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Soccer on TV: UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Copa Libertadores games

Inter Milan and Real Madrid could be in big trouble, Tyler Adams' RB Leipzig faces Kylian Mbappe's Paris Saint-Germain, and new U.S. national team midfielder Johnny Cardoso faces Boca Juniors.

Kylian Mbappe, right, will lead Paris Saint-Germain against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Kylian Mbappe, right, will lead Paris Saint-Germain against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.Read moreDavid Vincent / AP

The UEFA Champions League and Europa League resume this week. There are also some big games in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s biggest club tournament.

Here’s your viewer’s guide to the top action to watch.

Rennes vs. Chelsea

Tuesday, 12:55 p.m. (Galavision, CBS All Access)

Christian Pulisic isn’t all the way back from his hamstring injury yet, but Kai Havertz has returned from coronavirus and is set to play. Chelsea can clinch a round of 16 berth with a win. Rennes’ Eduardo Camavinga is also back in action, and this game will be another big stage for one of the world’s top young prospects.

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Paris Saint-Germain vs. RB Leipzig

Tuesday, 3 p.m. (CBS All Access, TUDN.com)

Kylian Mbappe is back to fitness after missing two games this month with a hamstring injury, including PSG’s 2-1 loss at Leipzig on Nov. 4. He returned last Friday at Monaco, his old club, and PSG blew a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 defeat. Leipzig should have Tyler Adams, who went all 90 minutes in a 1-1 tie at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday after two good performances for the U.S. national team.

Racing Club vs. Flamengo

Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. (beIN Sports, beIN Sports Español)

The opening night of the Copa Libertadores’ round of 16 is headlined by this meeting of Argentine and Brazilian giants. Racing, based near Buenos Aires, is led by veteran forwards Dario Cvitanich and Lisandro Lopez. Flamengo, of Rio de Janeiro, is the reigning Libertadores champion and has one of South America’s biggest fan bases. It also has some major prospects, including forward Gabriel Barbosa and midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta.

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Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Wednesday, 12:55 p.m. (Galavision, CBS All Access)

Group B has been the wildest group in the Champions League so far. Monchengladbach (5 points) is in first thanks to an astonishing 6-0 win at second-place Shakhtar (4) on Nov. 3. Superpowers Real Madrid (4) and Inter Milan (2) are in third and fourth. The standings are tight enough that a Monchengladbach win wouldn’t clinch a knockout stage berth, but it would go a long way.

Inter Milan vs. Real Madrid

Wednesday, 3 p.m. (UniMas, TUDN, CBS All Access)

There will obviously be a lot of pressure on Inter to win, but there will be plenty of pressure on Real too. Manager Zinedine Zidane’s squad got thumped 4-1 at Valencia going into the FIFA break, then came out of it with a 1-1 tie at Villarreal. That’s more than enough to have the Madrid media crying panic -- and Zidane snapping back at them, as he did Saturday.

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Internacional vs. Boca Juniors

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. (beIN Sports, beIN Sports Español)

Earlier this month, Internacional’s American midfielder Johnny Cardoso became the first player from a South American league to make the senior U.S. men’s national team in 25 years. Born in northern New Jersey and raised in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the central midfielder debuted for the Sao Paulo-based club last year at age 17.

U.S. scouts learned of him soon thereafter and brought him to an under-23 camp. They liked him and he liked them, and he has kept rising up the ranks ever since. When he made his senior debut this month, his jersey carried just his first name, following Brazil’s soccer tradition. His club does the same.

This will be another high-profile game for Johnny. Boca Juniors is one of South America’s titans, the legendary home of stars from Diego Maradona to Carlos Tevez -- who’s now leading the club once again.

Lille vs. AC Milan

Thursday, 12:55 p.m. (TUDN, CBS All Access)

Thanks partly to a 3-0 win at Milan earlier this month, Lille can take a big step toward clinching first place in its Europa League group with a win at home here. Canadian striker Jonathan David is coming off finally scoring his first goal for the club, while American winger Tim Weah continues to fight for more playing time.

Milan hasn’t lost since Lille’s visit, and has yet to lose at all this season in Serie A. Zlatan Ibrahimovic starred again in a 3-1 win at Napoli on Sunday, scoring two goals. But he had to leave the game late with a leg injury that could sideline him for up to a month.

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Rangers vs. Benfica

Thursday, 3 p.m. (CBS All Access, TUDN.com)

After nearly a decade in exile, Rangers are finally back at the top of Scottish soccer. James Tavernier and Canadian midfielder have the Glasgow-based club flying high atop the Premier League standings and tied for first in its Europa League group with Benfica.

These teams played to a wild 3-3 tie in Lisbon on Nov. 5 that featured a red card, an own goal by each team and a 91st-minute equalizer by Benfica’s Darwin Nunez. Benfica’s squad has many familiar names, including former Tottenham Hotspur players Jan Vertonghen and Adel Taraabt.