Barcelona is not likely to end up challenging its bitter rival, Real Madrid, for the La Liga title this season, but does deserve some credit for recouping some lost credibility early on.
The rollercoaster season looks to have Barca safely in Spain’s Champions League picture thanks to the seven-game unbeaten run, which should take the pressure off all involved ahead of Sunday’s grudge match, the weekend’s must-watch game.
There is one moral victory to be had, as Real Madrid defeated Barcelona twice already this season. Once in league play, and once in the Supercopa de Espana semifinal. Though the worst seems to have been avoided for Xavi and company, they obviously will not want to get swept by their arch-rival.
Chelsea’s status remains a hot topic, and the English giant created some embarrassing drama this week ahead of its FA Cup quarterfinal contest with Middlesbrough.
As more clarity around the sanctions on the Blues comes out, their request to have Middlesbrough, a second division team, host the game behind closed doors never had much of a basis and was deemed “pathetic” by Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson in the response. Needless to say, it will be a hostile environment for Chelsea, who will never be able to live it down if it falls prey to Middlesbrough side that already knocked out Tottenham.
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Here are the Top 5 Matches to Watch, as well as a full rundown of This Weekend’s Soccer on TV and Online:
This Weekend’s Top 5 Matches to Watch
1. Real Madrid vs Barcelona – Can Real Madrid pull off a season sweep of its biggest rival?
2. Middlesbrough vs Chelsea – Middlesbrough has been an overachiever in the FA Cup, Chelsea is in strange times, and an upset is not unthinkable.
3. Roma vs Lazio – Jose Mourinho’s Roma needs to right the ship and qualify for European competition next year and will remain in danger with anything less than a win on Sunday.
4. New York City FC vs Philadelphia Union – NYCFC was occupied with a taxing midweek match in Guatemala. Does it have enough to hang with a better-rested Union?
5. Angel City vs San Diego Wave – The NWSL Challenge Cup returns this weekend, headlined by the star-studded expansion teams and instant rivals doing battle.
This Weekend’s Soccer on TV and Online
English Premier League
4 p.m. – USA, fuboTV – Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Leeds United
German Bundesliga
3:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Bochum vs Borussia Monchengladbach
Spanish La Liga
4 p.m. – ESPN+ – Athletic Club vs Getafe
Italian Serie A
1:45 p.m. – Paramount+ – Sassuolo vs Spezia
4 p.m. – Paramount+ – Genoa vs Torino
French Ligue 1
4 p.m. – beIN SPORTS, fuboTV – Saint-Étienne vs Troyes
Liga MX
11 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA – Puebla vs Santos Laguna
NWSL Challenge Cup
7:30 p.m. – Paramount+ – Racing Louisville vs Kansas City Current
10 p.m. – Paramount+ – OL Reign vs Portland Thorns
Argentine Primera División
6:15 p.m. – Paramount+ – Tigre vs Platense
6:15 p.m. – Paramount+ – Aldosivi vs Patronato
8:30 p.m. – Paramount+ – Barracas Central vs Sarmiento
Ecuadoran Primera A
8 p.m. – fuboTV – Independiente del Valle vs Orense
German Bundesliga 2
1:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – St. Pauli vs Heidenheim
African CAF Champions League
12 p.m. – fuboTV – Al Merreikh vs Al Ahly
12 p.m. – fuboTV – AmaZulu vs Raja Casablanca
3 p.m. – fuboTV – ES Sétif vs Horoya
Liga MX Femenil
7 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA – Pumas UNAM vs Atlas
Scottish Championship
3:45 p.m. – Paramount+ – Dunfermline Athletic vs Greenock Morton
Turkish Super Lig
1 p.m. – beIN SPORTS, fuboTV – Rizespor vs Trabzonspor
Saturday
English Premier League
8:30 a.m. – USA, fuboTV – Aston Villa vs Arsenal
German Bundesliga
10:30 a.m. – ESPN+ – Stuttgart vs Augsburg
10:30 a.m. – ESPN+ – Hertha BSC vs Hoffenheim
10:30 a.m. – ESPN+ – Greuther Fürth vs Freiburg
10:30 a.m. – ESPN+ – Mainz 05 vs Arminia Bielefeld
1:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin
Spanish La Liga
9 a.m. – ESPN+ – Deportivo Alavés vs Granada
11:15 a.m. – ESPN+ – Elche vs Valencia
1:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Osasuna vs Levante
4 p.m. – ESPN+ – Rayo Vallecano vs Atlético Madrid
Italian Serie A
10 a.m. – Paramount+ – Napoli vs Udinese
1 p.m. – Paramount+ – Inter Milan vs Fiorentina
3:45 p.m. – Paramount+ – Cagliari vs Milan
French Ligue 1
12 p.m. – fuboTV – Lens vs Clermont
4 p.m. – beIN SPORTS, fuboTV – Nantes vs Lille
Major League Soccer
1 p.m. – ESPN+ – FC Cincinnati vs Inter Miami
1 p.m. – ESPN+, fuboTV – New York City FC vs Philadelphia Union
3 p.m. – ESPN+, fuboTV – Toronto FC vs D.C. United
3:30 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision – LA Galaxy vs Orlando City SC
4 p.m. – ESPN+ – Atlanta United vs CF Montréal
6 p.m. – ESPN+ – Chicago Fire vs Sporting Kansas City
7 p.m. – ESPN+ – Charlotte FC vs New England Revolution
8 p.m. – ESPN+, fuboTV – Minnesota United vs San Jose Earthquakes
8:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – FC Dallas vs Portland Timbers
8:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Houston Dynamo vs Colorado Rapids
9:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Real Salt Lake vs Nashville SC
English FA Cup
1:15 p.m. – ESPN+ – Middlesbrough vs Chelsea
Liga MX
7 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision – Pumas UNAM vs Necaxa
9 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision – Tigres UANL vs Monterrey
11 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision – Pachuca vs Cruz Azul
NWSL Challenge Cup
7 p.m. – Paramount+ – Orlando Pride vs Washington Spirit
7 p.m. – Paramount+ – North Carolina Courage vs NJ/NY Gotham FC
9 p.m. – Paramount+ – Angel City vs San Diego Wave
Portuguese Primeira Liga
11:30 a.m. – fuboTV – Tondela vs Arouca
2 p.m. – fuboTV – Santa Clara vs Belenenses
4:30 p.m. – fuboTV – Vitória Guimarães vs Sporting CP
Argentine Primera División
1 p.m. – Paramount+ – Lanús vs Banfield
3:15 p.m. – Paramount+ – San Lorenzo vs Huracán
5:30 p.m. – Paramount+ – Colón vs Unión Santa Fe
7:45 p.m. – Paramount+ – Independiente vs Racing Club
Colombian Primera A
9 p.m. – fuboTV – América de Cali vs Medellín
Ecuadoran Primera A
6:30 p.m. – fuboTV – LDU Quito vs Aucas
9 p.m. – fuboTV – Mushuc Runa vs Barcelona
English Championship
8:30 a.m. – ESPN+ – Derby County vs Coventry City
11 a.m. – ESPN+ – Reading vs Blackburn Rovers
French Ligue 2
10 a.m. – fuboTV – Le Havre vs Caen
10 a.m. – fuboTV – Auxerre vs Toulouse
German Bundesliga 2
3:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Werder Bremen vs Darmstadt 98
African CAF Champions League
9 a.m. – fuboTV – Petro de Luanda vs Zamalek
9 a.m. – fuboTV – Al Hilal Omdurman vs Mamelodi Sundowns
12 p.m. – fuboTV – Galaxy vs ES Tunis
3 p.m. – fuboTV – CR Belouizdad vs Etoile du Sahel
3 p.m. – fuboTV – Sagrada Esperança vs Wydad Casablanca
Sudamericano U-17 Femenino
5 p.m. – Fox Soccer Plus, fuboTV – Paraguay vs Chile
7:30 p.m. – Fox Soccer Plus, fuboTV – Colombia vs Brazil
Italian Serie B
9 a.m. – fuboTV – Parma vs Lecce
11:15 a.m. – fuboTV – Frosinone vs Benevento
Turkish Super Lig
12 p.m. – beIN SPORTS, fuboTV – Beşiktaş vs Hatayspor
USL Championship
1 p.m. – ESPN+ – New York Red Bulls II vs Loudoun United
4 p.m. – ESPN+ – Detroit City vs Charleston Battery
7 p.m. – ESPN+ – LA Galaxy II vs San Antonio
7 p.m. – ESPN+ – Memphis 901 vs Oakland Roots
7 p.m. – ESPN+ – Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs Hartford Athletic
7:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Louisville City vs Miami FC
7:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Indy Eleven
8 p.m. – ESPN+ – Colorado Springs vs Monterey Bay
8 p.m. – ESPN+, ESPN Deportes+, fuboTV – El Paso Locomotive vs New Mexico United
8:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – FC Tulsa vs Birmingham Legion
10 p.m. – ESPN+, fuboTV – Las Vegas Lights vs Phoenix Rising
10 p.m. – ESPN+ – Orange County SC vs Rio Grande Valley
10 p.m. – ESPN+ – San Diego Loyal vs Sacramento Republic
Sunday
English Premier League
10 a.m. – USA, fuboTV – Leicester City vs Brentford
12:30 p.m. – USA, fuboTV – Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United
English FA Cup
8:30 a.m. – ESPN+ – Crystal Palace vs Everton
11 a.m. – ESPN+ – Southampton vs Manchester City
2 p.m. – ESPN+ – Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool
German Bundesliga
10:30 a.m. – ESPN+ – RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt
12:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen
2:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Köln vs Borussia Dortmund
Spanish La Liga
9 a.m. – ESPN+ – Espanyol vs Mallorca
11:15 a.m. – ESPN+ – Cádiz vs Villarreal
11:15 a.m. – ESPN+ – Celta de Vigo vs Real Betis
1:30 p.m. – ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, fuboTV – Sevilla vs Real Sociedad
4 p.m. – ESPN+ – Real Madrid vs Barcelona
Italian Serie A
7:30 a.m. – Paramount+ – Venezia vs Sampdoria
10 a.m. – Paramount+ – Empoli vs Hellas Verona
10 a.m. – Paramount+ – Juventus vs Salernitana
1 p.m. – CBS, Paramount+ – Roma vs Lazio
3:45 p.m. – Paramount+ – Bologna vs Atalanta
French Ligue 1
8 a.m. – beIN SPORTS, fuboTV – Monaco vs PSG
10 a.m. – beIN SPORTS, fuboTV – Rennes vs Metz
10 a.m. – fuboTV – Angers SCO vs Brest
10 a.m. – fuboTV – Lorient vs Strasbourg
10 a.m. – fuboTV – Bordeaux vs Montpellier
12:05 p.m. – beIN SPORTS, fuboTV – Reims vs Olympique Lyonnais
3:45 p.m. – beIN SPORTS, fuboTV – Olympique Marseille vs Nice
Major League Soccer
2 p.m. – ESPN+, fuboTV – New York Red Bulls vs Columbus Crew
4:30 p.m. – Fox Sports 1, fuboTV, FOX Deportes – Austin FC vs Seattle Sounders
10 p.m. – ESPN+ – Los Angeles FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps
Liga MX
7 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision – América vs Toluca
9 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision – Atlas vs Guadalajara
11 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA – Mazatlán vs León
11:05 p.m. – Fox Sports 1, fuboTV, FOX Deportes – Tijuana vs Juárez
NWSL Challenge Cup
7 p.m. – Paramount+ – Houston Dash vs Chicago Red Stars
Portuguese Primeira Liga
4:45 p.m. – fuboTV – Boavista vs Porto
Argentine Primera División
1 p.m. – Paramount+ – Rosario Central vs Newell’s Old Boys
3:15 p.m. – Paramount+ – Gimnasia La Plata vs Estudiantes
6 p.m. – Paramount+ – River Plate vs Boca Juniors
Belgian First Division A
8:30 a.m. – ESPN+ – Club Brugge vs Genk
1:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Gent vs Anderlecht
Colombian Primera A
7:10 p.m. – fuboTV – Deportivo Pereira vs Junior
Ecuadoran Primera A
8 p.m. – fuboTV – Emelec vs Delfin
African CAF Confederation Cup
9 a.m. – fuboTV – Zanaco vs CS Sfaxien
9 a.m. – fuboTV – Al Masry vs Cotonsport
12 p.m. – fuboTV – USGN vs RSB Berkane
12 p.m. – fuboTV – ASEC Mimosas vs Simba
12 p.m. – fuboTV – Otôho d’Oyo vs TP Mazembe
12 p.m. – fuboTV – Al-Ittihad vs Léopards de Dolisié
3 p.m. – fuboTV – JS Saoura vs Orlando Pirates
3 p.m. – fuboTV – Al Ahli Tripoli vs Pyramids FC
Liga de Expansión MX
12 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA – Tlaxcala vs Leones Negros UdeG
2:05 p.m. – fuboTV, TUDN USA – Atlético Morelia vs Tampico Madero
Dutch Eredivisie
9:30 a.m. – ESPN+ – Ajax vs Feyenoord
11:45 a.m. – ESPN+ – PSV vs Fortuna Sittard
11:45 a.m. – ESPN+ – Vitesse vs RKC Waalwijk
3 p.m. – ESPN+ – Willem II vs AZ
Scottish Premiership
8 a.m. – Paramount+ – Dundee vs Rangers
Turkish Super Lig
9 a.m. – fuboTV – Gaziantepspor vs Galatasaray
12 p.m. – fuboTV – Fenerbahçe vs Konyaspor