By ADAM TROXTELL
The fight for English Premier League survival takes center stage this afternoon as Aston Villa hosts QPR.
The Villains will try to rebound from consecutive losses that leave them in 17th place, two points ahead of Burnley in the relegation zone. Their London visitors can join Villa on 28 points with a rare road victory, though they were victorious over the weekend while visiting West Brom.
In Germany the DFB Pokal quarter finals get underway. Borussia Dortmund is attempting to save a dismal season so far by advancing past Hoffenheim, while second-placed Bundesliga side Wolfsburg plays Freiburg.
Atletico Madrid and Sevilla work toward UEFA Champions League qualification in a pair of La Liga games. Atleti can solidify its third place position with a good result against Real Sociedad, while Sevilla can climb into fourth place on goal difference only with a win against struggling Levante.
Juventus will be without Carlos Tevez when trying to overcome a 2-1 deficit in its Coppa Italia semifinal second leg against Fiorentina. Later, the Montreal Impact enter their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal against Alajuelense with a two-goal advantage.
If you will be watching any of today’s action, feel free to leave your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (today’s soccer on TV schedule after the jump):
1 p.m. — ESPN3 — Wolfsburg vs. Freiburg
2 p.m. — beIN Sports en Espanol — Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad
2:30 p.m. — ESPN Deportes/ESPN3 — Borussia Dortmund vs. Hoffenheim
2:45 p.m.  — NBCSN  — Aston Villa vs. QPR
2:45 p.m.  — beIN Sports USA  — Fiorentina vs. Juventus
3:15 p.m.  — GolTV USA  — Sporting Braga vs. Rio Ave
4 p.m.  — beIN Sports en Espanol  — Levante vs. Sevilla
8:50 p.m.  — ESPN Deportes  — Puebla vs. Monterrey
10 p.m.  — Fox Sports 2  — Alajuelense vs. Montreal Impact
Montreal lived as dangerously as possible, but they deserve credit for finding their way through. When halftime rolled around, I almost changed the channel (no way they give up 4 goals!…. oops). But they are through and from what I’ve seen they have every reason to beleive they can win. Good for them, and good luck to them in the final.
It’s a shame Porter won’t be there, i hope his injury rehab goes well.
Huge MLS fan. I think having last place Montreal in the finals show how incredibly strong MLS is.
However, that was so bad. Was Reo-Cocker throwing the game or has he gotten that aweful ?
That game was so wide open and Montreal couldn’t hold the ball for anything. The Impact goals were nice, but the goals they gave up were so bad. So many dumb fouls. Such bad defense.
Good luck, I hope they win it all, but I found hard to root for them for the whole game. If they play like that in the finals, I will have to remind myself of who I am rooting for, even that might not do it.
That’s just how it often goes. MLS sides seem to hold there own at home but fall apart on the road. The travel, heat, and conditions take there toll. They are only the second to make it this far for a reason. First to go through a Mexican side to get there.
“Huge MLS fan.”
no really? couldn’t tell by the name, lol…jk
Agree about the poor defense. Agree about the lack of quality possession. Agree about Reo-Coker. The announcer on UDN was ripping him towards the end of the match as wel…
The two Argentines (Romero and Piatti) are just straight cold blooded. Yeah, they’re not off to a great start in MLS, but after tonight, I’d have to think Klopas feels great about his job security the rest of the year and MTL actually showed some poise out there. Not enough can be said about how stacked against MLS the challenge of winning CCL really is. They faced so much adversity out there, but they were able to rise above.
Hope this is a sign off paving the way for an MLS club to be in the final each year going forward.
It is so tough to win in Central America, even when you have a superior team. The CR team played with incredible desperation and reckless abandon and the ref gave them almost every call. I wonder what the European players like Reo-Coker and Ciman think about playing there. I doubt they see that kind of stuff even in derby games and certainly not in CL games. CONCACAF needs to do something about those crowds that pelt the field with all sorts of crap. Until a CA team is penalized by having to play in an empty stadium, it will continue.
so if MTL wins the CCL yet finishes last in the MLS does that mean MLS is better than all of the Concacaf? lol jk…
The Impact survive on the away goals rule. What a gutsy performance! Congrats to Montreal from a Dynamo supporter
This ref is a tool. Nasty tackle on the MTL in the final seconds and no card. Certainly a yellow.
Congrats Montreal on carrying the MLS Banner.
sweet!
judging by some live tweeting MTL is still up 4-3 on agg with 2 away goals, correct? ALA would need to win 5-3 to move on correct?
correction: ALA would need to win by 3 to move on correct?
4-4 on aggregate. Holy s**!
but MTL still would move on from away goals right?
Indeed.
i hate fox sports 2, not available to me. only fs1. anyone have the time remaining and or score?
1 min + 2h stoppage time. 4-3 Montreal on aggregate with 2 away goals.
lol thanks, finally found a live tweet stream but i appreciate it. lets go MLS/MTL!!!
What a game in the CONCACAF Champions League! Can the Impact hold on? MLS for Montreal.
Go Montreal! Two road goals to maintain a 2 goal cushion. Now the home fans throwing stuff onto the field.
This ref is so biased it’s ridiculous. A CR player just shoved one of the impact to the ground with a push in the back and awarded it to ALA. These guys are going in studs up and playing quite wild without so much as a warning.
Montreal looks to be in the driver’s seat at half time, but that ref is just aching to give them a red card. Typical Central American refereeing. If not that, watch for a bogus penalty kick. Hope Klopas is properly warning his team to be careful.
Come on MTL!!!! Allez!!!
One more half and MLS is back in the final. Can’t stand watching this CR team and their dirty, cheap, whiny tactics at home. It’s obvious MTL is superior through 1st half. They just need to stay mentally strong. If there was a ref who had some minuscule clue out there Alajuela would be playing down a man. Come on MTL! Finish these clowns off.
No idea how that Costa Rican team doesn’t have half its guys on yellows at this point. That field looks terrible too. Yuck
Alajuense player definitely should have red-carded for that ugly leg stamp on the sideline in the first half. How did the referee miss that??!?
Anbody out there? big game tnight in CCL!