Sports Greatest Rivalries

Reuters sports schedule at 1445 GMT on Saturday:

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NFL

Countdown to the Super Bowl

Brothers go head-to-head in Super Bowl like no other

NEW ORLEANS – A National Football League (NFL) season where nothing seemed to follow the script has produced a classic Super Bowl encounter with a subplot fit for a Hollywood blockbuster. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/ (PREVIEW, PIX), moved, by Julian Linden, 950 words)

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Our 10-part Super Bowl preview package will also include the following items, which all moved at 1300 GMT/8 AM ET:

Analysis of where the game could be won and lost (NFL-SUPERBOWL/ANALYSIS)

Profiles of key players on both teams (NFL-SUPERBOWL/RAVENS-PENPIX) and (NFL-SUPERBOWL/49ERS-PENPIX)

Facts and figures on the Super Bowl (NFL-SUPERBOWL/FACTBOX)

Facts and figures on both teams (NFL-SUPERBOWL/RAVENS-FACTBOX) and (NFL-SUPERBOWL/49ERS-FACTBOX)

Facts and figures on the city of New Orleans and the Superdome (NFL-SUPERBOWL/STADIUM-FACTBOX)

A review of all the previous games between the 49ers and Ravens (NFL-SUPERBOWL/HEAD-TO-HEAD)

And a full list of results from the 46 previous Super Bowls (NFL-SUPERBOWL/RESULTS)

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In addition to the preview package, Reuters will also be covering the following stories.

Harbaugh brothers team up before Super Bowl

NEW ORLEANS – The boys who shared a bedroom until their college years, shared the Super Bowl stage as Ravens coach John Harbaugh and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh held a joint news conference in a friendly family affair on Friday. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/BROTHERS (PIX), moved, by Larry Fine, 500 words)

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Goodell vows to tackle player safety ahead, doping issues

NEW ORLEANS – The National Football League (NFL) is determined to push ahead with a range of stricter rules for dangerous play and doping to improve player safety, Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Friday. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/GOODELL (PIX), moved, by Simon Evans, 500 words)

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Vegas bookmakers backing 49ers in Super Bowl

The San Francisco 49ers can count Las Vegas among their newest supporters for this weekend’s Super Bowl, but casinos in the gambling city would prefer they win by a small margin in a low-scoring affair. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/VEGAS, moved, by Frank Pingue, 450 words)

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NBA

Road warrior Bulls look to charge over Nets

The Chicago Bulls, who are an Eastern Conference best 13-6 on the road this season, look to extend their dominance away from home when they visit the Brooklyn Nets. (NBA-NETS/, expect by 0300 GMT/10 PM ET, 250 words)

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NHL

Red-hot Blackhawks visit rival Canucks

The Chicago Blackhawks, who set a franchise record by starting the season 6-0 before dropping their last game in a shootout, visit the rival Vancouver Canucks who are expected to start Roberto Luongo in goal for a third consecutive game. (NHL-CANUCKS/, expect by 0630 GMT/1:30 AM ET, 250 words)

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GOLF

PGA Tour: Phoenix Open, Scottsdale, Arizona (to 3)

Mickelson inspiration helps Bradley go low in Phoenix

An inspired Keegan Bradley surged to the top of the leaderboard with a sizzling eight-under-par 63 to take some of the spotlight away from his pacesetting U.S. Ryder Cup partner and mentor Phil Mickelson who is among the day’s late starters. (GOLF-PGA/, moved, updates to follow, 400 words)

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European Tour: Dubai Desert Classic (to 3)

Sterne holds one-shot lead at start of third round

DUBAI – South Africa’s Richard Sterne holds a one-shot lead heading into the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic with world number eight Lee Westwood slipping six shots back. (GOLF-EUROPEAN/, expect by 1600 GMT/11 AM ET, 400 words)

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SOCCER

African Nations Cup, South Africa (to Feb. 10)

Quarter-finals

Ghana v Cape Verde Islands, Port Elizabeth (1500)

Wary Ghana face Cape Verde Islands in last eight

PORT ELIZABETH – Ghana take a wary approach into their clash with the surprise package Cape Verde Islands who are revelling in their progress to the last eight. (SOCCER-NATIONS/GHANA (PIX), expect by 1700 GMT/ 2 PM ET, by Mike Collett)

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South Africa v Mali, Durban (1830)

Hosts South Africa face Mali in bid to reach semis

DURBAN – South Africa carry home hopes into the knockout phase as they hope a capacity crowd will spur them on to quarter-final success against Mali. (SOCCER-NATIONS/SAFRICA (PIX), expect by 1700 GMT/ 2 PM ET, by Mark Gleeson)

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Premier League (1500 unless stated)

Queens Park Rangers v Norwich City (1245)

Arsenal v Stoke City

Everton v Aston Villa

Newcastle United v Chelsea

Reading v Sunderland

West Ham United v Swansea City

Wigan Athletic v Southampton

Fulham v Manchester United (1730)

Manchester United bid to stretch lead to 10 points

LONDON – Manchester United can extend their Premier league lead to 10 points by winning at Fulham with closest rivals Manchester City playing on Sunday while bottom side QPR host struggling Norwich in the early game. (SOCCER-ENGLAND/ (PIX), expect from 1445 GMT/9:30 AM ET, by Martyn Herman, 600 words)

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La Liga

Osasuna v Celta Vigo (1500)

Getafe v Deportivo Coruna (1700)

Granada v Real Madrid (2100)

Espanyol v Levante (1900)

Real have Atletico in their sights ahead of Granada clash

MADRID – Real Madrid can move within a point of second-placed city rivals Atletico, who host Real Betis on Sunday, with a win at struggling Granada. (SOCCER-SPAIN/ (PIX), expect from 2300 GMT/6 PM ET, pix, by Iain Rogers, 500 words)

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Serie A

Torino v Sampdoria (1700)

Napoli v Catania (1945)

ROME – Second-placed Napoli aim to close the gap on Serie A leaders Juventus by beating seventh-placed visitors Catania. (SOCCER-ITALY/ (PIX), expect from 2145 GMT/4:45 PM ET, by Brian Homewood, 400 words)

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Ligue 1 (1900 unless stated)

FC Lorient v Stade Rennes (1600)

Bastia v Evian Thonon Gaillard FC

Girondins Bordeaux v Valenciennes

Stade Brest v Nice

Lille v ES Troyes AC

Sochaux v St Etienne

Rennes look to stay fourth

PARIS – Stade Rennes bid to cement fourth place in Ligue 1 when they travel to neighbours Lorient in a Brittany derby. (SOCCER-FRANCE/ (PIX), expect by 1800GMT/1 PM ET, by Gregory Blachier, 350 words)

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Bundesliga (1430 unless stated)

VfL Wolfsburg v FC Augsburg

Schalke 04 v Greuther Fuerth

Mainz v Bayern Munich

Fortuna Duesseldorf v VfB Stuttgart

Hoffenheim v Freiburg

Hamburg SV v Eintracht Frankfurt

MUNICH – Bayern Munich can stretch their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to 14 points with a win at fifth-placed Mainz with title rivals Bayer Leverkusen facing Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. (SOCCER-GERMANY/ (PIX), expect from 1630 GMT/11:30 AM ET, 500 words)

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Dutch championship (1845 unless stated)

AZ Alkmaar v FC Groningen (1745)

Roda JC Kerkrade v Heracles Almelo

NAC Breda v PEC Zwolle

PSV Eindhoven v ADO Den Haag (1945)

ROTTERDAM – PSV Eindhoven host mid-table ADO Den Haag bidding to extend their lead at the top to six points with second-placed Twente Enschede not playing until Sunday against Utrecht who are sixth. (SOCCER-DUTCH/ (PIX), expect at 2200 GMT/5 PM ET, by Theo Ruizenaar, 300 words)

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RUGBY

Six Nations (to March 16)

Wales v Ireland, Millennium Stadium (1330)

Grand slam winners Wales look to stop rot

CARDIFF – Six Nations champions Wales, grand slam winners last season, begin the defence of their title at home to Ireland looking to end a run of seven successive defeats. (RUGBY-NATIONS/WALES, (PIX), expect from 1515 GMT/10:15 AM ET, by Justin Palmer, 500 words)

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England v Scotland, Twickenham (1600)

LONDON – England face Scotland in their opening Six Nations game buoyed by their victory over New Zealand two months ago with Billy Twelvetrees making his debut at inside centre in place of the injured Manu Tuilagi. (RUGBY-NATIONS/ENGLAND (PIX), expect at 1545 GMT/12:45 PM ET, by Mitch Phillips, 500 words)

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TENNIS

Davis Cup, world group, first round

LONDON – Novak Djokovic quickly got back in the groove after his Australian Open triumph with a crushing defeat of Olivier Rochus as Serbia surged into a 2-0 lead in their Davis Cup world group, first round tie in Belgium on Friday. (TENNIS-DAVIS/UPDATE 1 (PIX), moved, updates to follow, 500 words)

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CRICKET

Pakistan collapse to lowest test score

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa dismissed Pakistan for their lowest test score of 49 on the second day of the first test at the Wanderers. (CRICKET-PAKISTAN, by Nick Said, 500 words)

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ALPINE SKIING

SCHLADMING, Austria – For local fans, Marcel Hirscher will top the bill at the alpine skiing world championships in the next fortnight yet the rivalry between Tina Maze and Lindsey Vonn in the women’s competition looks arguably more exciting. (ALPINE SKIING-WORLD/ (PREVIEW), moving at 0200 GMT/9 PM ET, by Manuele Lang, 500 words)

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WTA: Pattaya Open, Thailand (to Feb. 3)

Paris Open (to Feb. 3)

Copy on merit (Duty editor John Mehaffey)

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