Welcome to the weekend! Europe`s leading football teams are swapping UEFA Champions League action for domestic league play this weekend. Furthermore, after Friday`s league phase draw for the UEFA Women`s Champions League, it`s time to get excited about its kickoff. I`m Pardeep Cattry, bringing you the latest updates ahead of a jam-packed weekend.
Weekend Football Schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
- Friday, Sept. 19: NWSL: Utah Royals vs. Racing Louisville, 10 p.m.
-
Saturday, Sept. 20:
- Bundesliga: Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich, 9:30 a.m.
- LaLiga: Real Madrid vs. Espanyol, 10:15 a.m.
- EPL: Manchester United vs. Chelsea, 12:30 p.m.
- Serie A: Udinese vs. AC Milan, 2:45 p.m.
- NWSL: Kansas City Current vs. Seattle Reign, 7:30 p.m.
- MLS: Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 8:30 p.m.
-
Sunday, Sept. 21:
- EPL: Arsenal vs. Manchester City, 11:30 a.m.
- LaLiga: Barcelona vs. Getafe, 3 p.m.
- NWSL: Bay FC vs. Gotham FC, 8:30 p.m.
- MLS: LAFC vs. Real Salt Lake, 9 p.m.
UEFA Women`s Champions League Draw Highlights
by Mike Goodman
This season marks the debut of a new league phase structure in the UEFA Women`s Champions League, and Friday`s draw delivered a handful of truly exciting matchups to anticipate. The league phase involves 18 teams, each playing six matches—three at home and three away. The top four teams at the end of this phase will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the next eight finishers will compete in a two-legged playoff to secure a spot in the final eight.
Fresh off their dominant win against Chelsea in last year`s semifinals, Barcelona will head to Chelsea this season. Defending champions Arsenal, meanwhile, look forward to a clash with powerhouse Lyon. Manchester United`s progression to the league phase, achieved by navigating through the qualifying rounds, rewards them with the opportunity to host not only Lyon but also Paris Saint-Germain. The league phase is set to begin on October 7.
Premier League Title Race: Arsenal vs. Manchester City
Even though the Premier League season is only four games old, the early weeks of the new campaign bring yet another clash of regional heavyweights: Arsenal will host Manchester City in a match that will test both sides` mettle in the title race.
The Gunners have definitely been the more consistent of the two teams so far, with their only loss of the season being a narrow 1-0 defeat at Liverpool in a tightly contested match. However, there`s still an unresolved aspect to Arsenal at this stage of the season. Manager Mikel Arteta possesses a deep squad, custom-built for a title challenge, but he has yet to finalize how to best leverage their newfound depth. He opted for a new-look front three in Arsenal`s last two matches—a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and a 2-0 victory against Athletic Club in the Champions League—featuring Viktor Gyokeres flanked by Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. The results were ultimately mixed: the trio clicked well against Forest, but in Bilbao, while Madueke maintained his good form, Gyokeres was wasteful, and Eze exited without a single shot. Interestingly, substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard made the most of their minutes in Europe, each contributing a goal and an assist.
Meanwhile, City has secured two wins in their last two outings, turning things around after suffering two defeats just before the international break. The question of how well Pep Guardiola`s rebuild is progressing remains, as their 3-0 win over Manchester United and 2-0 victory against a ten-man Napoli come with certain caveats. Even with Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush sidelined due to injuries, Guardiola might be able to rely on a couple of mainstays: Erling Haaland and Phil Foden. The pair excelled against Napoli, with Foden assisting Haaland`s goal, while the Norwegian netted a brace against United, once again proving to be an ideal “break-glass-in-case-of-emergency” option for City.
Latest Football News
- UCL Review: Paris Saint-Germain topped the initial Champions League power rankings, and Vinicius Junior`s benching sparked discussions about overreactions to UCL events.
- Staying in Miami: Lionel Messi is reportedly close to signing a multi-year extension with Inter Miami, which would keep the star in MLS beyond the 2026 World Cup.
- Rashford`s Big Night: Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory at Newcastle United in their Champions League opener on Tuesday, thanks to a brace from a revitalized Marcus Rashford.
- Liverpool Survives Again: Liverpool`s 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid might establish them as the kings of late goals, but the victory leaves many unresolved issues for the Premier League champions.
- NWSL Updates: NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman stated that the decision to abandon the Seattle Reign-Racing Louisville game after Savannah DeMelo`s medical event was a `no-brainer.` She also provided updates on league expansion, a World Cup break, and their application for a Division II league.
- KDB`s Brief Return: Napoli`s Kevin de Bruyne lasted just 25 minutes upon his return against Manchester City in the Champions League on Thursday. Manager Antonio Conte made a tactical substitution minutes after his team went down to ten men.
- A Star is Born: While Marcus Thuram scored a brace in Inter`s win at Ajax, Francesco Pio Esposito`s star is rising after a strong Champions League debut on Wednesday.
- NWSL Power Rankings: Gotham FC is climbing in the latest NWSL power rankings, but Kansas City Current remains at the top.
