Chelsea vs Liverpool the headline EPL fixture of Matchday 2 as Man City and Man Utd prepare to kick off their campaign
Matchday 2 in the English Premier League is upon us and undoubtedly the standout fixture of this round is Chelsea vs Liverpool, which will be streamed live exclusively on Peacock in the US. Both sides began the 2020/21 season with unconvincing wins, with out-of-synch Blues beating Brighton 3-1 and the Reds triumphing 4-3 over Leeds despite a poor defensive showing. After a huge summer spending spree, the pressure will be on Lampard to get Werner and Havertz firing on all five cylinders. As for Klopp, the goal is simple: retain the English top-flight crown. Do not miss this epic showdown.
Will Werner open his goalscoring tab for Chelsea in their Liverpool clash?
Elsewhere, Manchester giants Man City and Man Utd will be kicking off their domestic campaigns this round. The Red Devils host Crystal Palace at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday while Man City face a tricky trip to Wolves for Monday's 3:15 PM ET kick-off – both games will be aired live on Peacock for US fans.
Arsenal will be playing their first home game of the season, welcoming under-fire West Ham to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday for their 3:00 PM ET kick-off. Will Arteta's side follow up on their impressive win over Fulham with another victory? Fellow north London heavyweights Tottenham travel to Southampton the following day as they aim to make amends for their opening day defeat when they turn up at St. Mary's Stadium for Sunday's 7:00 AM ET match-up.
Reigning champions Bayern Munch kick off Bundesliga season with Schalke showdown, Fiorentina vs Torino ushers in 2020/21 Serie A campaign
The Bundesliga will be making its return, with Bayern Munich kicking off the new campaign on Friday. Three months after winning the 2019/20 title, the Bavarians embark on yet another title defense, taking on Schalke 04 at 2:30 PM ET in the opening game of the 2020/21 season – live on ESPN in the USA. What a game to start the new term! Lewandowski, having scored a whopping 34 times in the German top-flight last season, will be keen on picking up right where he left off, having scored four times against Die Knappen last term.
Bayern Munich vs Schalke isn't the only exciting fixture of Matchday 1 of the German top-flight. Saturday will see Borussia Dortmund embark on their campaign, taking on none other than Borussia Monchengladbach in their opening. This 12:30 PM ET kick-off will be aired live on ESPN+ for US fans as the clubs that finished second and fourth last season respectively look to get off to a winning start. RB Leipzig vs Mainz 05 and Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen are the only two games scheduled for Sunday.
Bayern Munich kick things off vs Schalke 04
The Bundesliga isn't the only major European league making its return as Serie A will be back with a fresh season this weekend. The 12:00 PM ET Fiorentina vs Torino showdown raises the curtain for the 2020/21 Serie A season, with that game being one of two fixtures scheduled for Saturday – the other is Hellas Verona vs Roma at 2:45 PM ET. On Sunday, reigning champions Juventus embark on their title defense with a clash vs Sampdoria at 2:45 PM ET (live on ESPN+, Fanatiz USA, and Rai Italia Nord America in the US) in what will be Andrea Pirlo's debut season in charge of the Old Lady. Parma vs Napoli at 6:30 AM ET that same day and Milan vs Bologna at 2:45 PM ET on Monday are two other key fixtures from Matchday 1 of the new Italian top-flight campaign.
Cristiano and Co. embark on their title defense this Sunday in Juventus vs Sampdoria
Benfica raise curtain for 2020/21 Primeira Liga season, key MLs and Copa Libertadores games headed our way
Completing our list of top European leagues making a return is the Primeira Liga. The Portuguese top-flight gets underway on Friday, September 18 with Famalicão vs Benfica kicking things off at 2:00 PM ET. This will be the Eagles first game since their shock defeat to PAOK in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. With the iconic Jorge Jesus back at the helm, the goal is simple: take back the league crown from bitter rivals Porto. Speaking of the Dragons, they take on Sporting Braga at 4:00 PM ET on Saturday in the standout match of the opening round (live on Fanatiz USA and GOLTV). Elsewhere, Sporting CP lock horns with Gil Vicente at 1:30 PM ET that same day.
In Spain, while the 2020/21 La Liga season began last weekend, Real Madrid will be embarking on their campaign this Sunday. The reigning champions' title defense gets underway against Real Sociedad, with Zidane's men making the trip to the Reale Arena for their 3:00 PM ET battle. Curious whether Los Blancos will hit the ground running? Tune in to beIN Sports and Fanatiz USA to find out.
Real Madrid take on Real Sociedad but look to be without Martin Odegaard and Hazard for this tie
The midweek Copa Libertadores action also makes our list, with the standout fixture being Athletico-PR vs Colo-Colo at 6:15 PM ET on Wednesday, September 23. The Brazilian and Chilean heavyweights are battling for the top spot in Group C as they are currently tied on six points after three rounds. Make sure to catch this game live on beIN Sports and Fanatiz USA in the United States.
In the MLS, the key game on our list is Sporting Kansas City vs Dallas FC at 3:30 PM ET on Saturday (live on TUDN, Fox Sports, and Univision). SKC are in first place in the Western Conference and are challenging Columbus Crew for the Supporters Shield. Meanwhile, Dallas just came off an important 4-1 win over Colorado that has put them in playoff contention and are keen on winning more games to earn a higher seed. Another interesting fixture is Seattle Sounders vs LAFC, which kicks off at 10:00 PM ET on Friday, September 18.
Key headlines from world football
Neymar handed two-match ban after Le Classique red card
PSG star Neymar has been handed a two-match ban after being sent off for his involvement in the brawl that ensued during Les Parisiens' clash with Marseille. The official ruling stated that the 28-year-old Brazilian will not be eligible to play in his side's next two games and risks serving a third ban with a suspended one-match ban included in the punishment.
Messi, Cristiano miss out on 2019/20 UEFA Awards
UEFA have revealed their nominees for their 2019/20 Champions League awards. The candidates for each positions were announced on Wednesday as both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi missed out on the Forward of the Season prize. Instead, European football's governing body opted for Lewandowski, Neymar, and Mbappe for their three nominees after leading their respective clubs to last season's UCL final.
No CR7 or Messi for the UCL Forward of the Season prize
Top 10 live matches to watch on September 18-23, 2020
Friday, September 18
2:00 PM ET
Famalicão vs Benfica (Primeira Liga)
Match details, result and original broadcast info
Famalicão 1 - 5 Benfica
September 18, 2020 2:00pmEstádio Municipal 22 de Junho (Vila Nova de Famalicão)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
2:30 PM ET
Bayern München vs Schalke 04 (Bundesliga)
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This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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Saturday, September 19
12:30 PM ET
Borussia Dortmund vs Borussia M'gladbach (Bundesliga)
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3:30 PM ET
Sporting KC vs Dallas (MLS)
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4:00 PM ET
Porto vs Sporting Braga (Primeira Liga)
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Sunday, September 20
1:30 PM ET
Chelsea vs Liverpool (English Premier League)
2:45 PM ET
Juventus vs Sampdoria (Serie A)
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3:00 PM ET
Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid (La Liga)
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Monday, September 21
3:15 PM ET
Wolves vs Man City (English Premier League)
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Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 - 3 Manchester City
September 21, 2020 3:15pmMolineux Stadium (Wolverhampton, West Midlands)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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Wednesday, September 23
6:15 PM ET
Athletico-PR vs Colo-Colo (Copa Libertadores)
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This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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