Domestic cup competitions in Europe typically feature David vs. Goliath stories, but Wednesday, it's all about the big boys.
Liverpool carries its 1-0 edge over Manchester City in the Carling Cup semifinals into the second leg at Anfield, where the Reds will try and hold on and advance to next month's title game against surprise finalist Cardiff City. In Italy, two of Serie A's top attacking teams, Napoli and Inter Milan, battle for a place in the Coppa Italia semifinals.
The match of the day takes place at Camp Nou, though, where Barcelona and Real Madrid complete their Copa del Rey quarterfinal tie. Barcelona holds a 2-1 advantage after winning the opening leg in Madrid last week, and if the Catalan club can maintain its recent dominance over Cristiano Ronaldo & Co., it will polish off its rival while keeping up the quest for yet another piece of silverware.
Here is the viewing schedule for the day's matches:
2:45 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel – Liverpool vs. Manchester City
2:45 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Napoli vs. Inter Milan
4 p.m. – GOLTV – Barcelona vs. Real Madrid
If you will be watching any of Wednesday's games, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action.
Well this has more to do to the fact that ”El Tuca” tigre’s manager doesn’t like teams playing International competitions so he just doesn’t give any effort in them. He calls them a waist of time. Ironic how this is coming from a brazilian-born former player.
I don’t see how? They are in it for the sake of trying to win and compete against South American teams. And most important this is Bornstein we’re talking about!
My guess is they had a couple of players missing from the team like Torres-Nilo for Mexico’s national team game, and didn’t take any of the veterans on the road betting on a strong home game.
Mexican teams have always cared about the Libertadores unless something’s changed or they feel they aren’t deep enough in which case I think Tigres does have a great youth set up right now so they should be deep for both tournaments, or it could be they aren’t happy with the start of the tournament as defending champs and want to focus on that?
Mexican clubs use reserves in Copa Libertadores matches all the time.
No big deal.
The Mexican league is much more important.
Is it me or is Jonathan Bornstein REALLY starting and going the distance in a Copa Libertadores PLAYOFF match AWAY to Chile’s Union Española in midfield of all places? Did the Tigres Coach Tuca Ferreti not get the Memo that Burnedstein doesn’t use or realize players’ weaknesses like when a guy is PURELY a one footed player and lets him favor his one and only side and that he gets caught out of postion time after time only to maybe deflect the ball right into an opponents’ attackers (See WC Qualifying match in Utah vs El Salvador in September of 09)….
I guess he changed numbers too, probably was because Jesus Dueñas Manzo wanted it, he’s got #8 according to ESPN’s soccernet…
I know for a fact it was a MLS Cup beanie but I am almost sure it was a 2011, pretty interesting!
That’s you, Joe, aint it. I thought you were fakin’ when you called in sick. Sounded perrty darn healthy to me. By the way, no need to come to work tomorrow. YOU ARE FIRED!!!!!
Inter v. Napoli isn’t showing up on ESPN3. Can anybody confirm that it’s available there? Or was it live-only?
Can’t believe Pepe stomped someone again. How many reds should they have been given… 3? 4? Jeez.
I bet you go through a lot of monocles.
Omfg pepe just stomped on Alves! Cannot believe he did it again!!!
There is no way i could be near busquets without kicking him in the throat
Was that an MLS cup beanie?????????
Khan…is that you??
alright barca fan boy this is a mans game
That should be Madrid’s 3rd red card of the game as a football tackle is executed in Messi.
Blatant penalty not given as Pepe just trucks Alexis over in the box.
Umm. I may have been a little off in my assessment.
Well this just turned into a very interesting remaining 18 minutes, it would be so harsh if Madrid got thru, come on Barca get that 3rd goal!
Pepe throws an arm into Cescs face to stop him and nothing is called… again. Seriously he needs to be gone forever.
Avi did drop the ball on that, guess he thought it has enough of a time lapse that he could either A, edit it later or bring attention to the game by doing a commentary specific to the game later???
Ha!
El Camp Nou a Pepe:
“Asesino, asesino”
sure, but why not list it here? Busch League.
barca is greater than madrid. there is no longer a question. (not even a barca fan).
Yeah, the only other difference is they’re a far better team. Other than that, pretty much the same.
Wish Messi had stomped Pepe after taking his legs out.
karma would be everyone on the field getting hurt
FFFFFK BARCA, the only difference is that they know how to put the ball in the net, I really hate this crap.
Brilliant from Casillas to distract the official and earn a yellow so that Lass was nit given a very deserved red card. Shameful from the official to allow himself to be distracted and not eject Lass.
And holy sh*t Alves with the karma bomb!
Holy crap.
Well that was a pretty awesome 10 minutes of soccer in the usually disappointing Clasico!
Two of my favorite teams, Madrid and Napoli, with HUGE games today in addition to USMNT later. I called in sick *cough cough.* It’s that 24-hour bug going around. The 24 hours of soccer bug.
Man City v Liverpool is a great game. Liverpool up 3-2 on agg.
Nice, but it is not on the DirecTV guide yet The guide has “Magic of the FA cup” for 3 PM ET Friday. (at 4 PM ET Wed)
It’s on live now. Barca’s defense is doing damn near everything they can to give up an early goal. Pinto’s saving them.
as a replay or live?
Barcelona vs Madrid is scheduled in ESPN360.
Wow, I didn’t know de Jong was allowed to score.
anybody have a link for the lfc man city game?
i’m assuming there will be an SBI running commentary for that match later tonight.
Oh and USA vs. Panama duh