Photo by Joe Toth/ISIphotos.com
As the seasons begin to wind down across the globe, the fights atop league tables either for championships or places in the Champions League and Europa League begin to get more fierce. All of that is at stake when Everton meets Arsenal and Manchester City hosts Chelsea in two of the more important games going on this Wednesday.
The on-going jockeying for table position and the fight to ward off relegation is also prevalent in Spain, where half of the league is in action. La Liga leaders Real Madrid will hope to pad their five-point advantage over Barcelona against a struggling Villarreal side desperately in need of points to cement its place in the top flight for next season.
Domestic cup play continues across Europe as well, as Napoli and Siena meet in the semifinals of the Coppa Italia and Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayern Munich clash in the semifinals of the DFB Pokal. In France, the quarterfinals of the Coupe de France features a battle between powers PSG and Lyon.
If you will be watching any of Wednesday's games, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action (TV schedule is after the jump):
WEDNESDAY'S SOCCER ON TV
3 p.m. – ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes – Atletico Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao
3 p.m. – GOLTV – Valencia vs. Real Zaragoza
3 p.m. – DirecTV – Sporting Gijon vs. Mallorca
3 p.m. – DirecTV – Real Sociedad vs. Levante
3:30 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Bayern Munich
3:45 p.m. – ESPN2/ESPN3.com – Manchester City vs. Chelsea
3:45 p.m. – FoxSoccer.tv – Tottenham vs. Stoke City
3:45 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Napoli vs. Siena
3:45 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Paris St. Germain vs. Lyon
4 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel – Everton vs. Arsenal
4 p.m. – Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv – Queens Park Rangers vs. Stoke City
5 p.m. – GOLTV – Villarreal vs. Real Madrid
Well, City do have some pretty good-looking kits.
I absolutely cannot wait to hear what Daglish says after the Liverpool game…
Plus they always win at home, they still have quite a few crucial away games, that’s where they will prove themselves…
I still think it’s a bit much to say they look like champs when they are still in second place and haven’t won a title since I forget how long. You can say they sure looked like they can still challenge for the title though, that I agree with…
Well, at least with Chelsea’s loss and more than likely failure to place 4th, I can look forward to less people wearing Chelsea jerseys anymore since they are no longer good. I await the City jerseys to start springing up, especially if they win the title…
Final, 2-1 Man City. They sure looked like champs today fighting back, and it happened after Tevez came on.
Huge props to Nasri on the winning goal, that might be the most impressive thing he’s done since leaving Arsenal.
Chelsea not going down quietly, Drogba’s had a look at goal and now Lampard sends one across the box. 91st
What a goal for Man City! Tevez with a beautiful backheel to set up Nasri, 2-1 85th!
Everton has been playing well and Arsenal don’t seem to be playing their game. I’m worried with the 1-0 lead.
City get a penalty on a handball and convert. 1-1, 81st
Gio sighting for spurs.
And Tevez is immediately off and running on goal and making things happen! I missed him.
Tevez on for De Jong, still 1-0 Chelsea, 67th
Stupid Mankers cheering Tevez. They deserve him.
Surely this means Tevez!
Goal Chelsea! Man City never cashes in their chances, and Cahill converts during a scrum in front of goal, 1-0 60th
Still 0-0 at the half in Man City-Chelsea. City dominated the chances, but Mata and Ramirez have played well for Chelsea, and I could see them steal a goal and really put the pressure on.
Also, Arse 1, Everton 0 35th.
Balotelli is in 1v1 on the Chelsea goal thanks to a horrible Lampard pass, but puts in a sorry shot which Cech pushes wide. Another wasted attack by Man City, and Chelsea still hanging around, 0-0 35th. Nasri off the bar was as close as they’ve come.
If I was Mancini, I’m not sure I could resist telling Tevez to go warm up and then have him sit back down a few times before I actually sent him in.
Everton doesn’t seem like they are in the stadium right now.
I’ve got a fiver on that exact scenario. It pays out roughly the city wage bill.
Here’s hoping Chelsea and City are tied with 10 minutes left, Tevez comes on instead of Dzeko, who storms off into the dressing room, Tevez misses a wide open shot in the box, and then seconds later Torres or Drogba score and they win 2-1. Too specific?