Soccer on TV: Leicester City makes its Premier League title case, Milan derby in Coppa Italia

Tuesday, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN+)

The latest Milan derby comes in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals, which isn’t as big of a deal as Serie A, or even other countries’ domestic cups. But it’s still a derby, so it matters. And with the two city rivals neck-and-neck atop Serie A — Milan leads Inter by two points, both with 19 games played — it will be interesting to see which cards the teams play and which they don’t.

» READ MORE: This week's Coppa Italia schedule

Tuesday, 3:15 p.m. (NBCSN, Universo)

Manchester City can temporarily go to the top of the English Premier League, and with a game in hand over first-place competitor Manchester United, with a win here. West Brom is in next-to-last place with just 11 points, and has the league’s worst goal differential at -28.

Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. (Facebook.com/ForTheFansHQ)

Brenden Aaronson made his Salzburg debut on Sunday, playing 28 minutes as a second-half substitute. He didn’t do much, just 3-of-6 passing and one shot that was blocked. But at least he got on the field in his first official game. Also keep an eye out for Salzburg forward Mergim Berisha, a marquee prospect who has 12 goals in 21 games this season.

» READ MORE: A decade after Freddy Adu joined the Union, he admits he didn’t work hard enough in MLS

Wednesday, 1 p.m. (Peacock)

Still stuck in ninth place in the Premier League, Chelsea fired manager Frank Lampard on Monday. It was an inglorious end to a coaching tenure that lasted just 19 months, and Lampard was also one of the Blues’ all-time legendary players. The magnitude of the move was such that the club’s long-reclusive Russian oligarch owner, Roman Abramovich, spoke in the club announcement.

“I have an excellent personal relationship with Frank and I have the utmost respect for him,” Abramovich said. “He is a man of great integrity and has the highest of work ethics. However, under current circumstances we believe it is best to change managers.”

Ninth place in the league would be just fine for most clubs in England, but it’s not for a perennial Champions League participant — especially one that spent nearly $300 million last summer to sign Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and others. Havertz and Werner haven’t delivered on the price tags, but no one doubts their talents.

Thomas Tuchel, who coached Christian Pulisic at Dortmund then went to Paris Saint-Germain, is on his way to the job now. Tuchel is no stranger to hot seats: he lasted two and a half years in Paris even though he took the club to the Champions League final four months before his dismissal. He’s also no stranger to Havertz and Werner, having seen them plenty in the Bundesliga.

Lampard did a lot of good things at Chelsea, especially developing academy products while the club was under a transfer ban. But when you work for Abramovich, winning is all that matters.

» READ MORE: This week's Premier League schedule

Wednesday, 3:15 p.m. (Peacock)

Manchester United and Manchester City are hogging the Premier League spotlight, because that’s what they do. But ignore Leicester at your peril. Jamie Vardy and the Foxes aren’t just in third place, they could jump into first with a win and other results going their way. An Everton win would take the Toffees up to fourth for the moment.

Wednesday, 3:15 p.m. (NBCSN, Universo)

Given everything you’ve just read about Man City and Leicester, there couldn’t be a better time for Marcus Rashford and the Red Devils to face the last-place Blades. Sheffield United has just one win and two ties in 19 Premier League games.

Thursday, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)

Spain’s Copa del Rey is into the round of 16, and the last two third-division teams in the field host La Liga opponents. The first of them, Navalcarnero plays in a 2,500-seat stadium that’s about 23 miles southwest of downtown Madrid. The hero of its 3-1 upset of Eibar in the round of 32 was forward Juan Esnaider, whose father of the same name played for Real Madrid, Atletico, Espanyol, Juventus and Argentina in the 1990s.

Granada is having a great season, currently 7th in La Liga, though it’s coming off a 3-1 loss at relegation candidate Osasuna.

Alcoyano is the biggest Cinderella story of the Copa del Rey, thanks to its wildly dramatic 2-1 upset of Real Madrid in the round of 32. Real scored just before halftime, then Alcoyano equalized in the 80th minute, suffered a red card in the 110th, and snatched the winner in the 115th.

Next up is a team that will play in the 2020 Copa del Rey final three months after it plays in this game. Yes, really: last season’s final was postponed to April 4 of this year because of the pandemic. The 2021 final is just two weeks after that.

» READ MORE: This week's Copa del Rey schedule

Thursday, 3 p.m. (NBCSN, Universo)

The wheels have officially come off at Liverpool: five straight games winless in the Premier League, and ousted from the FA Cup by Manchester United this past Sunday. A lack of defensive depth is the biggest reason why, as no one has been able to fill the hole left by superstar centerback Virgil van Dijk’s long-term knee injury.

United’s six-point lead in the standings isn’t impossible to overcome, but a win here sure would help. Tottenham could use three points too, with its own once-strong title hopes flickering. Spurs were in first place on Dec. 16, and a loss at Liverpool started their fall.