There are several head-to-head matchups this weekend and things get off to a fast start on Friday with three matches. We’re already running behind so let’s get to it:
Friday
Brest v Monaco – 1p on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun and Monaco defeated league leading PSG on Saturday to move into seventh place in the Ligue 1 standings. Balogun was back in the starting lineup after serving his red card suspension. The win snapped a three match losing streak for Monaco who will look to move further up the table as they
face 11th place Brest on Friday afternoon.
Mainz v Borussia Monchengladbach – 2:30p on ESPN Select: Joe Scally and Giovanni Reyna both started midweek in Borussia Monchengladbach’s 2-1 loss to St. Pauli in dfb Pokal action. It was Reyna’s first start in any club competition this season and he played 68’. Gladbach is on a four match unbeaten streak in league play, moving up to 12th in the table and on Friday they will face a Mainz side that sit dead last with just six points through their first twelve matches.
Lille v Olympique Marseille – 3p on beIN Sports: Tim Weah started at RB again last Saturday as Marseille drew with Toulouse 2-2. He will now face his old Ligue 1 side, Lille, who are currently in fourth place, three points back of Marseille.
Saturday
Koln v St Paul – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Kristoffer Lund and 10th place Koln will host James Sands and a St. Pauli team that looks destined to return to 2. Bundesliga next season. Lund did not start last weekend but came on as a halftime substitute and picked up his first assist in extra time as Koln tied with Werder Bremen 1-1. Meanwhile, Sands did get the start for the fourth straight match but St. Pauli lost their ninth straight match, 3-1 at the bands of Bayern Munich.
Augsburg v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks and Malik Tillman could face off in Bundesliga action as well this weekend as 14th place Augsburg host fourth place Bayer Leverkusen. Banks (who just turned 19 on Monday) continues to start for Augsburg though the results have been rather mixed. The team gave up three more goals on Saturday as they fell to Hoffenheim. Banks and Augsburg will be facing off against Leverkusen and Malik Tillman who looks to have recovered from his injury as he has started five straight matches across all competitions for Leverkusen including Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat of Borussia Dortmund in Pokal action.
Bournemouth v Chelsea – 10a on Peacock: Tyler Adams and Bournemouth will look to snap a five match winless streak when they host Chelsea on Saturday. Adams scored his second goal in four matches last weekend, this one from nearly midfield but The Cherries fell 3-2 to Sunderland and fell again to Everton midweek in league action. Once as high as second place in the EPL table Bournemouth have now fallen to fourteenth and will be facing fourth place Chelsea.
Heerenveen v PSV – 10:30a on ESPN Select: Ricardo Pepi got his first league start in over two months last weekend and rewarded his club with a goal and an assist in PSV’s 3-0 win over FC Volendam. Sergino Dest also started once again and with the win PSV maintained their six point lead over Feyennoord for first place.
Leeds United v Liverpool – 12:30p on NBC: Brenden Aaronson did not make it off the bench for Leeds midweek as they defeated Chelsea 3-1 to snap a four match loosing streak. It was the first match this season in which Aaronson did not appear, though in the previous match against Man City he had seen just a minute.
Toulouse v Strasbourg – 1p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Toulouse will host Strasbourg on Saturday. McKenzie picked up his first assist of the season last weekend as Toulouse drew with Marseille 2-2. Toulouse are in ninth place and face a Strasbourg team that are in eighth place but five points ahead of them in the table.
Inter Miami v Vancouver Whitecaps – 2:30p on Fox: Sebastian Berhalter and the Vancouver Whitecaps will face off against Messi and Inter Miami on Saturday afternoon in the MLS Cup Final.
Sunday
Fulham v Crystal Palace – 11:30a on USA Network: Antonee Robinson remains out and will miss Fulham’s matchup with Chris Richards and Crystal Palace on Sunday. Palace defeated Burnley midweek and are in fifth place while Fulham fell 5-4 to Man City and are in fifteenth place, five points out of the relegation spots.
Napoli v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie and Juventus defeated Cagliari 2-1 last weekend with McKennie once again starting in the midfield. Juve are still in seventh place but are just five points back of league leading AC Milan.
