By MICHAEL KLINE
Bayern Munich is currently on track to capture the Bundesliga title at the earliest point in the 50-year history of the German league, and will look to make a step closer this weekend when they welcome Werder Bremen to the Allianz Arena.
Bremen are faced with the daunting task of knocking off the German titans, who have been in tremendous form as of late. Bayern have recorded nine wins out of their last ten matches, in all competitions, and have only surrendered a staggering seven goals so far this season, with zero having come since the winter break. In contrast, Bremen have given up 41 league goals so far, the second worst in the league.
The spotlight in England this weekend will be in Manchester, where City are faced with a must-win match against Chelsea if their title hopes have any chance of staying alive.
The clubs have already met twice this season, with Manchester City winning the first, and the second ending scoreless at Stamford Bridge. This clash is poised to have a bit more fireworks than their last league meeting, however, and one can only assume Roberto Mancini will settle for nothing less than three points at home.
The most intriguing match of the weekend, however, will be in Italy where the Milan Derby is set to take place. The two clubs are separated by just a single point in the league, and are fighting for the last Champions League spot available.
The spotlight will almost certainly center around Mario Balotelli, who will face the senior club where he made his name as a player. The Italian striker, who moved from Manchester City to the Rossoneri in January, has scored four goals in just three matches for his new club, and will be anxious to net his fifth in the league against his former club.
AC Milan will also be riding high after dismantling Barcelona in their Champions League match this week, and the momentum they will bring into the match should make for excellent entertainment.
Here is a rundown of This Weekend’s Soccer on TV:
THIS WEEKEND’S SOCCER ON TV
FRIDAY
2:30pm – GolTV – SC Freiburg vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
3:30pm – beIN Sport en Español – Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Sociedad
6:30pm- Fox Soccer Channel- U.S. Under-20 National Team vs. Costa Rica
8:30pm – ESPN Deportes – Morelia vs. Pachuca
10:30pm – Univision Deportes – Santos vs. América
SATURDAY
7:45am – ESPN2, ESPN3.com – Fulham vs. Stoke City
9:30am – GolTV – Bayern München vs. Werder Bremen
10am – Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer2Go.com – Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
10am – FoxSoccer2Go.com – Norwich City vs. Everton
10am – Fox Soccer Channel – Queens Park Rangers vs. Manchester United
10am – FoxSoccer2Go.com – Reading vs. Reading Athletic
10am – FoxSoccer2Go.com – West Bromwich Albion vs. Sunderland
10am – beIN Sport en Español – Mallorca vs. Getafe
12pm – beIN Sport – Real Zaragoza vs. Valencia
12:30pm – GolTV – Schalke 04 vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf
2pm – beIN Sport – Deportivo La Coruña vs. Real Madrid
2:45pm – Sky Calcio 1 – Palermo vs. Genoa
4pm – beIN Sport – Barcelona vs. Sevilla
6pm – ESPN Deportes – Cruz Azul vs. Tigres UANL
6pm – Univision Deportes – Querétaro vs. Atlas
8pm- NBC Sports- Desert Diamond Classic (Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake)
8pm – UniMás – Monterrey vs. Puebla
10pm – Univision Deportes – San Luis vs. Pumas UNAM
10pm – Galavision – Tijuana vs. Atlante
SUNDAY
6am – Canal+ Liga / HD – Rayo Vallecano vs. Real Valladolid
6:30am – Setanta Sports Ireland – Sampdoria vs. Chievo
8:30am – Fox Soccer Channel – Manchester City vs. Chelsea
8:30am – FoxSoccer2Go.com – Newcastle United vs. Southampton
9am – Canal+ Liga / HD – Celta de Vigo vs. Granada
9am – beIN Sport en Español – Atalanta vs. Roma
9am – Foot+ – Bologna vs. Fiorentina
9am – Sky Calcio 4 – Cagliari vs. Torino
9am – beIN Sport – Juventus vs. Siena
9am – Premium Calcio – Parma vs. Catania
9:30am – GolTV – Borussia M’gladbach vs. Borussia Dortmund
11:30am – SuperSport 1 – SpVgg Greuther Fürth vs. Bayer Leverkusen
1pm – beIN Sport – Atlética Madrid vs. Espanyol
1pm – Univision – Toluca vs. Jaguares
2:45pm – beIN Sport en Español – Internazionale vs. Milan
3pm – Sky Sports 1 Ireland – Real Betis vs. Málaga
6pm – Telemundo – Guadalajara vs. León
Capital One Cup Final?
not listed … Sunday 7.30am SPL Celtic vs. Dundee Fox Soccer Plus
Joe Gyau was on the pitch for a 3-0 St. Pauli win, unfortunately I don’t know for how long or how he looked because i only saw the last minute of play.
Is Univision Deportes a premium channel or can I pick it up with my rabbit ears?
Pay channel, not over the air.
Think Brek gets subbed in tomorrow??
While the Guardian lists Brek as a possible sub, they also list him as doubtful.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/feb/22/fulham-stoke-city-squad-sheets
Also, for those who have FSC and don’t know, Fox Soccer Plus is a free trial this weekend.
Oh, excellent, Arsenal Aston Villa!
Also, Desert Diamond Cup Final on Saturday…
The US U-20 game tonight is on FSC. Channel’s not listed in case anyone was wondering.
Yeah, was hoping to find an article about this upcoming game. I think the US is through and will finish on top with only a draw, but not sure of the tournament rules. That’s why I wish there was an article on the game.