After a massive Premier League weekend, Champions League quarterfinals take center stage; USWNT win again

Hello! Between the drama of the Premier League title race, the U.S. women's national team's Olympics prep and the start of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, it's a fun time to be a soccer fan right now. I'm Pardeep Cattry, let's get to it.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Monday, April 8
🇮🇹 Serie A: Udinese vs. Inter, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

Tuesday, April 9
🇪🇺 UCL: Arsenal vs. Bayern, 3 p.m. ➡️ CBS, Paramount+
🇪🇺 UCL: Real Madrid vs. Manchester City, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 SheBelieves Cup: USWNT vs. Canada, 7 p.m. ➡️ TBS
🌍 CCC: Tigres vs. Columbus Crew, 8:45 p.m. ➡️ FS1

⚽ The Forward Line

🔴 Arsenal back on top of Premier League

The Premier League title race took another turn over the weekend, when Liverpool was the only one of the three contenders to drop points. The Reds were held to a surprise 2-2 draw with the perennially unspectacular Manchester United on Sunday, a match in which Liverpool racked up 28 shots but were wasteful in front of goal and paid the price in defense. The result means Arsenal return to first place while Liverpool sit in second on goal difference, and Manchester City just one point behind both of them in third.

Jurgen Klopp may not have come out and said it, but he seemed to recognize that Liverpool essentially dropped two points and that it might really hurt their title hopes. It might not be the only say United have in the title race, since they have to play Arsenal in the penultimate weekend of the season. Klopp admitted he might be rooting for the Red Devils to do so, too.

• Klopp: "Probably. If we are still around [in the title race] then that would be great but Arsenal are a good football team. If [Manchester United] play like they did today [Arsenal] will win the game. I am 100 percent sure of that."

Liverpool's dropped points are obviously great news for Arsenal, whose title chances jumped 8.9% over the course of the weekend, per Opta. Everything is arguably tilting in Manchester City's favor, though -- they are now the favorites to win the title and boast a 40.6% chance to do so, while Arsenal are second favorites with a 30.3% chance and Liverpool right behind them at 29.1%.

City's greatest strength in the title race at this point is arguably their schedule -- five of their seven Games are against teams currently ranked 10th or below, including two teams in the midst of a relegation battle. Arsenal and Liverpool, meanwhile, are still to play three teams ranked fourth through seventh and 16th place Everton is the lowest-ranked team they have left. It might still be a race to the finish line, but the sense of inevitability that has gone hand-in-hand with City's dominance in recent years could make another appearance by season's end.

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🔗  Midfield Link Play

🇺🇸 USWNT's Olympics prep on track at SheBelieves Cup

The U.S. women's national team kicked off the SheBelieves Cup in fine form on Saturday, beating Japan 2-1 in one of their most encouraging post-Women's World Cup performances. The team survived Kiko Seike's first minute goal and stuck to their game plan, possessing and pressing effectively to come back from behind and ultimately dominate the match with Jaedyn Shaw and Lindsey Horan on the scoresheet. The win means they will take on regional rivals Canada in tomorrow's final in Columbus.

Interim head coach Twila Kilgore made some notable changes to the lineup for Saturday's game, perhaps offering a glimpse at what a first-choice USWNT looks like with the Olympics just three months away. Most notable among them was Shaw's positioning as a 10, a departure from her usual role for the national team as a wide forward, but not something outside of her skillset. Kilgore mentioned post-match on Saturday that the move was made to accommodate Mallory Swanson, who impressed in her first USWNT game since tearing her patella tendon a year ago, and allowed Shaw to further demonstrate her importance to the team.

• Kilgore: "This is something that's really important as we look at developing a roster for the Olympics and thinking about versatility and things like that. We can see and give people experiences in multiple positions … I think she did an exceptional job and I just want to point out, not only did she score a brilliant goal and not only was she part of a lot of very effective buildup, but she did a great job defensively. This is an area where she has accepted a challenge and is continuing to grow in and makes a massive difference for her team."

In her last game in charge before Emma Hayes' arrival, Kilgore may not be able to roll out the same lineup on Tuesday, though, and also might not want to during this era of experimentation. Center back Naomi Girma came off in the 18th minute of Saturday's game with a thigh strain and has been described as "day to day," and it's unclear if Swanson can start two games in quick succession at this point in her recovery. Midfielder Sam Coffey was evaluated for a concussion post-game but will be available against Canada, which could allow her to follow up a very strong showing against Japan in which she assisted Shaw's goal.

There will be a few positional battles to keep an eye on for Tuesday, regardless of Kilgore's approach. The match against Canada could provide an opportunity to explore the USWNT's depth at center back considering Girma's injury, with Abby Dahlkemper coming on and holding down the fort against Japan. Crystal Dunn and Jenna Nighswonger, meanwhile, seem locked in a battle to be the team's starting left back -- Nighswonger got the nod on Saturday but was exposed on Japan's lone goal.

🔗  Top Stories

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Highs and lows: More on Liverpool's draw with United, plus an argument that Europe's best teams are from England and a look at the Premier League's relegation race.

🇺🇸 USWNT check-in: Here are player ratings from the win over Japan, praise for Jaedyn Shaw and a preview of what's to come against Canada.

🇪🇺 PSG vs. Barcelona: Ahead of Wednesday's quarterfinal matchup in the Champions League, here's a look at the Paris Saint-Germain players who could cause Barcelona trouble and a look back at a previous meeting that cemented PSG's status as a power player in Europe.

✅ Wins for Leverkusen, Roma: Leverkusen inched closer to lifting the Bundesliga title and an undefeated season over the weekend, while Roma collected a big win over Lazio.

❌ Racism at youth cup: The New York Red Bulls withdrew from the Generation Adidas Cup after two alleged incidents of racist abuse against their players.

🦩 Messi's back: Lionel Messi scored upon his return for Inter Miami on Saturday, a day after Monterrey filed a complaint against the club for a verbal altercation following the teams' Concacaf Champions League match.

⚽ Pulisic scores: Christian Pulisic scored in impressive fashion during AC Milan's 3-0 win over Lecce, which is his fifth goal in the team's last six Games.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Champions League Best bets

• UEFA Champions League: Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Harry Kane to score (+200) -- Arsenal and Bayern Munich enter this matchup in contrasting form, with the former in the midst of their best season in recent memory and the latter trying to find a silver lining during a campaign to forget. With little left to play for outside of the Champions League, it's unclear which version of Bayern will show up -- the one that has cruised through their European season for the most part, or the one that has hit stumbling block after stumbling block in domestic action. Even on Bayern's worst days, though, they show up with one saving grace: Harry Kane. He has 38 goals in 37 matches across all competitions this season, and may relish the opportunity to go up against an old foe in Arsenal, against whom he has 14 goals in 19 games during his time at Tottenham Hotspur. Even if the Gunners take this one, Kane might have something to say about it.
• UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid vs. Manchester City, Tuesday, 3 p.m.

💰 THE PICK: Match to end 1-1 (+500) -- Manchester City have been in cruise control during this Champions League season and remain the team to beat this season, while Real Madrid have a habit of overcomplicating things in European play this season. The odds are very much in City's favor for obvious reasons but Real Madrid have coupled their less-than-inspiring performances with an ability to get away with it each and every time. It's entirely possible the Spanish side's high-caliber attack bails them out yet again and cancels out City's equally star-studded offense this time around.

📺 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.

📦 Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the top matchups of the day. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+. 

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.

👟 Kickin' It (Tuesdays): CBS Sports Golazo Network's unfiltered interview show releases Tuesday. Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch. 

⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Jesse Marsch and Charlie Davies cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.

🥅 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+.