Italy’s Serie A title race is Europe’s best to watch | Soccer on TV

Friday, 2:45 p.m. (NBCSports.com, atafootball.com, Fanatiz)

The weekend kicks off with the game of the season in England’s FA Women’s Super League. First-place Arsenal leads second-place Chelsea by two points, but Chelsea has a game in hand. If Sam Kerr’s Blues win this game, they’ll jump over Vivianne Miedema’s Gunners and be favored to stay there for good.

» READ MORE: The rest of this weekend's FAWSL schedule

Friday, 3 p.m. (beIN Sports, beIN Sports Español)

Lionel Messi and PSG get ready for Tuesday’s much-anticipated Champions League round of 16 series opener against Real Madrid by hosting Ligue 1′s fifth-place team. It’s too bad Rennes’ Jérémy Doku is out with a hamstring injury, because the 19-year-old Belgian winger is a great prospect.

» READ MORE: The rest of this weekend's Ligue 1 schedule

Friday, 10 p.m. (TUDN)

Here’s a big clash early in the Liga MX campaign: two of the three teams tied atop the standings through four games. Puebla’s squad includes former Union striker Fernando Aristeguieta. Defending champion Atlas is led by Julio Furch, who scored some big goals in the team’s playoff run.

» READ MORE: The rest of this weekend's Liga MX schedule

Saturday, 9:30 a.m. (ESPN+)

U.S. men’s national team fans will hope to see Mönchengladbach’s Joe Scally play against Augsburg’s Ricardo Pepi.

Saturday, 11:30 a.m. (FS2, Fox Deportes)

The champions of Europe and South America meet in the Club World Cup final. We’ll see if Hershey’s Christian Pulisic gets to play in it.

Saturday, noon (Paramount+)

It’s another massive weekend in Serie A, which has the best -- really the only -- title race going in Europe’s big leagues. Inter leads Napoli by one point and has a game in hand. Let’s see if the home team, led by Dries Mertens and Victor Osimhen, can get the win here and increase the drama.

Saturday, 12:30 p.m. (NBC10, Universo)

This game will get plenty of attention, as part of a big sports weekend on NBC that includes the Olympics and the Super Bowl. Arlo White is in suburban Los Angeles to host the network’s English Premier League studio coverage from SoFi Stadium, the site of Sunday night’s big game. (And yes, he’s enjoying the weather.)

» READ MORE: The rest of this weekend's English Premier League schedule

Saturday, 5:15 p.m. (Paramount+)

A new season starts in Argentina with the opening weekend of the Copa de la Liga. Unión centerback Diego Polenta, who spent 2019 with Los Angeles FC, will have his hands full with River Plate’s prolific attack. The superpower from Buenos Aires brought in Colombian playmaker Juan Fernando Quintero last month, and made two high-profile loan signings from MLS teams: Esequiel Barco from Atlanta United and Tomás Pochettino from Austin FC.

Most importantly, River gets to keep crown jewel Julián Álvarez for a few more months. Manchester City bought him last month for just under $19 million, then loaned him back through the end of June.

» READ MORE: More games to watch in Argentina this weekend

Sunday, 9:30 a.m. (ESPN+)

Dortmund got smashed at home by Bayer Leverkusen, 5-2, in last Sunday’s battle of the Bundesliga’s second- and third-place teams. Dortmund still has a big cushion in second, but now has to go to Berlin as fourth-place Union seeks to crash next season’s Champions League party.

» READ MORE: The rest of this weekend's Bundesliga schedule

Sunday, 2:45 p.m. (Paramount+)

Juventus is looking like its old self again. Weston McKennie and the Bianconeri are on a 10-game unbeaten run in Serie A dating back to Nov. 30, and they’ve risen to fourth place. Atalanta is two points back in fifth, and has a game in hand.

» READ MORE: The rest of this weekend's Serie A schedule

Sunday, 3 p.m. (ESPN+)

Barcelona’s 4-2 win over Atlético Madrid last Sunday was as close to a statement performance as new manager Xavi could ask for. Not only was it a big score, but new signings Ferran Torres, Adama Traoré, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all contributed, along with academy-bred starlet Gavi and veterans Jordi Alba and Dani Alves (who then got sent off).

Now the Blaugrana head across town for the Derbí against Espanyol. You might see a familiar face in former New York City FC midfielder Yangel Herrera, and you’ll definitely see a player you need to know about in Raúl de Tómas. He has 12 goals in 21 games this season, after winning last season’s Pichici award as La Liga’s top scorer with 23 goals.

» READ MORE: The rest of this weekend's La Liga schedule