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Hello there! The Champions League returns for some quarterfinal action this week, while the U.S. women's national team wrap up a two-game series against Brazil on Tuesday. I'm Pardeep Cattry with an update ahead of a busy week.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Monday, April 7
🇮🇹 Serie A: Bologna vs. Napoli, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏴 EPL: Leicester City vs. Newcastle United, 3 p.m. ➡️ USA Network
Tuesday, April 8
🇪🇺 UWNL: Spain vs. Portugal, 1 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network
🇪🇺 UCL: Arsenal vs. Real Madrid, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 UCL: Bayern Munich vs. Inter, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🌎 CCC: Tigres vs. LA Galaxy, 9 p.m. ➡️ FS1
🌎 Friendly: USWNT vs. Brazil, 10:30 p.m. ➡️ TBS
⚽ The Forward Line
🇪🇺 Arsenal, Real Madrid face off in season-defining matches
The headlining act of this week's Champions League action will be Real Madrid's trip to Arsenal, which comes with fairly big stakes for two teams at very different stages in their season.
For the hosts, the baggage of seasons past defines the importance of this month's two-legged tie. This was poised to be a season in which Mikel Arteta's Arsenal would act upon the promise they demonstrated in years past and finally win a major title, but the nonexistent Premier League race means they are down to just one potential trophy lift – the Champions League. The Gunners' European campaign has been as straightforward as it gets but a clash against Real Madrid offers their first serious test of the season, and at a crucial juncture of the competition. Arsenal have not booked a spot in the Champions League semifinals in nearly 20 years, so the importance of the quarterfinal tie is not lost upon Arteta, who described these matches as the most significant of his managerial career.
- Arteta: "100%. The excitement around the club, the people, this is the stage we want to be, where Arsenal have to be consistently. That's why I came into football, that's why I came into management and especially to this football club. It has been 20 years since we had this type of game and for us it's a great opportunity to build our own story and this is what we are here for."
In order to live up to the momentous occasion, though, they will have to get through Real Madrid first. It may not be as daunting a task as it sounds considering how the season has gone for Los Blancos – they registered some notable losses during the league phase, but managed to oust Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the knockouts and are making a case that they are peaking at the right time. Recent results might raise some questions about that claim, though, with a 4-4 draw against Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey and a 2-1 loss to Valencia in La Liga play showcasing the imbalance that Carlo Ancelotti's side have long had.
The possibility of a trophyless season does not define Real Madrid's Champions League campaign as much as it does Arsenal's at this point, but there's just as much pressure for them to deliver their uncanny ability to cross the finish line even in imperfect circumstances. Real Madrid have been resigned to taking the hard road to repeat as champions and have done well in those circumstances, but will once again have to prove their worth to ensure they have a spot in the semifinals.
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
🇺🇸 Young USWNT show signs of growth against Brazil
The U.S. women's national team kicked off their two-game series against Brazil with a 2-0 win on Saturday that showcased head coach Emma Hayes' mix and match approach as she continues a period of player pool expansion.
Six members of the USWNT's Olympics squad started in the rematch of last summer's gold medal game, most notable among them Trinity Rodman, who scored just eight minutes into her first game since Paris. Rodman's star quality was on full display for her 61 minute shift, but she was not the only attacking talent who made the most of her moment – Alyssa Thompson, who already has two goals in three NWSL games this season, notched the assist to Rodman's goal and enjoyed yet another strong showing in the U.S.' post-Olympics era of experimentation.
Hayes mixed some of the USWNT's mainstays with a batch of less-experienced talent, including goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce. She, as well as defender Avery Patterson, earned her first cap on Saturday and made six saves as the battle to succeed Alyssa Naeher continues. Though the head coach admitted there are still areas of improvement, including ball retention and decision-making, but she believes the "less-experienced team are growing up" and pointed towards the attacking effort as an example.
- Hayes: "I know this for a fact that our [expected goals] in general is increasing and our, as I call them, gold zone chances are definitely significantly higher than they were at the Olympics and that's something that we really have been conscious to work on, whether that's getting the right numbers into the right area, hitting the right areas, getting the timings right. … I think we could have scored more than two goals today, I think it's fair to say, and I certainly couldn't have said that in the Olympic gold medal final."
Hayes and company wrap up the two-game swing against Brazil on Tuesday, where a different group of players could receive the opportunity to impress as the USWNT's long road to the 2027 Women's World Cup continues.
🔗 Top Stories
🇪🇸 La Liga title race: Both Barcelona and Real Madrid dropped points in La Liga play over the weekend, but the former's four point lead means the title race tilted further in the favor.
💤 Goalless in Manchester: The Manchester derby ended 0-0 on Sunday as the struggles both Manchester City and Manchester United have faced all season long were on full display at Old Trafford.
🔴 Liverpool lose: Liverpool's 3-2 loss to Fulham may not cause many issues in their quest to win the Premier League title, but offers a signal that things may not be so straightforward next season.
🌴 Messi scores again: Lionel Messi scored a crucial – and impressive – equalizer for Inter Miami against Toronto FC on Sunday, but their 1-1 draw means they are winless in two ahead of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal against LAFC on Wednesday.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- Serie A: Bologna vs. Napoli, Monday, 2:45 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Romelu Lukaku to score (+195) – Napoli may not be able to claim spot in Serie A on Monday, but Inter's draw at Parma means they can trim the deficit from four points to one with a win. That should serve as plenty of motivation for Antonio Conte's side with eight games to go this season, though a match against fifth-place Bologna will be no easy task. Expect Napoli to count on their most reliable goalscorer to get the job done on Monday – Romelu Lukaku. The Belgium international has 11 goals across all competitions this season as he targets his first Serie A title since 2020-21, when he played for Conte's Inter.
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
☀️ 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 (Tuesday, 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. Don't miss Tuesday and Thursday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET with a Sunday wrap up after the last curtain falls un the last NWSL match of the weekend.
⚽ 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+.
