Happy Friday! The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals came to a dramatic close on Wednesday and even though the competition has paused for now, there's much to follow as the trophy hunt enters the final weeks in Europe. I'm Pardeep Cattry with a weekend update.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Friday, April 18
🏴 Championship: Oxford vs. Leeds, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇺🇸 NWSL: Seattle Reign vs. Portland Thorns, 10 p.m. ➡️ Amazon Prime Video
Saturday, April 19
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Heidenheim vs. Bayern, 9:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴 EPL: Everton vs. Manchester City, 10 a.m. ➡️ USA Network
🇪🇸 La Liga: Barcelona vs. Celta Vigo, 10:15 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Racing Louisville vs. San Diego Wave, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 MLS: Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami, 4:30 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass
Sunday, April 20
🏴 EPL: Fulham vs. Chelsea, 9 a.m. ➡️ USA Network
🇪🇺 UWCL: Barcelona vs. Chelsea, 12 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
🇮🇹 Serie A: Bologna vs. Inter, 12 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Athletic Club, 3 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
⚽ The Forward Line
🇪🇺 And then there were four
The UEFA Champions League semifinals are officially set, with Arsenal knocking out reigning champions Real Madrid with a commanding 5-1 win on aggregate and Inter joining the final four with a 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich.
The Gunners' triumphant showing got off to an unpleasant start after Thibaut Courtois saved Bukayo Saka's penalty while a five minute VAR check later in the first half meant Real Madrid had a penalty rescinded, but Arsenal successfully ran down the clock before a late flurry of goals livened up the match. Saka made up for his missed penalty with the game's opening goal in the 66th minute and though Vinicius Junior scored a minute later for Los Blancos, it was too little, too late for a team that needed three more goals to level the aggregate score. Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage time goal sealed the deal for the Gunners, who are now in the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009. James Benge writes that the win was validation for manager Mikel Arteta's vision for Arsenal, which focuses more on the collective than Real Madrid's individualistic star-studded approach.
- Benge: "This was a triumph of system over individual power. For five years, Mikel Arteta has been building a side who don't just defend as a unit but relish doing so. The talk of the remontada never seemed to get to them. There was a plan to beat Madrid and they applied it. Arsenal were at ease dropping into their 4-4-2 block and giving up the flanks, backing the outstanding Jurrien Timber and [Myles] Lewis-Skelly in their one one-on-one draws. When Madrid turned the ball over, as they did often, Gabriel Martinelli was ready to spring out."
Inter's tie with Bayern, meanwhile, was tight until the finish but the Italian side booked their second semifinal berth in three years, offering a reminder of their credentials to go all the way. Like Arsenal's win was for Arteta, Francesco Porzio writes that Inter's continued European success under Simone Inzaghi offers another reminder that he has steered the team well since joining in 2021.
- Porzio: "Despite some financial issues of the former Chinese ownership that forced Inter to sell players like Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, Inter immediately showed a different character in Europe. … Inzaghi, at Inter, has won one Serie A title, two Coppa Italia and three Supercoppa Italiana in three years so far, but it's clear that winning the Champions League would definitely be the ultimate milestone."
Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinals, while Inter will take on Barcelona. The semifinals are also set in Europe's other club competitions – Tottenham Hotspur will take on Bodo/Glimt and Athletic Club will face Manchester United in the Europa League, while Chelsea's clash with Djurgarden and Real Betis' faceoff with Fiorentina make up the Conference League semifinals.
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
🏆 Title chase continues across Europe
There may still be a few weeks left in the season across Europe but some title races are inching closer and closer to the finish line this weekend, especially with Champions League semifinalists Barcelona, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain still on treble watch.
PSG already became the first team in the continent's top five leagues to claim their domestic title earlier this month, but Liverpool could join the club as soon as Sunday. The Reds currently have a 13 point lead over second place Arsenal with six games to go, the sign of a title race that now feels like a formality than anything else. In theory, Liverpool could clinch this weekend, though it is unlikely – the Gunners would have to lose to relegation contenders Ipswich Town to ensure that the Reds would win the title with a victory over bottom-dwellers Leicester City.
Meanwhile in Spain and Germany, Barcelona and Bayern Munich can bolster their already strong chances of lifting domestic silverware. The former have a four point lead over Real Madrid and are favored to maintain that lead when they face Celta Vigo on Saturday, while Bayern – who have a six point lead over Bayer Leverkusen – are likely to take all three points in their weekend clash with relegation-threatened Heidenheim. Neither league leader in Spain or Germany will win the title outright this season, but the pair appear to be in cruise control and will need to showcase just that this weekend to keep any challengers at bay.
Italy, though, still boasts Europe's most competitive title race with six games to go. Inter have a slim three point lead over Napoli as things stand and this weekend could be a pivotal one. Napoli are expected to collect all three points with relative ease against last place Monza, but Inter will have to work for all three points against fifth place Bologna, who have impressed under manager Vincenzo Italiano. This game is also sandwiched in between their 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday and the upcoming second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals against AC Milan, with the aggregate score currently sitting at 1-1. It leaves Inter manager Simone Inzaghi with some big decisions to make in terms of team selection, especially as his side continues to target the treble.
🔗 Top Stories
🇬🇦 RIP Aaron Boupendza: Former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza died aged 28 after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China, where he was playing for Zhejiang FC.
🇪🇺 UCL rewind: With the quarterfinals wrapped up, here's a new batch of power rankings for the last four teams standing in the Champions League and a ranking of the potential finals.
🔮 Real Madrid's future: Carlo Ancelotti may be on his way out at Real Madrid, while their defeat to Arsenal only reinforced their need for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is reportedly on his way this summer.
💬 Beckham on Arsenal: David Beckham praised Arsenal after their Champions League win over Real Madrid – but will not be rooting for them as they take on his former club Paris Saint-Germain.
🔴 Van Dijk stays: Virgil van Dijk signed a new deal at Liverpool a few short days after Mohamed Salah did, ensuring the Reds would hang onto their veterans for a few more years.
🏴 Championship preview: Here's a glance at what's to come this weekend in the Championship, where several teams are in the hunt for promotion to the Premier League.
🏆 Open Cup draw: The U.S. Open Cup round of 32 is set, with Sacramento Republic's trip to the San Jose Earthquakes serving as the headlining act.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- Premier League: Everton vs. Manchester City, Saturday, 10 a.m.
💰 THE PICK: Everton and Manchester City to tie 1-1 (+600) – England may have earned an extra berth in next season's edition of the UEFA Champions League, but the race to book one of those top five spots could be competitive for the final weeks of the campaign. Manchester City may currently sit in fifth place but the ups and downs of their season mean they have not exactly booked their Champions League ticket just yet and without Erling Haaland around, a tough game at Goodison Park seems fairly likely. Expect City and Everton to share the points on Saturday in a result that could be pivotal in the race for the top five. - Premier League: Fulham vs. Chelsea, Sunday, 9 a.m.
💰 THE PICK: Fulham and Chelsea to tie 1-1 (+550) – A scenario in which City drop points offers a perfect opportunity for Chelsea to climb into the top five, since they enter the weekend just one point behind the reigning champions. The quirk of this particular Premier League season, though, is that several teams have been far from their best and the list includes Chelsea, who have won just five of their last 15 league games. Fulham have been competitive enough to give many teams a real challenge this season and could do so again on Sunday against the Blues, to expect the top five to stay unresolved this weekend.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.
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