UCL and UEL finals upon us as Bayern vs PSG, Sevilla vs Inter Milan wrap up 2019/20 European season
After what has been a hectic 2019/20 season, the end of both the Champions League and Europa League campaigns are upon us. In the span of two days, European football's two major club tournaments will stage their highly-anticipated finals. First is the UEL showdown, which will take place on Friday, August 21, followed by the mouthwatering UCL ultimate clash between PSG and Bayern Munich on Sunday.
The final between the champions of France and Germany, which will be aired live in the US on CBS All Access and Univision's various platforms, is the headline game between now and Wednesday. Both sides booked their tickets to the final after convincing 3-0 wins in the semis, with Les Parisiens beating RB Leipzig – though they were made to sweat against Atalanta in the quarter-final – and the Bavarians dispatching Lyon (with ease).
A clash of the titans: Will PSG or Bayern win the UCL title?
For the Ligue 1 giants, the goal is simple: end their long wait for European success. After years and years of lavish spending, assembling one of the world's most expensive squads, PSG have finally made it to the Champions League final, having suffered embarrassment after embarrassment over the last few years. Neymar and Mbappe, two of the best players in football, will be keen on leading the club to their first-ever UCL title but they must first overcome the most rampant club in Europe in the form of Bayern.
Die Roten have steamrolled every team that stood in their way, beating Chelsea 7-1 in the last 16, thrashing Barcelona 8-2 in one leg in the quarter-final, and casting aside Lyon 3-0 in the semis. Lewandowski has been in inspirational form for the Germans, scoring 55 goals in 46 games for his team this season. He is currently on 15 goals in the Champions League and is the tournament's top scorer this season. Additionally, he is only two strikes shy of matching Cristiano's record for most goals in a single UCL season (17) and is a hat-trick away from overtaking the Portuguese icon altogether. However, individual glory is not on Lewandowski's mind. Both Bayern and PSG can clinch the treble with a win on Sunday. Tune in to find out who will achieve just that.
Will Lewandowski break CR7's UCL record all the while winning the title?
As for the Europa League, Sevilla and Inter Milan will lock horns in the final. The Nerazzurri booked their spot after beating Shakhtar 5-0 in the semi-final in what has been an impressive debut season for coach Antonio Conte and striker Romelu Lukaku. Los Hispalenses, on the other hand, were made to work harder, beating a tough Man United side in the penultimate game. Who will walk away with this title? Don't miss this clash!
MLS restart carries on with Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders Cascadia Cup derby, La Liga promotion playoff due to wrap up this weekend
The MLS restart carries on, with several exciting regular season matches taking place between now and August 26. In fact, a total of five derbies were scheduled from the 21st to the 23rd, with the highlight showdown being Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders. This tie, nicknamed the Cascadia Cup derby, pits the recently crowned MLS is Back Tournament champions against the current MLS holders, the Sounders. Additionally, the Texas Derby (Houston Dynamo vs Dallas), El Trafico (LAFC vs LA Galaxy), the Everglades Cup derby (Inter Miami vs Orlando City), and the Rocky Mountains Cup derby (Colarado Rapids vs Real Salt Lake) will also take place.
One of those two matches in the next week is against MLS is Back Tournament champions Portland Timbers
Moving over to Spain, the La Liga promotion playoff will come to a wrap this weekend. Girona and Elche are battling it out for the final spot in the Spanish top-flight for the 2020/21 season. The first leg ended in a goalless draw, with Los Franjiverdes being unable to break down their Catalan opponents. Juan Carlos Unzué's side, boasting the home advantage this time around, will have their eyes set on a return to the Primera Division only a year after being relegated to the Segunda División.
Ligue 1 2020/21 season kicks off while Tottenham and Liverpool prepare for pre-season friendlies
The French top-flight will kick-off the new season on Friday, making it the first major European league to embark on the 2020/21 campaign. Given that Ligue 1 was one of a few championships to end prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this will be the competition's first round of matches since March. Bordeaux gets things underway with their clash vs Nantes, with Marseille vs St-Etienne being postponed after Les Olympiens confirmed a few coronavirus cases. Despite having just crashed out of the Champions League, Lyon will be back in action this weekend, taking on Montpellier on Matchday 1. Lille, meanwhile, kick things off against Rennes on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Tottenham and Liverpool will be involved in pre-season friendlies in preparation for the 2020/21 season. Spurs will be taking on Ipswich Town while Liverpool face Stuttgart. The Reds will be involved in the Community Shield against FA Cup winners Arsenal in about a week's time and will be keen on regaining fitness in time for that match.
Top headline from the world of football
Messi tells Koeman his future is away from Barca after meeting
Lionel Messi cut his holiday short in order to meet up with newly-appointed Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman. The Dutchman revealed in his first press conference that he would hold talks with the Blaugrana captain and he has done just that. Unfortunately, the outcome was not pleasing as Leo reportedly informed the gaffer that sees his future "further away than closer" to the Camp Nou. It will be interesting to see how this story develops, given that Koeman stressed his desire for only players committed to his project.
Worrying development for Messi's Barca future after his Koeman meeting
Top live matches to watch on August 21-26
Friday, August 21
12:00 PM ET
Bordeaux vs Nantes (Ligue 1)
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12:00 PM ET
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona (UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final)
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12:00 PM ET
Glasgow City vs Wolfsburg (UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final)
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3:00 PM ET
Sevilla vs Inter Milan (UEFA Europa League Final)
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8:00 PM ET
Houston Dynamo vs Dallas (MLS)
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8:00 PM ET
Toronto FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS)
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Saturday, August 22
10:00 AM ET
Tottenham vs Ipswich Town (Friendly)
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11:00 AM ET
Dijon vs Angers SCO (Ligue 1)
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12:00 PM ET
Liverpool vs Stuttgart (Friendly)
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2:00 PM ET
Arsenal vs PSG (UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final)
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2:00 PM ET
Lyon vs Bayern Munich (UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final)
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Olympique Lyonnais Féminines 2 - 1 Bayern München Frauen
August 22, 2020 2:00pmSan Mamés Barria (Bilbao)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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3:00 PM ET
Lille vs Rennes (Ligue 1)
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6:00 PM ET
LAFC vs Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
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Los Angeles FC 0 - 2 LA Galaxy
August 22, 2020 6:00pmBanc of California Stadium (Los Angeles, California)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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8:00 PM ET
Inter Miami vs Orlando City SC (MLS)
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Inter Miami 3 - 2 Orlando City SC
August 22, 2020 8:00pmInter Miami CF Stadium (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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9:00 PM
Colorado Rapids vs Real Salt Lake (MLS)
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Colorado Rapids 1 - 4 Real Salt Lake
August 22, 2020 9:00pmDick's Sporting Goods Park (Denver, Colorado)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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Sunday, August 23
7:00 AM ET
Monaco vs Reims (Ligue 1)
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09:00 AM ET
Montpellier vs Lyon (Ligue 1)
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09:00 AM ET
Nîmes vs Brest (Ligue 1)
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09:00 AM ET
Lorient vs Strasbourg (Ligue 1)
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11:00 AM ET
Nice vs Lens (Ligue 1)
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3:00 PM ET
PSG vs Bayern Munich (UEFA Champions League Final)
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4:00 PM ET
Girona vs Elche (La Liga promotion playoff)
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10:00 PM ET
Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders (MLS)
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Tuesday, August 25
POAK vs Besiktas (UEFA Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round)
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Wednesday, August 26
8:00 PM ET
Inter Miami vs Atlanta United (MLS)
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Inter Miami 0 - 0 Atlanta United
August 26, 2020 8:00pmInter Miami CF Stadium (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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10:30 PM ET
LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders (MLS)
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LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders FC
August 26, 2020 10:30pmDignity Health Sports Park (Carson, California)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.