One Step Closer – The UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals Are Here!
May 1st
It may have looked unlikely during a first half that saw them outgunned and outplanned, but Spurs managed to cling on to fight another day against Ajax – and set up a second leg on Wednesday, exclusively live on Virgin Media Sport, where it’s still all to play for.
The opening period was one-way traffic in favour of the Dutch side, as the swashbuckling style that saw them dispense of Real Madrid and Juventus in earlier rounds was again to the fore. The club that gave the world Total Football looked the real deal once more, Donny van de Beek’s goal no less than they deserved. The half-time break, though – coupled with the introduction of Moussa Sissoko – signalled a bit of a change for Spurs, and suggestion that the fat lady shouldn’t begin clearing her throat just yet.
After all, neither side needs reminding that a tie can change dramatically in the second leg; Ajax powered to victory away from home in both of their previous knockout ties, while Spurs’ madcap match-up against Manchester City served as a reminder that there’s nothing like the threat of elimination to turn the excitement and intensity of a game up to 11!
With the stakes about as high as they can get – the winner goes to the final on June 1st, the loser goes home – the stage is set for a mouthwatering second leg. Tune in on Wednesday at 7.30pm, and brace yourself for a bruising battle – these are the nights that European football is all about!
Virgin Media Sport is the only place to catch every game of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League – click here to find out more.
April 29th
There’s just one more hurdle standing between the four sides remaining in the UEFA Champions League and a date with destiny on June 1st – which means the stakes could scarcely be higher as the semi-finals swing into action!
And when it comes to heavyweight battles, it doesn’t get much bigger than Barcelona v Liverpool, exclusively live this Wednesday on Virgin Media Sport. Both teams have a decorated history in the competition, with five tournament victories each – not that that will matter much when the whistle goes in the Camp Nou!
Liverpool, of course, will feel they have unfinished business after last year’s runners-up showing, while a Barcelona team who’ve already wrapped up the task of topping La Liga for the season will now be fully focused on adding the continental crown to the trophy case.
There’s plenty of subplots, too – not least the prospect of Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho lining up to face their former team. Will they be responsible for drawing first blood, or could the Reds bring an advantage back to Anfield? Liverpool aren’t short of superstars themselves at this point – Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firminho to name but three – but there’s little doubting the pedigree of the Catalans, including some lad called Lionel who seems to be causing mischief wherever he roams…
There’s only one place to be this Wednesday, then; join Tommy Martin, Graeme Souness, and the rest of the team on Virgin Media Sport from 7.30pm. Oh – and don’t forget to breathe…
Virgin Media Sport is the only place to catch every game of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League – click here to find out more.
April 10th
After five minutes of their first leg against Porto, Liverpool fans were in dreamland. After 26 minutes, it looked like being an old-fashioned Anfield procession. But there was enough in the remainder of the game – and in the second half in particular – to suggest that Jurgen Klopp’s men aren’t home and hosed just yet.
The Reds travel to Portugal on Wednesday for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter final, exclusively live on Virgin Media Sport. And while they managed to keep the Portuguese side out – ensuring a two-goal cushion – and even felt comfortable enough to remove Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino from proceedings, a nervy moment or three kept supporters on their toes, and helped to tee up the reverse fixture as another night that could be filled with drama.
Porto faced a deficit heading into the second leg of the last round, yet turned things around against Roma; Liverpool, meanwhile, are the last team in the tournament who need reminding that nothing is over at half-time!
It’s all set up for another unmissable European night, then – and there’s only one place to catch it! Join Tommy Martin, Graeme Souness, and the rest of the team from 7.30pm, and hold on tight; we’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a wild one!
Virgin Media Sport is the only place to catch every game of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League – click here to find out more.
April 5th
We’ve had Messi magic, drama in Paris, and plenty more besides – but that’s all history now. The quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League are upon us, and two of Europe’s most decorated sides are all set to lock horns in what promises to be a titanic tussle.
Manchester United welcome Barcelona to Old Trafford next Wednesday night, April 10th, exclusively live on Virgin Media Sport. The last time the teams met in the tournament, it was in the 2011 final, an occasion which saw the Catalan side run out 3-1 winners. But with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still working his miracles in Manchester, the United faithful are confident that a famous night could be in the offing.
Standing in United’s way, though, is one of the most fearsome prospects in continental football, led by the mercurial Lionel Messi. Already running away with matters in the Spanish league, Barcelona will be all out to follow in the footsteps of their domestic rivals Real Madrid and maintain Spanish dominance in the competition, going a step closer to lifting a trophy they’ve secured five times in the past.
The stage is set, then, for one of the showdowns of the season – and there’s only one place you’ll want to be come Wednesday night! Join Tommy Martin, Graeme Souness, and the rest of the team from 07:30pm, and hold on tight; we’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a wild one!
Virgin Media Sport is the only place to catch every game of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League – click here to find out more.
