Soccer on TV: Tyler Adams vs. Gio Reyna, and an all-time FA Cup Cinderella story
Three of the biggest stars in American soccer will be in the European spotlight this weekend.
Two of the biggest stars in American soccer will go head to head in Germany this weekend, and if you’re a fan of Cinderella stories, there’s one of the biggest ever in England’s FA Cup.
There also would have been Tobin Heath’s return to action with Manchester United, but the game against Everton scheduled for Sunday was postponed Friday because of a COVID-19 outbreak within Everton’s squad.
Here’s your viewer’s guide to this weekend’s top action to watch on TV and online:
Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Bayern Munich
Friday, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
The weekend kicks off with Robert Lewandowski and Bayern looking to consolidate their lead atop the Bundesliga. Seventh-place Monchengladbach is hampered by missing star forward Marcus Thuram, who’s serving a five-game suspension for spitting at a player from Hoffenheim in a game on Dec. 19.
» READ MORE: This weekend's Bundesliga schedule
Granada vs. Barcelona
Saturday, 12:30 p.m. (beIN Sports, beIN Sports Español)
It hasn’t always been easy, but Barcelona is unbeaten in seven straight La Liga games and up to third place in the standings. Lionel Messi scored two brilliant goals on Wednesday in a 3-2 win at Athletic Bilbao. Granada, led by veteran forward Roberto Soldado, is in seventh place. But the team has a porous defense that has allowed 25 goals in 16 games.
» READ MORE: This weekend's La Liga schedule
RB Leipzig vs. Borussia Dortmund
Saturday, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
The Bundesliga’s biggest game of the weekend has the second-place team hosting its fourth-place team – including an all-American matchup of Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna. Adams’ Leipzig trails Bayern by just two points, and has the league’s stingiest defense with just nine goals allowed in 14 games. Reyna’s Dortmund is in fourth, and leads Union Berlin and VfL Wolfsburg by just one point.
Milan vs. Torino
Saturday, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN+)
Milan’s lead atop Serie A is down to one point after the Rossoneri were thumped 3-1 at home by Weston McKennie’s Juventus. Now Milan goes to Turin to face the city’s other team. Injured star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be ready to play, but it sounds like he’s still got one game left in his rehab.
» READ MORE: This weekend's Serie A schedule
Tigres vs. Leon
Saturday, 8 p.m. (Univision, TUDN, ESPN Deportes)
The spring season of Mexico’s Liga MX kicks off this weekend, and the big game features two of the country’s biggest powerhouses. Joel Campbell and Leon, which won the regular season and playoffs, visit Andre-Pierre Gignac and Tigres, which won the Concacaf Champions League final on Dec. 22.
» READ MORE: This weekend's Liga MX schedule
Marine AFC vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Sunday, noon (ESPN+)
There are no English Premier League games this weekend, but there is the third round of the FA Cup. This is the most-anticipated game of the 32 on deck this weekend.
Marine, an eighth-tier semipro team from near Liverpool, hosts juggernaut Tottenham with all of it stars – or at least however many aren’t given the weekend off. It’s the biggest gap across the English pyramid of any game in FA Cup history
ESPN+ will carry every FA Cup in the third round. Other notable games include sixth-tier Chorley hosting second-tier Derby County on Saturday (7:15 a.m.) and fifth-tier Stockport County hosting the Premier League’s West Ham United on Monday (3 p.m.)
» READ MORE: The full FA Cup third round schedule