By JUSTIN FERGUSON
Defending treble winners Bayern Munich look to extend their lead atop the Bundesliga table and make league history when they face rivals Borussia Dortmund on this jam-packed Soccer Saturday of action.
Bayern head to Signal Iduna Park on a 36-match unbeaten run in Bundesliga play, and they can break the longstanding record held by 1982-83 Hamburg with another positive result against their biggest German opponents. Dortmund, who trail Bayern by four in the race for the Bundesliga title, hold a perfect home record this season, but they will be without three defensive starters in their clash with one of Europe’s top attacks.
The busy Saturday kicks off on Merseyside as city rivals Everton and Liverpool meet at Goodison Park. American goalkeeper Tim Howard and Everton’s tough defense will look to slow down the dynamic duo of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, who have lifted Liverpool to second place in a tight top-half of the English Premier League table.
League leaders Arsenal host third-place Southampton in the marquee matchup of the mid-day EPL slate. While Arsenal look to rebound from their loss to Robin van Persie and Manchester United, their visitors enter Emirates Stadium on an eight-match unbeaten run.
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):
7:45am – Everton vs. Liverpool – NBC Sports Network/Directv/Mun2
7:45am – St. Mirren vs Hibernian – Fox Soccer Plus/Fox Soccer 2Go
9:30am – Hertha BSC vs. Bayer Leverkusen – GolTV USA
10am- Dundee United vs. Partick Thistle – Fox Soccer Plus/Fox Soccer 2Go
10am – Arsenal vs. Southampton – NBC Sports Network/Directv
10am – Fulham vs. Swansea City – NBC Sports Live Extra/Directv
10am – Hull City vs. Crystal Palace – NBC Sports Live Extra/Directv
10am – Newcastle United vs. Norwich City – NBC Sports Live Extra/Directv
10am – Stoke City vs. Sunderland – NBC Sports Live Extra/Directv
10am – Barcelona vs. Granada – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport en Espanol
11am – Reims vs. PSG – beIN Sport Play/Univision Deportes
11am – Olympique Lyon vs. Valenciennes – beIN Sport Play/Univision Deportes
12pm – Hellas Verona vs. Chievo- beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport Play
12pm – Real Sociedad vs. Celta de Vigo – beIN Sport en Espanol/beIN Sport Play
12:30pm- Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich – GolTV USA
12:30pm – West Ham United vs. Chelsea- NBC/Directv/NBC Sports Live Extra
2pm – Almeria vs. Real Madrid – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport en Espanol
2:45pm – Napoli vs. Parma – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport Play
2:45pm – AC Milan vs. Genoa – beIN Sport Play
4pm – Atletico Madrid vs. Getafe – beIN Sport en Espanol/beIN Sport Play
4:30pm – Vasco da Gama vs. Cruzeiro – ESPN3
6pm – Toluca vs. Cruz Azul – Univision Deportes
7:30pm – Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo – NBCSN/Univision Deportes/MLS Live
8pm – Morelia vs. Club Leon
Robben is the man!
Mkhitaryan should have done better. I had to look up the spelling =(
Guess who with the break through for Bayern? Mario Goetze! WOW!
Left wide open too.
Serious question. At what point is Jozy a bust? No Premier goals for the whole season? Two goals or less?
Naw, hard to say anyone is a bust joining a team that bad. So he can’t save them solo. We all know he isn’t that good. I mean their best midfielder is on Loan from Swansea….
Carlos Vela with 4 goals today, what a beast
WOW! Guardiola is bold subbing Mandzukic out for Goetze early in second half.
Apparently, it worked… Dortmund thought he was on their team and left him alone in the middle…
+1
Was that Lewendowski fighting with Mandzukic? 🙂
Barca is a beauty to watch. And, that Robben guy is pretty good.
NICE GOAL OSCAR!!!!!
I was thinking Dortmund was doomed. Their defense is clearly not its best but they are still taking it to Bayern. I don’t think they know how to play any other way.
This Bayern lineup lacks firepower…I don’t care what Pep thinks. Lahm is wasted in midfield. I mean… D mid fine its weird but why play both Javi Martínez and Lahm there.
There is a good chance they don’t score, because it looks like Kroos is playing deep too.
It almost seems like assuming Dortmund defense will be so bad that he can set up rather defensively.
I wouldn’t worry much about Dortmund. With only one foul against them in the first half, for stepping on Lahm’s foot, this ref is helping all he can.
You are totally right. Reus should have had a yellow just a bit ago.
Neuer missed that ball too? Guess no one wanted to risk a foul.
Did Jozy play today? If so, how did he look? Based on the comments above it seems that Cameron is staking his claim for a spot in Brazil.
Jozy didn’t start and was sub on at the 85th minute.
He didn’t do much of anything due to coming on so late.
Cameron is the real deal. He is all class and is our RB whether or not JK sees it.
Thanks for the update. I am glad Cameron is thriving at Stoke. These last few USMNT matches that Cameron has played in hasn’t convinced me that he is a suitable replacement for Cherundolo. In my opinion, Dolo was the most important part of the 2010 WC team and the 2011 GC team that lost 4-2 to Mexico. I felt we lost that match when Dolo went out injured and all we had was an inexperienced Lichaj and J. Borenstein…. doing whatever it is that he does.
Dolo is truly the great unsung hero and champion of the USMNT. He was the perfect RB; fast, sharp, great going forward but knew how to defend and played day in and day out at the highest levels.
However, his days are done for us. He is 33 coming off of two knee injuries.
However, Cameron is slowly but surely proving his worth in the Premiere League and for the USMNT although not at RB.
The 2011 Gold Cup was lost due to Dolo’s injury. I remember Boconegra’s tears after the game and how he mentioned Dolo being taken out. That game will always go down as a great loss.
However, the 2010 World Cup was all Donovan. That was his World Cup. He was the leader we needed and scored THREE TIMES. That has never happened for the USMNT before.
Jozy mixing it up..
Let’s go Jozy fight with the heart of a great like Suarez, but be all Jozy!!
Jozy comes on for Sunderland…
The announce says “That is a sure sign that the manager has given up on the game.”.
Please let the USMNT draw England in the World Cup!! I want to shut these English jerks up nice and proper with the Queen’s English in the arse!!
If Jozy scores that should wake Poyet up!
Glad he had less than 10 minutes to do so!
Sunderland is a total joke.
Can someone tell me again why Jozy went there?
2-0 Stoke v Sunderland.
The Prem
Striker enters for Sunderland and it’s not Altidore 🙁
What is with that?
Poyet comes out in defense of Jozy and not this game?
…now* this game.
I doubt that was exactly his game plan going into it.
Cameron getting some great crosses in today. Seems to be staying on the wing more than this past week with the US where he frequently moved to the center on his runs up the field.
Yeah he looked real good. I don’t know how many times he reached long balls which I thought he had no chance to get to. Cameron showed great determination and poise today.
Cameron is terrorizing Sunderland down the right at the moment.
YESSSS!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Half-time stat – 44% of the attack going up the right wing.
Cameron with a beautiful chip under hard pressure to spring N’Zonzi on the goal.
Now, will JK pay attention???
That is what matters.
That was interesting seeing Poyet take off his Windbreaker to reveal his jacket. It looked like he was saying it’s on.
I think it was just because his seat was getting too hot.
Hahah probably.
I am currently watching the Stoke v Sunderland game.
It’s a disaster for Sunderland. Down to 10 men. Jozy is on the bench. The defense totally fell apart on the goal. Totally terrible all around.
Any other suggestions? Any better game out there?
Harvard vs Yale…
Now that is bad…
HAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAHHA
Adam Johnson with yet another horrible shot attempt. The idea may not be horrible, especially down a man, but does he ever put it on frame?!
How was that a red?
I totally missed it.
What happened exactly??
Wes Brown sent off for a strong challenge where he gets the ball before Charlie Adam which would have led to a break. Browns follow through caught Adam who limped off but returned, but Brown was told to hit the showers early.
I think I follow…
So, it was a 50/50 challenge to prevent a break-away and Sunderland’s man was given an unnecessary red?
Pretty much, but looking at the replay I can understand the refs trying to protect the players. I wonder however if that would have been a red in Serie A. Simply musing. Cameron is looking good however.
Cameron is looking good, isn’t he?? I have thought so for some time. After the Arsenal game I was totally convinced.
He is all class and needs to be our right back at the World Cup.
The kids got skills, Cherundolo 2.0.
If you mean that he’s 2.0 times the size of Dolo, I agree. They are nothing alike.
Excuse my horrible grammar. Lol
Good god boruc!!! I sense a rant coming from dirty tackle later today…
Southampton goalie with the EPL blunder of the week on the Giroud goal. I mean goalies can dribble too but good grief just kick the ball out of bounds.
He’s no rimando
Well there goes any chance of Jozy coming on
Oh, they will put him on now. But no way he helps in scoring.
Someone; HOW is that a red card???
Cameron with a hockey assist in Stoke’s opening goal against Sunderland.
Haha +1
Cameron really staring to look like a right back
Cameron is the new Jonathan Spector – utility man
But faster, more athletic, and better in the air.
And bigger and less prone to mental mistakes. Specter was actually incredibly athletic before the injuries. I love how seamlessly Big Geoff made the transition to the EPL AND a new position at the same time. He held his own the first season and is thriving in the second. That is a really, really big jump to make. I think he’s a special player. I lve the little outside of the foot flick cross he’s developed. He’s subtly creative and skilled.
Stoke scores!!!
Sunderland BLOWS!!!!!
Well yes.
Brek Shea on the bench at Stoke!
Well, the fact that they didn’t loan him out had to be a good sign that he was in their plans.
While he didn’t quite force his way into the conversation in the last 2 friendlies, he looked MUCH sharper than in the Gold Cup, had some nice passing, and was a decent spark off the bench against Scotland.
Hope he gets some PT soon at Stoke.
I hope Fletcher breaks that shoulder again.
It is absolutely outrageous that he has Jozy’s spot. Jozy is a much better player despite the formers history and abilities in the air.
Jozy is on the bench AGAIN. Jozy, jump ship man!!! Sunderland is going down and it’s clear that don’t want your help in any way shape or form.
How is he going to jump ship? What team is going to pay for him? He made his choice and now he has to deal with it.
He can leave in December. I bet he could go to a mid-level Italian club.
The basic point is he needs out. Sunderland is by far the worst team I have ever seen play in my life.
You bet he could? Sunderland are probably not going to just loan him out, and I’m not sure any team is going to be asking about a striker without a goal on the season.
If you only measure a striker on the goals he scores, if would be a sad day for football.
Yes, he hasn’t scored goals. Yes, that is a striker’s role.
However, he is a quality player and had other offers before Sunderland. Hell, Russia would be better at this point that riding the bench at Sunderland.
Russia WOULD NOT be better. Don’t move just to move…move to a better playing/development opportunity.
I really think you are wrong. What is better??
Playing or not playing? Right now, Jozy has sat on the bench two games in a row.
Perhaps Russia isn’t the league to move to but this Sunderland experiment is failure.
The Hull team Jozy was stuck on before was much worse. I have seen a bunch of teams newly promoted that were worse than Sunderland.
When USA played Scotland fletcher was the better of the two strikers, so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise he’s getting the nod. That being said I’m disappointed he’s not starting
Jozy had a horrible game. No arguments from me.
But you really think Fletcher had a great game?
Fletcher is great in the air. That is it. I have watched every one of Sunderland’s games this year and he has done nothing to impress except for that goal he scored.
I mean, he has one goal. Jozy has one goal (called off). The difference is Jozy does EVERYTHING else. Passing, holding up, give and goes, harassing defenders and on and on. What does Fletcher do?
Really, tell me. No BS arguing from my side. What is it that people see in that guy???
I completely agree, we’ll said
I agree on your points, and I have not seen a lot of Fletcher. I was just commenting on their head to head match up.
Fletcher did nothing…. in that game either…. did even less than Jozy… I don’t know how you could say “better”
Are you responding to me or the other poster?
I think the other poster…but I might be wrong…I am going on my fourth beer.
You have no idea what you are talking about
And he doesn’t want to. Cause its beer time.
Ya, and I was answering the other guy.
Thanks for the clarification man!
of the two, I think Jozy is worst 🙁
He just going to work harder to get out of his funk.
Cameron has been lively on the right causing problems with crosses and providing a solid defensive outlet.
Yes he has!!
People have been saying it for quite some time now, but he is our best option at RB. He is calm and controlled on the ball, is great in the air, gets forward quite well (especially for being a tall guy) and is fearless.
JK wake up before it’s too late!!!
Fletcher bungles a beautiful chance there. Loses it in his feet.
Cameron with a really nice bit of skill.
Oh my god. Every stoke player looks a foot taller than their counterpart. It’s freakish.
Jozy on bench
Joey on bench
lichaj, ream starting. gooch and danny williams on bench.
each
well jozy’s on bench
Yup, I hope he gets a full 45. I would love to see Brek get some action as well.
What a great Merseyside Derby match , I hope Jozy or Cameron score a goal today!
jones starting, timmy chandler starting, and espn lists fabian as starting in midfield.
Merseyside Derby was one f the best matches I’ve seen in a long time.
Definitely. Pace, attacking play from both sides. Great drama though infuriating that Joe Allen missed his chance to put Red Dragons up 3-1. Would’ve been sweet to put the dagger in those Toffees. 🙂
JAB not in 18. I think it has something to do with him picking usa
More to do with him being 20 years old and playing in arguably the best league in the world
So, he was a key player in getting HB promoted, but now he is not good enough. It seems more likely that he has not won is starting position back after recovering from his injury. Not making the bench makes me think that he is still not 100 percent ready to return.
“So, he was a key player in getting HB promoted, but now he is not good enough.”
Certainly has happened to many a player. But I think that this:
“Not making the bench makes me think that he is still not 100 percent ready to return.”
Is more on the mark.
I’d speculate it has to do with his injury.
He’s still a bit raw, but Hertha was doing well before his injury. Since he’s been out, the results haven’t as good. Might not be direct cause and effect, though.
Seems more often than not, that players who are involved in international fixtures during the week do not start that weekend.
This ‘Pool vs Everton game is great entertainment.
What a match!
Mignolet owns Deleofeu. He’s been awesome despite having let n three
The pace of this match is INSANE!
nice save by howard
Brek and Jozy on the bench
Liverpool are going to the Champions League
btw how much of a Legend is Howard at EVERTON? has he broke any records? been there for 7.5 years now.
Did anyone see the tackle on suarez? Clear red and he should be suspended.