Hello! A busy weekend in the Premier League's title race is just about to give way for an equally eventful round of Champions League action. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest to start your week off right.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Monday, April 15
🏴 EPL: Chelsea vs. Everton, 3 p.m. ➡️ USA Network
Tuesday, April 16
🇪🇺 UCL: Barcelona vs. PSG, 3 p.m. ➡️ CBS, Paramount+
🇪🇺 UCL: Dortmund vs. Atleti, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ The Forward Line
🏴 'Tis the season for Manchester City?
The Premier League title race broke Manchester City's way over the weekend, and not only because the reigning champions tend to kick things into high gear towards the end of the season. City were the only ones of the title contenders to actually pick up any points, cruising to victory over Luton Town while Liverpool and Arsenal lost to Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, respectively.
Pep Guardiola's side now have a two point lead atop the table and arguably have the easiest schedule left, while their competitors raised serious question marks about their abilities to keep pace. For Liverpool, Sunday's 1-0 defeat comes after a rough week in which they drew 2-2 with Manchester City and lost 3-0 to Atalanta in the Europa League and continued a familiar pattern of wastefulness. They took 21 shots against Palace but put just six of those shots on frame, reflective of their form all season -- they lead the league with 650 shots but sink to 15th when it comes to shots on goal percentage (34%).
As for Arsenal, Sunday marked the first time they blinked during a near-perfect 2024. The Gunners came out strong in the first half but were unable to score, fading in the second half and providing the foundation for Villa to score two late goals. It was a less-than-ideal outing for an Arsenal team that's building a reputation for their defensive stability and as James Benge writes, Oleksander Zinchenko's performance was emblematic of the title race's plot twist.
- Benge: "By the second half, there was no case for Zinchenko's defense. Only one of his seven deliveries into the final third came after the interval. Indeed he could hardly get on the ball at all, completing just eight passes in 42 minutes. Arsenal lost control, in part down to their inability to take the ball from Villa in the final third, and without control of possession, Zinchenko's greatest assets are nullified. Instead, Arsenal get a player who tends to throw a boot at any ball that bounces his way, utterly unaware what the consequences may be."
A two point gap is far from insurmountable, but the odds lean heavily in City's favor at this point. The reigning champions now have a 70.1% chance to win the title, per Opta -- up from 40.6% at the start of the weekend -- while Arsenal sit at 18.3% and Liverpool land at 11.7%. The title race is not over yet, but the finish line might just be in sight.
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🇪🇺 Barcelona, PSG battle in Champions League as rebuilds loom
After the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals got off to an exciting start last week, action resumes Tuesday with Barcelona's tie against Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund hosting Atletico Madrid. The matchup at the Camp Nou serves as Tuesday's headlining act, especially after Barcelona carry a 3-2 advantage into the game.
For Barcelona, the Champions League run is starting to become an unexpected source of optimism during a season that one could arguably describe as bland. Changes are coming at Barcelona with the impending departure of Xavi, who will step down as manager at the end of the season, but he may be leaving the team in a surprisingly strong spot. He has leaned on the team's youth on several occasions this season, including last week's victory in Paris, and as Chuck Booth notes, the results have been promising.
- Booth: "Utilizing so many youth players, there will be wobbles where Barcelona lose control of the match but in 2024, that has been happening less than in the past as they're building confidence and the team has become more cohesive. In 2023, Barcelona allowed 33 goals in 23 matches during league play and Champions League but so far in 2024 that has been cut to 13 goals in 12 matches. The sample size may be smaller but an improvement of 0.35 goals per game will add up quickly."
As for PSG, Kylian Mbappe will remain the focal point as he continues what many believe is his final season with the club. The last few months at PSG, though, have been an exercise in building for a future without the superstar, with Luis Enrique leaning on his own batch of young talent to do so. Last week's first leg was accidentally part of that rebuild since Mbappe did not play a major role, but even if the World Cup winner plays a bigger role on Tuesday, a big outing for others will likely be needed for PSG to turn around the deficit. For both sides, the match will serve as a big opportunity for the next generation to prove their credentials -- as well as a benchmark for the work each team needs to put into their summertime rebuilds to reach the top levels of the game as soon as possible.
🔗 Top Stories
🔴🟠 Ndicka update: Roma's Evan Ndicka is "feeling better" in the hospital after he collapsed on the pitch during his team's game against Udinese, which was suspended.
🇩🇪 Champions of Germany: Bayer Leverkusen won their first Bundesliga title as they continue an unbeaten season, joining a list of unlikeliest champions in Europe's top five leagues.
🇺🇸 NWSL power rankings: Four weeks into the 2024 season, the North Carolina Courage take top honors in the latest batch of the power rankings while the Houston Dash sink to the bottom.
🏆 Championship season: Here's more on the Premier League title race tilting Manchester City's way, plus the latest on when Inter can win Serie A as a stellar season continues.
🏴 Wrexham promoted: Wrexham clinched back-to-back promotions and are set for League One next season.
🗣️ Jaedyn Shaw on Morning Footy: Teen sensation Jaedyn Shaw talks her quick rise on the USWNT and shares what her favorite position to play is.
⚽ Goals and assists: Lionel Messi scored a golazo in Inter Miam's win over Sporting Kansas City, while Gio Reyna notched an assist for Nottingham Forest as they tied Wolverhampton Wanderers.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- Premier League: Chelsea vs. Everton, Monday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Teams to tie 1-1 (+750) -- Neither of these teams can strike the balance of being offensively strong and defensively sturdy -- Chelsea have scored 15 but conceded 11 in their last five, while Everton have four and eight in the respective categories. Those imperfections likely mean goals are in store for the game, but considering Everton do not concede at the rate that Chelsea's porous back line does, it might not be as chaotic as some of the Blues' recent games. - UEFA Champions League: Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Raphinha to score (+260) -- With three goals in the last three games, including a brace in last week's first leg, Raphinha might just be the person to keep an eye on -- even if the likes Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe are on the pitch.
📺 What's on CBS Sports Golazo Network
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you'll never have to miss an episode.
📦 Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the top matchups of the day. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+.
3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday): The leading women's soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women's game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long.
👟 Kickin' It (Tuesdays): CBS Sports Golazo Network's unfiltered interview show releases Tuesday. Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch.
⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Jesse Marsch and Charlie Davies cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.
🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can't-miss goals from the day's action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.
