Happy Champions League Week! The end of the entertaining group stage is upon us, and it has kicked off an exciting weekend that saw some of Europe’s emerging teams put their foot down. I’m pardeep katri with the latest.
📺 Fix footy
All times are US/East
Monday 11 December
🇬🇧 Italian League: Cagliari vs. Sassuolo, 2.45pm ➡️ Paramount+
Tuesday 12 December
🇪🇺 Champions League: Manchester United vs. Bayern, 3pm ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 Champions League: Copenhagen vs Galatasaray, 3pm ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Front line
🫨 Giant killers seize the opportunity
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It was a fantastic weekend for Aston Villa and Girona, as both teams moved up the standings and had the opportunity to prove whether they are contenders or contenders against top-flight competition. Both teams have risen to the top, and are hotly contesting the Premier League and La Liga titles, respectively.
Following a dominant win over Manchester City, Villa faced an Arsenal side who started the weekend at the top of the Premier League table. They secured another 1-0 win, but Saturday’s game played out differently – Unai Emery’s side were in charge from start to finish against the defending champions, but the Gunners looked like they could get an equalizer for much of the second half. As James Bing noted, Emery’s substitutions ensured victory.
- useful: “Emery turned to a bench that was noticeably full of talent. Moussa Diaby and Jacob Ramsey had already entered the fray in place of Leon Bailly and Youri Tielemans, but Matty Cash was introduced in place of Ezri Konsa at right-back alongside Leander Dendoncker in place of Boubacar. Kamara, who It allowed Vela to quell the storm, while the former gave Vela the legs to track it [Kai] Havertz, while the latter provided the necessary speed to reduce the gaps on the right side.”
Villa are now two points behind first-placed Liverpool, but Girona produced a better performance and overtook Real Madrid to take first place in La Liga with a 4-2 win over Barcelona on Sunday. Although the Spanish champions were competitive, Francesco Porzio writes that the match was ultimately between two opposing teams.
- Portillo: “Barcelona missed a great opportunity to close the gap on the leaders and Xavi should be more concerned about how they lost, than the actual result. Especially in the second half, Barcelona looked a bit confused and indecisive. On the other hand, Girona were fresh and took advantage of the hosts’ defensive weakness.” “They responded only in the final minutes after reducing the gap to 3-2.”
Girona is now two points ahead of Real Madrid and still has just one loss this season.
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🔗 Playing midfield
🔴United’s last position?
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Manchester United’s disastrous Champions League campaign resumes, perhaps for the last time, tomorrow when they host a Bayern Munich side who have already qualified for the knockout stages. As has been the case all season, United enter the game in a precarious position – they need to beat Bayern Plus The team is encouraged by the draw between Copenhagen and Galatasaray, and comes out with another difficult result.
This time, it was a 3-0 loss to Bournemouth which came exactly ten years after then-United manager David Moyes had said the team needed to “improve in a number of areas, including passing, creating chances and defending”, something that did not happen. It has changed a lot since then. It was a fitting way to mark a decade of things going wrong for the famous club still living in the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson, and putting the pressure back on current manager Erik ten Hag to finally correct course.
For now, the Ten Hag’s job appears secure and he had the backing of Scott McTominay in his pre-match player statements earlier today, but it’s another big week that could make or break the situation at Old Trafford. United have lost 11 of their 23 matches this season, and in addition to facing Bayern tomorrow, they will return to Premier League action over the weekend against Premier League leaders Liverpool. Long story short – the roller coaster ride that is United’s season probably won’t slow down anytime soon.
🔗 The most important stories
🎧 Now play: Today he launched Call It What You Want, a podcast covering American football hosted by Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Jesse Marsh. Watch the first episode at 9pm on CBS Sports Golazo and listen afterward wherever you get your podcasts.
CBS Sports Golazo Network presents Call It What You Want, a weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Jesse Marsh and Charlie Davis cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.
🟡 The Crew lifted the MLS Cup: The Columbus Crew Club beat Los Angeles FC 2-1 on Saturday to win their third MLS Cup in a win that highlighted… Head coach Wilfried Nancy’s style of playexcellence in his wings, and strengthened Darlington Nagbe’s position as One of the best midfielders in the league ever.
3️⃣ Top three: MLS commissioner Don Garber said the league will not add a specific fourth player, but some roster rules will change to ensure other teams can compete in the Lionel Messi era.
🇪🇺 UEFA Champions League Login: Here are the most important stories to follow ahead of the Champions League group stage final, including Paris Saint-Germain’s need to avoid a first-round exit and… A difficult season for AC Milan.
⏪ Weekend recap: Juventus confirmed their place in the Serie A title race with victory over Napoli, while Chelsea continue to produce mediocre performances despite their faltering form. Big spending in the summer.
🏆 clubs World Cup: The Club World Cup starts tomorrow, and here’s what you need to know before teams like Manchester City and Fluminense arrive in Saudi Arabia.
🇺🇸🇲🇽 Neighborhood alliance: The United States and Mexico have formalized a joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, joining Brazil and a collective effort from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands as bidders to stage the competition.
🔴⚫ Zlatan’s return: AC Milan legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic will become a strategic advisor to RedBird, the club’s owner group, months after his retirement.
🇧🇷 Retirement No. 10: Santos will temporarily retire the number 10 shirt worn by Pele after last week’s relegation, and will only bring it back when he returns to the Brazilian league.
💰Back line
💵 Best bets
- Champions League: Manchester United vs Bayern Munich, Tuesday, 3 pm
💰 Selection: 3.5+ goals scored (+125) – United played only one Champions League match this season that saw fewer than five goals, and it was not against a Bayern team that prefers to score goals. Expect goals on Tuesday, and lots of them.
Champions League: Copenhagen vs Galatasaray, Tuesday, 3pm
💰 Selection: Under 2.75 goals scored (+110) – A draw in favor of Copenhagen, but with Galatasaray needing to win to qualify, goals are available for both teams. We may not see as many in Denmark as we might in England, but enough to keep things interesting.
📺 What’s on CBS Sports Golazo
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📦 Box 2 boxes (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the day’s top matches. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo on the CBS Sports App, PlutoTV and Paramount+.
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👟 Kick it (Tuesdays, 7 p.m.): CBS Sports’ new unfiltered interview show Golazo Network returns on Tuesdays hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davis, where the group chats candidly with the biggest names from the beautiful game and shares their stories from the day etc. Off the field.
⚽ You name it (Monday Night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Jesse Marsh and Charlie Davis cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.
🥅 Grading line (Daily): Scoreline is the latest place where fans can follow the biggest news and results affecting world football, match highlights from the best football competitions and all the can’t-miss goals from the day’s action, starting on Thursday and broadcast seven days a day. the week.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo is a 24/7 free-to-air channel exclusively dedicated to providing unparalleled coverage of all major soccer competitions around the world. Stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV, and Paramount+.
In European football, the underdogs have been making their mark with surprising victories and impressive performances. Aston Villa and Girona have had incredible weeks, ending with significant wins that have turned heads in the football world. Meanwhile, traditional powerhouse Manchester United continues to struggle, with their suffering showing no signs of slowing down. These contrasting tales of success and struggle have added an extra layer of excitement to the football landscape, as the underdogs rise and the giants falter.