Soccer on TV: Chelsea-Real Madrid and PSG-Manchester City in Champions League semifinals

Tuesday, 3 p.m. (CBS Sports Network, Univision, TUDN)

The four UEFA men’s Champions League semifinalists are run by a Russian oligarch, a Qatari oligarch, the United Arab Emirates’ royal family, and a membership-based electorate. Would you believe the last of those is the biggest villain in global club soccer? Yes, that’s Real Madrid, which was on track to get some new fans. Then its president Florentino Pérez led the Super League charge, and all the surprising goodwill disappeared.

It’s understandable if you have to hold your nose while watching this game. Let’s hope that we don’t all have to hold our noses if two teams that pride themselves on stout defenses play to a stalemate.

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Tuesday, 7 p.m. (Paramount+)

Thanks to a terrific 4-3 win over North Carolina last week, Carli Lloyd and Gotham are in the driver’s seat to win the NWSL Challenge Cup’s eastern division -- and potentially host the final against star-studded Portland. A win at Washington, led by Ashley Hatch and Trinity Rodman, would put Gotham right on the doorstep.

Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. (beIN Sports, beIN Sports Español)

It’s a clash of titans in the group stage of South America’s Copa Libertadores as Diego Maradona and Pelé's former clubs meet for the second straight season. Because of the pandemic, that last matchup was just this past January, but the teams have changed since then, including some players moving to MLS. Boca’s Emanuel Reynoso and Ramón Abíla went to Minnesota United, while Santos’ Yeferson Soteldo went to Toronto this week for $6.5 million.

Here’s hoping this game spotlights players who might be the next ones to make big moves.

Tuesday, 10 p.m. (FS1, TUDN)

Soteldo understandably won’t be ready to play for Toronto yet, but his new teammates will be up for this Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal first leg. It will be a late-night kickoff at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, one of Toronto’s temporary homes until the Canadian border reopens.

Cruz Azul is in first place in Liga MX, led by forward Jonathan Rodríguez’s nine goals and three assists in 14 games.

» READ MORE: Union prioritize Champions League over MLS games for first visit to Atlanta since 2019 playoffs

Wednesday, 3 p.m. (CBS Sports Network, Univision, TUDN)

The last time these teams met in Europe was 2016, when PSG was ascendant in Europe but not fully among the elite yet. Though the club’s Qatari owners had brought in David Beckham, Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimović by then, it would still be another year before Neymar and Kylian Mbappé arrived and launched the French capital into the soccer stratosphere – and another four before PSG reached their first European Cup final.

That 2016 matchup was a Champions League quarterfinal series, and it was the last time Manchester City made the semifinals. City has yet to make it to a final, never mind win the trophy that its Emirati owners covet more than any in the sport. Of course, the Qataris in Paris have the same desire.

Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. (FS2, TUDN)

This might be the most-anticipated of the four CCL quarterfinal series. Columbus can play some really high-quality soccer, and will have to try to to run up a lead before heading to Mexico for the second leg. There will be extra spice for Crew playmaker Lucas Zelarayán, who used to play for Monterrey’s archrival Tigres.

» READ MORE: Want to bet on MLS? Here’s a tip for being better at it.

Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. (FS1, TUDN)

This series has the potential to be great too. It would be really electric with full houses at Providence Park and Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, two of this continent’s legendary soccer venues. América will be favored, as all the Mexican teams are in these matchups. Let’s see if Timbers maestro Diego Valeri can conjure up some magic to spark an upset.

Thursday, 1 p.m. (beIN Sports, beIN Sports Español)

La Liga’s title race went to another level this past weekend when leader Atlético Madrid lost at Bilbao and Barcelona came from behind to win at Villarreal. Now the top four teams – Atlético, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla – are separated by just four points, with Barcelona holding a game in hand. This is that game in hand, and it’s a must-win with trips to Valencia and Atlético coming soon.

» READ MORE: Barcelona's Martin Braithwaite helps launch a North Philly residence for aspiring tech creators of color

Thursday, 3 p.m. (UniMás, TUDN, Paramount+)

The spotlight will shine in this Europa League semifinal series on Roma’s Chris Smalling, who spent a decade at United before moving to Italy. Roma has been a mess lately, winless in four straight games, including losses to lowly Torino and Cagliari. United is coming off a scoreless tie at Leeds, but is still comfortably in second place in the Premier League.

Thursday, 3 p.m. (Galavisión, Paramount+)

Good luck finding a realistic Gunners fan who believes they’ll win the other Europa League semifinal series. Yes, Arsenal delivered a good performance in a 4-0 win at Slavia Prague in the final second leg, but it was followed by two bad results at home: a 1-1 tie with Fulham and a truly woeful 1-0 loss to Everton. Villarreal’s stingy defense makes the Spanish team the favorite here.

» READ MORE: Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke doesn’t get that his global conglomerate has a local soul