UEFA Champions League semis on April 17 and April 18, 2012
The stage in midweek belongs to Europe’s best teams. In the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea and Bayern Munich will battle for tickets to the Grand Finale on May 19.
At the Allianz Arena in Munich, German contenders Bayern will host La Liga leaders Real Madrid. Both teams have not conquered Europe during the last 10 years. This season presents a chance for them to try their luck again.
In 2010, Bayern Munich came second-best behind Internazionale, then coached by Jose Mourinho. The latter has given his team the edge over Bayern ahead of this crucial UEFA Champions League semi-final tie.
Tuesday night’s host want to make the most of the home factor but Mourinho is eying a positive result to take back to the Santiago Bernabeu. This is where the illustrious Portuguese man lifted the 2010 Champions League title in front of disgusted Bayern Munich fans.
In London, Chelsea and Barcelona will lock horns in a match which is expected to provoke controversy. The last time these two teams met was at Stamford Bridge in 2009 and success went Barcelona’s way.
The questionable performance of referee Tom Henning Ovrebo left a bitter taste in the mouth of the Blues who are yet to recover from their wound. Chelsea are desperate to win a Champions League trophy whereas Barca are aiming to retain their crown. Chelsea vs Barcelona will come up on Wednesday, April 18.
The 2011/12 UEFA Champions League semi-finals will be broadcasted live on FOX Deportes, ESPN Pacific Rim and TVA Sports among a host of other channels. Find live streaming and TV schedule info for Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid and Chelsea vs Barcelona on the UEFA Champions League page.
UEFA Europa League semis on April 19
On Thursday, the UEFA Europa League’s two semi-final ties will take place simultaneously. Sporting Lisbon carry the Portuguese flag alone as the other three semi-finalists are from Spain. The Lions will welcome Athletic Bilbao.
The latter’s daring dream of winning two major cups this season is alive. Bilbao, who stunned Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League, have a date with Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.
At the Vicente Calderon, Atletico Madrid and Valencia will go head to head. Atletico recently lost 4-1 on home soil. This was in La Liga against local rivals Real Madrid. Valencia would want to rub salt of the hosts wounds.
However, Los Che have problems of their own to surmount. They go into Thursday night’s crucial Europa League semi-final clash with a 4-0 loss against Espanyol on their back. Atletico Madrid clinched the UEFA Europa League title a couple of years ago and they could emulate their feat this season.
To verify which channel will broadcast Sporting Lisbon vs Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid vs Valencia, go on the UEFA Europa League page.
English Premier League with Arsenal vs Chelsea this weekend
As if the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League semis will not produce enough excitement, the weekend comes with top matches across the continent’s best leagues. In England, the 35th Matchday of the Premier League will kick-off sumptuously with Arsenal vs Chelsea.
This lunch time kick-off will have a huge impact both teams’ aspirations. The Gunners want to secure the third and last automatic Champions League spot while the Blues need to bounce back in the league or settle for a campaign without Champions League football next year.
Meanwhile, the English Premier League title race continues. Manchester United and Everton will engage in a tough contest at Old Trafford on Sunday. The Red Devils could re-open an 8-point gap at the top of the table before Manchester City’s match away to Wolverhampton Wanderers later on that day.
FOX Soccer Plus, FOX Soccer 2Go, FSC and other channels will assure coverage for this weekend’s matches in the EPL. For detailed information, view the English Premier League page.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid – El Clasico on April 21, 2012
In Spain, nothing will attract football fans more than El Clasico. Barcelona vs Real Madrid comes up on Saturday, April 21. The Camp Nou stadium will be set ablaze with the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas all on the same field.
Four points separate current league leaders Real Madrid from second-placed Barcelona. The Blaugrana are playing catch up and could go only 1 point behind Los Blancos.
Real Madrid have not beaten Barcelona in La Liga since the 2007/08 season when Raul inspired his team to a controversial 4-1 victory.
Match statistics, line-ups, video highlights, live streaming and TV schedule info on El Clasico available here: April 21 - Barcelona vs Real Madrid.
Other matches
Top matches this week across Europe’s other big leagues include Juventus vs Roma in the Serie A, Borussia Dortmund vs Borussia M’gladbach in the German Bundesliga and FC Porto vs Beira-Mar in Portugal. There is no bigger week that this one in Europe and El Clasico is the icing on the cake! Stay updated with info on live and repeated matches.
