Hello! It might be a slow week ahead, but the weekend action from Europe’s top leagues has provided plenty to think about as the countdown to next weekend officially begins. I’m Pardeep Cattry and we’ll be looking back at the weekend.
📺 Footy Fix
All times are US/Eastern Time.
Monday, September 23
🇮🇹 Serie A: Atalanta vs. Como, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Angel City vs. Portland Thorns, 10 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network
Tuesday, September 24th
🏴 EFL Cup: Manchester City vs. Watford, 2.45pm ➡️ Paramount+
🏴 EFL Cup: Chelsea vs Barrow, 2.45pm ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Alaves, 3pm ➡️ ESPN+
⚽ Forward Line
🏴 Rodri injury hits City’s title chances
Getty Images
Manchester City salvaged a point from a 2-2 draw with 10-man Arsenal on Sunday, but the point they lost is probably the least of their worries. Midfielder Rodri left the game in the 21st minute with an ACL injury, which will likely keep him out for some time, possibly the entire season.
The injury comes just days after he complained about the congestion of the fixture list, saying players were “close to a strike” due to the tight schedule. This is a particularly important issue for him. He played more than 60 games for club and country last season, and has averaged more than 50 games per season for City since joining in 2019. His playing record reflects his importance to City. He has become the most irreplaceable player in a team full of them, and is the face of their four-year title run.
City are still top of the table after five games and are unbeaten, but their four-game winning streak was ended by Sunday’s draw with Arsenal. It was the first of a series of tough games for Pep Guardiola’s side, but it was given a boost by a controversial second yellow card for Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard after he kicked the ball out of the box before half-time and delayed the restart. The red card forced Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to adopt a very conservative game plan for the second half. The Gunners were very conservative, allowing City 87.6% possession and 28 shots in the second half, and only one shot against an expected goals of 0.07, to hold a slender lead.
Arsenal will take some pleasure in the fact that they have limited City’s expected goals to just 1.4 despite the barrage of shots, but they have also provided some impressive statistics at their own expense. Few will forget Jurien Timber and Kai Havertz becoming the first players in Opta’s record to play 89 minutes or more in a Premier League match and not complete a single pass. But the worst thing that happened to Arsenal? The plan didn’t work. John Stones’ 98th-minute goal gave Manchester a point, not three. City’s Manuel Akanji criticised Arsenal’s approach after the game, claiming the referee should have been more protective of him and his team-mates against the Gunners.
- Akanji: “If they are satisfied with one point, it works for them. … When we play them, that’s always what they look for. Fighting hard in duels, defending, having 11 players in their own half, then going to the set piece and trying to score a goal. That’s what they’re looking for. We have to defend ourselves because in duels, in every free kick given, they went out on the pitch. Players going out on the pitch to get up, running back, going out on the pitch again, one of their teammates telling the goalkeeper to go out on the pitch and all that. I mean, there’s nothing we can do. At the end of the day, the referees have to control these situations throughout the season. But yeah, there’s nothing else we can do.”
Sponsored by Paramount+
Sponsored by Paramount+
🔗 Midfield link play
🇮🇹 Christian Pulisic leads AC Milan to derby win
AC Milan turned around a poor start to the season with a meaningful win over Serie A champions Inter 2-1 in the Derby della Madonnina on Sunday.
United States men’s national team star Christian Pulisic opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the season, but the game was levelled in the 27th minute courtesy of Federico DiMarco. Milan were effective throughout the game, however, with 14 shots attempted, six of which were on target, for an expected goals of 1.34. Their attack was particularly strong in the second half, with at least three meaningful chances to score the game-winning goal, finally coming through Matteo Gabbia in the 89th minute. It was Milan’s first derby win in two years, and an important win for new coach Paulo Fonseca, who, as Francesco Forgio noted, was already in a precarious situation.
- part time job: “(Inter manager) Simone Inzaghi tried to revolutionise his team in the second half and change the entire midfield, but Fonseca’s tactics worked well as the Portuguese manager changed his formation and played a 4-4-2, with Pulisic and (Rafael) Leao on the wings and the two central strikers (Alvaro Morata and Tammy Abraham) up front. The change worked and confused the Inter manager, who was furious on the bench. His team could not properly respond to AC Milan’s attacks. AC Milan fans can now finally celebrate their first derby win in two years, but most importantly, they can look positively to the future under Fonseca. He struggled in his first game for the club, but a win against Inter could be a huge boost for the upcoming clash.”
Milan have won back-to-back league games to climb to seventh in Serie A, perhaps building on last season’s second-place finish and giving them renewed optimism that they can achieve even greater success while the season is still in progress.
🔗 Popular articles
🍿 City-Arsenal offers: We bring you the full story behind one of the most anticipated Premier League games of the weekend, the draw between Manchester City and Arsenal.
⚫🔴 Fonseca’s big win: AC Milan’s win over Inter could be a turning point for the team and coach Paulo Fonseca, who have won just one of their opening five games.
🇺🇸 Where is No. 9?: United States national team winger Timothy Weah started as a No. 9 for Juventus over the weekend, potentially changing Mauricio Pochettino’s calculations as he looks to assemble his first international squad.
🔵🔴 Ter Stegen injured: Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is expected to be out for several months with a knee injury, which could derail a strong start to the season under new manager Hansi Flick.
🌴 Miami Thai NYCFC: Lionel Messi played 90 minutes but was barely a presence in Inter Miami’s 1-1 draw with New York City FC on Saturday, but “Messimania” was in full swing at Yankee Stadium and the star barely showed his magic.
😲 Bitten incident: The FA has launched an investigation into allegations that Preston North End’s Milutin Osmahic bit Blackburn Rovers’ Owen Beck during their match at the weekend.
💰 Backline
💵 Best Bet
- EFL Cup: Manchester City v Watford, Tuesday 2.45pm
💰 Pick: Manchester City to win 3-0 (+500) – This is Manchester City’s third game in seven days, so Pep Guardiola is expected to rotate his side for the opening game of the competition. They remain the oddsmakers’ favourites regardless of the number of players, so expect a normal day at the office as the Premier League champions begin their quest for another piece of silverware. - La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Alaves, Tuesday at 3pm
💰 THE PICK: Vinicius Junior scores (+105) – Real Madrid may not have had a perfect start to the season, but they have won often thanks to their attack, which is in top form. The team has already scored 13 goals in six La Liga games this season and will be looking to add more on Tuesday, probably relying on some of their goalscorers. That list includes Vinicius Junior, who has already scored three goals and looks set to play a big part in the team this season.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss CBSSports.com’s betting homepage.
📺 What’s happening on CBS Sports Golazo Network?
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10am): Hosts Susanna Collins, Charlie Davis, Nico Kanter and Alexis Guerreros help fans start their day with highlights, interviews and the biggest football storylines on the network’s flagship morning show. Morning Footy is also available as a podcast, so you’ll never miss an episode.
3️⃣ Third attack (Monday, Thursday): The leading podcast and social brand for women’s soccer 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 analyzing the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic seasons throughout the year. And don’t miss our Wednesday live stream on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.
⚽ Call me whatever you want (Monday Nights): A weekly podcast featuring Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and friends covering all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can also watch the show live on YouTube every Monday at 11 a.m. ET.
🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the up-to-date site where fans can catch up on all the biggest news and results affecting global football, match highlights from the top football competitions and all the unmissable goals from the day’s action, airing seven days a week from Thursday.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel dedicated to providing unparalleled coverage of the best soccer matches in the world. Stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV, and Paramount+.
