Lazio, Juventus battle in two-pronged race

Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen go into this weekend’s Bundesliga action neck and neck but Bayern could well have got their nose in front by Saturday night.

The reigning champions visit seventh-placed VFL Wolfsburg comfortable in the knowledge that they have never even dropped a point against the UEFA Cup hopefuls. Deportivo La Coruna, without a single Spanish league win in their 94-year history, take on bottom club Sevilla on Sunday in an attempt to widen their two-point lead at the top.

A couple of times last decade, Deportivo collapsed when it seemed it would have been easier to win the league and, with just eight matches left, they will be hoping self-doubt does not creep in again.

Unbeaten at home all season, after winning 12 of their 14 games there, the odds are clearly on Juventus’ side. However, a second consecutive defeat after their upset at San Siro really would throw the championship wide open.

Team morale would be badly hit and they already have a much tougher fixture list ahead — including a trip back to the San Siro to face Inter Milan — than their Rome rivals.

Despite the lacklustre support so far, coach Carlo Ancelotti is hoping for a good turnout in Turin for their biggest match of the season. “Home advantage is particularly important when two teams are evenly matched,” he said. “It can turn the game.”

Equally important though, he believes, will be Juventus’ ability to put Lazio under pressure right from the start and to prevent their opponents from settling. “We have to take the match in hand, whatever Lazio’s approach might be,” he said.

After Bayern Munich’s disappointing result last week when they had to twice come from behind to salvage a draw at home against Kaiserslautern, Ottmar Hitzfield will be hoping to fine tune his side before the midweek Champions League quarter-final first leg clash with Porto in Portugal.

Bayern have had a relatively smooth ride through the group phases of the European tournament but Porto throw up a formidable task as the knockout stages kick in. Bayer Leverkusen face an awkward trip to Munich 1860, who are hanging on to the last Champions League spot for next season on goal difference over Kaiserslautern.

Both teams are coming off poor results last week, Leverkusen being held 1-1 at home by relegation candidates SC Freiburg and Munich who were beaten 2-0 by Hamburg SV.

Sixteen-time champions Barcelona, who have cantered back to second spot after a slow start to the season, host depleted Valencia and their perennial rivals Real Madrid visit Real Sociedad in Saturday evening’s match.

Valencia, who recently qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals, have a long injured list while Barcelona’s international stars might be tired after midweek internationals and a month of league and Champions League action.

Madrid, Spain’s third Champions League quarter-finalist, at least appear to have won their battle with French striker Nicolas Anelka after he apologised to team-mates for refusing to train for three days, are just six points off top spot.

Anelka, who has a history of temperamental outbursts, was suspended for 45 days without pay on March 13 and was subsequently ostracized and forced to train alone following his stand.

In France, Paris Saint Germain and Bastia meet at the Parc des Princes in an all first division clash in a French League Cup semi-final. Third division Red Star host second division Gueugnon in the other semi-final on Monday evening.