WEDNESDAY
Sampdoria v Juventus
British Eurosport,
kick-off 7.30pm
Roma v Lecce was initially earmarked for this slot, but, given British Eurosport’s desire to broadcast a whole match, it’s probably just as well this fixture is on instead. Three years ago, on the day Roma clinched the Italian title, their match was held up five minutes from time when their joyous fans invaded the pitch and ripped the shirts and shorts from some of their heroes. Such was the delay that Channel Four simply gave up and failed to return when the match was concluded. Last season the Roma-Lazio derby was abandoned at half-time because fans spread false rumours of a supporter’s death outside the stadium, and last week another Roma home match was called off at the interval after the referee was struck by an object thrown from the crowd at the Champions League game against Dynamo Kiev. The only reason Roma managed the requisite 90 minutes against Galatasaray three seasons ago was that players, officials and police had the decency to wait until the final whistle before laying into each other.
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Oldham Athletic v Tottenham
Sky Sports 2
kick-off 7.45pm
Tottenham Hotspur have not won on their past eight visits to the North West, even losing away to Burnley in this League Cup competition two years ago. Rather than playing loud dance music in the White Hart Lane dressing-room, away sides need only blare out the theme tunes to Coronation Street or Brookside to leave the Tottenham players pleading to be dropped to the bench.
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SATURDAY
Match of the Day
BBC One, 10.30pm-midnight
Michael Hughes was apparently the victim of poor refereeing when he was dismissed for Northern Ireland against Wales recently. “It was a passionate home-nation derby and the referee did not understand that,” Iain Dowie, the player’s manager at Crystal Palace, said of the Italian official. A Fifa spokesman backed up Dowie’s claim. “A vicious scissors kick from behind and a follow-up push to the ground on the same opponent shall not be deemed a red-card offence when the teams involved have borders less than 50 miles apart,” he said. “However, had Hughes done the same against, for instance, Moldova, he would have deserved a dismissal and a lengthy suspension.”
LIVE MATCHES
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Today: 8pm — Manchester United v Liverpool, Barclays Premiership, Sky Sports 1. Tomorrow: 7.45pm — Yeovil Town v Bolton Wanderers, Carling Cup, Sky Sports 2. 10pm (delayed) — Real Madrid v Osasuna, Spanish league, Sky Sports 2. Wednesday: 7.30pm — Sampdoria v Juventus, Italian league, British Eurosport. 7.45pm — Oldham Athletic v Tottenham Hotspur, Carling Cup, Sky Sports 2. 7.45pm — Aberdeen v Rangers, CIS Insurance Cup, BBC One Scotland. Friday: 7.45pm — Leeds United v Sunderland, Coca-Cola Championship, Sky Sports 2. Saturday: 12.45pm — Middlesbrough v Chelsea, Premiership, PremPlus. 5.15pm — Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City, Premiership, Sky Sports 3. 7.30pm — Juventus v Palermo, Italian league, British Eurosport. Spanish league match, teams and time to be announced, Sky Sports Xtra. Sunday: 1pm — Nottingham Forest v West Ham United, Championship, Sky Sports 1. 2pm — Dundee v Rangers, Bank of Scotland Premierleague, Setanta Sports. 2pm — Portsmouth v Everton, Premiership, Sky Sports 1. 7.30pm — Lazio v AC Milan, Italian league, British Eurosport. Spanish league match, teams and time to be announced, Sky Sports 1.