By MARC SERBER
Club soccer returns this weekend from the international break with a bang. On tap this weekend, there are massive matches in Germany and England, the resumption of the MLS playoffs and the start of the Liguilla (playoffs) in the Liga MX.
Saturday morning starts with the Merseyside Derby with Everton entertaining Liverpool at Goodison Park. It is the 221st time the Liverpool clubs have clashed in all competitions and the longest running top flight derby in England dating back to the 1962-63 season.
But the match of the weekend may be in Germany as first place Bayern Munich heads to second place Borussia Dortmund in a rematch of last season’s Champions League Final. A win or a draw for treble winners Bayern Munich would not only extend their lead at the top of the table, but also set a record for the longest run of matches in the Budesliga without a defeat. The Bavarians (30-6-0) are looking to break the record held by Hamburg since 1982-83, but they will have to do it without Franck Ribery who is out with a rib injury.
Back on this side of the pond, the MLS Cup playoffs return with Sporting Kansas City and Houston still looking for the first goal of the Eastern Conference Championship. Over in the West, Portland will look to overturn a two-goal deficit in front of its home fans after falling 4-2 in the first leg away to Real Salt Lake.
Here is a rundown of This Weekend’s Soccer on TV: (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
FRIDAY
2:30pm – Stuttgart vs. Borussia Monchengladbach – GolTV
2:30pm – Ajaccio vs. Olympique Marseille – beIN Sport Play/Univision Deportes
3pm – Real Valladolid vs. Osasuna – beIN Sport Play
SATURDAY
7:45am – Everton vs. Liverpool – NBC Sports Network/Directv/Mun2
7:45am – St. Mirren vs Hibernian – Fox Soccer Plus/Fox Soccer 2Go
9:30am – Hertha BSC vs. Bayer Leverkusen – GolTV USA
10am- Dundee United vs. Partick Thistle – Fox Soccer Plus/Fox Soccer 2Go
10am – Arsenal vs. Southampton – NBC Sports Network/Directv
10am – Fulham vs. Swansea City – NBC Sports Live Extra/Directv
10am – Hull City vs. Crystal Palace – NBC Sports Live Extra/Directv
10am – Newcastle United vs. Norwich City – NBC Sports Live Extra/Directv
10am – Stoke City vs. Sunderland – NBC Sports Live Extra/Directv
10am – Barcelona vs. Granada – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport en Espanol
11am – Reims vs. PSG – beIN Sport Play/Univision Deportes
11am – Olympique Lyon vs. Valenciennes – beIN Sport Play/Univision Deportes
12pm – Hellas Verona vs. Chievo- beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport Play
12pm – Real Sociedad vs. Celta de Vigo – beIN Sport en Espanol/beIN Sport Play
12:30pm- Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich – GolTV USA
12:30pm – West Ham United vs. Chelsea- NBC/Directv/NBC Sports Live Extra
2pm – Almeria vs. Real Madrid – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport en Espanol
2:45pm – Napoli vs. Parma – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport Play
2:45pm – AC Milan vs. Genoa – beIN Sport Play
4pm – Atletico Madrid vs. Getafe – beIN Sport en Espanol/beIN Sport Play
4:30pm – Vasco da Gama vs. Cruzeiro – ESPN3
6pm – Toluca vs. Cruz Azul – Univision Deportes
7:30pm – Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo – NBCSN/Univision Deportes/MLS Live
8pm – Morelia vs. Club Leon
SUNDAY
6am – Levante vs. Villarreal – beIN Sport Play
8am – Lille vs. Toulouse – beIN Sport Play/Univision Deportes
8:30am – Manchester City vs. Tottenham – NBC Sports Network/Mun2/NBC Sports Live Extra
9am – Livorno vs. Juventus – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport Play
9am – Udinese vs. Fiorentina – beIN Sport en Espanol/beIN Sport Play
10:30am – Twente vs. NAC Breda – ESPN3
11am – Cardiff City vs. Manchester United – NBC Sports Network/Directv, MUN2/NBC Sports Live Extra
11am – Rayo Vallecano vs. Espanyol – beIN Sport en Espanol/beIN Sport Play
11am – Nice vs. Saint-Etienne – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport Play/Univision
11:30am – Werder Bremen vs. Mainz 05 – GolTV USA
1pm – Georgetown vs. Old Dominion – Guhoyas.com
1pm – Virginia vs. St. Johns – Virginia.sports.com
1pm – Elche vs. Valencia – beIN Sport en Espanol/beIN Sport Play
2:45pm – Bologna vs. Inter Milan – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport Play
3pm – Sevilla vs. Real Betis – beIN Sport en Espanol/beIN Sport Play
3pm – Nantes vs. Monaco – beIN Sport Play/Univision Deportes
6pm – Tigres UANL vs. Club America Univision Deportes
7:15pm- Racing Club vs. River Plate – GolTV USA
9pm – Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake – ESPN/ESPN Deportes/MLS Live
9pm – Queretaro vs. Santos Laguna – ESPN Deportes/Azteca America
Bayern vs Dortmund is the game of the week!
Go Spurs!!
Sunderland vs Stoke should be entertaining for USMNT fans
… why am I getting Depend underwear ads?