The best of what's on TV, Sept 18-23

This week, in a word, is going to be absolutely bananas. Group play hath begun in earnest, though this week's slate offers up only two CL games that are a lock to be captivating. Nonetheless, for those of us without Setanta, it's our first opportunity to see the superteam that is Barça against the best side France has to offer, which alone is worth the cost of upgrading your cable package to include ESPN Deportes (which is stupidly available, at least in my area, only as a part of the Spanish package, and not the sports ... who wants to come over for some hot telenovela action?).

After the Champions League's opening salvo, it's on to a marquee Sunday offering from both the EPL and Serie A, with Juventus heading to the capital for a face-off against Roma, followed by Chelsea's trip to Old Trafford. Best part? Both should be over before the early NFL games, which means there's really no excuse for movement at all.

TUESDAY

UEFA Champions League (Group Stage)
Real Madrid v. Werder Bremen
2:30 p.m., ESPN Deportes
Porto v. Liverpool
4:45 p.m., ESPN Deportes
Chelsea v. Rosenborg
7 p.m., ESPN Deportes

None of the four Tuesday games really stand out on first glance, if only because Real Madrid and Liverpool are expected to roll. However, there's cause for fans of either giant to be a little worried about these openers. Read Madrid has scuffled so far under new coach Bernd Schuster and without some of the pure star power of years past, and while Werder Bremen has problems of its own, the Germans' hyper-aggressive style could be a disastrous matchup for the Spanish Giants. As for the Reds, Rafa's clearly stated that the EPL title is Priority No. 1 this season, something he probably believes until weeks like this. Liverpool is a sure bet to get after it in international play, but Porto — even a Porto that suffered a couple of key losses in the transfer market — isn't known as a giant-killer for nothing. If Liverpool plays it close to the vest, Porto could very well provide the first upset of the group stage.

WEDNESDAY

UEFA Champions League (Group Stage)
AC Milan v. Benfica
2 a.m., ESPN Deportes
Barcelona v. Lyon
2:30 p.m., ESPN Deportes
Sporting Lisbon v. Manchester United
2:30 p.m., ESPN2
Arsenal v. Sevilla
7 p.m., ESPN Deportes

Leave it to ESPN to totally botch its coverage in a day in which what's shaping up to be the game of the week — or, at the very least, the second-best — happens to come at the same time that David Beckham's Former Team Manchester United (did you know David Beckham played for Manchested United? He did! Now he plays in America! And he calls it "football!"). The decision to air Barça-Lyon on the main stage should have been a no-brainer, but alas we'll be treated to two hours of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani beating up on their former mates. Barça, of course, is expected to cruise through its group — if not the entire tournament — but no team is capable of making domination so damn attractive. The nightcap should be as, if not more, compelling, with Arsenal and Sevilla facing off in the first week's most balanced and aesthetically pleasing match. The Gunners have been brilliant so far this season in EPL play, but play between the pipes is usually in the spotlight during international play, and that happens to be Arsenal's most glaring weakness. Sevilla is an up-and-coming side that appears ready to be to La Liga what Arsenal is to the EPL; a team that makes up for not having the financial clout of the league's upper-echelon by developing talent and employing a playing style that is both gorgeous and dizzying for the opposition. This is a football fan's football match.

THURSDAY

UEFA Champions League (Group Stage)
Roma v. Dynamo Kyiv
2 a.m., ESPN Deportes
Fenerbahce v. Inter Milan
3 p.m., ESPN Deportes

Fans of Italian soccer should enjoy Thursday, as the two best bets to make the knockout stage from Serie A are featured in games in which they should roll. Of course, any time Inter's involved, you can count on some unforeseen drama, and Roma skipper Francesco Totti hasn't looked very sharp so far in league play.

SATURDAY

English Premier League
Liverpool v. Birmingham City
9:45 a.m., Setanta
Arsenal v. Derby County
9:55 a.m., Fox Soccer Channel

The only thing notable about these mismatches is the fact that both Liverpool and Arsenal will be coming off mid-week Champions League tilts, which means both favorites will likely be playing with less than a full deck against overmatched competition. Does it mean an upset is likely in either case? No. But it's certainly more probable now than it would be in a regular week.

English Premier League
Fulham v. Manchester City
Noon, Fox Soccer Channel

Team America is on a little bit of an upswing, losing by only a goal to hard-charging Aston Villa two weeks ago, and forging a final-minute, 3-3 comeback draw against the foundering Spurs last week. Conveniently, Man City has cooled off considerably after a torrid start. While Fulham is still an undecided underdog, this writer has a feeling that the Cottagers are in good standing to deliver an upset in front of home fans. Screw it: I'll go ahead and call it 2-1 in Fulham's favor, with Yank Clint Dempsey bulging the old onion basket in the 86th minute.

La Liga
Barcelona v. Sevilla
4 p.m., GolTV

Sevilla gets its second opportunity to knock off one of the big boys in a week, this time in league play. Barça's construction, while potentially breathtaking, is also pretty volatile, as Frank Rijkaard struggles to find spots for four world-class attackers on one field without going too far outside the box in terms of scheme(though there's a decent chance that Eto'o will be out to injury, which should make things a little more clear-cut). Barça has only one win to show for its first three league efforts (against two draws), while Sevilla has dispatched both of its season-opening opponents in impressive fashion. Yeah, Barça features three of this decade's best players (Ronaldinho, Henry and Messi), but would it really be that much of an upset if Sevilla comes into Camp Nou and wins? I don't think so.

SUNDAY

Serie A
Roma v. Juventus
9 a.m., Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday starts off with a bang, as La Vecchia Signora invade the quaint town of Rome, Italy, for the first marquee matchup of the young season. Juve was looking like it hadn't missed a beat until getting stunned by Udinese in Week 3, Udinese! At home! With the shine off Juve's early start, this one's looking like Roma's to lose.

English Premier League
Manchester United v. Chelsea
11 a.m., Fox Soccer Channel

The nice thing about games like this is that there's nothing really left to say except: I'll be watching.

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The best of what's on TV, Sept 10-16

After a week off from league play for Euro Cup qualifiers, we're back in action. Let's get to the games!

WEDNESDAY

Euro 2008 Qualifying
France v. Scotland
2:55 p.m., Setanta
In what's already proven to be the most compelling qualifying group in the competition, this could be the best game yet. Les Bleus are all hot and bothered over the booing of their anthem prior to Saturday's scoreless draws against Italy, which was classless and rightfully condemned by the Italian players. It's ironic, though, that France is so concerned over sportsmanship and respect, what with the fact that France coach Raymond Domenech accused Italy of bribing referees in a 1999 U-21 match, and previous to that accused Scotland's ball boys of stalling in a 1-0 defeat last season. Yeah, France — particularly its jackass coach — really deserves respect from everyone. To boot, Thierry Henry — that's French for traitor — will be suspended after getting booked against the Azzuri. While I doubt the Scottish fans will start any international incidents, midfielder Alex McLeish for his part said he's ready to shove it up the Blues' derrieres, Wednesday, and to that the rest of the world says: Espérons!

David Beckham's Soccer USA
11 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel
Ha ha, just checking to make sure you were paying attention. Even Posh Spice won't watch this garbage.

SATURDAY

Premier League
Tottenham v. Arsenal
8:25 a.m., Fox Soccer Channel
Before the start of the season, it was fashionable to suggest that the Spurs would be supplanting Arsenal in the league's top four. One month into the season, the rivals find themselves on opposite ends of the table, with the Gunners tied with three other teams atop the league with 10 points through four matches, while Tottenham sits among the relegation crew with 4 points through five matches. Obviously, there's lots of season left, but one has the feeling that the Spurs absolutely must come away from this tilt with at least a point if they're going to have any legitimate claim as a contender. Meanwhile, all the clouds have cleared for the Gunners, who not only have started off the season with some inspired play, but also have the security of knowing that the "In Arsene We Trust" signs will be displayed in Emirates Stadium for another three seasons.

Premier League
Chelsea v. Blackburn
Noon, Fox Soccer Channel
In this space two weeks ago, I not-so-boldly claimed that I "knew" Chelsea would beat Aston Villa. Well, I was delightfully wrong, and The Villans picked up a new (albeit casual) fan with their exciting young nucleus of players. More importantly, however, it was proof that Chelsea is vulnerable right now despite being tied atop the league with 10 points. Frank Lampard's status is in flux after an apparent re-injury of his toe in England's 3-0 win over Israel, Saturday, the owner is still making a scene of his displeasure with the troops (this time by following up a half's worth of scowls with an early departure during the Blues' loss to Aston Villa), and poor Michael Ballack just can't understand why no one will talk to him. By the way, doesn't Steve Sidwell play for these guys now? The offseason transfer didn't even dress for the game against The Villans. One can't think of a better time for the Rovers to reverse their recent (lack of) success at Stamford Bridge.

Premier League
Portsmouth v. Liverpool
4:30 p.m., Setanta (Delay)
The hits just keep coming for Pompey, who will attempt to recover from a two-match skid against table-toppers Arsenal and Chelsea with a tilt against another league leader in the Reds. While it's nice that they'll at least be on home pitch for this one, Liverpool is looking like a beast right now, and Gerrard's inspired performance against Israel has cast aside any worries over his fitness.

Serie A
Siena v. AC Milan
4:30 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel
With FSC not yet announcing its third Serie A fixture for Sunday, this is shaping up to be the best of the lot from the Italian league. And that's only because Milan's playing; we'll not expect anything spectacular from pointless Siena, which appears well on its way to a season-long battle in relegation zone.

SUNDAY

Premier League
Manchester City v. Aston Villa
11 a.m., Fox Soccer Channel
While the Spurs-Gunners tilt is the catchiest of the weekend, this is the one with the most potential for drama. Both sides are early surprises, with the Sven-tastic Citizens sitting just one point out of the league lead despite a 0-1 loss to Blackburn in their last fixtures, and the Villans coming off the aforementioned upset of Chelsea.

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The Best of What's on TV, Aug 27-Sept 2

With all the European Leagues in full swing, it'll be a jam-packed weekend of EPL and Serie A fixtures on Fox Soccer. Nothing really worth watching in La Liga this week, but there is an appearance by Spain's Sevilla in Friday's UEFA Super Cup tilt. If you don't have a ton of room on the DVR, go ahead and delete those episodes of Ken Burns' Jazz you've been sitting on for the last six months, because you're going to need the space.

Tuesday

UEFA Champions League (3rd Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg)

Liverpool v. Toulouse

2 p.m., GolTV
Last year's runner-up is walking the razor's edge against the upstart French side, going into this match with a tie after an unimpressive 1-0 victory in the Liverpool home leg. Sure, it's almost unfathomable that the Reds will actually end up on the losing side of the ledger to a team that's enjoying it's first go-round in the Champions League — that's ever — but stranger things have happened. On the bright side, it appears Rafa Benitez's vendetta against Peter Crouch only applies to domestic matches; the robot-dancing phenom played all 90 minutes against Toulouse in the first leg, contributing the assist in the game's lone goal.

Friday

UEFA Super Cup
AC Milan v. Sevilla
2:30 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel
In one of the stranger hardware games of each season, UEFA Cup champs Sevilla will take on Champions League victors Milan in what could be a surprisingly good game, if recent history is to be taken at face value. Sevilla's going for a second-straight Super Cup after last season's 6-3 drubbing of Barca, so there's reason to believe that any effort by the Rossoneri to hold back will be met with some pretty fierce resistance.

Saturday

Premier League
Fulham v. Tottenham Hotspur
9:55 a.m., Fox Soccer Channel
It's Team America vs. Team Sleeper, as everyone's favorite pick to upset the usual gridlock in the top four of the EPL gets an opportunity to take out some rocky-start aggression on a side that appears well on its way to relegation. But the silver lining here is the opportunity to see former USMNT keeper Kasey Keller back between the pipes, and fellow Yank Clint Dempsey continue to prove that he should have been starting all along for the foundering Cottagers. If Dempsey scores another goal this week, he should be a lock to appear in another rap video, shortly.

Premier League
Liverpool v. Derby County
9:55 a.m., Setanta
It's pronounced "Darby," guys. I can't stress that enough.

Premier League
Manchester United v. Sunderland
Noon, Fox Soccer Channel
I don't know about you, but I'm taking Man U's one-point lead in the standings over Sunderland as evidence that this one will be a thriller. That's not completely in jest, either: The Devils have scored exactly one goal through three games, and they'll be without Ronaldo (suspension) and Rooney, who's apparently trying to convince everyone he can play with a broken foot. Yes, Man-U should roll, but let's not assume the season-opening slump is over until it's actually over. Oh, and this game also marks the return of former Manchester United captain Roy Keane to Old Trafford, this time as Sunderland's manager. Can he pull one over on Fergie?

Serie A
Empoli v. Inter Milan
2:25 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel
OK, it's probably a little early to say Inter's "slumping," but the season-opening draw against Udinese was baffling, considering last year's Scudetto winner went to great lengths to get even better in the offseason. Inter usually reserves its swan-dives for European competition, so expect the Nerazzuri to actually show up. That said, Empoli's a plucky squad that's looking to prove a point after a UEFA Cup berth, and Inter just received news that stopper Marco Materazzi will be out for at least a couple of months after a leg injury suffered in a friendly/humiliating loss to Hungary last week. Materazzi said the injury was "fate," and a sign that he was not meant to slander any of the French players' sisters in the Sept. 8 Euro Cup qualifier. Il Dio, truly, works in mysterious ways.

Sunday

Premier League
Arsenal v. Portsmouth
8 a.m., Setanta
The good news for the Gooners is that Pompey hasn't won a road fixture since before this writer was a footie fan (OK, not really). More good news for Arsenal is that L.A.H. (Life After Henry) hasn't turned out to be all that bad, thanks in large part to the early-season exploits of Fabregas and Van Persie. The good news for Pompey? They were a goalkeeper error away from a 0-0 draw against Chelsea last week, though I'm sure Mourinho would tell you the only reason the Blues didn't score another goal was because he wanted them to work on passing within the box.

Serie A
Roma v. Siena
9 a.m., Fox Soccer Channel
I'm not going to lie: This game will be an absolute beat-down. But it should be a pretty beat-down; have I mentioned that Roma plays the most beautiful football in the world right now? Fawning aside, the Giallorossi have two fairly easy fixtures left before a tone-setting tilt against Juventus on Sept. 23, and Francesco Totti did not look match-fit in the opener; these next two matches will be a much-needed opportunity for the Roma skipper to get his legs back before the real competition arrives.

Premier League
Aston Villa v. Chelsea
11 a.m., Fox Soccer Channel
Chelsea has 10 points through four games. Aston Villa has four, and that includes a win over a feckless Fulham squad. I only know two things: 1) Chelsea will win; 2) It will be closer than you think. Don't ask me to justify that statement; I just know it will be the case.

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