Happy first day of May! A jam-packed Champions League week got underway on Tuesday with a 2-2 draw between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, and more entertainment could be in store on Wednesday with Paris Saint-Germain's trip to Borussia Dortmund. I'm Pardeep Cattry with a Champions League-themed midweek check-in.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Wednesday, May 1
🏴 WSL: Liverpool vs. Chelsea, 2 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 UCL: Dortmund vs. PSG, 3 p.m. ➡️ CBS, Paramount+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Bay FC vs. Portland Thorns, 10 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network
🌍 CCC: Monterrey vs. Columbus Crew, 10:15 p.m. ➡️ FS1
Thursday, May 2
🏴 EPL: Chelsea vs. Tottenham, 2:30 p.m. ➡️ Peacock
🇪🇺 UEL: Roma vs. Leverkusen, 3 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
🇪🇺 UEL: Marseille vs. Atalanta, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ The Forward Line
🇪🇸 Real Madrid bend, but don't break
Real Madrid needed an 83rd-minute penalty to come out of the first leg of their semifinal against Bayern Munich on even footing on Tuesday, continuing their streak as the only unbeaten team left in the Champions League.
Bayern were arguably the better side and truly challenged Madrid's claim as the team to beat in Europe, having a narrow edge in possession and passes while outshooting the visitors 14 to 10. The La Liga leaders were down, but never out -- they ultimately beat Bayern in terms of expected goals 1.87 to 1.57, continuing to be an example of a side that always takes their chances. The first goal was emblematic of just that with Vinicius Junior scoring in the 24th minute off of Real Madrid's first shot of the game.
That goal also featured arguably the team's most important player on Tuesday, Toni Kroos. He delivered a stellar pass to Vinicius Junior for the goal, and as Jonathan Johnson writes, also delivered a tactical masterclass in midfield against his former club.
- Johnson: "Toni Kroos who was sensational in midfield and produced a superb pass for Vini Jr. to score in the first half and split the Bavarian defense at will over the course of 90 minutes in Munich. If the 34-year-old is in similarly sparkling form just months out from UEFA Euro 2024 on home soil, then Real have a strong chance of advancing past Bayern given the greater control over proceedings that [Carlo] Ancelotti's men will enjoy in Madrid compared with their Allianz Arena outing. If Kroos is allowed to get on the ball anywhere near as often as he did here, then his influence could directly dictate the outcome of this next game."
Even if they were on the back foot throughout, the even scoreline arguably means Real Madrid are still the favorites to advance a week from Wednesday. The home-field advantage will certainly help but their continuing ability to bail themselves out of trouble thanks to their goalscoring prowess means they will likely have the confidence to eke out another result. Bayern, though, are still in this one and may have put together their most encouraging performance of the season. With nothing else to play for, it's worth watching next week to see if they can pull off a repeat -- and turn a less-than-ideal season into another memorable one.
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
🇫🇷 PSG's past, present and future on display
Paris Saint-Germain enter Wednesday's semifinal as the heavy favorites against Borussia Dortmund, meaning the pressure is arguably on the French champions as Kylian Mbappe eyes his first Champions League title before his expected departure.
It's almost difficult to remember that PSG are in the midst of a rebuild, led impressively by Luis Enrique in his first season in charge. The manager has successfully begun to take PSG out of its star-studded identity, which unfortunately delivered few results, and is turning the team into a youth-focused group with a focus on the collective rather than some headline-grabbing players. That includes figuring out a way to win on days when Mbappe is not at his best -- or even on days when he isn't even there. As Jonathan Johnson argues, the strong returns of the transitional period means Enrique's first season in Paris is already a success.
- Johnson: "Luis Enrique and Kylian Mbappe have not always seen eye-to-eye this season, but there is no doubting that the Spaniard's stance with the French superstar has been to PSG's benefit on the field of play. The team is less reliant on Mbappe now than it was even 12 months ago and Goncalo Ramos' rise to pulling with his strike partner in terms of goals scored across 2024 suggests that their post-talisman era will not look too bad in terms of posing a goal threat without making any transfer moves to replace Mbappe yet. Luis Enrique has been preaching the importance of preparing for a future without the star No. 7 and that strategy looks like it has paid off with PSG capable of winning without Mbappe but still looking dangerous and getting result when he does feature."
PSG can go to Dortmund with confidence that they can come out with a result, whether or not Mbappe takes center stage. As long as the World Cup winner is on the roster, though, many will expect him to deliver. Mbappe is the Champions League's joint top goalscorer with Harry Kane, who scored his eighth goal of the season in Tuesday's semifinal, and hopes will be high considering Dortmund's occasionally shaky backline. The German side conceded four goals in their quarterfinal triumph against Atletico Madrid, several of them off the back of defensive errors.
If anyone can exploit that, it's Mbappe. Even if he does not, though, PSG are still in good position to leave Germany with a healthy advantage.
🔗 Top Stories
🎤 Champions League fallout: Thomas Mueller stops by to chat with the crew with Aurelian Tchouameni not far behind.
🥜 Bayern in a nutshell: James Benge explains how Bayern's draw against Real Madrid is a microcosm of their frustrating season.
🇺🇸🇲🇽 U.S.-Mexico drop 2027 bid: The U.S. and Mexico will no longer bid to host the 2027 Women's World Cup and will shift their focus to the 2031 edition, while Brazil emerges as the favorite to hold the 2027 tournament.
💰 PL salary cap: Premier League clubs have agreed in principle to institute a salary cap, which would limit teams to spending five times the broadcast revenue earned by the 20th-place team on player wages.
🩹 Project ACL: FIFPRO launched Project ACL, an unprecedented study into the external factors that could increase the risk for women's soccer players to pick up ACL injuries.
🏖️ Lozano to San Diego: Mexico's Hirving "Chucky" Lozano is nearing a deal to join MLS expansion side San Diego FC, becoming the first high-profile player to sign for the club.
🦵 Boo to ACLs: Sergino Dest confirmed that he tore his ACL and his set for a lengthy period of rehab.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- UEFA Champions League: Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain, Wednesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Nicklas Fullkrug to score (+190) -- Dortmund might be the Cinderella story of the Champions League semifinals, but that does not mean they should automatically be counted out. The German side have survived plenty of top-tier opponents en route to the final four and have an impressive amount of goals in them -- 15 in 10 games, to be exact. Niclas Fullkrug will be a focal point of the attack, especially after scoring in the second leg of the quarterfinals against Atletico Madrid and might be good for another goal on Wednesday. - UEFA Europa League: Roma vs. Bayer Leverkusen, Thursday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Leverkusen to win 1-0 (+700) -- Daniele de Rossi's Roma rarely make it easy for opponents to score on them so do not expect a lopsided scoreline but Leverkusen are hard to bet against as they continue a historic unbeaten run. Expect them to pick up another big result in the headlining act of the Europa League semifinals, even if it's a narrow one.
Don't miss the Champions League channel
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