By RYAN TOLMICH
Tuesday is once again a Champions League day with a trio of second legs headlining a full night of action.
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba will make his return to Stamford Bridge when Turkish side Galatasaray heads to London for the second leg of their Champions League clash. Drogba, whose Galatasaray side were able to muster a 1-1 draw in their home fixture, played for Chelsea from 2004-2012 and famously won the Blues their first Champions League title via a penalty shootout with his final kick in a Chelsea uniform. He will now return to face old manager Jose Mourinho, whose “little horse“of a club is currently in contention for a Premier League title.
Elsewhere in Europe, Real Madrid will wrap things up with German opponent Schalke 04. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema each scored a brace in the opening contest, as the Spanish giants pounded Schalke 6-1. The second leg should be little more than a formality, as it has become not if Madrid will knock of Schalke, but by how many. For those wondering, the Champions League record for widest margin in a round of 16 matchup is 12-1 (Bayern Munich over Sporting CP in 2009).
Finally, the CONCACAF Champions League will also feature a crucial second leg matchup when the LA Galaxy head south to take on Club Tijuana. The Galaxy head to the Estadio Caliente with a 1-0 advantage to take on a Xolos side that rested numerous key starters over the weekend. The Galaxy will also have the benefit of fresh legs after enjoying a weekend without league action. The Galaxy defense will be tested throughout the night by a Xolos attack that boasts Americans Hercules Gomez, Joe Corona and Edgar Castillo.
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):
3:45pm – Chelsea vs. Galatasaray – Fox Sports 1
3:45pm – Real Madrid vs. Schalke 04 – Fox Sports 2
10:00pm – Club Tijuana vs. LA Galaxy – Galavision/ Fox Soccer 2Go
11:15pm – Santos Laguna vs. Anzoátegui – Fox Deportes
I thought it was a good game. The Galaxy defense was really caught with its pants down for the first three goals. But in the end they only missed by one goal. Maybe the Earthquakes can show their stuff now.
I am sad.
showed up scared again for a big CL game and it took too long to find their balls and by the time they did it was too late. very bitter pill to swallow
That looked like a USA vs — place central american club or national team here– game.
Damn you MLS. So disappointing once again.
One last scramble in the box, and the game is over. 4-2, 4-3 on aggregate.
Four minutes left of stoppage time.
87th minute: time for a miracle?
Wow. First TJ scores, then the Galaxy answer within five minutes (nice break; Donovan to Keane to goal).
Yikes! Gonzalez has to close that down.
I wonder if JK calls Greg Garza into camp for the Mexico game. I’ve been impressed.
Me too… very impressed
TJ currently ahead 3-2 on aggregate… if the Galaxy score again to tie up the aggregate, do they win on away goals?
Nevermind, I see this was answered earlier… there is an away goal rule
grrrrs
Lol the keeper needs to locate his balls. Omar grabs his legs, dude acts like he was shot. This is coming from a TJ and LA fan…
And yes, LA is who I am rooting for.
The keeper makes the entire sport look bad rolling around like that.
who scored And how
Donovan free kick to Gonzo who laid off to Keane for the easy finish.
A long corner by Donovan found gonzo who headed back across goal. Keane with an easy tap in.
Can you get a concussion from falling on your backside?
So I guess I’m not grading finals for another half hour.
who scored and how i was watching this is the end
You all saw they scored, right?
Huge goal, had to start the half like that. “Hold onto ya butts”
Does CONCACAF have the away goals rule?
Could the Galaxy actually go through?
yes there the away goals rule, one sends la through
Yes. Galaxy are effectively down by 1 goal with 39′ of regulation to go.
It’s one of those nights where I troll myself. Damn the MLS it’s such an overrated league. Etc etc
It’s the same story from last year against Monterey, they are blowing it against a mid table Mexican team. In all seriousness I am not surprised, regardless of TJ’s form they have exceptional players.
Tijuana’s 3-5-2 is absolutely dominating the Galaxy. There are red jerseys everywhere. Galaxy are ridiculously predictable, no movement from them. This is bad. Real bad.
And I’m sorry but Donovan is a liability defensively and Keane looks to have dropped a level since last year.
Keane clearly not recovered from off season surgery to both Achilles, he looks old and gimpy. Landon a big fat zero so far, not hustling or running hard, looks nervous
we are simply not good enough and it has to be in klinsi words lack belief and the instinct is just fading with every bad pass it looks like keane is disinterested more and more
When I heard there was a player named Dario Benedetto playing for Tijuana, I was disappointed that he had neither the red hair of The Count of Monte Cristo’s bad apple, nor the dyed beard and knives of George R. R. Martin’s sellsword captain. There’s still time, young man.
Leonardo showing us all again that he is not all that
he runs hard if that’s a thing and that’s about all he’s
good for and again he gets manhandled as i type this a total Waste of a start but its not like we have a decent defender outside of Gonzalez any way
chance wasted
the only thing keeping me watching this is corona and Garza are playing like men possessed
wow who the F thinks that is a good enough defender to start a park league
Wow Leonardo needs to benched for the rest of the season
playing like little children, scared, slow, pathetic
Guess I’m glad I can’t watch this one, then. Hope Galaxy get their proverbial excrement together and turn this around.
it’s horrible. sorry my man. it hurts
Don’t apologize for me, I’m just a casual MLS watcher who wanted to see an American team make a run at glory. I feel bad for the fans who have a vested interest in the Galaxy’s performance. Still got my fingers crossed for you guys!
thanks man
So I don’t get a chance to watch Liga very much, have only seen TJ a few times, but riddle me this batman…. Garza seriously passes the eye test the few times I’ve seen him play… he looks like the real deal.. am I missing something?
the Galaxy D is a joke but No, he’s good imo, passes the eye test for me
3-0
humiliating, embarrassing, I’m sick of supporting this BS form this team
all Keane needs its a chance tonight i Feel it on my chones
Yo
man that turf is like glue whenever a long ball is launched over. Garza has a great shot on him and were lucky not to be down 3 and there is zero teamwork Between zardes and anyone else
Keane looks like a gimpy old man
what a joke. I come home from coaching my son’s team and miss the first 10 minutes and it’s 2-0
weak
Lol wow 2-0 within 10 minutes to TJ. Pathetic. Have to get that away goal now…
Wow, watching a lot of the second team for Real Madrid play today in what the commentators described as “second gear” was scary. I haven’t seen them play much, but dang are the good.
Yeah, they’re super stacked.
Think about having to mark Ronaldo AND Bale AND Di Maria. How is that fair?
Poor Jese
Game over
Stop being so negative pete. I thought you disapproved of that. But no its just a childish double standard.
Drogba!
best African striker of the past decade?
Drogba or Eto’o?
Gotta go with the 3 time champions league winner eto
I decided to check to see if either bothered to win the African Cup of Nations. Eto’o won it in 2002. Sooo I guess its him by virtue of not totally choking.
Eto’o is also the all time leading scorer in that tournament
You sound like a huge prick
Are you serious? Don’t be a fool the Ivory Coast have been pathetic in the ACN. They have by far the best team and the biggest stars. Guess what they do? Choke.
2013 – 1st knock out round
2012 – 2nd Place: Lose to Zambia on Penalties
2010 – Quarterfinals to Algeria
2008 3rd place
2006 2nd Place Lose to Egypt on Penalties
So I may sound like huge Prick but you are a huge Prick.
Drogba can’t do it when matters for his national team so guess what? Eto’o is better. Don’t be a baby and type snippy comments when you have no idea what you are talking about. Ask some Ivorians if they think their team has lived up to their reputations?
Unlucky for Gala. Defender goes out and plays an already offside Eto’o onside and then shot is deflected home
O/T why didnt Dempsey considering moving to Galatarsaray. They offer big wages to some players and are always in the CL. That could be Clint playing with Drogba and Sneijder instead of coming back to MLS. But hey $$$$$$$ get that cash
Its based on demand and I don’t think the demand was there, honestly.
How in the world do you know he didn’t?
What makes you think Gala wanted him. A player can’t really tell a team to sign him, pay him loads of money and make sure he is in good form.
If we are going to play the what if game here is a better one: what if Dempsey had gone to Liverpool as he was close to doing instead of Spurs. Now that is an interesting one to contemplate. When it first came out that ‘Pool was after him they were an upper mid-table team, since he claimed to be seeking a Champions League team it didn’t make too much sense at the time, but if he had gone to ‘Pool he could be competing for the Premier League title this year. Oh well, best not to dwell on, as is the problem with the what if game.
why didn’t Liverpool pick him up then?
Brett SOD,
That is assuming a lot.
Would Clint be playing ahead of Coutinho, Jordan Henderson, Lucas Leiva,,Joe Allen or Raheem Sterling?
I don’t see it.
Hope Gala win tonight but at the same time
would it help Liverpool’s title chances if Chelsea was still busy in the CL?
let Fate decide
I feel good about the Chelsea-Galatasaray match. Mancini out-coached Mourinho in Istanbul and I think he can do it again.
Thinking about watching that one just in hopes of seeing The Smug One’s face darken.
It starts in 7 minutes
3 minutes
Drogba for the win. Didier will get his hat trick.
The first Chelsea goal was a clear off-side. It should not have counted.