It’s shaping up to be an important, busy, and shifting weekend. This will be the final round of matches before Mauricio Pochettino is expected to announce his camp roster for the November Nations League matches that will be the USMNT’s first competitive matches since the World Cup and it’s a full slate of matches including Derby’s, opportunities to be seen on national network games, and head-to-head matchups. Don’t get tripped up by the time change on Sunday morning though as things will be shifting from
their normal spots. Hit the comments below to let us know what you’re watching and what we’ve missed (the players aren’t the only ones off to slow starts this season). Regardless, here are the matches we’re trying to keep an eye or two on this weekend:
Friday
Elversberg v Mainz — 3:30p on Fandango: Cole Campbell returned for Elversberg but saw just 8’ off the bench last Saturday in the team’s 4-0 defeat to Leipzig. Despite the loss Elversberg are in eighth place, tied on 10 points with Friday’s opponent, Mainz. Campbell did get the start midweek as Elversberg fell to Darmstadt 98 2-0 in the dfb Pokal. Mainz are also coming off a pair of losses, falling 3-2 last weekend to Werder Bremen in league play and midweek 2-0 to Bochum in the Pokal.
Villarreal v Espanyol — 4p on ESPN+: Alex Freeman scored his first goal of the season to draw Villarreal level with Valencia last weekend in a match they would go on to win 2-1 after scoring a late stoppage time goal despite being down a man. On Tuesday, Freeman came off the bench and played the final 45’ of Villarreal’s 5-0 victory over fifth tier side CD Manacor. Villarreal are in 10th place heading into their matchup with an Espanyol side that currently occupies the final relegation spot as they have just two wins in ten league matches and even fell to Sestao River Club of the Segunda B, the fourth tier of Spanish football, 4-3 in extra time of Copa Del Ray play on Tuesday.
Saturday
Stoke City v Preston North End — 8:30a on Paramount+: Stoke City have lost just once since Jack McGlynn joined the side but are still in ninth place due to dropping their first three matches of the season. The team is coming off a scoreless draw with Bristol City and will now face Caleb Wiley’s Preston North End who are dead last in the English Championship with just one win in their first twelve matches. Even more unfortunate, Wiley has not appeared in the last seven for the side though he did make the bench last weekend as the team drew with West Brom 1-1.
Levante v Atlético Madrid — 9:00a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+: Johnny Cardoso has missed the last two La Liga matches for Atletico Madrid, first with illness and then more recently with a minor thigh strain that he picked up in a substitute appearance against Stuttgart in Champions League action a week ago. It looks like once again an injury situation, is casting doubt on Cardoso’s availability ahead of a USMNT window. Atléti are in second place in La Liga, two points back of Barcelona, heading into their visit with Levante who are currently in 14th place, just two points removed from the relegation zone.
Bayer Leverkusen v Stuttgart — 10:30a on Fandango: Malik Tillman came off the bench last weekend, replacing Moussa Diaby late in the first half due to an injury as Leverkusen would go on to score three late goals to defeat Hoffenheim 3-0. Tillman would get the start midweek but was pulled at the half with Leverkusen down 2-1 to second tier Nuremberg. Leverkusen would go on to score four more for a 5-2 final. Leverkusen are in fourth place and will be hosting a Stuttgart side that are tied with Schalke and Union Berlin on six points as we approach the end of the first quarter of the Bundesliga season.
Borussia Mönchengladbach v Paderborn — 10:30a on Fandango: Joe Scally picked up the Gordie Howe hat trick last weekend with a goal, an assist, and a yellow card as Gladbach picked up their first win of the Bundesliga season. Scally pulled Gladbach level in the 38th minute after they had allowed an early goal to Stuttgart and then added an assist in the 66th minute on what would be the eventual game winner. Scally started and went the full 90’ midweek and picked up another assist on Gladbach’s opener in their 2-0 victory over Karlsruher in dfb Pokal action. Scally now has three goals and two assists in eight matches, across all competitions to start the season. Gladbach will look to build some momentum now as they face 13th place Paderborn who fell to Stuttgart in Pokal action midweek and are five points ahead of Gladbach in the league standings.
Bournemouth v Leeds United — 11:00a on Peacock: Brenden Aaronson got his first start in nearly two months last weekend but Leeds settled for a scoreless draw with last place Sunderland last weekend. This weekend Leeds will be travelling to Bournemouth to take on Tyler Adams and company. Adams has started six straight league matches and picked up an assist midweek as he came off the bench in Bournemouth’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa in EFL Cup play. Bournemouth have won their last two league matches after a slow start to the season and are now in 13th place, just two points back of seventh place Leeds.
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund — 1:30p on USA Network and Peacock: Mathis Albert finally saw his first Bundesliga minutes of the season two weeks ago but was not included in the squad last weekend due to “muscular problems” Albert was back in the squad on Tuesday but did not see action in Dortmund’s 3-2 Pokal victory over Werder Bremen. Albert’s Dortmund side are undefeated in their first seven Bundesliga matches, with two blemishes on the record being back to back draws in mid-October. This weekend they’re getting the big network treatment on a football Saturday as the match shifts to USA Network as they travel to face Bayern Munich who also have just two draws early this season to blemish their record. The two teams sit atop the Bundesliga standings with 17 points.
Tottenham v Crystal Palace — 1:30p on NBC / Peacock: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace defeated Fulham 1-0 on Wednesday in EFL cup action but their EPL campaign has been rather rocky. The team has just two wins in eight matches and have lost their last two 5-0 and 2-0. The team is currently in 17th place, just a point removed from relegation heading into their matchup with a Tottenham side that struggled mightily out of the gate but have won their last two matches, including last weekend’s 2-0 win over Chelsea. Zavier Gozo was on the bench midweek for the EFL Cup match but did not appear and has not made the EPL matchday squad in the past four matches.
PSV v Willem II — 1:45p on ESPN+: Sergino Dest and PSV settled for a 1-1 draw with Feyenoord last weekend, making the third time in four league matches that the team has failed to pick up the win. PSV are now in third place in the Eredivisie, four points back of Feyenoord. Things should go more smoothly this weekend as they face a Willem II side that have just two points through their first ten matches.
AC Milan v Inter Milan — 3:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic scored his second goal of the season last weekend as AC Milan defeated Udinese 2-0 but came off the bench midweek for the final 32’ as the team fell to Bologna 4-2. Yunus Musah came off the bench in last weekend’s win while starting and playing the full 90’ midweek in the teams loss. The group will now look to regroup as they are the home side in Milan this weekend in the Derby di Milano which has been tilted heavily in AC Milan’s favor recently with the team winning both matchups last season, and drawing twice and winning three matches in 24-25 including the Supercoppa final and defeating Inter in the Coppa Italia semifinals. Each of the wins has been decided by just one goal and Pulisic has scored in three of the matches.
Aston Villa v Fulham — 4:00 p.m. on Peacock: Antonee Robinson and Fulham have won their past two league matches though they did fall midweek to Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup round of 16. The league wins were Fulham’s first two of the season and they are in fifteenth place, just two points removed from the relegation spots. If you’re a Fulham fan looking for a glimmer of hope it’s that all of their results have been just a one goal difference. Their opponent this weekend will be an Aston Villa side that dealt Manchester City their first defeat of the season last weekend but then fell to Bournemouth midweek in cup play.
MLS Season Pass Matches:
- Charlotte v Orlando City SC — 12p: Tim Ream, Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike
- FC Cincinnati v Philadelphia Union — 2p: Cavan Sullivan, Quinn Sullivan, Neil Pierre, Frankie Westfield
- Columbus Crew v D.C. United — 2p: Patrick Schulte
- NYCFC v Montréal — 2:00 p.m. on Apple TV: Matt Freese
- Colorado Rapids v Chicago Fire — 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV: Chris Brady
Sunday
Como v Venezia — 6:30 a.m. on Paramount+: Gianluca Busio returned to the field last weekend, seeing 29’ off the bench as a substitute after missing the last four Venezia matches due to injury. While he was aware Venezia did pick up their first points of the season in a 1-0 win over Napoli but the team still sits dead last in the Serie A standings heading into their visit to fourth place Como.
Lyon v Angers — 11:15a on beIN SPORTS: Tanner Tessmann hast started the last two league matches for Lyon, playing 90’ in both. Lyon won Tessmann’s first start of the season, with Tanner scoring his first goal as well, but fell to PSG last Monday 2-0. Lyon are in fifth place now, three points back of league leading PSG, and will be hosting 14th place Angers who have eight points in eight matches.
Paris FC v Monaco — 11:15a on beIN SPORTS: Folarin Balogun is still looking for his first start of the season and didn’t come in until last weekend’s match was in stoppage time as Monaco settled for a 1-1 draw with Lille. Monaco heads to Paris this weekend to face Luca Koleosho who picked up his first goal of the season in a 2-1 loss to Lens. Paris FC are in sixth place despite the loss, just a point back of Monaco.
Juventus v Napoli — 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie and Juventus fell to Genoa 2-0 last weekend dropping to eighth place in the Serie A standings and already 11 points back of league leading Inter Milan. They will look to bounce back and climb the table this weekend as they host seventh place Napoli who are tied with them on 11 points.
Marseille v Toulouse — 2:45p on beIN SPORTS: Timothy Weah scored his first goal of the season as Marseille defeated Le Havre 4-3 last weekend and Marseille now have a nice little three match winning streak. Weah has played nearly every minute this season, the exceptions being missing the final 13’ of the loss due to his red card and the subsequent suspension. Weah has also worn the captains armband in each match he’s played though there have been rumors that he is unsatisfied with his role at rightback. Weah and company will be hosting fellow USMNT member Mark McKenzie and Toulouse this weekend. McKenzie has played every minute for a Toulouse side that are undefeated in their last five matches though they are still in eleventh place in Ligue 1.
MLS Season Pass Matches:
- Vancouver Whitecaps v Seattle Sounders — 3:30 p.m. on Apple TV: Cristian Roldan
- Nashville SC v New York Red Bulls — 4:30 p.m. on Apple TV: Brian Schwake, Adri Mehmeti, Julian Hall
- New England Revolution v Inter Miami — 7:00 p.m. on Apple TV: Peyton Miller, Brooklyn Raines
