The UEFA Champions League is back in full swing today, with 16 teams taking the field across Europe in the third round of goup matches.
The spotlight will be in Italy, where Real Madrid will take on Juventus in what should be an intense match. Former Juventus defender Fabio Cannavaro will make his first appearance in Turin since leaving Juve for Real Madrid following Juventus’ relegation for match fixing.
That isn’t the only reunion today. Luca Toni will face his former club, Fiorentina, as Bayern Munich looks to take control of Group F.
Here is a rundown of today’s Champions League matches on TV:
- 12:15pm– Setanta USA- BATE Borisov at Zenit St. Petersburg (LIVE)
- 2:30pm– ESPN2- Celtic at Manchester United (LIVE)
- 2:30pm– ESPN Deportes- Real Madrid at Juventus (LIVE)
- 2:30pm– ESPN360.com- Arsenal at Fenerbahce (LIVE)
- 2:30pm– Setanta USA- Arsenal at Fenerbahce (LIVE)
- 4:30pm– ESPN Deportes- Arsenal at Fenerbahce
- 5pm– ESPN Classic- Real Madrid at Juventus
- 6pm– Setanta USA- Dynamo Kiev at FC Porto
- 7:30pm– ESPN Deportes- Celtic at Manchester United
- 9:30pm– ESPN Deportes- Real Madrid at Juventus
If you will be watching today’s matches, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (A breakdown of all of today’s matches is after the jump):
GROUP H
- BATE Borisov at Zenit St. Petersburg
- Real Madrid at Juventus
Outlook– Real Madrid can put a stranglehold on the group with a road win at Juve while Zenit badly needs a win to give itself hope of advancing out of the group.
GROUP E
- AaB at Villarreal
- Celtic at Manchester United
Outlook– The group leaders are at home and should have little trouble knocking off the underdogs. Man Utd is on fire and should put on a show against a short-handed Celtic.
GROUP F
- Fiorentina at Bayern Munich
- Steaua Bucharest at Lyon
Outlook– Bayern has a chance to take control of the group with a home win, but Fiorentina is starting to play better. Lyon needs all three points to push past either one or both Bayern and Fiorentina.
GROUP G
- Arsenal at Fenerbahce
- Dynamo Kiev at FC Porto
Outlook– Arsenal can bury Fenerbahce at the bottom of the group while also moving closer to qualification with a win in Turkey, but visiting teams generally don’t do well at Fenerbahce. Dynamo has posted a pair of draws, but will face a stiff test traveling to Portugal to take on a Porto team that has the weapons to cruise.
I think the fact that there were so many goals is a testament to the attacking prowess of the top teams, not particularly poor defending. You’ll always have a goal fest when you put two sides of extremely talented attackers on the field. Increasingly, it seems to me, that football is becoming more about how many excellent attackers you can buy and cram onto a field.
Just look at the Celtic – Man U game. Man U’s spent something upwards of 100 million pounds on players since the last meeting a couple years ago. Celtic just can’t compete.
Because of this, and because everyone only loves the winner, a lot of kids running around buying up Manchester United gear, and they can spend more, and it’s a self fulfilling prophecy. The fact that ESPN wont show any other team unless they’re playing Man U is a testament to this.
It’s kind of sad to know that this game in Manchester today was over before it started because Manchester can buy anyone they want.
No prob – glad it was enjoyed and thanks to other SBI Mafioso for handling the rest of today’s crazy action.
huh, my first post didnt work at first…. now i got two! sorry about that!
ah ok. wish i could have watched the game instead of working at my office. anyways, thanks for the updates!
ah, ok. sorry about that! i wish i could have watched the game instead of sitting in my office! anyways, thanks for the updates of the game.
I was cracking on their manager, Ranieri, who always looks like he should be at the pub cheering, not running a major team. Even though Juv has been shaky to start the year, I totally agree that away matches like this are tough.
eric-just curious why you call juve beating real madrid a huge upset? playing on the road in the champions league is never easy. Just curious, not trying to start an argument.
Finally got a look at the 2nd Juv goal from the 49th – ugly, lucky, and arguably an own goal, but they all count the same.
On the day, 36 goals in 8 matches!
Am I reading this right?
16 of the best 32 clubs in Europe concede 36 goals in one matchday?
WTF??
Bayern beats Fiorentina 3-0
Klose 4th
SCHWEINSTEIGER!!! 25th
Ze Roberto 90th
Lyon beats Steau 5-3
Fred 2 goals
Benzema 2 goals
lol at prawn sandwich brigade reference
Final whistle… Celtic will be sad to lose in the manner they did. They started on the right foot, but conceded and lost confidence. There’s always next week. Or two? Whenever the next matchday is, these two will meet again in Scotland. Unless Celtic can secure some proper strikers by then, I’m worried that it wont look much different.
Juv beat Madrid and go top of the group. In a major upset, Ranieri looks composed and stately on the sidelines, but maybe he is just lost and confused.
Kyiv beats Porto 1-0, Aliyev 27th minute
90th+ – Man U fans take their prawns and starts to leave. Celtic fans still singing.
Villarreal finally over….6-3…whew!
90th- 3 extra minutes. Of pain, for those who are Irish.
Doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for Madrid. That would pretty much mean that Juv and Real are going to advance, with Zenit and everyone’s favorite footballing tractor team far behind.
ze roberto 90th minute
bayern winning 3-0 against fiorentina, thats what the portuguese guy said.
86th- Yes, I’m still watching. No, nothing’s going on of note. Sheridan’s looking like a boy among men, but at least he’s trying to get forward…
llorente with the hat trick
6-3 now
82nd- Ronaldo is up and alright. Park comes in for him anyway.
come on porto score a goal, do it for portugal’s coefficient ranking. benfica needs that 3rd CL spot to get into the CL.
Juv still holding on, 83rd…
79th- Sheridan is on to try to give the Irish in the world a sympathy goal. Ronaldo down hurt.
I can’t keep up! Pires makes it 5-3 Villarreal!!!!
77th- Rooney ices it with a goal. MikeK is not going to dinner happy tonight. Sigh.
Johansson gets one back for AaB!
oh..yea, Porto and Kyiv r still playing…umm…the squirrel finally figured out it was a glass door. 🙂
75th- Frustration setting in as Hartley more than earns his yellow card. Yeah, I’d get a card about now too.
73rd- 3 corners in the past minute or two for United. Rooney forces Boruc to hit it over for a 4th. Do I have to keep watching this?
Pelligrini really knows how to make the right subs — he made a timely sub like this in a La Liga game a couple of weeks ago, and Villarreal scored quickly.
u guys r quicker than uefa’s matchcentre. lol.
LYON just scored twice within a minute to take a 4-3 lead. holy….
70th- Celtic are putting this game to bed. No signs of anything positive in Manchester. Depressing.
Llorente in the 68th and 70th!
3-2 Villarreal! No wait! 4-2!
Juv come close on the restart! This game is getting good.
After yet another save from a free kick, Van Nisterlrooy finally breaks through with a powerful header. 2-1 Juv, 67th.
62nd- Hartley and Maloney are on it seems.
63rd – Madrid starting to attack with intent, forcing two saves from Manninger (is Buffon injured?) and knocking another off the post.
60th- Tevez and Brown on for United. With the half hour to play, it seems both teams have lost interest.
its a glass door stop banging ur head. stupid squirrel. juve beating real 2-0. amauri scored.
57th- Rooney misses an open net. Celtic don’t seem to be chasing the game… Almost as if they’ve packed it in here… You can’t tell, as United still march forward.
Pesky clients. Juv scored in the 49th to go up 2-0. Madrid have a lot to do here, and haven’t created many real chances.
54th- Now Rooney gets flagged offsides, but he wasn’t that time now… Refs trying to level a missed call perhaps, but it’s too late for that.
Hmm, Lahm out at half (injury?)
berba poached another one