MLS Cup Playoffs - Watch these
Kick-off for this playoff is at 20:00 ET / 00:00 GMT on MLS Live, SiriusXM FC, Fox Sports, UniMás, and Univision in the USA; Sky Sports in the UK; and MLS Live, TSN, and TVA Sports in Canada; beIN Sports in Australia.
DC United heads into this MLS Cup Playoff in awesome form. Led by Wayne Rooney and Luciano Acosta in attack, the Back and Red boasts a 10-match unbeaten run and has lost only twice since July 28. This turnaround in their form is mainly credited to the addition of the English forward, with the Man United icon helping lift the club from the bottom of the standings to a playoff spot.
Rooney has had a huge impact since arriving at DC United
Before Wayne Rooney joined DC United in June they were bottom of the table.
— TeamFA (@TeamFA) October 15, 2018
He's been directly involved in 16 goals in 17 matches and lifted the club are now in a play-off spot.
Unreal pic.twitter.com/RScaApCeTV
Colombus Crew will face the daunting task of traveling to Audi Field on Thursday. To make things worse, the Black and Gold struggled towards a playoff berth, grabbing the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference on Decision Day courtesy of a 3-2 win over Minnesota United. Additionally, they have won only twice in their last seven games. Can they shock Rooney and Co? Tune in to find out.
Los Angeles FC vs Real Salt Lake
Kick-off for this MLS Cup Playoff is at 22:30 ET/02:30 GMT on SiriusXM FC, ESPN, MLS Live, KMYU Utah, UniMás, and Univision in the USA; Sky Sports in the UK; TVA Sports, TSN, and MLS Live in Canada; and beIN Sports in Australia.
Los Angeles FC is the favorite to go through in this match-up. They may have missed out on the top spot in the Western Conference due to the 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City, but their campaign has been impressive nonetheless. In Carlos Vela and Diego Rosi, they have two men that have a combined tally of 26 goals and 23 assists. Furthermore, they beat Real by a combined 7-1 scoreline during the regular season.
Vela reflects on LAFC's first ever playoff
"We worked really hard all season to play in this game. Everybody is ready to win."
— LAFC (@LAFC) November 1, 2018
Carlos Vela has #LAFC focused on tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/D4ad1Yonhj
Real Salt Lake only made the playoffs due to LA Galaxy's slip-up on Decision Day. They booked their ticket by the skin of their teeth but will give it their all to secure a tie against Sporting Kansas City in the semis, nonetheless.
Carabao Cup - defending champion in action
On Thursday, fans will be treated to an English League Cup clash between two Premier League sides. This tie is scheduled at 15:45 ET/19:45 GMT on ESPN+ and SiriusXM FC in the USA; TalkSport Radio UK and BBC Radio in the UK; DAZN in Canada; and beIN Sports in Australia.
A few days after beating Tottenham at Wembley, Man City returns to action to defend their League Cup title with a clash against Fulham. Not only are Guardiola's men unbeaten domestically, but they also boast a lovely record against their London opponent.
The Citizens have racked up an impressive winning streak against Fulham
Manchester City have won their last six meetings with Fulham.
— Football Super Tips (@FootySuperTips) November 1, 2018
Will they make it 7 in a row?
Man City vs Fulham PREDICTIONS https://t.co/yJR0IRoZBB
(18+) pic.twitter.com/NIGWHUkv2p
As for the Cottagers, they have been on a poor run of results. They have not won a single game since their Carabao Cup third-round triumph over Millwall. That was their only victory in their last eight games, losing five and drawing two. Their odds are expectedly stacked up against them. Expect the Citizens to join Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham in the next round.
Copa del Rey action on the agenda
This game kicks off at 11:15 ET/15:15 GMT and will be aired on beIN Sports in the USA and Canada; and beIN Sports and Movistar in Spain.
The likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona may have secured progress on Wednesday, but there is one more intriguing cup game to be played on Thursday. That will be Real Sociedad's trip to Celta Vigo. La Real sits in 12th in La Liga but they have been good on the road, winning 10 of their 12 points away from home. As for Celestes, they recently brought their six-game winless run to an end and will be keen to build on that with a Copa del Rey triumph.
Today's big headlines
Cristiano plays down Messi's Ballon d'Or chances
When talking about the upcoming Ballon d'Or award, Ronaldo admitted that he is not sure whether his long-time rival will be on the podium.
"The same as usual, even if I don't know if Messi will be on the podium this time. So, let's say Salah, Modric, Griezmann, Varane, Mbappe — the French in general because they are world champions," the Portuguese ace said when talking about the favorites to win. He stated that he deserves to win the title and also challenged the other contenders to dominate football for a decade as he and Leo have done.
Salah sporting wrist problem ahead of Arsenal trip
Liverpool travels to Arsenal next weekend in a crucial league clash. Ahead of the game, worry emerged surrounding Salah after he was pictured sporting a wrist support during training. Fortunately, he appears destined to make the trip to the Emirates Stadium.
What to look forward to on Friday, November 2, 2018?
While a ton of key games are scheduled on Saturday, there will be interesting matches on Friday as well. Ligue 1 leader PSG will lock horns with Lille in the French top-flight while the CAF Champions League winner will be crowned in the Al Ahly vs ES Tunis final.
