da premier bet： Another Tuesday morning, Armchair Fan finds himself writing up another guide to yet another week of enthralling football.
da fezbet： Indeed, Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion yesterday evening has created an incredible dynamic in the Premier League title race, leading to its potential final chapter on Sunday.
But there’s plenty of equally gripping action in the meantime, not least including Champions League semi-finals, Europa League semi-finals, the FA Youth Cup final and the latest installments of the ever-closening title race over in La Liga.
So in between eating cold cans of beans and keeping hydrated via drippings from the ceiling, Armchair Fan has found the time to organise, review and dissect the incredible football hitting our small screens over the next six days.
Without further ado, here’s your mildly humorous guide to this week’s Football on TV and a few cheeky fixtures that aren’t! Back to those lovely cold beans…
TUESDAY
Tonight, AF is ordering an extra large pizza to guzzle down his gullet whilst watching a European spectacle unfold. Manchester City are shaky at the back and dogged defensive displays just aren’t part of the Real Madrid repertoire, so expect goals galore as the English and Spanish giants meet in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Etihad.
For those of you whose footballing interests are England exclusive (go ahead and vote UKIP already why don’t you), stay tuned to Sky Sports News. Hull City are hoping to secure their spot in the Championship playoffs with at least a point against mid-table Brentford, whilst wins for League One opponents Walsall and Shrewsbury will guarantee a playoff position and third-tier survival respectively.
Perhaps most intriguingly, in the giants-destroyed-by-administration-derby, Portsmouth play AFC Wimbledon in League Two. They’re separated by just one position and one point in the league table and look set to meet each other again in the playoffs.
What’s on the box?
Manchester City vs Real Madrid – 7pm BT Sport Europe
Football League Updates – Sky Sports News 7pm onwards
WEDNESDAY
Whilst Manchester City and Real Madrid could accumulate a cricket score between them, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich’s clash looks set to be significantly tighter. Although Pep Guardiola demands thrilling football from his Bavarians, the Mattress Makers are the strongest defensive side left in the competition by a country mile and will be desperate not to concede at home with the second leg in mind.
An unforgettable European night is by no means out of the question but if the Champions League semi-final quickly suggests a stalemate, AF will be switching over to ITV4 where Chelsea and Manchester City meet each other in the FA Youth Cup Final. It’s all to play for after the first leg ended 1-1 and boasting two of the best academy squads in England, there will be plenty of potential future world-beating talent on show.
What’s on the box?
Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich – 7pm BT Sport Europe
Chelsea vs Man City FA Youth Cup – ITV4 7.30pm
THURSDAY
Liverpool’s comeback heroics against Borussia Dortmund have given the Europa League a new sense of legitimacy in England and improving all the time under Jurgen Klopp, AF can’t wait to see how the next chapter of the Reds’ latest European crusade unfolds. Villarreal certainly shouldn’t be underestimated; they’re currently fourth in La Liga and have already knocked out two of the competition’s heavyweights in Bayer Leverkusen and Napoli.
But the other semi-final clash between Shakhtar Donetsk and Sevilla has AF equally frothing at the mouth. Sevilla have won the Europa League two years in a row, meaning they’ve lifted Europe’s second title a record six times, but Ukraine is never an easy place to go and Shakhtar are a good-quality side with plenty of experience in continental competitions.
What’s on the box?
Villarreal vs Liverpool – 7.30pm BT Sport Europe
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Sevilla – 7.30pm BT Sport Europe (Red Button)
FRIDAY
Hipster night is back and arguably more hipster than ever, kicking off with a Bundesliga 2 clash between two opposing ends of the league table. Freiburg are hoping to extend their three-point lead over Leipzig at the second-tier summit, whilst Paderborn find themselves second-bottom but just one point away from escaping the relegation playoffs – so we could be in store for a real hipster classic.
Meanwhile, Sunderland Ladies face Man City Women in what’s shaping up to be a feisty WSL contest, a mid-table Bundesliga skirmish pits Augsburg against Cologne and Sporting Gijon will be desperate to claim all three points against eleventh-placed Eiber, currently just one point away from safety in La Liga.
Rounding off this hipster feast is the MLS clash between New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas at midnight. But the pick of the evening remains Middlesbrough’s visit to Birmingham City in the Championship. Whilst the latter club’s poor run has seen them miss out on the playoffs, second-place Boro find themselves tied on points with Burnley and Brighton, who are separated in the league table by just three goals.
What’s on the box?
Paderborn vs Freiburg – 5.30pm BT Sport Europe
Birmingham City vs Middlesbrough – 7pm Sky Sports 1
Sporting Gijon vs Eibar – 7.15pm Sky Sports 3
Sunderland Ladies vs Man City Women – 7.15pm BT Sport 2
Augsburg vs Cologne – 7.30pm BT Sport Europe
New York Red Bulls vs FC Dallas – 12.05am Sky Sports 1
SATURDAY
As per usual, Saturday offers something for everybody, with fixtures from eight different leagues and plenty of highlights to revisit in the evening courtesy of Channel 5 and Match of the Day.
Of course, Premier League fans will be most excited about relegation-threatened Norwich City’s visit to Arsenal, amid the growing discontent surrounding under-fire manager Arsene Wenger following another disappointing campaign. The Gunners have drawn three of their last four, against tough cookies West Ham, Crystal Palace and Sunderland, and Norwich need at least a point to escape the bottom three.
But the La Liga action on Sky Sports 3 will have AF’s attention as well. A dramatic slump in form from Barcelona has seen the Spanish title race reopen, with just one point and goal difference separating the top-place Catalans from Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. All three play on Saturday.
What’s on the box?
Soccer Saturday score updates – 12pm Sky Sports News
Bolton Wanderers vs Hull City – 12pm Sky Sports 1
Hearts vs Celtic – 12pm Sky Sports 2
Arsenal vs Norwich City – 5pm Sky Sports 1
Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano – 5pm Sky Sports 3
Bayer Leverkusen vs Hertha Berlin – 5.15pm BT Sport Europe
Real Betis vs Barcelona – 7.15pm Sky Sports 3
Chievo vs Fiorentina – 7.30pm BT Sport Europe
Lyon vs Ajaccio – 8pm BT Sport 2
Championship highlights – 9pm Channel 5
Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid – 9.30pm Sky Sports 3
Match of the Day – 10.30pm BBC 1
SUNDAY
In another day of diverse action, AF will be conducting a footballing marathon in his living room, starting with Athletic Bilbao and Celta Vigo’s La Liga fixture at 10.55am and finishing with Match of the Day 2 almost twelve hours later over on BBC1.
In between, AF will flick through the Premier League, Serie A, the Scottish Football League, the Eredivisie, Ligue 1, La Liga and even the MLS. But if you’re only inclined to watch one game this Sunday (perhaps you’re under the thumb and have lost your remote control privileges), the choice is obvious – Manchester United vs Leicester City.
The Foxes have the chance to complete their miraculous title bid in the most of magical settings – Old Trafford, home of the 13-time Premier League winners under Sir Alex Ferguson. So expect an incredibly tense game in the absence of Jamie Vardy and of course, countless testimonies claiming Claudio Ranieri’s side have pulled off the biggest footballing upset of all time!
It’s a moment that will be remembered forever should Leicester win – so don’t miss it!
What’s on the box?
Athletic Bilbao vs Celta Vigo – 10.55am Sky Sports 4
Swansea City vs Liverpool – 11.15am BT Sport 1
Juventus vs Carpi – 11.30am BT Sport ESPN
St. Mirren vs Rangers – 12pm BT Sport Europe
Manchester United vs Leicester City – 1pm Sky Sports 1
Ajax vs FC Twente – 1.15pm Sky Sports 3
Angers vs Marseille – 4pm BT Sport Europe
Southampton vs Manchester City – 4.15pm Sky Sports 1
Deportivo vs Getafe – 5.10pm Sky Sports 3
Valencia vs Villarreal – 7.30pm Sky Sports 3
Lazio vs Inter Milan – 7.45pm BT Sport Europe
Portland vs Toronto – 9pm Sky Sports 1
Match of the Day 2 – 10.30pm BBC1