SPORTING ALERT – UEFA Champions League group stage action returns on Tuesday and ESPN3 will provide live online streaming of several games.
Eight games are on the schedule for the day with the coverage getting underway at 10:00 a.m. ET live on ESPN3, as Group C leaders Atletico Madrid look to stay at the top with a victory over bottom side Astana on the road.
Atletico Madrid are sitting on six points in the Group C, the same as second-placed Benfica, which take on Galatasaray.
A win for the Spanish side would see them going to nine points, three ahead of Benfica before their 2:30 p.m. ET kick-off.
Diego Simeone side will start as the favourites to beat Astana, but the Kazakhstan side, which leads its domestic league, is still thinking about an upset.
Maybe the long seven-hour flight and the cold weather will be a bother for the travelers.
“Yes, Atlético are the favourites but anything can happen in football,” said Astana coach Stanimir Stoilov. “It’s a really long and complicated journey from Madrid to get here.
“We have had trips to Lisbon and Madrid so we know how hard it is. Maybe the cold weather will cause Atlético problems. We can open the roof in the stadium a bit to make it tougher for them.”
Meanwhile, English Premier League leaders Manchester City will battle against Sevilla in a Group D matchup at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. This game will also be streaming live on ESPN3, starting at 2:30 p.m. ET.
The Citizens are on a good run in the EPL and will try to bring that form over into Europe as they seek to take control of the group.
The last time these two teams met, Manchester City edged to a 2-1 victory at Etihad Stadium and manager Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping for a similar result away from home.
However, the EPL leaders will have to do without David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Samir Nasri, who are all out injured.
Manchester City sit second in Group D behind Juventus on six points, with the Italian champions who have seven points, clashing with group trailers Borussia Monchengladbach.
Fellow Premier League outfits Manchester United are at home against Russian side CSKA Moscow.
Both sides are on four points each in Group B and sit two points behind group leaders Wolfsburg, which play PSV on the day.
Elsewhere on Matchday four in the Champions League on Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid will entertain Group A joint leaders Paris St Germain at Santiago Bernabeu.
It will a return to the Bernabeu for PSG winger Angel Di Maria, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be a problem for the hosts defense.
UEFA Champions League
All times are in EST, Live on ESPN3.com
10:00 AM Astana vs. Atletico Madrid ESPN3
2:30 PM Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Malmo FF ESPN3
2:30 PM SL Benfica vs. Galatasaray ESPN3
2:30 PM Manchester United vs. CSKA Moscow, Fox Sports 1 USA, BT Sport Europe
2:30 PM Real Madrid vs. Paris St. Germain ESPNDEPORTES, Fox Sports 2 USA
2:30 PM Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Juventus ESPN2
2:30 PM Sevilla vs. Manchester City ESPN3
2:30 PM PSV Eindhoven vs. Wolfsburg ESPN3
Leave a Reply