What to Watch this Week: Friday, October 25 through Monday, October 28, 2024
As we wrap up Matchweek 3 of the European Competitions this season, we will look at the last round of domestic league recommendations before getting into what’s coming up in the final weekend of October.
The Good
Leeds United 2–0 Sheffield United: Until Leeds scored their second goal in the 90th minute, this was a hotly contested and evenly matched game. Leeds took a big step toward returning to the Premier League but there’s still a long way to go this season.
Leverkusen 2–1 Frankfurt: Victor Boniface scored the clutch goal on one end and Jonathan Tah made a clutch recovery on the other to keep Leverkusen’s pace among the Bundesliga title hopefuls.
Girona 0–1 Real Sociedad: Mikel Oyarzabal showcased his talent and was the difference maker both in performance and the scoreline for Sociedad.
Juventus 1–0 Lazio: Another tight game and credit to Lazio for being down a player and taking it down to the wire. Unfortunately a Mario Gila own goal gave Juventus the win.
MLS Decision Day: In the Eastern Conference, Atlanta United beat their rivals Orlando City and got the other resulted needed to get into the playoffs. In the Western Conference, Houston Dynamo beat LA Galaxy late on to allow LAFC to top the Western Conference. Drama of all kinds in this regular season finale.
Mallorca 1–0 Rayo Vallecano: Kosovar striker Vedat Muriqi’s goal proved the difference between these two surprise packages. That’s one step closer to the vacation destination Mallorca becoming a European competition destination next season.
Liverpool 2–1 Chelsea: A second half sequence where Nicolas Jackson’s originally offside goal rightfully given after review was quickly followed by a Curtis Jones response showcased that Liverpool remain further along in being a legitimate threat in England and beyond than Chelsea.
Roma 0–1 Inter: Another tight game where one moment of brilliance won the day, this time from Inter’s most reliable striker in Lautaro Martinez.
Valencia 2–3 Las Palmas: Other big clubs are thankful Valencia is playing as poorly as they are, because they are the biggest underperformers among the big clubs of top European leagues.
The Exception
Tottenham 4–1 West Ham: Granted Tottenham have played well so far this season (barring a few frustrating results), but an early Mohamed Kudus lead was as good as it got for the Hammers. A Jean-Clair Todibo own goal and Kudus red card added to the misery and Julen Lopetegui has a lot to sort out before he is sacked.
While there were a lot of low scoring games, these competitive fixtures are still gripping enough. It also will provide some more clues as to which clubs are serious contenders and which ones are in crisis, as well as everywhere in between.
Now to get into the next weekend’s action.
Friday, October 25
12 pm P/3 pm E: Leicester City (14th/9 pts) vs Nottingham Forest (8th/13 pts) USA
While this was noted as an early relegation six pointer, neither Leicester or Nottingham find themselves in the relegation zone yet. Nottingham Forest in particular are level on points with Tottenham, with their striker Chris Wood off to a great start to the campaign. One of Leicester’s biggest stories also comes from the striker department with ageless Jamie Vardy still having goals left in the tank.
5:30 pm P/8:30 pm E: Inter Miami vs Atlanta United Round 1 Proper (Game 1)
All MLS Cup Playoff Matches are viewable through Apple TV+ MLS Season Pass
The MLS Cup Playoffs Round 1 Proper begins here, and if there’s one match you watch within this time frame, it should be the playoff debut of Inter Miami during the Lionel Messi and friends era. I do not care for the “Best of 3” playoff structure as the Home-and-Away format is superior. However, a lot of pressure will be on Inter Miami to win at home in what will surely be a packed arena.
Also note that the final weekend of NWSL and USL Championship regular season takes place this weekend. My local clubs Oakland Roots will be looking to consolidate seeding against Birmingham Legion in their home opener while Bay FC can take control of their own destiny by beating Houston Dash in Texas.
Saturday, October 26
5 am P/8 am E: Real Valladolid (18th/8 pts) vs Villarreal (4th/18 pts) ESPN+
Getafe received a penalty that they converted late on to get a point from La Ceramica in Villarreal’s previous fixture. Currently, the Yellow Submarine are “the best of the rest” behind the big three in Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid. There is still a strong chase pack narrowly behind Villarreal in the table though, so an away win against Real Valladolid could stabilizing their position in the Top Four.
7 am P/10 am E: Brighton (5th/15 pts) vs Wolves (20th/1 pts) Peacock
Before Brighton’s rise over the last few seasons as a consistent “upper mid-table” side, Wolves had a brief period in that space when the influx of Portuguese talent under then-manager Nuno Espirito Santo came to the midlands. That Portuguese influence is still apparent within Wolves featuring talented players like Jose Sa, Nelson Semedo, and Toti Gomes. Wolves are considered to be “too talented” to be bottom of the league, and while that might be a stretch, they showed some fight narrowly losing 2–1 to Manchester City. Can the high flying Seagulls overcome a Wolves side finally finding some confidence?
9 am P/12 pm E: Bologna (12th/9 pts) vs AC Milan (4th/14 pts) Paramount+
It sounds cliche for an American soccer writer to highlight the American’s contributions to a European club, but Christian Pulisic genuinely is at the heart of AC Milan’s turn around in form over the last month. He’s been getting goal contributions in nearly every game for the Rossoneri. Bologna meanwhile appears to have taken a step back, but that can happen for a club involved in European competition with less depth.
12 pm P/3 pm E: Real Madrid (2nd/24 pts) vs Barcelona (1st/27 pts) ESPN+
El Clasico is must watch for fans of the sport worldwide, and this encounter will feature Kylian Mbappe making his debut in this derby after a drawn out transfer saga. Vinicius Junior and Luka Modric provide additional star power for Los Galacticos while Pedri, Robert Lewandowski, and Raphinha do likewise for the Catalan giants. Big wins against Dortmund and Bayern respectively in the Champions League add to this match’s anticipation
Sunday, October 27
Note: Daylight Savings Time will affect the fixture times for this week
7 am P/10 am E: Chelsea (6th/14 pts) vs Newcastle United (9th/12 pts) Telemundo/USA
The first part of an intriguing Premier League double header this Sunday and Daylight Savings Time making it a more manageable start time for North Americans on the West Coast. Chelsea under Enzo Maresca are starting to figure out who their best players are, which has allowed Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke to develop chemistry. Newcastle lost some group in the quest for European places losing 1–0 at home to Brighton, and a lot of signs point to a quiet campaign from Alexander Isak as an area of concern.
9:30 am P/12:30 pm E: Arsenal (3rd/17 pts) vs Liverpool (1st/21 pts) Peacock
Both El Clasico and this PL fixture being streaming exclusive are a sign of the times, as previously these big games would be available on traditional broadcasts. In any case, Arsenal vs Liverpool is the biggest game of the weekend in England. Arsenal’s title ambitions got marred by a 2–0 loss to Bournemouth. William Saliba’s suspension makes it the second big clash in a row Liverpool’s forwards will go against a defensive unit missing a key player. The margin for error when in a title race against Manchester City is almost nonexistent, so the stakes are high for both clubs.
12:45 pm P/3:45 pm E: Fiorentina (5th/13 pts) vs Roma (10th/10 pts) Paramount+
A narrow Europa League win over Dynamo Kyiv helps establish a culture of winning that is desperately needed for a Roma side that just welcomed back Paulo Dybala from injury. There have been moments when young key players like Nicolas Zalewski have looked like seasoned pros, and others where their inexperience is apparent. A win can vault Roma up the table still, but that won’t be easy against a Fiorentina side that beat Lecce 6–0. Danilo Cataldi and Andrea Colpani each earned a brace in that encounter.
Monday, October 28
1 pm P/4 pm E: Mallorca (6th/17 pts) vs Athletic Bilbao (5th/17 pts) ESPN+
If you’d like to take a late lunch break on Monday, Mallorca and Athletic Bilbao are stealthily within the top six of La Liga as the upper echelon of the aforementioned Villarreal chase pack. The increasing Basque influence of the Spain national team is a good sign for how talented Athletic Bilbao currently are, featuring defender Daniel Vivian and the exciting Williams brothers. Traveling to beautiful Mallorca is becoming less a relaxing vacation and more a difficult fixture, with Mallorca’s strike partnership of Vedat Muriqi and Cyle Larin enjoying a productive season.
I hope this recommendation slate of ten matches nets some entertaining moments for you to enjoy this weekend!
