Top games to watch this week
Friday, September 24
Greuther Fürth vs Bayern München (Bundesliga)
Sporting CP vs Maritimo (Primeira Liga)
Gil Vicente vs Porto (Primeira Liga)
Saturday, September 25
Chelsea vs Manchester City (EPL)
Manchester United vs Aston Villa (EPL)
Brentford vs Liverpool (EPL)
Deportivo Alavés vs Atlético Madrid (La Liga)
Real Madrid vs Villarreal (La Liga)
Spezia vs Milan (Serie A)
Inter vs Atalanta (Serie A)
Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg (Bundesliga)
Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
Vitoria Guimaraes vs Benfica (Primeira Liga)
PSG vs Montpellier (Ligue 1)
Chicago Red Stars vs. Portland Thorns (NWSL)
América vs Guadalajara (Liga MX)
Sunday, September 26
Arsenal vs Tottenham (EPL)
Barcelona vs Levante (La Liga)
Juventus vs Sampdoria (Serie A)
Lazio vs Roma (Serie A)
PSG vs. Paris FC ( D1 Féminine)
Manchester United vs. Chelsea (FA Women's Super League)
Arsenal vs. Manchester City (FA Women's Super League)
Tuesday, September 28
Shakhtar vs Inter (UEFA Champions League)
Porto vs Liverpool (UEFA Champions League)
PSG vs Manchester City (UEFA Champions League)
Real Madrid vs Sheriff (UEFA Champions League)
Milan vs Atlético Madrid (UEFA Champions League)
Borussia Dortmund vs Sporting CP (UEFA Champions League)
Atlético Mineiro vs Palmeiras (Copa Libertadores)
Pachuca vs América (Liga MX)
Wednesday, September 29
Juventus vs Chelsea (UEFA Champions League)
Benfica vs Barcelona (UEFA Champions League)
Bayern vs Dynamo Kyiv (UEFA Champions League)
Manchester United vs Villarreal (UEFA Champions League)
Barcelona vs Flamengo (Copa Libertadores)
Thursday, September 30
Sturm Graz vs PSV (UEFA Europa League)
Olympique Lyonnais vs Brondby (UEFA Europa League)
Legia Warszawa vs Leicester City (UEFA Europa League)
Fenerbahce vs Olympiakos (UEFA Europa League)
Celtic vs Bayer Leverkusen (UEFA Europa League)
Olympique Marseille vs Galatasaray (UEFA Europa League)
Zorya vs Roma (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Feyenoord vs Slavia Praha (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Tottenham vs Mura (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Most-watched soccer games on U.S. TV: Sept. 14-20
NBC's Premier League broadcast of Aston Villa's 3-0 thrashing over Rafa Benitez's Everton averaged 631,000 viewers, making it the most-watched soccer game on U.S. TV from Tuesday, Sept. 14, through Monday, Sept. 20.
The second most-watched game in the USA last week was Manchester United's dramatic 2-1 away win against West Ham United at London Stadium. An average of 572,000 fans on NBCSN watched David De Gea save West Ham legend Mark Noble's penalty in injury time to give the Red Devils three points.
Three other Premier League matches were screened on NBCSN last week, including Arsenal's 1-0 away win at Burnley. That game drew 356,000 average viewers. NBCSN's average viewership for all five games was 327,000.
TUDN's screening of Toluca taking down Liga MX leader Club America 3-1 at home on Saturday was the third-most watched soccer game in the USA. The broadcast drew 379,000 average viewers. The Spanish-language channel also broadcasted 12 other soccer games, averaging 200,000 viewers per game.
What are the must-watch games this week?
Chelsea vs Man City this Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET live on NBC Sports, Universo, fuboTV, and Sling
Matchweek 6 in the Premier League kicks off this Saturday at 7:30 a.m. with the best possible matchup as defending champions Man City visit title favorites Chelsea in the early fixture. All eyes will be on this game as one of two things can occur: either the Cityzens will bring the high-flying Blues back down to earth or Lukaku and Co. will add the kings of England to their growing list of victims.
The recent 0-0 draw with Southampton has seen Guardiola's men drop to fifth, with the Etihad Stadium side now trailing Tuchel's table-toppers by three points. While that gap is not huge, defeat at the Bridge for Man City will confirm what many already suspect to be true: that this is Chelsea's title to win. With an emphatic win over Tottenham and Arsenal, and an impressive draw at Anfield, the Blues appear to be unstoppable this season. Do not miss this clash!
Real Madrid vs Villarreal this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET live on ESPN+
The standout fixture in La Liga this weekend is the showdown between Real Madrid and Villarreal, as the current Spanish top-flight leaders look to get the better of the Europa League champions in what should be an interesting tie. Los Blancos, having missed out on the title to city rivals Atletico Madrid last season, will be keen on maintaining their excellent form, having won all but one of their opening six fixtures. Their most recent outing was a 6-1 triumph over Mallorca, a victory that helped Ancelotti's side establish a two-point lead at the top. Unai Emery's men, on the other hand, are also yet to lose a single game but the Yellow Submarine have managed only one victory so far. ESPN+ will be the live broadcasters for this tie for fans in the United States so make sure to mark your calendars.
Arsenal vs Tottenham live this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET live on NBC Sports, fuboTV, and Sling
The North London Derby is back! Arsenal and Tottenham are gearing up to face off, with the Emirates Stadium being the venue for this showdown. These two sides enter this clash with opposing form, with the Gunners winning three in a row, beating Norwich, Burnley, and Wimbledon without conceding a single goal. Spurs, on the other hand, have lost back-to-back top-flight fixtures with an aggregate score line of 6-0. This is in contrast with how these neighboring sides began the season, with Arteta's men losing their first three and Nuno's side triumphing in their opening three outings. Who'll win this edition of the North London Derby? Tune in on Sunday to find out the answer.
Paramount+ continues live coverage of 2021/22 UEFA Champions League with Tuesday's PSG vs Man City headlining this round
The UEFA Champions League resumes this weekend, with Paramount+ continuing its live coverage of the highly-acclaimed club tournament. Round two of the 2021/22 group stage kicks off on Tuesday, with the highlight fixture of the upcoming matchday being PSG vs Man City. All eyes will be on Lionel Messi, if the Argentine is deemed fit for this Parc des Princes tie, as the six-time Ballon d'Or winner looks to get off the mark for Les Parisiens in his reunion with Pep Guardiola and the Spaniard's Man City side.
That is not the only interesting fixture set to take place. That same day, AC Milan will host Atletico Madrid in their first UCL game at the San Siro since 2014. The following day, Italian giants Juventus will welcome defending champions Chelsea while Man United will lock horns with Villarreal in a repeat of last season's UEFA Europa League final.
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This week in women's football will see ATA streaming seven games from four European leagues exclusively, TUDN screening an NWSL game for the first time and three Liga MX Femenil games live in the USA.
Seven games exclusively streaming on ATA Football
ATA Football will bring its subscribers seven high-profile league matches from four different competitions across Europe this weekend.
Division 1 Feminine
The seven games will begin on Friday with league-leaders Olympique Lyonnais taking on En Avant Guingamp at home. The Paris Derby between reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC will close out Division 1 Feminine play for the weekend.
Friday, Sept. 24:
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Lyon vs. Guingamp at 12:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 26:
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PSG vs. Paris FC at 6:45 a.m. ET
FA WSL
Everton and Birmingham City, two of the four WSL clubs yet to register points this season, will go toe-to-toe at Walton Hall Park on Saturday morning. This game will make way for two blockbuster matchups on Sunday.
ATA will have exclusive coverage of Manchester United's clash against Chelsea at Leigh Sports Village and Arsenal's matchup against Manchester City at Meadow Park on Sunday.
Saturday, Sept. 25:
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Everton vs. Birmingham at 6:30 a.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 26:
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Manchester United vs. Chelsea at 7:30 a.m. ET
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Arsenal vs. Manchester City at 1:45 p.m. ET
Serie A
Juventus are in a four-way tie with Milan, Roma, Inter and Sassuolo three games into the 2021-22 Serie A campaign. A win over Empoli this weekend can help separate La Vecchia Signora from all her foes.
Saturday, Sept. 25:
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Juventus vs. Empoli at 6:30 a.m. ET
Primera Division
This season's Primera Division title might not be as easy to win as it was for Barcelona last year. Atletico Madrid are back and looking for vengeance. Therefore, the Blaugranes must win against Valencia to stay at the top of the league.
Saturday, Sept. 25:
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FC Barcelona vs. Valencia Feminas CF at 6 a.m. ET
How to watch NWSL games this weekend
The Chicago Red Stars and Portland Thorns will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month when their NWSL game on Saturday airs on Spanish-language channel TUDN USA. The game will also be available in English on Paramount+ in the USA and Twitch internationally.
Saturday, Sept. 25
NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. North Carolina Courage at 3 p.m. ET
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USA: Paramount+
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International: Twitch
Chicago Red Stars vs. Portland Thorns at 8 p.m. ET
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USA: TUDN USA, TUDN.com, TUDN App, Paramount+, Univision Now, UniMas
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International: Twitch
Sunday, Sept. 26
Racing Louisville vs. Houston Dash at 3 p.m. ET
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USA: Paramount+
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International: Twitch
Washington Spirit vs. Kansas City NWSL at 5 p.m. ET\
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USA: Paramount+
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International: Twitch
OL Reign vs. Orlando Pride at 7 p.m. ET
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Internationally/USA: Twitch
Three Liga MX Femenil games streaming in the USA
Soccer fans in the USA will be able to watch three Liga MX Femenil Apertura matches this weekend, including a game between league-leaders Tigres UANL and sixth-place Tijuana.
Monday, Sept. 27
Santos Laguna vs. Monterrey at 6 p.m. ET
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ESPN+
Tigres UANL vs. Tijuana at 8 p.m. ET
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TUDN.com, TUDN App
Chivas Guadalajara vs. Pachuca at 10 p.m. ET
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Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
Biggest stories of the week
Cristiano Ronaldo overtakes Messi in key ranking following Man Utd move
The events of the 2021 summer transfer market will certainly be among the most talked about for years to come, and that's namely due to the shocking transfers of arguably the two biggest players in world football: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Well, one great thing about the beautiful game is its rather unpredictable nature, and now we have Cristiano back at Manchester United, where he first became a global icon, while Messi, for the first time in his professional career, has decided to try his luck in France with capital giants PSG. Yet, both superstars have had vastly contrasting fortunes since securing their respective big money moves in terms of goals scored, with Ronaldo opening his accounts in both the Premier and Champions League while Messi's still waiting for his debut PSG goal.
Ronaldo is also "winning" so far off the pitch, as for the first time in several seasons, the 36-year-old Portuguese superstar now has reclaimed his spot as the top earner in world football for the 2021/22 year, as per American publication Forbes. This season will see him earn a cool $125 million before taxes, with $70 million of that haul coming from taxes and other bonuses.
Messi, meanwhile, will be paid $110 million - certainly not a small sum - but still less than his top rival. Other players in the top ten include Messi's new teammates Neymar (third, $95 million) and Kylian Mbappe (fourth, $34 million), plus Ronaldo's new colleague Paul Pogba (eighth, $34 million).
Cristiano overtakes Messi as the highest paid footballer in the world
Fans demand Solskajer's sack as Man Utd crash out of EFL Cup after West Ham defeat
Manchester United fans are demanding for the sack of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after failing to guide the club to the next round of the Carabao Cup. The Red Devils were dealt a massive blow in their pursuit for the domestic cup after suffering a 1-0 defeat to West Ham on Wednesday night. Less than a week ago, the two teams had gone head-to-head in a cagey Premier League encounter which ended in a 2-1 score line in favor of the men in red. On Wednesday, the London club got their revenge as Manuel Lanzini's early goal proved to be the decider. With United failing to progress to the fourth round, supporters of the club took to social media to ask for Solskjaer's dismissal with the Norwegian failing to deliver in successive games in cup competitions this season.
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman walks out on press conference after only reading pre-written statement
It would be an understatement to say Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman is under pressure. However, on Wednesday, day before their midweek goalless draw with Cadiz, the Dutch tactician held a strange press conference which many have interpreted as his farewell speech to the fans.
The 58-year-old head coach has long been linked with an exit. After the Blaugrana's disastrous collapse last season, club president Joan Laporta was said to have been keen on sacking the Dutchman only to give him one last chance due to the Catalan giants' horrible financial crisis. However, Barcelona have not begun the season well and this has sparked a change in stance, with the Camp Nou board having reportedly embarked on the search for his replacement.
Everything reached a boiling point in Wednesday's press conference as Koeman faced the eager media. However, instead of answering questions regarding his future like he has been for quite a few weeks now, the Dutchman refused to accept questions. Instead, he read a brief pre-written statement before walking out.
"The club is with me in a situation of rebuilding. The economic situation is linked to the situation on the pitch," the iconic former defender said.
"We as a staff have to rebuild the team without making big investments and that takes time. The young talents can be world stars in a couple of years. The youngsters will have opportunities, like Xavi [Hernandez] and [Andres] Iniesta had, but patience is required.
"Besides, to finish high in the league table would be a success. In the Champions League, no miracles can be expected. The defeat against Bayern [Munich] must be seen in that light.
"The team must be supported, in words and actions. I know that the press recognizes this process, it is not the first time in history that this has happened.
"We count on your support in these decisive times. We are very, very happy with the support of the fans, as was the case against Granada. Come on, Barcelona!"
60-year-old vice president and club owner STARTS in CONCACAF League match
Ronnie Brunswijk may not be a name many outside Suriname and the Netherlands are familiar with, but after this latest event, quite a few more people will be looking up his information on Wikipedia.
The 60, yes, 60-year-old, who is the owner of local club Inter Moengotapoe, decided to get in on the action. And no, this wasn't a friendly match to raise funds for a charity. This was a serious, competitive fixture, which saw Inter Moengotapoe taking on Olimpia in the CONCACAF League.
While his team didn't win, and rather suffered a humiliating 6-0 loss to their opponents, it still got people talking around the world.
Brunswijk not only started the game, but served as captain during his entire 54 minutes on the pitch before eventually being subbed out. He's been an owner (and player) at the club for quite some time, after helping to build the team's stadium in 2002, which is named Ronnie Brunswijkstadion.
If you noticed that the stadium name looks a bit familiar, well, yes, it's because it's named after him.
This match was his return to action after being suspended in 2012 for hurling abuse at a referee, although it's not the first time he's gotten in trouble: in 2005, he also reportedly threatened another player with a gun during a match.
The politician and businessman is also Suriname's vice president, a role he's been in since July 2020.
All in all, this latest news again proves right the hackneyed, yet very true, statement "Age ain't nothing but a number".
Or better yet, one is only as old as one truly feels.
Other key headlines from the world of football
American investment firm completes acquisition of Italy's oldest club
According to reports, Genoa, who were founded in 1893 and are thus Italy's oldest still running club, have become the latest Italian team to come under American ownership. 777 Partners, a Miami-based private investment firm recently completed their acquisition of the Grifone for an estimated $175.80 million (€150 million) from owner Enrico Preziosi. This deal, which sees 777 Partners acquire a majority stake in the company, will help inject some much-needed fresh capital into the struggling club, who lost about €33 million last year due to the COVID-19 crisis.
CONCACAF unveils revamped Leagues Cup format to include all MLS and Liga MX teams
With a new format that will see all teams from both leagues getting involved in the tournament, CONCACAF, Liga MX, and the MLS unveiled a revamped version of the Leagues Cup, set to begin in 2023.
In a joint press conference, the bosses of CONCACAF, Liga MX, and the MLS revealed that teams for both leagues will lock horns in a "World Cup style" tournament each summer, which will force both of them to pause their competitions for a month to make way for this tournament.
"The new Leagues Cup with every club in MLS and LIGA MX competing in an intense, month-long, World Cup style tournament will establish new standards for what is possible between our two leagues, and further showcase our players and clubs to a global audience," MLS Commissioner Don Garber stated.
Chelsea land new Premier League milestone with win over Tottenham last weekend
Chelsea entered the Premier League's record books once more by landing a new club milestone with Sunday afternoon's win over Tottenham Hotspur. The Blues emerged victorious in the London derby by putting three unanswered goals past their local rivals to climb to the top of the Premier League table.
New-boy Romelu Lukaku could not get on the scoresheet to keep his scoring streak going. Instead, it was rather in-form defender Toni Rudiger who put the last nail in the Spurs coffin to hand Chelsea the deserving win, joining Silva and Kante on the scoresheet. With the result, the Blues secured what was their sixth consecutive away win in the London derby in the Premier League - the longest streak in the club's history.
