Top games to watch this week
Friday, August 12
Osasuna vs Sevilla (La Liga)
Freiburg vs Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
Saturday, August 13
Arsenal vs Leicester (English Premier League)
Manchester City vs Bournemouth (English Premier League)
Brentford vs Manchester United (English Premier League)
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano (La Liga)
Milan vs Udinese (Serie A)
Lecce vs Inter (Serie A)
RB Leipzig vs Köln (Bundesliga)
Casa Pia vs Benfica (Primeira Liga)
PSG vs Montpellier (Ligue)
Philadelphia Union vs Chicago Fire (MLS)
Inter Miami vs New York City (MLS)
Austin vs Sporting KC (MLS)
Los Angeles FC vs Charlotte (MLS)
Pumas UNAM vs América (Liga MX)
San Diego Wave vs Orlando Pride (NWSL)
Germany U20 vs New Zealand U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Brazil U20 vs Australia U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Mexico U20 vs Colombia U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Costa Rica U20 vs Spain U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Sunday, August 14
Chelsea vs Tottenham (English Premier League)
Almería vs Real Madrid (La Liga)
Bayern Munich vs Wolfsburg (Bundesliga)
Vizela vs Porto (Primeira Liga)
Cruz Azul vs Toluca (Liga MX)
Seattle Sounders vs Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Angel City FC vs Chicago Red Stars (NWSL)
Monday, August 15
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace (English Premier League)
Getafe vs Atlético Madrid (La Liga)
Juventus vs Sassuolo (Serie A)
Tuesday, August 16
Bodo/Glimt vs Dinamo Zagreb (UEFA Champions League)
Rangers vs PSV (UEFA Champions League)
Trabzonspor vs Kobenhavn (UEFA Champions League)
Atlas vs Juárez (Liga MX)
Colombia U20 vs New Zealand U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Mexico U20 vs Germany U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Brazil U20 vs Costa Rica U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Australia U20 vs Spain U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Los Angeles FC vs DC United (MLS)
Wednesday, August 17
Qarabag vs Viktoria Plzen (UEFA Champions League)
Dynamo Kyiv vs Benfica (UEFA Champions League)
Maccabi Haifa vs Crvena Zvezda (UEFA Champions League)
Dallas vs Philadelphia Union (MLS)
New York City vs Charlotte (MLS)
Netherlands U20 vs Ghana U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
USA U20 vs Japan U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Korea Republic U20 vs France U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Nigeria U20 vs Canada U20 (FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup)
Thursday, August 18
West Ham vs Viborg (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Santos Laguna vs León (Liga MX)
Atlético San Luis vs Pumas UNAM (Liga MX)
Most-watched games in the United States; August 1-7,2022
One of the top football leagues in the world returned to action this past weekend, and it was only a matter of time before this competition gathered fans in big numbers to claim the top spot for ratings in football.
While there were many interesting games this weekend, the clash between Everton and Chelsea had the biggest following in terms of audience and rating. The runner-up spot went to the MLS, where the game between Atlanta and Seattle Sounders confirmed how in tune fans are with the domestic competition, even snubbing some of the world's biggest stars playing elsewhere.
The third spot in this ranking went to a Bundesliga match, which shockingly had other teams than Bayern Munich involved. The tie between Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen was the one that kept fans glued to their seats last weekend, earning the German top-flight the third spot in our weekly ranking.
Let us have a look at the numbers last week brought us in terms of football games.
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What are this week's must-watch games?
2022/23 La Liga season kicks off as Barcelona take on Rayo Vallecano on Saturday at 3 p.m. live on ESPN, fuboTV, ABC, and Sling TV
La Liga is finally back! The 2022/23 season of the beloved Spanish top-flight is upon us as Real Madrid prepare for another battle with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and others for the league title. Los Blancos, who are the reigning champions, kick off their title defense on Sunday with a trip to newly-promoted Almeria, entering this clash on the back of their recent UEFA Super Cup victory.
Barcelona, on the other hand, take to the field a day before, facing Rayo Vallecano on Saturday in what should be an interesting clash. This fixture will be held at the Camp Nou; however, marquee summer signings Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Franck Kessie will be unable to make their debuts as they are yet to be registered. Matchday 1 will carry on until Monday, which is when Atletico Madrid play, with Simeone's side facing Getafe.
2022/23 Serie A season also kicks off this weekend as reigning champions Milan embark on their title defense vs Udinese exclusively on Paramount+
La Liga isn't the only major European league returning this week as the 2022/23 Serie A campaign is set to get underway this weekend. Everything commences with Saturday's two simultaneous kick-offs, with Atalanta facing Sampdoria in one fixture and AC Milan taking on Udinese in the other. The Rossoneri are the defending champions, having won the Scudetto on the final day of last season. However, expect Pioli's men to face stiff competition again.
City rivals Inter Milan will also be in action later that same day, taking on Lecce at 2:45 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, Napoli and Juventus will take to the field in the final two fixtures of this round, facing Verona and Sassuolo respectively on Monday. Serie A fans can catch all the games live on Paramount+.
Chelsea vs Tottenham live this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET on USA Network, Telemundo, fuboTV, and Sling TV
We have another exciting round of Premier League action coming up, with the standout fixture being Chelsea vs Tottenham. Tuchel and Conte will go head to head in this encounter once more, with Spurs enjoying the momentum this time, having beaten Southampton 4-1 in the opening Matchweek. The Blues, on the other hand, struggled to a drab one-nil victory over Everton and are yet to show any promise. Do not miss this clash.
Elsewhere, fellow north London giants Arsenal will also be facing a tricky test, with Arteta's men hosting none other than Leicester as they look to start the season with back-to-back wins. Liverpool, on the other hand, welcome Crystal Palace to Anfield on Monday amid their injury crisis in midfield as Klopp looks to shake off their Matchweek 1 draw against Fulham.
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Another week of women's football is upon us, and judging by what we have seen in the past week, things will only get better across the globe.
Club football is not the only thing for women's football fans to keep an eye on, as the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup is heating up with the final games of the group stage. The USWNT, Brazil, Germany, and Canada are some of the teams to keep track of if one is looking for top-notch football.
Elsewhere, domestic leagues like the Brasileirao Feminino, the Liga MX Femenil, or the NWSL are giving fans several topics to discuss, and it will be our duty to keep you informed on what goes down in those leagues.
Without further ado, let's have a look at what the beautiful game will offer in terms of women's football matches.
2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
The competition continues after the first matches being played during the past week. There have been some interesting results in the tournament, such as the USWNT's win against Ghana and Germany's loss to Colombia, and judging by what we have seen last week, things will only get better for the decisive games that will come.
Here are the games that are set to be played in the next seven days.
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Germany U20 vs New Zealand U20
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Brazil U20 vs Australia U20
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Mexico U20 vs Colombia U20
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Costa Rica U20 vs Spain U20
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Japan U20 vs Ghana U20
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Korea Republic U20 vs Nigeria U20
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USA U20 vs Netherlands U20
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France U20 vs Canada U20
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Colombia U20 vs New Zealand U20
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Mexico U20 vs Germany U20
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Australia U20 vs Spain U20
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Brazil U20 vs Costa Rica U20
2022 NWSL season
The North American competition returns to action with a new leader in the competition. The Portland Thorns are now calling the shots after beating the Washington Spirit in a tight game, which combined with the San Diego Wave's loss to the Kansas City Current. Now, the Thorns will have to wait for their match next week, as some of the other teams in the league have some catching up to do, which means that the Wave could recover the top spot if they can manage to beat the Orlando Pride next weekend.
Other teams involved in games this weekend will include the OL Reign, who will host NJ/NY Gotham FC, and the clash between Angel City FC and the Chicago Red Stars, one of the most consistent teams this season.
Liga MX Femenil: Apertura 2022 season
The Mexican top-flight continues with Guadalajara making it to the seventh round of games with a flawless record of six wins, and while their rivals keep struggling to climb up in the rankings, El Rebaño is showing the brand of football that can give them the status of title contenders.
This week will be quite special in the league, as the Clásico Tapatío will be played this Saturday at Atlas' home pitch. Such a heated rivalry will be worth watching even if you have never followed a full Liga MX Femenil game.
For more details on games, standings, and news, visit our dedicated women's soccer page at LiveSoccerTV.com.
Biggest stories of the week
The Cristiano transfer saga and its effect on the Manchester United dressing room revealed
The Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga has created an undesirable atmosphere at Old Trafford, with much of the conversation regarding their 2022/23 season opener defeat against Brighton surrounding the Portuguese superstar and his future.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was named on the bench for that game and came on as a second-half substitute after the Red Devils went two-nil down after 40 minutes. Unfortunately, the 37-year-old was unable to inspire a comeback, with Ten Hag overseeing a 2-1 loss in his English top-flight debut.
Immediately after that loss, the continental giants returned to the transfer window in search for a short-term striker, bidding for Bologna forward Marko Arnautovic. That move did not materialize and the future of Cristiano continues to be a frustration for the Old Trafford higher-ups as the player looks to force an exit despite there being no concrete offers from top European teams.
And according to the latest rumors, it isn't only the Theatre of Dreams board growing tired of Cristiano and his antics. A report by the Sun claims that even the Manchester United dressing room is fed up with the situation, with some preferring to see the goalscorer leave than dragging on this standoff.
Ronaldo has his supporters in the dressing room, it should be noted. However, a source at the club states that many aren't happy with how the attacker is conducting himself, having missed out on the majority of pre-season due to "family reasons" before leaving Old Trafford early after being subbed off in the one friendly that he featured in.
"It is really starting to annoy a lot of players now," the source said.
"He does have his allies in the camp but a lot are fed up with how he is going about things."
Manchester United appear reluctant to sell, and while Ten Hag criticized Ronaldo publicly for leaving the Rayo Vallecano game before full-time, the Dutchman has also reiterated that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is their player. Only time will tell whether he remains with the UEFA Europa League side or not, but with Benjamin Šeško having joined RB Leipzig, the Red Devils' options aren't looking great.
Karim Benzema makes history with UEFA Super Cup goal
The night was set for some historic feats, and the man behind one of those moments had to be Karim Benzema.
Real Madrid's French ace had one more night to remember with a classy display against Eintracht Frankfurt, which he capped with a goal during the second half of the game. Benzema's strike came after David Alaba had given Los Blancos the lead during the first 45 minutes, and his goal also ended any hope for a comeback by the German side.
The former Lyon man also recovered his goalscoring form in international tournaments, a run he saw interrupted by his inability to score in the 2022 UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool.
What made Benzema's goal historic was not only that he gave Real Madrid their fifth UEFA Super Cup title, but it also helped him reach a personal milestone for the Spanish giants, surpassing Raul to become the club's second-highest scorer in history.
Man City: Erling Haaland equals Sergio Aguero's record with brace in Premier League debut
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland entered the club's history books for his remarkable contribution in inspiring the club to a win over West Ham in their first Premier League game of the season. The 22-year-old Norwegian striker scored twice in his debut to match Sergio Aguero's feat as the only player to hit a brace in his league debut for the Citizens.
Following the disappointing showing in the FA Community Shield defeat to Liverpool, Haaland came up good at the London Stadium and it took him 35 minutes to show Premier League fans his goalscoring prowess on Sunday. City's $62M summer signing from Borussia Dortmund opened his account from a penalty that he won himself after being fouled by the Hammers' substitute keeper Alphonse Areola. The latter had replaced Lukasz Fabianski, who was forced off before the half-hour mark after colliding with Haaland and Aaron Cresswell.
Haaland made no mistake from 12 yards to put Man City in the driving seat and kept his tradition of scoring in his debuts intact, having previously done the same in the Bundesliga and the Champions League. His second goal of the night which arrived in the 65th minute was a thing of beauty, breaking away from the West Ham defense to race onto Kevin De Bruyne's exquisite through-ball to bury home Man City's second.
While it is early days yet, Haaland sits alongside Aleksandr Mitrovic and Pascal Gross as the only three players to have scored a brace for their respective clubs in the first round of Premier League matches.
Huge blow: Man Utd's De Jong pursuit under danger as Red Devils shift focus to Juve's Rabiot
As the days pass by, Manchester United's hopes of signing Frenkie de Jong diminish.
It is no secret that the English giants are in need of midfield reinforcement. One look at their 2022/23 Premier League opening day defeat at home to Brighton proves that. However, having identified the aforementioned Dutchman as their ideal target, the Red Devils have struggled to convince the former Ajax starlet to pack up his bags for Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag, his former coach, is currently at the Theatre of Dreams but the player's preference is to remain at the Camp Nou. Due to their financial issues, the Blaugrana are trying to push De Jong out the door in order to cash in on one of their most highly-rated assets, hence the agreement in place with Manchester United, but even this might not be enough.
The reliable Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports has offered an interesting update on this situation, writing on Twitter that with Chelsea lurking in the background, those at Old Trafford fear their odds are slim. According to Jacobs, the consensus at the club is they will lose the Frenkie chase should the Blues officially throw their hat in the ring.
This has not yet happened because the player remains adamant on staying in Catalonia and fighting for his spot under Xavi. Both Premier League giants are willing to take on the deferred wages Barcelona owe the midfielder, meaning it will simply come down to De Jong's preference.
The Red Devils are seen as "unstable" and their lack of UEFA Champions League football puts them at a disadvantage. As a result, news that Ten Hag's side are pursuing a move for Adrien Rabiot makes sense – whether he would be a quality signing is another issue.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have already agreed a €17M fee with Juventus and are working on personal terms with the player after having conversations with the midfielder himself. The 20-time English champions take on Brentford next in the Premier League but it remains to be seen whether the Frenchman will complete this move in time for that fixture.
Other key headlines from the world of football
Bernardo Silva opens up about his Man City future in interview amid Barcelona links
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva sat down for an interesting interview with ESPN in which he discussed an array of topics, with the transfer links being brought up. His response to the speculation regarding his future – he is being linked with a move to Barcelona – was eye-catching and while he gave a coy response, the Portuguese ace's refusal to rule out an exit will leave everyone with food for thought.
"I've always said that I'm happy here, but I have no idea what's going to happen," he said when asked about his future.
"We'll see, honestly. My relationship with the club is very honest. I've been open with them and they know what I want. If I stay, I'm very happy, and I will always respect this club and give all my best. If not, it's football and we'll just see what happens."
2022 FIFA World Cup set to start one day earlier than planned?
According to a report by Diario Olé, the board of the 2022 FIFA World Cup asked football's governing body to move the starting date in the competition so that Qatar could kick the tournament off. As things stand, the inaugural match of the competition would have been the clash between the Netherlands and Senegal, but local officers have urged FIFA to make the change.
Sources consulted by the Argentine newspaper stated that FIFA would have the opening ceremony on Sunday and proceed with the game between Qatar and Ecuador, which would be in line with previous FIFA World Cup editions, where it was either the defending champions or the hosts who had the honor of starting the tournament.
While FIFA may still be holding second thoughts on this issue, time is of the essence if they want to make the change, since logistics for that opening match may be hard to change for visitors, media representatives, and those involved in the competition.
Joan Gamper Trophy: Lewandowski hits his first Barca goal in Pumas rout
Robert Lewandowski has finally ended his goalscoring drought by inspiring Barcelona to a big win in Sunday night's Joan Gamper Trophy clash with Pumas UNAM at Camp Nou. The Polish striker was on target once and managed two assists as the Catalans secured an emphatic 6-0 win against their Mexican opponents.
It was complete dominance on the part of Barca, who were wrapping up their pre-season preparations ahead of the commencement of La Liga next weekend. Robert Lewandowski needed a little over 160 seconds to reintroduce himself to the Camp Nou faithful with a brilliant opening goal. Three minutes later, the former Bayern Munich talisman assisted Pedri for the second goal of the night before giving the young Spaniard another pass in the 19th minute to put home for his brace.
In between Pedri's two goals, Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha combined once more to produce another goal with their newly-formed partnership growing from strength to strength. The script did not change in the second half as Franck Kessie assisted Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Barcelona's fifth goal of the night just three minutes after they were both substituted on. Frenkie De Jong rehashed his importance to Xavi's plan by remarkably running the show in midfield and was eventually rewarded with a goal with six minutes of normal time left to play.
