By IVES GALARCEP
Chelsea is running away with the English Premier League, and anyone is going to have a realistic chance of catching the Blues, then Liverpool is going to need to step up today.
The Reds are at home at Anfield and will look to shake off the recent offensive struggles that have Mario Balotelli looking like a scapegoat, and Brendan Rogers suddenly looking like he doesn’t have answers. Liverpool needs a win to avoid falling any further away from the Top Four, while Chelsea will look to extend its lead atop the EPL.
In Spain, Barcelona will look to snap out of its recent funk with a win at Almeria. A mid-week UEFA Champions League win against Ajax should help restore some confidence, but Barca’s two-match losing streak in the league has Luis Enrique’s men in fourth place in the league.
The MLS playoffs resume at RFK Stadium, with D.C. United taking on the New York Red Bulls in the second leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Red Bulls hold a 2-0 first-leg lead, and also can grab the away-goals edge with a goal today, which would make things extremely difficult for D.C. United.
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 soccer TV schedule is after the jump):
TODAY’S SOCCER ON TV
7:15 a.m. – beIN Sports USA – Derby County vs. Wolverhampton
7:45 a.m. – NBCSN – Liverpool vs. Chelsea
9:30 a.m. – GolTV USA – Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bayern Munich
10 a.m. – NBCSN – Southampton vs. Leicester City
10 a.m. – beIN Sports USA/en Español – Almeria vs. Barcelona
10 a.m. – Premier League Extra Time – Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace
10 a.m. – Premier League Extra Time – Burnley vs. Hull City
10 a.m. – Premier League Extra Time – West Ham United vs. Aston Villa
12 p.m. – beIN Sports USA – Sassuolo vs. Atalanta
12 p.m. – beIN Sports en Español – Getafe vs. Elche
12:30 p.m. – NBC – Queens Park Rangers vs. Manchester City
12:30 p.m. – GolTV USA – Werder Bremen vs. Stuttgart
2 p.m. – beIN Sports USA – Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano
2:30 p.m. – NBC – D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls
4 p.m. – beIN Sports en Español – Malaga vs. Eibar
4:30 p.m. – GolTV USA – Atletico Mineiro vs. Palmeiras
6 p.m. – Univision – Cruz Azul vs. Pumas UNAM
6 p.m. – Univision Deportes – Veracruz vs. Universidad de Guadalajara
8 p.m. – Univision Deportes – Monterrey vs. Chiapas
9 p.m. – Telemundo – Club Leon vs. Puebla
10 p.m. – Univision Deportes – Atlas vs. Club Tijuana
Come on Xolos, can’t just stop defending in the box on a shot. And, try and keep the dang ball. Oooooh… fight, fight!
Anyone watching QPR vs MC? I have no idea what rule just resulted in the goal being called back.
OK so Hart touched the ball twice off a free kick, which would be against the rules. But wouldn’t QPR get the ball…
Guzan with a great save on a header by Caroll in stoppage time to keep it 0-0
danny williams starting for reading; shea, hyndman, lichaj, gooch on bench; no packwood again.
timmy chandler starting against bayern.
also re: liverpool-chelsea, what was up with the ref never calling undercutting on headers? i’m pretty sure you can’t do that, or at least that the player has to remain still if they’re not going to jump–it’s very easy to injure a player that way. but there were at least 3 instances that the ref just played on.
If I was in charge of the sport, play would resume the second a substitution was announced, with the player coming on unable to enter the field until the one being subbed was off the field.
Well I’d do a lot of things but this always crosses my mind when a team up in a match is making subs.
Stone cold penalty, ref won the game for Chelsea.
not sure how the linesman didn’t see that.
For me the bigger missed handball is on Cahill’s goal. Matic, at the back post — the ball comes off Minoulet (saved) and Matic’s outstretched arm hits it, directing it towards Cahill.
When Cahill is diving to block the shot, his arm is pretty well pinned to his body. I could see why some would want a PK there, but I can also justify not calling it.
i didn’t think matic’s was intentional at all–just the ball hitting his arm.
Is Lallana in the doghouse or injured – why on earth are we bringing in Allen down a goal when Lallana offers much brighter attacking quality?
Rodgers is bent on convincing people that Joe Allen is somehow worth $22 million
Andrew Wooten had an assist and scored yesterday. Maybe we’ll see him for the upcoming friendlies since he’s in form?
Ramires should have been sent off for that blatant elbow. He’s a terrible role model for kids.
Also no chance Wooten is called in if Akindele is selected.
You are probably correct. I think Wooten is in the same dog house as Lichaj.
Who is this Lichaj you speak of?
that would have been an awful red card, although i don’t think sterling deserved a yellow. ramires was just trying to run through, and his arms awkwardly went up when they collided.
and i’m assuming you don’t know much about him–i’d love for my kid to end up like him.
boyd starting for rb leipzig.