Happy Friday! The EFL Cup final is officially set, with Newcastle United and Liverpool proving their worth in this weekās semifinals, while Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will have to do the same on Saturday with La Ligaās title race taking center stage. Iām Pardeep Cattry with the latest.
šŗ Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Friday, Feb. 7
š©šŖ Bundesliga: Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen, 2:30 p.m. ā”ļø ESPN+
š®š¹ Serie A: Como vs. Juventus, 2:45 p.m. ā”ļø Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
š“ó §ó ¢ó „ó ®ó §ó æ FA Cup: Manchester United vs. Leicester City, 3 p.m. ā”ļø ESPN+
Saturday, Feb. 8
š©šŖ Bundesliga: Wolfsburg vs. Bayer Leverkusen, 9:30 a.m. ā”ļø ESPN+
š®š¹ Serie A: Empoli vs. AC Milan, 12 p.m. ā”ļø Paramount+
šŖšø La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid, 3 p.m. ā”ļø ESPN+
š“ó §ó ¢ó „ó ®ó §ó æ FA Cup: Brighton vs. Chelsea, 3 p.m. ā”ļø ESPN+
Sunday, Feb. 9
š“ó §ó ¢ó „ó ®ó §ó æ FA Cup: Aston Villa vs. Tottenham, 12:35 p.m ā”ļø ESPN+
šŖšø La Liga: Sevilla vs. Barcelona, 3 p.m ā”ļø ESPN+
ā½ The Forward Line
š“ó §ó ¢ó „ó ®ó §ó æ Liverpool to meet Newcastle in EFL Cup final
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The EFL Cup final is officially set, with Newcastle United and Liverpool set to face off for the first trophy of the season at Londonās Wembley Stadium on March 16.
Both registered lopsided wins on aggregate this week, with Newcastle beating Arsenal 4-0 and Liverpool reversing a 1-0 deficit against Tottenham Hotspur with a 4-1 scoreline by the final whistle on Thursday. Though there were not a ton of similarities between the two semifinal ties, there is one thing the finalists share ā both the Magpies and the Reds look like well-oiled machines, masters of their tactical styles and seem destined to give each other a strong fight for a spot on the podium next month.
Their attacking stars also stood out this week, with early Ballon dāOr favorite Mohamed Salah notching his 26th goal of the season in Liverpoolās 4-0 win on Thursday. If one goalscorer truly stole the show this week, though, it was Newcastleās Alexander Isak ā and thatās even considering the fact that he didnāt actually score on Wednesday against Arsenal. He was a nuisance throughout the game, and James Benge argues that he might just be the worldās best striker right now.
- Benge: āIsakās dominance of his center backs was such that if the opener hadnāt come then he might have forced it on another moment. As Kai Havertz, manful and not without his qualities, was driven to distraction at the other end, feeding off what scraps Newcastleās back five would allow him, Isak was making chances for himself and merry havoc for William Saliba and Gabriel. In his current form, he can do nothing wrong. Even when Isak missed the target, it went his way.ā
As dominant as Arne Slotās Liverpool have been this season, with just three losses across all competitions, Newcastle feels best suited to give them a run for their money. They have lost just once in their last 13 games, conceding only seven goals during that stretch. It arguably makes them ā and not the Reds ā Englandās most in-form team, and gives them as good a shot as any to end their 70 year trophy drought.
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šŖšø Battle for top spot in the Madrid derby
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The Spanish capital will be the focal point of La Ligaās title race this weekend, when first place Real Madrid host their regional rivals Atletico Madrid, who are just one point behind them.
Real Madridās grasp on top spot comes amidst the ups and downs of this season, which have not exactly quit in recent weeks even if their first place standing indicates otherwise. They are only a week removed from a surprise 1-0 loss at Espanyol, and an injury crisis continues to interrupt their season. Antonio Rudiger left that game with a muscle injury that will keep him out for the next few weeks, likely ruling him out of Real Madridās knockout phase playoff tie with Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. Additionally, David Alaba ā who only recently returned from an ACL tear ā is now back on the sidelines with an adductor injury.
Aurelien Tchouameni will likely be one of Los Blancosā starting center backs on Saturday, much as he was a week ago while Eder Militao continues his recovery from an ACL tear. The onus will, naturally, be on Real Madridās high-profile offense to get the job done and perhaps overcompensate for the depleted defense, though that is easier said than done. While Kylian Mbappe is second in La Liga with 15 goals this season, the team can be a little goal shy in high-profile games.
Real Madridās woes find a way of showing up on the most unexpected of days, but could be very costly against an Atletico Madrid side that have successfully injected some new life into Diego Simeoneās style. They boast the leagueās best defense, conceding just 14 goals in 22 games so far this season, and can count on a variety of goalscorers to help them win games. Antoine Griezmann has eight league goals this season but new signings Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez have been just as impactful ā the latter has eight of his own while Alvarez has six in La Liga. They have also lost just one of their last 21 games, so they will be liking their chances against Real Madrid ā especially with a makeshift back line.
šĀ Top Stories
š“ Arsenalās cup exit: With Arsenalās trophy drought likely extending to a fifth year, itās worth asking: Is manager Mikel Arteta in the hot seat?
āļø Rubiales trial, explained: Members of Spainās Womenās World Cup winning team have testified in a Madrid court this week about Luis Rubialesā forced kiss on Jenni Hermoso, with Rubiales potentially facing jail time for sexual assault and coercion.
šøš¦ Saudi spending spree: CBS Sportsā James Benge reports on how Al-Nassr convinced Jhon Duran to leave England, and that the Saudi Pro Leagueās next targets are Mohamed Salah and Vinicius Junior.
š½ Purceās Gotham return: NWSL champion Midge Purce signed a new one year deal with NJ/NY Gotham FC, extending her stay with the club to a fifth season.
ā Celebration punishment?: The Premier League is considering punishing players for mockery and criticism in their celebrations.
ā Stay or go: The Morning Footy crew takes a look at players whose contracts expire in the summer and decide: Should they stay at their current clubs or should they go?
š¬ Ronaldo on Ronaldo: Cristiano Ronaldo picked himself as the best player in the sportās history.
š°Ā The Back Line
šµ Best bets
- FA Cup: Manchester United vs. Leicester City, Friday, 3 p.m.
š° THE PICK: Manchester United to win 3-1 (+850) ā Manchester United may be in the midst of a season to forget, but cup competitions offer a fresh start of sorts. Expect the Red Devils to take advantage of the opportunity in front of them, especially with a favorable draw against Premier League relegation contenders Leicester City. - FA Cup: Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Chelsea, Saturday, 3 p.m.
š° THE PICK: Chelsea to win 2-1 (+850) ā Neither team is in exceptional form, so count on a competitive game on Saturday. Itās hard not to favor Chelsea, though, since the Blues are in the midst of a strong first season under manager Enzo Maresca and have Cole Palmer, who is the human embodiment of a cheat code more often than not.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, donāt miss out onĀ CBSSports.comāsĀ betting home page.Ā Ā
šŗ Whatās on CBS Sports Golazo Network
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āļøĀ Morning FootyĀ (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Join Golazo Network as it help fans get their day started on the right foot on theĀ networkās flagship morning showĀ with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines.Ā Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so youāll never have to miss an episode.
3ļøā£Ā Attacking ThirdĀ (Monday, Thursday): The leading womenāsĀ soccer podcastĀ andĀ social brandĀ is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the womenās game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. And donāt missĀ Wednesday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.
ā½Ā Ā Call it What You WantĀ (Monday and Thursday): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony MeolaĀ cover all things USMNTĀ 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.
š„ Ā ScorelineĀ (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 canāt-miss goals from the dayās action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
šŗĀ How to watch:Ā CBS Sports Golazo NetworkĀ 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 theĀ CBS Sports app,Ā Pluto TVĀ andĀ Paramount+.
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