Champions League round of 16 continues; USWNT prepare for W Gold Cup opener vs. Dominican Republic

Happy Monday! Between another slate of Champions League ties, Premier League matches and the start of the Concacaf W Gold Cup, we’re in for a busy week. I’m Pardeep Cattry with an update to start your week.

Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Monday, Feb. 19
EPL: Everton vs. Crystal Palace, 3 p.m. USA

Tuesday, Feb. 20
EPL: Manchester City vs. Brentford, 2:30 p.m. USA 
UCL: Inter vs. Atletico Madrid, 3 p.m. CBS, Paramount+
UCL: PSV vs. Dortmund, 3 p.m. Paramount+
W Gold Cup: Mexico vs. Argentina, 7:30 p.m.  Paramount+
W Gold Cup: USWNT vs. Dominican Republic, 10:15 p.m.  Paramount+

The Forward Line

Goalscorers on display in the Champions League

After a first batch of round of 16 ties that mostly favored Europe’s top teams last week, the Champions League returns tomorrow with potentially some more competitive matchups — and ones that are poised to showcase some of the most in-form strikers in Europe.

Headlining the day’s action is Inter’s faceoff with Atletico Madrid, two teams coming off of lopsided wins and who boast plenty of attacking firepower but are in contrasting form. Inter are on an eight-match winning streak thanks in large part to Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram’s standout seasons, while Atleti have won just two in their last five but have not necessarily slowed down in the goalscoring department. Marcos Llorente and Memphis Depay have found the scoresheet as of late while Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann have scored nearly 20 goals each this season.

Considering both teams’ recent form, the pressure is on Inter to come out of the home leg with an advantage. In a tie that will feature several high-scoring players, though, the onus might be on Inter’s offense to show up in case the defense cannot keep out Atleti’s talent. Here’s Darian Jenkins’ take on why that approach could work for Inter.

• Jenkins: “I think that they just have a tenacity that is undeniable and that gets them a lot of success in their games. You have players like Martinez, who is just a force to be reckoned with and puts away goals and makes something out of nothing. That’s what makes him such a special player.”

The other fixture of the day will see the Eredivisie’s top goalscorer, PSV’s Luuk de Jong, take on Dortmund, who will be led by Niclas Fullkrug after he scored six goals in the team’s last five games. Let the games — and goalscoring — begin.

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  Midfield Link Play

USWNT kick off Gold Cup play

Later on Tuesday, the U.S. women’s national team return to action for the inaugural edition of the Concacaf W Gold Cup, which will serve as a tune-up for July’s Olympic Games. Interim head coach Twila Kilgore will be working with a mix of established young players like Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma and those who are on the bubble, such as Jaedyn Shaw and Tierna Davidson, and she has the chance to test a wide selection of players with tickets to Paris on the line.

There was one change made to the youth-inspired roster late last week when center back Alana Cook pulled out with a minor knee injury, providing an opening for veteran Becky Sauerbrunn. The 38-year-old has been eager to return to the national team since recovering from a foot injury that kept her out of the Women’s World Cup but was excluded from several camps, adding another layer of competition as the battle for Olympics roster spots heats up.

The chance to experiment with personnel will not be the only opportunity the Gold Cup provides, though. Kilgore and company will have the chance to tinker with styles of play in the hopes that the USWNT will appear tactically refreshed come July, especially when compared to last year’s World Cup. Here’s Lisa Carlin on the tasks the USWNT has in front of them.

• Carlin: “The U.S. needs to get back on track of things. That means trying out different styles of football, new formations, having a lot more creativity and freedom in their attacking third so that they can score and really flex all the muscles and the strengths that this team has because there’s a lot of depth, there’s a lot of talent and we haven’t been able to see the full extent of that.”

The Gold Cup might be a perfect time to experiment, but that does not mean expectations have been lowered. A squad that feels like a vision of the USWNT’s future will also be asked to win now and for fringe players hoping to take advantage of the opportunity in front of them, taking home a winners’ medal will only bolster their individual cases, too.

  Top Stories

Tuchel stays for now: Bayern will stay the course with manager Thomas Tuchel despite yesterday’s 3-2 loss to Bochum, which now has them on a three-match losing streak.

MLS match officials on strike: MLS is set to kick off its season with replacement match officials after the Professional Soccer Referees Association voted overwhelmingly to reject the latest CBA offer.

Horan apologizes: USWNT captain Lindsey Horan apologized for comments saying “American soccer fans aren’t that smart” and described her words as “poorly expressed.”

Mbappe’s long goodbye: PSG beat Nantes 2-0 in a match considered to be the beginning of Kylian Mbappe’s farewell tour after he reportedly told the club last week that he would leave.

Premier League title race: Manchester City dropped points against Chelsea, allowing Liverpool to build a cushion atop the Premier League after their win over Brentford that also marked the return of Mohamed Salah.

United’s expensive squad: Manchester United have assembled the most expensive squad in the sport’s history, worth over $1.5 billion in transfer fees and surpassing Real Madrid’s record from 2020.

Roy Hogdson steps down: The 76-year-old manager has stepped down as the boss of Crystal Palace just days after being hospitalized. The club faces Everton later today.

Messi mania: Lionel Messi’s impact on soccer, MLS and the United States has brought a new era of celebrity stardom.

Inter Miami to struggle? Our Chuck Booth predicts the MLS standings for this upcoming season with Inter Miami nowhere near the top of the Eastern Conference.

Inter Italy’s only shot: Our Francesco Porzio looks at the three Italian teams left in the Champions League and whether Lazio or Napoli can truly contend like Inter.

  The Back Line

Best bets

• UEFA Champions League: Inter vs. Atletico Madrid, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
  THE PICK: Antoine Griezmann to score (+360) — He may be lower on the pecking order for likely goalscorers in this matchup, but with five goals in the group stage and 18 goals in all competitions this season, it’s worth sprinkling a little on Griezmann in this spot.
• UEFA Champions League: PSV vs. Borussia Dortmund, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
  THE PICK: Match to end 1-1 (+600) — These teams have in-form goalscorers, but they have conservative goalscoring records in Champions League play so expect them to get only a limited number of goals on the board tomorrow and stay even going into the second leg.

What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network

 Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started 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.

 Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the top matchups of the day. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+. 

3⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. Just because the NWSL season is over doesn’t mean that our coverage of the women’s game is going anywhere. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT. NWSL offseason and European domestic season all winter long.

 Kickin’ It (Tuesday nights): CBS Sports Golazo Network’s new unfiltered interview show is back. Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch. 

Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Jesse Marsch and Charlie Davies cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.

 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+.