THE SOCCER REPORT
Back-to-back Clásicos, MLS opening weekend highlight upcoming schedule
Feb 26, 2019, 8:16 am
The Houston Dynamo are back at BBVA Compass Stadium with two matches this week.
Different story lines and renewed rivalries await as another busy week of soccer begins with a midweek dose of Premier League beginning on Tuesday. Real Madrid will host FC Barcelona twice this week in two different competitions, capturing the eyes of millions in one of the world's most heated sports rivalries. Finally, MLS is back with it's 24th season kicking off on Saturday.
UEFA Champions League
The first leg matches of the Round of 16 are in the books with plenty to play for when the second leg matches begin next week. In these latter matches, Atletico Madrid grabbed the biggest headlines for their 2-0 home win over Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus.
Round of 16 - first leg results:
- Roma 2-1 Porto
- Manchester United 0-2 PSG
- Tottenham 3-0 Dortmund
- Ajax 1-2 Real Madrid
- Lyon 0-0 FC Barcelona
- Liverpool 0-0 Bayern Munich
- Atletico Madrid 2-0 Juventus
- Schalke 04 2-3 Manchester City
UEFA Europa League
Round of 32 - second leg results:
- Sevilla 2-0 Lazio (3-0 agg.)
- Red Bull Salzburg 4-0 Club Brugge (5-2 agg.)
- Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (6-3 agg.)
- Villareal 1-1 Sporting CP (2-1 agg.)
- Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Plzen (4-2 agg.)
- Zenit 3-1 Fenerbace (3-2 agg.)
- Valencia 1-0 Celtic (3-0 agg.)
- Napoli 2-0 Zurich (5-1 agg.)
- Arsenal 3-0 BATE (3-1 agg.)
- Genk 1-4 Slavia Praha (1-4 agg.)
- Inter Milan 4-0 Rapid Vienna (5-0 agg.)
- Leverkusen 1-1 Krasnodar (1-1 agg., Krasnodar wins on away goals)
- Benfica 0-0 Galatasaray (2-1 agg.)
- Real Betis 1-3 Rennes (4-6 agg.)
- Chelsea 3-0 Malmo (5-1 agg.)
- Dynamo Kiev 1-0 Olympiacos (3-2 agg.)
English Premier League
Manchester United and Liverpool played to a nil-nil draw at Old Trafford but the biggest headlines this weekend came from two sides not in league action. Manchester City and Chelsea played the final of the English Football League Cup, known also as the Carabao Cup, in a 0-0 draw that had to be decided in penalties. Drama ensued in extra time as Chelsea goalkeepeer Kepa Arrizabalaga grabbed all the headlines by refusing to sub out prior to penalty kicks. City won 4-3 on penalties.
Your 2019 @Carabao_Cup winners. Congratulations, @ManCity 🏆 #EFL | #CarabaoCupFinal https://t.co/PMOYiofxiD— EFL (@EFL) 1551042254.0
Top six: 1. Liverpool (66), 2. Manchester City (65), 3. Tottenham (60), 4. Arsenal (53), 5. Manchester United (52), 6. Chelsea (50)
Scoring leader: 17 - Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) / Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Assists leader: 10 - Eden Hazard (Chelsea FC)
Spain's La Liga
Highlights Sevilla FC vs FC Barcelona (2-4)www.youtube.com
Lionel Messi continues to have a spectacular season, this week putting up a hat-trick against formidable foes Sevilla. Messi leads the league in goals and assists while Barcelona sit comfortably at the top of the standings.
Top six: 1. FC Barcelona (57), 2. Atlético Madrid (50), 3. Real Madrid (48), 4. Getafe (39), 5. Sevilla (37), 6. Alaves (37)
Scoring leader: 25 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Assists leader: 11 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
German Bundesliga
Top six: 1. Dortmund (54), 2. Bayern Munich (51), 3. Monchengladbach (43), 4. RB Leipzig (42), 5. Wolfsburg (38), 6. Eintracht Frankfurt (37)
Scoring leader: 15 - Luka Jović (Eintracht Frankfurt
Assists leader: 10 - Jadon Sancho (Dortumund) / Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Italian Serie A
Top six: 1. Juventus (69), 2. Napoli (56), 3. Inter Milan (47), 4. Milan (45), 5. Roma (44), 6. Lazio (38)
Scoring leader: 19 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Assists leader: 8 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) / Suso (A.C. Milan)
French Ligue 1
Top six: 1. PSG (68), 2. Lille (51), 3. Lyon (46), 4. Saint-Étienne (43), 5. Marseille (41), 6. Stade Reims (41)
Scoring leader: 22 - Kylian Mbappé (PSG)
Assists leader: 8 - Nicolas Pepe (Lille) / Angel Di Maria (PSG) / Kenny Lala (Strasbourg)
Dutch Eredivisie
Top three: 1. PSV Eindhoven (58), 2. Ajax (56), 3. Feyenoord (43)
Belgian First Division A
Top three: 1. Genk (58), 2. Club Brugge (50), 3. Standard Liège (46)
Portuguese Primeira Liga
Top three: 1. Porto (57), 2. Benfica (56), 3. Braga (49)
Scottish Premier League
Top three: 1. Celtic (63), 2. Rangers (55), 3. Aberdeen (50)
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Concacaf Champions League
#SCCL 2019 Weekly Recapwww.youtube.com
The Houston Dynamo got their season to a successful start with a 1-0 away victory against Guatemalan side CD Guastatoya. For a few takeaways from that match, click here.
Round of 16 - first leg results:
- Deportivo Saprissa 1-0 Tigres UANL
- Independiente (Panama) 4-0 Toronto FC
- Guastatoya 0-1 Houston Dynamo
- Atletico Pantoja 0-2 New York Red Bulls
- Talleres Cordoba 2-2 Palestino
- Marathon 2-6 Santos Laguna
- Alianza 0-0 Monterrey
- Sporting KC 3-0 Toluca FC
- Herediano 3-1 Atlanta United
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer's 24th season kicks off Saturday with a total of 24 teams now that FC Cincinatti joins the league. The league will also feature a new playoff format where the top seven teams in each conference advance to the playoffs.
Liga MX
Top eight: 1. Tigres UANL (19), 2. Monterrey (18), 3. Leon (17), 4. Santos Laguaa (14), 5. Chivas Guadalajara (14), 6. Pachuca (14), 7. Club Tijuana (13), 8. Club America (12)
Scoring leader: 7 - Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey) / Angel Mena (Leon) / Brian Fernandez (Necaxa)
Assists leader: 6 - Angel Mena (Leon)
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Copa Libertadores
Third round - first leg results:
- Melgar 2-0 Caracas FC
- Talleres Cordoba 2-2 Palestino
- Defensor Sporting 0-2 Atletico Mineiro
- Libertad 1-0 Atletico Nacional
Superliga Argentina
Top four: 1. Racing Club (48), 2. Defensa y Justicia (45), 3. Boca Juniors (38), 4. Atletico Tucuman (36)
Scoring leader: 16 - Lisandro Lopez (Racing)
Assists leader: 7 - Walter Montillo (Tigre)
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Upcoming Matches (All Times CT):
Tuesday, Feb. 26
2:00 p.m. - [Premier League] Newcastle vs. Burnley (NBC Sports)
7:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Houston Dynamo vs. CD Guastatoya (YahooSports.com)
Wednesday, Feb. 27
2:00 p.m. - [Premier League] Chelsea vs. Tottenham (NBC Sports)
2:00 p.m. - [Copa del Rey] Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona (beIN Sports)
Thursday, Feb. 28
2:00 p.m. - [Copa del Rey] Valencia vs. Real Betis (beIN Sports)
Friday, Mar. 1
1:30 p.m. - [Bundesliga] Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund (FS2)
Saturday, Mar. 2
6:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Tottenham vs. Arsenal (NBC Sports)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Nuremberg vs. RB Leipzig (FS1)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Frankfurt vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (FS2)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Manchester United vs. Southhampton (NBC Sports)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] West Ham vs. Newcastle (NBC Sports)
11:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Bayern Munich (FS2)
1:45 p.m. - [La Liga] Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona (beIN Sports)
5:00 p.m. - [MLS] Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake (KUBE57)
Sunday, Mar. 3
6:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Watford vs. Leicester City (NBC Sports)
8:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Fulham vs. Chelsea (NBC Sports)
10:15 a.m. - [Premier League] Everton vs. Liverpool (NBC Sports)
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The Astros closed out their latest road trip with a winning record, a feat made more impressive considering the turbulence at the back of the rotation. Brandon Walter and Ryan Gusto both endured rough outings, with Walter in particular getting tagged hard. Still, Houston salvaged the finale, thanks largely to Mauricio Dubón’s breakout performance. The utilityman launched two home runs to power an offense that’s quietly been heating up for weeks.
But even with a solid finish, not everything is trending upward.
Josh Hader, who’s been one of the game’s most reliable closers this season, has begun to show signs of vulnerability. He’s allowed a home run in three of his last six outings. While his overall numbers remain strong, the long ball—a problem that plagued him last year—is starting to creep back into the picture.
As the Astros return home, the schedule offers no breather. They’ll face the Phillies and Cubs before a brief trip to Colorado to take on the struggling Rockies. After that comes a marquee series against the defending champion Dodgers in Los Angeles. With three of their next four opponents being legitimate World Series threats, the coming stretch looms large.
Can the bats keep pace?
If the last month is any indication, the Astros have reason to feel optimistic. Christian Walker has started to show signs of life after a quiet start to the season, hitting .260 with a .762 OPS and five home runs over the past 30 days. José Altuve has been scorching with a .302 average and .901 OPS in that span, while Jeremy Peña has taken things to another level, batting .384 with a 1.009 OPS.
As a team, the Astros rank 7th in OPS, 5th in runs, 3rd in batting average, and 7th in home runs over the last 30 days. It’s a surge that’s come at the right time—and one they’ll need to sustain.
The injury picture is also starting to shift in Houston’s favor.
Cristian Javier threw a 20-pitch live BP today in West Palm Beach. According to Joe Espada, he was up to 95 mph.
Luis Garcia should throw a live BP next week.
Spencer Arrighetti is still not throwing off a mound yet.
Yordan Alvarez has not resumed hitting.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) June 20, 2025
Joe Espada told The Athletic's Chandler Rome that Christian Javier recently threw a live batting practice session, touching 95 mph as he continues his return from Tommy John surgery. JP France has thrown multiple live BPs and could be ready to help if things continue to progress with his shoulder. Luis Garcia, however, remains further away despite undergoing surgery more than two years ago. He's expected to throw a live BP this week.
Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) should be able to return in August, and Lance McCullers has resumed throwing and is currently on the 15-day IL with a foot sprain.
The Astros are winning. The offense is rolling. The reinforcements are on the way. But with a brutal stretch looming, the team’s margin for error is about to be put to the test.
There's so much more to cover! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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