Weekend TV Preview: 22 - 23 May 2010

Saturday 22nd May

15:00 Blackpool v Cardiff City, Championship Play-Off Final, Sky Sports 1 / HD1
OK, I admit - I did rather jump the gun when I said these TV Previews had effectively reached an end two weeks ago, but it didn't look like there was much live football left on telly between then and the World Cup. Just goes to show how wrong you can be. Anyway, here's one of only three live games this weekend and we're betting each of the other 19 Premier League managers are keeping their fingers crossed that they get a day out at the seaside next year. Not that there's anything wrong with Cardiff, mind you. It's just... well, you know.

19:45 Bayern Munich v Inter Milan, UEFA Champions League Final, ITV1/ITV HD/Sky Sports 1/HD1
On a Saturday night! Yes, all the little kiddy-winkies across UK will finally get the chance to see a Champions League Final because unlike those midweek Finals, they'll now be able to stay up beyond 8pm. Yeah right...

And here this! Graham and I will be recording a special Sound of Football podcast before, during and after the Champions League Final using a special technique known as 'recording three smaller podcasts and joining them together to make one big one'. It'll be available via the SOF blogsite and on iTunes shortly after the final whistle's blown, so don't forget to look out for it and enjoy the fruits of our labour.

Sunday 23rd May

18:00 Croatia v Wales, International Friendly, S4C
Finally, it's off to Osijek for a friendly featuring a Welsh side missing 15 first-choice players including Simon Davies, James Collins, Craig Bellamy and many more. John Toshack will take a squad of only 17 with him to Croatia which, if nothing else, means a bit more space to spread out on the team bus.

Weekend TV Preview: 14 - 16 May 2010

Friday 14 May

19.45 Swindon Town v Charlton Athletic, League One Play Off Semi Final 1st Leg, Sky Sports 2/HD2
Well contrary to what Chris O said in the last preview there's still plenty of football left in this season and nearly all of it is on the box. First off is this tasty offering with two teams that both spent a few minutes in the automatic promotion spot during the last round of matches in the regular season. As we've seen this week, end of season form and final league placing count for very little in the play-offs. The two league meetings between the clubs ended in draws, the unlikeliest of which happened on Boxing Day where Charlton played the second half with nine men but still managed to get a last minute equaliser. Second Leg is on Monday.

Saturday 15 May

06.00 FC Tokyo v Shimizu S Pulse, J League, British Eurosport 2
S-pulse hold top spot,
But lost their first game last week.
Too early for me

12.15 Huddersfield Town v Millwall, League One Play Off Semi Final 1st Leg, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Millwall came closest to snatching Leeds' automatic spot. How close? Well if they'd managed to get a goal against today's opponents in their fixture last month, they would have finished with an identical record to Leeds - even down to goals scored. I fancy The Terriers for this one. Second Leg is on Tuesday.

15.00 Chelsea v Portsmouth, FA Cup Final, ITV1/ITV HD
Of course, in all this football there's the matter of the FA Cup Final that needs to be resolved. More opportunity for Didier Drogba to comically flounce around the pitch like an idiot - only this time with Jim Beglin commentating. I might give it a miss to be honest.

15.00 Ross County v Dundee United, Scottish Cup Final, Sky Sports 1/HD1/BBC1 Scotland
You know what? I might watch this instead. Then again the weather forecast is good - maybe I'll go to the seaside.

18.00 Aldershot v Rotherham, League Two Play Off Semi Final 1st Leg, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Just one point separated the four teams in the play-off places, so to use a much-quoted saying from the past week, none of them can claim a clear mandate for promotion. Second Leg is Wednesday.

19.45 AC Milan v Juventus, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD
Not being played with the rest of the final round of fixtures but there's nothing to play for here. Milan are almost certainly guaranteed third while Juve can't do any better or worse than seventh. Officially Leonardo's last game in charge. Both teams will certainly be looking for better things next season.

21.00 Almeria v Sevilla, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Sevilla need to win to hold on to fourth place, Mallorca kick off their match at home to Espanyol at the same time. The islanders are a point behind, and their head to head (the system La Liga use if teams are level on points) is one win each, with an aggregate of 3-3. I have to be honest - my knowledge doesn't stretch to know if away goals count in that. I'm sure the good people at Sky will keep us all apprised.

Sunday 16 May

13.30 Siena v Inter Milan, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD
Only relegated Siena stand in the way of yet another Scudetto for Mourinho and Inter. Roma live in hope of a miracle as they travel to Verona to play mid-table Chievo. Hopefully ESPN will be cutting across the games as the goals go in as they did for the last day of the Bundesliga. Look out for updates from Palermo - if they win and Samp fail to beat Napoli, they'll steal the fourth Champions League spot.

13.30 Dagenham & Redbridge v Morecambe, League Two Play Off Semi Final 1st Leg, Sky Sports 1/HD1
These sides came up from the Conference together in 2007 and there's very little to separate them on results since their promotion. Second Leg is on Thursday.

15.00 Brechin City v Cowdenbeath, Scottish First Division Play Off Final 2nd Leg (0-0), BBC ALBA
Unlike the naming convention south of the border, this is to see who will play in the First Division next season rather than where they play at the moment. As is the way of play-offs in both countries these two were the lowest placed of the four teams that went into them. Commentary, of course, is in Scottish Gaelic.

17.00 Augsburg v Nurnburg, Bundesliga Promotion/Relegation Play Off 2nd Leg (0-1), ESPN
Second part of an all-Bavarian affair with a late Christian Eigler goal separating the two sides. Augsburg are looking to get into the top flight for the first time while Nurnburg are looking to hold on to the place they only won back last season.

17.00 Oxford United v York City, Blue Square Play Off Final, Sky Sports 2/HD2
Putting the post-match shenanigans at Luton behind them, York will be looking to improve on their last trip to the new Wembley - their 2-0 defeat to Stevenage in last year's FA Trophy. Both sides went out at this stage the last time they were in the play-offs in 2007, so at least one of them will do better here.

18.00 Barcelona v Valladolid, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Much like in Serie A the chasing team (this time Real Madrid) are praying for a miracle. At least this time around Valladolid have something to fight for being amongst four teams on 36 points - two of which will go down ...

18.00 Malaga v Real Madrid, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3 (via Red Button)
... Malaga being one of the others. Tense but ultimately futile stuff.

Weekend TV Preview: 8 - 9 May 2010

Saturday 8th May

12:30 Kilmarnock v Falkirk, Scottish Premier League, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Blimus! It turns out that this is a relegation shoot-out. Falkirk are bottom and need to beat Killie to overhaul their opponents in their stead. Just like Wednesday v Palace last week. Should be a nerve shredder.

12:45 Blackpool v Nottingham Forest, Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 1st leg, Sky Sports 1/HD1
The play-off, post-season bonanza gets underway with a trip to the seaside. The Tangerines are late entrants into the play-off picture which makes them a good outside bet spend next season getting mercilessly shoed in the Premier League. Having said that, Forest boss Billy Davies' is experienced in these matters and will be setting his team up for a solid 1-0 win.

14:30 Hertha Berlin v Bayern Munich, Bundesliga, ESPN
Yes indeed folks, live league football on a Saturday afternoon. Now we get to know how international fans feel. The action will be focused on the crowning of Champions elect Bayern Munich in the capital. However, ESPN have promised to keep us informed with all the doings up and down the league. Look out for Bremen v Hamburg, 'Gladbach v Leverkusen and Freiburg v Dortmund where the European places will be decided. At the bottom, Bochum v Hannover promises to be the six pointer (sechs punkter) to end them all.

15:00 Barrow AFC v Stevenage Borough, FA Trophy Final, ITV4
ITV4 is an odd channel. They seem to be hell bent on picking up random sporting events to slot in between repeats of The Sweeney and World's Funniest Drunk Drivers. Like the IPL, for instance. I mean cricket, on ITV, quite absurd! And now they've picked up a non league match, no doubt for an absolute song. Mind you, if the coverage is fronted by Mandira Bedi, the Bollywood actress with the big eyes who anchored the IPL then it may be worth tuning in to. Am I right fellas? Woof!

20:00 Sevilla v Barcelona, La Liga, Sky Sports 4/HD4
The penultimate round of the Lager Liga season. Barca need to keep winning in order to fend off Real Madrid, while Sevilla need to do like wise to maintain their Champions League spot.

Sunday 9th May

13:15 Leicester City v Cardiff City, Championship Play-Off, Semi-Final 1st Leg, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Cardiff launch their bid to become the first Welsh team to play in the Premier League against a handy Leicester team who, themselves, were playing in League 1 last season.

13:30 Rangers v Motherwell, Scottish Premier League, Sky Sports 3/HD3
The Rangers players are measuring up their Hawaiian shirts, their manager is using his office waste paper bin for a basketball hoop and Motherwell are on a mission to qualify for the Europa League. Despite this, I wouldn't bet against a home win.

13:30 Hearts v Celtic, Scottish Premier League, ESPN/HD
Neither team are going anywhere. Nothing to see here.

16:00 Chelsea v Wigan Athletic, Barclays Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
It's time! The wait is over! Judgement Day is upon us! Can the Blues of London fight of the Devil's breath and clinch the coveted Premier League Trophy. Or will the brave underdogs of Wigan overcome the odds to wrestle away the baton of fate and hand it to the men from Manchester?

16:00 Manchester United v Stoke City, Barclays Premier League, Sky Sports 3/HD3
No.

16:00 Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur, Barclays Premier League, ESPN/HD
Meanwhile, the Mouse is stuck with this zombiefied rubber. An away win may put Spurs in third if Arsenal lose. But that would require the Tottenham players bringing themselves back to Earth for 90 minutes following their ludicrous, league winning style, celebrations after finishing fourth and winning the right to get knocked out by Lyon in a Champions League qualifier this August.

18:55 Benfica v Rio Ave, Portuguese League, ESPN
With no Lager Liga to see out the weekend, relax instead by watching Benfica win the title. They only need a point.

All Serie A matches are scheduled for 2pm on Sunday. At the time of writing, ESPN had not announced their broadcasting plans.

Weekend TV Preview: 1 - 3 May 2010

Saturday 1st May

07:00 Vegalta Sendai v Cerezo Osaka , J League, British Eurosport 2
A clash between two J-League mid-tablers to start off with. This one’s worth getting up early for, if only in the hope of hearing ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ – Vegalta’s theme song as belted out by their fans before every home game. Honestly, this stuff just writes itself sometimes.

12:30 Hibernian v Hearts, SPL, ESPN/ESPN HD
The laughably titled ‘Championship Group’ has opened with both these teams losing both of their opening two games. A win for Hibs in this Edinburgh Derby, however, will keep their hopes of a Europa League place well and truly alive.

12:45 Birmingham City v Burnley, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
One of the few remaining chances to see Burnley in those shirts with the special Premier League logo on the sleeve. And to think Burnley were 9th in the table when these two last met in October…

16:30 Bangor City v Port Talbot Town, Welsh Cup Final, S4C
“I took my wife to North Wales last week.”
“Bangor?”
“Mind your own business…”

19:45 AC Milan v Fiorentina, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD
Who do you believe… Silvio Berlusconi, who says that Leonardo’s days as Milan coach are numbered, or vice-president Adriano Galliani, who says this is not the case? Such distractions won’t help Milan as they try to nail that last Champions League spot for next season, but Fiorentina look unlikely to take advantage of the situation.

21:00 Villarreal v Barcelona , La Liga, Sky Sports 3 / HD3
It seems the world has now finally reached a consensus on Barca’s purchase of Ibrahimovic: it was a bad move. Him aside, Guardiola’s team should be a full-strength one (or as near as dammit) as they attempt to step up a gear in their title challenge and derail Villarreal’s Champions League aspirations in one fell swoop.

Sunday 2nd May

13:00 Sheffield Wednesday v Crystal Palace, Championship, BBC1/BBC HD
It has come to this. The final day of the Championship season (play-offs notwithstanding) and both these teams are separated by just two points – Wednesday currently one place inside the relegation zone, Palace one place above it. Alan Irvine’s side have to win if they’re to stay up, and for that reason he’ll be playing four men up front (so a Wednesday-supporting friend of mine tells me). Palace, however, will escape the drop if it finishes a draw – not that they’ll be playing for one, we suspect. A large capacity crowd will make this a tremendous occasion for all concerned… but spare a thought for our Terry who’s nerves may be torn to shreds by three o’clock on Sunday afternoon.

13:00 Blackpool v Bristol City, Championship, Sky Sports 2/HD2
Meanwhile at the other end of the table, Blackpool have the chance to reach the promotion play-offs by beating The Robins. A draw will only be good enough if Swansea, one place below Blackpool in the table, lose at home to Doncaster. Could happen…

13:30 NAC Breda v FC Twente, Eredivisie, ESPN/ESPN HD
A last-minute switch by ESPN to focus on the game that could see Steve McLaren elevated to sainthood by a large section of the Dutch football fraternity. His FC Twente side must beat NAC to win the Eredivisie title – a draw could let in Ajax if they themselves beat NEC Nijmegen. So many permutations to tell you about here, so check out the table, sit back and watch the drama unfold. Go Schteve!

13:30 Liverpool v Chelsea, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1/3D
If the Championship or Eredivisie isn’t your bag, the Premier League will be where it’s at on TV this Sunday. A win for Chelsea at Anfield will mean they can go into their last match at Wigan knowing a draw will be good enough to win back the title. But wait a minute – Chelsea have only won three of their last ten games at Anfield. Crikey… isn’t it exciting?

16:00 Sunderland v Man Utd, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Not that this game will be, by all accounts. The last time Sunderland beat Man United in the league Wayne Rooney was only eleven years old. Still, at least it keeps the title race on a rolling boil until next week…

19:45 Lazio v Inter Milan, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD
Was it such a crime that Inter adopted the ultra-defensive approach in order to beat Barcelona? Methinks not. Inter used their technical and tactical superiority to its greatest effect, and if they can’t show such dominance against lowly Lazio then frankly we’ve all been duped.

19:00 Real Madrid v Osasuna (Second Half), La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
If you haven’t placed your bet on Real to win the league, now might be a good time to do so. They’re just a point behind Barca with four games to go and their run-in suggests a points tally better than their rivals is quite likely come the end of the season. You heard it here first (possibly.)

20:00 Athletic Bilbao v Real Mallorca, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
On paper, an anti-climactic way to bring your weekend to a close, but in reality these are two sides that play good football and are hoping to play in Europe next season. Expect an above-average match at La Catedral.


Monday 3 May

13.30 Wigan Athletic v Hull City, Premier League, ESPN/ESPN HD
Wigan get to laugh down their sleeves having escaped relegation against a team that needs to win 17-0 to have a chance of staying up.

15.00 Arsenal v Everton Women's FA Cup Final, Sky Sports 2
Arsenal go for their fifth consecutive cup win - this is their 11th final, they haven't lost one yet.

17.00 Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal, Premier League, ESPN/ESPN HD
Dead rubber of interest to fans alone.

Weekend TV Preview: 23 - 25 April 2010

Friday 23 April

19.30 VFL Bochum v VFB Stuttgart, Bundesliga, ESPN/ESPN HD
Bochum sit with Nurnberg just above the bottom three on goal difference alone. Stuttgart have won five on the spin and are closing down fast on the European spots - a Champions League place is still possible but with just three games to go, unlikely.

Saturday 24 April

12.00 St Johnstone v Aberdeen, SPL, ESPN/ESPN HD
Dead rubber from the SPL post-season. St Mirren v Kilmarnock was the game to cover here.

12.45 Man Utd v Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Spurs have beaten Arsenal and Chelsea so why not lay this old record to bed too? This would be a bigger achievement than both of those results for them.

17.00 Barcelona v Xerez, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Another 5 (CINCO) Lager Liga matches this weekend - better get in some extra San Miguel. Barcelona's draw in their local derby last week gave Real a glimmer of hope, but anything less than a comfortable win here would be a real shock.

17.30 Arsenal v Man City, Premier League, ESPN/ESPN HD
Probably the sort of fixture Arsenal need to fire themselves up instead of just relaxing and settling for third. Do yourself a favour and avoid the yawn-inspiring argle-bargle that will surround this fixture.

19.00 Real Zaragoza v Real Madrid, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Still a bit of a way to go in Spain. Madrid are still playing catch up and will need maximum points - something they haven't achieved on their last three visits here. Zaragoza are being sucked slowly back into the relegation mire.

19.45 Palermo v AC Milan, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD
Two poor results have seen Milan's unlikely title hopes fizzle away. Palermo are still in the hunt for the fourth Champions League spot and with current occupiers Sampdoria away to league leaders Roma tomorrow, this could be the best opportunity to snatch it back. It's all very exciting.

21.00 Valencia v Deportivo La Coruna, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
The wheels fell off Depor's season so long ago that young people don't even remember that it ever had any. Valencia should just about manage to see the season out and hold on to third spot.

Sunday 25 April

12.00 Aston Villa v Birmingham City, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Not as much knockabout fun as this fixture used to be and with the season winding down, little but local pride on offer too. For Villa, there's a number of players in a tricky situation: they still want to impress Fabio but they don't want to knacker themselves in the process.

12.15 Dundee United v Celtic, SPL, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Champions League football is still not an impossible dream for United. Beating Celtic would leave them four points behind with three games to go. They probably won't make that up but it's enough to give the game an edge, especially with Celtic knowing that anything less than a win gives the title to Rangers...

14.30 Hibernian v Rangers SPL, Sky Sports 3/HD3
... which means this could be a title-winning party for Rangers or the match that seals it. A win here is good enough no matter what Celtic do.

16.00 Chelsea v Stoke City, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1/3D
I watched my first 3D match last week - the Manchester derby. In the bar I was watching you could see the 3D coverage next to the regular coverage, and it was interesting to compare the difference. The main camera for the 3D is much closer to pitch level than the usual position and you get a different commentary team. The 3D is noticeable but not exactly spectacular - until that is, you go pitchside and a corner flag or official moves across the shot - WOAH! By watching it, Sky have probably fed me a load of subliminal messages to vote Tory. Well you can't argue with them YouGov polls, can you.

16.30 SC Freiburg v VFL Wolfsburg, Bundesliga, ESPN/ESPN HD
Freiburg's win against Nurnberg last week has given them real hope of escaping the drop - a similar result against a Wolves team in their flip-flops could see them leave the bottom three.

19.00 Atletico Madrid v Tenerife, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1 (2nd Half Only)
Things looked grim for Tenerife a couple of weeks back but two consecutive wins have given them a shot at a second season in the top flight. Despite a run of poor results in the league and the distraction of the Europa League, Atletico are tough to beat at home - though if they want to qualify for Europe it'll have to be in the Copa del Rey, which they'll contest with Sevilla next month.

19.45 AS Roma v Sampdoria, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD
Table leaders versus the current holders of the fourth Champs League spot. Roma's run in is tougher than Inter's and they will need a win here against a strong, in-form Samp side. You can't see Inter not taking maximum points from the last four games, but hey, it is ora di fondo stridulo so anything could happen.

20.00 Getafe v Sevilla, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
The race for fourth is between Sevilla and Mallorca, with the islanders holding the spot by one point. Getafe still have a good chance of getting a Europa spot.

Weekend TV Preview: 16 - 18 April 2010

Friday 16th April

19:45 Huddersfield Town v Millwall, League One, Sky Sports 1/HD1
The penultimate weekend of the League 1 season commences with what promises to be a bruising encounter between two teams occupying the play-off spots. Millwall can overhaul Leeds with a win - and if the "white gods" trip up against struggling Gillingham. Huddersfield need the three points in order to kick the hands away from Colchester who are hanging on the edge of the play-off zone.

19:45 Inter Milan v Juventus, Serie A, ESPN
Kicking off a weekend of cracking derby action with the Derby D'Italia at the San Siro. Inter have, perhaps, taken their eyes of the Scudetto while they focus on Champions League affairs. Juve are sitting on that final European spot and nervously eyeing Napoli who are hovering over them at an uncomfortably close distance waiting for them to stand up. Always excellent value, this fixture. One of the great fixtures of world football.

Saturday 17th April

06:00 Gamba Osaka v Shimizu S Pulse, J.League Football, British Eurosport 2
Shimizu are out of the blocks in the fledgling J League season. Although Gamba are near the bottom of the table, they have only lost once so far.

12:15 Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premier League, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Part one of Glasgow v Edinburgh in the Scottish "Clausura". Despite Celtic's win against Motherwell during the week, the gloom of their debagging at the hands of Ross County will probably not have lifted. Hibs have Euro plans and must fancy their chances.

12:45 Manchester City v Manchester United, Barclays Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Will Rooney be back? If so, can he work his mojo against a City team oozing goals and hell bent on a Champions League spot and revenge for the extraordinary defeat at Old Trafford earlier this season? I think he can. What do you think?

17:30 Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea, Barclays Premier League, ESPN/HD
As I write this, Tottenham are 2-0 up against Arsenal so will, no doubt, be desperate to make amends for their 3-2 defeat to their hated rivals on Wednesday/back in the race for fourth and well placed to take advantage of City's slip-up earlier today against United. Don't you just love this time of the season?

19:00 Espanyol v Barcelona, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Another derby, this time in Barcelona. Espanyol have had a consolidation season and shouldn't trouble the champions much.

21:00 Villarreal v Atletico Madrid, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
And we say goodbye to Saturday with a mid-table, ho-hum match of little interest - to me at least.

Sunday 18th April

12:30 Rangers v Hearts, Scottish Premier League, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Glasgow v Edinburgh. Again, as I write this, Rangers are being held at Dundee Utd. However, a home game against mid-table Hearts should be a different proposition as Walther Smith's team coast serenely to the Championship.

13:30 Wigan Athletic v Arsenal, Barclays Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
It's getting pretty close to the end of the match now so it looks like The Gunners' faint title hopes are over. Wigan will be praying that their opponents will be so down about their defeat that they'll just capitulate. Fat chance!

14:00 Sampdoria v AC Milan, Serie A, ESPN
There may only be two places between these teams but there is a ten point gap. However, both teams have to go for the win. Milan can still win the league and Sampdoria are after a Champions League spot.

16:00 Portsmouth v Aston Villa, Barclays Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Portsmouth are down and Villa are out of puff. Not much to see, perhaps, but may be interesting to see if Martin O'Neill explodes should the ref give Pompey and innocuous penalty early in the game.

16:30 Eintracht Frankfurt v Hertha BSC, Bundesliga, ESPN
So I've come to the conclusion that hardly anyone watches football on TV on Sunday in Germany. This explains why the top fixture of the weekend in on at 5:15 on Saturday and that the late afternoon Sunday fixture is, well, this one.

18:00 Athletic Bilbao v Zaragoza, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1 (19:00-20:00 Second half)
Does Jermaine Pennant still play for Zaragoza?

19:45 Lazio v AS Roma, Serie A, ESPN
Tasty fixture to wipe away the Back to Work Blues. Roma are top and Lazio are on a terrific run that could see them escape relegation. Passion, drama, great football and Ranieri. Who are you to resist.

20:00 Real Madrid v Valencia, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Yeah, whatever.

Weekend TV Preview: 9 - 11 April 2010

Friday 9th April

19:30 Borussia Monchengladbach v Eintracht Frankfurt, Bundesliga, ESPN/ESPN HD
Having beaten Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen in their last three league games, Eintracht should fear nothing from the bumbling, stumbling Borussia. A win here could see them get tantalising close to a Europa League place.

Saturday 10th April

12:15 Celtic v Ross County, Scottish Cup Semi Final, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Neil Lennon's really showing the doubters who should be in charge of Celtic now Tony 'Melton' Mowbray's packed his things and left. Sadly it's all too late to salvage anything other than a bit of pride this season, but next season could be pretty interesting if the board decide to give Lennon the gig on a permanent basis.

17:00 Aston Villa v Chelsea, FA Cup Semi Final, ITV1/ITV HD
And so to the first half of the Wembley Weekender where Chelsea are highly unlikely to repeat their 7-1 thrashing of Villa a fortnight ago. That said, they are in great form and likely to win again, especially if they leave Drogba on the bench (as the statisticians would have you believe).

20:00 Fiorentina v Inter Milan, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD
Having sent CSKA Moscow packing in the Champions League, Inter get back to the small business of keeping their treble hopes alive. Inter beat Fiorentina 1-0 in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final back in February and the second leg comes just three days after this league meeting on Tuesday. Any jokes about semis and both legs being spread so far apart can be sent to the usual address.

21:00 Real Madrid v Barcelona, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Bad news for Real: Barca are playing Lionel Messi as goalkeeper, left back, right back, centre back, midfield and up front for this match. Real might as well go home while they've got the chance.

Sunday 11th April

12:15 St Johnstone v Aberdeen, SPL, ESPN/ESPN HD
Two teams with seemingly little to play for and few wins to cheer about of late. A feintly depressing whiff of gloom looks set to drift over McDiarmid Park this lunchtime.

13:15 Bangor City v Prestatyn Town, Welsh Cup Semi Final, S4C
Prestatyn's quarter-final against Rhyl ended 4-4 and had to eventually be settled on penalties. No such worries for the much more in form Bangor who defeated Llanelli 2-0. We're going for a home win on this one.

13:30 Blackburn Rovers v Man Utd, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
A must-win for Man United if they're to capture the Premier League title. Probably no Rooney for the trip to Ewood, but Fergie's men will no doubt bounce back from their Euro exit to Bayern all the same as if to prove a point to anybody who can be bothered to listen.

14:30 VFL Bochum v SV Hamburg, Bundesliga, ESPN/ESPN HD
Sixth-placed Hamburg aren't in the best of form at the moment, but they should be capable of getting three points from a Bochum side that's won only one of their last eleven games.

16:00 Man City v Birmingham City, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Birmingham have looked to tighten up their defence recently after a couple of away defeats. Today's trip to Man City will show how good they now are at the back as Mancini's men look to nail that elusive fourth spot.

16:00 Tottenham Hotspur v Portsmouth, FA Cup Semi Final, ITV1/ITV HD
Harry Redknapp will put sentimentality to one side as he tries to get his current team into the Final at the expense of his former one. With Pompey down to their bare bones squad-wise, this may sadly be where their brave Cup campaign comes to an end.

16:30 FC Nuremburg v VFL Wolfsburg, Bundesliga, ESPN/ESPN HD
Wolfsburg have only won one of their last twelve meetings with Nuremburg spanning the last eight years. Quite whether than can make that two will depend to a fair extent on their reaction to losing to Fulham in the Europa League.

19:45 Sampdoria v Genoa, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD
The 86th Lighthouse Derby Sees Samp looking to make fourth place their own in order to sneak into next season's Champions League via the play-offs. Genoa are never ones to roll over and have their bellies tickled, however, so Luigi Del Neri will be taking nothing for granted in this one.

19:00 Espanyol v Atletico Madrid (2nd Half only), La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Espanyol have drawn their last three games and only have one goal to show from all of them. Time, then, to get things back on track by taking three points off their rivals from the capital.

20:00 Real Mallorca v Valencia, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Fourth v Third, and a chance for Mallorca to extend the lead over their opponents to eleven points. Such an achievement would be fitting towards the end of an excellent season for the islanders.

Easter Weekend TV Preview: 2 - 5 April 2010

Friday 2 April

17.15 West Brom v Leicester City, Championship, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Newcastle's win over Forest on Monday has made the run-in to promotion a lot easier for The Baggies. The end of the regular season can't come quick enough for Leicester. Having lost their last three games, their grip on a play-off spot is getting weaker and weaker.

19.45 Tranmere Rovers v Norwich City, League One, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Still a way to go in League One but for Norwich things are looking very rosey - 11 points clear of their nearest rivals Leeds and Millwall at the top of the table but hoping that speculation involving manager Paul Lambert and the Celtic job won't cause any unnecessary wobbles. Things aren't so great for Tranmere who are in the relegation zone. It's pretty tight down there though, and a win could propel them up to mid-table.

Saturday 3 April

12.45 Man Utd v Chelsea, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
It's big. Huge. It's bigger than me and you and everyone. It's bigger than football. Yeah, it's that big. It's also going to be rubbish, as usual. Arsenal fans will watch praying for an earthquake.

17.20 Cardiff City v Swansea City, Championship, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Massive South Wales derby played at the end of a long holiday afternoon. This could turn really ugly unless they shut all the pubs along the Bristol Channel. Could easily be playing each other in the play-offs next month.

17.30 Burnley v Man City, Premier League, ESPN/ESPN HD
Another north-west derby for Burnley, though a much different proposition than Wigan and Blackburn. City trail Spurs by two points in the tawdry cash-dash that is The Race For Fourth, but both teams have tough fixtures coming up - so I guess it's sort of interesting. Somehow.

19.00 Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao, La Liga, Sky Sports 4
Bilbao still have a chance to get into the Champions League, but they haven't won here in over 16 years. With Valencia and Real Madrid in their run-in, they may have to settle for the Europa League.

20.00 Udinese v Juventus, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD
Juve's late win over Atalanta will have done nothing to convince that this team is good enough to make a Champions League spot. Udinese sit just above the relegation zone. The only thing going for them is that the teams below them are pretty hopeless.

21.00 Sevilla v Tenerife, La Liga, Sky Sports 4
Sevilla's woeful recent form saw the dismissal of manager Manolo Jimenez last week. Antonio Alvarez is in temporary charge until the end of the season after Luis Aragones turned the job down. They still have a good chance to turn things around and get the fourth Champions League spot, and by rights they shouldn't have a problem against a poor Tenerife side.

Sunday 4 April

11.30 ADO Den Haag v Ajax, Dutch Eredivisie, ESPN
A run of nine wins has allowed Ajax to eat away at Twente's lead at the top, though with four points still to make up and just five games to go they may have left it too late. ADO are thick in the mire and a repeat of last season's draw here would be very welcome (and pretty miraculous). Ajax's scoring ability is phenomenal - prolific Uruguayan front man Luis Suarez's 29 league goals is one more than the whole of the ADO squad have managed

13.15 Hibernian v Celtic, SPL, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Will the top four change between now and the end of the season? Unlikely.

14.00 Cagliari v AC Milan, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD
It seems every time Inter open a door, Milan slam it in their own faces. They should get back on to winning ways here against a Cagliari side that is in freefall having gone seven games without a win.

15.30 Kilmarnock v Aberdeen, SPL, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Aberdeen still carry a faint hope of ending the the season in the big-boy half of the table. Kilmarnock will want to put an awful March behind them and concentrate on staying up.

16.00 Everton v West Ham, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Is there a way out for West Ham? Their remaining fixtures and their worsening form make decidedly grim reading.

16.30 Hamburg v Hannover, Bundesliga, ESPN/ESPN HD
I don't want to see Hannover go down, given the season they've had. Sadly it looks very likely. Hamburg are on an awful run themselves and will see this as an opportunity to get things back on track - unfortunately it might be too late having dropped out of the Europa League places.

18.00 Racing Santander v Real Madrid, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Racing are six points clear of the drop zone but will be looking for a few more just to be safe. Doubt they'll be getting any here though.

20.00 Atletico Madrid v Deportivo La Coruna, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Depor have reverted back to their disappointing ways and are rapidly sinking down the table. Atletico are already in the queue for the pedalos.

Monday 5 April

12.30 Yeovil Town v Leeds United, League One, Sky Sports 1/HD1
With Charlton and Millwall putting huge pressure on the second placed side, Leeds have to win here to maintain their promotion push. The play-offs beckon.

17.15 Nottingham Forest v Cardiff City, Championship, BBC2/BBC HD
Cardiff on the telly twice in the same weekend, and playing another team they'll have to face to go up through the play-offs.

19.30 St Johnstone v Dundee United, SPL, ESPN/ESPN HD
St Johnstone's penultimate game before the Scottish Clausura begins. They sit at the top of the bottom half, just two points behind Hearts. This won't be an easy task, but they should be full of confidence after their midweek mauling of Rangers.

19.45 Newcastle United v Sheffield United, Championship, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Newcastle could well be promoted before kick-off if results go there way. As it is, they can secure promotion with a win here if they beat Peterborough on Saturday.

Weekend TV Preview: 26 -28 March 2010

Friday 26th March

19:30 Bochum v Eintracht Frankfurt, Bundesliga, ESPN
Frankfurt's faint hopes of a Europa League spot were rekindled after beating Bayern last week (which you would have read about in the Bundesbag this week if I'd organised my life better and actually written it). However, consistency is the key to success and I'd say there was a fair chance that Eintracht will slip up, even against a struggling Bochum side.

Saturday 27th March

12:45 Crystal Palace v Cardiff City, Championship, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Palace started March in positive form with a home win against Sheffield United under new coach Paul Hart. But the Eagles have not won a game since and now look vulnerable in the bottom three of the Championship. Cardiff are hanging on to the final play-off place and will be eager for the points before they face two tough games against Leicester and Swansea.

17:30 Bolton Wanderers v Manchester United, Barclays Premier League, ESPN/HD
United remind me of a 6-year-old who is running ahead of themselves. They're going ever so well but you can't help but think that they'll be grazing their knees on the concrete 'ere long.

19:00 Mallorca v Barcelona, La Liga, Sky Sports 4
The Messi roadshow continues as an extra box of tissues is ordered for the Sky commentary team. Seriously, the wee man is on fire and should be enjoyed while he lasts.

21:00 Zaragoza v Valencia, La Liga, Sky Sports 4
Meanwhile, Valencia roll into Zaragoza only a week after Barca left an horrendous mess.

Sunday 28th March

12:00 Burnley v Blackburn Rovers, Barclays Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
If watching two dads fight at a wedding is your thing then you'll love this deeply felt derby game. If not, then there's bound to be some IPL on ITV4.

13:30 Carlisle Utd v Southampton, Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final, Sky Sports 2/HD2
The Saints will be clear favorites in the old Associate Member's Cup. Alan Pardew has assembled a team fit for the Championship and a piece of minor silverware will be the perfect tonic for their war-weary supporters.

16:00 Liverpool v Sunderland, Barclays Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Lock up your beach balls, Sunderland are coming to town. Rafa's men desperately need to go on a run if they hope to pressurise Tottenham for that fourth spot. Unfortunately, for them, the Black Cats are back in the groove.

16:30 Monchengladbach v Hamburg, Bundesliga, ESPN
Hmm. 'Gladbach are poor value to be frank. They were dreadful against Koln last Friday and I cannot in good conscience recommend them to any one. Hamburg are pretty good though.

18:00 Villarreal v Sevilla, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Managerless Sevilla try to regain some momentum after their surprising exit to CSKA in the Champions League against a ho-hum Villareal side. This is an appetiser for the main event.

20:00 Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Gotta love these city derbies. Not Real's greatest enemy but not far off. Should be a belter.

Weekend TV Preview: 19 - 21 March 2010

Friday 19th March

11:00 UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Draw, Sky Sports News/British Eurosport
12:00 UEFA Europa League Quarter Final Draw, Sky Sports News/British Eurosport
Take your pick - it's either a stilted, lifeless draw live from UEFA headquarters on Eurosport or a self-satisfied, endless round of smug so-called analysis on Sky Sports News. John Logie Baird - you've got a lot to answer for.

19:30 FC Koln v Borussia Monchengladbach, Bundesliga, ESPN/HD
Koln have won only two of their last fifteen home games in the league. Monchengladbach have won just two of their last fourteen away games in the Bundesliga. Enjoy.

19:45 Portadown v Coleraine, Northern Ireland Premiership, Sky Sports 3
The last two league meetings between these sides resulted in a 4-0 win to Portadown last September and a 5-1 win for Coleraine in April 2008. Little to choose between the two sides, but current form suggests the home side might just shade it.

Saturday 20th March

08:00 Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory, A League, Sky Sports 3/HD3
The Grand Final. Both teams recently met in what proved to be a memorable Major Semi (write your own jokes for that one) which the Victory won 4-3 on aggregate. The defeat meant Sydney had to jump through hoops to reach the Grand Final, but having reached it, they'll no doubt be hell bent on exacting revenge.

12:15 Hearts v Hibernian, SPL, Sky Sports 3/HD3
The 39th SPL Edinburgh derby. Hibs are unbeaten in the last six and might extend the run to seven with Hearts entering the game on the back of two consecutive defeats.

12:45 Aston Villa v Wolves, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Wolves' last win over their Midland rivals was almost exactly thirty years ago to the day. Back in that 1979/80 season, Wolves finished one place above Villa in 6th. This season, Martin O'Neill's men must beat Wolves if they're serious about grabbing that valuable fourth spot.

17:20 Bristol City v Newcastle United, Championship, Sky Sports 1/HD1
No manager, only one win their last five matches and about to face the runaway juggernaut that is Newcastle United. Keep your fingers crossed and hope The Robins are spared a particularly embarrassing run-out. Unless you're a Bristol Rovers supporter, of course.

17:30 Arsenal v West Ham, Premier League, ESPN/HD
West Ham did well to reach half time against Chelsea last weekend with the score at 1-1. The eventual 4-1 defeat, however, could be a foretaste of things to come against Arsenal, but the general consensus is that the scoreline will be a little more forgiving for Zola's Hammers. Not by much, mind.

19:00 Real Madrid v Sporting Gijon, La Liga, Sky Sports 4
An ideal opportunity for the home team to improve their goal difference over Barcelona. Oh, and pick up three points, of course.

19:45 Palermo v Inter Milan, Serie A, ESPN
Mourinho's two challenges here will be chiefly (a) beating a Palermo side who have worked their butts off to reach fourth in the table and (b) finding the motivation to beat a team that wears pink shirts.

21:00 Espanyol v Sevilla, La Liga, Sky Sports 4
Knocked out of the Champions League by CSKA Moscow and losing their footing in La Liga, Sevilla will be looking to nail all three points against an Espanyol side in equally abject form of late.

Sunday 21st March

11:45 Zenit St Petersburg v Spartak Moscow, Russian Premier League, ESPN
Gameweek 2 of the RPL and Spartak are still waiting for their first win of the season, unlike Zenit. Our guess is that they'll have to wait until Gameweek 3 at the earliest until they get it.

13:30 Man Utd v Liverpool, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Liverpool have won the last three meetings between these two giants of the English game, scoring eight and conceding only two. Could this be another win for Rafa's men? Lille's coach probably thinks so.

14:00 Leicester City v Coventry City, Championship, BBC1/BBC HD
Coventry's recent revival of sorts came to an end a couple of matches back, but it's still not too late for them to get into the play-off zone. Leicester, meanwhile, are already there and could shrink the gap between themselves and Forest in third with a win here today.

14:00 Milan v Napoli, Serie A, ESPN
Napoli are without a win in seven - which will suit Milan as they can go top with a victory of their own today in the San Siro.

15:00 St Mirren v Rangers, Co-operative Insurance Cup Final, BBC1 Scotland
St Mirren get a rare but well-deserved chance to bask in the spotlight as they face the mighty Gers in the League Cup Final - in association with the Caring Sharing Co-op.

16:00 Blackburn Rovers v Chelsea, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
If The Guardian this week was anything to go by, this could be one of your last chances to see the current Chelsea side in its present form. Abramovich will be splashing the cash this Summer (if they're to be believed) with Joe Cole and many others heading out the door, so settle down and enjoy the 2010 vintage while it lasts.

16:30 Wolfsburg v Hertha Berlin, Bundesliga, ESPN/HD
Bottom-of-the-table Hertha's only hope here is that Wolfsburg are still feeling the effects of a tiring Europa League tie against Rubin Kazan. Unlikely.

19:45 Sampdoria v Juventus, Serie A, ESPN
How Sampdoria must have been sniggering up their sleeves as Juve got a sound thrashing at Fulham. Whether it'll mean Alberto Zaccheroni sends out a more focused and determined squad for the trip down to the coast remains to be seen. For all we know, he might have lost his job by now.

19:00 Valencia v Almeria (2nd Half), La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
With any luck, Valencia's extraordinary 4-4 draw away to Werder Bremen this week might have woken them up in time to curtail their recent poor form against a very in-form Almeria. Just the sort of game you'd want to see the full 90 minutes of, but thanks to Sky, it ain't gonna happen.

20:00 Real Zaragoza v Barcelona, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Luckily for all you La Liga fans, Andy Gray's The Last Word won't interrupt your viewing pleasure this time as Barca set about dismantling a woeful Zaragoza side.

Weekend TV Preview: 12 - 14 March 2010

Friday 12 March

19.45 Catania v Inter Milan, Serie A, ESPN
Failure to win here will heap even more pressure on Mourinho just a few days before his return to Stamford Bridge. This won't be as easy as it first looks: Catania are unbeaten in the their last five at home and have only conceded one goal in that time. This match is on instead of Schalke v Stuttgart, so it wants to be really good.

Saturday 13 March 2010

07.00 Nagoya Grampus v Kawasaki Frontale, J League, British Eurosport 2
It's now Matchday 2. Both teams won their openers. Gary Lineker.

08.00 Sydney v Wellington Phoenix, Preliminary Final, A-League, Sky Sports 3
Ok, bear with me here. Sydney are here because they finished top of the A-League, but lost their Major Semi (giggle) to Melbourne Victory who finished second and have gone on to the Grand Final. The New Zealanders came out winners in their Minor Semi (titter) with Newcastle Jets - a fixture both teams qualified for by finishing fourth and sixth respectively, and then winning their Qualification Finals against the teams that finished fifth and third. Still with me? Sydney have beaten Wellington in their last four meetings so look well set for a rematch against the Victory in two weeks time.

12.15 Kilmarnock v Celtic, Scottish FA Cup Quarter Final, Sky Sports 2/HD2
Don't you get fed up with seeing the same old sad faces at news conferences? I get like this with Rafa Benitez. I suspect many readers in Scotland feel the same about Tony Mowbray.

12.45 Tottenham Hotspur v Blackburn Rovers, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Spurs' soul-destroying march to fifth place continues.

17.30 Hull City v Arsenal, Premier League, ESPN/ESPN HD
Are Arsenal tip-toeing their way to the title? If they are, they're doing it in that over-elaborate, arms-out way that draws more attention than if you just walk normally.

19.00 Sporting Gijon v Athletic Bilbao, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Ho-hum mid-table action for hardened fans of Lager Liga only.

19.45 Napoli v Fiorentina, Serie A, ESPN
Not a happy affair this one, with both sides in a rotten run. Fiorentina are in freefall having taken just 5 points from the last 27, while Napoli haven't done much better. Napoli can still dream of Europe but for the Viola it's time to shop for Ambre Solaire and flip-flops.

21.00 Sevilla v Deportivo La Coruna, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Different country, similar fare. Both teams are struggling to regain their early season form and could both miss out on the fourth Champions League spot. Deportivo won here in the Copa Del Rey at the end of January but went out on aggregate (Sevilla have since progressed to the final against Atletico Madrid).

Sunday 14 March 2010

12.05 Rangers v Dundee United, Scottish FA Cup Quarter Final, BBC2 Scotland (Sky channel 990)
You know what they say - anything can happen in the cup. 'Anything' here being Rangers going through to the semi finals.

13.30 Man Utd v Fulham, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Of their seven games following midweek Champions League fixtures this season, United have lost four including a 3-0 drubbing at the Cottage. Of course Fulham had their own European experience in Turin - one they'll need to learn from to get anything here.

16.00 Sunderland v Man City, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Buried beneath the Champions League and Klas Bendtner's hattrick, Sunderland won their first match since decimalisation with their own three-goal hero Darren Bent. City have a fantastic recent record against Sunderland, winning all of the last 11 home and away.

16.30 Bayer Leverkusen v Hamburg, Bundesliga, ESPN/HD
Hopefully Leverkusen won't just fall apart after losing for the first time this season and dropping to third. Hamburg aren't having that great a time of it themselves and are making getting to a Champions League place a lot harder that it needs to be.

19.00 Barcelona v Valencia (2nd Half Only), La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Valencia's last two trips to the Camp Nou have been horror shows seeing them concede ten goals without reply. Barca's recent blip in form on the road has seen them slip to second. They're still pretty good at home though.

19.45 AC Milan v Chievo, Serie A, ESPN
A good opportunity to put the disappointment of their Champions League exit behind them with a good home win to maintain pressure at the top. There is still a good possibility that Milan could win the title, which is just ridiculous if you think about it.

20.00 Real Valladolid v Real Madrid, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
We all had a good laugh at Madrid's Champion's League exit at the hands of Lyon midweek - if you haven't, find the highlights. I'd link to some but my side's still ache. There'll be more comedy here if relegation-zoned Valladolid can repeat their 1-0 heroics from last season.

Weekend TV Preview: 6 - 7 March 2010

Saturday 6th March

07:00 Kashima Antlers v Urawa Reds, J.League Football, British Eurosport 2
Start the weekend with a season opener. On the first day everyone is top of the table and has an equal chance of winning the league. Some, of course, have a more equal chance than others and Kashima Antlers begin the defense of their title against a Urawa team that finished in a disappointing 6th place. Eurosport is the home of Asian football and we can look forward to early morning encounters in the east throughout the Summer. Hurrah!

12:30 Portsmouth v Birmingham City, FA Cup Round 6, ITV1/HD
Meanwhile, back in the Motherland it's time for some red hot Cup action but before that, a quarter final between the worst team in the Premier League against the most dull. Bound to end in a 3-3 draw.

17:20 Fulham v Tottenham, FA Cup Round 6, ITV1/HD
Tie of the round. A local derby between two teams in good form. Will Redknapp's flamboyant Spurs beat the razor sharp finishing of Fulham? Ask Jim Beglin. He's bound to be there.

17:30 Wolves v Manchester Utd, Barclays Premier League, ESPN/HD
ESPN have been selling this game entirely on the basis of Wayne Rooney so let's hope for their sake he plays. Fergie may consider being a pixie and fielding a weakened team consisting largely of Wes Brown clones and Ben Foster. Michael Owen could make an appearance in a wheelchair pushed by his loving and devoted doormat Henry Winter. I'd like to see how the Premier League respond to that!

19:00 Almeria v Barcelona, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
So with the missus away for the weekend I have the place to myself. Rather than getting the hookers and gin in for the evening I thought I'd actually try and watch some Spanish Football. Something I hardly ever do.

21:00 Real Madrid v Sevilla, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Although I may get bored and put a DVD on instead. I bought Downfall during the week so I can finally find out what Hitler actually says in that scene that's always being memed on Youtube. Maybe we should do one of those?

Sunday 7th March

11:30 Sparta Rotterdam v Ajax, Eredivisie, ESPN
"Hitler discovers it's his turn to write the previews when he'd planned to spend the day getting is haircut and filling out an application form." It's a bit niche I'll grant you but I digress.

13:15 Falkirk v Celtic, Scottish Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Apparently Tony Mowbray's going to get sacked because Celtic are ten points behind a team owned by a bank owned by the Britsh Government owned by some of Ken's mates, probably. Nothing short of a convincing win against the bottom club will hasten the manager's departure through the side entrance.

13:45 Reading v Aston Villa, FA Cup Round 6, ITV1/HD
Could Villa have lost the League Cup Final even against a 10-man United? It's possible. Now Martin O'Neil must take his deflated charges to bonkers Berkshire to face a Reading side who have rediscovered themselves and are keen to make up for lost time. Could be a season breaker.

15:30 Everton v Hull City, Barclays Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Hardly a classic but with capacity for unpredictability. Like any Premier League club, Hull have their moments and will be confident against an inconsistent Everton side struggling with injuries.

15:30 Dundee United v Hearts, Scottish Premier League, ESPN
A chance for United to go within three points of Celtic should things go badly at Parkhead earlier in the day.

16:00 Chelsea v Stoke City, FA Cup Round 6, ITV1/HD
Definitely winnable tie for the away side assuming they've not had the stuffing knocked out of them by Shawcross' tackle and sending off. Chelsea's defense has the appearance of a racing car that has run up a commanding lead but is running low on fuel and may not make it over the line.

18:00 Athletic Bilbao v Valladolid, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
After the breathlessness of the Cup, it's time for some post coital mid-table LagerLiga action. Both teams could use the points, Valladolid more so.

19:45 Inter Milan v Genoa, Serie A, ESPN
Inter aren't running away with it in Serie A after suffering some unexpected results against Napoli, Samp and Parma. There's no Champions League for them next week so no excuses at home to mid-table Genoa.

20:00 Zaragoza v Atletico Madrid, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1
And finally, Zaragoza have a four point gap between themselves and the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Atletico don't win too many games on the road but are tough to beat. Draw it is, then.

Weekend TV Preview: 26 - 28 February 2010

Friday 26th February

19:30 Schalke v Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga, ESPN/HD
These two teams have a bit of previous following their last meeting in September. On that occasion, Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was ajudged to have elbowed Borussia Dortmund's Kevin Grosskreutz, and although video evidence eventually put Neuer in the clear, it was too late to stop a nasty exchange of words between both sides that went on for some time. Expect this Ruhr Derby to have a bit more edge than usual.

Saturday 27th February

12:00 Aberdeen v Hearts, SPL, ESPN/ HD
Aberdeen's last win in any competition was one month ago, and that was a 3-0 victory at Tynecastle. They could do with another win of that sort to get them closer to Hearts who are just above them in the SPL middle order.

12:45 Chelsea v Man City, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Many people will have their eyes on Terry and Bridge during this game, but Mancini's primary concern will be how to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge without Adebayor (suspended), Bellamy (struggling for fitness) and Tevez (jet-lagged, if he plays at all). Ancelotti's men will be all out to exact revenge after their defeat to Inter midweek, so expect The Blues to have the upper hand.

17:30 Stoke City v Arsenal, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1
The last time these two teams met, Stoke knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup - a reason for Wenger to push all the harder for the three points in this match (as if he needed one). Stoke are unbeaten in eleven games, however - tangible proof of the great work Tony Pullis is doing at the Britannia this season.

17:30 Bayer Leverkusen v Cologne, Bundesliga, ESPN/HD
And still Leverkusen hang onto top spot in the face of some considerable pressure from Bayern. This week, however, some breathing space could be afforded as they host Cologne in what should be a one-sided affair. Cologne were walloped 5-1 by Stuttgart last weekend to extend their winless run to four games, one of which was a defeat in the DFB Pokal to 2.Bundesliga side Augsburg.

19:00 Tenerife v Real Madrid, La Liga, Sky Sports 4
Should be a routine win for Real, but they'll be looking to Kaka to show a bit more commitment in this match. He's been showing all the signs of a Galactico that would rather be playing elsewhere lately, the repercussions of which will no doubt be studied intently by many an onlooker over the coming weeks.

19:45 Lazio v Fiorentina, Serie A, ESPN
Both teams have notched up the princely sum of one win in their last seven league games. Needless to say this has all the hallmarks of being an absolute classic [IRONY].

21:00 Barcelona v Malaga, La Liga, Sky Sports 4
The gap remains just two points between Barca and second-placed Real. The question is 'where's Thierry Henry'? He's hardly figured in his team's recent games and it looks to us like Guardiola's giving up on the former Arsenal striker. All of which will probably be inconsequential in the context of this match which Malaga will surely lose.

Sunday 28th February

12:30 Rangers v Celtic, SPL, Sky Sports 1/HD1
A win for Rangers in this match will all but see off any serious threat to their title ambitions. A win for Celtic, on the other hand, will enable Tony Mowbray to keep his job for a few more weeks.

13:00 Tottenham Hotspur v Everton, Premier League, ESPN/HD
Strangely the one thing standing in the way of Tottenham winning this weekend won't be Everton avenging their exit from the Europa League last night but a vomiting bug which has affected 18 people at the Spurs training ground. So far (player-wise) only Wilson Palacios and Vedran Corluka have been struck down by the virus, but with Defoe injured too, this could be altogether easier for Everton than they might have at first thought.

15:00 Aston Villa v Man Utd, Carling Cup Final, Sky Sports 1/HD1 and BBC1/HD
Aston Villa return to the League Cup Final for the first time since 1996 and looking like a team that genuinely want to win it. United are back again having beaten Spurs on penalties after a goalless draw last year in what was arguably one of the least interesting Wembley finals on record. Let's hope for better fare this year.

16:30 Bayern Munich v Hamburg, Bundesliga, ESPN/HD
Ribery should be back for Bayern, Van Nistelrooy should return for Hamburg. Arguably the big game of the Bundesliga weekend and a real six-pointer for both sides as they push for the title.

18:00 Sevilla v Athletic Bilbao, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
A north-v-south battle between two teams in the top seven. Bilbao's hearty run in the Europa League came to an end this week when they lost 5-1 on aggregate to Anderlecht. Quite what that would have taken out of them prior to this match remains to be seen, but on paper it could go either way.

19:45 Juventus v Palermo, Serie A, ESPN
Just one point separates these two teams and very little else, apart from Palermo's slightly suspect away form. Home win.

20:00 Atletico Madrid v Valencia, La Liga, Sky Sports 3/HD3
Atletico's continued efforts to replicate their fine Europa League form in the Primera Dvision carry on against a Valencia side that have only lost one of their last nine in the league. Best of luck, Atletico.