What to Watch this Week: Friday, February 28 through, Monday, March 3, 2025
The last three months of the season are going to hit fans like a ton of bricks in the best possible way. The stakes raise with each round of the Cup and European competitions but make no mistake: the domestic leagues are what will define many of the biggest stories. First I’ll recap my recommendations from last week and then go into the best picks for the weekend ahead!
The Good
Deportivo Alaves 0–1 Espanyol
One goal is all it can take to be the difference from survival or doom, and unfortunately Deportivo Alaves are currently headed in the wrong direction. A few big wins here and there are something to write home about, but sometimes it isn’t enough in a tough league. The best part for Espanyol was getting contributions from the bench because relegation battles are all hands on deck. Alvaro Tejero set up Fernando Calero to give this proud Barcelona based club a valuable 3 points. From an Alaves perspective, I’m sure Joan Jordan and Carles Alena are further frustrated because they didn’t get a win last week when they had multiple goal contributions, making this loss sting even more. The fine margins typical of relegation six pointers played out in tense and dramatic fashion here.
Inter Milan (2nd/54 pts) 1–0 Genoa
Inter had 70% possession to start the game but couldn’t generate many shots, which plays into Genoa’s hand of causing a potential upset be it a draw or even a win. Not much else of note happened in the first half besides Joaquin Correa getting treated for an injury but he’s able to continue. The physical nature of the game continued with Alessandro Bastoni taking the worst of a challenge 10 mins in and he’s been an iron man in that Inter backline. Nicolo Barella came the closest to breaking through for Inter by hitting the crossbar in the 70th minute. Genoa sticking with bend don’t break but then Inter broke through late into the second half. No one will argue Inter deserve the three points, but they had to earn them the hard way. Grinding out results is the path laid out for them as their title rivals Napoli don’t have to balance European ambitions this season. It might’ve been a predictable game state and result, but I respect Inter seeing these kind of games out to keep the title race afloat and with Napoli dropping points to Como, tip it in their favor.
Hoffenheim 1–1 Stuttgart
From supersub to start in the making, Nick Woltemade continues his goalscoring streak with a top class finish that Luca Philipp had no chance in stopping. Woltemade made another blistering run 20 mins later that required all hands on Hoffenheim’s deck to diffuse. Hoffenheim’s frustrations increased when Gift Orban looked like he was fouled on the edge of the box but the referee said play on. Shortly after that, 18-year-old Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch earned his keep with a block that took the wind out of his sails. That’s going to leave a mark. Nubel denied Kramaric in a great opportunity to close the first half. Gift Orban finally struck home after threatening Stuttgart’s defense all game long. He pounced on a Jeff Chabot mistake, made Max Mittelstadt slide out of the picture before slamming it home. Ultimately this was an entertaining draw, a fair result, and gives me confidence that Hoffenheim will avoid the play-in tournament entirely. I apologize for German football fans because other than Leipzig and maybe Bayern, Hoffenheim is the next most hated team.
USA 2–1 Australia SheBelieves Cup
USA rotated all 11 starters from their win over Colombia and didn’t miss a beat. After USA and Japan convincingly beat Colombia and Australia respectively in the first round of the SheBelieves Cup, USA had to bring their A-game against Australia in order to be as sharp as possible against Japan. Australia also wanted to redeem itself from that heavy defeat. That didn’t last long as Lynn Biyendolo scored within the first minute. USA dominated possessions and shots in the first half while Australia needed to make more of their opportunities in set pieces. Defensively, Australia showed improvement, but the margin for error against the four time World Cup champions is razor thin. It looked like the Americans put Australia away by going up 2–0, but the Matildas had a lethal counter attack off of a US corner and Raso found Heyman to head in a goal and make the last 10 minutes nervy. USA aggressively hunted for a third goal and Ally Sentnor nearly scored it, but Teegan Micah made a great save. USA will have to beat Japan and lift the SheBelieves Cup trophy as the Blue Samurai have the goal difference advantage. (You’ll know the outcome by the time this is published).
Sevilla 1–1 Mallorca
Saul Niguez arrives on loan and is immediately given the captain’s armband, a testament to his career and his attitude. Despite the plentiful opportunities both sides attempted to generate, it didn’t amount to much until probably the least likely goalscorer on the pitch Kike Salas tucked the ball home off a set piece to give Sevilla the lead right before halftime. Mallorca had to wait just as long but in the second half to get their goal through their center back Martin Valjent. This was an interesting mirror match but ultimately a fair result on the balance of play.
Mixed Bag
Fulham 0–2 Crystal Palace
Hindsight is 20–20 as this time slot saw Arsenal and Bournemouth lose games they weren’t expected to, so that puts this match into mixed bag status. However this was probably another shocking result as Crystal Palace came into Craven Cottage and controlled the game. Whatever fortune was attributed to a Joachim Andersen own goal (an unexpected gift back to his former club), Daniel Munoz provided a goal of the tried and true variety to affirm Palace’s status as rightful victors. Oliver Glasner is beginning to echo his strong finish to the end of the 2023–24 season this campaign as well. It’s great to see Eberechi Eze continues his top performances even without a goal contribution, but that’s helped by Jean-Philippe Mateta creating a new goal contribution streak of his own. Crystal Palace are 5th among Premier League clubs in points earned since Christmas behind Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, and Manchester City.
Title Clincher (All But Mathematically)
Manchester City 0–2 Liverpool
Both sides came into this game not at full strength offensively. Not a problem for Mohamed Salah as he opened the scoring 14 mins in with an assist from Dominik Szoboszlai, one of three key figures in Arne Slot’s new and improved midfield this season. His fellow Egyptian star Omar Marmoush looked to have equalized but the goal was ruled out for offside. Szoboszlai went from provider to scorer to make it 2–0 before the break. In the second half, Liverpool’s third goal was ruled out due to Curtis Jones’s offside positioning. Late in the game, Ederson and Khusanov blocked what surely would’ve been the third goal otherwise. This match along with West Ham beating Arsenal 1–0 effectively hands Liverpool the title. At least they get a full on parade this time.
Dominant Bundesliga Displays
SC Freiburg 5–0 Werder Bremen
Killian Sidillia kept Freiburg’s good form and Werder Bremen’s bad form going with an acrobatic goal 15 minutes in. Part of Werder Bremen’s struggles can be attributed to their defensive injuries including Milos Veljkovic and Marco Friedl. Vincenzo Grifo doubled the lead with a long range shot. Werder Bremen thought they had a lifeline with a Freiburg handball but Noah Atubolu made the penalty save. 10 minutes into the second half Freiburg scored a third with a brilliant team move carving Bremen apart and Grifo getting a brace. Ritsu Doan saw that from Grifo and raised him a brace of his own, put the punctuation mark with his involvement in a pair of goals to make it 5–0. Freiburg are a team no one in the Bundesliga should underestimate. They may win most of their games by 1 goal margins, but they can also put the foot on the gas.
Borussia Dortmund 6–0 Union Berlin
One of many reasons Dortmund are as low as they are in the table is injuries. Seeing Karim Adeyemi walk gingerly after a challenge is a scary moment for a player who’s seen plenty of time in the treatment room, but thankfully he’s able to carry on. Other than that, this game went perfectly for the Yellow Wall. Julian Ryerson caused the first goal to happen although it’ll likely go down as a Union Berlin own goal due to the big deflection. That lit a fire under Dortmund rarely seen in the Bundesliga lately with Pascal Gross coming close to doubling their lead. Guirassy after a bit of a rough patch puts home a second goal right before halftime. Dortmund steamrolled through the second half adding more goals to the tally. An explosive performance especially by 4 goal hero Serhou Guirassy. The goal machine fans fell in love with during his Stuttgart days is still going strong.
Game of the Week
Newcastle United 4–3 Nottingham Forest
These two clubs are full of talented players but can be Jekyll and Hyde: capable of winning convincingly and getting crushed convincingly. The opening goal indicated that it could be Forest’s day, but the St. James’s Park faithful were treated to four goals in 10 minutes to give The Toon a 4–1 lead at halftime. Forest may have played Rachel Platten at halftime because they still had a lot of fight left in them, Nikola Milenkovic putting the game in slight down 4–2. Ryan Yates continued the scare 4–3 but luckily for Newcastle fans it ended there. It was almost the reverse of their famous 4–0 to 4–4 comeback against Arsenal. Newcastle and Forest’s offensive explosion came to fruition in a 7 goal thriller. The lesson from this game is I will continue to watch these clubs as much as possible for the remainder of this season.
MLS Opening Weekend Recap
Note: Inter Miami vs New York City FC got rescheduled to the same time slot as Cincinnati vs New York Red Bulls so I didn’t end up following that game.
LAFC 1–0 Minnesota United
Former San Jose Earthquakes player Jeremy Ebobisse scored late to lift the home side to victory in sunny Los Angeles.
FC Cincinnati 1–0 New York Red Bulls
The first half saw Cincinnati start off strong but then Red Bulls found their footing. Both new strikers Denkey and Choupo-Moting flexed their muscle. Denkey ended up getting Cincinnati the decisive 1–0 lead assisted by Yedlin, a mix of old and new.
San Jose Earthquakes 4–0 Real Salt Lake
For my full thoughts on this game, please read this match recap. Long story short: it was awesome. Ok, back to being unbiased.
Portland Timbers 1–4 Vancouver Whitecaps
An early Kamal Miller red card meant the Canadian Timber opened up an easy path for the Canadian visiting club to win.
LA Galaxy 0–2 San Diego FC
This was the headline of the weekend thanks to San Diego’s stunning performance topped off by Anders Dreyer’s brace. Hirving “Chucky” Lozano was dangerous, but it looks like San Diego have multiple attacking threats MLS opponents will have to gameplan for.
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 further cementing their legacy, an important 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.
Attacking 4–4–2 Formation
GK Alisson (BRA/LIV) 1992: Five saves en route to a likely title clinching clean sheet.
RB Kiliann Sildillia (FRA/SCF) 2002: An incredible goal along with a clean sheet.
CB Philipp Lienhart (AUT/SCF) 1996: CS, 87% passing accuracy, 1 block, 7 recoveries
CB Marash Kumbulla (ALB/ESP) 2000: Clean sheet, 15 clearances, 4 passes final 3rd
LB Federico Dimarco (ITA/INT) 1997: Clean sheet, 8 touches opp. Box, 2 passes final 3rd
RW Mohamed Salah (EGY/LIV) 1992: Scored a goal and provided an assist.
CM Pascal Gross (GER/BVB) 1991: Tallied four assists.
CM Dominik Szoboszlai (HUN/LIV) 2000: Scored a goal and provided an assist.
LW Ritsu Doan (JPN/SCF) 1998: Scored a brace.
ST Serhou Guirassy (GUI/BVB) 1996: Scored four goals.
ST Alexander Isak (SWE/NEW) 1999: Scored a brace.
Now for This Weekend’s Recommendations
Note: Points and standings accurate as of Monday, February 24. It does not factor in the results from midweek for leagues such as Premier League and EFL Championship.
Friday, February 28
12 pm P/3 pm E: Sheffield Wednesday (12th/45 pts) vs Sunderland (4th/62 pts) P+
With the three promoted sides (Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton) looking like they’ll go back down to the EFL Championship, which would be the second time in a row that’s happened in the Premier League, I’m craving something different among the promoted sides. It would be a little boring if all of Leeds United, Sheffield United, and Burnley went back up because we’ve seen all three of those clubs recently, and aside from maybe Leeds, I have a gut feeling that Sheffield United and Burnley would go straight back down given their reputation as Yo-Yo Clubs. At least Sunderland would be making a return for the first time since 2016–17. This will be a key test against a Sheffield Wednesday side that just suffered a 4–0 loss against Burnley. This makes it a clear measuring stick game for the Black Cats.
Saturday, March 1
4:15 am P/7:15 am E: Preston (15th EFLC) vs Burnley (3rd EFLC) FA Cup R16 ESPN+
This isn’t a big Cinderella year for lower league sides in the FA Cup as of the 16 clubs remaining, the five Championship clubs are the lowest ranked sides. Cardiff City, Millwall, and Plymouth Argyle will face Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, and Manchester City respectively. This means that Preston and Burnley have the best opportunity to be that guaranteed Championship representation in the Quarter Finals. Preston defeated a pair of League One opponents in Charlton Athletic and Wycombe Wanderers to get here, while Burnley took out League One Reading and the worst Premier League side in Southampton. That sets the stage for an even matchup and an opportunity to undoubtedly make this FA Cup journey a success. Burnley are in a position to get promoted to the Premier League so that remains their ultimate goal, so Preston might have that extra motivation to win this one.
6:30 am P/9:30 am E: Bochum (17th/15 pts) vs Hoffenheim (14th/22 pts) ESPN+
The further we go into the season, the more likely I am to recommend relegation six pointers even at the risk of ugly football. Hoffenheim certainly didn’t play ugly in their hard-fought 1–1 draw against Stuttgart. For Bochum, this is a must-win. Hoffenheim will look to slam the door shut and let Heidenheim, Bochum, and Holstein Kiel fight it out.
9:45 am P/12:45 pm E: Man City (4th PL) vs Plymouth Argyle (22nd EFLC) FA Cup R16 E+
We’ve seen Premier League clubs like Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic go on to win a domestic cup the seasons they got relegated. We’ll see if Plymouth Argyle’s FA Cup run comes at a detriment to their EFL Championship survival hopes, but they made waves with their victory over Liverpool. Manchester City look a little more awakened now but still with vulnerabilities. It’s definitely plausable for Plymouth Argyle to get another scalp and confirm they’ve had the best FA Cup run of the remaining clubs. The Pilgrims will be fearless coming into the Etihad, and even if it doesn’t go their way, they’ll have their heads held high either way.
12 pm P/3 pm E: Atlético Madrid (3rd/53 pts) vs Athletic Bilbao (4th/48 pts) ESPN+
I don’t think Athletic Bilbao expect to win La Liga, but if they beat Atlético Madrid, that conversation isn’t necessarily unfounded. However, Atlético Madrid are similarly motivated to confirm that this is a three horse race. For Diego Simeone to lift another La Liga title, this is approaching must win territory because when Real Madrid and Barcelona are humming, they won’t drop a lot of points (How many more ties to Osasuna level sides will Real Madrid realistically have?). Atlético Madrid may also feel like their draw to Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, as controversial as their penalty and hit and run the performance were, was a missed opportunity. Bilbao usually find an extra gear against the biggest Spanish clubs around this time of year, so maybe the Williams brothers can lead the charge for a stunner in the Wanda Metropolitano.
MLS Double Header (Apple TV MLS Season Pass)
4:30 pm P/7:30 pm E: New England Revolution (1 pt) vs Columbus Crew (3 pts)
7:30 pm P/10:30 pm E: San Diego FC (3 pts) vs St. Louis City SC (1 pt)
If you’re an MLS fan, you’re already aware of the standalone time slot fixtures. So I will focus on the more crowded parts of the schedule going forward, at least for the remaining of the 24–25 European season. When 2025–26 comes around, the Major League Soccer regular season will have more importance. That being said, there’s some interesting storylines.
After trading (literally and unofficially, depending on the player) players with San Jose Earthquakes like Pokemon cards, New England Revolution are looking to improve big time in 2025. Despite heavy business with the Bay’s team, their star players remain Carles Gil and former Inter Miami forward Leo Campana. The visitors Columbus Crew will be a step up in class from the Revs’ Week 1 opponents in Nashville SC, even if they are figuring out life after Cucho Hernandez’s departure to Real Betis.
As for San Diego FC, they’ll feel like they can take anyone on after beating LA Galaxy in their first match in club history. That’s a similar feeling that St. Louis City SC felt in their first campaign in 2023, but 2024 was a disappointment for them. Anders Dreyer and Chucky Lozano will look to test Roman Burki in what should be a sneaky good fixture to take us into the night.
Sunday, March 2
5:45 am P/8:45 am E: Newcastle (5th/44 pts) vs Brighton (9th/40 pts) FA Cup R16 ESPN+
This has the makings of becoming the match of the FA cup 5th Round/Round of 16. Newcastle United have saved some of their best performances this season in the cup competitions. They already booked a date with Liverpool for the Carabao Cup final next month, but when it comes to trophies, it helps to have multiple avenues. Just like Newcastle has sent some big clubs home, Brighton did the same in this competition (namely Chelsea). The most exciting factor is Yankuba Minteh. The 20-year-old winger is exciting in any game he plays, but he was sold from Newcastle to Brighton without ever playing a game for the former. This is the ultimately showcase of what they’ve missed out on, if he takes this opportunity.
8:30 am P/11:30 am E: Manchester United (15th/30 pts) vs Fulham (10th/39 pts) FA Cup E+
Manchester United are a cat with nine lives in the FA Cup this season, but they’ll have their hands full with Fulham. Some of Fulham’s best players are the CONCACAF duo of left back Antonee Robinson and forward Raul Jimenez, and while that combination might not be as sexy as Christian Pulisic and Santiago Giménez (Yunus Musah as a third wheel), they get the job done. Ruben Amorim’s optimism has quickly faded into pessimism and calls for patience. While an FA Cup win doesn’t guarantee you THAT much more time at Old Trafford (see Erik Ten Hag), it will help Amorim’s cause and he has the pedigree to merit the luxury of time to implement his vision.
9 am P/12 pm E: Napoli (2nd/56 pts) vs Inter Milan (1st/57 pts) Paramount+
I shouldn’t have to say too much to convince you to watch the top two Serie A sides battle it out. Inter Milan did what they were supposed to do with their game in hand, and thanks to Como beating Napoli 2–1, that puts the Nerazzurri in Pole Position. That can all change in Naples. This is the most exciting game of the weekend!
12 pm P/3 pm E: Osasuna (12th/32 pts) vs Valencia (18th/23 pts) ESPN+
Valencia’s next test in their quest to claw out of the relegation zone is up against probably the most under-the-radar La Liga side in Osasuna. A part of that is Osasuna’s last three games saw neither themselves or their opponent score more than one goal. However, that includes a run where they drew Real Madrid 1–1. Their position in the table and proximity to Rayo Vallecano (6th place, 35 pts) means they’re in that huge peloton of possibility. This builds my intrigue up for this fixture to see what these two clubs are truly made of.
Monday, March 3
12 pm P/3 pm E: Villarreal (5th/44 pts) vs Espanyol (15th/27 pts) ESPN+
European ambitions vs survival instincts. Which motivation will come out on top? Villarreal are in the position that they are in largely due to their strong start to the season, while Espanyol are finding ways to grind out results against the teams they should be beating. Espanyol can essentially seal their reservation for the 2025–26 La Liga season if they can get 3 points against Villarreal. Anyone that can pull that off will likely stick around.
5 pm P/8 pm E: FC Cincinnati vs UANL Tigres (TBD but could be FS1/FS2 or UniMas)
We have a long break from the NFL, so how about some Monday Night Futbol? UANL Tigres don’t have happy memories dealing with an Ohio-based opponent considering their last CONCACAF Champions Cup adventure ended at the hands of Columbus Crew via penalties. FC Cincinnati comfortably beat FC Motagua 5–2 in the previous round, and their attack is led by former Portland Timbers star Evander and one of the most exciting MLS incomings in Kevin Denkey. Tigres are in some rough form losing back to back 1–0 games to Club Leon and Juarez, but a 39-year-old Andre-Pierre Gignac is still dangerous whether he starts or comes off the bench. Juan Brunetta, Jonathan Herrera, and Diego Lainez are also eager to make life difficult for Miles Robinson and Roman Celentano.
Midweek Madness: European Round of 16 Fixtures (all on Paramount+)
Champions League
Tuesday, March 4
12 pm P/3 pm E: PSG vs Liverpool
Thursday, March 6
Europa 12 pm P/3 pm E: Real Sociedad vs Manchester United
Conference 12 pm/3 pm E: Real Betis vs Vitoria de Guimaraes
This is not a complex science: all matchups are on at the same time on those days, so I went with the most exciting clashes we have in store. PSG for Liverpool is a start studded affair. Real Sociedad should be the favorites against Manchester United, but progress in this competition would be a welcome distraction from their Premier League struggles. Real Betis are newly invigorated with Isco’s return from injury and Antony’s loan, but Vitoria had a strong showing in the first stage of the Conference League.
Do you agree or disagree with this pick for the Champions, Europa, and Conference League?
Let me know about that and more in the comments below. Thank you for reading!
