Top games to watch this week
Friday, February 2
Tajikistan vs Jordan (Asian Cup)
Australia vs South Korea (Asian Cup)
Querétaro vs Cruz Azul (Liga MX)
Athletic Club vs Mallorca (La Liga)
Heidenheim vs Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
Strasbourg vs PSG (Ligue 1)
Nigeria vs Angola (AFCON 2023)
Congo DR vs Guinea (AFCON 2023)
Argentina vs Uruguay (CONMEBOL Olympic Games Qualifying)
Chile vs Paraguay (CONMEBOL Olympic Games Qualifying)
Saturday, February 3
Iran vs Japan (Asian Cup)
Qatar vs Uzbekistan (Asian Cup)
Everton vs Tottenham (English Premier League)
Newcastle vs Luton Town (English Premier League)
Deportivo Alavés vs Barcelona (La Liga)
Frosinone vs Milan (Serie A)
Bayern vs Borussia Mönchengladbach (Bundesliga)
Darmstadt vs Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)
Famalicao vs Sporting CP (Primeira Liga)
Porto vs Rio Ave (Primeira Liga)
Ajax vs PSV (Eredivisie)
Tigres UANL vs Pumas UNAM (Liga MX)
América vs Monterrey (Liga MX)
Mali vs Cote d'Ivoire (AFCON 2023)
Cape Verde Islands vs South Africa (AFCON 2023)
Sunday, February 4
Chelsea vs Wolves (English Premier League)
Manchester United vs West Ham (English Premier League)
Arsenal vs Liverpool (English Premier League)
Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid (La Liga)
Inter vs Juventus (Serie A)
RB Leipzig vs Union Berlin (Bundesliga)
Benfica vs Gil Vicente (Primeira Liga)
Lyon vs Marseille (Ligue 1)
Hong Kong vs Inter Miami (Club Friendly)
Atlético San Luis vs Guadalajara (Liga MX)
Monday, February 5
Brentford vs Man City (English Premier League)
Rayo vs Sevilla (La Liga)
Roma vs Caglari (Serie A)
Tuesday, February 6
Comunicaciones vs Monterrey (CONCACAF Champions League)
Real Estelí vs América (CONCACAF Champions League)
Mallorca vs Real Sociedad (Copa del Rey semifinal 1st leg))
Coventry City vs Sheffield Wednesday (FA Cup)
Plymouth Argyle vs Leeds United (FA Cup)
Southampton vs Watford (FA Cup)
Bayer Leverkusen vs Stuttgart (DFB Pokal)
AFC Asian Cup - Semi-final 1
Wednesday, February 7
Mainz vs Union Berlin (Bundesliga)
Atlético Madrid vs Athletic Club (Copa del Rey semifinal 1st leg)
Nottingham Forest vs Bristol City (FA Cup)
Aston Villa vs Chelsea (FA Cup)
Herediano vs Toluca (CONCACAF Champions League)
Forge vs Guadalajara (CONCACAF Champions League)
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Tigres UANL (CONCACAF Champions League)
Pachuca vs León (Liga MX)
Vissel Kobe vs Inter Miami (Club Friendly)
PSG vs Brest (Coupe de France)
AFCON - Semi-final 1
AFCON - Semi-final 2
AFC Asian Cup - Semi-final 2
Thursday, February 8
Palmeiras vs Ituano (Campeonato Brasileiro Série A)
Huracán vs Independiente (Argentine Primera Division)
Al Hilal vs Al Nassr (Saudi Pro League)
Most-watched soccer games in the USA: January 22-28, 2024
The viewership numbers for soccer matches watched in the USA between January 22 and 28 are in, and with no Premier League fixtures having taken place bar one match, a significant drop was witnessed.
Only one fixture in the top three came close to reaching one million average viewers and that was Club America's goalless draw with Necaxa. This game, which earned Univision an average viewership of 866,000, saw the Eagles surrender the top spot to Monterrey, albeit only on goal difference — the two Liga MX outfits are tied on 10 points each.
Speaking of Monterrey, they came second on this list thanks to their showdown with San Luis, which they won 3-1. To no one's surprise, it was Univision's coverage of this game that garnered the most eyeballs, with 579,000 average viewers tuning in to TelevisaUnivision's Spanish-language free-to-air television network.
And finally, in the absence of Premier League soccer, La Liga made its way onto the podium. Unfortunately for Barcelona fans, it was their embarrassing 5-3 loss at home to Villarreal, a result that ultimately forced Xavi Hernandez to step down as manager at the end of the campaign, that got the nod.
Just under 250,000 average viewers caught this game on ESPN Deportes as the Catalan powerhouse clawed back from 2-0 down to take a 3-2 lead before collapsing in the final few minutes of the game.
As mentioned, only one Premier League fixture features, albeit not in the top three most-watched games. That was Brighton's goalless draw with Wolves on USA Network, with just over 200,000 average viewers catching this match. The country's top sides were either in FA Cup action during the week (Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester) or, in Arsenal's case, had a break due to an early elimination from the cup.
For a full breakdown of last week's most-watched soccer games in the USA, click here.
What are this week's must-watch games?
Nigeria vs Angola kicks off the AFCON 2023 quarterfinals this Friday live on beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN SPORTS en Español, and beIN SPORTS
The Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal stage kicks off this Monday, with favorites Nigeria taking on Angola in the opening fixture. The Super Eagles have been picking up pace since their disappointing 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea in their opening game, beating Ivory Coast and Cameroon since. Can Osimhen and Co. keep this running against Angola?
This is merely one of four quarterfinal matches taking place on Friday and Saturday, with DR Congo vs Guinea, Mali vs Ivory Coast, and Cape Verde vs South Africa following. All games will be aired live in the USA via beIN Sports, beIN SPORTS en Español, and streaming platform beIN SPORTS CONNECT.
Deportivo Alavés vs Barcelona live this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
La Liga giants Barcelona resume their season with a trip to Deportivo Alaves this Saturday. The Catalan giants bounced back from their embarrassing 5-3 defeat at home to Villarreal by overcoming Osasuna by a goal to nil, with Vitor Roque scoring his first goal for the European heavyweights. However, with Xavi stepping down at the end of the season and Lewandowski and Co. sitting 10 points behind in the title race, things continue to look gloomy for the defending champions.
Arsenal vs Liverpool live this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET on Peacock
Several exciting Premier League clashes will take place this weekend, with Manchester United facing West Ham, Tottenham traveling to Everton, Manchester City visiting Brentford, and Chelsea locking horns with Wolves. However, all eyes will be on one fixture: Arsenal vs Liverpool.
This game could make or break the Gunners' title aspirations. Arteta's men trail league leaders Liverpool by five points and an eight-point deficit could prove unsurmountable for the North London heavyweights. However, Jurgen Klopp's men are without Mohamed Salah and could be without Darwin Nunez as well. Furthermore, despite winning 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium in their recent FA Cup encounter, the Reds struggled for the most part and will need to be at their best. Do not miss this showdown.
Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid live this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+
Bitter rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid lock horns for the third time in less than a month! Simeone's men got the last laugh in the most recent Madrid Derby, leading his side to a 4-2 triumph over Los Blancos in the Copa del Rey. However, 10 points separate the two in La Liga, with Ancelotti's men sitting top of the table while Los Rojiblancos trail behind, making this a must-win fixture for the visitors.
Inter vs Juventus live this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET on Paramount+
And finally, we have a top-of-the-table Serie A showdown between Inter Milan and Juventus. Both sides have only lost once this entire season, with the Nerazzurri holding the no.1 spot with 54 points while the Old Lady are only one point behind. These two Italian giants have already met, locking horns in late November and playing out a one-all draw. However, Inzaghi's side will have the home advantage and will want to turn that into a victory. Catch the action live this Sunday at Paramount+.
With most of the top leagues in women's soccer in full swing, that means plenty of games for fans worldwide to tune into as some of these matches surely will impact the title race.
Here is all you need to know ahead of another week of women's soccer.
What to watch in women's soccer: February 2nd to February 4th
WSL
In England, reigning champions Chelsea lead the table by three points, and the Blues will naturally be aiming to try to put some distance between themselves and the chasing duo of Manchester City and Arsenal when they face struggling Everton. The pressure surely will be on Emma Hayes's team to pick up all three points as Chelsea could find themselves dropping down to second place if Manchester City win their match against Leicester earlier on Saturday. Meanwhile, Arsenal, who sit in third and are still hoping to stay in the title race, could pull level on points with Chelsea if they can earn a victory against West Ham.
Liga F
With Barcelona still in cruise control, it looks pretty much guaranteed that the Blaugrana will successfully defend their league title. Barring a shocking collapse, Barcelona are expected to make it 15 wins out of 15 Liga F games against relegation-threatened Sporting de Huelva this weekend. That means that the battle for having a chance to compete in the Champions League is getting a lot more interesting. Currently, Real Madrid sit in second spot, with a narrow two-point lead over teams like Levante, Madrid, and Atletico Madrid. Las Blancas will take on 11th-placed Valencia, while Levante and Atletico Madrid, who sit in third and fifth respectively, will lock horns in an intriguing battle on Saturday.
Serie A (Women)
A mouth-watering clash is on the cards as Juventus and Roma square off on Sunday. Although five points separate the Giallorosse, who are the reigning Scudetto holders, from the Bianconere, Juventus certainly will be hopeful of closing the gap as Roma were recently beaten 2-0 by Inter to potentially blow the title race door back open.
Elsewhere, Fiorentina, who played to an exciting two-all draw against Juventus this past Monday, will also be hoping to move up the table when they travel to face Milan on Saturday. If the Viola can win that match, they will temporarily leapfrog Juventus into second spot and close the gap on Roma to just four points.
What to watch in women's soccer: February 5th to February 8th
Frauen-Bundesliga
Following their heartbreaking early UWCL exit, Bayern Munich will need to pick themselves up and move on quickly as they will have some work to do in the Frauen-Bundesliga. Die Roten currently sit in second spot, and could be as much as four points behind Wolfsburg if Die Wölfinnen beat Werder Bremen in their away match on Saturday. Bayern are in action on Monday against Freiburg in a must-win match, and all eyes will be on Alexander Straus's team to see how they react after their European disappointment last week.
Coppa Italia Femminile
This week also features some Coppa Italia matches, with Serie A sides like Juventus, Roma, Fiorentina, Milan, and Inter Milan all involved as the second leg of the quarterfinals gets underway on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Juventus, thanks to their 4-0 win over Sampdoria in the first leg, are firmly in control to secure a spot in the semifinals. Milan also recorded a comfortable victory in the first leg, beating Sassuolo 3-0 to put themselves in good stead to head to the final four. Arguably, the two crunch ties will feature Fiorentina and Inter, who played to a 2-2 draw last month, as well as Roma, who shockingly were beaten 2-0 by struggling Napoli and now will have a lot of work to do if they want to avoid an embarrassing exit.
From Napoli's perspective, it appears that the Coppa Italia is their only shot at redemption as the Partenopei are looking set to be sent back down to Serie B unless they can make up some lost ground.
FA Women's League Cup
Over in England, there are also some cup games taking place in the FA Women's League Cup. Arsenal, who are the most decorated side in this competition, will get the quarterfinals underway when they travel to face second-tier side London City Lionesses on February 7th. Other key games taking place in this round include Chelsea vs. Sunderland and an all-WSL clash featuring title contenders Manchester City against Tottenham.
Top news in women's soccer
Shocking early UWCL exit for Bayern Munich
Eight teams have now secured their spot in the knockout rounds, and there are some surprise inclusions as well as some exclusions. Barcelona, Benfica, Lyon, Brann, PSG, Ajax, Chelsea, and BK Häcken will all be competing in the quarterfinals, which is set to get underway in March.
A close look at this list reveals a shocking absence - Bayern Munich. Group C truly was the most interesting quartet of this year's group stages as in addition to Bayern, it also featured Roma, PSG, and Ajax. And true to form, things went down to the final day. Unfortunately for Bayern, their UWCL journey ended in heartbreak as they somehow threw away a 2-0 lead over PSG to ultimately draw 2-2, with Georgia Stanway scoring an unfortunate own goal that saw Bayern's run in the UWCL end.
NWSL Bay City secure huge signing with Barcelona's Asisat Oshoala
Some exciting news is on the horizon for NWSL fans, especially those who will be supporting new club Bay City. The California-based outfit have secured the signing of none other than Barcelona star Asisat Oshoala, who was linked with a move away from Spain in the last days of the winter transfer window.
The 29-year-old Nigerian international is widely regarded as one of the best African players to ever grace the women's game, with a record-setting six African Women's Footballer of the Year titles to her name. During her time with Barcelona, she scored over 100 goals in under 150 appearances for the Spanish powerhouse - a feat that surely Bay City fans will be hoping to see her replicate as the team aims to successfully navigate its first season in the NWSL.
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.
Biggest stories
Xavi steps down as Barcelona boss following 3-5 loss to Villarreal
The legendary midfielder, who led the Blaugrana to a league title and the Super Copa crown last season, will not continue coaching the Catalan side next season, as he believes he is not the right man to lead their re-build.
Speaking in the press conference following their loss to Villarreal, Xavi admitted things need to change for Barcelona to thrive, which means he will not be around for next season. The coach did not allow any questions before he shared his views on the game.
"Before you ask me all the relevant questions, I would like to announce that I will step down as Barcelona's coach on June 30. I have spoken about this decision with president Laporta and Rafa Yuste (the team's vice president). The current situation demands for a course correction, and as a culé, I can't allow this to continue," Xavi stated. Read more…
Huge blow: Barcelona starlet ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury
Things have gone from bad to worse for Barcelona as one Blaugrana starlet has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury.
That player is Alejandro Balde, who suffered an injury during the club's embarrassing 4-2 loss to Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey recently. The initial reports suggested he would be sidelined for a couple of weeks but the Spanish club have now released an official statement regarding his fitness and the assessment turned out far worse.
As revealed by the club, the 20-year-old has suffered an injury to the tendon in his right hamstring and will thus undergo surgery. While Barcelona did not reveal an official timeline, his layoff is clear: the highly-rated fullback will not play again this season. Read more…
Van Dijk shockingly casts Liverpool future in doubt with recent comments following Klopp's decision to step down as manager
Liverpool will sadly be tasked with the daunting task of replacing Jurgen Klopp but will the Anfield superstars follow the German tactician out the door?
Club captain Virgil van Dijk has sparked this fear following recent comments he made about his future following the manager's bombshell decision. The center-back is entering the final year of his contract but when asked about extending his time at Anfield, the 32-year-old gave a cryptic response.
The defender refused to answer when asked if he will be part of Liverpool's next era once Klopp steps down at the end of the season, instead revealing that he will be closely following who the club appoint to replace the 56-year-old and his current coaching staff.
"That's a big question. I don't know," the Dutchman responded when asked if he will be a figure in Liverpool's next era. Read more…
Premier League's VAR officer set to introduce game-changing feature
Things have not been as great as everyone expected with the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee in England. Recent incidents such as the one between Liverpool and Tottenham -and many others- made fans question if the tool was going to help soccer at all. But this time, the referees will get a chance to share with the world what they decided after looking at the monitor.
After a few tests that took place in Portugal and Mexico, Premier League officers will also adopt a new way to let fans know what happened during the use of the Video Assistant Referee. This decision will force referees to explain with their microphones their decisions to both fans at the stadium and those who are watching on television.
FIFA's International Board has approved English referees to adopt this trend, although it will be confirmed in March when Premier League officers meet to share their views on the project. Read more…
Official groups and rules for 2024 Leagues Cup revealed
The upcoming edition of the Leagues Cup will be the second to feature all teams from Liga MX and Major League Soccer. The first run of this tournament under the current format saw Lionel Messi's Inter Miami claiming the title against Nashville, which incidentally became the first where a Major League Soccer club took the trophy home.
Liga MX teams criticized the competition due to several problems caused by complicated logistics, which saw them travel several miles between matches. Now, there will be certain Liga MX clubs that will be granted some perks, which will keep them in a single venue until later stages of the tournament. América, Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Tigres UANL are the teams that will enjoy that benefit.
Just like last year, 45 teams have been drawn into fifteen groups. Eight of those will belong to the West, leaving seven for the East. Two more teams, one from each league, have been given a bye and were already handed a spot in the knockout stage. Those teams are the 2023 MLS Cup champions, Columbus Crew, and the Apertura 2023 holders, América. Read more…
ESPN+ announces February coverage with over eighty matches
Soccer fans in the United States will have quite a few games to keep their eyes on if they are subscribed to ESPN+, ESPN's premier streaming platform.
The service has announced its coverage for February, where they will get the chance to follow over 85 matches from different competitions.
It will be a busy month for Spanish teams, as there will be over 20 league matches to watch this month. Out of those, the most notable game will be the latest edition of the Madrid Derby, where Real Madrid will welcome Atlético weeks after their exit from the Copa del Rey.
The German Bundesliga will also be featured on ESPN+. There will be over 30 games to follow, with a possible title-deciding clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern ready to carry a big audience. Read more…
Arteta reveals what happened as two key Arsenal players clash at full-time following narrow Forest win
While Arteta and most of his men were all smiles at full-time following Arsenal's crucial 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest, two players clashed on the pitch in front of the cameras. Those men were Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
While this bust-up did not turn physical, the coaching staff and Arteta himself had to intervene to prevent things from taking a turn for the worse. This incident did not go unnoticed, with TNT Sports asking the Spaniard what led to this incident.
The Gunners boss revealed that it was due to the goal Arsenal conceded. Mikel stated that his players were frustrated with letting the clean sheet slip, hence the confrontation. Read more…
Mourinho reportedly ready to join Manchester United if Ten Hag leaves
Jose Mourinho's exit left a lot of dry eyes among Manchester United fans, since most believed his time with the club was rather disappointing and failed to live up to the hype. Despite those thoughts shared by many, the Portuguese boss seems "determined" to go back to Old Trafford, especially if the club continues with its shaky form and Erik Ten Hag is sacked by the new administration, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
In an interview published by the Daily Mail, members of Mourinho's closest circle revealed that the Special One has "unfinished business" with the Red Devils, which would see him gladly joining the club if asked to do so. As per the article, Mourinho believes he could work properly with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is expected to lead a big overhaul next summer.
The coach believes that Ratcliffe's involvement would do wonders for his cause, mainly because Mourinho struggled quite a bit when hiring reinforcements due to the team's transfer policy during his time at Old Trafford. If given the chance to return, Mourinho reportedly believes he could do wonders for the team. Read more…
Other key headlines from the world of soccer
Juventus given worrying news ahead of crunch clash against Inter
Juventus will come into Sunday's highly-anticipated showdown against Inter Milan having won four of their last five Serie A games, but the Bianconeri might have some concerns on their hands in terms of personnel. As per multiple reports, Timothy Weah was unable to take part in training earlier this week due to an illness which could potentially rule him out of Sunday's clash against Inter. Continue reading…
Man Utd boss Ten Hag adamant Rashford "case closed"
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag insisted Wednesday he had dealt with Marcus Rashford's absence from the FA Cup tie against Newport and it was now a matter of "case closed". Ten Hag claimed Rashford was absent from United's 4-2 fourth-round win in south Wales on Sunday by saying he was ill on Friday.
But reports over the weekend suggested the England forward had spent Thursday evening at a Belfast nightclub before missing training with United the next day. Continue reading…
Messi's Miami face double Mexican meeting in Leagues Cup
Inter Miami and Lionel Messi will face Mexican teams Tigres and Puebla in this season's Leagues Cup, Major League Soccer announced on Wednesday.
Inter Miami are defending champions in the tournament, which brings together all 47 top-flight teams from MLS and Mexico's Liga MX. Messi led Miami to victory over Nashville in last year's tournament final, the club's first trophy since signing the Argentine World Cup winner. Continue reading…
