Hello there! Cup action steals the spotlight this week, with heavyweights from Italy and England inching closer to coveted silverware. I’m Pardeep Cattry with a trophy-themed update to start the week.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Monday, Jan. 6
🇮🇹 Supercoppa Italiana: Inter vs. AC Milan, 2 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
🏴 EPL: Wolves vs. Nottingham Forest, 3 p.m. ➡️ USA Network
🏴 Championship: QPR vs. Luton, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
Tuesday, Jan. 7
🏴 EFL Cup: Arsenal vs. Newcastle, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ The Forward Line
🇮🇹 Derby della Madonnina, Supercoppa Italiana edition
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A trophy is on the line in the latest edition of the Derby della Madonnina, with Inter and AC Milan meeting in Saudi Arabia on Monday in the Supercoppa Italiana final that could be a defining moment for both teams this season.
The final serves as a showcase of contrasts, as Inter enter the game on the back of a five game winning streak while Milan are battling for consistency after making a managerial change shortly before the new year. While Inter are the favorites to take home a fourth successive Supercoppa, the team worth watching on Monday is arguably Milan as Sergio Conceicao gears up for his second game in charge of the team. As Francesco Porzio writes, he made a promising start with a 2-1 win over Juventus in Friday’s semifinal but has a chance to really make a statement in Monday’s final.
- Porzio: “The debut game of Conceicao was the 2-1 semifinal win against Juventus where AC Milan showed all their struggles of this first part of the season but also a reaction in the second half that led the team to the quick comeback also thanks to USMNT star Christian Pulisic, who scored the 1-1 with a perfect penalty in the game that saw his comeback after injury. Pulisic missed the whole month of December and his comeback is definitely some of the best news for the new AC Milan manager, who can count again on the best player of the Rossoneri in this first part of the 2024-25 campaign. A potential win in the derby and in the Supercoppa final can make things much easier for the former FC Porto head coach.”
Pulisic will take center stage as Milan target their first trophy since 2021, in large part because he has been one of the team’s most reliable performers in a season of ups and downs. He has nine goals and five assists so far this season, joint-top of the goalscoring charts with Tijjani Reijnders, his latest coming via a penalty in the semifinal. While Monday’s game offers a chance at course correction for Milan, the stakes are equally high for Pulisic individually as he aims for his first trophy since moving to Italy at the start of last season. The Supercoppa would not be his first club trophy, but his increasingly important role with Milan means he now has the opportunity to be one of the main figures of a trophy-winning team, a goal he set in preseason.
The American’s form gives Milan a fighting chance, especially since Inter’s main talisman has not been able to match last season’s success. Lautaro Martinez has just seven goals this campaign, a downward turn after scoring 27 times last season that could be attributed to injuries and the lasting fatigue from a busy summer with Argentina. While Inter wins more often than not these days, he has not played much of a role with just one goal in his last 11 games for the club. Whether or not Inter can notch another win without him is the big question heading into Monday’s clash, while Mehdi Taremi may have a chance to impress with injuries to Marcus Thuram and Joaquin Correa limiting their availability.
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
🏴 Arsenal, Newcastle kick off EFL Cup semifinals
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The two-legged EFL Cup semifinals begin on Tuesday at London’s Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal will host Newcastle United in a game between two talented sides in complicated form.
The Gunners are second in the Premier League and unbeaten in their last 13 games, a sign that Mikel Arteta’s side are still one of the continent’s most steady teams. They come into the new year a little thin, though – Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury will keep him out for a few months, while midfielder Ethan Nwaneri will miss a few weeks with a muscle injury. Arteta may have to be somewhat creative with his options up top, though he will have Kai Havertz back after the Germany international recovered from an illness.
How Arsenal’s attack functions without Saka, who missed all of the festive fixtures, remains a big focus as the Gunners target their first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup. Though Arteta’s side is not known for racking up shots, their 1-1 draw at Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday was not exactly encouraging – they put just three of their nine shots on target, mustering 0.88 expected goals along the way. The challenge could be considerably harder against Newcastle on Tuesday, since the visitors boast an impressive defensive record this season.
To some degree, Newcastle might also have momentum on their side – they have won their last six games, outsourcing the opposition 18 to two along the way. The quality of the opposition will be different on Tuesday than it has been throughout most of this run, and Saturday’s 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur was far from their best showing. Eddie Howe’s side capitalized upon two mistakes from a depleted Spurs team that was down to their fifth-choice center back and third-choice goalkeeper, and essentially ceded the second half to them as Ange Postecoglou’s side threatened for an equalizer that never came.
Though they came out on top over the weekend, Tuesday’s game against the Gunners will offer another true test of Newcastle’s mettle as they target a top four berth in the Premier League and the team’s first trophy since 1955.
🔗 Top Stories
🇺🇸 Robinson tops Pulisic: Antonee Robinson beat Christian Pulisic to win the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year award, becoming the first defender to win the prize since 2006.
🇪🇸 Madrid survive in Valencia: Real Madrid came from behind to beat Valencia 2-1 on Friday, pulling off the comeback after Vinicius Junior’s dramatic red card.
🔴 Liverpool, United draw: Manchester United held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw on Sunday, marking the first statement result under new manager Ruben Amorim.
👎 Spurs falter again: Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou was “shattered” after his side’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle United on Saturday, arguing his side “deserved to win.”
🔵🔴 Barcelona’s registration drama: Here’s an explainer on Barcelona’s struggle to register Dani Olmo, which is currently playing out in the courts as the club file a third appeal after two unsuccessful attempts.
❓ Man City’s fixes: With the January transfer window officially open, here’s what Manchester City should do to correct course during a surprisingly poor season.
🏅 Messi’s latest prize: Lionel Messi was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Saturday, but the World Cup winner was a no-show at the White House because of scheduling conflicts.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- Supercoppa Italiana final: Inter vs. AC Milan, Monday, 2 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Christian Pulisic to score (+400) – If AC Milan are going to win their first trophy in four years on Monday, Christian Pulisic will likely be a key part of their victory. The American is the team’s joint top scorer with nine goals, his latest coming in Friday’s semifinal against Juventus, making him their most reliable option in front of goal and keeping them competitive regardless of the opposition – or their own form. - EFL Cup semifinal: Arsenal vs. Newcastle United, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Kai Havertz to score first (+255) – Arsenal enter Tuesday’s semifinal as the favorites to advance, so expect Kai Havertz to play a sizable role as they aim for a spot in the final. He’s the team’s top goalscorer with 12 goals across all competitions this season, including two in two EFL Cup games so far.
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
CBS Sports
☀️ 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.
3️⃣ 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 and Thursday): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 1 p.m. ET and Thursday at 6 p.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+.
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