What to Watch This Week: Friday, January 31 through Monday, February 3, 2025
The last weekend slate entirely in January is in the rearview mirror. As always, I will recap those games I recommended in my previous article and then give you a fresh batch of matches to watch as we approach February.
The Good
Torino 2–0 Cagliari
I didn’t have to wait too long for the first goal of the weekend thanks to Che Adams providing an incredible top-corner strike right out of the gate. The ball hit the bottom of the crossbar and into the back of the net; no goalkeeper stops that. Torino remained in attack mode throughout the half hour with Elia Caprile needed to keep the home side from doubling their lead. Caprile made another stunning reflex save in the 40th minute while his opposite number Vanja Milinkovic-Savic had much less to do. Yann Karamoh had a great chance near the end of the first half which forced yet another save. To open the second half, Karamoh caused problems down the left side and expertly crossed to an onrushing Valentino Lazaro but tie goal was ruled out for offside. Frustration started to set in by the Cagliari players with Nadir Zortea getting into it with Adrien Tameze, with Zortea receiving a yellow card for his troubles. Torino kept their collective composure as Adams kept his composure in front of goal to get his side a deserved 2–0 lead 60 mins in. Marking his first Serie A brace, Che Adams may be the latest British player to revitalize his career in Italy.
Napoli 2–1 Juventus
Randal Kolo Muani made his debut for Juventus hoping to provide a much needed boost to their attack with a change of scenery from a difficult end to his time from PSG. Even with that Parisian baggage, no one is under more pressure to step up their individual performances than Teun Koopmeiners. His stunning ability on the ball that provided a heart beat to Atalanta’s attack has been inconsistent at best in the black and white stripes. He had an early chance to rewrite that narrative with the first chance of the game but it was well saved by Alex Meret! That set the tone for this high octane clash. Napoli unleashed a high press that even saw steady forces like Federico Gatti sweat. Michele Di Gregorio had to step up too such as claiming a ball just before Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa could head it home. Napoli would look to rue their 0 shots on target in the first half, especially since in the last passage of play Kolo Muani scored off the volley to mark his debut!
The second half started off with a bang as Lukaku had a dangerous chance that was miraculously saved by Di Gregorio. After a clumsy double collision between Scott McTominay and Weston McKennie, Romelu Lukaku popped off on Gatti further raising this game’s temperature. From there, Napoli seized control. Zambo Anguissa redeemed his first half header attempt by providing a headed equalizer. A wild sequence in the last 5 minutes ensued where Lukaku’s shot cannoned off of Gatti’s elbow but thankfully that penalty wasn’t given. Unmistakably, however, Manuel Locatelli conceded a penalty with his first mistake in ages bringing down McTominay. Lukaku completed the turn around to make it 2–1 from the spot with 20 mins to go. Napoli continued battling for every ball even high up into the pitch until the bitter end, flexing their champion aspirations. Juventus experienced their first loss in all competitions in months although nearly half of those were draws.
This win sends a message to Inter Milan that this title race may be down to two members, but it’s going to be a battle to the bitter end.
Chivas 1–1 Tigres
Chivas have often been overmatched against the top tier Liga MX sides overall, especially when facing UANL Tigres. Just like the Atlanta Falcons haven’t quite recovered from their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots, Chivas might’ve missed their best shot at recovering glory when they let their lead slip against Tigres in the Clausura 2023 final. The Jalisco based club hasn’t been nearly as competitive following that heartbreak.
That script from the last year and a half went out the window on this occasion. Chivas got to an early lead thanks to the 22-year-old Dutch-Mexican striker Teun Wilke. Despite him making just his third appearance for Los Rojiblancos, his strike was that of a veteran finisher. I’m sure Chicharito approved as he looked on from the bench. Tigres weren’t going away quietly as Diego Lainez set up a Juan Brunetta equalizer just before halftime. Chivas looked confident on the ball in attack and were surprisingly the more aggressive team. They pressed well and passing the ball around the Tigres attacking third but with little end product. Something to build on as they’ll need to get wins against other good teams to truly be seen as a contender. Unfortunately for the Tigres, their key center back Joaquim needed to be carted off.
Crystal Palace 1–2 Brentford
Oliver Glasner made the nteresting decision to drop their dynamic midfielder Daichi Kamada to the bench for the more defensive minded Jefferson Lerma. That means more will be asked of Will Hughes offensively while Eberechi Eze still shouldered a lot of the load going forward. It was a struggle for either side to get attacks going in the first half due to the rainy conditions, although the Danish connection between Christian Norgaard and Mikkel Damsgaard was a positive. Jean-Phillipe Mateta entered this game in great form and showcased his shot power to force a great save out of Mark Flekken.
Ten mins into the second half, Vitaly Janelt dealt a harsh challenge to Eberechi Eze to set up a free kick just outside the box. Eze’s free kick hit the wall but deflected toward the net and hit the post. Had a Palace player gotten to that loose ball, it would’ve been a simple tap in. On the other end, Bryan Mbeumo uses his skill to get past Will Hughes on the right wing and caused enough chaos for Dean Henderson to need to parry the ball out of danger. At the hour mark, Mbeumo stepped up for the penalty but hit the post to Henderson’s right and then missed the ensuing rebound. However, it looked like Maxime Lacroix was guilty of encroachment. Given a second opportunity, Bryan Mbeumo makes no mistake and gives Brentford the win. Damsgaard set up Kevin Schade for a headed goal for Brentford to lead 2–0 with 10 mins left. Although Eberechi Eze did pull one back from close range 5 mins later, Brentford had done more than enough to secure the win. Crystal Palace will rue some tactical miscues and chances missed.
Athletic Bilbao 0–0 Leganés
Contrary to popular belief, a 0–0 draw can be an entertaining game. What made this scoreless game entertaining was the heart players showed to win every ball, especially Leganés. The visiting underdogs already took down Atlético Madrid among other La Liga giants, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that they are a fearless bunch. Even without the injured Peruvian international Renatio Tapia, the players that stepped in his role such as Yvan Noupa didn’t miss a step.
Both Unai Simon and Marko Dmitrovic were tested in the first 10 mins, reaffirming that it’ll take something special to get past these two high quality La Liga shot stoppers. They’re getting a lot of support through blocks and interceptions from their defenses too. Leganés look up to the challenge but Bilbao, with their usual starters rested from Europa League action, showed flashes of reaching a higher gear. Inaki Williams and Guruzeta had good chances but nothing doing. Neco Williams also dazzled with his skill and ability to effortlessly beat any defender one on one. An intense first half despite no goals, with Leganés weathering the storm. More of the same in the second half as Leganés’s defenses stood firm to split the points. This side is playing with enough confidence and tenacity that their fans have all the faith in the world that they’ll avoid relegation.
Lazio 1–2 Fiorentina
The form guide went out the window immediately as Fiorentina got a quick fire 2–0 lead within the first 20 minutes. There’s so many goal threats from the defensive midfield position in Serie A this season and Yacine Adli is high up that list with his clinical strike to open the scoring. Lucas Beltran made it 2–0 by heading home a Dodo cross, pleasing the Viola faithful to see others ease the goalscoring burden off of Moise Kean. Albert Gudmundsson hit the post while Taty Castellanos, who had a brilliant game midweek against Real Sociedad, came closest to scoring for Lazio in the first half.
Things got hairy for Fiorentina when Adli got a red card. Lazio finally got on the board through Adam Marusic late but Fiorentina just about got over the line. Their poor run of form ends while Lazio continue their Jekyll and Hyde season. At least Lazio look like favorites to win the Europa League.
Venezia 1–1 Hellas Verona
Hellas Verona were shorthanded due to Ondrej Duda (3 matches) and Paweł Dawidowicz’s (yellow card accumulation) suspension. Meanwhile, Venezia captain Joel Pohjanpalo is Parma bound to Serie B so this would be his last match for I Neroverdi. The opening 20 minutes of the first half were very cagey apart from Gaetano Oristanio’s incredible dribbling ability opening things up for Venezia. Tomas Suslov and Ridgeciano Haps got into it, feeling the intensity of this relegation six pointer. It took a half hour for Venezia to get the home crowd roaring with the opening goal. Napoli loanee Alessio Zerbin set up Pohjanpalo, who’s shot attempt rebounded toward Zerbin to mark his debut with a vital goal.
Verona opened the second half piling on the pressure, much of which was generated but Suat Serder and Jackson Tchatchoua on the right side of the midfield. Serdar had a couple chances on goal but Filip Stankovic would not be beaten by even his best efforts. During the periods of Verona pressure, Haps was the standout defender heading everything away from his path. Jackson Tchachoua’s equalizer mirrored that of Zerbin and Verona thoroughly deserved it for their efforts in the second half. If Venezia get relegated, the story of the season is dropping points against relegation rivals due to not putting together a full 90 minutes often enough.
The Bad
Burnley 0–0 Leeds United
Now this is the 0–0 match people think of when they image a boring football game. When the fourth official signaled one minute of added time at the end of the first half, I felt like this was the rare match where it didn’t even merit that. When it comes to chasing automatic promotion, if you give a rival an inch, they’ll take a mile. Both sides understood that and there weren’t many clear cut chances in the first half. That suited Burnley more who favor a more defensive style despite a 5–0 win over Plymouth Argyle in their last fixture. Either way, neither side was willing to risk a goal conceded to go for it even near the end.
The Mixed Bag
Luton Town 0–1 Millwall
Agony was a theme of this game for both of these sides. On Millwall’s end, they lost 19-year-old winger Calum Scanlon to injury after only 15 minutes. Scanlon’s replacement Aaron Connolly had his penalty saved by Thomas Kaminski. The biggest gut punch of all is Luton Town being unable to capitalize on that incredible moment to take home any points. Mihailo Ivanovic scored a valuable goal for Millwall and another nail in the Hatters’ coffin. Just as rapidly as Luton Town completed English football with their remarkable rise from Non-League to the Premier League, it feels like they’re hurdling down to League One.
Empoli 1–1 Bologna
Riccardo Orsolini picked up an injury in Bologna’s last game against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Although they were able to get a memorable victory against the German giants in their first time in that competition in half a century, they missed Orsolini’s services in this tightly contested match. A gritty physical game that saw these two evenly matched sides (despite their gap in the table, due to Empoli’s recent poor run of results) score a goal a piece in the first half. The game resumed its cagey state and neither side couldn’t find another breakthrough after that. Empoli will feel better about this result as they are starting to be included in relegation conversations. I believe they’re too talented to go down, but other sides have beared that label only to experience the drop come May.
Game of the Weekend
RB Leipzig 2–2 Bayer Leverkusen
RB Leipzig ended Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run earlier this season, so round two was sure to deliver. Leverkusen was up to the task right away, going up 2–0 in the first half. The second goal was particularly impressive through a well worked move with Florian Wirtz setting up Aleix García. While they have a few notable wins this season, RB Leipzig have become masters of beating themselves. Not to the extent of Valencia, but of course with much less sympathy from football fans worldwide. David Raum responded 5 minutes after with a free kick. Piero Hincapie’s bad week that started with a Champions League nightmare performance (despite his goal) continued as his deflection added to the goal.
Leverkusen did what they could to hold on in the second half, keenly aware that Bayern were up 2–0 on Freiburg simultaneously. Neither Lois Openda or Benjamin Sesko up top had much to work with as their most dynamic winger Xavi Simons has also been kept in check. Exequiel Palacios offered another attacking option off the bench for Leverkusen in that midfield while Granit Xhaka keeps things in order. The biggest thing keeping this game close was Wirtz continuously hitting the post. Sesko had his best chance at the 70 minute mark but Lukas Hradecky came to the rescue. Jeremie Frimpong is another live wire that made an appearance off the bench and Wirtz did well to find him, but the Dutchman’s shot went above bar.
Ultimately, RB Leipzig confirmed their Leverkusen kryptonite status with Edmond Tapsoba’s own goal off a free kick providing an equalizer. Leverkusen are losing their grip on the title race and their star players will find it harder to resist the siren song of Bayern and other suitors.
Only three games made it to the mixed bag or worse zone. Do you agree or disagree with my assessment? What games did you watch over the weekend? Let me know in the comments.
2026 World Cup Stock Increase XI
Since the World Cup is less than a year and a half away, my final recap segment from now on will highlight 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.
For more on the wide net of international caliber players I’m tracking in the lead up to the World Cup, check out my Europe and Rest of the World articles. I will provide updated versions following the March 2023 International Break.
4–2–3–1
GK Marko Dmitrovic LEG/SRB 1992: Kept a clean sheet and recorded 3 saves
RB Daniel Munoz CRY/COL 1996: Provided an assist and strong play on the right side
CB Daniel Vivian BIL/ESP 1999: Kept a clean sheet and was the glue of the defense
CB Nathan Collins BRE/IRL 2001: Two chances created and won a penalty
LB David Raum RBL/GER 1998: Scored a goal and was a constant set piece threat
DM Samuele Ricci TOR/ITA 2001: Provided the assist to Adams’s first goal
DM Granit Xhaka B04/SUI 1992: His destroyer role allowed Wirtz to run the offense effectively
RW Jackson Tchatchoua VER/CMR 2001: Scored the tying goal after tireless runs throughout
CAM Mikkel Damsgaard BRE/DEN 2000: Strong first half and assist second half
LW Lucas Beltran FIO/ARG 2001: Great linkup play with Kean and Gudmundsson plus assist
ST Che Adams TOR/SCO 1996: Scored a brace with two impressive finishes
Did any players get snubbed or are you happy with this mix of players? Three continents represented this week! Now for my recommends for the weekend:
Friday, January 31
11:30 am P/2:30 pm E: Werder Bremen (9th/27 pts) vs Mainz (6th/31 pts) ESPN+
Arguably the least flashy of the top half (or top 11 if you want to be kind to Borussia Dortmund) Bundesliga sides, both camps are content to keep flying under the radar because it’s getting them results. Werder Bremen continue to be Dortmund’s bogey side after a 2–2 draw at the Yellow Wall with longtime contributors Leonardo Bittencourt and Marvin Ducksch getting the goals. Mainz have arguably been even more impressive not hanging their hat on their 2–1 win over Bayern Munich in December. They’ve built on that with a 2–0 win over Champions League level club Stuttgart. One of their goalscorers 19-year-old Nelson Weiper came off due to injury, but another young player in 21-year-old Armindo Sieb could fill in as he’s played well lately.
Saturday, February 1
4:30 am P/7:30 am E: Nottingham Forest (3rd/44 pts) vs Brighton (9th/34 pts) USA
Nottingham Forest’s feel good story took a nasty turn with a 5–0 loss to Bournemouth. Despite that, they’re still sitting in 3rd in the Premier League. Brighton fans can remember when they were the talk of the Premier League, and to their credit they’re sitting at an impressive 9th place. Brighton has done the best job out of any English club in recruiting talent and uncovering hidden gems, and it seems like Nottingham’s frantic transfer business in prior seasons has instead shifted into a similar narrative to Brighton. They key will be which defense can hold firm to allow creating talents like Morgan-Gibbs White and Kaoru Mitoma to work their magic. Brighton’s offense needs João Pedro and Danny Welbeck to bounce back after a disappointing 1–0 loss to Everton, while Kiwi sensation Chris Wood also looks to get back onto the scoresheet.
6:30 am P/9:30 am E: St. Pauli (13th/20 pts) vs Augsburg (12th/25 pts) ESPN+
While Forest’s story didn’t feel quite as good last weekend, St. Pauli continue to win admirers from global fans and lately it’s been their exploits on the pitch instead of just their values off of it. Their latest triumph was a comprehensive 3–0 victory over Union Berlin, a side who made a remarkable rise up the German divisions of their own in the last few years before making the top flight their home up until now. Morgan Guilavogui was St. Pauli’s star with a brace, and he will be key to nabbing an important 3 points against Augsburg to solidify their buffer away from the relegation zone. Augsburg won’t be a pushover as they’ve held on to Bundesliga status since 2011. They’ll go into this fixture off of a last minute 2–1 win with Keven Schlotterbeck coming off the bench with the winner. His younger brother Nico was surely impressed.
9:30 am P/12:30 pm E: Atlético Madrid (2nd/45 pts) vs Mallorca (6th/30 pts) ESPN+
There may be 15 points separating these two sides, but it is still a top six clash. Mallorca are the latest club to find themselves at the top of a tight pack where only 3 points separates 6th for 12th. That’s a thin margin for error with European qualification on the line. However, Los Piratas haven’t plundered any points in their last three La Liga games. Losses (heavy though) to Real Madrid and Villarreal are understandable, but losing 1–0 to Real Betis isn’t going to cut it. Defensive midfielder Omar Marscarell will shoulder some blame as he was sent off, but they still had 70 minutes of 11 vs 11 to muster something. Atlético Madrid got a gutsy 2–1 win over Bayer Leverkusen but that was sandwiched by a loss to Leganés and a draw to Villarreal. Samuel Lino got on the scoresheet against the Yellow Submarine, but Diego Simeone’s key to success will be Julian Alvarez building on his brace from the Leverkusen encounter.
11:45 am P/2:45 pm E: Bologna (8th/34 pts) vs Como (13th/22 pts) Paramount+
Last season’s most improved side taking on this season’s rapidly improving promoted club. Bologna are still a tough team to beat but I think Vincenzo Italiano needs to figure out what his best front four is to get the most offensively from this young, talented group of players. Riccardo Orsolini is usually in the mix but he’s dealing with a muscle injury. Benjamin Dominguez has been playing well to merit starting alongside Lewis Ferguson, but the Scot has taken a step back this season after pulling the strings at a high level last time. Como is negotiating a tough run of fixtures, getting 4 points from their last 4 matches. This includes a draw at Lazio and a 4–1 win over Udinese, while expectedly dropping results to AC Milan and Atalanta. With Juventus, Fiorentina, and Napoli up next, Como will be eager to take down Bologna and make life a little easier.
Sunday, February 2
6 am P/9 am E: Brentford (11th/31 pts) vs Tottenham (15th/24 pts) Telemundo/USA
Usually when fans talk about one of the English Big Six being in a relegation battle, it’s a tough-and-cheek commentary on a slow start where the club in question is expected to get out of this funk. Yet here we are approaching February and Tottenham are mired in 15th, with no bounce back in sight. Are we sure this is the same club that beat Manchester City 4–0 a few months ago? At this point, I’m not even sure Ange Postecoglou keeps his job by the time this match is played. Brentford has to be opportunistic here, and if they can replicate their complete performance from their win against Crystal Palace, there will be more misery for the white half of North London.
9 am P/12 pm E: AC Milan (7th/34 pts) vs Inter Milan (2nd/50 pts) Paramount+
The stakes and temperature continues to rise each time the Derby Della Madonnina comes around this season. AC Milan under Sergio Conceicao are peaking at the right time as far as they’re concerned, or the wrong time from their crosstown rivals’ perspective. Every game is crucial for Inter as their title race against Napoli looks like it’ll come down to who blinks first. The difficulty from their last two league games against Empoli and Lecce ratchets up several notches ahead of this one. If you can’t win the league title yourself, you want to keep your rival from tasting glory. AC Milan will love to play spoiler here.
12 pm P/3 pm E: Real Betis (10th/28 pts) vs Athletic Bilbao (40/28 pts) ESPN+
Real Betis ended a 3 game losing streak, including a 5–1 disaster against Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey, with a win in tropical Mallorca. No time to bask in the sun and get a tan though as they have business to take care of against the formidable Spanish (specifically Basque) talent factory that is Athletic Bilbao. You would think sides featuring Vitor Roque and Gorka Guruzeta as their lead strikers respectively would be scoring more often than these two have been lately. Especially with playmakers like Isco and the Williams brothers in on the act. But instead super sub Cedric Bakambu was the hero in Betis’s last game and every striker, false 9 or otherwise, has had it tough for Bilbao this season. This has 0–0 potential, but there’s enough talent on display for this to be a worthwhile watch.
Monday, February 3
12 pm P/3 pm E: Chelsea (6th/40 pts) vs West Ham (14th/27 pts) USA
Chelsea are considered to be favorites along with Manchester City to finish behind Liverpool and Arsenal in the top four, which seems dismissive of Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, and Bournemouth. While Chelsea’s transfer business has been questioned, they’re starting to form a cohesive identity under Enzo Maresca and are playing well as a unit. Cole Palmer is the lead man but now you are seeing more consistency out of Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson. They did get punched in the mouth 3–1 against Manchester City, but Manchester City have decided to be good again so I won’t hold it against Chelsea. On the other hand, West Ham United were the “transfer window winners” of the Premier League last summer only to be mired in 14th. They’ll take heart from a strong performance in a 1–1 draw at Aston Villa with Mexican international Edson Alvarez covering every blade of grass plus an assist.
Midweek Cup Lightning Round
Since we are now approaching the business end of the domestic cups (excluding the FA Cup), I am going to rank the options each day from my top choice to least.
You can watch the DFB Pokal and Copa Del Rey on ESPN+ and Coppa Italia and Carabao Cup on Paramount Plus
Tuesday, February 4 (all Quarterfinals)
1st Atalanta vs Bologna (12 pm P/3 pm E)
2nd Stuttgart vs Augsburg (11:45 am P/2:45 pm E)
3rd Atlético Madrid vs Getafe (12:30 pm P/3:30 pm E)
Wednesday, February 5 (all Quarterfinals besides Leagues Cup)
1st AC Milan vs Roma (12 pm P/3 pm E)
2nd Newcastle (2–0 Leg 2) vs Arsenal (12 pm P/3 pm E)
3rd Leganés vs Real Madrid (12 pm P/3 pm E)
4th Leverkusen vs Koln (11:45 am P/2:45 pm E)
Thursday, February 6
1st Liverpool (0–1 Leg 2) vs Tottenham (12 pm P/3 pm E)
2nd Valencia vs Barcelona (12:30 pm P/3:30 pm E)
3rd Real Sociedad vs Osasuna (10:30 am P/1:30 pm E)
Therefore, I will be watching Atalanta vs Bologna, AC Milan vs Roma, and Liverpool vs Tottenham during the midweek.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and please share this with friends and family so they know what options are available to them to enjoy the beautiful game!
