Expect no major FA Cup shocks
ENGLISH FA CUP
Man United 2 Reading 0
Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez are in line to feature from the start as they have gained full match fitness. After the busy Christmas programme, Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has leeway to make wholesome changes to give his stars respite.
Wolves 1 Liverpool 1
Jurgen Klopp has the difficult task of juggling his squad while retaining respect for the competition. Simon Mignolet, Nathaniel Clyne, Naby Keita, Adam Lallana, Daniel Sturridge and Alberto Moreno should all feature against Ernesto Espirito Santo’s tricky side.
Chelsea 2 Notthingham 1
There is a strong chance this match is a last hurrah for long serving Chelsea trio Gary Cahill, Cesc Fabregas and Victor Moses as all three are entering the final six months of their contracts and are therefore free to negotiate with foreign clubs. Andreas Christensen and Emerson Palmeri are definites for Maurizio Sarri.
Man City 4 Rotherham 0
Championship strugglers Rottenham United stand no chance of upsetting the applecart against Pep Guardiola’s trailblazers. Even with Gabriel Jesus, Alexander Zinchenko, Danilo and Ilkay Gundogan in the starting eleven, Manchester City are equipped to punish the visitors with a tennis score.
Tranmere 1 Tottenham 3
Fatigue is ravaging Mauricio Pochettino’s thin squad but he can ill afford to take Tranmere Rovers lightly. The last thing the Argentine gaffer would want is a replay to further complicate an already congested fixture calendar. Danny Rose, Victor Wanyama, Fernando Llorente and Moussa Dembele could all feature.
Blackpool 1 Arsenal 3
The best way for Unai Emery to diffuse a simmering Cold War with Alexander Lacazatte is to give him a full ninety minutes at Blackpool. Arsenal are tooled to canter into the next round of a competition they’ve dominated in recent years.
OTHER MATCHES
Fulham 2-0 Oldham
Crystal Palace 3-0 Grimsby Town
Newcastle Utd 2-1 Blackburn Bournemouth 1-1 Brighton Hove
Burnley 2-1 Barnsley
Middlesbrough 1-0 Peterborough
Woking 0-3 Watford
Preston 1-0 Doncaster
West Ham 2-1 Birmingham
Spanish LA LIGA
Real Madrid 2 Real Sociedad 1
Gareth Bale is finally warming up to the task of filling the boots vacated by Cristiano Ronaldo. Real Sociedad are too inconsistent to deny Santiago Solari a much needed victory.
Getafe 0 Barcelona 2
A two week winter break has given Lionel Messi the break he needed to recharge batteries. The Argentine legend already leads Liga Santander’s scoring and assists chart. Getafe will be on the receiving end of his hunger. The attack of Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez will be simply too much.
OTHER MATCHES
Real Valladolid 1-0 Rayo Vallecano
Huesca 1-2 Real Betis
Levante 1-1 Girona
Espanyol 1-0 Leganes
Eibar 2-1 Villareal
Alaves 1-1 Valencia
Celta Vigo 0-0 Athletic Bilbao
Sevilla 1-1 Atletico Madrid
