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MUMBAI:
The action just gets hotter in the UEFA Champions League and a thrilling
climax is in the offing as Europe’s premier club championship
enters it quarter-finals stage.
And
Ten Sports, the most watched sports channel of the sub-continent,
which has the exclusive rights for the Champions League in the Sub-continent,
will be there along with its ace presenter Joe Morrison to add to
the excitement of the live action from all four first-leg quarter-final
matches on Tuesday, April 1, and Wednesday, April 2.
Tuesday’s
action sees the top two scorers in the championship so far –
Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s
Lionel Messi (both six goals) – getting ready to add to their
tally when the English Premier League leaders Man United take on
Italian Serie A side AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, while Spanish
giants Barca travel to Germany for a match-up against FC Schalke.
And
on Wednesday, three Premier League teams will be in action when
Ave Grant’s Chelsea plays away against Turkish side Fenerbahçe,
followed by the much awaited clash between Arsenal and Liverpool,
twice finalists in last three years.
The
Roma-Manchester match kicks off the proceedings at 11:30 pm IST
on Tuesday, April 1, followed by the Schalke-Barcelona match at
2:15 am IST early Wednesday morning. The matches will be repeated
from 9:30 am on Wednesday.
The
Arsenal-Liverpool clash on Wednesday starts 11:30 pm IST, followed
by the Chelsea’s match against Fenerbahce at 2:15 am. Repeat
telecast of the matches will start Thursday morning at 8:30 am IST.
Premier
League leaders United face Roma in a repeat of last season’s
bitter-sweet fixture for the English club. The first leg was marred
by the stabbings of 12 United fans outside the Stadio Olimpico stadium
– and the Red Devils went on to lose. In the return fixture,
Roma were humiliated at Old Trafford, suffering a 7-1 thrashing.
The
two teams were also drawn in the group stages this season where
United triumphed 2-1 at home before drawing 1-1 away.
At
the Emirates Stadium, the all-Premier League clash between Arsenal
and Liverpool should be interesting. Arsenal have been in poor form
in recent weeks, dropping from title leaders to trail by six points
in third place. But having dumped the defending champions AC Milan
in the pre-quarters, you can’t really hand it over to Rafa
Benitez’s men, despite the awesome form of striker Fernando
Torres.
Chelsea
have a somewhat easier route playing Fernabache, in Turkey, while
Barcelona should also make a move into the semi-finals with a victory
against Schalke.
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