With the dust from the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations still settling, football is about to kick up another storm in the form of the knockout stages of the Champions and Europa League, the home straight of domestic cup competitions and the title run-ins of major European and African leagues.
Over the next three months, SuperSport will broadcast live over 500 matches which will culminate in the crowning of the Champions League, Europa Cup, Copa del Rey, FA Cup, Nedbank Cup, League Cup, Spanish La Liga, English Premier League, South African Premier Soccer League, German Bundesliga and Italian Serie A champions.
Add to that the start of a new search for the next Kenya Premier League, Zambia Super League, Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League and Nigerian Premier League champions.
The greatest football show on earth, the Champions League, gets proceedings underway on SuperSport’s three-month football marathon with the collision of giants: Real Madrid against Manchester United and Barcelona against AC Milan, teams who between them share 23 European Cup titles. The last time Madrid and United met in the Champions League, in 2003, Ronaldo was at the peak of his powers and proved the difference, scoring a hat-trick as Madrid advanced to the semi-finals at the expense of United. This time round, another Ronaldo (Cristiano) is at the peak of his powers. Will he be the difference?
After dramatically surrendering their league titles to arch-nemesis, Madrid and Manchester City, Barcelona and United look to already have one hand on the La Liga and EPL trophy as they both enjoy healthy 12-point leads.
Participation in the domestic cups, the Copa del Rey and the FA Cup, means that both teams are very much on for the historic treble of the Champions League, domestic league and cup.
In the last 15 years, only three teams have been able to achieve the treble, two of them being United and Barcelona in 1999 and 2009 respectively.
In Naples, Diego Maradona enjoys demi-god status after he single-handedly turned Napoli into an Italian championship-winning team. This was back in the 1980s and since then, the Partenopei’s have never quiet managed to get their hands on the Scudetto again.
Edinson Cavani, like Maradona a South America native, is looking to follow in the great man’s footsteps by single-handedly dragging Napoli to the title. Cavani’s deadly exploits in front of goal have Napoli seriously challenging for the Serie A title after a long time and the Uruguayan’s goals will be crucial in the next three months as Napoli look to re-live the Maradona days.
UPCOMING FOOTBALL DERBIES
EPL
- 03 March – Tottenham Hotspurs vs. Arsenal (London derby)
- 06 April – Manchester United vs. Manchester City
- 04 May – Liverpool vs. Everton (Liverpool derby)
Italian Serie A
- 24 Feb – Inter Milan vs. AC Milan
La Liga
- 27 Feb – Barcelona vs. Real Madrid
- 03 March – Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
Bundesliga
- 09 March – Schalke 04 vs. Borussia Dortmund (Revier derby)
UEFA Champs League
- 13 Feb – Real Madrid vs. Manchester United
- 20 Feb – AC Milan vs. Barcelona