The second half of Champions League Matchday Three takes place today, with two very high-profile match-ups and one under the radar thriller.
Liverpool’s trip to Atletico Madrid has grabbed most of the headlines for a variety of reasons, but the absence of Fernando Torres has taken some of the shine off what should be an entertaining display of attacking soccer. Chelsea will also look to keep on rolling against a struggling Roma side desperate for at least a point.
If there’s an underrated match to see (if it were on TV in the United States) is CFR Cluj at Bordeaux. The Romanian champions have been one of the stories of the tournament and could put itself in good position to reach the Round of 16 with a win in France.
Here is today’s schedule of Champions League matches on TV:
- 2:30pm- ESPN2- Liverpool FC at Atletico Madrid (LIVE)
- 2:30pm- ESPN Deportes- FC Barcelona at FC Basel (LIVE)
- 2:30pm- Setanta USA – AS Roma at Chelsea (LIVE)
- 2:30pm- ESPN360.com- AS Roma at Chelsea (LIVE)
- 4:30pm- ESPN Deportes- Liverpool FC at Atletico Madrid
- 5pm- ESPN Classic- AS Roma at Chelsea
- 5:45pm- Setanta USA- Werder Bremen at Panathanaikos
- 7:30pm- ESPN Deportes- AS Roma at Chelsea
- 8pm- Setanta USA- Sporting Lisbon at Shaktar Donetsk
- 9:30pm- ESPN Deportes- FC Barcelona at FC Basel
If you will be watching the action, or want to know what is going on in today’s games, be sure to follow along here. As always, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
For a rundown of all of today’s matches, check out a brief preview after the jump.
Enjoy the action:
GROUP A
- CFR Cluj at Bordeaux
- Roma at Chelsea
Outlook– While Chelsea-Roma will be shown on TV and is getting all the attention, the Cluj-Bordeaux match dould wind up being the better match-up.
GROUP B
- Anathorsis Famagusta at Inter Milan
- Werder Bremen at Panathanaikos
Outlook– Anorthosis is a tough little team but Inter Milan is too strong to be troubled. Bremen’s defense has been atrocious in recent weeks, but its offense is good enough to earn at least a point in Greece.
GROUP C
- Sporting Lisbon at Shakhtar Donetsk
- Barcelona at FC Basel
Outlook– Barcelona can all but lock up a knockout round berth with a win. Lisbon can put itself in good shape with at least a road point against the Ukraine strugglers.
GROUP D
- Liverpool at Atletico Madrid
- Marseille at PSV Eindhoven
Outlook– Liverpool will be without Fernando Torres but it still boasts enough attacking talents to push an Atletico squad that has been slumping through a brutal portion of its La Liga schedule. PSV looks primed to be knocked off the Marseille, which has just a bit too much offense.
Liverpool start off with a couple chances, and work some nifty passing around the box, but Benayoun is offsides as he slips one into goal.
47th- Aguero is on now, for Garcia. Atletico seems to be pinning their hopes on the young Aguero to be the missing link in attack. They need one, and a productive one, to stand a chance to get all 3 points.
2nd half starting up, Atletico have subbed Aguero for Garcia. I’m a bit surprised, as the team looked good ending the half.
In other news, the Guardian MBM claims Liverpool are in green, which makes me feel better, even if they look pretty darn blue on this feed.
In stark contrast to yesterday, today brings a very low goal total at the half. Only Barca has scored more than 1. Half of the games are scoreless at the half.
Half time comes just as Atletico start to create some dangerous chances around the Liverpool goal.
Riera dragged his feet over the defender’s foot, tripping himself (and I’m a Liverpool fan). Terrible stuff, they had all kinds of time and space in the box and never attempted a shot.
44th- Atletico threatens from a corner and a set piece, but both result in the Liverpool keeper grabbing comfortably. They would’ve done themselves a favor to have scored before the half.
Maniche with a dive of the comical variant now. Very poor dive, never would’ve got the call, and gets booked for his poor effort.
Because this is SBI, shall we make a midafternoon drinking game out of this?
44th-Adriano scores
Booo Anorthosis is down 0-1 now
portuguese guy is saying Adriano scored for Inter
43rd – Forlan takes a vicious swipe on goal and doesn’t miss by much. Atletico should get him the ball more, that came from nothing and was their most dangerous moment so far.
Bicycle kick off the corner, but with no power and right at the Liverpool keeper.
That was a penalty. The Atletico defender stuck his foot out behind him, tripping Reira. Clear intent, the ref blew it.
39th- The referee is fed up, as Liverpool’s Riera get’s booked for going down too easily in the box. There was contact there, though… I’ve seen weaker penalty calls, Atletico may have dodged one there. Either way, hopefully both teams can stay on their feet now.
36th- Mantzios ties it up for Panathinaikos(copypasted) 😉
Panathinaikos-Bremen 1-1
Inspired by the Garcia dive, Reira tries his own in the box. It’s judged a bellyflop and rewarded with a yellow card instead of a penalty.
Just shoot the ball, fellas!!!
37th- Atletico not getting the calls, and it’s frustrating them into taking fouls in revenge. It’s not smart play, and it’s what you get when you’re guilty of diving.
With Torres out, should we hype the “Luis Garcia revenge match” angle? Ok, nevermind…
34th- Garcia gets a 7.8 for that dive. He had me mildly fooled. Stuck by his guns and forced Atletico to play it out, too.
31st- Liverpool look dangerous on both sides of the field. They’ve made enough risky backpasses to give the Anfield faithful heart attacks a few times over. Atletico deserves the credit for pressuring the ball. Liverpool continues to be dangerous on it’s front foot, too, however.
if u want to see the goals go here
http://www.tvgolo.com/football.php
shaktar playing without Ilsinho and Luis Adriano. The game has been even, both teams getting chances. Sporting doesnt seem affected by the cold. I am though, my furnace is broken.
29th-Mertesacker scores for Bremen
Well, Barca is holding up the standard set yesterday
27th- The game certainly doesn’t lack physicality. Atletico with a good string of possession, showing Spanish football at it’s best. The final cross was never going to be dangerous.
22nd-Bojan scores for Barca, 3-0.
24th- Oh my wasn’t that ever Keane’s goal for the taking? He should’ve gotten a piece of that cross, if you asked me.
Yeah, posts are kind of funny right now. Anyways, nice feed from Gerrard on the goal, and the offsides wasn’t nearly as egregious as either Berbatov goals yesterday.
Yikes! Liverpool whiff in the box on a great Gerrard cross, couldashoulda been #2
lol wasnt someone complaining about spoliers in another thread
21st- Liverpool seem quite pleased with themselves and have given themselves the reward of playing negative football. They eventually hit a long ball that turns into a decent opportunity.
Spoiler alert? What else would you expect to read here?
Sorry for the double post, my initial comment didn’t seem to have gone through.
spolier alert!!!
barca with 2 goals in 15 minutes
im watching Sporting-Shaktar
listening to Chelsea-Roma on my tv
14th- Mr. Robbie Keane nets for Liverpool. The Irishman looks a hair offsides, perhaps, but the flag stayed down and he finished confidently, 1 nil to the visitors.
14th- And there he is, Mr. Robbie Keane! Looked to be a smidge offsides, but the flag stays down and he finishes. Ireland gets on the board a day late.
Anything to sell more kits eric… The sad reality of Champions League football, at least for the bigger clubs.
10th- Liverpool’s appeal for handball in the box was denied a moment ago, and rightly so as it looked. Gerrard gets away with one a minute later near midfield, so all’s even anyway. Liverpool looking more dangerous still, but Atletico has looked to settle down a bit and has started making expeditions into Liverpool territory.
Always weird to see Liverpool (or ManU) in blue…
I know you need another uniform color, but isn’t that your anti-color?
4th- Liverpool with the better possession in the early minutes. The ESPN360 feed is rather poor for this game. Figures that they’d make it nice for Man U and leave it crappy for everyone else.
Come on Liverpool!!!
I just finished meeting with a client out of town and found a coffee shop to stream from, only missing 3 mins. Life is good.
Aguero isn’t even in the 11, it seems. At least, I didn’t notice his name. I’m watching without sound, so I may miss a few things.
I’ve decided upon the Liverpool Atletico match to observe. Looking for Keano to net a goal or two, and to see if Atletico is as dangerous as billed.
If I recall correctly, wasn’t Atletico ordered to play this game elsewhere for racism? Is it still in Madrid on appeal? I don’t remember the ending of the story, but I remember reading about it.
Also, ESPN360.com will be showing Atletico – Liverpool, Chelsea – Roma, and Basel – Barca.
I’m not as interested in today’s matches, and I’ll be working so no commentary from me, but I’ll be around.
Maybe if enough teams play impressively Celtic will get on the top 25 despite their loss… XD
Hopefully the officiating today will be better than it was in Manchester yesterday.
for live streams check these sites
justintv(alot of streams, but not always high quality and reliable)
ustream(not that many streams, but better quality and more reliable)
freedocast(ill be watching Sporting-Shaktar on this site)
for the love. does anybody know of a pub that has setanta near grand central nyc?
Ives – any info on the Beckham loan deal?
Not sure if of how long Aguero will play, though.
Barca should win 2 – 0. Another clean sheet for VV would be great. Hoping Pep will start Henry as a striker.
Here are my expected results tonight…check back later… some upsets coming today and a rough one for most the home sides.
Chelsea 1 Roma 2
Ath. Madrid 1 Liverpool 2
Bordeaux 0 CFR Cluj 2
Panathanaikos 1 Werder Bremen 3
Inter Milan 3 Anathorsis Famagusta 1
PSV Eindhoven 0 Marseille 0
Shakhtar Donetsk 2 Sporting Lisbon 1
FC Basel 0 Barcelona 2
Let’s go Liverpool. We win 3-1. Goals from Gerrard, Kuyt and Babel.
whats the odds on Xabi Alonso drawing a red card on a Atletico player tonight? 5-1, 10-1?
Im a liverpool supporter and I have to admit, im a little nervous about the game today. Atleti is getting back Simao, Forlan, and Maniche who were gone from the blowout against Barca, but lost Ujfalusi. Liverpool as of late have been thriving on red cards and comebacks, not to mention, no matter what Rafa says, they are a different side minus Torres. When healthy, the Aguero-Forlan tandem I would argue is better than the Torres-(insert strike partner here) combo. That being said as a fan, I expect a Liverpool win but wouldnt be shocked for a score draw or late Atleti win. I dont remember too many games where Atleti kept a clean sheet. Quite the contrary they are more apt to play a 3-2 game than a 1-0. After Barca, when on form, they tend to be the most attacking team in Spain. If Aguero can draw Liverpool central defense (with No Skrtel, and a shaky Agger) wide, they’ll win. If Liverpool can put the always shaky Atletico defense on the back foot, from the first whistle, with a goal inside the 1st 15, this will turn out to be the most entertaining game of all match days
Ives, good call on Becks!