What to Watch This Week: Friday, February 21 through Monday, February 24, 2025

Last weekend, I was away for a wedding so I will not have a review segment for this week’s article. I apologize for that and hopefully you’ll still enjoy the recommendations I’ll provide then for the following weekend. I’ll briefly include the scores of those games and then get right into the recommendations. Based on match reports, I have still come up with a World Cup Stock Watch XI so check it out, even with a grain of salt.

Recommendations from the previous article:

Friday, February 14

Brighton 3–0 Chelsea

Brighton do a quick double over Chelsea!

Saturday, February 15

Leganés 3–3 Alaves

Who could’ve seen this scoreline coming?

Manchester City 4–0 Newcastle United

Manchester City have too much talent to go as long as they did without a performance like this. Image Credit: Bitter and Blue SB Nation.

Now this is the Manchester City we’ve gotten used to (or dreaded) watching over the last decade.

Bayer Leverkusen 0–0 Bayern Munich

This draw plays into Bayern’s hands as you’d imagine they won’t let their lead slip to close in on another Bundesliga title.

Villarreal 1–1 Valencia

Another valuable point for Valencia clawing themselves out of danger.

Sunday, February 16

Udinese 3–0 Empoli

Udinese continues to impress while Empoli’s fears of relegation grow.

Tottenham 1–0 Manchester United

Ange Postecoglou’s chances of seeing out the season increases with a vital win.

Juventus 1–0 Inter Milan

Depending on what the summer holds for Juventus, they could absolutely be in the title race next season. Image Credit: AS USA.

Juventus surely received a gift basket from Napoli by now.

Monday, February 17

Leeds United 2–1 Sunderland

Another big step toward automatic promotion.

2026 World Cup Stock Increase XI

Since the World Cup is less than a year and a half away, the final recap segment highlights one player maximum from any given country out of the players in the featured games to credit their performances. Whether they are a star player for a national team with an uphill battle to qualify, a key player for a nation expected to qualify, or a longshot for a deep nation, these are 11 players who only helped their respective causes. Lastly, with the next international window coming up next month, the colors on the image will reflect their national teams rather than their club sides.

GK Razvan Sava (ROU/UDI) 2002

RB Pedro Porro (ESP/TOT) 1999

CB Kim Min-jae (KOR/FCB) 1996

CB Renato Veiga (POR/JUV) 2003

LB Hiroki Ito (JPN/FCB) 1999

CDM Joshua Kimmich (GER/FCB) 1995

CDM Pape Gueye (SEN/VIL) 1999

RW Yankuba Minteh (GAM/BHA) 2004

CAM James Maddison (ENG/TOT) 1996

LW Omar Marmoush (EGY/MCI) 1999

ST Randal Kolo Muani (FRA/JUV) 1998

Asia and Africa well represented in this week’s best XI.

You’ll get a full recap section back next week! Now onto this week’s recommendations.

Friday, February 21

11:30 am P/2:30 pm E: SC Freiburg (5th/36 pts) vs Werder Bremen (10th/30 pts) ESPN+

I know a top 10 clash sounds less impressive in a league of 18 teams versus the standard 10, but there isn’t much of a gap in quality between these two sides. That gap gets cut in half with a Bremen win and all of a sudden they’re back in the mix for European qualification. Bremen have impressed against stronger opposition throughout this season, but they’ll need to step up their game after a disappointing 3–1 loss to Hoffenheim. Central midfielder Senne Lynen was the only Bremen player coming out of that game with a commendable performance. While Freiburg’s squad isn’t built for a long European run, this side will fight tooth and nail for their right to participate in whatever competition they can qualify for.

Saturday, February 22

5 am P/8 am E: Deportivo Alaves (19th/22 pts) vs Espanyol (15th/24 pts) ESPN+

The lesson to take away from the last few weeks of La Liga action is to keep an eye on this relegation battle. Aside from Real Valladolid who are 8 points from safety, any of the five sides sitting 15th through 19th can survive the drop. The games that could determine their fates have been entertaining, too. Espanyol always face an uphill battle for pride and relevance as the club in the shadows of FC Barcelona, but the only way to chip away at that perception is by staying in the top flight. The player to watch this game is defensive midfielder Joan Jordan, who came off the bench in Alaves’s 3–3 draw with Leganés with two goals (one from the penalty spot).

7 am P/10 am E: Fulham (8th/39 pts) vs Crystal Palace (13th/30 pts) Peacock

While this isn’t the permutation that immediately springs to mind when most fans think of London derbies, both sides will come into this match with something to prove. Fulham are the forgotten side in the Premier League’s top 10 especially after Brighton’s back-to-back victories over Chelsea, but they’re still in 8th and only 4 points above the aforementioned London juggernaut. Crystal Palace are about as midtable as a Premier League side gets throughout its dozen year long stint in the top flight. However, the talented players Oliver Glasner has at his disposal such as Eberechi Eze and Daniel Munoz make them an entertaining watch.

9:30 am P/12:30 pm E: Dortmund (11th/29 pts) vs Union Berlin (13th/24 pts) ESPN+

Dortmund need this win over Union Berlin if for no other reason but to put another embarassing loss, this time 2–0 to Bochum, behind them. Image Credit: Reuters.

The reality that Borussia Dortmund will miss out on European competition altogether is getting more and more real, and their fixture against Union Berlin gives Tottenham vs Manchester United vibes between two struggling clubs used to being higher in the table. Granted, Union Berlin’s rise to the top was fleeting and hard to sustain. A key battle in midfield should unfold between Union Berlin captain Rani Khedira and Dortmund attacking engine Julian Brandt. Both were highly touted early on in their careers (the latter partially because of the success of his brother Sami) but have settled into long standing Bundesliga staples.

11:45 am P/2:45 pm E: Inter Milan (2nd/54 pts) vs Genoa (11th/30 pts) Paramount+

When I first locked in on this match as a potential recommendation, I figured Inter would somehow solve their Juventus test first but then this could be a banana peel (or skin). The loss to Juventus could be a wakeup call for the Nerazzurri and bad news for Genoa. Simone Inzaghi will not allow his players to look past the former Serie A staple looking to reestablish themselves as such. Genoa took care of business beating Venezia 2–0 to likely secure top flight status. Their young holding midfielders of Morten Frendrup and Patrizio Masini will be tasked with slowing down Nicolo Barella and Denzel Dumfries. Not to mention it seems unlikely Lautaro Martinez will go too long without another goal contribution.

Sunday, February 23

6 am P/9 am E: Newcastle (7th/41 pts) vs Nottingham Forest (3rd/47 pts) USA/Telemundo

Both of these usually impressive clubs took tough losses in their previous games. Nottingham Forest were not expected to lose to Fulham, but Newcastle United got ravaged by an awakened Manchester City. If Newcastle go on to win the Carabao Cup, that loss will sting less, but losing 4–0 to Manchester City puts their prospects against Liverpool in that final in doubt. Seeing Bruno Guimaraes, one of their best players overall and especially in that specific match, get injured hurts too. Forest will take heart that their usual top performers Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood are still in good form.

8:30 am P/11:30 am E: Manchester City (4th/44 pts) vs Liverpool (1st/60 pts) Peacock*

• Broadcast information TBD but since Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest is confirmed for USA/Telemundo already, this game will likely go to Peacock.

Don’t let the Premier League table fool you. Manchester City won’t willingly pass the torch to Liverpool. Liverpool have to snatch it out of their hands. Image Credit: Bitter and Blue.

Liverpool’s 2–1 win over Wolves went under the radar compared to Manchester City’s big win, but it vitally keeps them 7 points ahead of Arsenal. That gap feels more stark when you factor in Arsenal’s injuries especially in attacking areas. The biggest way they can signal this title race is over in February is by pulling the rug from under Pep Guardiola’s side. Arne Slot must’ve gotten some good information for Jurgen Klopp to adjust to the Premier League so quickly. In all seriousness, he deserves a lot of credit for the work he’s done to mold this Liverpool side to play to their strengths. Manchester City however might’ve found a strength in depth that wasn’t there in the first half of the season. Omar Marmoush clearly made his mark with a hat trick, but other newcomers like Abdukodir Khusanov in defense and Nico Gonzalez in midfield made a strong statement too.

10:30 am P/2:45 pm E: Hoffenheim (15th/21 pts) vs Stuttgart (7th/35 pts) ESPN+

Two clubs in desperate need of a win for different reasons. Another three points gives Hoffenheim breathing room from the bottom three, securing their Bundesliga future. A win and results going their way helps Stuttgart leapfrog anywhere from 1 to 3 clubs ahead of them in the congested European qualification race. Another round of Champions League after this year’s experience would be great for Stuttgart, but they could make some waves in Europa or Conference as well. First, they need to disarm a sneaky good Hoffenheim attack that put three past the usually defensive sound Werder Bremen. Stuttgart’s attacking options of Enzo Millot and Deniz Undav aren’t too shabby either.

2 pm P/5 pm E: USA vs Australia SheBelieves Cup

The She Believes Cup may be a short tournament classified as international friendlies, but this is some of the best competition USA will face prior to the next World Cup in 2 years. Image Credit: Pro Soccer Wire.

By the time this match takes place, USA will have faced Colombia and Australia will have faced Japan in a doubleheader in Houston. The scene will shift to Glendale, Arizona where this matchup should be as hot as the Southwestern desert. The Matildas are usually led by one of the world’s best players the goalscoring machine Sam Kerr. Unfortunately though she is unavailable due to knee injury rehab. Caitlin Foord and Mary Fowler are the next biggest goal threats for an American defensive unit featuring Arsenal duo Emily Fox and Jenna Nighswonger to keep in check. Triple Espresso (Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman, and Mallory Swanson) will be absent for the 4-time World Cup winners due to nagging injuries, but we’ll get to see more of the next rising star Lily Yohannes.

Monday, February 24

12 pm P/3 pm E: Sevilla (12th/31 pts) vs Mallorca (7th/34 pts)

The appeal to this game comes in some hidden figures among the pantheon of La Liga stars coming into this in red-hot form. Sevilla has a 21-year-old midfielder in Juanlu Sánchez who scored two goals and an assist against Real Valladolid. Mallorca packs Vedat Muriqi (brace) and Daniel Rodriguez (goal and assist) also playing some of their best football of the season. The margin for error approaching the top half of the table is razor-thin. A win can lead to an exciting finish, while dropping points can dash those dreams.

Bonus Section: MLS Opening Weekend

The 30th season of Major League Soccer aptly features 30 teams with the addition of San Diego FC. Many club have made significant moves that’ll shake up the landscape of this competition. Image Credit: MLS Website.

Saturday, February 22

11:30 am P/2:30 pm E Inter Miami vs New York City FC

1:30 pm P/4:30 pm E LAFC vs Minnesota United

4:30 pm P/7:30 pm E FC Cincinnati vs New York Red Bulls

7:30 pm P/10:30 pm E San Jose Earthquakes vs Real Salt Lake

Sunday, February 23

1 pm P/4 pm E Portland Timbers vs Vancouver Whitecaps

4 pm P/7 pm E LA Galaxy vs San Diego FC

The early two games on Saturday and both fixtures on Sunday are the only ones on the Major League Soccer slate, so I’ll focus on my recommendations for the later time slots on saturday. FC Cincinnati has been a force in the Eastern Conference for the last three seasons, but their best finish in the playoffs was a Conference Final appearance in 2023. They can send a message right away if they can knock off MLS Cup Runners Up New York Red Bulls right out of the gate. Both East heavyweights said goodbye to goalscorers Luciano Acosta and Dante Vanzeir respectively. Newcomer Evander via a trade with Portland Timbers will hope to fill the former void, while Lewis Morgan’s goalscoring capabilities will be in higher demand for the Red Bulls. The nightcap’s biggest storyline involves Chicho Arango playing his first game for San Jose Earthquakes against their trade partner Real Salt Lake. Arango is a fan favorite in Utah, so it’s going to be weird seeing him in the Bay Area of all places. For Earthquakes fans, he is the biggest reason to watch coming off of a disastrous 2024 season. If Arango and Josef Martinez get off the mark early with the service Cristian Espinoza and Hernan López can provide, the memories of last season will fade more quickly.

Ranking the Midweek European Cup Games

Tuesday, February 25

Are Barcelona and Real Madrid on a collison course to meet once again, this time in the Copa del Rey final? Image Credit: AP News.

1: 11 am P/2 pm E: Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid Copa del Rey SF

2: 12 pm P/3 pm E: Inter Milan vs Lazio Coppa Italia QF

3: 11 am P/2 pm E: Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid Copa del Rey SF

4: 11:45 am P/2:45 pm E: Arminia Bielefeld vs Werder Bremen DFB Pokal QF

Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid is the biggest heavyweight clash on the board for Tuesday, with all due respect to Inter Milan vs Lazio. Real Sociedad beating Real Madrid isn’t out of the realms of possibility, but Los Blancos are overcoming their defensive injury woes with clutch goals more regularly as the season rages on.

Wednesday, February 26

1: 11:45 am P/2:45 pm E: RB Leipzig vs Wolfsburg DFB Pokal QF

2: 12 pm P/3 pm E: Juventus vs Empoli Coppa Italia QF

If the Empoli of the first few months of the season could play this fixture, I would be more excited to see them take on Juventus. Instead, you are better off seeing Wolfsburg’s collective test their wills against RB Leipzig’s various goalscoring threats.

Thank you for reading! I appreciate you supporting this series and I look forward to keeping you entertained and informed for the final three months or so of this incredible season of football!