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UEFA Champions League: Matchday Three

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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.

Comments

  1. 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.

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  2. 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.

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  3. 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.

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  4. 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.

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  5. 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!

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  6. Bayern beats Fiorentina 3-0

    Klose 4th

    SCHWEINSTEIGER!!! 25th

    Ze Roberto 90th

    Lyon beats Steau 5-3

    Fred 2 goals

    Benzema 2 goals

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  7. 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.

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  8. 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.

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  9. 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.

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  10. 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…

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  11. come on porto score a goal, do it for portugal’s coefficient ranking. benfica needs that 3rd CL spot to get into the CL.

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  12. 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?

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  13. 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.

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  14. 63rd – Madrid starting to attack with intent, forcing two saves from Manninger (is Buffon injured?) and knocking another off the post.

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  15. 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.

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  16. 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.

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