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MUMBAI:
Ten Sports, the most watched sports channel of the sub-continent,
will bring live and exclusive the most anticipated four nights for
football fans in April, when it telecasts both the legs of the Champions
League, the premier tournament for European football clubs.
Ace
presenter Joe Morrison will take the millions of Sub-continent fans
through what is expected to be a roller-coaster ride of thrilling
football when Liverpool take on Chelsea and Barcelona face Manchester
United for a place in the final.
Chelsea
travel to Liverpool for the first leg on Tuesday, April 22 (live
telecast starts XX:XX pm IST), while the return leg is scheduled
for Wednesday, April 30 (live telecast starts XX:XX pm IST). Barcelona
will host English Premier League leaders Manchester United at Nou
Camp on Wednesday, April 23 (live telecast starts XX:XX pm IST),
while the second leg is slated for Tuesday, April 29 (live telecast
starts XX:XX pm IST).
Liverpool
and Chelsea will be meeting each other for the fourth consecutive
year in the Champions League and for the third time in the semi-finals.
The six games to date have produced a paltry three goals in total.
Liverpool
have won seven of their last eight European home games and 11 of
their last 13. They are unbeaten in their last seven Champions League
games in which they have scored 24 goals and conceded only four.
The
Reds coach Rafael Benitez will depend heavily on the scoring abilities
of skipper Steven Gerrard and Spanish sensation Fernando Torres,
who have scored 11 goals in the tournament this year, with Gerrard
netting six times.
Liverpool
have a magnificent semi-finals pedigree, reaching the final from
each of their last seven appearances in the last four in Europe's
prime club competition. The only time they failed to go through
was in their first appearance in 1965 when they lost 4-3 on aggregate
to Inter Milan.
Chelsea
have kept clean sheets in seven of their last eight Champions League
games. They will be looking for their first final appearance after
losing thrice in semi-finals previously.
Barcelona
and Manchester United have won two matches each and have three draws
in head-to-head in European competitions. They will both look forward
to the possibility of adding to their one Champions League title
till date by reaching the final.
While
Lionel Messi is the leading scorer for Barcelona with six goals,
Manchester United will hope Cristiano Ronaldo, who has already scored
seven goals in the competition, fires again.
Barcelona
are unbeaten in their last 11 Champions League games of which they
have won nine, including all the last five. Barcelona have not won
any of their last three home games against English clubs, but United
have won only once in 16 away trips to Spain. United are unbeaten
in all 10 Champions League games this season in which they have
scored 18 goals.
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