There are only a handful of games across the soccer world on Thursday, but a pretty crucial one is taking place at White Hart Lane, where Chelsea and Tottenham do battle in a London derby (3 p.m., ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes).
Tottenham sits in third place in the Premier League, two points ahead of the Blues with a game in hand. Brad Friedel will be aiming for his third clean sheet in four matches, and his side will be boosted by the return of a fit Gareth Bale to the lineup. Manager Andre Villas-Boas has left Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres on the bench yet again for Chelsea, but John Terry is in the starting lineup a day after being handed a criminal charge for racial abuse.
Elsewhere, Barcelona returns to action for the first time since capturing the FIFA Club World Cup title as the champions look to get by Segunda B side L'Hospitalet in the second leg of their Copa del Rey tie (4 p.m., GOLTV). Barcelona holds a 1-0 aggregate advantage heading into the match at Camp Nou.
If you will be watching any of Thursday's action, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action.