Press Release
This month represents a make-or-break May for some of the world’s best football teams as Europe’s elite competitions and domestic leagues, as well as an age-group World Cup and African Champions League semi-finals, edge towards crowning their champions – and beIN SPORTS is putting its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) viewers pitch side by providing unrivaled live and exclusive coverage.
Starting on 9 and 10 May, the first legs of two unmissable UEFA Champions League semi-finals will broadcast with Arabic commentary on beIN SPORTS 1 PREMIUM and with English commentary on beIN SPORTS 1 ENGLISH at 22:00 MECCA, complete with live studio coverage starting an hour before the kick-off of each match. First up, 14-time European Cup winners Real Madrid face a Manchester City side desperately chasing an inaugural title; while 24 hours later the most-anticipated Milan derby in 20 years takes place at San Siro with Internazionale facing city rivals AC Milan.
Since taking the reins at Man City, coach Pep Guardiola has dominated domestically, but repeatedly come up short on the biggest stage. This season, with record-breaking striker Erling Haaland leading the line, the Blues are a different proposition. Yet only a fool would dismiss Madrid, a club that time and again finds a way to win the most coveted trophy in European football. Inter and Milan meanwhile have not faced off in such an important match since 2003, the last time they met in a European semi-final. On that occasion, Milan progressed on away goals after two draws and with both sides jostling for the same league position, another tightly poised tie can be expected.
The second legs of both semi-finals take place a week later, on 16 and 17 May, broadcast live on beIN SPORTS channels at 22:00 MECCA, preceded by live studio coverage starting an hour before the kick-off of each match.
In the Europa League semi-final first legs on 11 May, Juventus – 30 years since their last victory in the tournament – host Sevilla live with Arabic commentary on beIN SPORTS 1 PREMIUM and with English commentary on beIN SPORTS 1 ENGLISH at 22:00 MECCA, with live studio coverage starting an hour ahead of kick-off. In the other final-four clash, Jose Mourinho’s Roma simultaneously welcomes Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen live on beIN SPORTS 2 PREMIUM with Arabic commentary and on beIN SPORTS 2 ENGLISH with English commentary. The semi-final second legs take place a week later, with the one-off final scheduled for 31 May at the Puskas Arena in Hungary.
The two-legged CAF Champions League semi-finals are also set to take place this month with Esperance Tunis facing Egyptian league-leaders Al Ahly on 12 May and Morocco’s Wydad AC meeting South Africa’s high-flying Mamelodi Sundowns 24 hours later. With the second legs scheduled for a week later on 19 and 20 May, beIN viewers can – as ever – expect unrivaled coverage of every minute of live action.
Knock-out football aside, both the Bundesliga and English Premier League seasons are likely to go to a nail-biting final day this year. In Germany, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are slugging it out for the title, while a host of clubs will almost certainly be fighting for relegation survival going into the last round of matches on 27 May. Dortmund finish their season by welcoming Mainz to Signal Iduna Park and Bayern travel to Mainz, with both matches kicking off at 16:30 MECCA on beIN SPORTS channels.
Meanwhile, in England, every match of the final round of Premier League games on 28 May will be broadcast on beIN SPORTS channels at 18:30 MECCA with Arsenal’s recent collapse meaning Manchester City have the destiny of the title in their hands. To close out the season, Guardiola’s side travel to Brentford, while Arsenal hosts Wolves, while at the bottom of the table, up to five clubs could still find themselves fighting for survival come the last day of the season. Leicester welcomes West Ham, Nottingham Forest travel to Crystal Palace, Everton host Bournemouth, and Leeds faces Tottenham Hotspur as each look to clarify their Premier League futures.
Fast forward a few weeks, the FIFA Under-20 World Cup runs from 20 May to 11 June, with hosts Argentina – who have won the title a record six times – set to kick the tournament off against Uzbekistan. Neighbours Brazil are aiming to equal their South American neighbors’ record, while 2017 winners England have been drawn in the same group as the Middle East’s sole representative, Iraq. beIN will be broadcasting the tournament live and exclusively across the MENA region, giving football fans the chance to catch the next generation of stars – at the last edition of the FIFA U20 World Cup, a certain Erling Haaland took home the Golden Boot.
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