captain Paolo Maldini. It will also probably be the last match in charge of the Rossoneri for tactician Carlo Ancelotti as coach, and as a result the end of an era at the Milan giants.

Ancelotti knows that his team holds a decent advantage going into the game but Fiorentina are strong at home. Milan will play the 4-3-1-2 formation Ancelotti has returned to lately with mega star Kaka playing in front of a central midfield trio and behind two strikers Inzaghi and Pato.

Kaladze, Nesta and Bonera are still sidelined so veteran Favalli will keep playing at center back alongside Maldini, and in midfield Milan will miss the suspended Massimo Ambrosini and Mathieu Flamini will take his place.

It is a crucial match for Milan who will affect the preparation of their next manager with a two-goal defeat. Ancelotti will be eager for the win before he moves to Chelsea and the Milan players have already stated their intention to win for Maldini so he will have a fine farewell from the game and a last match to remember.

101gg predicts: Fiorentina 2 – AC Milan 2

Italian odds here.

Denizlispor v Besiktas & Galatasaray v Sivasspor, Super Lig, May 31, 2009

Going into the last round of the Turkish Super League, and the championship title is still up for grabs. Giants Besiktas are in the lead, two points clear of surprise package Sivasspor, and in the last round they will play away to Denizlispor while Sivasspor take on Galatasaray at Istanbul’s Ali Sami Yen stadium.

Last week Besiktas managed to beat Galatasaray 2-1 making a giant step towards the title. “At this stage of the league the important thing is victory, no matter how small … not to play well and lose,” Beşiktaş coach Mustafa Denizli said after the match. And yes, Besiktas haven’t looked too good recently, with most of the responsibility falling on the shoulders of strikers Bobo and Filip Holosko.

Sivasspor are the only team that can stop the Eagles from being champs this season. Sivasspor must win against Galatasaray because if it draws or loses and Trabzonspor wins then Trabzon will finish as runners-up and will play in the UEFA Champions League next season. Sivasspor will then finish third and will play in the less prestigious Europa League.

“We thought Galatasaray would come out of the Beşiktaş match with at least a point,” said Sivasspor coach Bülent Uygun. “But it didn’t happen. So now we are carrying our hopes to the final day,” he added.

Sivasspor have been playing some excellent football this season, but in the final road the team failed to handle the pressure. Uygon did his best to take the pressure off his players but Sivasspor is still a fragile team, and Galatasaray are also under pressure.

Galatasaray’s fifth spot is under threat in case they lose. If Fenerbahçe, who travel to Trabzonspor, loses too, and Bursaspor wins, Galatasaray finishes in sixth spot which leaves them out of European competitions next year.

With Denizlispor already securing its place in the league, it will be a great surprise if it manages to beat Besiktas and give Sivasspor a chance to be the first team ever out of the “Big 4″ to take the championship.

101gg predicts: Denizlispor 0 – Besiktas 2 & Galatasaray 1 – Sivasspor 1

Turkish odds here.