Top games to watch this week
Friday, February 10
Cádiz vs Girona (La Liga)
Milan vs Torino (Serie A)
Schalke 04 vs Wolfsburg (Bundesliga)
Nice vs Ajaccio (Ligue 1)
Saturday, February 11
West Ham vs Chelsea (English Premier League)
Arsenal vs Brentford (English Premier League)
Leicester vs Tottenham (English Premier League)
Sevilla vs Mallorca (La Liga)
Lazio vs Atalanta (Serie A)
Bayern vs Bochum (Bundesliga)
Hoffenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)
Monaco vs PSG (Ligue 1)
Club World Cup: Al Ahly vs Flamengo (Third-place match)
Club World Cup: Real Madrid vs Al Hilal (Final)
América vs Necaxa (Liga MX)
Tigres UANL vs Pumas UNAM (Liga MX)
Pachuca vs Guadalajara (Liga MX)
Sunday, February 12
Leeds United vs Manchester United (English Premier League)
Manchester City vs Aston Villa (English Premier League)
Celta de Vigo vs Atlético Madrid (La Liga)
Villarreal vs Barcelona (La Liga)
Juventus vs Fiorentina (UEFA Champions League)
Napoli vs Cremonese (Serie A)
Sporting CP vs Porto (Primeira Liga)
Lyon vs Lens (Ligue 1)
Monday, February 13
Liverpool vs Everton (English Premier League)
Espanyol vs Real Sociedad (La Liga)
Sampdoria vs Inter (Serie A)
Boavista vs Casa Pía (Primeira Liga)
Tuesday, February 14
Milan vs Tottenham (UEFA Champions League)
PSG vs Bayern (UEFA Champions League)
León vs Puebla (Liga MX)
Atlético San Luis vs América (Liga MX)
Burnley vs Watford (EFL Championship)
QPR vs Sunderland (EFL Championship)
Wednesday, February 15
Club Brugge vs Benfica (UEFA Champions League)
Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea (UEFA Champions League)
Arsenal vs Manchester City (English Premier League)
Real Madrid vs Elche (La Liga)
Guadalajara vs Tijuana (Liga MX)
Necaxa vs Pumas UNAM (Liga MX)
Thursday, February 16
Barcelona vs Manchester United (UEFA Europa League)
Ajax vs Union Berlin (UEFA Europa League)
Salzburg vs Roma (UEFA Europa League)
Juventus vs Nantes (UEFA Europa League)
Bayer Leverkusen vs Monaco (UEFA Europa League)
Sevilla vs PSV (UEFA Europa League)
Sporting Braga vs Fiorentina (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Lazio vs Cluj (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Most-watched soccer games in the USA: January 30-February 5, 2023
With the Premier League returning to action after a short break for the FA Cup, the world's most popular club competition reclaimed its spot at the top of the podium for most-watched soccer games in the USA.
And it wasn't your average English top-flight fixture nor your average viewership number as Manchester City's clash with Tottenham on Sunday seized the number one spot with over one million viewers tuning in. To be precise, 1,109,000 people tuned in to watch Harry Kane net the only goal of the game, thus sealing the three points for the North London giants and becoming Spurs' all-time leading scorer.
However, as has been the case for some time, Liga MX captured the attention of soccer fans in the United States, with the next two slots going to games from the Mexican top flight. Tigres UANL, who are currently only a point adrift of the top spot in third, beat Cruz Azul 1-0 in a match watched by 800,000, thus claiming the number two spot on our list.
And finally, we have Queretaro's trip to Guadalajara, with that fixture ending in a 1-1 draw, garnering Telemundo 757,000 viewers. Here is how all soccer games ranked during the past week.
What are this week's must-watch games?
West Ham vs Chelsea live on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET on USA Network, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, and the NBC Sports App
Matchweek 23 in the Premier League kicks off with an interesting London Derby as Chelsea prepare to face West Ham in Saturday's early fixture. The Blues enter this tie on the back of their goalless draw with Fulham, thus leaving Potter's men with only two victories from their last 12 English top-flight matches. However, with Enzo Fernandez and Mykhaylo Mudryk establishing themselves in the lineup, Chelsea will aim to mount a late charge for the European spots. West Ham, on the other hand, are dangerously close to the relegation zone but their recent win over Everton and draw at Newcastle show that the Hammers got enough quality to soar up the table. Don't miss this clash.
Real Madrid face Al Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup final live on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 2, Fox Deportes, and the Fox Sports App
Will Real Madrid be crowned the best club in the world this weekend? This question will be answered on Saturday as Los Blancos prepare to face Al Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup final in Morocco. The UEFA Champions League holders brushed aside Al Ahly in the semifinals to get to this stage, beating the Egyptian giants 4-1 en route to the final. However, Al Hilal's unexpected 3-2 triumph over Flamengo in the previous round shows that they should not be underestimated. Led by Odion Ighalo and Salem Aldawsari, one of Saudi Arabia's breakout stars at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, "Al-Za'eem" will look to pull off the impossible: beating Los Merengues on the ultimate stage.
The Merseyside Derby is back! Liverpool host Everton live on Monday at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, and the NBC Sports App
The Merseyside Derby is back as Liverpool host Everton on Monday in a must-win game for the Reds. Jurgen Klopp's men are currently on a four-game winless run, losing three of those fixtures, and desperately need to bounce back from their 3-0 loss at Wolves over the weekend if they are to climb out of the 10th spot. Unfortunately, they face an Everton side led by Sean Dyche, the newly-appointed manager who led the relegation-battling club to a 1-0 victory over Premier League leaders Arsenal in his debut game. Will the well-known English tactician make it back-to-back wins over England's big six? Tune in to find out.
Title challengers Arsenal and Man City face off this Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. live exclusively on Peacock
This will be one of the games of the season! Premier League leaders Arsenal are set to host defending champions Manchester City this midweek in a game that could give the best possible hint as to who will win the title. Both clubs will be in action over the weekend, with the Gunners taking on Thomas Frank's tricky Brentford side while the Cityzens will host Aston Villa. The result of those games should have a tremendous effect on their Wednesday encounter. Arteta's side will want to maintain their five-point advantage over Guardiola's men before welcoming them to the Emirates Stadium. Will the newcomers triumph or will the experience of De Bruyne and Co. reign supreme? Don't miss this showdown.
PSG vs Bayern and Barcelona vs Man United headline the midweek action as European football makes its much-awaited return
European football is finally back, with the UEFA Champions League ushering in the return of the continental competitions. The round of 16 in UEFA's premier club tournament gets underway on Tuesday, with all eyes being on one fixture: PSG vs Bayern Munich. The French giants will be without Kylian Mbappe and a number of other key players but will seek revenge over the German giants after losing the 2020 final to the Bundesliga champions. Elsewhere, Serie A holders AC Milan host Tottenham while fellow Premier League giants Chelsea prepare to visit Dortmund.
Speaking of English clubs, this week will see a thrilling UEFA Europa League tie go down. Manchester United, who narrowly missed out on the top spot in their group, will take on Barcelona in the 1st leg of the Knockout Round Playoffs. With Marcus Rashford being in stellar form, Erik ten Hag's side will hope to get the better of the Blaugrana at Camp Nou. However, the Catalan giants have been unstoppable all season domestically and will look to carry that form into the UEFA Europa League despite crashing out of the UEFA Champions League in the group stage.
This week is set to be yet another exciting one for fans of women's soccer as it begins on Thursday with an intriguing London Derby clash featuring Chelsea and West Ham in the FA Women's League Cup. Later the day (or in the wee hours of the morning, depending on where you are based), there will also be a trio of matches from the Liga MX Femenil, starting with struggling Necaxa facing Querétaro.
Here's all you need to know ahead of the upcoming week in the world of women's soccer.
FA Women's Super League
Curiously enough, there will be two Arsenal vs. Manchester City matches played over the course of the next seven days. No, we are not talking about the top-of-the-table mouthwatering clash featuring Mikel Arteta's Gunners, who presently are the league leaders, taking on Pep Guardiola's Cityzens, who are the reigning Premier League champions sitting five points back.
But rather, another Arsenal-Manchester City tie will be unfolding in the FA Women's Super League. And like the huge one on Wednesday, the upcoming showdown on Saturday, February 11th, between Jonas Eidevall and Gareth Taylor, managers of Arsenal and Manchester City respectively, will be equally exciting for followers of the women's game. That's because the two teams are joint-tied on 26 points each and sit in the third and fourth spots respectively, meaning that whoever wins could put some serious pressure on league leaders Chelsea, who are not in action this weekend due to their involvement in the aforementioned FA Women's League Cup.
Another match that many will be watching closely is Tottenham vs. Manchester United, as it could change the dynamic in the title race. At the moment, Manchester United, who will be the visiting team on Sunday, February 12th, are in second, just two points behind Chelsea. As such, the Red Devils could leapfrog the Blues into the top spot should they get the job done against Rehanne Skinner's squad.
Primera División Femenina
Moving on to Spain, league leaders Barcelona will look to put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack when they travel to face floundering Deportivo Alavés on February 11th. The Blaugrana clinched the league title last term, and now boast a five-point lead at the table's summit. So far, things have gone very smoothly for Jonatan Giráldez's team, who have won all 18 of their league fixtures while outscoring their opponents by a whopping 80 - yes, that's 80 - to four. It's safe to say that their upcoming hosts Deportivo will be in for a long afternoon as they have won just three times all season and are presently on a four-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid, who are hoping to win what would be their first-ever league title this season, are five points behind Barcelona. Las Blancas finished third last time out and are currently on an 11-game winning streak; their sole defeat this term was a heavy 4-0 mauling by Barcelona back in November. They will host Sporting de Huelva, who have picked up just one point from their last five games and sit in 11th place on Sunday, February 12th, as this weekend's round of matches comes to a close.
Elsewhere, third-placed Levante, who have won their last five on the spin, will face newly promoted Levante Las Planas to kick off this round. The visiting side, who are coached by Natalia Astráin, secured progression by topping the second tier, but have found things quite difficult with ten defeats so far this season. That being said, they are in a slightly better spot than teams like Deportivo, albeit not by much - as they are just three points away from the drop zone.
Serie A (women)
In Italy, league leaders Roma will look to continue their march towards what would be a first Scudetto when they face Inter on Saturday. The Giallorosse, who finished second last season, are currently a very comfortable eight points clear at the top of the table. However, given how Juventus have won the last five titles in a row, it is safe to assume that Roma will not be content to rest on their laurels. As for the Nerazzurre, they are in solid form, with four wins from their last five, and come into their upcoming contest sitting in fourth.
Depending on the outcome of the Roma vs. Inter match, there could be some major shake-ups in the league standings, especially as Fiorentina and Juventus will be going head to head earlier on Saturday. The Viola and the Bianconere are tied on 34 points, albeit it's Juventus who sit in second thanks to their vastly superior goal difference. This game will be especially interesting as Fiorentina and Juventus are the last teams to win the league title in Italy over the last six years (one for Fiorentina, five for Juventus). More important, with Inter lurking behind hoping to move into second, neither team will be keen on dropping points as they look to close the gap on Roma.
Didn't find your favorite women's league on this list? No worries, as this is just a highlight of some of the exciting games coming up this week. Make sure to check out our women's soccer page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for full broadcast info, match updates, news, and more.
Biggest stories of the week
Man City issue official statement after being charged by the Premier League with over 100 financial breaches
Manchester City have broken their silence following the recent charges from the Premier League over financial breaches, with England's reigning champions issuing a statement via their website in response to the recent controversy.
On the day after their disappointing 1-0 loss away to Tottenham, the Cityzens were slapped with over 100 charges over alleged breaches of the league's financial regulations, ranging from the club's financial position and sponsorship revenue to the remuneration of players and managers.
Despite this, Manchester City claim to be taken aback by these charges. The club released an official statement, labeling this recent development as a surprise given the "extensive" proof against the accusations. Additionally, the Premier League champions have welcomed the decision to refer this case to an independent commission.
"Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with," the statement read.
"The Club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.
"As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all."
Nonetheless, the general consensus regarding this issue is that Guardiola's side are in tremendous trouble. In fact, the English giants could face a slap-on-the-wrist fine, a points deduction, or even expulsion from the Premier League itself — that is the harshest and thus least likely punishment.
Another blow to City is their inability to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. When the club were found guilty by UEFA over FFP breaches and overstated sponsorship income, the Abu Dhabi-owned side appealed the decision to the CAS and had it reversed. However, that option isn't available should the verdict from the independent commission go against the Premier League team.
Additionally, a statement from Pep Guardiola has resurfaced in which the Spanish tactician admits that he would leave the club immediately if they were found guilty of financial doping — though he reiterates his belief in their innocence. Could the Etihad Stadium side lose both their status in the English top flight and one of the greatest managers of all time? Given the scope of these allegations, expect a drawn-out legal battle to ensue before a verdict is issued.
Report: Liverpool ace "on the verge of summer exit" as a free agent
After five years at Anfield, Naby Keita's contract expires in the summer, and he is currently "on the verge" of leaving as a free agent, a report from the UK has revealed. The midfielder is yet to receive an offer for a contract extension and could be well on his way out of the club later this year.
Keita joined Liverpool in the summer of 2018 but has somewhat underachieved at the club since his arrival from RB Leipzig. The midfielder has had his stint marred by a series of injuries and has become more of a fringe player in Jurgen Klopp's side. With the club's struggles taking an unprecedented turn this season, a squad reshuffling is being anticipated this summer and Keita is expected to be among the players to leave.
On Monday, Sky Sports Germany reported that the Malian international is 'on the verge' of leaving for free when his contract expires this summer. A move to Turkish giants Galatasary was believed to be under consideration by the player and his representatives. However, the prospect of leaving has now reduced and the player is expected to see out the remainder of his contract at Liverpool.
Germany has been touted as the midfielder's most likely destination in the summer. However, the club of his choosing is yet to be known.
Juventus set to part ways with five players in attempt to clear the team's financial problems
It is a complicated time -again- to be a Juventus fan, and things are about to get worse for the Bianconeri with some of the exits they will have to endure this summer.
The team's new approach while the investigation against them for irregularities in their transfer books and wages has seen the Old Lady trying to cut as many expenses as possible, and that will effectively damage the team's ability to negotiate new contracts, both for new signings and their current players.
According to a report by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian side and its board, led by John Elkann, have decided to end all negotiations related to contract extensions or permanent transfers, which will see the club saving around $70M in wages and bonuses.
This decision will see up to five players leaving the club, starting with World Cup winners Ángel Di María and Leandro Paredes. Di María was in talks with Juventus to extend his deal, but those negotiations will not be continued. Meanwhile, Paredes is on loan from PSG, but Juve will not execute the buyout clause included in the deal.
The same goes for other players such as Juan Cuadrado, Alex Sandro, and Adrien Rabiot. The team's former board was inclined on keeping Cuadrado and Rabiot around, but their current legal turmoil has forced the new board members to let these players leave the club on free transfers next summer. In Alex Sandro's case, the player came close to leaving the club this winter, but negotiations were unsuccessful and now Juventus will have to let him leave on a free move as well.
The team's approach under coach Allegri will be to give players from their youth categories a chance to play for the first team, mainly because the investigation by the Italian authorities could still see the Bianconeri getting relegated to Serie B, where their budget and financial issues could take a further toll.
CLASS ACT: Cristiano and Dybala chip in to help earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria
It is time to give something back to the people that support footballers, and help for the victims of the massive earthquakes suffered in Turkey and Syria is seemingly on its way.
Turkish defender Merih Demiral has stepped up to try and help his countrymen by getting some of his colleagues to donate signed jerseys so they can be auctioned. The first ones to contribute to this cause were Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, and Leonardo Bonucci. Their jerseys are already up for grabs to those who want to help out.
"I spoke with Cristiano. He told me he was very sad for what happened in Turkey. We are going to auction Ronaldo's signed jersey from my collection. All proceeds of the auction will be used in the earthquake zone," the player wrote on Twitter yesterday.
His next move was to show how much money they had raised in this auction, adding the numbers and jerseys to a tweet.
The footballer later revealed that Atlético Madrid players Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann will help out by sending Demiral their signed jerseys for the same purpose.
If you want to help the Turkish people and bid for any of these jerseys, feel free to visit Merih Demiral's Twitter profile for more details.
Qatar-based investment group plan mega-money swoop for Manchester United
Manchester United are bracing themselves for a takeover, with investors from Qatar set to table an astronomical bid to test the resolve of the club's owners. A new report from the UK has indicated that the group is ready to submit a mouth-watering offer to the Glazer Family, with the hope of preventing a bidding war with other potential buyers in the coming days.
Ahead of the mid-February deadline set by the Glazers for the sale of Manchester United, several entities are said to be readying themselves for a tug-of-war. Key among the interested parties tipped to potentially become the new owners of the Red Devils is Britain's richest man and owner of Ineos, Jim Ratcliffe, who publically revealed his desire to acquire the club back in January.
However, the latest report from the UK suggests that the lifelong Manchester United fan could miss out on buying the club following the interest of the group from Qatar. With a net worth of over £335 billion, the investors are poised to match or topple the Glazers' asking price of £ 6 billion, according to the Daily Mail. Should the acquisition be completed, they will look to redevelop Old Trafford and build new state-of-the-art facilities to the tune of £ 2 billion.
"There are significant funds available," sources told the Daily Mail.
"These people are serious. They want to make sure that United are where they should be and they are confident theirs will be the strongest bid. They want to strengthen the squad to put them back at the top but they also want this to be for the good of the community.
"They also want to build on the success of the World Cup. They recognize that Manchester United is the biggest football club in the world, the crown jewels, and there is a steely-minded determination to buy it and get it to where it should be."
Just like Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the head of the Qatar monarchy - the Emir - Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is believed to be a staunch United fan who is familiar with the club's history. it is interesting to note that his decision to acquire the Premier League club comes on the back of a failed attempt to take over from the Glazer Family for a fee of £1bn back in 2011.
Meanwhile, manager Erik ten Hag is also believed to be in the plans of the Qatar investors. According to the Daily Mail, the Dutchman would be handed a huge transfer war chest to revamp the squad should the takeover be completed. Although no deadline has been established for the completion of the takeover, the Qataris are eager for the operation to be wrapped up quickly.
Other key headlines from the world of football
Mexico choose Liga MX coach to replace 'Tata' Martino as El Tri's boss
At long last, Mexico have decided to end their search for a new coach...and they have seemingly chosen a similar option to the one they had before.
Sources close to the Mexican Football Federation have confirmed that former Atlas coach Diego Cocca has won the "race" to become El Tri's new boss, beating Pachuca's Guillermo Almada and Miguel Herrera to the job.
Cocca, who is currently working with Tigres UANL, led Atlas to two consecutive titles in 2021 and 2022 and was seen by many as the last option to take Mexico's gig. According to previous reports, Guillermo Almada was the favorite to win the nomination, while Miguel Herrera's credentials for the job came due to the fact that he is Mexican, which seemed to be a major issue for the FMF representatives.
With Cocca still under contract with Tigres, the Mexican Federation is expected to negotiate with the club to let the coach join El Tri as soon as possible. If that cannot happen, then Cocca would be given the opportunity to finish the season with Tigres and work with Mexico's team in March, when El Tri is set to play two CONCACAF Nations League matches.
Liverpool and LeBron James unite to unveil new project
Although things have not been going so well for Liverpool on the pitch as of late, off the pitch, it is an entirely different story.
On Thursday, it was revealed that Liverpool have linked up with none other than NBA superstar LeBron James to unveil an innovative new collection. Called Liverpool FC x LeBron, the latest capsule compliments an earlier collaboration that featured some sleek new sneakers.
James, who currently plays for the LA Lakers, made history on February 7th as he became the NBA's all-time leading scorer. This has seen the 38-year-old surpass the record that had been held by the iconic Kareem Abdul-Jabbar since April 1984, and the basketball icon was seen previewing one of the shoes from the collection during the game.
Man United receive huge blow in their pursuit of Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen
Manchester United are on the hunt for a new striker and are expected to spend big on a marquee signing this summer. While Victor Osimhen is one name on their list of targets, the Nigerian superstar might not be attainable for the Premier League giants.
The 24-year-old is currently enjoying a stellar season with Napoli, scoring a whopping 16 goals in 17 Serie A appearances this term. As a result, Gli Azzurri are trailblazing their way to its first Scudetto title since 1990, with Spalletti's side sitting 13 points ahead at the top of the table. However, club president Aurelio de Laurentiis has handed a huge blow to all the interested parties, including Chelsea, stating that this season's Serie A top scorer isn't on the market.
"I can tell you that Osimhen is not for sale," De Laurentiis, who is known for being one of the toughest executives to deal with in European football, told Bild.
"Our players are in demand, but I don't have to sell anyone.
"We don't have any debts."
