Hello! There’s a consequential batch of midweek games on the schedule with trophies in sight for several teams across Europe. I’m Pardeep Cattry with the latest.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Wednesday, April 23
🏴 WSL: Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇮🇹 Coppa Italia semifinals: Inter vs. AC Milan, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏴 EPL: Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace, 3 p.m. ➡️ USA Network
🇪🇸 La Liga: Getafe vs. Real Madrid, 3:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN2
🌎 CCC: Tigres vs. Cruz Azul, 10 p.m. ➡️ FS1
Thursday, April 24
🇮🇹 Coppa Italia: Bologna vs. Empoli, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Atletico Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano, 3:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🌎 CCC: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Inter Miami, 10:30 p.m. ➡️ FS1
⚽ The Forward Line
🇮🇹 Inter, AC Milan target Coppa Italia final
One final edition of the Derby della Madonnina this season will take place in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals on Wednesday (watch live on Paramount+), with Inter and AC Milan deadlocked after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Inter may have entered the tie as the favorites and are still in the hunt for their first treble since the 2009-10 season, but the last few weeks have been trying for Simone Inzaghi’s side, potentially providing a new opening for AC Milan in the second leg.
Inter’s 1-0 loss to Bologna on Sunday not only ensured Napoli would be level with them on points with five games to go in Serie A but raised some serious questions about their treble-winning mettle. All three trophies will be on the line in the next several weeks and there’s no certainty about winning any of them, but Wednesday’s game offers an opportunity for Inter to remind onlookers of their title-winning potential. It will require actually beating their city rivals, though – despite Inter’s strong season and AC Milan’s up-and-down campaign, Inter have not actually beaten Milan in four previous meetings this season, including in January’s Supercoppa Italiana final.
The stakes, meanwhile, are different for Milan. After last season’s second-place finish in Serie A, they targeted silverware, and though this campaign has hardly gone according to plan, they can still salvage things somewhat in the Coppa Italia. That’s not the only thing at stake – this tournament is now the likeliest way for Milan to qualify for European competition next season, since they sit in ninth place in Serie A and are six points away from sixth place, where a spot in the UEFA Conference League playoff round awaits. Milan will likely need their high-profile players to step up on Wednesday, including U.S. men’s national team standout Christian Pulisic, who has now gone seven games without a goal for club or country. Francesco Porizo writes that Wednesday’s game is crucial for Pulisic, both in terms of ending the dry spell and ensuring he has all the preparation he needs going into the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
- Porzio: “Pulisic, who scored 15 goals so far this season in all competitions, is also facing a difficult moment as he has not scored in the last five matches between Serie A and Coppa Italia, but he provided two key assists against Fiorentina and Udinese. It’s clear that Pulisic needs to play European soccer in the season that will precede the FIFA 2026 World Cup as it will take place in the United States in June and July of next year, but as things stand right now, it’s more likely to see him playing the Conference League rather than Champions or Europa League, unless the team coached by Sergio Conceicao react in the last stint of a disappointing season.”
The winner awaits either Bologna or Empoli, who will play in the second leg of their semifinal on Thursday. Bologna carry a 3-0 advantage from the first leg.
Sponsored by Paramount+
🔗 Midfield Link Play
🇪🇸 Real Madrid fight to stay in La Liga race
A busy stretch of games continues on Wednesday for Real Madrid, who travel to Getafe as the focus shifts to them in La Liga’s title race. Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Mallorca on Tuesday means Los Blancos are now seven points behind the league leaders, and the onus is on them to at least keep pace in the title race with a win at Getafe, all while Saturday’s Clasico in the Copa del Rey final looms large for Real Madrid.
Considering the ups and downs of Real Madrid’s season, chief among them their quarterfinal exit in the UEFA Champions League, the idea of a trophy-less season feels like more of a reality than it once did for the star-studded group. Chatter about Carlo Ancelotti’s likely end-of-season exit continues, and though he has yet to confirm the move, he offered some semblance of farewell remarks in his pre-match comments on Tuesday when asked if winning the league and cup double would have an impact on his decision to stay or go.
- Ancelotti: “In football, anything is possible. I’m not surprised by anything, so anything can happen. I don’t have any grudges against anyone or anything. I love this job. I loved it the first time, and I’m loving this second spell. I’d like this to continue as long as possible. If one day it ends, I’ll be grateful and I’ll take my hat off to this club, nothing else.”
Real Madrid will have to manage Wednesday’s game at Getafe without Kylian Mbappe, who has a short-term injury that will keep him out of this one, though he is still in consideration for Saturday’s Copa del Rey final. They are the favorites to take all three points, but if they cannot find a way to win, that could be it for their title hopes with just five games left on the calendar after the midweek fixture.
🔗 Top Stories
🇮🇹 Serie A postpones games: Serie A shifted their entire weekend slate to Sunday and will not play on Saturday, the day of Pope Francis’ funeral.
🏴 Promotion race: Leeds United and Burnley secured automatic promotion to the Premier League after wins on Monday.
🔴 Cunha to United?: CBS Sports reports that Manchester United have targeted Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha ahead of the summer transfer window.
⚽⚾ Bay FC at Oracle Park: The NWSL’s Bay FC will play the Washington Spirit in August at Oracle Park, home of MLB’s San Francisco Giants.
🇺🇸 NWSL power rankings: It was a good week for Bay FC in the latest batch of the NWSL power rankings, though the Orlando Pride could not say the same.
🔵 Millwall watch: Millwall are still in the hunt for promotion to the Premier League and could add an edge to England’s top flight if the controversial club make it all the way.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- Premier League: Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace, Wednesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Arsenal to win 1-0 (+550) – This match is technically one of Arsenal’s last chances to stick around in the Premier League title race since any dropped points means Liverpool will be crowned champions with five games to spare. Considering how unlikely the comeback will be – and how happy they undoubtedly will be to concentrate most of their efforts on the UEFA Champions League semifinals – it is hard to know how much the Gunners will put into this game. Even then, they will be the favorites against a Crystal Palace side that could rotate with Saturday’s FA Cup semifinal in mind. It might not be the most entertaining game, but Arsenal should be able to do enough to pick up another three points with relative ease.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.
📺 What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network
Paramount+
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Join Golazo Network as it help fans get their day started on the right foot on the network’s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you’ll never have to miss an episode.
3️⃣ Attacking Third (Tuesday, Thursday): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women’s game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. Don’t miss Tuesday and Thursday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET with a Sunday wrap up after the last curtain falls un the last NWSL match of the weekend.
⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday and Thursday): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 1 p.m. ET and Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.
🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can’t-miss goals from the day’s action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
England make inroads to keep Ashes hopes alive despite superb Carey century
Alex Carey's superb century led Australia to 326-8 as a spirited England bowling display kept the tourists' faint Ashes hopes alive on the first day of the third Test in Adelaide.Trailing 2-0 in the five-match series after heavy defeats in Perth and Brisbane, England's hopes of making an unlikely comeback suffered a further blow when returning Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss to earn the home side first hit in batting-friendly conditions. However, Ben Stokes' side defied the baking heat and seemingly flat surface at the Adelaide Oval to take regular wickets, with only Usman Khawaja (82) - called into the side at the last moment as a replacement for the unwell Steve Smith - and Carey (106) making proper use of the conditions. Score summary - Australia vs England, third Ashes Test Australia 326-8 after 83 overs in […]
Lookaway features as Newbury hosts quality pre-Christmas card
With Christmas on the horizon and the jumps season really in full flow, Newbury hosts a very competitive midweek card, while there is All-Weather Championships action at Lingfield, all live on Sky Sports Racing.1.58 Newbury - Lookaway & Mighty Bandit face offA quality sextet has assembled for the J M Finn Handicap Chase (1.58) at Newbury, featuring dual Grade Two winner Lookaway. The Neil King-trained eight-year-old is a consistent and tough sort who returned from wind surgery to run a huge race when third at Uttoxeter. Given plenty of time since then, he reverts to fences and has excellent claims under Jack Quinlan.Mighty Bandit made an encouraging fencing bow when following home Mambonumberfive at this course last month and he rates a huge danger off just a 2lb higher mark for a trainer - Warren Greatrex - in red-hot form. […]
Knicks win NBA Cup to end long trophy drought
The New York Knicks secured their maiden NBA Cup trophy - and first title since 1973 - after a stunning fourth-quarter comeback denied Victor Wembanyama his first piece of silverware with the San Antonio Spurs.The Knicks - trophyless since winning the second of their two NBA Championships 52 years ago - triumphed 124-113 in Las Vegas, rallying with a 12-1 start to the fourth quarter to go in front having not been ahead at all in the second or third quarters. OG Anunoby scored 28 points and Jalen Brunson 25 for New York, while Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 21 points and Wembanyama 18.This is the third year of the NBA Cup with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the inaugural edition before the Milwaukee Bucks prevailed last year. Image: Victor Wembanyama is still searching for his first title with […]
The Knicks won the NBA Cup without a hero, and that should frighten the league
LAS VEGAS — Each time the New York Knicks needed a problem solved, no matter how mundane or complex the on-court task was deemed to be, the question and answer was Mitchell Robinson.His five offensive rebounds in the span of 90 seconds provided the fulcrum of a pivotal three-minute, 16-2 run that gave New York a fourth-quarter lead they would never surrender, but Robinson’s commitment to crashing the glass — against a team that relished a physical bout down low — proved pivotal on one of the game’s biggest stages. Robinson played just 18 minutes but snagged 15 total rebounds — 10 of them being offensive — in a game where the Knicks scored 32 second-chance points from 23 added opportunities.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Tonight showed why it’s important to create extra possessions,” Robinson, donning a cup champions T-shirt, told Yahoo Sports following the […]
Paul promises ‘biggest upset in sports history’ by beating Joshua
Jake Paul plans to "shock the world" and "pull off the biggest upset in sports history" when he takes on former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Miami.YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul - who has a 12-1 record as a pro and beat ex-middleweight world champion Julio César Chávez Jr in his previous fight in June - will meet Joshua in an eight-rounder on Friday. The American said at a public workout: "One of us is going to sleep - that's what we're going to do here. That's what this heavyweight fight is all about. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Andy Scott, Gary Logan and heavyweight Johnny Fisher break down how Paul can pull of the unthinkable and beat Joshua "I started my boxing journey here in Miami. We're bringing it back and I'm going to shock […]
Mekies vows to maintain aggressive Red Bull approach in post-Horner era
Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies said his team will push Formula 1's rules "to the limit and sometimes beyond" as he insisted the Milton Keynes squad will remain aggressive under his leadership.Mekies made an impressive start to his tenure after replacing Christian Horner in July, overseeing an upturn in results that enabled Max Verstappen to come within two points of pulling off a historic title battle comeback. Under Horner, who had been in charge of the team since it joined the grid in 2005, Red Bull developed a reputation for particularly fierce competitiveness, while the Brit himself was engaged in several feuds with rival team bosses. Having worked across several teams - including Ferrari - and even for the governing body, the FIA, during his 25 years in Formula 1, Mekies is a popular figure with strong relationships all over […]
Related
Lookaway features as Newbury hosts quality pre-Christmas card
With Christmas on the horizon and the jumps season really in full flow, Newbury hosts a very competitive midweek card, while there is All-Weather Championships action at Lingfield, all live on Sky Sports Racing.1.58 Newbury - Lookaway & Mighty Bandit face offA quality sextet has assembled for the J M Finn Handicap Chase (1.58) at Newbury, featuring dual Grade Two winner Lookaway. The Neil King-trained eight-year-old is a consistent and tough sort who returned from wind surgery to run a huge race when third at Uttoxeter. Given plenty of time since then, he reverts to fences and has excellent claims under Jack Quinlan.Mighty Bandit made an encouraging fencing bow when following home Mambonumberfive at this course last month and he rates a huge danger off just a 2lb higher mark for a trainer - Warren Greatrex - in red-hot form. […]
England make inroads to keep Ashes hopes alive despite superb Carey century
Alex Carey's superb century led Australia to 326-8 as a spirited England bowling display kept the tourists' faint Ashes hopes alive on the first day of the third Test in Adelaide.Trailing 2-0 in the five-match series after heavy defeats in Perth and Brisbane, England's hopes of making an unlikely comeback suffered a further blow when returning Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss to earn the home side first hit in batting-friendly conditions. However, Ben Stokes' side defied the baking heat and seemingly flat surface at the Adelaide Oval to take regular wickets, with only Usman Khawaja (82) - called into the side at the last moment as a replacement for the unwell Steve Smith - and Carey (106) making proper use of the conditions. Score summary - Australia vs England, third Ashes Test Australia 326-8 after 83 overs in […]
Knicks win NBA Cup to end long trophy drought
The New York Knicks secured their maiden NBA Cup trophy - and first title since 1973 - after a stunning fourth-quarter comeback denied Victor Wembanyama his first piece of silverware with the San Antonio Spurs.The Knicks - trophyless since winning the second of their two NBA Championships 52 years ago - triumphed 124-113 in Las Vegas, rallying with a 12-1 start to the fourth quarter to go in front having not been ahead at all in the second or third quarters. OG Anunoby scored 28 points and Jalen Brunson 25 for New York, while Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 21 points and Wembanyama 18.This is the third year of the NBA Cup with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the inaugural edition before the Milwaukee Bucks prevailed last year. Image: Victor Wembanyama is still searching for his first title with […]
The Knicks won the NBA Cup without a hero, and that should frighten the league
LAS VEGAS — Each time the New York Knicks needed a problem solved, no matter how mundane or complex the on-court task was deemed to be, the question and answer was Mitchell Robinson.His five offensive rebounds in the span of 90 seconds provided the fulcrum of a pivotal three-minute, 16-2 run that gave New York a fourth-quarter lead they would never surrender, but Robinson’s commitment to crashing the glass — against a team that relished a physical bout down low — proved pivotal on one of the game’s biggest stages. Robinson played just 18 minutes but snagged 15 total rebounds — 10 of them being offensive — in a game where the Knicks scored 32 second-chance points from 23 added opportunities.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Tonight showed why it’s important to create extra possessions,” Robinson, donning a cup champions T-shirt, told Yahoo Sports following the […]
Paul promises ‘biggest upset in sports history’ by beating Joshua
Jake Paul plans to "shock the world" and "pull off the biggest upset in sports history" when he takes on former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Miami.YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul - who has a 12-1 record as a pro and beat ex-middleweight world champion Julio César Chávez Jr in his previous fight in June - will meet Joshua in an eight-rounder on Friday. The American said at a public workout: "One of us is going to sleep - that's what we're going to do here. That's what this heavyweight fight is all about. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Andy Scott, Gary Logan and heavyweight Johnny Fisher break down how Paul can pull of the unthinkable and beat Joshua "I started my boxing journey here in Miami. We're bringing it back and I'm going to shock […]
Mekies vows to maintain aggressive Red Bull approach in post-Horner era
Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies said his team will push Formula 1's rules "to the limit and sometimes beyond" as he insisted the Milton Keynes squad will remain aggressive under his leadership.Mekies made an impressive start to his tenure after replacing Christian Horner in July, overseeing an upturn in results that enabled Max Verstappen to come within two points of pulling off a historic title battle comeback. Under Horner, who had been in charge of the team since it joined the grid in 2005, Red Bull developed a reputation for particularly fierce competitiveness, while the Brit himself was engaged in several feuds with rival team bosses. Having worked across several teams - including Ferrari - and even for the governing body, the FIA, during his 25 years in Formula 1, Mekies is a popular figure with strong relationships all over […]
Be the first to leave a comment