By DAN KARELL
Barcelona welcomes in an old face while debuting a new one, when Bojan Krkic and Ajax visit the Camp Nou to open up both team’s UEFA Champions League campaigns.
Gerardo “Tata” Martino has started the season at Barcelona strong, but it’s his first ever time in the Champions League (along with Neymar) and Martino has said that he knows anything short of a title is a failure. Alexis Sanchez scored a 94th minute winner on Saturday in a 3-2 victory against Sevilla to keep their perfect record intact, but Barcelona lost Jordi Alba to a hamstring injury in the process.
In addition to Barcelona-Ajax, Arsenal looks to continue their strong form with a trip to Marseille, Napoli host high-flying Borussia Dortmund, and AC Milan host last year’s giant killers Celtic in afternoon Champions League action.
U.S. Men’s National Team pool player Danny Williams features for Reading in a Championship division match against Leeds United and later in the evening, the CONCACAF Champions League takes center stage, with Robbie Keane and the LA Galaxy hosting Cartagines.
If you will be watching today’s action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Today’s TV schedule is after the jump):
2:45pm – Barcelona vs. Ajax – Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes
2:45pm – Chelsea vs. FC Basel – Fox Sports 2
2:45pm – AC Milan vs. Celtic – MSG Plus/Fox Sports Net
2:45pm – Marseille vs. Arsenal – Fox Soccer Plus
2:45pm – Napoli vs. Borussia Dortmund – Fox Soccer 2Go
2:45pm – Atletico Madrid vs. Zenit – Fox Soccer 2Go
2:45pm – Schalke 04 vs. Steaua Bucharest – Fox Soccer 2Go
2:45pm – Austria Wien vs. FC Porto – Fox Soccer 2Go
7:55pm – Pachuca vs. Veracruz – ESPN Deportes
8pm – Caledonia AIA vs. Toluca – Fox Soccer 2Go
10pm – LA Galaxy vs. Cartagines – Fox Sports 2/Univision Deportes
10pm – Herediano vs. Valencia – Fox Soccer 2Go
According to ESPN, Danny Williams recorded the assist on Le Fondre’s 97th minute winner in Reading’s win this afternoon. He looks to have broken through into the starting ranks there. At only 24, he may still become an integral part of the USMNT somewhere down the line. If he can play a position other than Bradley’s, that is..
yup, and he forced a nice save from a “20-yard piledriver”. also, Drenthe is playing in the Championship now? talk about a fall from grace…still only 26 though, which is nuts. i just completely stopped tracking him after Everton.
Wow, Basel has taken down Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, 2-1. The booing is incredible.
Ouch. Tough week for Chelsea.
Apparently, Lionel Messi set the record tonight being the first player in history to record 4 hat tricks in the Champions League.
Damn… Celtic tried to hold it, but they just couldn’t.
Beauty of a free kick goal from Insigne. Napoli up 2-0 and up a man as well.
Oh yeah, Ronaldo?
Hold my beer, and watch this!
What just happened? Lionel Messi just intentionally shot with his knee cap… and almost scored.
Klopp should be suspended for awhile. That was another level of scary.
Fox’s coverage is sooooooo bad. The Milan-Celtic game keeps having “technical difficulties”.
Fox Sports 1 – Barcelona v. Ajax was just looking like someone took a cheese grater to the image.
even the Fox feed over SIRIUSXM FC radio is terrible.
I can’t bring myself to watch that game even though… its my only other choice.
Jurgen Klopp seriously just looked like he was going to kill the 4th official.
Messi with a brilliant free kick. Never gets old watching that guy play.
My God, Lionel Messi.
It’s not even fair. For anyone.
Well maybe bayern.
Indirect free kick in the Celtic-Milan game.
I think it’s my favorite moment in the sport.
I wish more of them got called.
Jermaine Jones isn’t in the 18 for Schalke. Injured?
Suspended I believe. Red carded in their final knockout match last year.
Any la liga fans want to help me out with diego costa’s absence for atleti? Is he injured/suspended?
Suspended for this match and the next, I saw on Twitter.
Ah that’s right, forgot. Thanks.
red card suspension
Well the explanation of a red card suspension avoids the inevtiable questions of whether JJ is good enough for the USMNT when he can’t even make the squad for a CL game.
ESPNFC’s player description shows his last game as a 2-2- draw against Scotland occuring on November 15, 2013.
http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/31793/jermaine-jones?cc=5901
Wow, his last game occurred in the future? That’s pretty impressive.
Fox does a horrible job of deciding what matches to show on television. Dortmund v. Napoli is clearly the best match up. Marseille v. Arsenal is also better than either of the matches they are showing.
Yeah Barcelona is always a draw though, especially since they’ll put 5 past Ajax. It really goes to show though how lucky we are to have NBC doing the EPL now, in that they show everything.
you don’t appreciate the cryuff derby?