Real Madrid vs Valencia, Roma vs Juventus, Lyon vs PSG, Liverpool vs Arsenal, Tottenham vs Chelsea, and Barcelona vs Real Madrid make our list of must-watch games.

Top games to watch this week

Friday, January 7

Santa Clara vs Sporting CP (Primeira Liga)

Bayern vs Borussia Mönchengladbach (Bundesliga)

Bordeaux vs Olympique Marseille (Ligue 1)

Swindon Town vs Man City (FA Cup)

Puebla vs América (Liga MX)

Saturday, January 8

Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin (Bundesliga)

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)

Granada vs Barcelona (La Liga)

Real Madrid vs Valencia (La Liga)

Estoril vs Porto (Primeira Liga)

Chelsea vs Chesterfield (FA Cup)

Sunday, January 9

Venezia vs Milan (Serie A)

Roma vs Juventus (Serie A)

Inter vs Lazio (Serie A)

Benfica vs Pacos de Ferreira (Primeira Liga)

Olympique Lyonnais vs PSG (Ligue 1)

Liverpool vs Shrewsbury Town (FA Cup)

Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal (FA Cup)

Cameroon vs Burkina Faso (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Ethiopia vs Cape Verde Islands (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Monday, January 10

Senegal vs Zimbabwe (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Guinea vs Malawi (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Morocco vs Ghana (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Comoros vs Gabon (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Manchester United vs Aston Villa (FA Cup)

Tuesday, January 11

Algeria vs Sierra Leone (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Nigeria vs Egypt (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Sudan vs Guinea-Bissau (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Everton vs Leicester City (Premier League)

Leca vs Sporting CP (Taca de Portugal)

Wednesday, January 12

Tunisia vs Mali (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Mauritania vs Gambia (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Equatorial Guinea vs Cote d'Ivoire (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Tottenham vs Chelsea (Carabao Cup Semifinal 1)

Inter vs Juventus (Supercoppa Italiana)

Barcelona vs Real Madrid (Supercopa de España)

Vizela vs Porto (Taca de Portugal)

Thursday, January 13

Cameroon vs Ethiopia (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Cape Verde Islands vs Burkina Faso (2021 Africa Cup of Nations)

Liverpool vs Arsenal (Carabao Cup Semifinal 2)

Atlético Madrid vs Athletic Club (Supercopa de España)

Milan vs Genoa (Coppa Italia)

Most-watched soccer games on U.S. TV: New Year's Edition

A stalemate between Premier League giants Chelsea and Liverpool on Sunday, Jan. 2, was the most-watched soccer game on U.S. television last week. The Reds' poster boys Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane stunned the home side early in the first half. However, a Mateo Kovacic wonder-strike and an inspirational Christian Pulisic goal just before halftime salvaged a point for the Blues. An average of 974,000 viewers watched the game, and the broadcast received a 0.38 viewership rating.

Tottenham Hotspur snatched three points late in their away meeting at Watford on Saturday, June 1. The Spurs were frustrated by the Hornets all game long but managed to pull ahead in added time via Colombia's Davidson Sanchez.  The game was the second most-watched broadcast on U.S. TV last week, garnering an average of 529,000 viewers, and receiving a 0.18 viewership rating. 

And last, but certainly not least, Manchester City's controversial 2-1 away win at the Emirates on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, comes in as the third most-watched soccer game on American TV. Arsenal took the lead in the first half, with defender Kieran Tierney combining with winger Bukayo Saka for the contest's first goal. Nonetheless, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City rallied back in the second half thanks to a Riyad Mahrez equalizer from the penalty spot and a Rodri strike in added time. Arsenal fans believe their side should have been awarded a penalty for a challenge where City goalkeeper Ederson made contact against attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard in the box. The broadcast received a 0.15 viewership rating for the 456,000 viewers who tuned in. 

Most Watched Games, USA, January 1, 6, Arsenal, Manchester City, Watford, Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool, English Premier League

What are this week's must-watch matches?

Real Madrid vs Valencia this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET live exclusively on ESPN+

Real Madrid have been nothing short of stellar this season, but the Spanish top-flight leaders face a tricky test this weekend after seeing their lead at the top decrease. Yes, Los Blancos have a five-point advantage at the top, but second-placed Sevilla boast a game in hand. Ancelotti's men have their recent 1-0 defeat against Getafe to blame, with Benzema and Co. coming up short against a team hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone. Will Real Madrid return to winning ways against Valencia? Los murciélagos' last league outing came in December, which they lost 2-1 to Espanyol. However, the iconic Spanish club are in ninth and still in the mix for a European spot, be it the UEFA Champions League, Europa League or Conference League.  Do not miss this tie.

Real Madrid, Valencia, La Liga, Broadcast Listings 

Roma vs Juventus this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. live exclusively on Paramount +

Two of Italy's biggest teams gear up for battle this weekend, with Roma set to host domestic and continental heavyweights Juventus on Sunday at the Stadio Olimpico. Jose Mourinho's men enter this tie on the back of their unwanted 3-1 loss to AC Milan, with I Giallorossi seeing two players getting sent off in that defeat. While Abraham and Co. remain in the hunt for European football, that result handed a huge blow to their hopes of catching up with fourth-placed Atalanta. Juventus, on the other hand, suffered a slip-up of their own, with the Old Lady drawing 1-1 at home to Napoli that same day. Atalanta now have a game in hand over the Bianconeri, and should they win that tie, Allegri's men will find themselves six points behind in the race to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season, hence the importance of their trip to Roma. Catch this clash live exclusively on Paramount+ in the USA.

Roma, Juventus, Broadcast Listings, Serie A

Lyon vs PSG this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET live on beIN Sports, Fanatiz USA, fuboTV, and Sling TV

While Lyon have not been enjoying the best of seasons, Sunday's trip to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais remains a tricky test for league leaders PSG. The Paris giants will visit one of their biggest rivals this weekend as Pochettino's men aim to add to their 13-point lead at the top. Given this huge advantage, the result will not be the most crucial part of Sunday's game – although it would secure the priceless bragging rights. Instead, the Parc des Princes outfit will need to put in a convincing performance, with the club exhibiting inconsistency that will threaten their European ambitions. Lionel Messi, who unfortunately contracted COVID-19 during the festive period, has recovered and is thus in contention, with the Argentine icon eyeing an improvement in France after his disappointing first half of the season.

Lyon, PSG, Broadcast Listings, Ligue 1

This week in women's football, January 7, January 13, 2022, FA Women's Super League, Liga Iberdrola 

Women's football fans will enjoy a slew of European league matches. Also, will Utah Royals make a return to the National Women's Soccer League? Find out here.

Let's start with some news. It appears that the new Real Salt Lake owners David Blitzer and Ryan Smith are looking to change the culture of the organization and bring back its women's team to life.

The Utah Royals FC folded in 2020, just three years after its inception due to a chaotic year filled with racial allegations directed at former owner Dell Loy Hansen and other members of the organization. Major League Soccer and the NWSL conducted investigations, which concluded in the leagues forcing Hansen to sell the Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals and Real Monarchs – the club's development team – after Major League Soccer and the NWSL concluded investigations. However, it appears that women's soccer will make a return to Utah in 2023.

Blitzer appears to be fully invested in bringing back soccer to Salt Lake, something that would elevate the USA's top-flight women's soccer league.

FA Women's Super League Matchday 11

Three of the first six FA WSL games of 2022 were postponed due to players testing positive for COVID-19. Games between Aston Villa and Everton, West Ham United and Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City will be postponed.

Visit LiveSoccerTV's FA Women's Super League competitions page to learn how to watch the games still scheduled to be played.

  • Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Manchester City Sunday, Jan. 9, at 7 a.m. ET (Available on ATA Football)

  • Reading vs. Leicester City on Sunday, Jan. 9, at 9 a.m. ET

  • Birmingham City vs. Arsenal on Sunday, Jan. 9, at 9 a.m. ET

How to watch Madrid CFF vs. Sevilla

ATA Football will exclusively stream a Liga Iberdrola match between Madrid CFF and Sevilla on Saturday, Jan. 8, at 6 a.m. ET. The game will also stream live on nbcsports.com in the USA.

The two teams find themselves in the middle pack of the league table and look to an end to their respective bad form. Madrid have won one and lost four of their last five games. On the other hand, Sevilla have tied three and lost two of their previous five matches.

The Best FIFA Awards 2021 nominees

The Best FIFA Football Awards 2021 ceremony will go down on Jan. 17, 2022. Here are the nominees for the women's awards:

The Best FIFA Women's Player

  • Stina Blackstenius – Sweden / BK Häcken

  • Aitana Bonmatí – Spain / FC Barcelona

  • Lucy Bronze – England / Manchester City WFC

  • Magdalena Eriksson – Sweden / Chelsea FCW

  • Caroline Graham Hansen – Norway / FC Barcelona

  • Pernille Harder – Denmark / Chelsea FCW

  • Jennifer Hermoso – Spain / FC Barcelona

  • Ji Soyun – Korea Republic / Chelsea FCW

  • Sam Kerr – Australia / Chelsea FCW

  • Vivianne Miedema – Netherlands / Arsenal WFC

  • Alexia Putellas – Spain / FC Barcelona

  • Christine Sinclair – Canada / Portland Thorns FC

  • Ellen White – England / Manchester City WFC

  • The Best FIFA Women's Coach (Finalists)

  • Lluis Cortes – FC Barcelona F

  • Emma Hayes – Chelsea FCW

  • Sarina Wiegman – Dutch women's national team

The Best Women's Goalkeeper (Finalists)

  • Stephanie Labbe – Canada / FC Rosengard & Paris Saint-Germain

  • Christiane Endler – Chile / Paris Saint-Germain & Olympique Lyonnais

  • Ann-Katrin Berger – Germany / Chelsea FCW

Biggest stories of the week

Romelu Lukaku finds himself in hot water after recent remarks

Any goodwill Chelsea fans have towards $134M summer signing Romelu Lukaku will certainly be shaken up following his latest comments in an interview with Sky Italia. Although filmed earlier this year, it was broadcast recently, coming out just hours before the Blues' crunch clash against Liverpool on Sunday.

In the longer interview, Lukaku discusses several things, including his "wish to return to Inter" while he's still in top shape, as well as lays bare his frustration with life at Stamford Bridge. Namely, he didn't hold back in discussing his annoyance with Thomas Tuchel and the German's decision to change formation, which has led to a drop in game-time. Injuries haven't helped, but indeed, since returning from injury in November, Lukaku has only been used sparingly, with Kai Havertz deployed as a false number nine on multiple occasions.

In addition, Lukaku also claimed that Chelsea were his "fourth choice" club and also advised former Inter teammate Lautaro Martinez to snub any potential advances from the Blues in the upcoming transfer windows.

Tuchel wasn't impressed with his player's comments, and Inter fans weren't swayed either by the player's declaration of love for the club, nor by his apology to the Nerazzurri faithful. The Belgian was subsequently dropped for the Liverpool game, which they drew 2-2, but after heated discussions with the board and issuing apology to both his bosses and the fans, the Serie A winner was welcomed back into the squad and lineup for the 2-0 midweek triumph over Tottenham in the Carabao Cup first leg semifinal clash.

Back to Barcelona? Messi tipped to LEAVE PSG after just one year

Speaking in an interview during the popular Spanish show "El Chiringuito", former Barcelona player Lobo Carrasco dropped a massive hint on Messi's future, which included a bold prediction: Messi could be thinking about leaving PSG after one season at Parc des Princes. 

The reason for this forecast came due to Carrasco's knowledge of Messi's situation. The Spanish tactician revealed that Messi's family is not quite settled in Paris, which could force Messi's decision to return to Spain.

"Messi will always miss the 'modus vivendi' he had in Barcelona. I don't think he regrets his decision in a sporting sense, but on a personal level he's realized he made a mistake," Carrasco said about Messi. 

The former Oviedo coach did not hold back when speaking his thoughts on Messi, and while he suggested Leo could keep his word and stay put at Parc des Princes, it seems that winning the UEFA Champions League with Les Parisiens will be crucial to this decision.

"If he succeeds, which means winning the Champions League, he could extend his stay for another year. But if PSG don't win the Champions League then this year is going to be a long one," Carrasco added.

Messi has thrived for PSG in the UEFA Champions League with five goals, but he is yet to have the same impact in Ligue 1, where he has only scored once. What seemed to be unthinkable when he joined PSG last summer could become a reality further beyond the wildest dreams any fan had, but only time will tell if things go PSG's way this season so they can keep "La Pulga" around.

Details regarding Haaland's alleged deal to join Barcelona revealed

Barcelona's financial problems have been well documented this year, and even if the club's finances are hanging by a thin thread, the possibility of signing Erling Haaland next summer has been disclosed by a Spanish media outlet.

According to Deportes Cuatro, the negotiation between agent Mino Raiola and president Joan Laporta concluded with what can only be categorized as good news for Los Culés: the agent has "promised" Laporta that Haaland will end up playing for Los Blaugranas if they can come up with the money to sign him.

The media outlet states that the bid to sign the Norwegian ace will have to include the player's wage, a signing bonus, an additional fee for Raiola, and the buyout clause established by Borussia Dortmund.

The reasons for Laporta's optimism have reportedly been fueled by Haaland's desire to lead a winning project at Camp Nou. Added to that, the player is allegedly not interested in sharing the same locker room with Kylian Mbappé, which could take place if both strikers ended up joining Real Madrid, just like Florentino Pérez planned to do. 

The alleged deal, which was reportedly struck during a meeting in Turin, would see Haaland joining Los Culés for the next three years with an additional two mandatory seasons if a number of objectives are reached by the player. Barcelona would be forced to offer Haaland a €30M deal per season before taxes, which would immediately make the Norwegian one of the best-paid players in the globe.

Details behind Man Utd's toxic atmosphere emerge in the wake of Shaw's alarming post-match interview

After Man United suffered another disappointing loss, albeit their first under Ralf Rangnick, this time going 1-0 down against Wolves, Luke Shaw faced the media for the post-match interview and made some eye-catching remarks. Claims of a lack of togetherness, dedication, and adequate fresh ideas from the manager were made, hinting that behind the scenes, the Red Devils are far worse than perceived.

And according to the Daily Mail, those assumptions are spot on. Chris Wheeler has penned a lengthy piece for the British news outlet, describing the situation at Old Trafford, and it makes for a grim reading.

Several players are said to be unhappy at the club, ranging from fringe players who are understandably frustrated with their lack of playing time to those unconvinced by the newly-appointed German gaffer and his tactics. The likes of Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani, Donny van de Beek, Dean Henderson, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard are all said to be pushing for exits this January, leaving Rangnick with a headache.

It's normal to have players upset over lack of playing time, but this does not excuse the overall drop in standards at the club. According to the report, this is one of the first things Cristiano Ronaldo noticed upon returning to the Theatre of Dreams, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner being left shocked by the team's decay.

As a result, several senior players have allegedly admitted to Old Trafford being "the worst group and worst atmosphere they can remember". Cliques reign supreme, with there being a lack of unity among the squad, hence Shaw's recent statement. Whether Rangnick can find a solution before his interim role comes to an end remains uncertain.

Other key headlines from the world of football 

Arsenal set to offload Aubameyang in ongoing transfer window

Although there have been inquiries from clubs such as Barcelona, Juventus, or West Ham for the player's services, it seems that the safest bet for Aubameyang would be to leave Emirates Stadium on loan to join Newcastle United. The Magpies are ready to start investing in their squad to keep their spot in the Premier League, and the footballer seems like the right fit for a team that has lacked accuracy in front of goal.

Reports coming in from England suggest that Aubameyang would join the Magpies on a loan deal to get him off Arteta's back, and once the team's battle to avoid relegation is completed, then they would come up with $26M to make the move permanent. 

Timing to complete this deal will be crucial for both sides, as Arsenal are desperate to offload the footballer and Newcastle need to add points to their tally if they want to avoid relegation this season. Only time will tell if the former Arsenal captain exits the club, but the chances of seeing him leave the Gunners increase with each day that goes by without him being in a matchday squad.

Juve's Morata set to return to Spain on loan deal with option to buy

According to reports out of Spain and Italy, Barcelona have earmarked Juventus's Alvaro Morata as an additional striking option. The deal is expected to be a six month loan deal with an option to buy, and if everything goes according to plan, this will now be the third big Spanish side the 29-year-old plays for in his career.

Morata is technically on loan to Juventus from Atletico Madrid, with the Bianconeri opting to extend that loan deal until June 2022, so any move back to Spain would also have to be agreed on by Los Rojiblancos.

In addition, although Juventus are not looking to exercise their option to buy - which would cost them $40 million, the Bianconeri will need to be sure they have secured an apt replacement before allowing the player to return to his native homeland.

Barcelona hit major snag in latest big money transfer

While, as noted before, recent Barcelona signing Ferran Torres has been out since September due to a foot injury, the delays regarding his debut aren't solely due to a fitness issue. Rather, the Blaugrana will have to sell quite a bit of fringe players in order to free up funds. In short, they'll have to find a way to offload some of their deadweight in this January's transfer window.

In addition, reports indicate that Barcelona still need to get Ousmane Dembele's contract sorted. Although the French winger hasn't made the impact many had expected, especially given his price tag, the club still haven't given up on him and indeed are hoping to have him form a potentially formidable attack with new signing Torres.

So, will fans get to see their player in action sometime soon? We'll have just to wait and see, but hopefully for Barcelona and their supporters, it will be sooner rather than later.