The first leg of the European Champions League semifinals were played this Tuesday and Wednesday. Get the results somewhere else; I’ve recorded both games and will be watching them as soon as the paper goes to bed. The second leg (winner determined by total goals over the two games) will be next week, April 25-26: Arsenal at Villarreal, 1:30pm Tuesday, live on ESPN2, and AC Milan at Barcelona, 1:30pm Wednesday, being shown in Spanish only, on ESPN Deportes.
The Copa Libertadores, Latin America’s continental championship, kicks off its Round of 16 next week, with games Tuesday through Thursday. After a shaky start, Brazilian teams cleaned up in the just-ended group stage, advancing five teams (possibly six, pending at press time) to the final 16; Argentina has three.
Europe roundup: going into the last month of the season, it looks like we’ve got repeat winners in every one of the top leagues. England: Chelsea has all but clinched the title with three games to go; Man U and Liverpool have Champions League spots. Spain: Barcelona has pulled away with five games to go, while Real Madrid limps to the end of another disappointing year. Italy: Juventus’ once-formidable lead has slimmed with four games to go; AC Milan virtually clinched second with a dramatic win on Friday over crosstown rival Inter. France: Lyon’s fifth-straight title hasn’t been in doubt for months. Germany: Bayern Munich is fading down the stretch but should hold on, unlike their goalie/captain Oliver Kahn, who’s lost his starting job on the national team for the WC. Scotland: Glasgow Celtic a runaway winner; big surprise is Hearts of Midlothian in second and Glasgow Rangers in third – the first time in 12 years that the Glaswegian “Old Firm” teams haven’t finished 1-2. Greece, Holland: Olympiakos, PSV repeat.
This article appears in April 21 • 2006.