Soccer on TV: The best games to watch this weekend
The top TV action from Europe’s top leagues has Manchester United trying to stay unbeaten under new management while struggling Arsenal tries to get healthy against a Chelsea side that has traditionally given the Gunners trouble. In Germany, the Bundesliga returns from vacation with two interesting top-of-the table clashes and in Spain, Sevilla and Real Madrid play to break a tie for third in the standings.
EPL: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has won his first six games as Manchester United’s caretaker manager, the best start for a coach in the team’s 141-year history. He’ll try to make it seven straight wins Saturday when United plays host to mid-table Brighton (CNBC, 7 a.m. PT). And the odds of that happening look pretty good. Not only have the Red Devils never lost a home match to Brighton, but the Seagulls have won just one of their last seven in league play. Also on Saturday, Chelsea will invade the Emirates for a London Derby that could go a long way toward determining the EPL’s Champions League qualifiers (NBC, Universo, 9:30 a.m.) Chelsea, which has lost just two of its last 10 in all competition, is fourth in the table, six points clear of Arsenal and Manchester United, and can jump up a place with a win Saturday and a Tottenham draw or loss at Fulham on Sunday (NBCSN, 8 a.m., PT). Arsenal has two of its last three in league play and is 1-8-5 against Chelsea in the teams’ last 14 EPL meetings.
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Bundesliga: Germany’s top league returns from a nearly four-week holiday break Friday with second-place Bayern Munich, winners of five straight, traveling to Hoffenheim to meet a team that has played to ties in its last six league matches. (FS1, Unimas, 11:30 a.m. PT). Hoffenheim has won just two of 21 league matches with Bayern Munich. League-leading Borussia Dortmund plays on Saturday, hitting the road to face fourth-place Red Bull Leipzig (FS1, Fox Deportes, 9:30 a.m. PT). Both are unbeaten in their last three.
La Liga: Real Madrid has found life more difficult without Cristiano Ronaldo but the reigning European champions can take over third in the table Saturday with a win over visiting Sevilla (BeIN Sports, 7 a.m. PT). Both teams have lost two of their last five in all competition.
kevin.baxter@latimes.com | Twitter: @kbaxter11
