Weekend TV Preview: 20 - 22 May

Friday 20 May

17.30 Rubin Kazan v Lokomotiv Moscow, Russian Premier Liga, ESPN/ESPN HD

Rubin play hosts to the league leaders who haven't lost a match since April 9th. One of those fixtures that historically has gone either way, so for a prediction we'll just toss a coin and have done with it.

19.45 Shrewsbury Town v Torquay United and Accrington Stanley v Stevenage, League Two Play Off Semi Final 1st Leg, Sky Sports 1 / HD1

The boys at the Mostly Football podcast have used science to work out who will win this League 2 Play-Off final. Using the head-to-head results from the regular season, they've deduced that Accrington will get safe passage through to League One next season, and I for one believe them.

Saturday 21 May

15.00 Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish FA Cup Final, Sky Sports 2 / HD2

The Bhoys put four (FOOER) past Motherwell at the weekend, but they'll be aware of the weakened side their opponents put out and won't expect the same again. A match which has become of equal importance to Celtic's season as it was always going to be to Motherwell's.

15.15 Neath FC v Prestatyn Town, Welsh Europa League Play Off Final, S4C

Both teams will be hoping to surpass the limited success of Port Talbot Town and Llanelli who reached the First Qualifying Round of this season's Europa League and got no further. Home support could be key, as is so often the case.

15.00 Luton Town v AFC Wimbledon, Blue Square Premier League Play Off Final, Premier Sports

1988 was a tremendous year if you supported either of these clubs. The former won the League Cup Final, the latter the FA Cup Final, both beating teams of far higher standing than themselves. For the sake of their fans, let's hope this is the first rung on the ladder back up to such exalted heights.

19.00 Levante v Zaragoza, La Liga, Sky Sports 1/HD1

A win for Zaragoza could not only haul themselves out of the bottom three but also see 12th-placed Levante replace them. The latter's actually unlikely in real terms, but Madam Mathematics can sometimes be a surprising mistress...

19.30 FC Schalke 04 v MSV Duisburg, DFB-Pokal Final, ESPN/ESPN HD

Football Fairground will be sending its ace reporter Terry Duffelen to the German Cup Final and you can expect a full report from the match on his next Bundesliga Show podcast when he returns. Meantime, Schalke's season couldn't end quickly enough as they finished their campaign with one draw and six straight defeats. Second-tier Duisberg weren't much better - they finished 8th in the 2.Bundesliga and were as consistent as Bisto made from cattle effluent.

22.30 Flamengo v Avaí, Brazilian Serie A, Premier Sports

Avai got news for you - a new season of the Brazilian Serie A kicks off again with these two underperformers harbouring dreams of unseating current champions Fluminense. And dreams are probably about as far as their ambitions will probably go, given how they both finished in the bottom seven last season.

03.00 (Sunday) Chivas USA v LA Galaxy, MLS, ESPN/ESPN HD

A Justin Braun hat-trick surprisingly earned Chivas all three points against New York Red Bulls on Monday. Surprising, yet Landon Donovan, David Beckham and co. won't be too concerned given Chivas' inability to beat Western Conference leaders Galaxy in any of their last ten meetings since 2007.

Sunday 22 May

16.00 Man Utd v Blackpool, Premier League, Sky Sports 1/HD1

For those of a nervous disposition, this match will contain scenes of euphoria, vomit-inducing celebratory sequences and a wasteful use of red and white confetti. Quite whether Blackpool can beat Man United's mish-mash of lower lights and second-string starlets remains to be seen, but we genuinely wish them the very best of British luck in their efforts.

16.00 Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City, Premier League, Sky Sports 2/HD2

Both teams have won just one game in the last seven - more of a worry to relegation-threatened Birmingham than Spurs who have lost just once at home in the league all season. Strangely, Tottenham are aiming for the one thing Birmingham City are assured of next season - a berth in the Europa League - while Birmingham would settle for another season in the Premier League.

16.00 Stoke City v Wigan Athletic, Premier League, Sky Sports 1 Red Button

Let's face it - it's been a decent season for Stoke, but right now they'd rather be anywhere than on a football pitch. This could work in Wigan's favour as they go for the three points they need to keep them in the Prem. Expect much split-screen chicanery and regular use of the 'GOAL ALERT' caption during the course of the afternoon as Sky go into complete last-day-of-the-season meltdown.

19.45 Udinese v Milan, Serie A, ESPN/ESPN HD

Milan have secured the title once again, so all that's left is for Udinese to get a draw here and all but secure fourth place to get them into the Champions League qualifiers next season. A superb campaign no matter what the outcome for the Zebrette.

20.00 Grêmio v Corinthians, Brazilian Serie A, Premier Sports

More Samba Soccer here, and this time an altogether better clash between the teams that last season finished third and fourth. Both are hoping to qualify for the Copa Libertadores again where Gremio managed to at least reach the knockout stages.

22.00 River Plate v San Lorenzo, Argentine Primera Division, Premier Sports

River Plate's decent start to the season is starting to unravel. San Lorenzo's was never really ravelled in the first place.

Chris O