Top games to watch this week
Friday, September 16
Aston Villa vs Southampton (English Premier League)
Real Valladolid vs Cádiz (La Liga)
Auxerre vs Lorient (Ligue 1)
Juventus vs Roma (Serie A Women)
Puebla vs Tigres UANL (Liga MX)
Saturday, September 17
Wolves vs Man City (English Premier League)
Tottenham vs Leicester (English Premier League)
Barcelona vs Elche (La Liga)
Augsburg vs Bayern (Bundesliga)
Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04 (Bundesliga)
Estoril vs Porto (Primeira Liga)
Boavista vs Sporting (Primeira Liga)
New York City vs New York RB (MLS)
LA Galaxy vs Colorado Rapids (MLS)
América vs Guadalajara (Liga MX)
Sunday, September 18
Brentford vs Arsenal (English Premier League)
Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid (La Liga)
Pumas UNAM vs Cruz Azul (Liga MX)
Benfica vs Marítimo (Primeira Liga)
Milan vs Napoli (Serie A)
Olympique Lyonnais vs PSG (Ligue 1)
Los Angeles FC vs Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Monday, September 19
Boca Juniors vs Huracán (Argentine Primera Division)
Atlético Goianense vs Internacional (Brasileirão)
Pachuca vs Pumas UNAM (Liga MX Femenil)
América vs Monterrey (Liga MX Femenil)
Wednesday, September 21
Scotland vs Ukraine (UEFA Nations League)
Rosenborg vs Real Madrid (UEFA Women's Champions League)
Sparta Praha vs Roma (UEFA Women's Champions League)
PSG vs Häcken (UEFA Women's Champions League)
Portland Thorns vs Racing Louisville (NWSL)
Thursday, September 22
Croatia vs Denmark (UEFA Nations League)
France vs Austria (UEFA Nations League)
Belgium vs Wales (UEFA Nations League)
Poland vs Netherlands (UEFA Nations League)
Most-watched football games in the U.S. - September 5-11, 2022
Last week had a major change in the battle for the ratings. Since there were no Premier League matches played due to Queen Elizabeth's passing on September 8, there were other leagues that caught the attention of football fans in the United States.
This change was great for one of the country's leagues, as the NWSL claimed the top spot in the ratings for football games with the clash between the Washington Spirit and the San Diego Wave. The clash ended with a 4-3 score for the hosts and nabbed the top spot in the ratings with over 380,000 average viewers.
The second spot this week went to Liga MX. League leaders América took home three points when hosting San Luis with a convincing 3-0 score, and their win was witnessed on TUDN by over 360,000 viewers in a game that took place on Tuesday, September 6.
The podium was completed by an international match featuring the USWNT. The North American team faced their second straight friendly against Nigeria, and the team led by Vlatko Andonovski took home the win 2-1. Their match was witnessed by over 330,000 average viewers.
Let us have a look at the numbers last week brought us in terms of football games.
What are this week's must-watch games?
Wolves vs Man City live this Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET on USA Network, Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, fuboTV, Sling TV, and SiriusXM FC
The Premier League is back this weekend as seven fixtures are set to take place after last week's postponement. One of the standout games from the upcoming round will see defending champions Manchester City take to the field, facing Wolves in an interesting tie. The Cityzens enter this clash on the back of their 2-1 comeback victory over Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. As for Bruno Lage's side, they have won only once all season, and that sole victory came in their most recent outing against Southampton. Will the hosts make it back-to-back triumphs this Saturday? Tune in to find out.
AC Milan vs Napoli live this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET exclusively on Paramount+
Two of Italy's top three teams will face off this weekend as AC Milan prepare to host Napoli in a highly-anticipated Sunday showdown. The defending champions are level on points with the visitors; however, with 13 goals scored and only four conceded, it is Luciano Spalletti's side that enter this tie as the league leaders. Both teams face each other on the back of midweek victories in the UEFA Champions League, meaning confidence should be at a high during this Serie A clash.
Atletico take on Real Madrid in the first Madrid Derby of the season live this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET exclusively on ESPN+
And finally, on our list, we have the first Madrid Derby of the season. Atletico host Real Madrid this Sunday as Simeone and Co. look to bring Los Blancos' perfect start to an end. So far, the defending champions have won five out of five and have secured back-to-back victories in their first two UEFA Champions League outings. As for Los Rojiblancos, they have suffered a draw and a defeat in the Spanish top-flight already and thus find themselves five points behind their bitter rivals. Victory over the Merengues would slash the gap to two points. Make sure to tune in to ESPN+ to see whether Atletico can get the better of their neighbors.
Once again, women's football fans are set to be dazzled by club football, with some of the top leagues in the globe returning to action.
Tournaments such as Liga MX Femenil and the NWSL are getting closer to its defining moments, while European competitions like the Liga Iberdrola, the Frauen-Bundesliga, and the FA Women's Super League will be getting underway this weekend. If that was not enough to satisfy your women's football cravings, how about the return of the D1 Arkema in France with defending champions Olympique Lyonnais?
There will also be more games being played in leagues such as the Women's Serie A, the Eredivisie Women, and other competitions that you will be able to follow in the corresponding women's football section on our website.
Without further ado, let's have a look at what the beautiful game will offer in terms of women's football matches for the next seven days.
2022 NWSL season
The North American competition saw one of the best games in the tournament taking place last week with the clash between the Washington Spirit and the San Diego Wave. The win for Washington's team caused quite a stir in the league, as the Wave are now third in the tournament with only three games left. Now, the Kansas City Current are at the top of the league, followed closely by the Portland Thorns and the Wave, which will have some interesting matches to play in the next seven days.
2022-23 FA Women's Super League
The FA Women's Super League will finally have its start following the pause caused by the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Now, it will be time to see defending champions Chelsea fighting to keep their supremacy against teams such as Tottenham, Arsenal, and Manchester United, who will begin their quest to end the Blues' dominance for the past three years.
D1 Arkema
The French top-flight in the women's category kicked off with a bang, starting with a 5-1 win for defending champions, Lyon. Teams such as Bordeaux, Paris, and PSG also claimed wins during their opening matches, which leaves the top spot of the tournament up for grabs to any of these teams. It seems that Lyon's dominance will not be put to test this weekend, as they are getting ready to face Soyaux, a team that lost its first match against PSG last week.
Liga MX Femenil - Apertura 2022 tournament
The Mexican league continues with key matches being held during the next few days, where local fans will celebrate their Independence on a long weekend. Guadalajara and Tigres continue their battle for the top spot with only two points between them, and things between these teams will surely become sorted out after this weekend's match between them. Elsewhere in the league, América and Monterrey will also fight for third place when they lock horns at the legendary Estadio Azteca.
For more details on games, standings, and news, visit our dedicated women's soccer page at LiveSoccerTV.com.
Biggest stories of the week
Klopp mocks Todd Boehly as Chelsea owner suggests staging All-Star game in the Premier League
Jurgen Klopp was in a buoyant mood on Tuesday as his Liverpool side put an end to their two-game winless run by beating Ajax in the UEFA Champions League.
The Merseyside giants hosted the Dutch champions on the back of their embarrassing 4-1 loss away to Napoli on Matchday 1 as Mohamed Salah finally ended his goalscoring drought while Matip netted a late winner to secure the Reds the three points.
However, during the post-match press conference, there was a moment in which the German boss showed his displeasure, albeit in a comedic manner. This came after a reporter brought forward a recent suggestion from new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly.
The American billionaire recently spoke at the SALT conference and discussed an array of topics regarding the London giants and the Premier League. Boehly then went on to make an interesting suggestion, asking why there is no All-Star game in the English top-flight similar to that in the NBA and MLB.
"People are talking about why don't we have more money for the Pyramid? Todd asked.
"MLB did their All-Star game this year. They made $200m from a Monday and a Tuesday.
"You could do a North vs South All-Star game from the Premier League to fund the Pyramid very easily."
This idea sparked controversy all over social media, with most fans reacting angrily to the suggestion while others welcomed the prospect of seeing Arsenal, Tottenham, and Chelsea players on one team, facing players from Man City, Man United, Liverpool, and others.
When asked for his thoughts on this matter, Klopp pointed out the biggest obstacle to a Premier League All-Star game: finding an available slot for an additional event in football's already jam-packed schedule. Additionally, the German aimed a dig at Boehly, jokingly asking whether he will invite the Harlem Globetrotters next.
"He hasn't waited long! Oh great, when he finds a date for that, he can call me," the German said.
"He forgets that in the big sports in America, these players have four-month breaks and they are quite happy they can do a little bit of sport in these breaks. It is completely different in football.
"What can I say? Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters as well and let them play against a football team?"
"I am surprised by the question so please don't judge my answers too much," the German added. "Maybe he can explain it to me at one point and find a proper date.
"I'm not sure people want to see that. Imagine that - United players, Liverpool players, Everton players all together on one team.
"It's not the national team, it's just the north-west and the north-east together and the south? Ok, north versus south means northeast and Newcastle. Interesting game.
"And all the London guys together - Arsenal, Tottenham, great. Did he really say it? Great."
Mbappe caught on camera slamming PSG teammate Hakimi over poor pass
Kylian Mbappe continues to grab the headlines at PSG, but despite the saying, any press isn't always good press.
The Frenchman remains the centerpiece at the Parc des Princes after turning down the opportunity to join Real Madrid for free, instead signing a new, and mega-million deal with the Ligue 1 champions.
The 23-year-old has also picked up right where he left off on the pitch as he already has seven goals under his belt in the French top-flight in only six outings. Additionally, he has three UEFA Champions League goals already, having netted a brace in the 2-1 victory over PSG on Matchday 1.
However, Kylian has been attracting negative press as well. The attacker's alleged rift with teammate Neymar returned to the headlines after a recent controversy regarding a penalty while a new video has surfaced in which the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner can be seen disparaging Achraf Hakimi over a failed pass.
The pair were caught on camera during their conversation in the tunnel, with Mbappe reprimanding his teammate for a poor pass.
"Did you see the video? You had to give me the ball," Mbappé said.
Hakimi then responded with: "'If it's like that, I'm sorry."
However, the full-back's remorse wasn't enough for the Frenchman as he hit back, adding: "It's not enough to be sorry, give a good ball!"
It should be noted that Mbappe and Hakimi have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, a lovely relationship, one that began when the former Real Madrid talent made the switch from Inter Milan to Paris. Additionally, this incident did not occur this season, instead happening last campaign, and is likely no longer an issue.
Nonetheless, it is interesting to see after the former Monaco starlet's run-ins with Neymar this term, the most recent coming in the 2-1 UEFA Champions League victory over Juventus. Despite scoring both goals, the Frenchman came under criticism once again after failing to set up the Brazilian for a tap-in during a second-half counterattack, instead opting to shoot from a tight angle in the hope of completing his hat-trick.
The Selecao ace wasn't pleased with this decision and aired his frustrations. However, speaking after the final whistle, Galtier played down the situation, stating that Mbappe simply failed to spot his teammate and that there was nothing more to this.
UEFA Champions League: Juventus set unwanted record in shock loss to Benfica
Having missed out on the Scudetto for the past few seasons, Juventus are keen on trying to regain their spot as the number one side in Italy.
The Bianconeri also have repeatedly come up short in the Champions League, and hold the rather unwanted record of featuring in the most finals without lifting the trophy.
Now back in his second spell at the club, Massimiliano Allegri's tenure this season has not gone to plan. Not only are Juventus struggling to keep pace, with just one win from their last five Serie A fixtures and two overall in the league, but they are also floundering in the Champions League.
On Wednesday, Juventus took on Benfica in Turin. Following their 2-1 road defeat to PSG, many had expected La Vecchia Signora to get themselves out of their rut and beat the Portuguese side to kick start their European campaign.
Unfortunately, despite taking an early lead, Juventus ended up losing that match 2-1, and in doing so set another unpleasant record in the process.
For the first time in club history, the Bianconeri have lost their opening two Champions League matches, which sees them nearly bottom of the table. They are only propped up by Maccabi Haifa, whose goal differential is worse than theirs.
That loss means that Juventus have won just two of their first eight games across all competitions, and comes on the heels of a poor showing during a 2-2 draw with minnows Salernitana.
Next up for Juventus will be a tie against another minnow, newly promoted Monza, but certainly, with confidence not being sky-high in their camp, Monza will naturally be fancying their chances at some sort of upset this weekend.
Messi sets two UEFA Champions League records with goal vs Maccabi Haifa
We all knew it was coming, it was just a matter of finding out when.
Things were getting a bit complicated for PSG during their trip to face Maccabi Haifa, but minutes before the halftime break, Lionel Messi stepped up to help Les Parisiens tie the game while adding a couple more records to his resume.
The Argentine superstar put to good use a loose ball inside Maccabi Haifa's box to find the back of the net, following a cross by Kylian Mbappé. The player's left-footed strike made its way to Maccabi's goal to kick off all celebrations for the Ligue 1 giants.
Messi's first goal in the UEFA Champions League helped the man reach two more goalscoring records in the premier club competition in the world. The first one has to do with the number of teams he has punished during his impressive career, as Maccabi Haifa was the 39th side he has scored against in the competition, breaking the tie he had with none other than Cristiano Ronaldo (38).
The other record accomplished by Messi has to do with his consistency throughout his illustrious career, becoming the first player in history to score in 18 consecutive UEFA Champions League seasons. To top it all, Messi got closer to the no.1 spot in the goalscoring department by netting his 126th goal in the competition, but La Pulga still has some catching up to do with all-time leading scorer Cristiano (140).
Other key headlines from the world of football
Transfer: James Rodríguez set to return to European club
After spending one season in Qatar and watching his skills diminish over time, James Rodríguez has found a way out of what turned out to be a disappointing experience in the country where the FIFA World Cup will take place. The footballer has reportedly agreed terms to return to Europe with a team that will be involved in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.
The team in question is none other than Olympiakos, who have made some noise in the transfer window after signing Marcelo a couple of weeks ago. Now, Rodríguez will join his former teammate to try and lead the most-winning team in Greece to European glory and to add one more domestic title to their already impressive resume.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Rodríguez has already passed all medical tests with the Greek team, and it is only a matter of time before Olympiakos unveil him as their new player. Reports coming in from Greece and Colombia state that the footballer will join Olympiakos on a one-year loan deal, with a buyout clause included in his contract. Al-Rayyan will still pay 60% of the player's wages, while Olympiakos will take care of the remaining 40%.
Former Liverpool flop set to make Premier League return on short-term deal
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has ended his search for a new team after being cut by Liverpool and becoming a free agent last summer. The footballer, who spent three of the past four seasons on loan at Besiktas and Union Berlin, will try his luck one more time with a Premier League club, as Newcastle have offered him a short-term contract in recent days.
The player's signing comes weeks after Martin Dubravka left the team and to help Howe's side cope with Karl Darlow's absence due to injury. Initially, Karius' deal will last until January, but a clause in his contract could see him stay with the Magpies until the end of the season.
The footballer has played 72 games in the past four years, although he was frozen out by Liverpool during the previous season. Karius conceded 99 goals in his last three seasons, keeping 17 clean sheets in the process. Nonetheless, the keeper is remembered for his key role in Liverpool's loss against Real Madrid in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League final, where he made two massive mistakes to help Los Blancos win their third European title in a row. Since then, Karius' career has been filled with ups and downs
Chelsea fans pay touching tribute to Tuchel in Graham Potter's debut game vs RB Salzburg
Not only was Chelsea's 1-1 draw with RB Salzburg the first game for the Blues since their embarrassing 1-0 loss away to Dinamo Zagreb in the opening round, but it was also the first match since the unexpected, but understandable, sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
The German boss was relieved of his duties by Boehly and Co. a week ago, with Graham Potter being swiftly appointed as his replacement. The Englishman would have made his debut over the weekend, but due to the sad passing away of Queen Elizabeth II, their trip to Fulham was postponed, as well as every other Matchweek 7 fixture in the Premier League.
However, this tie against RB Salzburg was held at Stamford Bridge, and as a result, the Chelsea fans filled up their stadium and got the golden opportunity to pay tribute to Tuchel. The supporters united in applause in the 21st minute of the game, which symbolized the 2021 European final in which Chelsea pulled off an impressive 1-0 victory over Manchester City in Porto.
