aPIK

Demel sidelined again by troublesome thigh

Guy Demel has been ruled out of Hamburger SV's UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg against Manchester City FC on Thursday because of a thigh strain.

Second setback
Coach Martin Jol announced the news on Friday, a little more than a month after the 27-year-old suffered a similar injury which sidelined him for three weeks. The Ivory Coast defender tore fibres in his left thigh during a Bundesliga match against VfL Wolfsburg on 1 March but returned 21 days later for the 2-1 win at FC Schalke 04. Demel, who has been capped 15 times by the Ivory Coast, has made six appearances in the UEFA Cup this term.

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Experts unite to tip Elfsborg in Sweden

If the Allsvenskan coaches are right, IF Elfsborg can already start making room for the Lennart Johansson Trophy, the prize for the league champions. Twelve of the 16 top-flight managers picked Elfsborg as their favourites for the 2009 season, which begins this weekend.

Great expectations
The team from Boras in western Sweden last won the title in 2006, but finished only one point behind champions Kalmar FF in 2008 despite doing without influential midfielders Anders Svensson and Stefan Ishizaki for much of the season due to injury. Both are now fully fit and they join the likes of Emir Bajrami and newcomer Martin Ericsson in what is possibly the best midfield in Swedish club football. Add to that a defence marshalled by veteran Teddy Lucic and a forward line led by Sweden Under-21 international Denni Avdic, and it is understandable why expectations are high at Elfsborg.

One-title wonders?
Oddly enough, at the launch of the new league season in a Stockholm theatre on Tuesday, not one of the coaches thought that Kalmar would be able to hold onto their title. Indeed, Kalmar are not exactly the same team that won the league. Brazilian playmaker César Santin is now at FC København, while 2008 league top scorer Patrik Ingelsten and Swedish international Viktor Elm have joined SC Heerenveen. Also, few in Sweden expect Viktor's brother Rasmus Elm to remain in Swedish domestic football beyond the summer's transfer window. Rasmus is a full Swedish international, like Viktor, and should be a cornerstone in the host squad at June's UEFA European Under-21 Championship. That said, Kalmar coach Nanne Bergstrand has seen experts and media dismiss his team in the past and will not mind being underestimated again.

Contenders
IFK Göteborg have the league's most efficient shot-stopper in Danish goalkeeper Kim Christensen and a defensive line that many ranked as the best in the country, even before the arrival of Karl Svensson, back at the club after spells at Rangers FC and SM Caen. Most of the players also know what it takes to be champions, having won the title in 2007.
Helsingborgs IF have been boosted in terms of confidence, morale and quality by Henrik Larsson's decision to sign for one more year. Larsson, 37, remains a prolific scorer, and he has the ability to raise his team-mates' game. Veteran goalkeeper Daniel Andersson will receive healthy competition from promising 22-year-old Pär Hansson.
Malmö FF lost their top scorer Ola Toivonen to PSV Eindhoven, but have brought in Brazilian Wilton Figueiredo, a striker with a proven track record in the Allsvenskan after his time with GAIS Göteborg and AIK Solna. Figueiredo returns to Sweden from Qatar, while Malmö also have another important addition: their new 21,000-capacity stadium.

One to watch: Rasmus Elm
One of three Elm brothers who helped Kalmar to their maiden title in 2008, Rasmus has established himself in Lars Lagerbäck's Sweden set-up over the winter. The young midfielder scored a stunning half-volley against Austria in a February friendly and played the full 90 minutes of Sweden's 0-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw in Portugal last Saturday.

Stockholm syndrome
Three of the biggest clubs in the country are the Stockholm trio of AIK Solna, Djurgårdens IF FF and Hammarby IF, but not much is expected of any of them this year. Djurgården, champions three times in the 2000s, have created a bigger buzz through new coaching duo of Zoran Lukić and Andrée Jeglertz – the latter having made his name with regular UEFA Women's Cup finalists Umeå IK - than any new player brought in. AIK also have a new coach in Mikael Stahre but will be without first-choice keeper Tomi Maanoja for at least six months after a pre-season broken leg. Up front, Argentinian forward Iván Óbolo was much too isolated last year, but no big name has been recruited to help him out. Much of the goalscoring burden at Hammarby will lie with Charlie Davies. The United States international started fulfilling his potential last year when he scored 14 league goals but also wants for support up front.

Small town dominance
Stockholm has four Allsvenskan teams – IF Brommapojkarna joining the big three for their second ever season in the top flight – and so does Gothenburg, but the title favourites in 2009 are from smaller provincial towns. Can the country's two biggest cities show doubters that they have quality as well as quantity? Will Kalmar be able to keep their focus on the Allsvenskan as they enter the qualifiers for the UEFA Champions League? And can Elfsborg keep complacency at bay, with so many experts already placing the league title in the Borås Arena trophy room?

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Villarreal rocked by Cazorla injury

Villarreal CF's preparations for Tuesday's UEFA Champions League quarter-final with Arsenal FC have suffered a blow with the news that Santi Cazorla will miss the remainder of the season after fracturing the fibula in his right leg during the 3-0 loss to UD Almería on Saturday.

Further tests
The Spanish international was carried off on a stretcher after 65 minutes with the Yellow Submarine three goals down and a man light following the dismissal of Robert Pirès. Initial medical examinations at a local hospital revealed the extent of the injury, which the 24-year-old suffered in a challenge with two Almería players. Further tests will be conducted on Monday morning to ascertain whether the player requires surgery and how long he will be sidelined for.

'Very sad'
"I am very sad because a beautiful part of the season is approaching and I'll miss it," said Cazorla, who was ever-present in the Liga this term. "It's a big disappointment for me. I understand the severity of the injury and I will continue to support my team-mates. I fell badly and as soon as I heard a crack I knew that something was wrong."

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Rampant Wolfsburg leave Bayern reeling

VfL Wolfsburg registered their eighth consecutive Bundesliga win with an emphatic 5-1 triumph against FC Bayern München to move top of the table above the champions and Hertha BSC Berlin, losers against BV Borussia Dortmund.

Grafite goals
Third at the start of play and without a league title to their name, the Lower Saxony outfit broke the deadlock a minute before the interval when Christian Gentner headed past Michael Rensing. The lead was fleeting, however, as Luca Toni – making his first appearance since 25 February because of injury – restored parity for the visitors seconds later only for Felix Magath's team to secure the points with a blistering 14-minute spell. Edin Džeko struck twice in three minutes after the hour and, to cap an excellent day for the hosts, Grafite (74, 77) added his 19th and 20th goals of prolific season.

Hamburg second
That took Wolfsburg above Bayern and Hertha, who slip to third after a 3-1 home defeat by Dortmund. Rafael cancelled out Alexander Frei's 25th-minute opener for the visitors but efforts from Sebastian Kehl (63) and Nelson Valdez (82) wrapped up victory for the Ruhr Valley club, now eighth. UEFA Cup contenders Hamburger SV are now Wolfsburg's nearest challengers with Martin Jol's team second by virtue of goal difference after beating TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 1-0 at home thanks to Jonathan Pitroipa's 28th-minute winner.

Stuttgart climb
Meanwhile, Serdar Tasci's first league goal of the season a minute from time earned VfB Stuttgart a 2-1 win at VfL Bochum 1848, a victory which lifts Markus Babbel's side into fifth, three points shy of fourth-placed Bayern and six from the summit. Elsewhere, Eintracht Frankfurt moved seven points clear of the relegation zone by beating second-bottom FC Energie Cottbus 2-1 at home. On Friday, Jefferson Farfán and Kevin Kuranyi scored as FC Schalke 04 won 2-0 at strugglers DSC Arminia Bielefeld.

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Lyon cruise on but Bordeaux keep pace

Jean-Alain Boumsong's first league goal in almost two years set Olympique Lyonnais on their way to a 3-0 win at Le Mans UC 72 and a three-point lead over FC Girondins de Bordeaux at the Ligue 1 summit.

Benzema double
The centre-back had not scored since 27 April 2007 while playing for Juventus in Serie B but took just 18 minutes to correct that statistic at Stade Léon-Bollée. Karim Benzema then struck twice in 13 minutes either side of half-time for his 13th and 14th league goals of the season to leave Olympique de Marseille needing a win at strugglers AS Saint-Etienne on Sunday in order to reduce the lead back to one point.

Late winner
Third at kick-off, FC Girondins de Bordeaux moved above Marseille into second but needed a 90th-minute goal from Marouane Chamakh to defeat ten-man AS Nancy-Lorraine 1-0 at home. Fellow challengers Toulouse FC lost ground on Lyon, though, with a goalless draw at second-bottom SM Caen in the late game and sit two points adrift of LOSC Lille Métropole, who moved above the southern side into fourth following a 2-0 success at FC Nantes. Michel Bastos's 45th-minute penalty set them on their way before Róbert Vittek (57) secured a fourth successive league victory. UEFA Cup contenders Paris Saint-Germain FC will go level on points with Lille, and within four of Lyon, if they beat OGC Nice on Sunday.

Sambou strike
At the bottom, Massamba Lô Sambou (75), on loan from AS Monaco FC, scored the winner against his parent club as Le Havre AC won 1-0 at Stade Louis II but they remain eight points adrift of safety. Elsewhere, Jean-Claude Darcheville scored both goals for Valenciennes FC in a 2-0 home triumph against AJ Auxerre, while FC Lorient won 3-1 at Grenoble Foot 38.

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Benayoun boosts Liverpool's title ambitions

Yossi Benayoun's late winner enabled Liverpool FC to win 1-0 at Fulham FC and leap to the Premier League summit, although Chelsea FC are three points adrift in third after a 2-0 success at Newcastle United FC.

First-half dominance
Liverpool laid siege to the Fulham penalty area in the opening 45 minutes but were denied by the frame of the goal on no less than four occasions with Andrea Dossena (twice), Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres all frustrated. The home side appeared to have ridden their luck until second-half stoppage time when substitute Benayoun drilled in a dramatic winner. Rafael Benítez's side are two points clear of Manchester United FC, who host Aston Villa FC on Sunday, but have played two games more.

Lampard influence
Chelsea kept pace at the top with a confident display at St James' Park. Alan Shearer was appointed manager by Newcastle until the end of the season on Wednesday with the club rooted in the bottom three but any hopes of an immediate impact were dashed during the second half. Frank Lampard opened the scoring with a close-range header on 56 minutes after Nicolas Anelka's deflected shot had struck the crossbar and the points were secured nine minutes later when Florent Malouda fired in Lampard's pass.

Relegation issues
Fourth-placed Arsenal FC have a six-point buffer on Aston Villa after Emmanuel Adebayor scored early in either half to seal a 2-0 win against Manchester City FC while West Ham United FC boosted their hopes of UEFA Europa League qualification thanks to a 2-0 success at home to Sunderland AFC, the visitors now three points above the bottom three in 17th. Elsewhere, it was a good day for the other sides hoping to pull away from the relegation zone. Stoke City FC won 2-0 at bottom side West Bromwich Albion FC, Blackburn Rovers FC beat ten-man Tottenham Hotspur FC 2-1 and Bolton Wanderers FC convincingly dispatched second-bottom Middlesbrough FC 4-1. Finally, Hull City AFC and Portsmouth FC edged a point nearer survival after a goalless draw at the KC Stadium.

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Status quo maintained by Liga heavyweights

Samuel Eto'o struck the only goal of the game as FC Barcelona triumphed at Real Valladolid CF but they were unable to extend their six-point advantage over rivals Real Madrid CF as the capital club won 1-0 away to Málaga CF.

Four-goal feat
Eto'o scored four times in the first half against Valladolid in November's 6-0 rout at Camp Nou and the striker proved the thorn in their side again when he opened the scoring on 40 minutes, lobbing Sergio Asenjo for his 26th league goal of the season after swapping passes with Xavi Hernández. Eto'o spurned the best of further chances but the UEFA Champions League contenders, who started with Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry on the bench, had done enough ahead of the visit of FC Bayern München on Wednesday.

Higuaín winner
Gonzalo Higuaín struck four times against Málaga earlier in the season and, in a quirk of fate, he matched the achievement of Eto'o by scoring the only goal against the same opposition in the return fixture. Iker Casillas had been the busier of the two goalkeepers in the first half as Juande Ramos's men laboured at La Rosaleda but Higuaín's powerful solo run and cool finish in the 49th minute separated the sides.

In-form Sevilla
Third-placed Sevilla FC stretched their lead over Villarreal CF in fourth to nine points after contrasting results away from home. Frédéric Kanouté's first-half penalty, his eleventh goal in the last eight league games and 16th of the season, claimed victory at RC Recreativo de Huelva and made it 19 points from the last 21 available for Manuel Jiménez's charges while goals in the first 35 minutes from Álvaro Negredo, Pablo Piatti and Mané earned UD Almería a comfortable success against the Yellow Submarine. Elsewhere, Athletic Club Bilbao overcame RCD Mallorca 2-1 while Real Betis Balompié ended with nine men in their 3-3 draw at home with CD Numancia.

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"Aq kan menyesali cmua yg tlh tjadi, habis cnta di hti lbh ku sndri, qmu tkan mgrti smua yg kualami pedih perihna hati lebih baex ku cendiri Kau tx pnah pny hati ckup cdh cmua hntkn sja cmua lelah hti menanti yg trus kau skiti DUSTA di atas Cinta"
aND nOW Give up 4ever TO tOUCH U ,But i know u still so numb and there is something happen

Hertha feel the heat from Bayern and Wolfsburg

Hertha BSC Berlin's leadership of the Bundesliga is down to a solitary point after the capital club lost 2-0 at VfB Stuttgart and nearest challengers FC Bayern München and VfL Wolfsburg both won.

Stuttgart respond
Lucien Favre's Hertha had won three successive league games prior to visiting a Stuttgart team reeling from a 4-0 loss to Werder Bremen last Sunday but had their run brought to an abrupt halt by Cacau (47) and Sami Khedira (51). Champions Bayern kept up their pursuit with a 1-0 home defeat of bottom side Karlsruher SC, José Ernesto Sosa scoring the only goal eleven minutes before the break.

Hoffenheim run
Bayern are level on points with Wolfsburg, who won 3-0 at fourth-bottom DSC Arminia Bielefeld. Christian Gentner (19) set Felix Magath's team on their way before Grafite's 18th league goal of the season and Ashkan Dejagah (87) secured all three points and a seventh consecutive league success. Hamburger SV will join Bayern and Wolfsburg on 48 points should they win at FC Schalke 04 on Sunday. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim extended their winless run to seven matches with a 2-2 home draw against Hannover 96 and remain fifth, two points ahead of Stuttgart.

Bremen beaten
Meanwhile, Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 1-1 at home with Eintracht Frankfurt, missing the chance to close the gap on the European places, while Alexander Frei's 64th-minute goal earned BV Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 victory against UEFA Cup quarter-finalists Bremen, who are marooned in mid table. Elsewhere, 1. FC Köln increased FC Energie Cottbus's relegation worries by inflicting a 2-0 home defeat on the second-bottom club and VfL Bochum are three points clear of the bottom three after a 1-0 win at relegation rivals VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday.

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