Soccer on TV: UEFA Champions League returns, Brenden Aaronson’s Europa League debut, and the SheBelieves Cup

Tuesday, 3 p.m. (CBS Sports Network, Univision, TUDN)

The buffet of domestic league games across Europe every weekend almost always serves up tasty action. But the best feasts of all come when the Champions League anthem rings out on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And when the first game of the round of 16 pits two of soccer’s biggest stars against each other, even the fiercest critics make immediate reservations.

So it will be this week when Lionel Messi hosts Kylian Mbappé at Camp Nou. The spectacle will be diminished by the empty stands, Neymar is out injured, and neither team is playing at its best these days, but it’s still as glamorous a clash as the sport can offer.

The clock is ticking on the end of Barcelona’s Messi-led dynasty. Its stars are growing old, and its financial debts are growing enormous. Barcelona is fortunate that youngsters Pedri, Trincão, Riqui Puig, and Sergiño Dest, an American right back, have played well when thrown in the deep end.

PSG, meanwhile, is soccer’s ultimate nouveau-riche club. This season’s team isn’t as good as the one that reached last year’s final, but Mbappé isn’t the only reason the Parisians are favored.

Can Messi deliver one final burst of glory before his contract expires this summer? This game will tell us a lot, and the whole world will be watching.

Tuesday, 3 p.m. (Galavisión, CBS All Access)

Jurgen Klopp surrendered Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes after Saturday’s loss to Leicester City. Since the Reds are already out of the FA Cup and EFL Cup, the European Cup is the only prize left to aim for.

Leipzig, featuring American midfielder Tyler Adams, is a fascinating opponent because it plays the same high-pressing style that Klopp has made world-famous. The German team enters as slight underdogs, but either side could win this series.

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Wednesday, 3 p.m. (Galavisión, CBS All Access)

The only bigger pound-for-pound collapse in Europe this season has come from Klopp’s previous team. Gio Reyna and Dortmund dropped points yet again Saturday in a 2-2 tie with Hoffenheim. Can the team get it together for the Champions League? Sevilla will be an interesting test. The longtime kings of the Europa League are now on the bigger stage, and recently boosted their attack by signing striker Papu Gómez from Atalanta.

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

This series gives us a little Mexico-United States rivalry in Europe. Porto features Mexican star winger Jesús “Tecatito” Corona, while Juventus has American midfielder Weston McKennie — who keeps playing great for the Italian giant.

Wednesday, 3:15 p.m. (NBCSN, Universo)

The Premier League and other domestic leagues rarely play games on the same day as the Champions League, but the coronavirus pandemic has forced it. This game was postponed from Dec. 29 because of a COVID-19 outbreak in City’s squad. Hosting the Premier League’s first-place team is a big measuring stick for seventh-place Everton. The Toffees shockingly lost at home to lowly Fulham on Sunday and blew a chance to tie Liverpool in fourth.

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

The Europa League round of 32 kicks off Thursday with a bunch of big games. This one will have a big spotlight, since Sociedad’s Adnan Januzaj used to play at Manchester United and David Silva was a star at Manchester City.

CBS All Access and TUDN.com has every game live. CBS Sports Network has a very good whiparound show with live highlights for every game day in the rounds of 32 and 16. Univision also has a quality whiparound show online.

That said, when the 3 p.m. kickoffs come around, there’s one game that local soccer fans will have their eye on more than any other …

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

It’s finally showtime for Brenden Aaronson on the European stage. There are a lot of good reasons why Salzburg is an ideal place for him to develop, but at the top of the list is being a regular in the continent’s big tournaments. This is his first shot, and it should be a great matchup. Villarreal is in fifth place in La Liga, with players including veteran defender Raúl Albiol and forwards Paco Alcácer and Carlos Bacca.

If you haven’t been able to watch Aaronson’s Austrian league games, treat yourself to a CBS All Access subscription (you get the NWSL, every Champions League game and every Europa League game) or log on to TUDN’s streaming using your pay-TV provider.

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Thursday, 4 p.m. (FS1, TUDN.com)

The SheBelieves Cup kicks off Thursday night, with all of this year’s games in Orlando because of the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil-Argentina is South America’s most famous soccer rivalry, but it’s always been lopsided in the women’s game because Argentina’s governing body has chronically underfunded its women’s team.

Two of the nation’s best players, Estefania Banini (formerly of the Washington Spirit) and Florencia Bonsegundo, aren’t on the squad in part because of their protests against the men in suits. But there are definitely players worth knowing about, led by Dalila Ippólito, Mariana Larroquette (of Kansas City’s NWSL team) and Lorena Benítez. NWSL scouts will be paying attention.

Brazil, meanwhile, will have two very familiar stars from the NWSL in playmakers Marta (Orlando Pride) and Debinha (North Carolina Courage), and former U.S. coach Pia Sundhage at the helm. Unfortunately, veteran midfield leader Formiga won’t be there because of COVID-19 travel rules in France, where she plays her club soccer for Paris Saint-Germain.

Thursday, 7 p.m. (FS1, TUDN)

New Canada coach Bev Priestman gets one heck of a first game at the helm. Canada hasn’t beaten the U.S. in 20 years, and hasn’t gotten a tie on U.S. soil in 10. Stars Christine Sinclair and Diana Matheson are out injured, as is promising defender Bianca St. Georges; and Kadeisha Buchanan, Jordyn Huitema and Ashley Lawrence didn’t travel from their French clubs. Who might step up? Keep an eye on Sky Blue FC striker Evelyne Viens, who has spent the winter on loan at France’s Paris FC. She was allowed to come over.

The U.S. will be without injured Sam Mewis and Tobin Heath, but everyone else is accounted for — including Europe-based Rose Lavelle, Christen Press and Catarina Macario.

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