By RYAN TOLMICH
Wednesday is a Champions League kind of day. A pair of UEFA Champions League second legs highlight the afternoon matchups, while two MLS sides begin their quarterfinal contests in the CONCACAF Champions League.
The European competition is headlined by the second edition of the heavyweight fight that is Barcelona vs. Manchester City. The Spanish giants overwhelmed their English counterparts in the first leg after City went down to 10 men, winning 2-0 on goals from Lionel Messi and Dani Alves. Barcelona will be looking to take their frustrations out on City, as a 1-0 loss to Real Valladolid over the weekend is sure to have left a bad taste in the Catalans’ mouths. However, City will benefit heavily from having a healthy Sergio Aguero in the second leg, as the Argentine missed the initial contest due to a hamstring injury.
The other game on the European schedule will take place in Paris, where Paris Saint-Germain will take on Bayer Leverkusen. The Parisians head into the second leg with a 4-0 advantage behind a Zlatan Ibrahimovic brace, and the Swedish striker will be available to play today despite being recently sidelined with a back injury. Leverkusen manager Sami Hyypia insisted his team had not given up hope and went on to say they would field the strongest team possible, despite the lopsided scoreline.
Back in North America, defending MLS Cup champion Sporting Kansas City will host Mexican side Cruz Azul while the LA Galaxy host Club Tijuana in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.
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):
3:45pm – Barcelona vs. Manchester City – Fox Sports 1
3:45pm – Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayer Leverkusen – Fox Sports 2/Fox Soccer Plus
8pm – Sporting Kansas City vs. Cruz Azul – Fox Sports 2/Univision Deportes
8:50pm – Necaxa vs. Celaya – ESPN3
8:55pm – Chiapas vs. Veracruz – ESPN Deportes
9pm – Nacional Asunción vs. Atlético Mineiro – Fox Deportes
10pm – LA Galaxy vs. Club Tijuana – Fox Soccer Plus/Galavision
10:55pm – Dorados vs. Chivas de Guadalajara – Univision Deportes