Half of the UEFA Champions League semifinals spots are spoken for, and the other two will be filled today, as Chelsea and Real Madrid look to hold on to their first-leg advantages to complete what would be a star-studded final four.
Chelsea nurses a 1-0 edge over Benfica thanks to a late away goal from Salomon Kalou in their meeting last week. Real Madrid, meanwhile, is all but through after coasting to a 3-0 victory at upstart APOEL Nicosia. The Chelsea-Benfica winner gets a crack at Barcelona in the semifinals, while the Real Madrid-APOEL winner meets Bayern Munich.
Here is the viewing schedule for the day's matches:
2:45 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel – Chelsea vs. Benfica
2:45 p.m. – Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer2Go – Real Madrid vs. APOEL Nicosia
If you will be watching any of Wednesday's UCL action, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the games.
APOEL Nicosia no shots last game, no shots on goal, no shots over end line, or touchline, or at the fans or at the linesmen. Perhaps no shots in practice. Jose likes their style.
Well, looks like Kaka is playing both ways this game.
Chelsea just gifted a penalty. Cole takes a horrid first touch and loses the ball and goes down on a shoulder to shoulder tackle.
legit pk, unfortunately. But EVERY single other call is going Chelsea’s way
For example…Aimer just a yellow for protesting after Lampard stop a breakaway with a foul.
4 yellows to benfica, none to chelsea.
Wtf this is out of control from the official, 4 yellows already against Benfica and commentators already talking about how Chelsea isn’t being called for any rash tackles.
Yeah Lampard takes down the Benfica player on the break and the Benfica player gets carded for complaining about it. That’s like Lampards 5th foul already.
some of them are deserved, the problem is none for chelsea!!
Official destroys the game. Wow.
5 yellows and a red against Benfixa already despite completely dominating the game.
Like the second yellow to maxi, completely deserved. The first was for protesting…. like 3 of the other benfica cards. I am watching the game, Benfica is not protesting or playing dirtier then Chelsea, but not 6 cards vs 1
Yeah giving a card for complaining and in like the 20th minute when you missed the call in the first place is pathetic.
foul against Aimar, no card…. same area as the last 2 fouls against him
Um this guy loves Chelsea. How many fouls will Chelsea get away with?
In the minority, certainly disagree with Ibra, as I like the CL officiating. Fouls are being called regardless of position on the field or position of the ball. Yellows are given for studs up tackles and rakes. I hope this consistent calling continues in WC 2014.
I think APOEL has a better chance of winning than Toronto does against Santos tonight.
I think they both have a better chance than Benfica does, considering how this match has been run.
stat from the first half…. Chelsea 12 fouls. Benfica 7. Cards Chelsea 2 , Benfica 5 yellows one red
Jesus how much can Chelsea get away with in a single match?
Everything…. “big” clubs can
I’m going to stop complaining about the officiating in this match for fear that this officiating crew will come and give me a talking-to next.
no card for time wasting…..
It’s been so bad that if the official turned and yellow carded the camera, I would not be shocked.
Everything the color red is being carded.
Yellows are given for studs up tackles and rakes, (and dissent)I hope this consistent calling continues in WC 2014.
Even throw in…. illegal throw…wow
Chelsea has terrible finishing, with Torres, Kalou, and Ramires just awful once more.
Wow – things have really escalated in the Madrid match.
I’m expecting to hear the Benfica goal is going to be disallowed.
I hope the people on here complaining about biased officiating are not any of the Barca fans that were justifying the 2nd PK yesterday. Yes, what happened to Biscuits is technically a cardable offense that never gets called. The same argument can easily be made for dissent. I wasn’t able to catch the first half, but if the Benfica players are being whiny biatches then it’s completely within the purview of the ref to produce a card. Nothing I’ve seen in the second half leads me to believe that the ref is biased
You should have seen the first half – all would have been made clear.
Rakes and studs up tackles have been carded, oh my.
Watch the first half. 5 cards, 1 red, 7 fouls.
12 fouls …2 cards
Benfica were the better side but couldn’t finish.
I think they were definitely the more seemingly dominant and “attractive” side, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they only lost due to poor finishing. Chelsea played pretty good park bus/counterattack soccer over both legs. They also had pretty atrocious finishing (see ramires tap-in opportunity today, kalou in pretty much every instance other than his first-leg goal). In any event, it’s kind of a moot point because either side is inferior to Barca.