Der Klassiker, Bayern vs Barcelona headline top live games to watch on Dec. 3-9, 2021

Top games to watch this week

Friday, December 3

Portimonense vs Porto (Primeira Liga)

Benfica vs Sporting CP (Primeira Liga)

Union Berlin vs RB Leipzig (Bundesliga)

Saturday, December 4

West Ham vs Chelsea (English Premier League)

Wolves vs Liverpool (English Premier League)

Watford vs Man City (English Premier League)

Sevilla vs Villarreal (La Liga)

Barcelona vs Real Betis (La Liga)

Atlético Madrid vs Mallorca (La Liga)

Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid (La Liga)

Milan vs Salernitana (Serie A)

Roma vs Inter (Serie A)

Napoli vs Atalanta (Serie A)

Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)

Lens vs PSG (Ligue 1)

Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake (MLS Western Conference Final)

León vs Tigres UANL (Liga MX semifinals 2nd leg)

Sunday, December 5

Manchester United vs Crystal Palace (English Premier League)

Tottenham vs Norwich (English Premier League)

Aston Villa vs Leicester (English Premier League)

Arsenal vs Chelsea (FA Women's Cup Final)

Sampdoria vs Lazio (Serie A)

Juventus vs Genoa (Serie A)

Sporting Braga vs Estoril (Primeira Liga)

Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC (MLS Eastern Conference Final)

River Plate vs Defensa y Justicia (Argentine Primera Division)

Atlas vs Pumas UNAM (Liga MX semifinals 2nd leg)

Monday, December 6

Everton vs Arsenal (English Premier League)

Getafe vs Athletic Club (La Liga)

Cagliari vs Torino (Serie A)

Flamengo vs Santos (Brasileirão)

Guadalajara vs América (Liga MX Femenil)

Tuesday, December 7

PSG vs Club Brugge (UEFA Champions League)

RB Leipzig vs Man City (UEFA Champions League)

Milan vs Liverpool (UEFA Champions League)

Ajax vs Sporting CP (UEFA Champions League)

Porto vs Atlético Madrid (UEFA Champions League)

Shakhtar vs Sheriff (UEFA Champions League)

Real Madrid vs Inter (UEFA Champions League)

Borussia Dortmund vs Besiktas (UEFA Champions League)

Wednesday, December 8

Zenit vs Chelsea (UEFA Champions League)

Juventus vs Malmö (UEFA Champions League)

Wolfsburg vs Lille (UEFA Champions League)

Salzburg vs Sevilla (UEFA Champions League)

Atalanta vs Villarreal (UEFA Champions League)

Benfica vs Dynamo Kyiv (UEFA Champions League)

Bayern Munich vs Barcelona (UEFA Champions League)

Manchester United vs Young Boys (UEFA Champions League)

Chelsea vs Juventus (UEFA Women's Champions League)

Thursday, December 9

Real Sociedad vs PSV (UEFA Europa League)

Napoli vs Leicester City (UEFA Europa League)

Olympique Lyon vs Rangers (UEFA Europa League)

Fenerbahce vs Eintracht Frankfurt (UEFA Europa League)

Celtic vs Real Betis (UEFA Europa League)

Lazio vs Galatasaray (UEFA Europa League)

West Ham vs Dinamo Zagreb (UEFA Europa League)

Marseille vs Lokomotiv Moskva (UEFA Europa League)

CSKA Sofia vs Roma (UEFA Europa Conference League)

Tottenham vs Rennes (UEFA Europa Conference League)

Arsenal vs Barcelona (UEFA Women's Champions League)

Most-watched soccer games on U.S. TV: Nov. 23-29, 2021

Soccer fans around the USA enjoyed Thanksgiving Day with a side of MLS Cup Playoffs in the form of a Western Conference quarterfinal clash between the Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers.

An average of 1,850,000 viewers watched Portland's Larrys Mabiala's 90th-minute winner, which finally took down the walls of Colorado's well-defended Dick's Sporting Good Park. The Major League Soccer broadcast earned a 0.98 viewership rating, meaning nearly one percent of the households around the nation watched the game during Thanksgiving.

The second and third most-viewed soccer games on U.S. television last week are a couple of TUDN USA broadcasts. The Spanish Language channel ruled the week, showing 11 games from three different competitions – Liga MX, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League. However, it was the Liga MX quarterfinals that got fans tuning in the most.

Tigres UANL's 1-0 win against Santos Laguna on Sunday, Nov. 28, was the second most-watched game of the week. The return leg saw Carlos Salcedo score the lone strike late in the game to help Tigres advance to the semifinals on away goals. The match notched a 0.29 viewership rating after recording 739,000 average viewers. Tigres will face Leon on Thursday, Dec. 2, in the first semifinal leg.

Leon turned around a 2-1 away loss at Puebla with a 2-0 win at home in the return leg on Sunday, Nov. 28, advancing to the semifinals with an aggregate score of 3-2. An average of 719,000 viewers tuned in to watch Leon complete their comeback in their home stadium of Estadio Leon. Winger Angel Mena scored the two goals to take his club to the semis.

What are this week's must-watch games?

West Ham vs Chelsea this Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET live on NBC Sports, NBCSN, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo, Universo, Sling TV, fuboTV, and SiriusXM FC

Chelsea continue their push for the Premier League title this weekend, but will be involved in a tricky away game. The English top-flight leaders are set to visit West Ham this Saturday after their nervy and narrow victory over relegation-battling Watford over the midweek. Man City are only a point behind Tuchel's men, hence the importance of winning, as the Blues look to maintain their hold on the no.1 spot. Meanwhile, the Hammers enter this round in the no.4 slot as Arsenal's 3-2 loss at Old Trafford on Thursday meant they remained in the final UEFA Champions League spot for another round. However, the Gunners, Tottenham, and Man United are slowly creeping up on them.

Elsewhere, Liverpool are gearing up for a trip to Wolves, having beaten Everton 4-1 in the recent Merseyside Derby. Man United will host Crystal Palace in what will be Ralf Rangnick's first game in charge of the Red Devils while Arsenal visit a struggling—but capable—Everton side on Monday.

Der Klassiker is here! Dortmund and Bayern Munich face off this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET live exclusively on ESPN+

Der Klassiker makes its return this Saturday. Dortmund and Bayern Munich, the two top teams in the Bundesliga, gear up for battle at the Signal Iduna Park this weekend. A single point separates these two sides, with Nagelsmann's team currently topping the table. This means a win for Marco Rose's crew would see them leapfrog the Bavarians in the standings. Haaland and Lewandowski will go head-to-head one more time, with this game coming straight after the Polish striker's recent Ballon d'Or heartbreak. Who will win this tie? Fans in the USA can tune in to ESPN+ for exclusive live coverage of Der Klassiker.

Super Saturday concludes with Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid at 3 p.m. ET live exclusively on ESPN+

The upcoming round in La Liga brings several exciting fixtures, the standout tie being Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid. Los Blancos enter their third straight tricky league showdown, having already beaten Sevilla and Athletic Club in their last two outings. Benzema, who also missed out on this year's Ballon d'Or, has been in excellent form and will look to guide the Merengues to victory. However, La Real are winless in their last two games and will thus aim to bounce back this weekend. Do not miss this fixture.

Elsewhere, Barcelona will take on Real Betis as Xavi goes in search of a third straight win in La Liga. Sevilla will also be involved in a tough test as Lopetegui's men gear up for a showdown with Unai Emery's Villarreal.

Here are the top fixtures this week from some of Europe's other top five leagues

UEFA Champions League group stage wraps up this midweek as Barcelona take on Bayern Munich in this round's standout game

The sixth and final matchday of the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League group stage will take place this midweek. Barcelona, who are fighting for their lives to qualify for the knockout stage, head to the Allianz Arena in a do-or-die fixture. The Blaugrana currently sit in second, but with Benfica taking on bottom-of-the-table Dynamo Kyiv, Depay and Co. know they must beat Bayern Munich in order to avoid crashing out early. However, beating Lewandowski and Co. at their iconic home ground is easier said than done.

Elsewhere, third-placed Atletico Madrid visit second-placed Porto knowing that a win at the Estádio do Dragão is necessary if Simeone's men wish to make the round of 16. Chelsea and Juventus, who are first and second in Group H respectively, take on Zenit and Malmo—respectively—knowing that whoever slips up will likely finish as runners-up. 

 

Club football is back after the international break. Here are the headlines for the upcoming week of women's football, including how to watch European league games, Liga MX Femenil playoffs and all the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage fixtures.

Nine European league matches exclusively live on ATA Football

Four of the top five leagues in Europe will get back on rhythm with games this weekend on ATA Football.

The FA Women's Super League will be back on Saturday, Dec. 11. As for D1 Arkema, Primera Iberdrola, Frauen Bundesliga and Serie A, the following are their top matches this weekend.

D1 Arkema

Friday, Dec. 3

• Montpellier vs. Paris FC at 12:39 p.m. ET

Sunday, Dec. 5

• Olympique Lyonnais vs. FC Fleury at 8:45 a.m. ET

Primera Iberdrola

Saturday, Dec. 4

• Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao at 6 a.m. ET

Sunday, Dec. 5

• Madrid CFF vs. Real Sociedad at 7 a.m. ET

Frauen Bundesliga

Saturday, Dec. 4

• Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen at 7 a.m. ET

Sunday, Dec. 5

• Wolfsburg vs. Carl Zeiss Jena at 7 a.m. ET

Serie A

Saturday, Dec. 4

• Sassuolo vs. Juventus at 8:30 a.m. ET

Sunday, Dec. 5

• Sampdoria vs. AS Roma at 6:30 a.m. ET

• AC Milan vs. Inter Milan at 8:30 a.m. ET

How to watch Liga MX Femenil Liguilla quarterfinal matches

Four of the eight Liga MX Femenil quarterfinal home and away games will show on television or stream live in the USA. Visit our Liga MX Femenil competition page to find out how you can watch these games in Mexico and the USA. 

Friday, Dec. 3

Cruz Azul vs. Tigres UANL at 1:45 p.m. ET

• Mexico: TUDN, TUDN En Vivo, Blim TV

• United States: TUDN USA, TUDN.com, TUDN App

Club America vs. Chivas Guadalajara at 9 p.m. ET

• Mexico: TUDN, TUDN En Vivo, Blim TV

• United States: TUDN USA, TUDN.com, TUDN App

Tijuana vs. Monterrey at 10:30 p.m. ET

• Mexico: Fanatiz Mexico, Fox Sports App, Fox Sports 2 Cono Norte

• USA: FOX Sports App, Foxsports.com, FOX Deportes

Monday, Dec. 6

Chivas Guadalajara vs. Club America at 6 p.m. ET

• Mexico: Fanatiz Mexico, Fox Sports App, Fox Sports Cono Norte

• USA: UNIVERSO

UEFA Women's Champions League Group Stages Matchday 5

UWCL returns with Group Stage Matchday 5 on Wednesday, Dec. 8, through Thursday, Dec. 9, after an eventful international break. The games will stream live on DAZN and their YouTube channel dedicated to the competition, "DAZN UEFA Women's Champions League."

The most anticipated matches of the week are Group A challengers Chelsea taking on Juventus on Wednesday, Dec. 8, and Arsenal against Barcelona on Thursday, Dec. 9. 

Chelsea defeated Juventus in the second round of the group stage in October. The Blues' 2-1 win in Turin helped them secure a spot in the quarterfinals. Chelsea and Juve will collide one last time on Wednesday as a part of Group A.

La Vecchia Signora seem to be in the middle of it all, with their upcoming away game against Chelsea and Wolfsburg on the chase. The Blues lead the group with 10 points, Juventus are second with seven, and Wolfsburg third with five points. A draw against Chelsea could be enough for the Italian side to pretty much seal their ticket to the next round.

On the other hand, European reigning champions Barcelona will travel to Meadow Park in London to face current FA Women's Super League leaders Arsenal.

The two sides are loaded with some of Europe's most talented footballers. Barcelona have the 2021 Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas leading the likes of Jennifer Hermoso, Lieke Martens, Irene Paredes and Sandra Panos, all of whom ended in the top 20 list. As for Arsenal, the Netherlands' Vivianne Miedema ranked fourth in the list behind Putellas and Hermoso and was the only player from the club to appear on the list.

Wednesday, Dec. 8

• Zhytlobud-1 vs. PSG at 12:45 p.m. ET

• Servette FCCF VS. Wolfsburg at 12:45 p.m. ET

• Breidablik vs. Real Madrid at 3 p.m. ET

• Chelsea vs. Juventus at 3 p.m. ET

Thursday, Dec. 9 

• HB Koge vs. Hoffenheim at 12:45 p.m. ET

• Hacken vs. FC Bayern at 12:45 p.m. ET

• Arsenal vs. Barcelona at 2 p.m. ET

• Benfica vs. Lyon at 3 p.m. ET

Biggest stories of the week

Fiorentina's Vlahovic joins very elite group following 3-1 win over Sampdoria

Dusan Vlahovic, who's reportedly on the radar of several big sides both in Italy and abroad, was on target once again as Fiorentina came from behind to secure a 3-1 win over Sampdoria. That takes him to 12 league goals so far this term, making the 21-year-old Serbian striker an early contender for the coveted Capocannoniere prize.

But that's not all: his goal on Tuesday was his 29th since the start of 2021. And that puts him in some pretty elite company, as to date, there are only four foreign players to have scored 29 or more goals in Serie A in nearly 70 years.

The other three? None other than Cristiano Ronaldo (33 in 2020), Gonzalo Higuain (30 in 2016), and Hernan Crespo (30 in 2001).

Fiorentina have four more Serie A matches between now and the end of the year, so there will be certainly more opportunities for Vlahovic to add to his rapidly growing tally - and potentially beat the record of 33 established by Ronaldo last year.

Ballon d'Or 2021: Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas clinch top honors

Following the hiatus in 2020, the Ballon d'Or - one of football's most prestigious awards ceremony - returned to honor the top performers of the 2021 calendar year. In the end, Lionel Messi won a record-extending seventh title ahead of last year's favorite Robert Lewandowski as Alexia Putellas also clinched the gong in the women's category. The former beat off competition from Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea's Jorginho while the latter emerged the victor in the women's category after earning more points than her teammate Jennifer Hermoso and Chelsea's Sam Kerr.

Messi wins this year's Ballon d'Or prize ahead of Lewandowski, Jorginho, and Benzema

Cristiano leaves eye-catching response on IG post claiming Messi "stole" this year's Ballon d'Or

Cristiano Ronaldo has just added fuel to the fire in regards with the recent controversy surrounding Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or win. The Argentine icon was named the recipient of the 2021 edition of France Football's coveted prize, but it appears his long-time Portuguese rival agrees with the claim that La Pulga was undeserving of the award.

This latest storm comes after the Man United superstar left a comment on a post made on Instagram claiming that Leo did not merit his win. The post, made by a Cristiano Ronaldo fan page, argued that the two deserving candidates for the 2021 honor were the five-time winner and Robert Lewandowski,.

And some harsh words were used to describe Messi's achievement, with his triumph being blasted as being 'Theft. Dirt. Shame. Simply regrettable". Cristiano; who came in sixth in the voting behind Leo, Lewandowski, Jorginho, Benzema, and Kante; replied to that post, writing "facts", hinting at an agreeance with the fan page's argument.

"43 goals in the year, 6 goals in 5 games in this Champions League, all decisive and a guy who, regardless of age, continues to work miracles and is the guy who most impresses the world most often. They still put the guy in 6th… Do you really think that 5 guys did more than him in the year? Never," the post read.

"For Cristiano to win this prize he has to be 300% unquestionable. It's no use scoring the most beautiful bike of the year, being champion of everything by club, top scorer of everything and scoring a hat-trick in the World Cup, they still provide a way to take his prize.

"With Messi, it's the other way around. He can do a low-key season, way below, they'll always find a way to favour him and give him the prize."

Nonetheless, there are many who believe Messi's win was undeserved, with Real Madrid ace Toni Kroos launching the most scathing criticism. The German international stated on his podcast that Benzema, Lewandowski, Jorginho, and Cristiano have all enjoyed a better year than La Pulga. Similarly, Iker Casillas and Jurgen Klopp aired their disagreement with Monday's decision.

Cristiano's IG comment made headlines across the world!

Watford-Chelsea clash interrupted due to medical emergency in crowd

The Premier League match between Watford and Chelsea at Vicarage Road was held momentarily after just 13 minutes of play due to a cardiac arrest incident in the crowd. The referee David Coote paused the game after his attention was brought to the emergency in the crowd by Chelsea full-back Marcos Alonso and matchday stewards.

It emerged that a fan had suffered cardiac arrest in one of the upper tier in the stands at the Vicarage Road, and was in need of medical assistance. He was immediately attended to while the players on both sides were made to move into their respective dressing rooms momentarily. Following a little delay, the fan was carried on a stretcher to an ambulance and transported to the hospital. Watford's official Twitter account subsequently released a statement that the supporter had been stabilized.

"The players have returned to the field in preparation of play resuming," the statement read. "Our thoughts are with the fan – who had a cardiac arrest but has now been stabilized – and all those affected. Thank you to the medical staff, players and fans for their quick response."

Deyverson breaks Flamengo hearts with 95th-minute goal, Palmeiras makes history with successive Copa Libertadores title win

The all-Brazilian Copa Libertadores final was climaxed in a spectacular fashion as Palmeiras emerged as the runaway winners in Saturday's clash. The Verdao fought right till the end to secure a 2-1 win over rivals Flamengo after extra-time, winning the competition for the second-time in succession and becoming the first club to do so in 20 years.

It was an action-packed finale right from start to finish with Palmeiras taking the lead in Montevideo after just five minutes, thanks to Raphael Veiga. On the contrary, Flamengo's equalizing goal came in the 72nd minute, courtesy of Gabriel Barbosa. The 25 years old forward, who netted both goals for Jorge Jesus' Flamengo side in the 2019 final win over River Plate, was the man that Giorgian de Arrascaeta set up to put the ball past Weverton from close range. With the two sides locked in stalemate after 90 minutes, the game was forced into extra-time and it did not take long for it to be turned on its head.

Just as it was the case in the opening five minutes, Palmeiras got the chance to edge their Brazilian counterparts inside the first five minutes of the extra-time. Flamengo's Andreas Pereira, who is on loan at the club from Manchester United, slipped and gave the ball away. Substitute Deyverson then collected it and calmly beat Alves to score the goal that eventually decided the clash.

With the result, Palmeiras' Portuguese coach, Abel Ferreira, became the first European to win the Libertadores twice. Back in January, he led the Whites and Green to beat Santos in the same competition. It's also the first time a team has successfully defended the Libertadores championship since Boca Juniors in 2001, with Palmeiras becoming the seventh Brazilian club to win it since 2010. Palmeiras' Libertadores title win also qualifies them for this year's Club World Cup. They will feature alongside Chelsea, Al Hilal, Al Ahly, Monterrey, Auckland City and Al Jazira Club. The draw for the competition is scheduled for Monday, December 29. 

Other key headlines from the world of football

Man Utd draw up four transfer targets ahead of Rangnick's debut, including a few former players

Ralf Rangnick is yet to make his Manchester United debut, but the newly-appointed interim boss has reportedly already drawn up a four-man wish list of players he plans on pursuing next summer. The latest rumors claim that the iconic German tactician is keen on two forwards in particular, the first being Erling Haaland. The former RB Leipzig and Salzburg man will look to use his excellent relationship with Haaland's father in a bid to win the race for the striker's signature. 

However, that's not all. Bild go on further, writing that the 63-year-old is also keen on reuniting with Chelsea star Timo Werner, who he worked with during his time at the Red Bull Arena. Man United could also raid Ralf's former club RB Leipzig, with the Manchester giants also being linked with a move for two Die Roten Bullen aces.

The first is Amadou Haidara, who is a midfielder that would offer the Red Devils the defensive security that is lacking from the likes of Fred and Pogba. The other needs no introduction as he is none other than Christopher Nkunku, the in-form French winger who has scored 13 goals in 19 appearances so far across all competitions.

PSG superstar Neymar suffers horrible injury in Saint-Etienne win

Neymar was forced off before full-time after suffering an injury in Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 match-up with Saint-Etienne. The 29 years old Brazilian was stretchered off in the closing moments after being on the receiving end of a poor challenge by the hosts' Yvann Macon, twisting his ankle in a messy challenge.

As the PSG medical personnel ran on to help the forward leave the pitch, Neymar's teammates were left concerned, stoking fears about his fitness for the rest of the season. The former Barcelona superstar was strapped in a stretcher and had Eric Ebimbe replacing him for the final minutes.  

The Ligue 1 giants later confirmed that the Selecao senation suffered a "sprained left ankle with ligament damage" and will thus be out of action for six to eight weeks.

Cristiano Ronaldo scores 800th career goal in Man United's 3-2 win over Arsenal

Thursday was an eventful evening at Old Trafford, but there will be no bigger headline than the one involving Cristiano Ronaldo, who led Michael Carrick's side to a come-from-behind win against Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

The Portuguese star bagged a brace against the North London side to reach 800 and 801 goals in his professional career, which cannot be considered a small feat. The striker has scored 129 goals during his two eras at Manchester United, adding to his 450 with Real Madrid, his 101 goals for Juventus, and 115 with Portugal.