By DAN KARELL

Serie A joins the rest of the top-flight European League with the first round of their season beginning this weekend.

In a week where he made the cover of Sports Illustrated, only the second non-U.S.-born player to achieve the honor, Mario Balotelli and AC Milan take a trip to recently promoted Hellas Verona on Saturday afternoon.

Arsenal eased up some pressure on their club and front office with a dominating mid-week victory in the UEFA Champions League, but they’ll have to quickly get ready for the next match, a London derby at Craven Cottage against Fulham. Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham return home on Sunday with the opportunity to debut their new signings to the home fans at White Hart Lane against Swansea City, who were thoroughly thrashed by Manchester United eight days earlier.

After being substituted at halftime, Lionel Messi is a doubt to start at Malaga on Sunday, with the thought that he may be available off the bench or saved for the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup, set to take place at the Nou Camp on Wednesday. Since April, Messi has played the full 90 minutes in just two of 27 games for club and countries. Messi suffered a thigh injury in a Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain, and hasn’t been able to fully heal since.

Meanwhile, Neymar could make his starting debut for Barcelona in place of the injured Messi.

Here is a rundown of This Weekend’s Soccer on TV:

FRIDAY

2pm – beIN Sport en Español – Getafe vs. Almeria

2:3opm – beIN Sport USA/Univision Deportes – AS Monaco vs. Toulouse

2:30pm – GolTV – Borussia Dortmund vs. Werder Bremen

4pm – beIN Sport en Español – Athletic Bilbao vs. Osasuna

8:30pm – NBC Sports Network – Chicago Fire vs. Sporting Kansas City

8:30pm – ESPN Deportes/Azteca America – Queretaro vs. Chivas

10:30pm – ESPN Deportes/Azteca America – Club Tijuana vs. Santos Laguna

SATURDAY

7:45am – NBC Sports Network/mun2 – Fulham vs. Arsenal

9:30am – GolTV – Bayern Munich vs. FC Nurnberg

10am – NBC Sports Network – Southampton vs. Sunderland

11am – Univision Deportes – Valenciennes vs. Olympique Marseille

12pm – beIN Sport USA – Hellas Verona vs. AC Milan

12:30pm – NBC – Aston Villa vs. Liverpool

12:30pm – GolTV – Hertha Berlin vs. Hamburg

1pm – beIN Sport en Español – Elche vs. Real Sociedad

2pm – Univision Deportes – Lyon vs. Reims

2pm – Fox Sports 2 – FC Kansas City vs. Portland Thorns

2:45pm – beIN Sport USA – Sampdoria vs. Juventus

3pm – beIN Sport en Español – Espanyol vs. Valencia

5pm – beIN Sport en Español – Villarreal vs. Real Valladolid

6pm – Univision Deportes – Club America vs. Morelia

7pm – MLS Direct Kick – Montreal Impact vs. Houston Dynamo

7pm – MLS Direct Kick – D.C. United vs. Toronto FC

7pm – One World Sports/SNY – New York Cosmos vs. San Antonio Scorpions

8pm – UniMas – Tigres UANL vs. Chiapas

8pm – Univision Deportes – Atlante vs. Pachuca

8pm – Fox Sports 2 – Western New York Flash vs. Sky Blue FC

9pm – MLS Direct Kick – Vancouver Whitecaps vs. LA Galaxy

9pm – MLS Direct Kick – FC Dallas vs. San Jose Earthquakes

9:05pm – Telemundo – Club Leon vs. Monterrey

9:30pm – MLS Direct Kick – Real Salt Lake vs. Columbus Crew

10pm – Univision Deportes – Atlas vs. Pumas UNAM

SUNDAY

11am – NBC Sports Network/mun2 – Tottenham vs. Swansea City

12pm – beIN Sport USA – Inter vs. Genoa

1pm – Univision – Toluca vs. Veracruz

1pm – ESPN Deportes/Azteca America – Puebla vs. Cruz Azul

3pm – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport en Español – Malaga vs. Barcelona

5pm – UniMas – Chivas USA vs. New York Red Bulls

7:30pm – MLS Direct Kick – New England Revolution vs. Philadelphia Union

8:15pm – GolTV – Estudiantes vs. Boca Juniors

10pm – ESPN2 – Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers