What Matches to Watch this Week: Friday, November 8 through Sunday, November 10
Friday, November 8 through Sunday, November 10
The bad news: another International Break follows. The good news: this is the last one until March. Let’s look at how my previous set of recommendations went and then we get into this weekend’s best options.
The Good
Newcastle 1–0 Arsenal
Well, it was good for Newcastle, Liverpool, and Manchester City anyway. Newcastle, especially Alexander Isak, is getting hot at the right time while Arsenal is struggling at the wrong time.
Girona 4–3 Leganés
These are the types of unexpected bangers that I hope to encounter myself and I hope to clue you in on through these articles! Girona remain a fun team to watch even in their regression season, and fair play to Leganés providing some quality goals as well. 38 year old Cristian Stuani remains a force in La Liga.
Dortmund 2–1 Leipzig
RB Leipzig came out of the gates swinging with Benjamin Sesko, but Dortmund despite their depleted Matchday squad came from behind to salvage their domestic ambitions after crashing out of the DFB Pokal.
Napoli 0–3 Atalanta
We saw some results that shook up the title race in England and Netherlands (Ajax standing their ground over PSV) this weekend and Atalanta did just that stunning Napoli in their home turf. Could Atalanta finish the season as champions of Italy?
Sevilla 0–2 Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad played like a team that wanted and needed the win more, and leaned on their stars Takefusa Kubo and Mikel Oyarzabal to get the victory at the Ramon Sánchez Pizjuan.
Athletic Bilbao 1–1 Real Betis
Had to wait until the second half for the goals, but it was a tight, tactical affair that continues to muddy which teams are better than others beyond the traditional powers of La Liga.
Empoli 1–0 Como
A lot of the buzz around Como has been warranted, but Empoli remains slept on. Empoli are proving to be Serie A staples for the next few seasons the way they get these important results to separate themselves from the crowd.
Fulham 2–1 Brentford
Harry Wilson scored a brace in the final stages of this match to turn a defeat at Craven Cottage to a thrilling victory.
The Bad
Leverkusen 0–0 Stuttgart
Stuttgart weathered the storm and got an unlucky point for how much Leverkusen dominated the match, but in that context I expected more from both of them.
Tottenham 4–1 Aston Villa
Credit to Dominic Solanke for getting the game sealing brace, but Aston Villa had their poorest second half of the season. Is this the same club that beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League?
Monza 0–1 AC Milan
Monza held their own but AC Milan got an important road win to keep up with a competitive Serie A top end of the table. Their goal was lucky but sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
The Mixed Bag
Manchester United 1–1 Chelsea
This match was emblematic of the problems that plague both teams, especially Manchester United. Being unable to hold a lead five minutes after merely generating a penalty as your only goal. Ruben Amorim can’t come soon enough.
The Playoffs
Charlotte 0–0 Orlando (Charlotte won 3–1 on pens)
My happiness for Charlotte FC quickly wore off when I reminded myself how I hate this best of 3 MLS Playoff format. This isn’t baseball. But in any case, this evenly matched playoff round is playing out that way.
NYC 3–1 Cincinnati
Whenever New York City have their backs against the wall, Maxi Moralez steps up and leads them with an inspiring performance. A do or die rematch in Cincinnati will determine who advances
Colorado Springs Switchback 2–0 Oakland Roots
The better team won. It was the least eventful of the playoff recommendations, largely due to a disappointing Oakland Roots performance.
RBNY 2–2 Columbus Crew (RBNY won 5–4 on pens)
I saved the best of my domestic recommendations for last as there were so many twists and turns in this game! Columbus Crew earned the benefit of the doubt and looked like they’d escape elimination, but in the penalty shootout Carlos Coronel had other ideas.
Now for this weekend’s matches
Friday, November 8
11:30 am P/2:30 pm E: Union Berlin (7th/15 pts) vs Freiburg (6th/16 pts) ESPN+
Starting the week off with a Bundesliga matchup between two clubs competing for European spaces is always fun. Union Berlin’s position in the Bundesliga has stabilized since their ascent from the lower divisions of Germany. Attackers such as Jordan Pefok and Jeong Woo-yeong will test a stout center back partnership of Philipp Lienhart and Matthias Ginter, with the visitors boasting Ritsu Doan and Chukwubuike Adamu
8 pm P/11 pm E: LAFC vs Vancouver Whitecaps MLS Playoffs Game 3 Apple TV Season Pass
Several of the Game 3’s MLS Playoffs offer us provide a win/win scenario for neutrals. Either a massive underdog pulls off an upset, or a favorite is battle tested before moving on to another challenge. Preferences will vary all across the West Coast, and this should be an interesting game!
Saturday, November 9
6 am P/9 pm E: Venezia (19th/8 pts) vs Parma (16th/9 pts) Paramount+
Venezia narrowly lost to a Lautaro Martinez strike from Inter Milan in their previous game, but moral victories do not add to the points tally. Hopefully Venezia’s midfield looks a bit stronger against Parma if Gianluca Busio and Alfred Duncan start. Parma also lost 1–0 to Genoa last time out, so attackers such as Dennis Man will be hoping to be more productive and give their sensational young goalkeeper Zion Suzuki a better chance to win.
9:30 am P/12:30 pm E: Leipzig (2nd/20 pts) vs Gladbach (9th/13 pts) ESPN+
Borussia Monchengladbach will be hoping for the Champions League version of RB Leipzig to show up at the Red Bull Arena. Their midweek loss to Celtic continues their losing streak in the premier European competition. If a turn in form is going to happy for the Energy Drink club, Benjamin Sesko will have to be involved as who knows where they’d be without his goals.
12 pm P/3 pm E: Liverpool (1st/25 pts) vs Aston Villa (6th/18 pts) Peacock
While both Liverpool and Aston Villa had strong starts to the Champions League this season, only Liverpool have sustained it. Aston Villa surprisingly lost to Club Brugge, but they’re still in a crowded field from 3rd to 8th in the Premier League. If their striker tag team of Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran can take advantage of Caoimin Kelleher in the Liverpool net instead of Alisson, Villa can still aspire to greater heights. To Kelleher’s credit, he did keep a clean sheet against Leverkusen.
Playoff Double Feature
3:30 pm P/6:30 pm E: Colorado Springs Switchbacks vs Orange County SC
5 pm P/8 pm E: Inter Miami vs Atlanta United
Colorado Springs Switchbacks took care of business against the Oakland Roots, so their NorCal visitors get exchanged for SoCal opponents in the quarterfinals of the USL Championship Playoffs. While Las Vegas Lights will have something to say about it, New Mexico United are expected to make the semifinals, so progress to that stage would be a successful season for either Colorado Springs or Orange County.
After that, you get the East coast version of LAFC vs Vancouver Whitecaps. You’ll either want Lionel Messi and friends to continue their playoff run or underdogs Atlanta United to pull off a stunner.
Sunday, November 10
6 am P/9 pm E: Nottingham Forest (3rd/19 pts) vs Newcastle United (11th/15 pts) Peacock
Your eyes do not deceive you. Nottingham Forest are behind only Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League table, and New Zealand international striker Chris Wood is scoring with the regularly associated with Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah. Joining in the fun is Alexander Isak, with Newcastle United coming off some impressive wins against Chelsea and Arsenal to give their campaign life again.
8:30 am P/11:30 pm E: Chelsea (4th/18 pts) vs Arsenal (5th/6 pts) Telemundo/USA
Chelsea have a +2 goal difference advantage over their London rivals, and pride and prestige are on the line in this headliner clash of the Premier League weekend. Young talent is everywhere you look in this game as a strong season, and maybe some silverware, for either club could change their individual reputations and the reputations of their respective clubs.
NWSL Playoffs Double Feature
9:30 am P/12:30 pm E: Washington Spirit vs Bay FC ABC/ESPN+
12 pm P/3 pm E: NY/NJ Gotham vs Portland Thorns ABC/ESPN+
The earlier matchup sees an expansion side in a playoff match for just the second time in league history. The latter pits the defending champions against a side led by the legendary Christine Sinclair. The longevitous Canadian striker will retire at the end of the season. Just a few of many storylines that will keep me following the NWSL Playoffs!
11:45 am P/2:45 pm E: Inter (2nd/24 pts) vs Napoli (1st/25 pts) Paramount+
This is the type of matchup that makes fans of European club football HATE the International Break. What a send-off to that break in action though! Lautaro Martinez vs Khvica Khvaratskelia as the two most recent Serie A champions duke it out to get the edge for this season’s crown? Sign me up!
Let me know what your favorite matchup for this slate is! Thank you as always for reading!
