By DAN KARELL
The second weekend of the English Premier League season finishes at Old Trafford, as two giants clash in one of the most anticipated matches in the month of August.
Jose Mourinho visits Manchester United for the first time since knocking out the Red Devils in the UEFA Champions League last season, but he’ll have a different challenge with his Chelsea side playing their third match of the season already. Man United will be well rested, but the conversation around the potential Wayne Rooney departure has continued to take the headlines.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid visit Granada looking to win their second game of the season, though transfer news dominates the Madrid papers as well, with numerous reports that Gareth Bale could be on his way to the club this week and would be introduced at the club’s next game.
If you will be watching today’s action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Today’s TV schedule is after the jump):
3pm – Manchester United vs. Chelsea – NBC Sports Network/Fox Soccer Channel
3pm – Granada vs. Real Madrid – beIN Sport USA
Rossi scores in return to action….the one that got away. Although now with Altidore, Agudelo … I think we have a good young group.
So that match just reminded me why I never watch Mourinho teams, what a boring game.
must’ve missed the past couple of seasons…
no i didnt but i generally find La Liga to be a bore to watch, there are very few actually entertaining games in it
Pretty timid and cynical tactics by TS1 today, but what else is new. He got his point at the cost of any possible entertainment value for the fans. But what else is new. I think I just have to stop watching all TS1 matches for the sake of my own sanity.
He’ll finish a respectable 2nd or 3rd this season, and Chelsea will fall apart next summer.
When Jose Mourinho makes love to his wife, it ends up as a 90 minute scoreless draw.
A tactically exemplary but emotionally draining marginal victory for Jose
That’s what she said.
What the heck are the commentators going on about? Moyes is happier about this than Mourinho?
Mourinho started a team of young kids in a defensive formation and shut down Manchester United–leaving them to 30-40 yard hits at the keeper and errant crosses that never challenged.
Jose walked into United on Moyes home debut and took points off them while neutering the United attack.
yep. it was obvious that mourinho was never looking to get 3 points from this game. worked fairly well.
The punditry is complaining it wasn’t a “cracker of a match.”
It’s like they’ve never seen a Jose M team…. ever.
All that I take away from this match is that Rooney is playing very well as CAM.
He really should become one. I think he would be good/better at it. It really depends on if his ego would allow him to be one. If he switched teams and positions at the same time, I think he might be willing to try it. I don’t know if just a “new” manager is enough.
He was actually considered a withdrawn striker but six to a half dozen. Rodney’s ego has nothing to do with it, I don’t think. He’s played all over the pitch. He’s even played right back in a pinch. I think his ego only gets punched if he’s forced to a substitute role.
Why does Mourinho refuse to play our best player? (Juan Mata) It’s ridiculous.
He wants to trade him for Rooney obviously. I mean wouldn’t everyone?
NO. I would take Juan Mata over Rooney any day of the week.
Yup, exactly. I was joking. I should have used emoticons. =p
I hate them. But they serve a definity purpose.
Besides no one does direct trades.
Oh, Jose might do it though. He didn’t ninja Willian off the Spurs. Grabbing Rooney would be a perfect way to do something similar to Manu.
definite*
Rooney thinks he is Robben. He just won’t pass to RVP. It’s the 2nd or 3rd time he has taken a long shot rather than pass to an open RVP.
Think Moyes is regretting how he’s treated Rooney? Easily, easily been their best player.
Rooney starting to find the range.
I dunno… see where RVP was on that shot. He was in empty space in the box.
If Chelsea start playing direct a little more it would do wonders for the last 15 mins of this game.
Terrible diving by Cole.
Ok, I’m a Chelsea fan, but we were lucky on that handball by Frank.
You may need to bash someone over the head several times with a large rock in order to get a penalty in this match.
Hmm, the contact wasn’t in the box. However you feel about if its a foul.
It might start to open up now.
What is Welbeck’s real position? He is clearly not actually a striker.
He had a decent opportunity(with time) and didn’t even manage a shot even vaguely on target.
He’s playing wide as a winger.
He’s very much a striker but currently playing wing due to MU’s abundance at one position and lack at the other, ESP with Nani hurt.
Yeah, I know his official position is striker. He just seems to be played everywhere but there. I don’t think I have seen him play striker in years.
He scored twice last weekend. I’ve never been convinced in him though.
I like him a lot. He has some consistency issues, but at 22 that’s to be expected.
Manchester dominating the match at this point.
Are they really?
Chelsea have more shots on goal. They’re just letting United possess until that line in front of the 18 where United just can’t get further.
This is typical Jose.
I think TSO is tempting fate against RVP.
He tempted fate against Messi on a regular basis. Granted he had better players for Madrid, but still.
As great as Messi is, he’s not nearly as much of a threat to nick the random long range goal, header, or volley off the long ball as RVP. The book on Messi and Barca has always been to pack the middle and try to prevent the lightning combination passes in tight but only a few very organized sides can manage it. You can organize and pack it in all you want against RVP but he can still beat you with something magical. Plus Man U is not Barca. You don’t have to live in fear of going toe to toe with them.
OK. Mourinho is allowing Manchester to dominate the match right now. 😉
First half boring, dull, poor….except when the Great One was searching for his pen as described by Phil McNulty. Hoping for a better 2nd half or switching to US Open tennis.
That challenge on Oscar by Valencia is AT LEAST a yellow. That is atrocious.
Pretty lame half as defenses run the show. Neither side seems willing to take any chances.
Yeah, guess I misread Mo’s intentions.Thought he was gonna try and play with this lineup.
Never underestimate a BPL manager’s obsession with attaining the treasured scoreless draw on the road against a rival.
Is Nani injured?
Not even joking–I think we’ve confirmed by now that Jose Mourninho hates Spaniards.
What has happened to Cech’s distribution? Just blasting those things everywhere.
You dudes, that may have been a yellow on Rooney but Chels also got the call their way on the Cole handball.
Except that wasn’t a handball. Defender jumping and turning away from the ball from close distance? Never a handball.
Def could’ve been given, Esp at Old Trafford.
I suspect the ref will let things go on either side unless things get put of hand.
Haha and people wonder why nobody trusts officiating in United games.
lol what a joke this referee is
No fan of Chelsea here, but that might’ve been a yellow on Valencia.
And now Valencia with a reckless challenge.
LOL
How in the F is that not a yellow?
TomG get out of here.
I get that it is a huge match and it is early in the match, but how was that not at least a yellow against Rooney? Definitely not a John Terry fan, but that was clearly intentional and out of frustration by Rooney. I mean if its a foul, how is it not a card?
Yes, I’m sick of these refs deferring to Sir Alex and giving him every call, and extending the march when he’s behind and….. Excuse me? Sir Alex isn’t the Manx manager anymore, you say? Whatever will the conspiracy theorists go on about now?
TomG
You’re a rational commenter… are you really going to argue that wasn’t a head-scratcher? I didn’t see anything about conspiracies in his comment–only questions about how an elbow to the head only warranted a simple foul.
No question. Man U is fortunate not to have a couple cards at this point. I just thought it was funny that SAF is no longer there to blame for the calls.
Eh, Sir Alex was just the lightning rod. Father always told me–never confuse visibility with importance.
Mourinho going with a footballing side.Schurrle up top with Oscar behind him.Its either going to work really well or fail miserably.
Seems a bit conservative, no?
Are u being sarcastic? To me not conservative at all.Mourinho is trying to play tit for tat at Old Trafford.No Torres Ba or Lukaku to bomb it forward to if under pressure.No Mikel to hold behind Lampard and Ramires instead another forward player in Oscar.
No true forward so I’m wondering whether TSO is planning on putting men behind the ball and trying for a point on the road.
Chelsea went small and speedy because Man U’s two center backs are old and slower now. And Jones at right back is not the fastest, quickest back you ever saw. Three not fast center backs seem like an invitation to try and get behind them. Guess it did not work out.
It also makes you wonder about the future of Torres and D Ba.
It’s going to be that kind of officiating, huh? Wayne Rooney gets frustrated and throws an intentional elbow into the back of John Terry’s head. No card.