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The UEFA Champions League action may be over until after the October international break, but the big matches don’t stop just yet. Kylian Mbappe’s Real Madrid vs. Villarreal, UCL heroes Aston Villa vs. Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United are the headliners of the weekend. This is Jonathan Johnson to guide you through it.
📺 Foot correction
Always US/East
Friday October 4
🇮🇹 Serie A: Napoli vs. Como, 12:30 pm ➡️ Biggest+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏴ꠁԠԠԠԠԠ EFL Championship: Sunderland vs. Leeds United, 3pm ➡️ Biggest+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network
Saturday October 5
🏴ꠁԠԠԠԠԠ EFL Championship: Burnley vs. Preston North End, 7.30am ➡️ Biggest+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏴ꠁԠԠԠԠԠ EPL: Manchester City vs. Fulham, 10am ➡️ Peacock Premium
🏴ꠁԠԠԠԠԠ EFL League One: Wrexham vs. Northampton Town, 10am ➡️ Biggest+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇪🇸 La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Villarreal, 3pm ➡️ ESPN+
Sunday October 6
🇮🇹 Serie A: Juventus vs. Cagliari, 6:30 am ➡️ Biggest+
🏴ꠁԠԠԠԠԠ EPL: Aston Villa vs. Manchester United, 9am ➡️ USA Network
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bayern Munich, 11:30 am ➡️ ESPN+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Fiorentina vs. Milan, 12:30 pm ➡️ Biggest+
⚽ The forward line
🇪🇺 Aston Villa vs. Man United pairs mixed UEFA midweek
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Aston Villa against Manchester United in the Premier League this Sunday is a huge match for several reasons. The hosts came into action on the high of beating Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, while the visitors scraped out a draw at FC Porto and it feels like this could be it for Erik ten Hag – regardless of the result at Villa Park. The result in Birmingham does matter though, with six points separating these two before the match and a gap between Unai Emery’s strong work for the Villans and his Dutch counterpart’s destruction mission leaving the Red Devils languishing at the 13th place.
Had Villa managed to hold on to victory at Ipswich Town last weekend, they could have been level on points with EPL leaders Liverpool, but with 13 points out of a possible 18, Emery’s high-flyers still sit in fifth place. Jhon Duran was the hero in midweek as the Second City powerhouse turned back the years to beat Bayern more than four decades after their European Cup victory over the Bavarians in Rotterdam. That continental stage used to be United’s, but now they are assigned to play on Thursday evenings, which is unlikely to change unless drastic action is taken against Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
United usually have a good record against Villa, so normally this could be a rebound game for the Mancunians, but that doesn’t really feel true here, with the Dutchman’s time with the fallen giants of English football seemingly getting worse. is more at risk of defeat. end soon. Their time together felt like a time of decline rather than progress, and Villa are the perfect barometer of that decline, given where they were when Emery arrived and – fittingly – won his opening game at home to United, which was also the start. of Ten Hag’s nightmare.
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🔗 Link play in midfield
⏸️ Teams desperate for the international breakthrough
Few people are really looking forward to the international breakthrough, but October will likely be an exception, with the break coming at just the right time given how their respective seasons have gone so far. United have already been mentioned, but they are not the only top team struggling, as Real Madrid lost for the first time in 37 games. Of course there are levels, and Ancelotti putting his side within reach of the top spot in La Liga is hardly the same level of crisis as the dumpster fire currently threatening to engulf Old Trafford, even for the first time in the past few years. months.
It could be worse, even if it seems marginal, as Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City and Ipswich Town are all currently winless in the Premier League – that’s real desperation. If you basically open that up outside the EPL, there are fighters in every major European league who will be relieved that the internationals are almost here. Angers SCO in the French Ligue 1, Serie A duo Monza and Venezia, as well as VfL Bochum and Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga and Las Palmas in La Liga are all yet to taste victory.
United could finally part ways with Ten Hag during this break, while Mbappe will join France in a bid to recover from the injury that threatened to keep him out for several weeks. However, a win away at Villa for the Red Devils will see Emery’s men move within three points, while the right combination of results could see Real close the gap further on Barcelona, who currently leads the way in La Liga.
🔗 Top stories
⬆️ Champions League power rankings: Barcelona, Aston Villa and Juventus are all on the rise defending champion Real Madrid stumbled during matchday 2.
⭐ Champions League Team of the Week: Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa and Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen came up big in Matchday 2 plus a bonus player to give Unai Emery the win.
🚮 Man United’s latest Europa League farce: Why Erik ten Hag’s move is unlikely to solve the problems despite United extending their winless run to four games with their draw against Porto where they blew a two-goal lead.
👶 Chris Rigg and Sunderland’s youth movement: How The Black Cats’ young players bring back memories of the 1995 Manchester United years with the youngest team in the championship looking to prove that it is also the best in the second tier.
🛡️ Messi and Miami win Supporters’ Shield: The Argentina international scored twice while Inter claimed silverware with more to come with the MLS Cup Playoffs.
🇺🇸 Pochettino’s USMNT debut: The Argentinian tactician has American fans excited about the long haul, but This is why the short term should be exciting with the former Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea boss set to debut this month.
💰The Back Line
💵 Best bet
- Serie A: Fiorentina vs. Milan, Sunday, 2:45 PM ET
💰 THE CHOICE: Christian Pulisic first goal (+650) — Milan are back at the top of Serie A with three straight wins, despite two straight defeats in the UEFA Champions League. Paulo Fonseca’s men are in the reckoning and within two points of leaders Napoli after wins over Venezia, Inter and Lecce. Next up for US men’s national team star Christian Pulisic and his teammates is a trip against Fiorentina with Viola in the bottom half of the table after just one win so far. It feels like the Rossoneri will at least score in this match – if they don’t get all three points – so don’t be surprised if it’s Pulisic who takes Milan off the goal line and possibly into the points here.
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