by Tim Stannard

Diego Simeone admits “concentration” required to defend for 90 minutes in Liverpool Champions League clash

With all due respect to Tottenham, RB Leipzig, Valencia and Atalanta, Tuesday's Champions League clashes were not exactly an appetizer to Wednesday's fulsome fare, but the breadsticks that may have been at the table for a little too long. 

Today's match-ups are the really tasty treats. 

Until a couple of weeks ago, Atletico Madrid were facing a mission impossible against Liverpool in their Last 16 Champions League tie. Liverpool were imperious. Atletico definitely weren't. 

However, the steam has gone a little out of Liverpool's turbines of late which resulted in Atleti sneaking a 1-0 win against Liverpool in the Wanda in the first leg, a lead that Diego Simeone's side are going to hang onto for dear life in Anfield on Wednesday.

However, if there is one team capable of digging into a sporting trench it is the Rojiblancos. "It will require concentration," was the opinion of the understated Simeone. 

PSG are also facing a bit of an uphill battle. 2-1 down to the normally free-scoring Borussia Dortmund, Kylian Mbappe under the weather - angina - and not expected to start the game and no fans in the Parc de Princes. "We have a lot of things to think about, a lot of things to adapt to," sighed PSG boss, Thomas Tuchel also in understated mode in these strange times. 

The Sports Burst live show will be previewing both matches and pondering the immediate future of Jose Mourinho after last night's loss to RB Leipzig for Tottenham. 

Head to our beIN SPORTS USA Facebook page, YouTube channel and the beIN SPORTS XTRA channel at 12PM ET to have your say. 

Premier League postpones Manchester City v Arsenal after coronavirus scare 

Unfortunately, in what is set to be an added Sports Burst feature for the foreseeable future, here is the latest news on the coronavirus v sport battle. 

The English Premier League has felt its first impact with the late postponement of Wednesday's clash between Manchester City and Arsenal. 

The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure as several Arsenal players were recently in contact with Olympiakos owner, Evangelos Marinakis, who has since been diagnosed with the illness.

Those players are currently in self-isolation until Thursday which means that the EPL game between Arsenal and Brighton at the weekend is still set to go ahead. 

Speaking of Olympiakos and Wolverhampton Wanderers are none too happy to be travelling to play the Greek team for Thursday's Europa League Last 16 first-leg game which is set to take place behind closed doors. UEFA denied a request from Wolves to postpone the fixture.

Meanwhile, Getafe are taking a hardline stance and currently refusing to travel to Milan to face Inter on Thursday. The city is in virtual lockdown in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus and Getafe's president, Angel Torres, not unreasonably thinks that travelling there to kick a ball about is absolute folly. "If we lose the tie, then we lose the tie," said Torres. 

Aside from the cancellation of the Indian Wells tennis tournament, US sport has so far dodged any impacts to the coronavirus but that may not last much longer. 

The NBA has a conference call between the organization's board of governors and the commissioner's office scheduled on Wednesday to discuss options which are said to include franchises temporarily moving to cities non-impacted by the virus if public gatherings in their home base becomes an issue. 

One of those cities is set to be Seattle with a ban on public gatherings of over 250 people expected to be announced on Wednesday. This will effect an XFL game on Sunday. The MLS side, Seattle Sounders, are not due to play in the city until March 21st. 

Gloomy River Plate face Copa Libertadores clash with no fans allowed 

On to chirpier subjects and the Copa Libertadores Match Day 2 action continues on Wednesday across the beIN SPORTS network with the reigning champions of Flamengo at home against Barcelona. That's Barcelona of Ecuador. 

With Sports Burst having caught some of the team's soccer stylings recently, Barcelona of Ecuador could probably beat Barcelona of Spain at the moment. That match is live on beIN SPORTS at 8:30PM ET. 

River Plate are going to have to get over a severe funk that saw the Argentinean side blow the league title against Boca Juniors at the weekend in a home clash against Deportivo Binacional. Boca themselves were happy 3-0 winners over Independiente de Medellin on Tuesday night.

To make matters worse, River Plate are going to have to play the game behind closed doors. To buck the trend, this is not because of the coronavirus but a home Copa Libertadores stadium ban due to the violence from the 2018 final against Boca that forced the game to be played in Madrid. The wheels of sporting justice can sometimes turn slowly. 

That match is live on beIN SPORTS ESPANOL and CONNECT at 6:15PM ET. Both games form part of a huge night of South American soccer across the beIN SPORTS network.