Top games to watch this week
Friday, April 21
Arsenal vs Southampton (English Premier League)
Angers vs PSG (Ligue 1)
Hellas Verona vs Bologna (Serie A)
Augsburg vs Stuttgart (Bundesliga)
Espanyol vs Cádiz (La Liga)
Casa Pia vs Sporting Braga (Primeira Liga)
Mazatlán vs Monterrey (Liga MX)
Tijuana vs León (Liga MX)
Saturday, April 22
Liverpool vs Nottingham (English Premier League)
Real Madrid vs Celta de Vigo (La Liga)
Lazio vs Torino (Serie A)
Mainz 05 vs Bayern (Bundesliga)
Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt (Bundesliga)
Pacos de Ferreira vs Porto (Primeira Liga)
Lens vs Monaco (Ligue 1)
Manchester City vs Sheffield United (FA Cup semifinal 1)
Cincinnati vs Portland Timbers (MLS)
New England vs Sporting KC (MLS)
Colorado vs St. Louis City SC (MLS)
Nashville SC vs Los Angeles FC (MLS)
Seattle Sounders vs Minnesota United (MLS)
Guadalajara vs Cruz Azul (Liga MX)
América vs Pumas UNAM (Liga MX)
Sunday, April 23
Newcastle vs Tottenham (English Premier League)
Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid (La Liga)
Juventus vs Napoli (Serie A)
Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig (Bundesliga)
Benfica vs Estoril (Primeira Liga)
Lyon vs Marseille (Ligue 1)
Brighton vs Manchester United (FA Cup semifinal 2)
PSV vs Ajax (Eredivisie)
Atlanta United vs Chicago Fire (MLS)
Toluca vs Juárez (Liga MX)
Monday, April 24
Atalanta vs Roma
Vitoria Guimaraes vs Sporting CP (Primeira Liga)
Luton Town vs Middlesbrough (Championship)
Tuesday, April 25
Wolves vs Crystal Palace (English Premier League)
Aston Villa vs Fulham (English Premier League)
Leeeds vs Leicester City (English Premier League)
Girona vs Real Madrid (La Liga)
Tigres UANL vs León (Liga MX)
Wednesday, April 26
West Ham vs Liverpool (English Premier League)
Chelsea vs Brentford (English Premier League)
Manchester City vs Arsenal (English Premier League)
Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona (La Liga)
Inter vs Juventus (Coppa Italia 2nd leg semifinal)
Philadelphia Union vs Los Angeles FC (CONCACAF Champions League)
Thursday, April 27
Everton vs Newcastle (English Premier League)
Tottenham vs Manchester United (English Premier League)
Villarreal vs Espanyol (La Liga)
Athletic Club vs Sevilla (La Liga)
Fiorentina vs Cremonese (Coppa Italia 2nd leg semifinal)
Most-watched soccer games in the USA: April 10-16, 2023
The viewership numbers for soccer matches aired in the USA between April 10-16, 2023 are in, and once again, Liga MX has beaten out competition from the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. In fact, last week, only two matches garnered over a million viewers and both were Mexican top-flight showdowns.
The first was none other than Club America's trip to Cruz Azul, with the Eagles triumphing 3-1. Just under two million people tuned in to Univision to catch the action live as the visitors kept up pace with league leaders Monterrey. The other fixture was Guadalajara's clash with Leon, with 1.04 million people tuning in to Univision to watch Chivas' 2-0 victory their rivals.
Wrapping up the top three was the exciting UEFA Champions League quarterfinals showdown between Real Madrid and Chelsea, with Los Blancos triumphing 2-0 at the Bernabeu. This first-leg fixture was caught live by 887,000 people on CBS.
What are this week's must-watch games?
Newcastle vs Tottenham live this Sunday at 9 a.m. ET on USA Network, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, and the NBC Sports App
Newcastle host Tottenham this weekend in a crucial tie in the top-four race as these two clubs are both fighting for a UEFA Champions League spot. The Magpies are currently in fourth, and while they have a game in hand, their lead is a mere three-point advantage. As a result, Spurs can turn things around with a win at St. James' Park.
Barcelona vs Atletico live this Sunday at 10:15 a.m. ET on ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, and the ESPN App
Two of Spain's biggest clubs face off this Sunday as Barcelona look to end their three-game winless run when they host Atletico Madrid. Xavi's men have suffered back-to-back goalless draws in La Liga following their embarrassing 4-0 loss at home to Real Madrid. Simeone's men, meanwhile, are on a six-game winning streak and are third in the table. However, the last time they met the Catalan giants, Los Rojiblancos lost 1-0 and will thus be on the lookout for revenge.
Brighton vs Man Utd live this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN+ and the ESPN App
The FA Cup semifinals are here! The two finalists for this prestigious tournament will be decided this weekend, with Brighton vs Manchester United being the standout fixture. The Seagulls have been one of the most exciting teams this season under Roberto de Zerbi and will enter this clash on the back of their 2-1 win at Chelsea. The Red Devils, on the other hand, were recently beaten 3-0 by Sevilla in the UEFA Europa League and were thus eliminated from Europe. Additionally, Ten Hag is struggling with an injury crisis and will face a difficult battle come Sunday.
Juventus vs Napoli live this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET exclusively on US: Paramount+
Napoli return to action fresh off of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal exit at the hands of AC Milan. Unfortunately, a tough fixture awaits Spalletti's men as they will visit bitter rivals Juventus. The Old Lady recently saw their 15-point deduction suspended, meaning Allegri's men have climbed up to third in the table. The Old Lady are now only two points behind second-placed Lazio and will be hopeful of leapfrogging Sarri's side with a win over the league leaders.
Man City vs Arsenal live this Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock
Could this be the Premier League title decider? Arsenal, who drew back-to-back games at Liverpool and West Ham, visit reigning champions Manchester City this midweek. This game will come after their home clash with Southampton on Friday, meaning the North London giants could establish a healthy lead over the Cityzens. Guardiola's men, on the other hand, will be in FA Cup action over the weekend before hosting Saka and Co. on Wednesday. A home victory over Arsenal would shift the title race heavily in their favor.
While many are looking forward to the semifinals of the Champions League, with two mouth-watering clashes featuring Real Madrid, Manchester City, AC Milan, and Inter set to take place next month, fans of the women's game will not have to wait that long to see another set of semifinal games.
Barcelona, Chelsea, Wolfsburg, and Arsenal will all be hoping to book their spot in this season's finals, and in addition to some great European ties, there are some key matches in England and Germany as the title races in those leagues continue to get more intense.
Here's all you need to know ahead of another exciting week of women's soccer.
UEFA Women's Champions League
Barcelona, Chelsea, Wolfsburg, and Arsenal are the four teams looking to lift the coveted UEFA Women's Champions League trophy at the end of this season. Reigning champions Lyon will not have a chance to clinch an unprecedented ninth title after being beaten by Chelsea in the quarterfinals.
First up on Saturday is an intriguing clash starring Barcelona, who won it in 2021, and Chelsea, who finished as runners-up that year. The Blues will be keen on revenge on the Blaugrana after they were crushed 4-0 in the 2021 final, but the Blaugrana have been in imperious form all season and will naturally present a tough test for the London giants.
Then, on Sunday, Wolfsburg, who are currently on top in the Frauen-Bundesliga, will take on Arsenal. Wolfsburg last won the top prize back in 2014, while Arsenal are hoping to book their spot in their second final after successfully overturning a 1-0 deficit to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 on aggregate.
Frauen-Bundesliga
Meanwhile, in Germany, the title race continues to pick up speed. Current league leaders Wolfsburg will not be in action this weekend due to their involvement in the Champions League, which means that Bayern Munich do have a chance to leap-frog die Wölfinnen and seize the top spot when they face sixth-placed Freiburg on Saturday. Bayern come into their upcoming game having won their last five league games, while visiting Freiburg have been in an awful run of form, with five consecutive league defeats leading up to Saturday's tie.
On the opposite end of the table, relegation-threatened Turbine Potsdam continue to try to stage a very late-season rally. Potsdam, who are still rooted to the foot of the table with eight points, have picked up seven of their entire season tally in just their last three games. Serie A fans will remember how Crotone managed to avoid the drop very late on a couple of seasons ago, and perhaps Potsdam may look to that for inspiration as they look to make a fourth game sans defeat against Essen on Sunday.
Women's Super League
Currently, there are four teams in contention for the Women's Super League title at the end of this season: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal. Two of those teams - Chelsea and Arsenal - will not be in action domestically due to their participation in the Champions League.
That means that current league leaders Manchester United, who have a four-point lead over Chelsea, also will not get to play as they were set to face Arsenal on Saturday. Chelsea still do have two games in hand that could help the Blues regain top spot, but things could get really interesting with Manchester City, who sit in fourth on 38 points, facing West Ham on Sunday.
Should City win that match - a real possibility given West Ham's poor form lately - they will move onto 41 points and thus sit in second. Other games taking place this weekend include struggling Tottenham hosting Aston Villa and Liverpool doing their best to avoid being dragged into the relegation battle when they host Brighton.
Didn't find your favorite women's league on this list? No worries, as this is just a highlight of some of the exciting games coming up this week. Make sure to check out our special women's soccer page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for full broadcast info, match updates, news, and more.
Major League Soccer: Preview, news and broadcast details for Matchday 9
Every week we are getting some interesting games in the 2023 MLS season, and this week's clashes should not be any different with most teams involved in the race to reach the playoffs.
It is safe to say that there have been some disappointments in this campaign, such as the LA Galaxy and their winless run after seven games. Nevertheless, teams like St. Louis City (who are back at the top of the Western Conference) and the New England Revolution have delighted their fans with some top-caliber football. Both leaders will try to hold on to their spots, with stiff competition coming from the LAFC and Cincinnati FC, respectively.
Speaking of the defending champions, the team led by Carlos Vela will want to hold on to their unbeaten status in their clash against Nashville, a team that has struggled to win games but who are capable of putting up a fight against better-ranked teams. Another match to keep an eye on will be Chicago Fire's visit to Atlanta, with the team from the Windy City ready to keep their five-game streak without a loss going.
Without further ado, here's what you should keep in mind before Matchweek nine kicks off.
How to watch Matchweek 9 in the 2023 MLS season?
Fans in the USA and Canada will be able to watch select games on regular TV networks. The first one of those will be Philadelphia Union vs Toronto, two struggling teams in the Eastern Conference. Later on Saturday, fans in Canada will be able to tune in to watch Seattle vs Minnesota United, where the Sounders try to recover the top spot in the West. Last, but not least, the Atlanta United vs Chicago Fire will be aired on Fox Sports 1 and on TSN3, putting an end to this week's games. The rest of the fixtures for Matchday 9 will be available to be streamed in over 100 countries via MLS Season Pass.
Top news of the week in Major League Soccer
Tyler Boyd's goal in El Tráfico helps him earn Goal of the Matchday honors
It is always special to score your first goal with a club, but things are maximized when that goal earns the honor of being the best in a week. That was what happened to Tyler Boyd, who had his special moment for the LA Galaxy in El Tráfico, giving his team a momentary draw against the LAFC. Unfortunately for Boyd, his effort was not enough to give the Galaxy any points, but if he is able to keep up the good form, his team's supporters will certainly enjoy his antics on the pitch.
MLS fine New England Revolution midfielder after red card incident
New England Revolution's most recent game had a bit of controversy following Dylan Borrero's sending-off, and the league has taken further action against the midfielder for taunting his rivals after being handed a red card.
Borrero did not leave the pitch immediately after being booked, but the main problem came when he taunted the player he had tackled and got into an argument with some of Columbus' footballers. The league has taken swift action against Borrero, and aside from his suspension, he has been handed an undisclosed fine for his taunts after being sent off.
Colorado Rapids bid farewell to homegrown player
The Colorado Rapids have been struggling to get wins, and in an attempt to add veteran talent to their roster, the team made the decision to part ways with Dantouma Touré, one of their homegrown strikers who showed some promise in his little time on the pitch.
The 18-year-old Touré will have time to recover from an ACL injury, which has kept him on the sidelines for the start of this season.
For additional details regarding Major League Soccer's schedule, top scorers, and more, visit our bespoke MLS page here.
Biggest stories of the week
Bayern make final decision on Sadio Mané's future after row with Sané
The highly publicized row between Leroy Sané and Sadio Mané will have serious consequences for the African footballer, who was left out of the game against Hoffenheim, but recent reports claim that things could get even worse.
As per reports by Football Insider, the player not only had his days numbered due to this incident, but also because coach Thomas Tuchel has not been able to find a spot for him in his regular lineup, and given the player's reputation on the pitch, there could be some teams ready to lure him away from Allianz Arena.
The report by Football Insider indicates that the 31-year-old Mané has already been informed of this situation, and with his best moments taking place in the Premier League, he will push hard to return to England if given the option. Despite his desire to go back to Liverpool, the Senegalese may have to settle for another club, as his age and wages could be a problem for a team looking to rejuvenate their squad.
Mané signed a three-year deal with Bayern for over $22M. His massive wages may also represent a problem to find another team, although his reputation might be enough to secure a new deal that works out for all parties involved.
Haaland lands another Champions League record as Man City eliminate Bayern Munich
Erling Haaland secured yet another Champions League milestone with his goal contribution in Wednesday night's clash with Bayern Munich. The 22-year-old Norwegian striker literally put the quarterfinal tie to bed by scoring in the second half of the second-leg encounter with the Bavarians at Allianz Arena.
City went into the clash in a comfortable position after hitting the German giants for three when both sides met last week. They were subsequently handed the opportunity to extend their lead even further when a controversial penalty decision went in their favor inside the 35th minute.
Dayot Upamecano, who had a night to forget in the first leg, experienced another terrible start to the second-leg encounter by conceding the spot-kick after the ball had struck his arm. Erling Haaland subsequently stepped up to do the honors but skied the penalty kick for his first miss in nearly two years.
But vindication was not far off for the former Borussia Dortmund star who capitalized on a fast break and another defensive error by Upamecano to put Man City in front in the 57th minute. in the 83rd minute, Sadio Mane's cross struck the arm of Manuel Akanji, giving Bayern an opportunity to get the equalizer through Joshua Kimmich's penalty kick in the 83rd minute.
With the aggregate score standing at 4-1, Man City book their ticket to the semifinal and will take on defending champions Real Madrid in a doubleheader. On an individual level, Haaland took his goal tally for the Champions League season to 12 and matched a record set by Ruud van Nistelrooy for the most goals by a Premier League player in a single tournament.
Also, the Norwegian took his overall haul in the competition to 35 goals, beating Kylian Mbappe (23y 260d) to become the youngest player (22y 302d) to reach that tally. Additionally, he is the fastest player to reach 35 goals in the history of the competition, achieving the feat in 27 games. Former record holder Ruud van Nistelriooy managed that 42 games.
ESPN+ to cover La Liga, FA Cup semis this weekend
This weekend is set to be a very interesting one, with two much-anticipated FA Cup semifinals starring Manchester City, Manchester United, Sheffield United, and Brighton as well as crunch ties for Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Real Madrid in La Liga. For fans in North America, ESPN+ will be streaming all these games, which will begin on Saturday, April 22nd, and conclude on Sunday, April 23rd.
In England, four teams remain in the FA Cup. Title contenders Manchester City, who cruised to a comfortable 4-1 aggregate win over Bayern Munich and are four points from catching Arsenal in the Premier League title race, will continue their hopes of clinching the FA Cup when they take on Sheffield United on Saturday, April 22nd, with a kickoff time at 11:45 EST (08:45 PST). Erling Haaland's blistering form, which has seen him net a whopping 38 goals in all competitions all season, will be a major worry for Sheffield United fans as the Championship side hope to continue their Cinderella run in this season's FA Cup competition.
On Sunday, April 23rd, Manchester United will travel to face fellow Premier League side Brighton in the second semifinal, with a start time of 11:30 EST (08:30 PST). The Red Devils currently sit third in the table, which has them in contention for Champions League football next season, while Brighton have had a surprisingly good campaign to presently find themselves in seventh.
Should both Manchester City and Manchester United (as many expect) win their respective ties, fans will have the chance to see a first-ever Manchester Derby in the FA Cup final.
Meanwhile, in Spain, Barcelona, who lead La Liga by 11 points, will be hoping to avoid a third straight game sans a win when they welcome Atletico Madrid to their home ground. Los Rojiblancos, who are in third place and just behind city rivals Real Madrid, have been in excellent form since the start of 2023, with their sole loss being, interestingly, to the Blaugrana.
Diego Simeone's team are currently just two points behind Real Madrid, meaning that a victory for Atleti on Sunday could see them leap-frog Real Madrid into the second spot.
As for Real Madrid, they secured their spot in another Champions League semifinals thanks to a very comfortable 4-0 aggregate win over Chelsea. However, Carlo Ancelotti's troops have not been at their very best in La Liga as of late, with two losses in their last five league games, and will need to avoid another poor result when they face Celta de Vigo on Saturday. If they can win that tie, Los Blancos will narrow the gap on Barcelona to eight points, which still leaves them with a huge mountain to climb but would at least put pressure on the Blaugrana to avoid slipping up against Atletico on Sunday.
Cristiano trolled on TikTok after taking down opponent with WWE-like chokehold in Riyadh Derby
Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the headlines, but this time, it has little to do with his fantastic goalscoring exploits in the Saudi Pro League.
The Portuguese icon made his debut in the heated Riyadh Derby on Tuesday, a fixture contested by continental powerhouses Al Nassr and Al Hilal, two clubs based in the capital city.
Unfortunately, things did not go well for Al Nassr as the visitors suffered a frustrating defeat, with Odion Ighalo scoring twice to seal the three points and bragging rights in this derby for the opposition team.
Cristiano, who completed the 90 minutes, failed to get on the scoresheet and was even involved in two controversial incidents.
The first involved a ridiculous tackle, if you can even call it that, on an Al Hilal player. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was guilty of bringing down the opponent with a ridiculous chokehold after his failed attempt to challenge for the ball.
Michael Oliver, the well-known Premier League referee who was officiating in Saudi on that day, booked the 38-year-old but many felt the Real Madrid icon should have been sent off for his WWE-like challenge.
In fact, Al Hilal trolled the iconic striker on TikTok the following day by posting a clip of the incident with the iconic entrance theme of John Cena, arguably the greatest wrestler and figure in the WWE.
Unfortunately, the other controversy involving Ronaldo wasn't as lighthearted. CR7 sparked anger in Saudi Arabia, a notoriously conservative country, after appearing to grab his crotch and aim this obscene gesture at fans chanting Messi's name.
And given that the people of Saudi Arabia were observing the holy month of Ramadan at that time, this intensified the criticism. However, Al Nassr have addressed the issue, claiming that Cristiano wasn't aiming a gesture at the fans but was instead struggling with a sensitive injury in the groin region.
Other key headlines from the world of soccer
Karim Benzema makes history in Real Madrid's 2-0 win vs Chelsea
Karim Benzema has reached the point in his career where he can add records to his resume without having to score, and that was precisely the case on Tuesday when the French striker did not find the back of the net but was able to enter an elite list of players in the UEFA Champions League while also setting a record for Los Blancos.
The French superstar played for over 71 minutes against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, thus making his 150th appearance in this competition, becoming only the fifth player in the tournament's history to reach this milestone.
Furthermore, with 131 European outings for Los Blancos, Benzema became the outfield player with the most number of UEFA Champions League appearances for Real Madrid, surpassing the iconic Raul and Sergio Ramos.
AC Milan secure historic Champions League semifinal berth with Napoli win
AC Milan have progressed to the semifinal of the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League after defeating Napoli on Tuesday night. The Rossoneri defied the odds to eliminate their Serie A rivals after drawing 1-1 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium and securing a 2-1 aggregate win.
Milan clinched their ticket thanks to Olivier Giroud's goal which resulted from a brilliant counter-attack initiated by Rafael Leao ahead of the half-time break. Prior to that, the 36-year-old French striker had missed a penalty that was won by Leao inside the first 25 minutes.
The night's feat meant that they have reached the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2006/07. Having taken their last four qualification count to seven, the Rossoneri join Juventus as the Italian team with the most participation in this phase of the competition.
Thiago Silva slams the Chelsea owners following their Champions League exit vs. Real Madrid
Chelsea's nightmare season went from bad to worse yesterday as the struggling Premier League giants were officially eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid in the quarterfinals.
This sparked further anger from the fans towards Todd Boehly and Co. following several managerial changes and the overall hectic direction of the club. This was a sentiment echoed by even one of the club's best players and that man is Thiago Silva.
It should be noted that the defender didn't only point fingers at the higher-ups, stating that the players should take responsibility for the poor displays. However, the former PSG ace also sent out a stern warning to the Stamford Bridge board: stop signing new players and come up with a proper strategy to lead the London giants out of this mess.
"A positive point is that there are amazing players in the squad but on the other hand there are always players that are going to be unhappy. There is always going to be someone upset because not everyone can play. The manager can only pick 11 from a squad of 30-something – that's tough," the Brazilian said.
"Some can't make the squad, we signed eight in January, we need to stop and put a strategy in place otherwise next season we could make the same mistakes."
