Top games to watch this week
Friday, October 29
PSG vs Lille (Ligue 1)
Hoffenheim vs Hertha Berlin (Bundesliga)
Saturday, October 30
Newcastle vs Chelsea (English Premier League)
Manchester City vs Crystal Palace (English Premier League)
Liverpool vs Brighton (English Premier League)
Tottenham vs Manchester United (English Premier League)
Elche vs Real Madrid (La Liga)
Sevilla vs Osasuna (La Liga)
Barcelona vs Alavés (La Liga)
Atalanta vs Lazio (Serie A)
Hellas Verona vs Juventus (Serie A)
Borussia Dortmund vs Koln (Bundesliga)
Union Berlin vs Bayern München (Bundesliga)
Porto vs Boavista (Primeira Liga)
Estoril vs Benfica (Primeira Liga)
Sporting vs Vitoria Guimaraes (Primeira Liga)
Olympique Lyonnais vs Lens (Ligue 1)
Tigres UANL vs Guadalajara (Liga MX)
Portland Thorns vs NC Courage (NWSL)
Sunday, October 31
Atlético Madrid vs Real Betis (La Liga)
Real Sociedad vs Athletic Club (La Liga)
Inter Milan vs Udinese (Serie A)
Roma vs AC Milan (Serie A)
Clermont vs Olympique Marseille (Ligue 1)
Cruz Azul vs América (Liga MX)
Minnesota vs Sporting KC (MLS)
Orlando City vs. Nashville (MLS)
Washington Spirit vs Houstan Dash (NWSL)
Monday, November 1
Wolves vs Everton (English Premier League)
Rayo Vallecano vs Celta Vigo (La Liga)
Levante vs Granada (La Liga)
Sporting Braga vs Portimonense (Primeira Liga)
Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy (MLS)
Tuesday, November 2
Malmo vs Chelsea (UEFA Champions League)
Wolfsburg vs Salzburg (UEFA Champions League)
Sevilla vs Lille (UEFA Champions League)
Juventus vs Zenit (UEFA Champions League)
Dynamo Kyiv vs Barcelona (UEFA Champions League)
Villarreal vs Young Boys (UEFA Champions League)
Bayern vs Benfica (UEFA Champions League)
Atalanta vs Man United (UEFA Champions League)
Wednesday, November 3
Milan vs Porto (UEFA Champions League)
Real Madrid vs Shakhtar (UEFA Champions League)
RB Leipzig vs PSG (UEFA Champions League)
Borussia Dortmund vs Ajax (UEFA Champions League)
Sheriff vs Inter (UEFA Champions League)
Sporting vs Besiktas (UEFA Champions League)
Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid (UEFA Champions League)
Manchester City vs Club Brugge (UEFA Champions League)
Boca Juniors vs Argentinos Juniors (Copa Argentina)
Cruz Azul vs León (Liga MX)
Thursday, November 4
Monaco vs PSV (UEFA Europa League)
Brondby vs Rangers (UEFA Europa League)
Genk vs West Ham (UEFA Europa League)
Galatasaray vs Lokomotiv Moskva (UEFA Europa League)
Olympique Lyonnais vs Sparta Praha (UEFA Europa League)
Olympique Marseille vs Lazio (UEFA Europa League)
Bayer Leverkusen vs Real Betis (UEFA Europa League)
Leicester City vs Spartak Moskva (UEFA Europa League)
AZ vs CFR Cluj (Europa Conference League)
Roma vs Bodo/Glimt (Europa Conference League)
Union Berlin vs Feyenoord (Europa Conference League)
Tottenham vs Vitesse (Europa Conference League)
Most-watched soccer games on U.S. TV: Oct. 19-25, 2021
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool embarrassed Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and his Manchester United side with a 5-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday, Oct. 24, making it the most-watched soccer game on U.S. TV last week. Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah is now three goals clear from Leicester's Jamie Vardy (7 goals) in the race for the Premier League golden boot after bagging a hat-trick against the Red Devils last weekend. The broadcast of that game received a 0.26 viewership rating after recording an average of 706,000 viewers.
Liga MX on TUDN made it to the top-three most-watched games on U.S. TV last week thanks to a game between league titans Club America and Tigres UANL. The clash ended in a 1-0 America home win. Twenty-eight-year-old Henry Martin scored the goal that separated the two teams. With 383,000 average viewers, the broadcast of this Liga MX game was the second most-watched game in the USA last week.
Turning back to the English Premier League, West Ham United defended London Stadium from city rivals Tottenham on Sunday, Oct. 24. Forward Michail Antonio's lone goal separated the two sides, sending the Hammers to the fourth position in the table. The broadcast saw an average of 366,000 viewers and received a 0.12 viewership rating.
What are the must-watch games this week?
PSG vs Lille this Friday at 3 p.m. ET live on beIN Sports, Fanatiz, fuboTV, and Sling TV
PSG kick off Matchday 12 in Ligue 1, with the league leaders gearing up for yet another tricky showdown. Last weekend, the French giants visited bitter rivals Marseille in the always-heated Le Classique. This Friday, Pochettino's side will play hosts to none other than defending champions Lille. Jocelyn Gourvennec's crew have not enjoyed the best of starts, with Les Dogues sitting in 10th after picking up only four wins from their first 11 fixtures. However, with doubts emerging over the availability of one key PSG player – more on that later – the visitors might fancy their odds of pulling off an upset!
Elsewhere, Lyon, fresh off their 3-2 loss to Nice, will be hosting second-placed Lens. Marseille will be taking on Clermonth in this round while Nice will visit sixth-placed Angers.
Tottenham vs Man United this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET live on NBC Sports, Peacock, Universo, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo, fuboTV, and Sling TV
Man United are gearing up for another tricky fixture in the Premier League, with the Red Devils set to face Tottenham this weekend. Having lost their last two English top-flight outings, going 4-2 and 5-0 down against Leicester and Liverpool respectively, Solskjaer's men are in need of a win. With Ole's future at the club being in danger, the Norwegian gaffer cannot afford a third defeat in a row. As for Spurs, they will be looking to bounce back after their 1-0 loss in their London Derby against West Ham. Do not miss this fixture.
Tottenham vs Man United isn't the only interesting fixture set to take place this weekend. Arsenal will be paying Leicester a visit in what should be an interesting encounter. Meanwhile, Liverpool will play hosts to Potter's impressive Brighton side. Chelsea and Man City, on the other hand, will be taking on Newcastle and Crystal Palace respectively.
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Roma vs AC Milan this Sunday at 3:45 p.m. ET live on Paramount+
Two of Italy's biggest clubs will lock horns on Sunday and they are Roma and AC Milan. These two Serie A powerhouses sit in the top four, but only one are hot on the heels of league leaders Napoli, and that is the Rossoneri. Pioli's men are now level on points with Osimhen and Co. and will thus look to avoid a slip-up almost immediately after catching up. Unfortunately, Roma under Mourinho have been a tricky side. Despite a shock 6-1 loss away to Bodø/Glimt in Europe, the Giallorossi have been impressive, picking up six wins in Serie A so far, level with defending champions Inter Milan. In fact, Roma were the team that put an end to Napoli's perfect run, drawing 0-0 with the table toppers. Can the hosts topple AC Milan this weekend? Tune in to find out.
Here are the top fixtures from Europe's other major leagues
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The UCL resumes this midweek, with Liverpool's clash with Atletico – live on Paramount+ and TUDN – headlining this round
The UEFA Champions League returns this midweek, with Matchday 4 of the 2021/22 campaign set to commence this Tuesday. Several exciting fixtures will take place in this round, the standout tie being Liverpool's clash with Atletico Madrid at Anfield. This game; which will be aired live in the USA via Paramount+, TUDN, and fuboTV; will see Diego Simeone's men get a shot at revenge over Klopp's side after their 3-2 defeat at home to the English giants. Antoine Griezmann's sending off and a second-half penalty aided their defeat, so it will be interesting to see how the Spanish heavyweights will fare in Merseyside.
However, that's not all. PSG will be making the trip to Germany to face RB Leipzig, with Lionel Messi looking to continue his excellent form in Europe for his new employers after netting a brace in their previous encounter. AC Milan, who have lost all three of their opening games, will host Porto with the hopes of sealing their first win of the season. Then there is Atalanta vs Man United, with the Red Devils aiming to gain some form in Europe after nearly dropping points at home to the Italians.
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This week in women's football will bring the NWSL regular-season finale and high-caliber European club matchups. Also, take a look at the Women's Euro 2022 Final Draw results.
UEFA Women's Euro 2022 draw results
A live broadcast of the Women's Euro 2022 Final Draw segmented the 16 qualifying nations into four groups. Here are the groups:
Group A
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England
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Austria
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Norway
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Northern Ireland
Group B
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Germany
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Denmark
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Spain
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Finland
Group C
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Netherlands
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Sweden
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Russia
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Switzerland
Group D
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France
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Italy
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Belgium
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Iceland
NWSL regular-season finale
The regular-season finale for the 2021 edition of the National Women's Soccer League will feature five matches. Only the final game of the competition between NJ/NY Gotham FC and Racing Louisville on Sunday, Oct. 31, will screen live on television in Canada and the USA.
The Chicago Red Stars, Gotham FC, Houston Dash and NC Courage will be battling for a spot in the playoffs. Make sure you keep an eye on those matchups to enjoy the fight for playoffs.
The Portland Thorns claimed the NWSL Shield after beating the Houston Dash on Sunday, Oct. 17, following an OL Reign 2-0 loss against the Spirit. Now, the 2021 NWSL Shield will join the 2016 NWSL Shield in Portland's trophy cabinet.
Friday, Oct. 29
Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars at 7 p.m. ET
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International: Twitch
Saturday, Oct. 30
Kansas City vs. OL Reign at 9 p.m. ET
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USA: Paramount+
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International: Twitch
Portland Thorns vs. North Carolina Courage at 10 p.m. ET
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International: Twitch
Sunday, Oct. 31
Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash at 2 p.m. ET
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USA: Paramount+
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International: Twitch
Gotham FC vs. Racing Louisville at 3 p.m. ET
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Canada: CBS Sports Network
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USA: CBS Sports Network
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International: Twitch
ATA Football lineup
ATA Football is back in action with one Serie A Women game and a couple of Division 1 Feminine matches.
Serie A Women
Inter Milan will see their game against Juventus as an opportunity to close into the top of the table. The Milan club is five points behind league-leaders Sassuolo and Juventus.
On the other hand, a win is essential for Juve. La Vecchia Signora are tied on points and goal differential (+13) with Sassuolo.
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Inter Milan vs. Juventus on Saturday, Oct. 30, at 8:30 a.m. ET
Division 1 Feminine
The D1 Arkema is back underway. League-leaders Olympique Lyonnais will face Soyaux and Paris Saint-Germain will visit Dijon on Sunday, Oct. 31.
Lyon and PSG are tied on points with 18 apiece. The separation between the two comes down to goal differential led by Lyon's +27 to PSG's +20.
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ASJ Soyaux Charente vs. Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday, Oct. 31, at 7:45 a.m. ET
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Dijon FCO vs. Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, Oct. 31, at 7:45 a.m. ET
Biggest stories of the week
FIFA confirm new location for upcoming Club World Cup
FIFA have now confirmed the location - and the time - the latest installment of the Club World Cup will be taking place.
Initially, the annual event was supposed to be held in Japan, who've served as hosts on eight prior occasions, including four in a row from 2005 to 2008. However, Japan, citing concerns about financial losses due to COVID-19, decided to withdraw as hosts.
The event was also supposed to take place at the end of this year, but now FIFA have also changed that as well.
As such, the competition will take place in early February 2022, with the tentative dates of February 4th through the 12th being penciled in on the calendar.
The new hosts will be the United Arab Emirates, who like Japan, are no strangers to this event. The Middle Eastern nation have held the competition in their country four times, with the most recent taking place in 2018.
West Ham end Man City's five-year unbeaten Carabao Cup run
For the first time in five years, a new team other than Manchester City will be crowned as the winners of this season's Carabao Cup following the elimination of the Etihad outfit. Pep Guardiola's side had won the last four editions of the competition but were denied a fifth in succession following Wednesday night's defeat to West Ham United at the London Stadium.
The keenly-contested affair did not produce any goals despite chances being aplenty and, in the end, penalty shoot-outs were used to decide the winner. Ultimately, it was Phil Foden's miss at the very beginning of the kicks that decided the game's outcome with all five takers of West Ham beating Zack Steffen in goal.
Maguire's captaincy called into question as Man Utd players hold clear-the-air talks with Solskjaer
It appears that the Man United dressing room is not as harmonious as everyone thinks!
With the Red Devils plunging into a new crisis, several fans have begun calling for Ole Gunner Solskjaer to be sacked. It's hard not to see why as the Premier League giants have lost back-to-back games in the English top-flight, conceding a whopping nine goals along the way – four against Leicester and five at home to Liverpool.
With zero wins from their last four Premier League fixtures, Man Utd's title aspirations could be over by November, especially given that they will be facing Tottenham, Man City, Chelsea, and Arsenal in their next five outings. As a result, clear-the-air talks were held between the players and management in order to get to the root of this problem.
And this was a no-holding-back session, with the Times claiming one unnamed player went as far as questioning Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's decision to hand the captaincy to Harry Maguire. This issue is interesting for two reasons, the first being that the Englishman was handed the armband only six months after arriving at Old Trafford from Leicester.
Despite being longer-serving players, both David de Gea and Marcus Rashford were overlooked in favor of the world's most expensive defender. The other interesting point behind this concern is its timing. This issue has been raised on the back of Maguire's poor form, with the Three Lions center-back performing horribly in both the defeats against Leicester and Liverpool, as well as the 3-2 comeback victory over Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League.
Other issues were brought forward, with one player criticizing his teammates for showing a lack of motivation in training. Another squad member blasted the manager's tactics and his refusal to shake up the starting eleven, accusing the Norwegian gaffer of favoring certain players over others regardless of performance. While the player who brought up this grievance is unknown, the likes of Donny van de Beek and Jesse Lingard fall into this camp.
Other key headlines from the world of football
Barcelona reportedly reach deal with new head coach after sacking Ronald Koeman
Once the sacking of Ronald Koeman was announced, the focus quickly shifted to who would be the next Barcelona head coach. The Catalan giants wasted no time in beginning their search for a new boss, with one man now being chosen as the successor.
With the Dutchman gone, Barcelona are in need of a new tactician and according to several sources, the man to take up the helm at Camp Nou will be none other than Xavi, the iconic former midfielder who is currently coaching Qatari side Al-Sadd.
While negotiations with Xavi's current employers should not be a tough hill to overcome, Marca claim that the arrival of Spanish tactician will likely have to wait until the November international break.
PSG dealt potential double blow ahead of clash with Lille
On Sunday, PSG will take on Lille in what arguably is the big game for matchday 12 of the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season. On paper, this match does look pitted in favor of PSG, especially considering their form. Yet, there are two things that may give Lille some hope.
The first is that they did beat PSG earlier this year, recording a 1-0 win in the Trophée des Champions at the start of this campaign and thus denying Les Parisiens the chance to make it a ninth straight trophy on the trot.
Second - and perhaps way more significant - is the fact that Kylian Mbappe is expected to miss this match. The 2018 World Cup winner is struggling with an ear infection and has now been reportedly ruled out. In addition, Messi recently suffered a knock and thus will have to be closely evaluated over the next 24 hours to see if he'll be fit in time for Friday's clash.
Dortmund slap hefty price tag on Bellingham as Liverpool eye move for English starlet
Since joining Dortmund from Birmingham City, Jude Bellingham has been racking up rave reviews and even forced his way into the England national team, all by the age of 18. However, as is the case with several talented players who make a name for themselves at the Signal Iduna Park, the teenager is being closely followed by one of Europe's biggest teams.
That side is none other than Liverpool, the 2018/19 Champions League winners and 2019/20 Premier League champions. According to several reports, Jurgen Klopp is an admirer of the Three Lions starlet and is said to have made him priority number one at Anfield.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, and any other club eyeing the 18-year-old, Dortmund look keen on keeping him at the Signal Iduna Park and are said to have slapped a hefty price tag on the midfielder in order to ward off interest. According to Bild, that price tag is a whopping £101M, which translates into $139M.
