Top games to watch this week
Friday, March 11
Atlético vs Cádiz (La Liga)
Benfica vs Vizela (Primeira Liga)
Lille vs Saint-Etienne (Ligue 1)
Cambuur vs Ajax (Eredivisie)
PSG vs Montpellier (D1 Arkema)
Saturday, March 12
AC Milan vs Juventus (Italian Women's Cup)
Brighton vs Liverpool (English Premier League)
Man United vs Tottenham (English Premier League)
Sampdoria vs Juventus (Serie A)
Milan vs Empoli (Serie A)
Hoffenheim vs Bayern (Bundesliga)
Montpellier vs Nice (Ligue 1)
New York City FC vs CF Montreal (MLS)
Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy (MLS)
Cruz Azul vs Pumas UNAM (Liga MX)
Guadalajara vs América (Liga MX)
Sunday, March 13
Barcelona vs Real Madrid (La Liga Femenina)
Chelsea vs Newcastle (English Premier League)
Arsenal vs Leicester (English Premier League)
Rayo Vallecano vs Sevilla (La Liga)
Real Betis vs Athletic Club (La Liga)
Barcelona vs Osasuna (La Liga)
Torino vs Internazionale (Serie A)
Borussia Dortmund vs Arminia Bielefeld (Bundesliga)
Porto vs Tondela (Primeira Liga)
PSG vs Bordeaux (Ligue 1)
Atlanta United vs Charlotte (MLS)
Monday, March 14
Crystal Palace vs Man City (English Premier League)
Mallorca vs Real Madrid (La Liga)
Lazio vs Venezia (Serie A)
Moreirense vs Sporting CP (Primeira Liga)
Tuesday, March 15
Comunicaciones vs New York City (CONCACAF Champions League)
Ajax vs Benfica (UEFA Champions League)
Man United vs Atlético Madrid (UEFA Champions League)
Barcelona vs Atlético Mineiro (Copa Libertadores)
Wednesday, March 16
CF Montréal vs Cruz Azul (CONCACAF Champions League)
Pumas UNAM vs New England (CONCACAF Champions League)
Lille vs Chelsea (UEFA Champions League)
Juventus vs Villarreal (UEFA Champions League)
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur (English Premier League)
Arsenal vs Liverpool English Premier League)
Mainz 05 vs Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
Thursday, March 17
León vs Seattle Sounders FC (CONCACAF Champions League)
Crvena Zvezda vs Rangers (UEFA Europa League)
Galatasaray vs Barcelona (UEFA Europa League)
Monaco vs Sporting Braga (UEFA Europa League)
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atalanta (UEFA Europa League)
West Ham United vs Sevilla (UEFA Europa League)
Olympique Lyonnais vs Porto (UEFA Europa League)
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Real Betis (UEFA Europa League)
Everton vs Newcastle United (English Premier League)
København vs PSV (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Rennes vs Leicester City (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Basel vs Olympique Marseille (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Roma vs Vitesse (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Feyenoord vs Partizan (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Most-watched soccer games on U.S. TV: Feb. 28-March 6, 2022
NBC screened Liverpool's 1-0 win against West Ham United on Saturday, March 5, which became the most-watched game of the week. An average of 900,000 viewers helped the Premier League broadcast to a 0.51 viewership rating. In the match, Mane made the difference for Liverpool when he scored the only goal of the fixture.
The Manchester Derby broadcast on USA Network on Sunday, March 6, was the second most-viewed game of the week, with 874,000 average viewers and a 0.32 rating. Man Utd had a glimpse of hope after Jadon Sancho equalized the scoring at 1-1 in the 22nd minute of the match, but Kevin De Bruyne completed his brace minutes after, and Riyad Mahrez scored two more goals to help Man City to a 4-1 win at the Etihad.
Arsenal's 3-2 away win at Watford screened on USA Network was the third most-watched soccer match broadcast in the country last week. An average of 513,000 people watched the game, helping the broadcast receive a 0.18 viewership rating. Despite the close scoreline, Arsenal had full control of the game until the dying minutes. The Gunners crafted three beautiful team goals that eventually turned into three points.
What are this week's must-watch games?
Manchester United vs Tottenham live this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock
Manchester United return to Premier League action this weekend, with the English giants gearing up for a tricky showdown with none other than Tottenham. This will be a huge fixture in the heated top-four race, with fellow challengers Arsenal and West Ham eagerly awaiting this result. Rangnick's men enter this game on the back of their disappointing 4-1 Manchester Derby defeat to City, with the one and only goal being to return to winning ways.
Spurs, on the other hand, thrashed Everton 5-0 on Monday in what has been an inconsistent few weeks from the north London giants, winning three and losing three of their last six outings. Only two points separate the two clubs, meaning seventh-placed Tottenham could leapfrog the fifth-placed Red Devils with a victory, which would be outstanding, given that Harry Kane and Co. have two games in hand over their bitter rivals. Don't miss this showdown!
Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid live this Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET on Paramount+, TUDN, Univision, and fuboTV
Manchester United feature on our list once again, this time due to their UEFA Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid. The Premier League giants will boast the home advantage this time around, having traveled to the Spanish capital for the 1st leg of this round of 16 tie. That game ended 1-1, with Elanga cancelling out Joao Felix's opening goal, meaning both sides have a fair shot at securing progression as the away goal rule has been scrapped.
The result from their weekend encounter with Tottenham could have a huge effect on this fixture, for the better or worse, depending on who triumphs. Los Rojiblancos, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last four outings, emerging victorious in three of those ties, and will thus be keen on maintaining this lovely run.
Arsenal vs Liverpool live this Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. ET on Peacock
Our final must-watch game of this week is another Premier League tie as Arsenal gear up to host title challengers Liverpool this midweek. This will be a crucial fixture for both sides as the Gunners are in the midst of a tightly-contested top-four race while the Reds are battling it out with Manchester City for the league crown. Arteta's side and Klopp's men will also be in action over the weekend, taking on Leicester and Brighton respectively, meaning both teams could drop points ahead of their run-in.
Arsenal have been on a impressive run as of late but are yet to beat any of the top three teams this season, meaning this will be a true test for their European ambitions. The Merseyside giants, meanwhile, must pick up as many points as possible between now and the end of the season if they wish to beat the Cityzens to the title, thus turning this Emirates Stadium tie into an exciting match.
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The 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup is around the corner. Learn how to watch all the games, and club games that will be airing live this week.
How to watch the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup
The National Women's Soccer League announced the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup broadcast and stream schedule. Challenge cup games will air on CBS, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ in the United States. Those who reside outside of the USA can watch the games live on Twitch.
Twelve teams, including expansion sides Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC, will participate in the third edition of the NWSL Challenge Cup. This year, the tournament will consist of 12 clubs divided into three groups in a home-and-away format. The three group winners, as well as the best second-placed team, advance to the single-elimination semifinals. The winners will face off in the final scheduled for May 7, 2022.
The first 18 matches of the tournament will stream exclusively on Paramount+, starting with Racing Louisville taking on Kansas City on Friday, March 18.
Three matches will be televised on CBS throughout the competition. The first game will be a clash between expansion sides Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC on April 2. The second will air on Saturday, April 23, with North Carolina Courage facing Washington Spirit. The final will be the third game screened on CBS.
CBS Sports Network will broadcast four matches. A clash between Kansas City Current and Houston Dash on Friday, April 15, will kick off the network's coverage of the tournament, followed by a match between OL Reign and Angel City FC on Sunday, April 17. Another Houston Dash contest, this time against Racing Louisville, will screen live on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, April 24. The semifinal game on Wednesday, May 4, will be the last game aired on the network.
Every match outside of the four on CBS Sports Network will be available to stream live on Paramount+.
European club games on ATA Football this weekend
ATA Football will have coverage of El Clasico Femenino, Coppa Italia matches, and other high-profile games starting Thursday. Make sure you subscribe to ATA Football to watch the following games.
Frauen Bundesliga
Friday, March 11
FC Koln vs. Wolfsburg at 1:15 p.m. ET
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USA: atafootball.com, nbcsports.com, Fanatiz
Saturday, March 12
TSG Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich at 7 a.m. ET
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USA: atafootball.com, Fanatiz
Division 1 Arkema
Friday, March 11
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Montpellier at 3 p.m. ET
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USA: atafootball.com, nbcsports.com, Fanatiz
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UK & Ireland: atafootball, BT Sport Extra
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Germany & Italy: atafootball.com, DAZN
Paris FC vs. Fleury 91 at 3 p.m. ET
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USA: atafootball.com, Fanatiz
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UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy: atafootball.com
FA WSL
Saturday, March 12
Reading vs. Manchester United at 6:30 a.m. ET
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USA: atafootball.com, nbcsports.com, Fanatiz
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Germany & Italy: atafootball.com
Sunday, March 13
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City at 8:30 a.m. ET
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USA: CNBC, atafootball.com, Fanatiz
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Germany & Italy: atafootball.com
Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Arsenal at 2:45 p.m. ET
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USA: atafootball.com, nbcsports.com, Fanatiz
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Germany & Italy: atafootball.com, DAZN
Coppa Italia
Saturday, March 12
AC Milan vs. Juventus at 8:30 a.m. ET
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USA, UK, Ireland, Germany: atafootball.com
Sunday, March 13
Empoli vs. AS Roma at 9:30 a.m. ET
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USA, UK, Ireland, Germany: atafootball.com
Primera Iberdrola
Sunday, March 13
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid AT 7 a.m. ET
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USA: atafootball.com, nbcsports.com, Fanatiz
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UK & Ireland: atafootball, delayed on Sky
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Germany & Italy: atafootball.com
Liga MX Femenil games in the USA
Women's football fans in the USA can watch four Liga MX Femenil games live on U.S. TV this weekend, including a clash between third-placed America and fourth-placed Guadalajara. League leaders Monterrey and second-placed Tigres UANL will also be in action during Matchday 10.
TUDN USA
Sunday, March 13
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Club America vs. Chivas Guadalajara at 11 p.m. ET
Monday, March 14
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Toluca vs. Tigres UANL at 7 p.m. ET
ESPN Deportes
Monday, March 14
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Monterrey vs. Necaxa at 9 p.m. ET
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Tijuana vs. Pumas UNAM at 11 p.m. ET
Biggest stories of the week
Chelsea sale put on hold following UK sanctions against Abramovich
Due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, pressure had been mounting on Blues owner Roman Abramovich to first step back, and then sell the club as a result of his alleged connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 55-year-old first purchased Chelsea back in June 2003, and under his stewardship the Blues have won 19 titles, including two UEFA Champions League and two Europa League trophies as well as the Premier League and FA Cup on five occasions.
In short, the Blues have been transformed into one of the most successful teams not just in England, but in Europe. However, these are uncertain times, and following the outbreak of war in Eastern Europe, Abramovich, like many other Russian oligarchs, was put under a negative spotlight due to their associations with Putin. As a result, on February 26th, he announced that he was handing over governance of the club to the Chelsea Charitable Foundation.
That still didn't satisfy those calling for more action to be taken, so on March 2nd, he announced he'd be selling the club. Despite Abramovich denying that he is currently in close contact with Putin, the pressure continued to mount, thus forcing him to part with the club he'd been in charge of for nearly 20 years.
Interestingly, back in January 2022, a Forbes report noted that Abramovich had a form of "sanction insurance"; in short, $2 billion in loans he'd given Chelsea over the years, including a $26 million loan given to the club following their Champions League win last year. This means that if all goes sideways, he could basically call in the loan, which would be a significant hit for the Blues considering that they're valued at approximately $3.2 billion as of 2021.
In any case, the plans to sell the club have now hit a snag, as the UK government have nonetheless slapped him with sanctions, thus freezing his assets and making it nearly impossible at this point to sell the club. While the Blues won't be impacted on the pitch as they will still be able to take part in domestic and continental competitions, this means that the new owner (or owners) of the London giants might not be decided for some time.
Neymar and Donnarumma nearly trade blows in heated row after PSG's collapse vs Real Madrid
PSG's embarrassing defeat against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 led to tempers flaring after the final whistle, with two Les Parisiens superstars nearly trading blows during a heated dressing-room row.
Those two men are none other than Gianluigi Donnarumma and Neymar. According to Marca, the Brazilian attacker wasn't happy with one moment of madness from the Italian goalkeeper which led to Los Blancos' first goal and thus decided to confront him after leaving the pitch.
With the French giants 1-0 up and in full control by the hour mark, the former AC Milan shot-stopper was caught on the ball by Benzema, which ended in a misplaced pass picked up by Vinicius Jr. inside their own penalty box. Although there was a shout for a foul from Karim, the striker ended up netting the equalizer nonetheless, thus sparking their comeback.
After that, Pochettino's men lost complete control and suffered utter capitulation, conceding twice in the span of two minutes to crash out of the tournament. Neymar raised this issue with Donnarumma, but the Italian was quick to remind the Brazilian that he too was not without sin.
The goalkeeper blamed the Selecao sensation for the second goal as he was guilty of conceding possession to Luka Modric, with the Croatian icon then going on a brilliant run before setting up Benzema for his brace. According to the Spanish publication, this argument heated up, with the dispute nearly turning physical.
Fortunately, other members of the PSG squad were on hand to separate the two before things turned ugly. It will be interesting to see how this recent embarrassment will affect the dressing-room harmony given how fractured it already was.
Al-Khelaifi involved in embarrassing outburst after PSG's loss to Real Madrid
Les Parisiens dropped a two-goal lead over Los Blancos to bid farewell to the tournament, but team chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi was not going to accept that without having a word with those in charge of refereeing. According to a report by Movistar+, the French team's president left his box at Santiago Bernabeu "furious" and headed to the referee's locker.
Spanish reporter Mónica Marchante revealed that Al-Khelaifi confused the referee's dressing room with the office of Real Madrid's delegate Megía Dávila, prompting security and team staff to try and take him away. The Qatari official did the same during the first leg of this tie during the halftime break, having harsh words with referee Daniele Orsato back then. This time around, Al-Khelaifi's rage was prompted by an alleged foul by Karim Benzema against Gianluigi Donnarumma that led to Los Blancos' first goal.
Further reports emerging from people inside the stadium revealed that the 48-year-old's tantrum was filmed by a Real Madrid employee who was trying to stand up for the team's aforementioned delegate. Witnesses to the scene state that PSG's president yelled "I'm going to kill you" at Los Blancos' employee, while also demanding him to delete the footage he had captured.
These reports have caught UEFA's eye, and football's governing body in Europe are already considering opening up an investigation regarding this incident, according to newspapers Marca and AS.
Guardiola singles out Man City starlet for praise after UEFA Champions League debut
Pep Guardiola has praised Man City academy graduate CJ Egan-Riley after his Champions League debut against Sporting CP. The young England defender excelled at the back in Wednesday night as his side sailed through to the quarterfinals despite the stalemate.
Man City barely broke sweat and were hardly tested as they confirmed their place in the Champions League last eight. Despite failing to score in the encounter at the Etihad, the first leg's 5-0 win in Portugal ensured safe passage for the Premier League outfit. Hours before kick-off, fans of the club were left a little surprised by the team announced by Pep Guardiola as a result of an unexpected inclusion.
The Spanish manager had made six changes from the team that outplayed Manchester United on Sunday and handed a starting berth to City's promising academy product CJ Egan-Riley. In the absence of the suspended Kyle Walker, the young defender put in an impressive shift despite not having the likes of Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake in the backline.
Guardiola could not hide his satisfaction with the young defender who was handed his debut in the competition. In a post-match interview with BT Sport (via BBC Sport), Guardiola said: "I am very pleased because in both games we deserved to be in the Champions League quarter-finals.
"Egan-Riley played really good and didn't miss one ball," Pep added. "He is a seven. He is nothing exceptional in anything but that is a good sign as a defender as he doesn't make mistakes."
Other key headlines from the world of football
Italy secure new kit sponsor starting in 2023
After 15 years, the Italian Football Federation (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio or FIGC) have announced some big changes are on the horizon for the national team. Starting from 2023, the Azzurri will be sponsored by Adidas. Adidas will not only sponsor the senior men's team, but will also provide kits for the youth, beach soccer, futsal, and even esports teams.
According to Reuters, the deal is worth approximately $38.5 million per annum (€35 million) and is expected to last for four years. The same report notes that Puma's present deal is worth about $22 million (€20 million) per year, and will continue for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup - assuming that they qualify.
Manchester United fans plead with club to overlook Pochettino in search for new manager after UEFA Champions League collapse
A section of Manchester United fans have called on the club's hierarchy to end its purported interest in signing Mauricio Pochettino as the club's next manager following his Champions League failure with Paris Saint-Germain. The former Tottenham Hotspur boss saw his side's quest for the European title come to a premature end after suffering a 3-2 aggregate defeat against Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
Although PSG recently came out to debunk rumors of a potential exit for Pochettino, there was growing optimism that he could be prized away amid Manchester United's rumored interest. Nevertheless, some fans of the Red Devils now claim that the Argentine coach should not be considered for the vacant managerial role as he has a track record of failing when the stakes are high.
Instead, calls are intensifying for Ajax head coach Erik Ten Haag to be given the nod at Old Trafford after Ralf Rangnick's spell as the interim boss ends.
Tuchel offers worrying update on Reece James as Chelsea star suffers injury setback
Reece James cannot seem to catch a break as the Chelsea superstar has suffered a "worrying" injury setback just days after making his much-awaited return to the Blues' starting XI.
Speaking ahead of Thursday's 3-1 win over bottom-of-the-table Norwich, Thomas Tuchel admitted that his star player has suffered a disappointing setback and while further tests are needed in order to determine the extent of this latest disappointment, the German is already fearing the worst.
"We are worried. It's not good news. It's a setback for sure," the German stated.
