THE SOCCER REPORT
Chelsea-Bayern, Napoli-Barcelona, Lyon-Juve, Real Madrid-Man City on UCL menu, El Clasico on Sunday
Feb 25, 2020, 7:40 am
Finale Istanbul is the Official Match Ball for the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League knockout stages. Photo: adidas
Plenty of big name clubs will highlight this week's action in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona face off in the sport's premier rivalry and the 25th season of Major League Soccer gets underway. In the Serie A, matches were postponed over the weekend due to the outbreak of the coronavirus in Italy.
Here is the week in soccer:
International Club competitions
UEFA Champions League
Round of 16 - First Leg
- Atletico Madrid 1-0 Liverpool
- Dortmund 2-1 PSG
- Atalanta 4-1 Valencia
- Tottenham 0-1 RB Leipzig
Concacaf Champions League
Round of 16 - First Leg
- Portmore United 1-2 Cruz Azul
- Motagua 1-1 Atlanta United
- Leon 2-0 LAFC
- Deportivo Saprissa 2-2 Montreal Impact
- Alianza 2-1 Tigres UANL
- Communicaciones 1-1 Club America
- AD San Carlos 3-5 NYCFC
- Olimpia 2-2 Seattle Sounders FC
English Premier League
Liverpool set another new #PL record https://t.co/mBlgJ2pUMO— Premier League (@Premier League) 1582600144.0
Top six: 1. Liverpool (79), 2. Man City (57), 3. Leicester City (50), 4. Chelsea (44), 5. Manchester United (41), 6. Tottenham (40)
Bottom three (relegation): 18. West Ham (24), 19. Watford (24), 20. Norwich City (18)
Scoring leader: 17 - Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) / Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
Assists leader: 16 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Spanish La Liga
Three goals in one half. Lionel Messi working his magic 🎩 ✨ https://t.co/etl4FY0m1Y— ESPN FC (@ESPN FC) 1582386629.0
Top six: 1. FC Barcelona (55), 2. Real Madrid (53), 3. Atletico Madrid (43), 4. Sevilla (43), 5. Getafe (42), 6. Real Sociedad (40)
Bottom three: 18. Mallorca (22), 19. Leganes (19), 20. Espanyol (19)
Scoring leader: 18 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Assists leader: 12 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
German Bundesliga
Just another weekend for Erling Haaland 🤩 He now has 12 goals in 8 official matches for Dortmund. https://t.co/aXnvAuTJRD— ESPN FC (@ESPN FC) 1582387580.0
Top six: 1. Bayern Munich (49), 2. RB Leipzig (48), 3. Dortmund (45), 4. Monchengladbach (43), 5. Bayer Leverkusen (43), 6. Schalke 04 (36)
Bottom three: 16. Fortuna (20), 17. Werder Bremen (17), 18. Paderborn (16)
Scoring leader: 25 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Assists leader: 14 - Jadon Sancho (Dortmund) / Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Italian Serie A
Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored in 11 straight matches -- equaling the Serie A record 😤 https://t.co/tcwqrbaccB— ESPN FC (@ESPN FC) 1582393568.0
Top six: 1. Juventus (60), 2. Lazio (59), 3. Inter Milan (54), 4. Atalanta (45), 5. Roma (42), 6. Napoli (36)
Bottom three: 18. Genoa (22), 19. Brescia (16), 20. SPAL (15)
Scoring leader: 27 - Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Assists leader: 11 - Luis Alberto (Lazio)
French Ligue 1
Top four: 1. PSG (65), 2. Marseille (52), 3. Rennes (44), 4. Lille (43)
Bottom three: 18. Nimes (27), 19. Amiens (22), 20. Toulouse (13)
Scoring leader: 16 - Kylian Mbappe (PSG) / Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco)
Assists leader: 14 - Angel Di Maria (PSG)
Liga MX
Clausura 2020
Top eight: 1. Club America (16), 2. Leon (15), 3. Pumas UNAM (14), 4. Cruz Azul (13), 5. Queretaro (12), 6. Atletico San Luis (12), 7. Juarez (11), 8. Santos Laguna (11)
Scoring leader: 5 - Angel Mena (Leon) / Ariel Nahuelpan (Queretaro) / Jonathan Rodriguez (Cruz Azul)
TV listings (All Times CT):
For full info on soccer TV listings and streaming services in the United States, visit worldsoccertalk.com
Tuesday, February 25
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich (TNT, Galavision)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Napoli vs. FC Barcelona (UniMas / TUDN, B/R Live)
6:30 p.m. - [Copa Sudamericana] River Plate vs. Deportivo Cali (beIN Sports)
7:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Atlanta United vs. Motagua (FS1, TUDN)
9:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Cruz Azul vs. Portmore United (FS2, TUDN)
Wednesday, February 26
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Real Madrid vs. Manchester City (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Lyon vs. Juventus (Galavision, B/R Live)
5:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] NYCFC vs. AD San Carlos (FS2, TUDN)
7:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Montreal lmpact vs. Deportivo Saprissa (FS2)
7:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Tigres UANL vs. Alianza (TUDN)
Thursday, February 27
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Espanyol vs. Wolves (UniMas, B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Manchester United vs. Brugge (UniMas, B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Arsenal vs. Olympiakos (TUDN, B/R Live)
9:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] LAFC vs. Club Leon (FS1, TUDN)
9:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Seattle Sounders FC vs. Olimpia (FS2)
Friday, February 28
1:30 p.m. - [Bundesliga] Dusseldorf vs. Hertha Berlin (FS2, FOX Deportes)
2:00 p.m. - [Premier League] Norwich vs. Leicester City (NBC Sports)
2:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Real Sociedad vs. Valladolid (beIN Sports)
9:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Monarcas Morelia vs. Cruz Azul (TUDN)
9:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Club Tijuana vs. Puebla (FOX Deportes)
Saturday, February 29
6:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Brighton vs. Crystal Palace (NBC Sports)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich, (FS1, UniMas, TUDN)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Dortmund vs. Freiburg (FS2, FOX Deportes)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Bournemouth vs. Chelsea (NBC Sports)
9:00 a.m. - [La Liga] Valencia vs. Real Betis (beIN Sports)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Watford vs. Liverpool (NBC Sports)
2:30 p.m. - [MLS] Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy (Univision)
5:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Pachuca vs. Queretaro (TUDN, ESPN Deportes)
7:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] America vs. Necaxa (Univision)
9:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Tigres UANL vs. Pumas UNAM (Univision)
Sunday, March 1
8:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Everton vs. Man United(NBC Sports)
8:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Tottenham vs. Wovles (NBC Sports Gold)
10:30 a.m. - [English League Cup Final] Manchester City vs. Aston Villa (NBC Sports)
2:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona (beIN Sports)
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A new challenge awaits, and the Astros know what’s at stake
Jun 27, 2025, 2:05 pm
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! 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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