Top games to watch this week
Friday, May 5
Bayer Leverkusen vs Köln (Bundesliga)
Mainz vs Schalke 04 (Bundesliga)
Casa Pía vs Portimonense (Primeira Liga)
Saturday, May 6
Bournemouth vs Chelsea (English Premier League)
Manchester City vs Leeds United (English Premier League)
Tottenham vs Crystal Palace (English Premier League)
Liverpool vs Brentford (English Premier League)
Milan vs Lazio (Serie A)
Roma vs Inter (Serie A)
Werder Bremen vs RB Leipzig (Bundesliga)
Benfica vs Sporting Braga (Primeira Liga)
Lens vs Marseille (Ligue 1)
Real Madrid vs Osasuna (La Liga)
Cincinnati vs DC United (MLS)
SJ Earthquakes vs LAFC (MLS)
Toronto FC vs New England (MLS)
Dallas vs St. Louis City (MLS)
Cruz Azul vs Atlas (Liga MX)
Pachuca vs Santos (Liga MX)
Sunday, May 7
Newcastle vs Arsenal (English Premier League)
West Ham vs Manchester United (English Premier League)
Atalanta vs Juventus (Serie A)
Napoli vs Fiorentina (Serie A)
Borussia Dortmund vs Wolfsburg (Bundesliga)
Pacos de Ferreira vs Sporting CP (Primeira Liga)
Troyes vs PSG (Ligue 1)
Seattle Sounders vs Sporting KC (MLS)
León vs San Luis (Liga MX)
Tigres vs Puebla (Liga MX)
Monday, May 8
Fulham vs Leicester (English Premier League)
Brighton vs Everton (English Premier League)
Nottingham vs Southampton (English Premier League)
Arouca vs Porto (Primeira Liga)
Middlesbrough vs Coventry City (Championship)
Millwall vs Blackburn Rovers (Championship)
Preston North End vs Sunderland (Championship)
Swansea vs WBA (Championship)
Tuesday, May 9
Real Madrid vs Manchester City (UEFA Champions League semfinal 1)
Charlotte vs Orlando City (US Open Cup)
New York RB vs DC United (US Open Cup)
Chicago Fire vs St. Louis City (US Open Cup)
Minnesota United vs Philadelphia Union (US Open Cup)
Wednesday, May 10
Milan vs Internazionale (UEFA Champions League semfinal 2)
Cincinnati vs New York City (US Open Cup)
Houston Dynamo vs Sporting KC (US Open Cup)
Nashville SC vs Dallas (US Open Cup)
LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders (US Open Cup)
Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake (US Open Cup)
Thursday, May 11
Juventus vs Sevilla (UEFA Europa League)
Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen (UEFA Europa League)
Fiorentina vs Basel (UEFA Europa Conference League)
West Ham vs AZ (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Most-watched soccer games in the USA: April 24-30, 2023
One of the most interesting weeks in soccer came and went, and perhaps one of the best games in the season took home the honor of the most-watched match in the United States for the past seven days.
The game in question was none other than the roller-coaster ride of a game Liverpool and Tottenham gave us on Sunday, which saw the Reds taking all the points after a 4-3 win. In terms of audiences, over 730,000 English-speaking fans watched the game on USA Network, while over 300,000 Spanish-speaking enthusiasts followed the match on Telemundo, which means that over one million average viewers witnessed Sunday's showdown.
The runner-up spot went to another Telemundo match, this time being a Liga MX clash between Guadalajara and Mazatlán. Over 750,000 average viewers saw the game adding up the audience tallies between Telemundo and Universo, making it quite a successful broadcast for the Spanish-speaking network.
The third spot in this ranking went to another Premier League match. Manchester City's 2-1 away win against Fulham rounded up over 500,000 viewers that witnessed how Pep Guardiola's men kept a major advantage to win the Premier League title after Arsenal's fall from grace.
What are this week's must-watch games?
Milan vs Lazio live this Saturday at 9 a.m. ET exclusively on Paramount+
AC Milan are gearing up for a crucial week as the Italian giants face second-placed Lazio in a crucial fixture in this season's Serie A top-four race. This tie comes a few days before the Rossoneri's UEFA Champions League semifinal showdown with Inter Milan, meaning Leao and Co. will need to win this fixture. Meanwhile, Maurizio Sarri's side are the second-best team in the country but are only a point ahead of Juventus. On the other hand, Pioli's men have dropped to sixth and need to climb back up the Serie A table immediately.
Newcastle vs Arsenal live this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET on USA Network, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, and the NBC Sports App
While Arsenal's Premier League title hopes cannot be mathematically ended at St. James' Park, the Gunners head into Sunday's clash with Newcastle knowing that they need to win in order to keep up pace with league leaders Man City. The North London giants recently ended their four-game winless streak by beating Chelsea 3-1 on Wednesday but will face a tough test against Eddie Howe's men. The Magpies are third in the table and after drawing nil-nil at the Emirates Stadium, the hosts should fancy their odds of winning.
West Ham vs Manchester United live this Sunday at 2 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock
Manchester United's 1-0 loss to Brighton on Thursday means that Ten Hag's men cannot afford any more slip-ups between now and the end of the table. The Red Devils are in fourth, sitting four points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool with a game in hand, but will want to avoid a nervous end to the campaign. The Hammers, meanwhile, are 15th in the table and sit four points above the relegation zone. As a result, while a defeat will not be catastrophic, Moyes' men will need to capitalize off of the home advantage when Manchester United come rolling into town.
UEFA Champions League semifinals kick off as Real Madrid vs Manchester City and AC Milan vs Inter headline the midweek action on Paramount+, CBS, TUDN USA, VIX+, and Univision
The UEFA Champions League, everyone's favorite continental club competition, returns this midweek as the semifinal round gets underway. Four teams will battle it out for a spot in the final, with Real Madrid vs Man City being the standout clash. Los Blancos are the defending champions and overcome the Cityzens in dramatic fashion last season en route to the title. However, Guardiola's side have gone up another notch thanks to the addition of Erling Haaland and are now on the hunt for the treble.
The other semifinal will see the Millan Derby take place as two of Italy's greatest teams will lock horns. AC Milan overcame newly-crowned Serie A champions Napoli in the quarterfinals while the Nerazzurri beat Benfica to reach the last four. These two clubs have met three times already this season, with Inzaghi's men winning twice, meaning form favors Inter.
Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen headlines the UEFA Europa League semifinal action live on Paramount+ and VIX+
The UEFA Champions League isn't the only European competition to keep an eye on as the Europa League semifinal also gets underway. The two first-leg ties will take place this Thursday, with Roma's showdown with Leverkusen being the key game as Jose Mourinho looks to overcome his former player Xabi Alonso to guide the Giallorossi to back-to-back European trophies.
The other fixture will see Juventus and Sevilla lock horns as Allegri aims to get his hand on silverware. The Spanish side, on the other hand, have struggled domestically but overcame Manchester United 5-2 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to reach the penultimate round.
The 2022/23 UEFA Champions League finalists have been now decided, with Barcelona and Wolfsburg set to lock horns in the final next month in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, the title races in several top leagues continue to get underway.
Here's all you need to know ahead of another week of women's soccer.
Women's Super League
The title race in the 2022/23 Women's Super League continues, with Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea all still in the running. The Blues, who were eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona, will now need to turn their attention back towards domestic affairs when they welcome Everton on Sunday. Emma Hayes's side are four points behind current league leaders Manchester United, but still have two games in hand as opposed to their fellow title contenders.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, who were also knocked out of the Champions League following their loss to Wolfsburg, will kick off this round with a home match against Leicester. Although the visiting team have been in bad form, they still do come into this match having won two on the spin, and will hope that they can try to spring an upset against the Gunners, who lost their last Super League game against Manchester United last month.
Speaking of Manchester United, the Red Devils, who are three points ahead of Manchester City, will look to make it five wins on the trot when they host relegation-threatened Tottenham on Sunday. The Red Devils could be as much as six points clear of Manchester City if they can pick up another three points, meaning that City will need to ensure they can also beat a Liverpool side who have won just one of their last five fixtures.
Frauen-Bundesliga
Meanwhile, over in Germany, Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich remain locked in a tense race for the league title. Wolfsburg, who are one point behind Bayern, will come into their upcoming game against Köln having successfully seen off Arsenal in the Champions League semifinals, while Bayern will travel to face Essen on Saturday.
Struggling Turbine Potsdam, who thought they had started to string some good results together, unfortunately were beaten 1-0 by Essen last time out and now will hope to avoid another loss when they host Hoffenheim this weekend.
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 special women's soccer page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for full broadcast info, match updates, news, and more.
Major League Soccer: Preview, news, and broadcast details for Matchday 11
The 2023 MLS season is in full swing, and fans will be kept entertained throughout the weekend with an action-packed Saturday. The Eastern Conference is still being led by New England Revolution and Cincinnati following their one-all draw last time out, while the Seattle Sounders still have a narrow one-point lead over the chasing pack in the Western Conference.
Will we see some shake-ups in the league standings by the time the dust settles this weekend? Here's all you need to know ahead of matchday 11 in MLS.
How to watch Matchday 11 in the 2023 MLS season
Last weekend saw New England and Cincinnati play out to a one-one draw, meaning that the two teams are still joint-tied for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Revs are still ahead thanks to their better goal difference vs. Cincinnati's (+7 vs +2), and will hope to pull clear of everyone else when they face Toronto on Saturday. Simultaneously, Cincinnati will be in action at the same time against a DC United side who have won three on the spin and could potentially pose some problems for their upcoming hosts.
Meanwhile in the Western Conference, table-toppers Seattle Sounders will wrap up matchday 11 with a home game against Kansas City on Saturday. By the time the Sounders take to the pitch, they could have slipped down to third if St. Louis and Los Angeles win their respective games against Dallas and San Jose Earthquakes the day before.
Some fans, especially those in the USA and Canada, will be able to follow some of these games on TV. However, for those who can't access MLS games via TV or prefer a more flexible option, MLS Season Pass offers live streaming of MLS matches in over 100 countries worldwide.
Top news of the week in Major League Soccer
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Colorado Rapids tie makes history
Although last Saturday's game between struggling Vancouver Whitecaps and Colorado Rapids ended as a bore draw, the game nonetheless made its name in the history books.
That's thanks to the officiating team, which was made up of three women for the first time ever. Indeed, for the first time in nearly three decades (28 to be exact) fans got to see an MLS game that had women fill all roles when it comes to officiating, with Tori Penso, Brooke Mayo, and Felisha Mariscal tasked with keeping everything running smoothly.
The game was mostly without any major incidents, save for late in the second half when Penso gave the Rapids a penalty, but Diego Rubio's effort from the spot was saved by Whitecaps shot-stopper Yohei Takaoka to keep the score-lines level at 0-0.
They can't handle our league! MLS boss speaks out following Wrexham's promotion
Wrexham's return to the Football League for the first time in 2008 has earned the small club quite a bit of supporters - including A-listers over in Hollywood thanks to Ryan Reynolds's investment. The Welsh club also features in an interesting docu-series called "Welcome to Wrexham", and now, following a record-breaking campaign that has helped them secure promotion to League Two, people all over the world are buzzing about what's next for the ambitious club.
MLS boss Chris Klein, who's the president of LA Galaxy had his own thoughts on Wrexham's potential when asked in a recent interview with the Athletic. Klein noted that Wrexham, who will face LA Galaxy's reserves this summer, would not likely do well in MLS because of how the league has grown and developed over the years.
"[I'd] like to think that they would struggle in MLS, because of how far we've come as a league, but you wouldn't really be able to tell that unless you were able to see them over a 34-game season", he noted during the interview.
"But I would like to think that our first division here in the United States is a higher level [than a lower tier from the UK]".
Make sure to check out our special Major League Soccer page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for full broadcast info, match updates, news, and more.
Biggest stories of the week
Messi handed two-week suspension from PSG for making trip to Saudi Arabia
Life for Lionel Messi as a PSG player is getting more complicated with each passing minute, and this latest decision by the club could push the 2022 World Cup winner further away from the French side with his contract about to expire.
The player has been suspended for two weeks after failing to show up to the team's training session on Monday. Initially, the players were supposed to have two days off after the Lorient game, but their 3-1 defeat prompted coach Christoph Galtier to summon all players for another training session. Messi had already taken a plane to Saudi Arabia as a tourism ambassador for the country, which prevented him from training with his club.
According to L'Equipe and RMC Sport, the Argentine ace had already asked for permission to make that trip, but he was denied that request by both the sporting director and Galtier himself. Regardless of their indications, Messi skipped the training session to honor his commercial commitment, which did not go down well within the club.
Messi's actions have prompted PSG to sanction the Argentine with a two-week ban from all training sessions, no payment for the next two weeks, and his absence from the team's fixtures against Troyes and Ajaccio. Sources close to the club revealed that president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was behind this decision, as he "failed to honor his duties as an employee of the team," according to the French media outlets.
This decision by PSG's execs comes with Messi's deal set to expire in June. The club had initially offered Messi a contract extension last winter, but with the team's early exit from the UEFA Champions League and Messi's increasing wage demands, club owners seem to be preparing for life without the Argentine ace. While there could still be time to patch things up between the player and the club, it seems far-fetched to think that La Pulga will sit down to negotiate after being handed such a harsh punishment. Will this decision by Les Parisiens push the footballer back to Camp Nou or to other clubs? Only time will tell.
Barcelona reportedly considering shock move following referee scandal
Barcelona might be on course to win La Liga, but there are plenty of other worries for the Blaugrana at the moment.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that the Spanish giants have found themselves mired in controversy following their decision to pay a senior executive, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, over $7.4 million (€7 million) between 2001 and mid-2018. Negreira is a former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees, an organizing body that helps in the organization (promotion and demotion) of referees and thus is involved in the decision-making process behind who gets to referee specific games.
According to a witness statement from Negreira, Barcelona's payments were to ensure that they would receive referees who would guarantee that decisions went in their favor. While the Blaugrana have vehemently denied this, the fact remains that they are still under investigation and could face some harsh punishments, including being banned from European competitions by UEFA for next season.
Although other sources have claimed that investigators have not been able to conclusively prove that Barcelona paid to influence officiating decisions per se, they can still be found guilty of other administrative violations and interfering in key processes. To that end, the team's executive board are apparently weighing their options carefully, and that includes the possibility of looking to play in another league entirely.
This is not the first time Barcelona have been linked with breaking away from La Liga. Back in 2015, the Blaugrana were offered the chance to play in Ligue 1 by then-Prime Minister Manuel Valls as Catalonia, where Barcelona are based, was voting on whether they wished to become independent from Spain. Should that have passed, there were concerns that Barcelona might not be allowed to remain in Spain's top flight.
Eight years later, there are rumblings that the link between Barcelona and La Liga could come under some serious strain. This time, there have been other leagues floated around, including the cash-rich Middle East. It's a shocking thought for Barcelona to be no longer affiliated with one of the world's top leagues, and it remains to be seen if this latest trouble turns into something more serious or if it turns out to be really much ado about nothing.
Frank Lampard lands unwanted 21st-century record as Chelsea collapse to defeat vs Arsenal
Frank Lampard has suffered another low after leading Chelsea to another defeat in the Premier League on Tuesday night. The 47-year-old English coach was left reeling as the Blues suffered a humiliating 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, leaving him with an unwanted record in this century.
The former Chelsea midfielder approached the London derby looking for an unlikely redemption after losing the first five league matches he took charge of. However, his desire was not met, with Arsenal adding to their woes to temporarily return to the top of the Premier League table.
A double from Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus' strike handed the hosts a three-goal advantage ahead of the first-half break. In the second half, Chelsea managed a consolation goal as Noni Madueke scored his first-ever goal for the club but could not inspire a comeback.
The defeat means that Lampard is now the first English manager in the 21st century to lose each of the last 10 consecutive matches he has taken charge of across all competitions. Consequently, he equaled Arthur Cox's record which was achieved with Derby in 1988. Relatively, it is also the first time since 1993 that Chelsea have lost six games in a row.
Currently, the Blues are in 12th position with 39 points, and with a game in hand, they are nine points above the relegation zone. Addressing the media after the game, Frank Lampard stated his desire to oversee a turnaround in the shortest possible time.
"I motivate them and I do my job. I understand my role as an interim, in my short time here, and the more I'm here, I'm becoming more practical about it with the players that do show. Of course, as the club moves forwards that will have to be the case all of the time. I don't care about the factors, all I care about is seeing a better first half than I saw."
He added: "The players care, trust me. Chelsea fans may talk about players not caring but I don't believe it."
"The lads want to do well but have to understand what that means every day, from training on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. How you prepare, maintain yourself".
Unhappy Cristiano reportedly decides to leave Al-Nassr just months after Saudi Pro League move
It might have been just a few months ago when Cristiano Ronaldo moved to the Saudi Pro League, but according to recent reports, the iconic attacker is already frustrated with life at Al-Nassr and is keen on leaving.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner moved to the Middle-Eastern giant after his Manchester United contract was canceled by mutual agreement in the aftermath of his bombshell Piers Morgan interview.
Since then, he has gone on to score 12 goals in as many appearances for Al-Nassr, who are reportedly paying the 38-year-old superstar a whopping $215M per year. However, Ronaldo isn't enjoying his time with the Saudi club, nicknamed "Al-Alami", and according to El Nacional, the player has decided to leave.
A number of reasons were cited in this report, mainly the cultural difference between life in Europe and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the language barrier has made life all the more difficult for him in Riyadh.
Ronaldo wishes to return to Europe and one city in particular: Madrid. The Spanish capital is where CR7 met his current partner Georgina Rodriguez, with even his significant other yearning for a return to Spain.
The 38-year-old spent nine amazing years in Madrid playing for the city's, and arguably football's, biggest club Real Madrid. There he won four UEFA Champions League titles, three FIFA Club World Cups, and two La Liga crowns, as well as many other trophies. Additionally, he became Los Blancos' all-time top scorer, netting a whopping 451 goals in 438 competitive appearances.
His love for the city was a huge reason why Cristiano was keen on a move to Atletico Madrid when Real Madrid closed the doors on a Santiago Bernabeu return following the attacker's Manchester United exit.
Neither Florentino Perez nor Carlo Ancelotti wanted the Portuguese icon back. However, the Merengues president is ready to welcome the five-time Ballon d'Or winner back to the club but not in a playing role. El Nacional states that Ronaldo "will not lack work at the Santiago Bernabéu" but the offer currently on the table is an ambassador role.
Other key headlines from the world of soccer
Erling Haaland becomes single-season top scorer in Premier League history
Andy Cole and Alan Shearer needed 42 games to score 34 Premier League goals and accomplish a record back in the 90s. Erling Haaland only required 31 games...and he has already made that milestone his own.
The Norwegian ace accomplished a couple of records with his goal against West Ham, claiming the top spot when it comes to a single-season tally in Premier League history. Added to this, Haaland has also become the player with the most goals scored in his debut season in the English top flight, a record that was also owned by Andy Cole.
This goal came in handy for Manchester City to take a two-nil lead against West Ham in a somewhat tricky game for Pep Guardiola's men, who had goals by Nathan Aké and Phil Foden to claim three more points in their run to win the Premier League title.
Barcelona teenage sensation makes La Liga history with appearance in Betis win
15-year-old Lamine Yamal has entered Barcelona's history books following his involvement in Saturday's La Liga victory over Real Betis. The La Masia academy star has become the youngest-ever player to make an appearance in La Liga for the Catalans after being handed his debut in the league by Xavi at Camp Non.
Touted as the next big thing to come out of Barca's famed talent cradle, there had been serious anticipation surrounding when Yamal could potentially be handed the chance to introduce himself to the Camp Not faithful. Against Atletico Madrid, the young attacker was included in the match day squad list but ended up being an unused substitution as his side cruised to a narrow win over Diego Simeone's side.
Against Betis, the opportunity arrived for Yamal in the 84th minute, as he would come in to replace Andreas Christensen. Although a goal from the latter, as well as Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and a Guido Rodríguez own goal, had already handed the Blaugrana a four-goal lead, the Barca prodigy almost made it a memorable debut by getting close to scoring.
Regardless, he became the fifth-youngest player to appear in La Liga. Currently, Mallorca's Luka Romero is the youngest player to feature in La Liga, having been given the opportunity to come on against Real Madrid in 2020, aged 15 years and 219 days.
Huge Jude Bellingham update as Real Madrid win the race for Dortmund's midfield sensation
The race for Jude Bellingham has been won. Despite all the links to Liverpool and Manchester City over the past few months, the highly-rated Englishman, regarded by many as the best young midfielder in world football, is on the brink of signing for Real Madrid.
This bombshell was initially revealed by Marca, the Madrid-based newspaper that is a reliable source for everything Spanish football. The news was later corroborated by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who added that personal terms are all but agreed.
Los Blancos aim to finalize a deal for the Three Lions sensation this month as they wish to avoid any further complications if things drag on. If completed, fans will have Juni Calafat, the club's Chief Scout, to thank as he played a key role in this battle after staging several meetings with the former Birmingham City midfielder.
This will be tremendous news for the Spanish giants as they prepare for the inevitable departures of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, two world-class midfielders who are sadly on the wrong side of 30 and thus in the twilight of their careers.
Bellingham would join Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Federico Valverde to complete a young but outrageously talented midfield pack.
