THE SOCCER REPORT

Soccer Recap: Flamengo champions of South America, Man City comeback vs. Chelsea

Soccer Recap: Flamengo champions of South America, Man City comeback vs. Chelsea
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Manchester City

Copa Libertadores Final

Brazilian club Flamengo defeated Argentina's River Plate to claim the 2019 Copa Libertadores, the continental championship of South America. It is the second Libertadores in the club's history and first since 1981. River Plate held a 1-0 lead for 89 minutes before Gabriel Barbosa struck twice in the 89th minute and in second half stoppage time to turn the game on its head. Flamengo will represent CONMEBOL, the South American confederation, in December's FIFA Club World Cup.

The match was the first one-game final in the tournament's history and took place in Lima, Peru - moved from its original setting of Santiago, Chile due to the ongoing protests.

AFC Champions League

Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal claimed their third AFC Champions League title with a 2-1 aggregate win over Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds. Former MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco won Man of the Match honors for Al-Hilal, who now head to December's FIFA Club World Cup.

English Premier League

Top six: 1. Liverpool (37), 2. Leicester City (29), 3. Man City (28), 4. Chelsea (26), 5. Arsenal (19), 6. Sheffield Utd (18)

Bottom three (relegation): 18. Norwich City (10), 19. Southampton (9), 20. Watford (8)

Scoring leader: 12 - Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)

Assists leader: 9 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)

Spanish La Liga

Top six: 1. FC Barcelona (28), 2. Real Madrid (28), 3. Sevilla (27), 4. Atletico Madrid (25), 5. Athletic Bilbao (23), 6. Real Sociedad (23)

Bottom three: 18. Celta Vigo (12), 19. Espanyol (9), 20. Leganes (6)

Scoring leader: 10 - Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Assists leader: 5 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)

German Bundesliga

Top six: 1. Monchengladbach (25), 2. RB Leipzig (24), 3. Bayern Munich (24), 4. Freiburg (22), 5. Schalke 04 (22), 6. Dortmund (20)

Bottom three: 16. Fortuna (11), 17. Cologne (7), 18. Paderborn (5)

Scoring leader: 16 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Assists leader: 7 - Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)

Italian Serie A

Top six: 1. Juventus (35), 2. Inter Milan (34), 3. Lazio (27), 4. Cagliari (25), 5. Roma (25), 6. Atalanta (22)

Bottom three: 18. Genoa (10), 19. SPAL (9), 20. Brescia (7)

Scoring leader: 15 - Ciro Immobile (Lazio)

Assists leader: 9 - Luis Alberto (Lazio)

French Ligue 1

Top four: 1. PSG (33), 2. Marseille (25), 3. Angers (24), 4. Bordeaux (22)

Bottom three: 18. Metz (14), 19. Tolouse (12), 20. Nimes (11)

Scoring leader: 10 - Moussa Dembele (Lyon)

Assists leader: 7 - Islam Slimani (Monaco) / Yoann Court (Brest)

Liga MX

Liga MX Femenil

TV listings (All Times CT):

Tuesday, November 26

11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Lokomotiv Moscow vs. Bayer Leverkusen (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)

11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Galatasaray vs. Brugge (Galavision)

2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Real Madrid vs. PSG (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)

2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Juventus vs. Atletico Madrid (Galavision)

Wednesday, November 27

11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Valencia vs. Chelsea (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)

11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Zenit vs. Lyon (Galavision)

2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] FC Barcelona vs. Dortmund (UniMas, TUDN)

2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Liverpool vs. Napoli (TNT, Galavision)

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Jose Altuve will hit leadoff for Houston in the opener against Baltimore. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros return to Daikin Park on Friday night looking to protect their lead in the AL West and build momentum as the calendar edges deeper into August. They’ll open a three-game weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles — a matchup that, on paper, tilts heavily in Houston’s favor.

Framber Valdez takes the mound for the Astros in the opener, bringing an 11-5 record, 2.97 ERA, and a 1.16 WHIP into his 24th start of the season. The left-hander has been a reliable anchor for Houston’s rotation all year, capable of handling both high-leverage situations and deep outings, and he’ll be tasked with quieting a Baltimore lineup that’s been ice cold of late.

The Orioles counter with right-hander Brandon Young, still searching for his first win in the majors. Young has endured a rough debut season, going 0-6 with a 6.70 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP. Baltimore will need him to find some early rhythm to have a chance, particularly against a Houston offense that has begun to heat up.

Carlos Correa has been Houston’s hottest bat over the past 10 games, going 16-for-40 with two home runs and seven RBIs. The Orioles’ top offensive threat remains catcher Adley Rutschman, who has nine homers and 27 RBIs, while infielder Jordan Westburg has added some pop with two homers in his last 10 games.

Baltimore has dropped six of its last 10 games, batting just .184 over that span and being outscored by 19 runs. Houston, by contrast, has gone 6-4 in its last 10, scoring enough to outpace opponents despite a 4.50 team ERA during that stretch.

This marks the first meeting between the Astros and Orioles this season. With 37 wins already at home and 14 of their next 17 games coming against teams with losing records, Houston sees this series as a prime opportunity to add wins and tighten its grip on a playoff bye — while keeping the pressure squarely on the AL West chase.

Starting lineup

Right away, you'll notice Jeremy Pena (illness) is out.

Altuve will DH and hit leadoff, with Correa hitting second (3B), and Jesus Sanchez batting third (LF).

Christian Walker will hit cleanup and play first base, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Ramon Urias (2B), Taylor Trammell (CF), Mauricio Dubon (SS), and Cam Smith (RF).


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