By RYAN TOLMICH
A pair of UEFA Champions League clashes will take center stage Wednesday afternoon, as Didier Drogba and Galatasaray will take on Drogba’s former club, Chelsea, while Real Madrid will welcome back Cristiano Ronaldo against Schalke 04.
Galatasaray enter Wednesday’s match-up with Chelsea on an 11-match unbeaten streak, having not lost since a November 27 meeting with Real Madrid. Chelsea, on the other hand, will look to distance themselves from their fellow English competitors Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City, which all suffered 2-0 first-leg defeats in their Round of 16 match-ups.
Real Madrid will welcome Ronaldo back to the team after a three-game suspension from domestic matches. The Spanish side has kept 13 clean sheets in its past 15 contests, which is a point of worry for Schalke. However, former Real Madrid forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will look to get some revenge against his former club, despite having said Schalke are underdogs.
In non-European action, Copa Libertadores resumes tonight. Ronaldinho’s Atletico Mineiro, which won the competition last year, takes on Colombian side Independiente Santa Fe in Group 4 action. Other match-ups include Union Espanolo taking on Botafogo, Cerro Porteno hosting Lanus and Emelec heading to Rio De Janeiro to take on Flamengo.
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 – Galatasaray vs. Chelsea – Fox Sports 1
2:45pm – Schalke 04 vs. Real Madrid – Fox Sports 2/Fox Deportes
7:50pm – Celaya vs. Necaxa – ESPN Deportes
7:55pm – Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Dorados – Univision Deportes
8pm – Atletico Minero vs. Independiente Santa Fe – Fox Deportes
8pm – Corinthians vs. Comercial – GolTV USA
9:55pm – Monterrey vs. Pachuca – Galavision
9:55pm – Universidad Guadalajara vs. Estudiantes Tecos – Univision Deportes
9:55pm – Veracruz vs. Chiapas – ESPN Deportes