Welcome to the weekend! Clubs are back in session after the men’s international break, with big games in Italy and England taking center stage over the next few days. I’m Pardeep Cattry with the latest.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Friday, March 28
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Leverkusen vs. Bochum, 3:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴 Championship: Sheffield United vs. Coventry, 4 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇺🇸 NWSL: Washington Spirit vs. Bay FC, 8 p.m. ➡️ Amazon Prime Video
Saturday, March 29
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Bayern vs. St. Pauli, 10:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Orlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave, 12 p.m. ➡️ ESPN
🇮🇹 Serie A: Juventus vs. Genoa, 1 p.m. ➡️ CBS, Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Leganes, 4 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇺🇸 MLS: Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia Union, 6:30 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass
Sunday, March 30
🇪🇸 La Liga: Barcelona vs. Girona, 10:15 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴 FA Cup: Bournemouth vs. Manchester City, 11:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇺🇸 MLS: St. Louis City vs. Austin FC, 2:30 p.m. ➡️ Fox
🇮🇹 Serie A; Napoli vs. AC Milan, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Angel City vs. Seattle Reign, 8 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network⚽ The Forward Line
⚽ The Forward Line
🇮🇹 Igor Tudor takes over at Juventus
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Juventus return from the international break under new management, switching out Thiago Motta for Igor Tudor in time for Saturday’s game against Genoa (1 p.m. ET, CBS and Paramount+). Tudor is obviously being tasked with rejuvenating the side after Motta’s underwhelming spell in charge in which they notched 13 ties in Serie A play, just as many wins as they have in the league this season. The big question, though, is how Tudor will turn things around.
There are plenty of question marks as Tudor selects his first Juventus lineup, especially as it pertains to his attack and the midfield that will support it. This team’s struggle to win games goes hand-in-hand with their ability to score goals, so far notching just 28 goals in 29 Serie A games this season. The attention will turn to Dusan Vlahovic and Randal Kolo Muani, who have nine and five league goals, respectively, this season but perhaps have not reached their full potential as a collective yet. Morning Footy’s Michael Lahoud argued that Motta did not get the best out of those two, but Tudor might be able to get the best out of the pair.
- Lahoud: “The question, prior to Thiago Motta getting sacked, that was running around Juventus and their camp was can these two players – Randal Kolo Muani and Vlhovic – play together? Motta tried to play them together but he was trying to force Kolo Muani and his versatility. He played him out wide, left wing, and I was begging for him to play the two of them up top and I think a lot of people will see that with this manager, Igor Tudor. When you get Igor Tudor, it’s going to be constant. You’re going to get a back three. … He’s going to play with a back three, it’s going to be his 3-4-3 formation but with Juventus, because you do have attacking midfielders that can puns up higher and support a front two, I think this will look like a 3-5-2.”
The question of who plays behind them is just as important, especially for U.S. men’s national team players Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah. The pair have played in multiple positions under Motta’s leadership this season but while Weah has played frequently as a wingback, McKennie really was a Swiss army knife of sorts for Motta. Where he lands in Tudor’s structure is currently up in the air though he could be a contender in midfield, his most well-known position and he actually did play in while Motta was still in charge.
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🏴 Manchester City’s cup to lose
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The Premier League takes a back seat this weekend as the FA Cup gets thrust into the spotlight for an intriguing batch of quarterfinal matchups. Manchester City are the only team from England’s traditional top six left in the competition and the FA Cup presents the only likely opportunity for Pep Guardiola’s side to win a trophy this season, but the field includes a group of Premier League teams that have impressed over the course of the campaign – and one last lower league side hoping to continue their deep run.
With a spot in the semifinals at Wembley Stadium on the line, Manchester City will take on Bournemouth on Sunday in what will be a pivotal match for both sides. The pressure is naturally on City, who are the favorites in this match despite the ups and downs of their season. That’s because they still boast some of the best players in the world and will be counting on the likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne to keep things straightforward, though that might be easier said than done. The Cherries were one of the teams that nicked points off of City during their lengthy winless run last fall, notching a 2-1 win in November that exemplifies a standout season for the side. Bournemouth, much like the rest of the field, might use Newcastle United as inspiration after they became the surprise – but deserving – winners of the EFL Cup this month and have their own impressive players to boast about, including Justin Kluivert in the midst of a 13 goal season. This game might also be an audition of sorts for manager Andoni Iraola, who has reportedly emerged as a contender for the Tottenham Hotspur job should they decide to part ways with Ange Postecoglou in the summer.
Another game to keep an eye on this weekend is Aston Villa’s trip to Preston North End, the 14th place Championship side who are the last lower league team left in the FA Cup. Villa are undoubtedly the favorites in this one and can reasonably target silverware in an already impressive season that includes a berth in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Unai Emery’s side might just be one of the more formidable choices to win the FA Cup should they make it through to the semifinals, making Sunday’s game just as important to the visitors as it is to the hosts.
🔗 Top Stories
⏪ WCQ rewind: With qualifying tournaments for the 2026 World Cup underway around the globe officially underway, here’s a look at the winners and losers from the last international window.
🔍 Real Madrid under investigation: UEFA opened up an investigation into four Real Madrid players – Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Antonio Rudiger and Dani Ceballos – for “indecent conduct” after their win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
🇧🇷 Ancelotti to Brazil?: Brazil are exploring the option of hiring Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti with just a year until the 2026 World Cup, and the manager could be a good fit for the national team – especially when considering his relationship with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
🇨🇦 Davies’ ACL debate: Alphonso Davies’ agent and Canada Soccer are in the midst of a back-and-forth over who is responsible for the player’s ACL tear, which will keep him out for around six months.
🇺🇸 U-23 USWNT roster drop: Gisele Thompson, Makenna Morris and more made the cut for the U-23 USWNT’s camp next month, which will run concurrently with the senior team’s camp as Emma Hayes gives the youth national team a major role in 2027 Women’s World Cup prep.
🔵 Coventry’s time to shine: Coventry City eye a berth in the promotion playoffs – and a spot in next season’s edition of the Premier League – after a revitalization led by new manager Frank Lampard.
🏆 CWC prize money: FIFA could hand out as much of $125 million to the Club World Cup winner, a large chunk of the $1 billion prize purse that exceeds the $440 million it doled out for the 2022 World Cup.
💬 Carnell on Messi: Philadelphia Union head coach Bradley Carnell popped into Morning Footy to discuss the challenge of defending Lionel Messi ahead of their game against Inter Miami.
❓ Gasperini to Roma?: Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini is being linked to a move to Roma, but perhaps he – and Atalanta – should practice caution before deciding to go their separate ways.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- NWSL: Washington Spirit vs. Bay FC, Friday 8 p.m.
💰 The Pick: Washington Spirit to win (+130) – The NWSL season is still quite young and Bay FC have gotten off to a strong start in their second season by defeating Racing Louisville at home, but their trip to the nation’s capital will prove to be a tough one. The Spirit are among the contenders to win the league and for good reason, considering how deep the roster is even when Trinity Rodman doesn’t feature. Playing at home after falling to the Kansas City Current, this will be a bounce-back spot for the Spirit. – Chuck Booth - La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Leganes, Saturday 4 p.m.
💰 The Pick: Real Madrid to score 2+ goals in the first half (+148) – Coming back from an international break can lead to odd results in club soccer, but for Real Madrid, they can’t afford to drop points at home. After Barcelona’s victory over Osasuna, if Los Blancos don’t keep pace, they could soon be out of the running for the La Liga crown. Nothing would be better than a fast start to avoid disappointment and with Real Madrid’s depth, they’ll be able to overwhelm Leganes to score early and often – Chuck Booth
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.
📺 What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network
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☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Join Golazo Network as it help fans get their day started on the right foot 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.
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. And don’t miss Wednesday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.
⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday and Thursday): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 1 p.m. ET and Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.
🥅 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+.
