Hey there! There’s much to discuss after a busy weekend on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, with big results in the Premier League and the SheBelieves Cup. I’m Pardeep Cattry with an update to start the week.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Monday, Feb. 24
🇮🇹 Serie A: Roma vs. Monza, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏴 Championship: Sheffield United vs. Leeds, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
Tuesday, Feb. 25
🇪🇺 Women’s Nations League: Germany vs. Austria, 12:15 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇮🇹 Coppa Italia: Inter vs. Lazio, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏴 EPL: Chelsea vs. Southampton, 3:15 p.m. ➡️ Peacock
🇪🇸 Copa del Rey: Barcelona vs. Atletico, 3:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🌎 CCC: Inter Miami vs. Sporting Kansas City, 8 p.m. ➡️ FS2
⚽ The Forward Line
🔴 Is the Premier League title race over?
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Liverpool’s quest to win the Premier League title took another step in the right direction on Sunday, with Arne Slot’s side beating Manchester City 2-0 to take an 11 point lead atop the table with 11 games to go on their schedule.
The Reds’ burgeoning gap atop the table has gone hand-in-hand with Mohamed Salah’s impressive season, and Sunday was no exception. The Egypt international nabbed his 23rd Premier League goal of the season and now has 41 goal contributions this campaign, seven short of Alan Shearer’s single season record in the 1994-95 campaign. Liverpool’s big win, though, was not solely about Salah’s excellence. From Dominik Szoboszlai’s second goal to the performances of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister’s showing in midfield, James Benge writes it was a job well done all around.
- Benge: “City may have been the chief architects of their problems in front of goal, but Liverpool were only too willing to help them out. Ryan Gravenberch and Mac Allister were composure personified in front of the back four. Nothing got down the middle. Everyone in a red shirt was prepared to drop back and do a shift. Salah’s most outstanding moments might have been his goal contributions but the diligence he showed in the 82nd minute to steal possession back for his side and drive through bodies to get out.”
Liverpool’s 11 point lead comes with the caveat that they have one more game played than the rest of their title contenders, but the list of teams that reasonably feel in the mix is dwindling. Second place Arsenal did themselves no favors on Saturday, going down to 10 and losing 1-0 to West Ham United. The Reds’ lead is not mathematically insurmountable at this point in the season but even on their imperfect days, they are finding ways to win, unlike every team around them. If it was not before, it most certainly is the case now – this is Liverpool’s title to lose, and it’s looking increasingly unlikely that they will.
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
🇺🇸 Experimental USWNT win again
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The U.S. women’s national team picked up another win on Sunday, beating Australia 2-1 in SheBelieves Cup action as head coach Emma Hayes continues to embrace the spirit of experimentation.
Hayes started an entirely different lineup from Thursday’s 2-0 win against Colombia and though the chemistry was not always perfect, there were a lot of positive takeaways from the win over the Matildas. Lynn Biyendolo (formerly Williams) scored the game’s opening goal after just 42 seconds, finishing off an impressive play that included strong contributions from Emma Sears and Jaedyn Shaw, the latter of whom got the assist. The second goal came courtesy of substitute Michelle Cooper, who scored her first international goal.
Biyendolo, one of only three starters with 60-plus caps, continues to be one of the most in-form players since Hayes took over in June, but a handful of up-and-comers also made a case for themselves on Sunday. Claire Hutton earned her first cap and first start against Australia and looked right at home in the USWNT’s midfield, partnering well with Korbin Albert and adding her name to a list of impactful new midfield talent that includes Lily Yohannes. Cooper and Ally Sentnor, who scored her first USWNT goal on Thursday, did well after coming off the bench, while Sears and Shaw excelled as starters.
Though the sample size is small, the first two games of the year provide the USWNT with a sense of optimism, especially as it pertains to depth. Wednesday’s game against Japan will easily be the biggest test of an experimental squad, though – not only do the U.S. need a win to win the SheBelieves Cup for the sixth time in a row, Japan’s two lopsided wins so far mean they will be stiff competition.
🔗 Top Stories
🟣 Moise Kean update: Fiorentina’s Moise Kean was taken to the hospital on Sunday after suffering head trauma and collapsing on the field in his team’s 1-0 loss to Hellas Verona, but released overnight after all tests came back clean.
♥️ Tony Meola update: Former U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper and CBS Sports Golazo Network analyst Tony Meola is in good spirits after suffering a heart attack on Thursday.
🇺🇸 MLS is back: A 10 man Inter Miami rescued a point in a 2-2 draw with New York City FC, while LAFC picked up a 1-0 win over Minnesota United in the opening weekend of MLS action.
⚽ Sargent scores again: Josh Sargent scored a brace in Norwich’s 4-2 win over Stoke on Saturday, making him the probable starter when the USMNT return to play in the Concacaf Nations League next month.
🔵🔴 Barcelona stay top: Barcelona hung onto top spot in La Liga after a 2-0 win over Las Palmas over the weekend.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- Coppa Italia quarterfinals: Inter vs. Lazio, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Lautaro Martinez to score (+120) – Reigning Serie A winners Inter are the heavy favorites in this midweek cup tie, so expect them to get the job done on Tuesday. They will be counting on Lautaro Martinez to play a big role, with the Argentina international finally finding his form in recent months after struggling through the first half of the season – he now has 16 goals across all competitions, leading the team. - Premier League: Chelsea vs. Southampton, Tuesday, 3:15 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Chelsea to win 3-0 (+900) – Chelsea have not exactly been in great form in the Premier League, winning just two of their last 10 games, but Tuesday’s game against last place Southampton could offer a real reprieve from a difficult winter. The question is not if Chelsea will win, but rather how many they will put past a Saints team that has already conceded 42 goals this season. Three could be the lucky number for Chelsea, especially since Cole Palmer will be eager to break his six match goalless run.
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
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☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Join Golazo Network as it help fans get their day started on the right foot 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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