Season 2003/04

113 episodes · 2003

Highlights from Cardiff's Millennium Stadium of today's FA Community Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season. League champions Manchester United are under scrutiny following their sale of David Beckham to Real Madrid, while FA Cup winners Arsenal will be hungry to succeed after last year's defeat by Liverpool.

Highlights of England's friendly with Croatia, played earlier this evening at Ipswich's Portman Road ground ahead of September's crucial Euro 2004 qualifiers against Macedonia and Liechtenstein.

Highlights of the European Super Cup between Champions' League winners AC Milan and Uefa Cup champions Porto at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco.

A crucial Euro 2004 double-header for England this week begins with a trip to Macedonia. With Liechtenstein coming to Old Trafford on Wednesday, captain David Beckham knows that his side must target a maximum return of six points ahead of the probable group seven decider away to Turkey on 11 October to realise their dreams of competing in Portugal next year.

Highlights from England's group seven clash with Liechtenstein at Old Trafford earlier this evening, as well as Wales' home game against Finland, Germany v Scotland and Northern Ireland v Armenia.

Manchester City v Lockeren. Coverage from the City of Manchester Stadium of this first-round, first-leg UEFA Cup tie. The Blues entertain the Belgian side after comfortably defeating Welsh non-league side TNS to achieve their first place in Europe for 24 years, and will be looking to the experience of Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and David Seaman among others.

Rangers v Celtic. Coverage of the first Old Firm derby of the season from Ibrox. The Bhoys will want to take an early lead in the race for the Scottish Premier League title - last season they had to stand by as their rivals took a clean sweep of domestic trophies.

Kevin Keegan's men travel to Belgium for the second leg of this first-round UEFA Cup match. The last encounter between the two sides saw the Blues secure a 3-2 victory - will they put in a repeat performance?

Highlights of today's FA Cup first round proper games, which saw League Division Two and Three teams enter the fray.

Coverage of this season's FA Cup starts with a first-round tie at the Interlink Express Stadium. Can the third-division visitors avoid an upset against Conference opposition?

Russia v Wales. Coverage of Wales's trip to Russia for the first-leg of their Euro playoff. Mark Hughes' men - among them Ryan Giggs, John Hartson and Gary Speed - are trying to reach their first major finals since 1958.

Highlights of this afternoon's friendly between England and Denmark at Old Trafford, a chance for Sven-Goran Eriksson to begin shaping his squad ahead of next summer's trip to the Euro 2004 finals.

Wales v Russia. Coverage from the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, of the return leg of Wales' Euro 2004 playoff against Russia. Following Saturday's away game in Moscow, Mark Hughes' men will know exactly what is required of them if Wales are to reach their first championship finals since 1958. With an impressive home record - just three losses since May 2000 - and 72,000 fans urging them on, hopes of ending that depressing 45-year run will be high.

Highlights of today's FA Cup first-round replays, plus news of the Euro 2004 playoffs.

Newcastle United v FC Basel. The Toon Army go into this Uefa Cup second-round, second-leg tie with both home advantage and a 3-2 lead after they came twice from behind to win in Switzerland three weeks ago. Goals from Laurent Robert, Titus Bramble and Shola Ameobi were sufficient to see off the threat from the outfit who eliminated Liverpool from the Champions League last season, and Bobby Robson's team will be anxious to make progress in this competition, especially in the light of an indifferent start to their Premiership campaign.

Barry Davies and Garth Crooks are in Lisbon for the draw for next summer's Euro 2004 finals, with Alan Hansen , Peter Schmeichel and John Motson joining Gary Lineker in the studio.

FA Cup second-round highlights, including Telford United v Brentford.

Burton Albion v Hartlepool. Coverage of this FA Cup second-round tie at Eton Park. Nigel Clough's Conference side face a tricky test against their second-division visitors, Hartlepool, the first team ever managed by Clough's famous father Brian. Three non-league clubs progressed from this stage last year and today's winners could potentially draw a lucrative tie with Premiership opposition.

Coverage from FC Basel's St Jakob-Park Stadium, Switzerland, of a match organised by the United Nations and FIFA to raise money and awareness about poverty. Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team-mate Zinedine Zidane captain two all-star teams, with players from many top European clubs also taking part.

Highlights of tonight's FA Cup replays.

Celtic v Rangers. Action from the second Old Firm derby of the season. Rangers have not won at Parkhead for nearly four years but cannot afford to slip up as they seek to retain the title. Celtic will look to the guile of Henrik Larsson and John Hartson to maximise home advantage.

Southampton v Newcastle United. Coverage of this all-Premiership FA Cup third-round clash from St Mary's. The home side blitzed Tottenham 4-0 at the same stage last season but Gordon Strachan's men will face a tough test this evening, with one-time Southampton player Alan Shearer desperate to lead the Magpies to their first major silverware since 1969.

Yeovil Town v Liverpool. Is a giant-killing on the cards in this eagerly awaited FA Cup third-round tie from Huish Park in Somerset? Before winning promotion last season, the Third Division side had claimed a record 20 league scalps in their non-league days. Adding to that total would kill off Liverpool's sole realistic hope of domestic silverware this season. The winners in 2001 will be looking to the likes of Michael Owen , Steven Gerrard and Harry Kewell to guard against a massive shock exit. There will also be highlights of Aston Villa v Manchester United.

FA Cup third-round replay highlights as clubs chase a place in the last 32 to keep alive their dreams of playing in the final.

Coverage from Anfield of an FA Cup fourth-round clash between two top teams who usually produce a goal glut. Newcastle last won the competition in 1955, while Liverpool lifted the trophy just three years ago. Neither team has done themselves justice in the Premiership this season, so progress here to the last 16 is vital for respective managers Gerard Houllier and Bobby Robson.

The opening group A match of the 23rd competition sees the hosts face the infamous giant-slayers Rwanda at the Rades Stadium, Tunis.

FA Cup fourth-round highlights - Telford at home to Millwall plus Arsenal v Middlesbrough, and Liverpool v Newcastle.

Manchester City v Tottenham. Coverage of this all-Premiership FA Cup fourth-round tie from the City of Manchester Stadium. Kevin Keegan's men face Spurs following their third-round replay against Leicester, a 3-1 result that ended a 14-match run without a win. Spurs are looking for their first silverware since 1999's League Cup. But they are without striker Freddie Kanoute , who is playing in the African Cup of Nations for Mali.

Mark Bright presents coverage from Sousse of the defending champions' first match in group C against Algeria.

Highlights of the day's play: Cameroon v Algeria and DR Congo v Guinea.

Mark Bright with action from group B as Senegal - led by Liverpool forward El Hadji Diouf - take on Burkina Faso in El Menzah.

Highlights from Senegal v Burkino Faso. Also in group B, Kenya play Mali.

Mark Bright presents coverage of this group D clash at the Monastir Stadium. Led by a host of Premiership stars, including Arsenal's Nwankwo Kanu , Nigeria are among the favourites to win. Morocco, however, have some stars of their own, including Coventry's Youssef Safri.

Highlights of today's group D games, in which Nigeria took on Morocco and South Africa played Benin.

What will be the outcome of tonight's group A fixture at the Rades Stadium between two pre-tournament favourites?

Highlights of today's games. Tunisia play DR Congo, while Rwanda take on Guinea.

Mark Bright presents coverage of this group C tie in Sfax. Will the defending champions have an easy ride - or will the striking power of Adam and Peter Ndlovu result in a surprise win for the newcomers?

Garth Crooks introduces highlights of today's group C ties. Defending champions Cameroon face Zimbabwe. And Algeria and Egypt, two strong North African teams, come face-to-face in Sousse, Tunisia.

Mark Bright introduces coverage of this group B match in Bizerte. In 2002 Senegal narrowly lost the final on penalties to Cameroon - can they go one better this time around?

Highlights from group B matches, with defending champions Cameroon playing underdogs Kenya in Bizerte.

Coverage of today's group D match between tournament heavyweights Nigeria and South Africa. Having failed to make an impact in the last World Cup, both countries will be going all out to be crowned kings of the continent. Premiership fans should get to see some familiar faces in action, including Nigeria's Nwankwo Kanu , Jay-Jay Okocha and Aiyegbeni Yakubu.

Group D action, with Nigeria v South Africa plus Morocco v tournament minnows Benin.

Coverage of the group A game between Tunisia and Guinea from the Rades Stadium, Tunis. It's the final match of the group for the two sides and both will be under pressure to reach the knockout stages. Plus highlights of Rwanda v DR Congo.

Highlights of Tunisia v Guinea, and Rwanda v DR Congo.

Coverage of Senegal's group B clash with Mali in El Menzah. It's the final group game for both teams and they're expected to be battling for the top spot, so a particularly hard-fought match is likely. Plus highlights of Burkina Faso v Kenya.

The final games from group B as teams struggle for a place in the final eight. Senegal and Mali meet in El Menzah. Plus, Burkina Faso face an emerging Kenyan side in Bizerte.

Cameroon take on Egypt in the final group C game. Cameroon's developing striker Samuel Eto'o will be one to watch, as will Egypt's young forward Mido and playmaker Ahmed Hassan , who will need to be at his best to pick apart a defence that conceded no goals in the tournament until penalties in the final. With brief highlights of Algeria v Zimbabwe.

Best of the action from today's final games in group C. Defending champions Cameroon meet Egypt in Monastir in a match expected to decide who finishes top of the group. In the other game, 1990 champions Algeria face tournament newcomers Zimbabwe in Sousse.

Coverage of today's final group D match between Morocco and South Africa. Both sides are previous tournament winners but were handed a tough draw when they were placed together in a group with Nigeria. Fans will have had one eye on proceedings in Sfax where Nigeria took on Benin. Brief highlights follow the main game.

Highlights of today's FA Cup fourth-round replays. Which clubs have made it through the last 16 - and have there been any shock defeats?

Highlights of today's group D games in which Nigeria - whose side should feature Premiership stars such as Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu - take on Benin, while former champions South Africa play Morocco.

Coverage of one of today's two quarter-final matches from Tunisia. With the competition down to the knockout stage, each of the eight remaining teams could be just two games away from the final. Today's match sees a group A team take on a side from group B.

Quarter-final highlights as the winners of group A take on the runners-up in group B, while the team that topped group B face the second-placed team in group A.

Coverage of a quarter-final clash between qualifiers from groups C and D. Cameroon were expected to make it to the last eight from group C but got off to a lacklustre start with a 1-1 draw with Algeria. Group D favourites Nigeria, meanwhile, began their campaign with a poor performance in their 1-0 defeat to Morocco. Did the two African giants manage a comeback?

Garth Crooks presents highlights of the last two quarter-finals, in which the top two teams from both group C and group D battled it out in Monastir and Sfax.

Semi-final action as the tournament reaches a critical stage in Tunisia. Will favourites Cameroon, Senegal and Nigeria have made it through to this stage?

Semi-final action and only four teams are now left in the competition. Will favourites Cameroon, Senegal and Nigeria have made it through to this stage?

Coverage of the third-place play-off. Although the teams will be disappointed not to have made it to tomorrow's final, they'll both be striving for a win today to cement their place as the third-ranking team on the continent. The 2002 play-off in Mali was certainly a keenly contested affair - the hosts tried to physically intimidate Nigeria but came out runners up, as Portsmouth striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu snatched a 1-0 win for the Super Eagles.

Coverage from the Stadium of Light of this FA Cup fifth-round clash. In the previous round, Sunderland edged past first division play-off rivals Ipswich 2-1 at Portman Road, while Premiership side Birmingham had a similarly narrow win over Division One strugglers Wimbledon 1-0 at St Andrew's.

After 31 matches, the tournament is down to just two teams, battling it out at the Rades Stadium in Tunis. Will Cameroon have made it through to stand a chance of being the first ever nation to win the trophy on three consecutive occasions? And will other favourites Senegal have won their place?

FA Cup fifth-round highlights, including Sunderland v Birmingham, Fulham at home to West Ham, plus the Manchester derby and Tranmere v Swansea.

Garth Crooks presents highlights of the final from the 60,000-seater Rades Stadium in Tunis.

Coverage of the FA Cup fifth-round tie from Highbury. For the fourth season in a row, London's big two are battling it out in the competition, with Arsenal hoping to become the first team since the 19th century to win the Cup three times in a row, while Chelsea - who have not beaten the Gunners in the competition since 1947 - will be trying to set the record straight.

Highlights of the friendly matches between Portugal and England in the Algarve, and Wales and Scotland in Cardiff.

FA Cup fifth-round replay highlights.

Newcastle United v Valerenga. Coverage from St James' Park of Newcastle's Uefa Cup third-round, second-leg game against Norwegian side Valerenga. The Magpies will start as favourites to progress to the last 16 against a side who did not manage a win in the first two rounds of the competition.

Coverage from Fratton Park of this all-Premiership FA Cup quarter-final. Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has guided the Premiership new boys into the last eight for the first time since 1992 but they face a daunting task against the visitors from north London, who haven't been beaten in the competition since the final and are aiming for a record-equalling third successive triumph in the competition. But, in their fifth-round victory over Liverpool last month, Pompey have already shown that they can overcome supposedly superior opposition.

The best of the action from today's two FA Cup quarter-finals, in which Fulham travelled north to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, while Portsmouth played host to cup holders Arsenal.

Coverage from the New Den as the two FA Cup underdogs compete in the quarter-finals, ensuring another non-Premiership side will progress to the semi-finals. First division Millwall will start as favourites to reach their first FA Cup semi-final since 1937 and will be helped by the experience of player/manager Dennis Wise, who has been on three Cup-winning sides. But the Lions face fierce competition from second division Rovers, who have reached this stage of the competition three times in the last five seasons and are enjoying something of a renaissance under new manager Brian Little.

Action from tonight's FA Cup sixth-round replays.

Coverage from the Nou Camp of the second leg of Celtic's fourth-round tie against Barcelona. Martin O'Neill 's side were runners-up in the competition last year, beating the likes of Liverpool, Celta Vigo and Stuttgart, and will be hoping to go one better this time around. But first they have to make it past Barcelona to the quarter-finals, and on home soil the Spanish side will be no pushover.

Rangers v Celtic. The reigning champions bid to halt a four-match losing streak against their Old Firm rivals, who seem certain to succeed them as SPL kings. With a huge league lead, as well as progression to the last four of the Scottish Cup at the expense of Rangers, Celtic are on course for a domestic double.

Highlights of the friendly between Sweden and England in Gothenburg, one of Sven-Goran Erikson's last chances to assess players prior to Euro 2004.

Coverage from Villa Park of this all-Premiership FA Cup semi-final. Arsene Wenger's Gunners have swept all before them this season, so Alex Ferguson's United will have to be at their best if they are to keep alive their most realistic chance of silverware this season.

Villarreal v Celtic. Coverage from Spain of the Uefa Cup quarter-final second leg. Are Martin O'Neill 's Celtic side able to go one step nearer to emulating their march to the final last season against unfancied Villarreal?

Coverage of the annual showpiece event in the women's football calendar as London rivals clash at Loftus Road. Charlton endured the pain of defeat at the final hurdle last year when they were beaten by Fulham Ladies. The Addicks, recent winners of the Women's Premier League Cup, will be keen to make amends for that disappointment. This will be the north Londoners' sixth FA Cup final appearance in 12 years and they have won five of them.

Coverage of the climax of European football's second club competition from the impressive Nya Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg. The French team will be looking for goals from target man Didier Drogba, whose stunning brace in the semi-final against Newcastle ended English interest in the tournament. But their Spanish opponents, impressive throughout their own domestic season, will be hoping to make up for losses in their last two appearances in European finals, both times in the Champions League. Extra-time and the silver-goal rule will apply if the match is deadlocked at full-time, with penalties if the stalemate hasn't been broken by the end of the 30 minutes.

Coverage from Cardiff's Millennium Stadium of the 123rd final, in which the Goliaths of the north take on the south London underdogs. Having defeated holders Arsenal in the semi-finals United will be looking to win the oldest cup competition in the world for the 11th time. They face a Division One team who will be playing in Europe next season whatever the outcome, and who are the first non-Premiership outfit in the final since Sunderland in 1992.

Highlights of this afternoon's encounter at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, in which the mighty Manchester United took on the gritty south London underdogs Millwall.

Highlights of tonight's friendly between England and Japan.

Highlights of England's friendly against Iceland - Sven's last chance to assess his squad before they kick off their Euro 2004 campaign in Lisbon.

The 2004 European championship opens with what promises to be a close-fought Group A game at the Dragao stadium, Porto, between the tournament hosts and success-starved visitors Greece.

The European championship continues with coverage of the second Group A game, from the Estadio Algarve, Faro-Loule.

The opening match in Group B comes from Leiria as Jakob Kuhn 's Swiss team play Croatia. This is a crucial game for both teams with their next two ties being against group favourites England and France. Switzerland will look to playmaker Hakan Yakin for inspiration, while Rangers new signing Dado Prso should lead the Croatian attack.

The best of the action from England's crunch Group B clash against European championship holders France. Sven-Goran Eriksson's men will be hoping for a dream start to their campaign by beating the French in Lisbon, but a draw will be more than satisfactory against a team that possesses the combined skills of Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira.

The best of the action from today's Group C encounters between Denmark and Italy and Sweden and Bulgaria.

One of the most highly anticipated clashes of the tournament, between two giants of world football, kicks off at the Dragao stadium in Porto.

Re-runs of both opening encounters in Group D, in which Germany took on the Netherlands and the Czech Republic tussled with surprise qualifiers Latvia.

Coverage of this Group A clash from the Bessa stadium in Porto. Greece and Spain were in the same qualifying group, with Spain poised as favourites to top the table. However, in a reversal of expectations, Greece ended up winners while Spain only secured their place via a play-off against Norway.

Ray Stubbs presents highlights of the Group A encounter between Portugal and Russia, plus the best of the action from Spain v Greece.

England's Group B rivals compete in their second pool match with live coverage from the Dr Magalhaes Pessoa stadium in Leiria.

Another chance to see full coverage of England's second Group B match against Switzerland in Coimbra. Anything less than full points will be a disappointment for Sven-Goran Eriksson's men, but will the likes of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney fire in the desired goals?

Two teams who have never met before in a major tournament clash in this Group C encounter taking place at the breathtaking Braga Municipal stadium in the north of Portugal.

The best of the action from today's Group C encounter between Italy and Sweden. The Azzurri lost to France in the final in 2000 and will be focused on going all the way this year. But could the return from international retirement of Swedish striker Henrik Larsson throw a spanner in the works? Plus highlights of Denmark v Bulgaria.

A keen contest should be on the cards as the European championship enters its second week with live coverage of this Group D game, from Aveiro Municipal. There will also be action from Latvia's clash with Germany in Porto.

Spain v Portugal or Russia v Greece. At Lisbon's 52,000-seater Jose Alvalade stadium, hosts Portugal face Spain - a local derby that pits Real Madrid stars Luis Figo and Raul against each other. In the other scheduled match, Russia face Greece in Faro-Loule's Estadio Algarve. The Russians had the job of beating Wales in a play-off before reaching the finals, while the Greek's topped their qualifying group ahead of Spain. Dmitri Sychev - regarded as Russia's answer to Michael Owen - will be the man the Greeks need to watch.

With their first two pool matches gone, will Sven-Goran Eriksson's men still have it all to play for in their bid to qualify for the quarter-finals as they take on Croatia in Lisbon's Estadio da Luz? Includes highlights from Coimbra of the other Group B game between Switzerland and France.

The best of the action from today's final Group C matches in which Italy took on Bulgaria and Denmark played Sweden.

Ray Stubbs presents highlights of the final games in Group D, as Germany took on the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands played Latvia.

Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B. England could well be in action tonight at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon as the first quarter-final match gets underway. Portugal and Spain will be favourites to reach this stage from Group A as will England and France in Group B.

All the action from this evening's first European championship quarter-final tie.

Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A. Early success and English fans will be seeing their team compete in Lisbon's Jose Alvalade stadium as the top-placed team in Group B plays the runner-up in Group A. If England are not here, then it's more than likely it will be the French versus one from Portugal, Spain, Russia or Greece.

Action from the second quarter-final, where the top team in Group B - maybe England - will play the side that finished second in Group A.

Winner Group C v Runner-up Group D. Could Sweden upset the odds and be in action tonight - possibly against Holland, the Czech Republic or Germany? The third quarter- final gets under way in Faro-Louie on the Algarve.

Tonight's quarter-final action, with Ray Stubbs.

Winner Group D v Runner-up Group C. Porto's Dragao stadium plays host to the last remaining quarter-final tie. Group D, arguably the toughest of all, saw the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic and Latvia vying for success. Italy were the favourites to top Group C, but started their campaign slowly, while Sweden kicked off with a 5-0 win against Bulgaria.

Highlights from this evening's quarter-final tie.

A place in next Sunday's final awaits the winner of the first semi, taking place at Lisbon's Jose Alvalade stadium. This match could bring together the winners of Groups A and C but this tournament is well known for its disregard of the form book.

Action from this evening's semi-final showdown in Lisbon.

The second semi-final comes from the Dragao stadium in Porto. Potentially the winner of Group B and D could be facing each other tonight. Could it be a repeat of the thrilling 1996 semi-final between the Czech Republic and France which the Czechs won 6-5 on penalties?

All the action from this evening's second European championship semi-final tie.

With less than 24 hours to go, a look ahead to the showpiece final of this year's biggest competition, coverage of which begins tomorrow evening at 7pm.

Portugal's festival of football comes to a climax as the two teams left after three weeks of searching soccer examinations battle it out for the Henri Delaunay trophy in the European championship final.