After ESPN2 established itself as the network for early Saturday morning and occasional Monday afternoon English Premier League games, ESPN proper, the actual Mothership will air an EPL match of its own and it will be a doozy.
On Monday, April 30, ESPN will air the first place showdown between Manchester United and Manchester City. Coverage starts at 2:30 p.m. ET wit the match starting a half-hour later. Ian Darke and Steve McManaman call the game.
Manchester United is on top of the English Premier League table with 83 points. Manchester City is in second with 80 and a win puts them in a tie with the Red Devils. A win by Manchester United gives them a nice 6 point cushion with two matches to play.
We have the ESPN preview below.
Battle for First in English Premier League – Manchester City vs. Manchester United – Live on ESPN
ESPN Deportes Expands Coverage with 30-minute Los Capitanes Beginning at 2 p.m.
ESPN will present the live English-language telecast of Manchester City vs. Manchester United, the most-anticipated and potentially title-deciding matchup of the 2011-12 English Premier League, from Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on Monday, April 30, at 2:30 p.m. ET (kick at 3 p.m.), it was announced today.
Previously scheduled on ESPN2, the Manchester derby will mark the first time a weekday Premier League match will be aired on ESPN. The match will be preceded by the daytime live edition of ESPN’s flagship news and information program – SportsCenter.
“Given the magnitude of this match, we wanted to take advantage of the live SportsCenter lead-in to incorporate our on-site resources in previewing what will be the biggest match of the season in the English Premier League,” said Brian Kweder, ESPN senior director, programming and acquisitions.
In addition, ESPN Deportes’ Spanish-language coverage of the match will include a 30-minute special edition of Los Capitanes, the commentary program hosted by José Ramón Fernández and other legendary sports journalists, as they discuss and debate the latest sports news, information and issues. ESPN3, the live multi-screen sports network, will carry the live presentation of the match in both English and Spanish.
ESPN’s TV coverage:
- Ian Darke and Steve McManaman will provide English-language commentaries;
- ESPN UK’s Darrell Currie will handle pitch-side reporting;
- José Hernández and Tato Noriega (analyst) will call the match in Spanish language on ESPN Deportes;
- On Los Capitanes: Fernández, Rafael Puente, Héctor Huerta, Ángel García Toraño and Barak Fever.
About Monday’s Manchester Derby:
With three match days remaining in the season, Manchester United sits atop the Premiership standings with 83 points from 35 matches. Manchester City is a close second at 80 points, and Monday’s Manchester City derby will likely decide the winner of one of the most-coveted trophies in professional league soccer.
Highlights:
- The two teams have scored the most goals in the league – Manchester City (87) and Manchester United (86).
- They have also conceded the fewest goals: Manchester City (27) and Manchester United (32).
- Manchester City seeks its third English league title, first since 1968.
- Manchester City is undefeated (16-0-1) at home this season and is unbeaten in 27 straight league home games. Its last loss was to Everton in December 2010.
- Defending champion Manchester United would be the first team to win 20 English titles.
That’s it.
