Manchester United make Ruben Amorim official; Lionel Messi back in action in MLS Cup playoffs on Saturday

Happy November! The weekend’s fixtures promise plenty of entertainment on both sides of the Atlantic, all while Manchester United try to lock in a new manager. I’m Pardeep Cattry with your end-of-week update.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Friday, Nov. 1
🇺🇸 MLS Cup playoffs: Colorado Rapids vs. LA Galaxy, 9:30 p.m. ➡️ Apple TV+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Portland Thorns vs. Angel City, 10 p.m. ➡️ Amazon Prime Video

Saturday, Nov. 2
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Bayern vs. Union Berlin, 10:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EPL: Liverpool vs. Brighton, 11 a.m. ➡️ Peacock
🇮🇹 Serie A: Monza vs. AC Milan, 3:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Valencia vs. Real Madrid, 4 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇺🇸 MLS Cup playoffs: Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami, 7 p.m. ➡️ Apple TV+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Houston Dash vs. Bay FC, 9 p.m. ➡️ ION

Sunday, Nov. 3
🇪🇸 La Liga: Barcelona vs. Espanyol, 10:15 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EPL: Manchester United vs. Chelsea, 11:30 a.m. ➡️ USA Network
🇮🇹 Serie A: Inter vs. Venezia, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 NWSL: San Diego Wave vs. Racing Louisville, 4:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN
🇺🇸 MLS Cup playoffs: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. LAFC, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ FS1

⚽ The Forward Line

🔴 Ruben Amorim inches closer to Manchester United

The wait for a new Manchester United manager is over – almost. Ruben Amorim was officially named as Erik Ten Hag’s successor on Friday, marking the end of a speedy managerial search that kicked off in earnest on Monday with Ten Hag’s firing.

The 39-year-old will not report to Manchester until Nov. 11, though, with United making a compromise of sorts with Sporting Lisbon over his exit. Amorim technically needs to provide 30 days’ notice before leaving Sporting but United will pay $1.1 million on top of the $10.9 million release clause to ensure his earlier arrival, per CBS Sports’ James Benge. He will arrive in Manchester at the start of the international break before his first game at Ipswich Town on Nov. 24. Ruud van Nistelrooy will stay in charge of the team in the meantime, beginning his spell on the touchline on Wednesday with a 5-2 win over Leicester City in EFL Cup fourth round action, and will be there for Sunday’s high-profile clash with fifth place Chelsea.

Amorim offers some newfound confidence at United, a team that has been in desperate need of some for over a year now. The Portugal native is considered one of Europe’s rising managerial stars, promising a style of play that could reinvigorate a team that grew stale under Ten Hag. Amorim prefers to line up his teams in a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-1-2, foundationally rooted in a defensive stability that has been missing at United for some time. They have conceded 18 goals in 14 games this season, and last season finished with a negative goal difference in Premier League play after conceding 58 goals.

United’s new manager will have some work to do in attack, though. While he’s getting the best out of Vikor Gyokeres this season at Sporting, United have only scored eight goals in nine league games this season. While a tactical breath of fresh air could help, there’s a big project ahead at Old Trafford – their squad boasts some players who are out of form, and others who just might not be up for the challenge.

This waiting period, which kicked off against Leicester and continues against Chelsea on Sunday, will serve as an audition of sorts for United’s current players before Amorim’s arrival in a few weeks from now. The incoming manager, meanwhile, will have a chance to offer a preview in his final three games at Sporting, most notable of which is a UEFA Champions League tie against Manchester City on Tuesday.

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🔗  Midfield Link Play

🏆 Win or go home time in MLS

The MLS Cup Playoffs resume on Friday for round two of the opening round’s best-of-three series, a bunch of teams now holding the opportunity to book a straightforward passageway to the conference semifinals with a second win.

One of the first games of focus this weekend will be Inter Miami’s trip to Atlanta United on Saturday in a matchup that appears to be lopsided. Miami are still basking in the glow of their Supporters’ Shield win and still play like their MLS Cup win is the most expected outcome of the postseason. They performed as such last Friday, when they collected a 2-1 win at home against the East’s No. 9, who snuck into the playoffs on a tiebreaker. Though the scoreline was tight, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba’s goals were just the starting point of Miami’s win. They outshot Atlanta 22 to eight and generated 3.35 expected goals to the opponent’s 0.95, and could do the same on Saturday. A full crowd is expected at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium to see Lionel Messi’s side, potentially giving Miami an unexpected home-field advantage in the postseason.

Miami’s win over Atlanta was one of several unsurprising results in the first round of games, though the biggest surprise of the postseason so far was delivered on Tuesday, when the Columbus Crew lost 1-0 at home to the New York Red Bulls. To some degree the attack-minded philosophy that comes with being part of Red Bull’s collection of soccer teams, they defended in a deep block and absorbed the pressure as the Crew outshot them 15 to 11. They nicked the game’s lone goal on a set piece from newcomer Felipe Carballo in the 25th minute, picking up their first clean sheet in 12 games and only their third win in their last 17.

The Red Bulls will be one of only two sides with a chance to clinch a spot in the conference semifinals at home on Sunday, though expect the game to be one of the most competitive of the weekend. The reigning MLS champions are unexpected to go down without a fight, and will have a fitter Diego Rossi ready to go after he made a substitute appearance on Tuesday.

🔗  Top Stories

🔴 Amorim to United: As the countdown to Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge of Manchester United begins, here’s a primer on his managerial record and style of play.

🇺🇸 USWNT win again: The USWNT picked up a third win to wrap up this month’s international break, with Naomi Girma scoring a brace in their 3-0 win over Argentina.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EFL Cup latest: Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City in the biggest tie of the fourth round, while Aston Villa were surprisingly ousted from the cup by Crystal Palace.

🏆 2025 Ballon d’Or: With Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in the books, could Vinicius Junior or Lamine Yamal win next year’s award?

⚽⚽ McKennie, Weah score: USMNT standouts Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah were on the scoresheet as Juventus drew with Parma on Wednesday.

🇮🇹 Ultras under investigation: Here’s an explainer on the investigation into Inter and AC Milan’s ultras groups after 19 people were arrested.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Best bets

• Premier League: Liverpool vs. Brighton and Hove Albion, Saturday, 11 a.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Liverpool to win 2-1 (+750) – In a rematch of Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie that Liverpool won 3-2, the Reds will likely have the advantage again with Anfield as the setting this time around. It is hard to bet against Arne Slot’s high-flying side, though Fabian Hurzler’s Brighton are off to a fairly strong start of their own and with 12 goals in nine league games, may be able to score before the final whistle blows.
• La Liga: Barcelona vs. Espanyol, Sunday, 10:15 a.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Lamine Yamal to score (+110) – There’s a reason Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy at Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony – the 17-year-old is off to an impressive start to his professional career, and this season is no exception. He has six goals in 14 games this season, including last week’s Clasico, so he might just find another one on Sunday as Barcelona aim to hang onto their lead atop La Liga’s table.

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

☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started 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 (Monday, 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. And don’t miss Wednesday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.

⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and friends cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can also catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 11 a.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+.