What Matches to Watch This Week (September 13–16)
How can you hate the International Break when you get to experience San Marino win their first game in 20 years? Book them a flight to the World Cup! Ok, maybe not.
Anyway, we are back for the next edition of What to Watch this week! This series aims to inform soccer fans where they can watch some of the most intriguing matchups on any given weekend. It’s a lighter slate this time as the International Break will follow.
I will mention how many points each team mentioned in my recommendations has at the time of writing. Table position currently doesn’t mean much. Once we get into October, I’ll replace that information with table position. Domestic games will be the exception since they are farther along.
While this series will focus on the top flights of England, Germany, Italy, and Spain as they are the most accessible through a combination of common cable channels and streaming services, such services also carry matches from cup competitions, European competitions, lower divisions, and other peripheral leagues (such as Eredivisie on ESPN+). Therefore, some of those matches may make the article.
Since I am US-based, I will include domestic matches and streaming/time zone information relevant to US-based readers. If you are reading this from another country, you may need to do additional digging to find matches.
Lastly, while I have my preferences for which clubs and players I support, I will do my best to include a variety of clubs, leagues, and reasons for inclusion.
If you appreciate this kind of content, be sure to support me on Medium as well as on Twitter (X) @IvanOrnelas2 and Instagram ivanthewriter95.
How my recommendations went last time:
The Good
Leverkusen 2–3 Leipzig: Leipzig came from behind to beat Leverkusen and end their Bundesliga unbeaten run including all of last season at the BayArena! Any time you see a long unbeaten streak end it was a worthwhile watch.
Valencia 1–1 Villarreal: In front of a great crowd at the Mestalla, it looked like Valencia were bound to find a winner late on especially since Pape Gueye got a second yellow card. But Villarreal, led by 38-year-old captain Raul Albion and a great goalkeeping performance by Diego Conde kept the point intact, and kept their rivals Valencia searching for their first win of the season.
Portland Timbers 1–0 Seattle Sounders: Portland fans rolled out a badass tifo which set the stage for a brave display. Beating your rival at home is one of the best feelings you can have. Especially since there’s a lot on the line for both of these Pacific Northwest sides working their way up the playoff pecking order. Hoping Stefan Frei has a swift recovery as he took a hard foul and needed to be subbed off within the first 10 minutes.
Newcastle United 2–1 Tottenham: Alexander Isak opened his account for the season at the best possible time to beat a solid opponent, although Tottenham’s only goal was a Dan Burn own goal.
Genoa 0–2 Hellas Verona: Genoa got off to a stronger start, but Hellas Verona weathered the storm and they look like the biggest candidate to pull a Bologna and surprise the bigger clubs in Serie A this season.
Real Madrid 2–0 Real Betis: Real Madrid pulled away later on in the second half but Real Betis gave a good account of themselves. Kylian Mbappe scored from open play and the penalty spot to make up for a glaring open goal miss. One of Betis’s standout players was Youssouf Sabaly who was a livewire on offense from the right back position.
The Bad
Arsenal 1–1 Brighton: Arsenal’s clean sheet run was ended thanks to Declan Rice’s second yellow card and João Pedro’s equalizer. Declan Rice’s second yellow was petty at best, an egregious error at worst. It’s the rule but the implementation and consistency are the problems here.
It’s a shame because this game still had positive moments. Brighton will take the point but could’ve gotten all three if not for a last-ditch leg save by David Raya. On the other end, Bukayo Saka had the Gunners’ best chance to win following Rice’s sending off but barely couldn’t get enough contact on the cross.
Inter 4–0 Atalanta: Inter winning was the expected result but Atalanta didn’t show up.
Liverpool 3–0 Manchester United: See Inter vs Atalanta.
The Mixed Bag
Brentford 3–1 Southampton: I was equally impressed by Brentford as I was disappointed by Southampton.
60% Good is a passing grade, right? Was I too generous or too harsh on my assessments? Let me know and then let’s get into this next slate!
Friday, September 13
11:30 am P/2:30 pm E: Dortmund (4 pts) vs Heidenheim (6 pts) ESPN+
Dortmund were held to a 0–0 draw against Werder Bremen so they’ll hope to get back into the win column at home against Hoffenheim in front of the famous Yellow Wall. The midfield duo of Pascal Gross and Emre Can is the hub of Dortmund’s action. Heidenheim are the surprise leaders of the Bundesliga table after two games. While they likely won’t finish there at the end of the season, it shows that they are more likely to echo their 8th place finish last season then to be dragged into a relegation battle. This is an strong early test for Dortmund’s ambitions.
Saturday, September 14
6:30 am P/9:30 am E: Monchengladbach (3 pts) vs Stuttgart (1 pt) ESPN+
With clubs like Stuttgart overachieving last season, other previous overachievers like Gladbach fell by the wayside. This matchup at Borussia Park in North Rhine-Westphalia will tell us a lot about where these two clubs are headed this season. Stuttgart may still be looking for their first win of the season, but they look close to achieving it. That is encouraging given the high turnover in the squad.
9:30 am P/12:30 pm E: Aston Villa (6 pts) vs Everton (0 pts) Peacock
Aston Villa are where Everton used to be, the best of the rest (outside of the Big Six). Aston Villa will have one eye on their Champions League debut against Young Boys (yes, that is a real club name) but Unai Emery will likely rollout a strong lineup against the Toffees. Keep an eye on ex factor attacking threat Morgan Rogers. Everton will hope some Jordan Pickford heroics gives them a shot at a result they desperately need to get their first points of the season.
12 pm P/3 pm E: Real Sociedad (4 pts) vs Real Madrid (8 pts) ESPN+
This fixture was once a walkover for the famous Real Madrid, but Real Sociedad are as scrappy as they are technically gifted. At home in front of a passionate crowd, Martin Zubimendi will lead the Sociedad midfield in a tough battle against the embarrassment of riches Real Madrid boast. Kylian Mbappe got a brace against Real Betis and could’ve had more, so Alex Remiro will have to be on high alert.
5:50 pm P/8:50 pm E: Club America (6 pts) vs Chivas de Guadalajara (11 pts) TUDN/Univision
The biggest fixture in Liga MX and one that I have fond memories of watching with my family of Jalisco origin will be worth watching even if you aren’t familiar with Liga MX. Recent memories have been less fond as Club America have enjoyed more success domestically and continentally. However, a derby can go either way on the night. Hopefully, Chivas rise to the challenge in El Súper Clásico.
7:30 pm P/10:30 pm E: LA Galaxy (52 pts/1st West) vs LAFC (48 pts/2nd West) Apple TV MLS Season Pass
From a rivalry with 80 years of history in Mexico, we head to a more recent rivalry north of Mexico’s border. While the stars in Los Angeles come and go, one thing is usually on the cards with El Tráfico: plenty of goals. This will be the first matchup to feature Marcos Reus in Galaxy colors as he goes up against the French duo of Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud in the Black and Gold. LAFC may have two games in hand but winning this matchup will give them the best chance of catching the Galaxy for top spot in the conference.
Sunday, September 15
6 am P/9 am E: Tottenham (4 pts) vs Arsenal (7 pts) USA/Telemundo
Make that three rivalry encounters in a row and this one is the biggest of the bunch (sorry to my fellow Mexicans). Arsenal are a proven Premier League title contender while Tottenham aspire to get to that level under Ange Postecoglou. Tottenham will likely play without a natural number 9 but newcomer 19-year-old Wilson Odobert can be an x-factor along with Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski. The big question for Arsenal is how they look without the suspended Declan Rice or Martin Odegaard (ankle injured playing for Norway).
8:30 am P/11:30 am E: Mainz (2 pt) vs Werder Bremen (2 pt) ESPN+
Mainz played Stuttgart to a 3–3 draw last time out, with Korean wingers Lee Jae-sung and Hong Hyun-seok either side of captain Jonathan Burkhardt and anchored by a solid midfielder in Nadiem Amiri. Werder Bremen will be full of confidence getting a draw against Dortmund thanks to solid defensive performances by Niklas Stark, Marco Friedl, and goalkeeper Michael Zetterer. It’s anyone’s guess who can win this one, or if they’ll each earn their third draw in as many games.
12 pm P/3 pm E: Atlético Madrid (8 pts) vs Valencia (1 pt) ESPN+
Valencia’s tough start to the season doesn’t get any easier as they travel to the Wanda Metropolitano to face Diego Simeone’s hard-nosed Atlético Madrid. Atleti ground out a 1–0 win over Athletic Bilbao and it looks like Simeone recruited another solid addition with Conor Gallagher performing well and winning fans over early.
4:15 pm P/7:15 pm E: Sounders (43 pts/5th West) vs Sporting Kansas City (28 pts/12th West) Apple TV Free Game/FS1
It’s a rare Sunday fixture in Major League Soccer as both the Sounders and Sporting Kansas City make up this match due to their progress in the US Open Cup (Sporting Kansas City reaching the final to face LAFC). Seattle Sounders beat Columbus Crew 4–0 largely due to the Crew running out of goalkeepers once their only available option got sent off (Major League Soccer insists on playing through International Breaks, hence why Patrick Schulte/USA and Nicholas Hagen/Guatemala were unavailable). Sounders could still capitalize on that momentum against a Kansas City opponent unlikely to qualify for the playoffs.
Monday, September 16
9:30 am P/12:30 pm E: Parma (4 pts) vs Udinese (7 pts) Paramount+
Don’t worry Serie A fans! I’ll make up for the lack of selections on this list later on. Parma and Udinese are currently in the top half of the table thanks to their strong starts, and how long they hang around this area could be determined by the result of this game. Udinese leaned on Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye to keep a clean sheet against Como. Parma will have to turn to another option in goal themselves as the usually reliable 22-year-old Zion Suzuki was sent off last time in their 2–1 loss to Napoli.
12 pm P/3 pm E: Rayo Vallecano (4 pts) vs Osasuna (7 pts) ESPN+
It’s slim pickings on the Monday before UEFA Champions League action, but Osasuna might command some more attention than usual off of their 3–2 win over a solid Celta Vigo side. Croatian striker Ante Budimir will be a threat to the Rayo Vallecano defense featuring Florian Dejeuene and Andrei Ratiu
UEFA Champions League Matchweek 1 Rapid Fire Selections
Each of these six suggestions feature big names in the European Club game, with varying degrees of history (see the 2005 and 2023 Champions League finals) and upset potential. For clubs like Bologna and Bayer Leverkusen back in the big time, let’s see how they play when the lights shine bright!
All UEFA Champions League matches are available on Paramount+
Tuesday, September 17
9:45 am Juventus vs PSV
12 pm AC Milan vs Liverpool
Wednesday, September 18
9:45 am Bologna vs Shakhtar Donetsk
12 pm Manchester City vs Inter Milan
Thursday, September 19
9:45 am Feyenoord vs Bayer Leverkusen
12 pm Atlético Madrid vs RB Leipzig
Note: Europa League begins Wednesday, September 25 and Conference League begins Wednesday, October 2.
I hope the return of the UEFA Champions League as well as more European League fixtures excites you as much as it excites me! Thank you for reading!
