Liverpool vs. Chelsea headlines the return of club soccer; NWSL playoff hunt has two spots left

Happy Friday! The men’s international break is officially behind us, setting up a weekend with high-stakes games on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. I’m Pardeep Cattry with a primer before the games begin.

Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Friday, Oct. 18
Championship: Leeds vs. Sheffield United, 3 p.m. CBS Sports Network, Paramount+

Saturday, Oct. 19
PL: Manchester United vs. Brentford, 10 a.m. Peacock
Serie A: Milan vs. Udinese, 12 p.m. Paramount+
NWSL: Kansas City Current vs. San Diego Wave, 1 p.m. CBS, Paramount+
La Liga: Celta de Vigo vs. Real Madrid, 3 p.m. ESPN+
MLS: New York Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew, 6 p.m. Apple TV+

Sunday, Oct. 20
PL: Liverpool vs. Chelsea, 11:30 a.m. USA Network
WSL: Chelsea vs. Tottenham, 1:45 p.m. ESPN+
Serie A: Roma vs. Inter, 2:45 p.m. Paramount+
La Liga: Barcelona vs. Sevilla, 3 p.m. ESPN2
NWSL: NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Orlando Pride, 5 p.m. ESPN

The Forward Line

Liverpool, Chelsea headline top four clash

Chelsea’s much anticipated trip to Liverpool on Sunday comes with layers of intrigue in the early weeks of the Premier League’s title and top four races, as well as acting as a progress report for both clubs’ new managers.

Liverpool’s Arne Slot is, so far, the success story of the Premier League season, almost seamlessly settling into life at Anfield and offering a strong first impression in England. The Reds are atop the league table after seven games and have two wins out of two in the UEFA Champions League, all in his own style, despite inheriting Jurgen Klopp’s squad. Slot’s Liverpool seem more refined than his predecessors, scoring enough while boasting the league’s most sturdy defense, conceding just two goals in seven games. Their impressive form makes their only loss of the season so far – a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest – seem like a footnote, but Sunday’s clash with Chelsea will likely be Slot’s first real test at Anfield.

That’s in large part because Chelsea have a success story of their own. Despite a surprise new managerial pick and another chaotic offseason Enzo Maresca’s team are sitting in fourth place after seven games, thanks in large part to an offense-first strategy. They rank second in the Premier League for goals (16) and expected goals (14.65), while Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson have played a big role with six and four goals in league play this season, respectively. This game will be an equally big test for Maresca, who kicked off his Chelsea tenure with a 2-0 loss to Manchester City that was actually full of positives but will be eager to prove himself as a rising managerial talent.

Star talent will be on full display on Sunday, and will likely have a big say in the match. Chelsea’s aforementioned duo of Palmer and Jackson lead a youth-focused team against the more experienced Liverpool squad assembled in the Klopp era, offering two different glimpses at what periods of transition look like.

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  Midfield Link Play

Six NWSL teams, two playoff berths

The race for the NWSL playoffs is in full swing with two weekends of regular season play left and though six postseason berths are accounted for, six other teams are still in the hunt for the last two spots.

Two teams – the Portland Thorns and Bay FC – have a cleaner path than the rest this weekend, with a win potentially good enough to see them both through with one game to spare. Things have rarely been simple for either side this season, though. Bay FC have dealt with the growing pains of being an expansion side, in their case being a bit susceptible defensively. They have conceded 39 goals, the second-worst of anyone in the league, a glaring issue considering they have underperformed on their expected goals tally significantly – they rank sixth in the NWSL with 34.36 expected goals but have scored just 27.

As for the Thorns, one of the NWSL’s most successful teams has succumbed to a porous defense. They remain one of the league’s best offenses, ranking fourth in the league with 37.02 expected goals but have a nearly identical expected goals against tally and goal difference of zero. Unlike Bay, who have to play the playoff-bound North Carolina Courage, the Thorns have a favorable matchup against Racing Louisville, who are still in the playoff hunt but are on the outside looking in.

The bottom of the table is where the intrigue lies for the remainder of the regular season, since the top four teams – Shield winners Orlando Pride, the Washington Spirit, reigning champions NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Kansas City Current – have created a gap between them and the rest. They remain the teams to beat for the Nov. 23 championship in Kansas City, though the final weeks of the season could reveal which lower-ranked sides might be able to give the top teams a run for their money.

  Top Stories

USMNT in review: Mauricio Pochettino’s first games as the USMNT head coach are in the books, but there’s room for improvement for the team as a whole after mixed results, while some players fared better than others. Plus, here’s a glance at the USMNT’s upcoming Concacaf Nations League fixtures against Jamaica.

USWNT roster: Emma Hayes mixed in some fresh faces with Olympic gold medalists ahead of friendlies against Argentina and Iceland.

Bonmati opts out: Aitana Bonmati will miss Spain’s friendlies to rest, highlighting the increasing concerns over fixture congestion in both women’s and men’s soccer.

MLS Decision Day: Ahead of the final round of MLS regular season games, here’s what you need to know with a few playoff berths on the line.

Carragher on Tuchel: Jamie Carragher stopped by Morning Footy about why he thinks an English manager should coach the England national team and his sympathy for English managers who want the job.

Coaching carousel: Do the hires of Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel signal a changing tide for elite managers as they switch from the club game to the international ranks?

Pogba speaks: As his doping ban nears its end, Paul Pogba said he’s “not a cheater” and talks about his hopes of playing again.

  The Back Line

Best bets

• Serie A: AC Milan vs. Udinese, Saturday, 12 p.m.
  THE PICK: Christian Pulisic to score (+130) – Christian Pulisic has become the most reliable goalscorer for club and country over the last year, so expect him to deliver the goods yet again on Saturday. The added bonus for AC Milan is that Pulisic flew back from the U.S. men’s national team camp a few days early, leaving him fresh for this weekend’s match.
• La Liga: Barcelona vs. Sevilla, Sunday, 3 p.m.

THE PICK: Barcelona to win 2-0 (+650) – Barcelona’s unbeaten record might be a thing of the past, but the team has been in strong form since manager Hansi Flick arrived and seems poised to continue in that direction. Injuries to the likes of Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo could make things more challenging, but they should have enough strong players available to hang onto their lead atop La Liga for another week.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.   

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.

3⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand 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 breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. And don’t miss Wednesday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.

Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and friends cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can also catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 11 a.m. ET.

 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+.