Soccer birthdays: Slim pickin’s today on birthdays.You saw where U.S. striker Alex Morgan turned 23 yesterday, right?
Ahead on the blog today*: Major League Soccer rankings ahead of Round 18 games, any transfer news from here or abroad and some set-up ahead of two MLS contests tonight.
Big Important Stories of the Day: Transfer news? Yes there will be transfer news. (Or at the very least, transfer speculation, rumor and whispers.)
What we should all watch on TV: Two MLS games begin Round 18 tonight, if you have MLS Live or the Direct Kick package:
Houston – Chicago (8:30 pm)
Portland – San Jose (10:30 pm)
RASNoD (Random American Soccer Name of the Day): Mark Dodd
Twitter daps:
U.S. women’s striker Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13): Thank you for all the birthday wishes!!
Soccer writer Daniel Robertson (@Bigdsoccer): Under Reported: Kevin Hartman will join the MLS 400 games played club on Wednesday. He will be the only member.
MLSSoccer.com writer Matthew Doyle (@MLS_Analyst), having a little fun with the ways of the British press: Frank Lampard to the toilet. You read it here first.
San Jose Earthquakes striker and MLS leading scorer Chris Wondolowski (pictured) (@ChrisWondo), answering fan questions yesterday via Twitter: @CallinBaykur: @ChrisWondo what do you like to do on your free time away from the game?” playin golf and playin with my dogs
Bundesliga: Takeaways from Week 2
Photo by Uwe Anspach/picture alliance via Getty Images
Maybe we should’ve seen it coming when Bayern had to go 120 minutes to get its deserved UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla, but we didn’t.
And perhaps dropped points by Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday should’ve served as a knowing wink.
But we did not expect Bayern Munich, on the precipice of a world record winning streak, to lose for the first time in 32 matches (though the 4-1 scoreline didn’t really tell the story and still sees Bayern with a plus-5 goal differential after two weeks. Crying laugh face emoji).
Now, instead of thinking Bayern would go wire-to-wire in winning another Bundesliga title, we get to watch the Bavarians spend at least a week finding their way back to the top.
What we’re saying is, Bayern, thanks. The league might’ve been ready to concede after two weeks, but it sure didn’t want to do it.
Jokes aside, the loss puts a different spin on Wednesday’s German Super Cup between Bayern and Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena.
For BVB, it’s a chance to say something both about its 2-0 loss to Augsburg but also its place in the 2020-21 landscape.
For Bayern, it’s the expectation that all that travel and a bit less rest than their rivals isn’t a thing.
Kickoff is at 2:30 pm ET.
Americans Abroad
— Tyler Adams didn’t have the ball much on a 40-touch day over 90 minutes, and that’s usually a sign that he wasn’t at his best. Adams saw a yellow card and only won three of 10 duels for RB Leipzig.
— Werder Bremen’s Josh Sargent assisted the first goal of Niclas Fullkrug’s hat trick against Schalke and went 87 minutes. He put three shots on target and had three key passes in addition to his assist. He converted both of his dribbles but was also debited with a “big chance missed” via SofaScore.
— John Brooks saw a yellow card and racked up eight clearances as Wolfsburg was fortunate to get a point off of Freiburg.
— Eintracht Frankfurt’s Timothy Chandler was an unused sub.
— Dortmund’s Giovanni Reyna went 90 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Augsburg. The 17-year-old was typically tidy in passing, registering three key passes and drawing four fouls,
— Bayern’s Chris Richards was an unused sub in the loss to Hoffenheim.
— Stuttgart manager Pellegrino Matarazzo got his first Bundesliga win under his belt in a 4-1 defeat at Mainz.
— U.S. eligible Norwegian youth international Julian Ryerson had three clearances and a shot off target in 17 minutes off the bench for Union Berlin.
Stuttgart’s Matarazzo (Photo by Thomas Frey/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Two mainstays change managers
Schalke and Mainz suffered through rough ends to the 2019-20 season but gave their managers some time to fix things.
A day later, Mainz said goodbye to Achim Beierlorzer after a 4-1 loss to newly-promoted Stuttgart backed up an opening 3-1 loss at RB Leipzig.
In both cases, expected heavy defeats to big sides were followed up by losses to clubs who were either in the second division or faced a playoff to avoid heading to 2.Bundesliga.
Schalke’s been in the top flight for more than 30 years but hasn’t won in 18 league matches, Wagner finishing 12-12-16 with the blue side of the Revierderby.
Beierlozer went 9-14-13 with a minus-4 goal differential in less than a full season with Mainz, but the club’s three wins in five to finish the 2019-20 are already a distant memory. The club worked hard to become a top-flight fixture over the past decade-plus and wasn’t about to risk dipping into a deep hole.
Despite their standings in Germany, both will have a lot of work to do to avoid a relegation fight.
Player of the Week
When Andrej Kramaric signed for Leicester City from Croatian side Rijeka in 2014-15, the only question seemed to be whether he’d be a decent scorer or a star after bagging 28 goals in a 30-game half season.
Instead, Kramaric scored four times — two in Cups — and even featured in a U21 Premier League match for the Foxes before moving to 1899 Hoffenheim.
The Germans got the full force of Kramaric’s talent. He’s scored 77 times with 30 assists in 153 appearances, twice breaking the 15-goal mark and now scoring an absurd seven times in three matches so far this season.
A brace in the German Cup against Chemnitzer wasn’t an eyebrow-raiser but a hat trick against Koln served as an appetizer to his two-goal day running an attacking midfield for Hoffenheim against Bayern. Wow.
It’s his second week in our Team of the Week and first as Player of the Week. Let’s see how high Hoffenheim can fly.
As for Leicester, they only went and won the Premier League with another center forward who adapted to a tougher league (Whatever happened to that Vardy guy, anyway?)
Kramaric celebrates after scoring Hoffenheim’s third goal (Photo by Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images).
Kramaric gets a lot of the love for Hoffenheim’s win but 24-year-old Diadie Samassekou had five interceptions, four tackles, and five clearances in helping hold down Bayern and snap their streak.
Gikiewicz had his fair share of big performances for Union Berlin the past few seasons, but his six-save clean sheet for Dortmund was good, good stuff.
Wolfsburg center back Josuha Guilavogui was a monster in the draw with Freiburg, posting seven clearances, three blocked shots, and five interceptions.
Union Berlin v Mainz — 2:30 pm ET Friday
Stuttgart v Bayer Leverkusen — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Koln v Borussia Monchengladbach — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Eintracht Frankfurt v Hoffenheim — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Freiburg — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Werder Bremen v Arminia — 9:30 am ET Saturday
RB Leipzig v Schalke — 12:30 pm ET Saturday
Wolfsburg v Augsburg — 9:30 am ET Sunday
Bayern Munich v Hertha Berlin — Noon ET Sunday
The German league begins its latest run on Sept. 18 with that Friday afternoon tilt between two mainstays of the Bundesliga.
The league schedule runs through May 22, when Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen will tangle in a potentially spicy final day match-up at the Westfalenstadion.
Union Berlin v Mainz — 2:30 pm ET Friday
Stuttgart v Bayer Leverkusen — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Koln v Borussia Monchengladbach — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Eintracht Frankfurt v Hoffenheim — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Freiburg — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Werder Bremen v Arminia — 9:30 am ET Saturday
RB Leipzig v Schalke — 12:30 pm ET Saturday
Wolfsburg v Augsburg — 9:30 am ET Sunday
Bayern Munich v Hertha Berlin — Noon ET Sunday
Matchday 4
Mainz v Bayer Leverkusen — 9:30 am ET Oct. 17
Hoffenheim v Borussia Dortmund — 9:30 am ET Oct. 17
Augsburg v RB Leipzig — 9:30 am ET Oct. 17
Hertha Berlin v Stuttgart — 9:30 am ET Oct. 17
Freiburg v Werder Bremen — 9:30 am ET Oct. 17
Arminia v Bayern Munich — 12:30 pm ET Oct. 17
Borussia Monchengladbach v Wolfsburg — 2:30 pm ET Oct. 17
Koln v Eintracht Frankfurt — 9:30 am ET Oct. 18
Schalke v Union Berlin — Noon ET Oct. 18
Matchday 5
Stuttgart v Koln — 2:30 pm ET Oct. 23
RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin — 9:30 am ET Oct. 24
Mainz v Borussia Monchengladbach — 9:30 am ET Oct. 24
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt — 9:30 am ET Oct. 24
Union Berlin v Freiburg — 9:30 am ET Oct. 24 Borussia Dortmund v Schalke — 12:30 pm ET Oct. 24
Wolfsburg v Arminia — 10:30 am ET Oct. 25
Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim — 1 pm ET Oct. 25
Bayer Leverkusen v Augsburg — 3:30 pm ET Oct. 26
Matchday 6
Schalke v Stuttgart — 3:30 pm ET Oct. 30
Augsburg v Mainz — 10:30 am ET Oct. 31
Eintracht Frankfurt v Werder Bremen — 10:30 am ET Oct. 31
Arminia v Borussia Dortmund — 10:30 am ET Oct. 31
Koln v Bayern Munich — 10:30 am ET Oct. 31
Borussia Monchengladbach v RB Leipzig — 1:30 pm ET Oct. 31
Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen — — 9:30 am ET Nov. 1
Hertha Berlin v Wolfsburg — Noon ET Nov. 1
Hoffenheim v Union Berlin — 2:30 pm ET Nov. 2
Matchday 7
Werder Bremen v Koln — 2:30 pm ET Nov. 6
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin — 9:30 am ET Nov. 7
RB Leipzig v Freiburg — 9:30 am ET Nov. 7
Stuttgart v Eintracht Frankfurt — 9:30 am ET Nov. 7
Union Berlin v Arminia — 9:30 am ET Nov. 7
Mainz v Schalke — 9:30 am ET Nov. 7 Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich — 12:30 pm ET Nov. 7
Wolfsburg v Hoffenheim — 9:30 am ET Nov. 8
Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Monchengladbach — Noon ET Nov. 8
Der Klassiker between Bayern Municih and Borussia Dortmund (Photo by FEDERICO GAMBARINI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Matchday 8
Bayern Munich v Werder Bremen — 9:30 am ET Nov. 21
Arminia v Bayer Leverkusen — 9:30 am ET Nov. 21
Borussia Monchengladbach v Augsburg — 9:30 am ET Nov. 21
Hoffenheim v Stuttgart — 9:30 am ET Nov. 21
Schalke v Wolfsburg — 9:30 am ET Nov. 21
Eintracht Frankfurt v RB Leipzig — 12:30 pm ET Nov. 21
Hertha Berlin v Borussia Dortmund — 2:30 pm ET Nov. 21
Freiburg v Mainz — 9:30 am ET Nov. 22
Koln v Union Berlin — Noon ET Nov. 22
Matchday 9 — Nov. 28
Mainz v Hoffenheim
Wolfsburg v Werder Bremen
Bayer Leverkusen v Hertha Berlin
Augsburg v Freiburg
Borussia Dortmund v Koln
RB Leipzig v Arminia
Borussia Monchengladbach v Schalke
Stuttgart v Bayern Munich
Union Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt
Matchday 10 — Dec. 5
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin
Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach
Hoffenheim v Augsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig
Werder Bremen v Stuttgart
Koln v Wolfsburg
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen
Arminia v Mainz
Matchday 11 — Dec. 12
Borussia Dortmund v Stuttgart
Bayer Leverkusen v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Arminia
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich
RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen
Mainz v Koln
Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Borussia Monchengladbach v Hertha Berlin
Augsburg v Schalke
Matchday 12 — Dec. 16
Hoffenheim v RB Leipzig
Stuttgart v Union Berlin
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach
Bayern Munich v Wolfsburg
Schalke v Freiburg
Arminia v Augsburg
Koln v Bayer Leverkusen
Werder Bremen v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v Mainz
Matchday 13 — Dec. 19
Borussia Monchengladbach v Hoffenheim
Schalke v Arminia
Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich
Union Berlin v Borussia Dortmund
Mainz v Werder Bremen
Wolfsburg v Stuttgart
RB Leipzig v Koln
Augsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Freiburg v Hertha Berlin
A German Cup Final rematch will help finish the first part of the 2020-21 Bundesliga schedule (Photo by Annegret Hilse/Pool via Getty Images)
Winterpause — Dec. 21 – Jan. 1
Matchday 14 — Jan. 2
Arminia v Borussia Monchengladbach
Koln v Augsburg
Bayern Munich v Mainz
Hoffenheim v Freiburg
Borussia Dortmund v Wolfsburg
Werder Bremen v Union Berlin
Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayer Leverkusen
Stuttgart v RB Leipzig
Hertha Berlin v Schalke
Matchday 15 — Jan. 9
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayern Munich
Bayer Leverkusen v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Koln
Union Berlin v Wolfsburg
Mainz v Eintracht Frankfurt
Arminia v Hertha Berlin
RB Leipzig v Borussia Dortmund
Augsburg v Stuttgart
Matchday 16 — Jan. 16
Werder Bremen v Augsburg
Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen
Borussia Dortmund v Mainz
Bayern Munich v Freiburg
Stuttgart v Borussia Monchengladbach
Koln v Hertha Berlin
Wolfsburg v RB Leipzig
Eintracht Frankfurt v Schalke
Hoffenheim v Arminia
Matchday 17 — Jan. 20
Mainz v Wolfsburg
Hertha Berlin v Hoffenheim
Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Koln
Arminia v Stuttgart
Augsburg v Bayern Munich
Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund
RB Leipzig v Union Berlin
Matchday 18 — Jan. 23
Hoffenheim v Koln
Hertha Berlin v Werder Bremen
Augsburg v Union Berlin
Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg
Schalke v Bayern Munich
Freiburg v Stuttgart
Mainz v RB Leipzig
Borussia Monchengladbach v Borussia Dortmund
Arminia v Eintracht Frankfurt
Matchday 19 — Jan. 30
Stuttgart v Mainz
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach
Koln v Arminia
Bayern Munich v Hoffenheim
RB Leipzig v Bayer Leverkusen
Werder Bremen v Schalke
Eintracht Frankfurt v Hertha Berlin
Wolfsburg v Freiburg
Borussia Dortmund v Augsburg
Matchday 20 — Feb. 6
Hoffenheim v Eintracht Frankfurt
Augsburg v Wolfsburg
Hertha Berlin v Bayern Munich
Arminia v Werder Bremen
Freiburg v Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Monchengladbach v Koln
Schalke v RB Leipzig
Bayer Leverkusen v Stuttgart
Mainz v Union Berlin
Matchday 21 — Feb. 13
Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim
Bayer Leverkusen v Mainz
RB Leipzig v Augsburg
Werder Bremen v Freiburg
Stuttgart v Hertha Berlin
Eintracht Frankfurt v Koln
Bayern Munich v Arminia
Union Berlin v Schalke
Wolfsburg v Borussia Monchengladbach
Matchday 22 — Feb. 20
Augsburg v Bayer Leverkusen
Hoffenheim v Werder Bremen
Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayern Munich
Schalke v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig
Koln v Stuttgart
Borussia Monchengladbach v Mainz
Freiburg v Union Berlin
Arminia v Wolfsburg
The Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Matchday 23 — Feb. 27
Bayern Munich v Koln
Stuttgart v Schalke
Werder Bremen v Eintracht Frankfurt
Mainz v Augsburg
Union Berlin v Hoffenheim
Borussia Dortmund v Arminia
Bayer Leverkusen v Freiburg
RB Leipzig v Borussia Monchengladbach
Wolfsburg v Hertha Berlin
Matchday 24 — March 6
Koln v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Mainz
Eintracht Frankfurt v Stuttgart
Arminia v Union Berlin
Freiburg v RB Leipzig
Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v Augsburg
Matchday 25 — March 13
RB Leipzig v Eintracht Frankfurt
Wolfsburg v Schalke
Stuttgart v Hoffenheim
Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich
Bayer Leverkusen v Arminia
Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin
Union Berlin v Koln
Augsburg v Borussia Monchengladbach
Mainz v Freiburg
Matchday 26 — March 20
Werder Bremen v Wolfsburg
Arminia v RB Leipzig
Freiburg v Augsburg
Koln v Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich v Stuttgart
Eintracht Frankfurt v Union Berlin
Schalke v Borussia Monchengladbach
Hertha Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen
Hoffenheim v Mainz
Matchday 27 — April 3
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt
Stuttgart v Werder Bremen
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin
Mainz v Arminia
Wolfsburg v Koln
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg
Augsburg v Hoffenheim
BERLIN, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 02: Sebastian Andersson of Union and Dedryck Boyata of Hertha in a Berlin derby (Photo by Maja Hitij/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Matchday 28 — April 10
Koln v Mainz
Werder Bremen v RB Leipzig
Arminia v Freiburg
Hertha Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg
Stuttgart v Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich v Union Berlin
Schalke v Augsburg
Hoffenheim v Bayer Leverkusen
Matchday 29 — April 17
Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich
Bayer Leverkusen v Koln
Augsburg v Arminia
RB Leipzig v Hoffenheim
Union Berlin v Stuttgart
Freiburg v Schalke
Borussia Monchengladbach v Eintracht Frankfurt
Mainz v Hertha Berlin
Borussia Dortmund v Werder Bremen
Matchday 30 — April 21
Werder Bremen v Mainz
Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen
Eintracht Frankfurt
Borussia Dortmund v Union Berlin
Arminia v Schalke
Hoffenheim v Borussia Monchengladbach
Stuttgart v Wolfsburg
Hertha Berlin v Freiburg
Koln v RB Leipzig
Matchday 31 — April 24
Freiburg v Hoffenheim
Borussia Monchengladbach v Arminia
Bayer Leverkusen v Eintracht Frankfurt
Schalke v Hertha Berlin
Union Berlin v Werder Bremen
Mainz v Bayern Munich
RB Leipzig v Stuttgart
Augsburg v Koln
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund
Matchday 32 — May 8
Stuttgart v Augsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz
Hertha Berlin v Arminia
Koln v Freiburg
Borussia Dortmund v RB Leipzig
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach
Wolfsburg v Union Berlin
Hoffenhem v Schalke
Matchday 33 — May 15
Arminia v Hoffenheim
Hertha Berlin v Koln
Augsburg v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Eintracht Frankfurt
RB Leipzig v Wolfsburg
Borussia Monchengladbach v Stuttgart
Mainz v Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen v Union Berlin
Freiburg v Bayern Munich
Matchday 34 — May 22
Stuttgart v Arminia
Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach
Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg
Union Berlin v RB Leipzig
Wolfsburg v Mainz
Koln v Schalke
Bayern Munich v Augsburg
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin
Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen
Will Davy Klaassen, Josh Sargent, and Werder Bremen need a result on the last day? (Photo by Fabian Bimmer/Pool via Getty Images)
Frank Lampard’s Chelsea will not be winning the League Cup and the Blues boss know it’s down to missed chances to put away second-choice Tottenham on Tuesday.
While Spurs boss Jose Mourinho was glowing after the win, Lampard refused to sound too gloomy a note after Mason Mount’s missed penalty sent Chelsea out of the tournament after spot kicks in the fourth round.
“We were dominant and we want to score more goals at that point because of the amount of possession,” Lampard said, via Football.London. “They had chances in the second half but so did we. At 1-0, the second goal finishes it for us and we didn’t get that.”
Chelsea had 64 percent of the ball but was out-attempted 11-7 and gave up the only big chance of the game, as the Blues’ opening goal was outside-the-18 wizardry from Timo Werner.
The German striker wasn’t the only new player to have a nice day. Edouard Mendy won’t be pleased that he couldn’t save a penalty or two to push his new club to the quarterfinals, but Lampard loved how the Senegalese shot-stopped fared in denying Sergio Reguilon and Erik Lamela on either side of halftime.
“I thought he was very good. He made a couple of good saves, one particularly good save. He came and caught a few balls, even the one where he came and didn’t catch, the idea that he wants to be positive is not a bad thing.
As for that argument on the touchline with his former manager Jose Mourinho?
Lampard’s not too bothered about that; The pair shook hands after the game and will remain pals.
“We were having some fun on the line,” Lampard said. “I commented on the fact that he seemed to speak more with the referee than he speaks with his players so it is just a moment with us. … All was well at the end of the game and that will never change.”
Jose Mourinho’s insane September in three competitions continues with a Thursday’s Tottenham-Maccabi Haifa fixture in the Europa League, the final playoff match coming exactly three weeks before the first matchday of the group stahe.
The visitors head into North London on a five-match unbeaten run and if they manage a show-stopping upset it will likely star an American.
California native Josh Cohen, 28, has started all five of those matches between the sticks for Maccabi Haifa. The ex-USL and UC San Diego goalkeeper has been with the club since leaving the Sacramento Republic in 2019.
Ukraine-born Australian striker Nikita Rukavytsya is the key man for Maccabi Haifa’s attack, boasting seven goals and three assists in five appearances this season.
Spurs should have a pretty strong group despite their fixture weariness as Harry Kane, Lucas Moura, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Matt Doherty started on the bench for Tuesday’s League Cup fourth-round win over Chelsea.
In other action, Steven Gerrard’s Rangers certainly would’ve loved to have drawn any number of opponents rather than Turkish powers Galatasaray.
Rangers boss Gerrard (left) was teammates with Galatasaray striker Ryan Babel while at Liverpool (Photo by Peter Byrne – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
While there’s been good humor online regarding Gerrard managing while former teammate Ryan Babel hits the pitch for Gala, the Turkish side arrives in Glasgow in a foul mood.
Here’s manager Faith Terim, who is upset that his side drew derby rivals Fenerbahce 0-0 at home.
“I will turn all my attention to Rangers now,” Terim said, via the Daily Record. “The Europa League is very important to us in many ways and of course, we will play our strongest team. At the moment, we are playing every three or four days and that can be a factor. But we just have to deal with it. It always hurts when you don’t win a derby game and we have a chance to put it right this week in Glasgow.”
Rangers are favorites in the match, which shows how far Gerrard has brought Scotland’s second-best side in points-per-game. Watch out for Babel, who’s scored six times in 25 matches for Gala after his 2018-19 star turn in Fulham’s relegation season.
Which brings us to Celtic, who is a point behind their eternal rivals but has a match-in-hand.
Neil Lennon’s men have disappointed in Europe this season and are heavy favorites going into Sarajevo, as they were when needed almost every minute to get past Riga 1-0 in Latvia last week after being bounced from the Champions League by Ferencvaros.
Elsewhere, AC Milan won’t have Zlatan Ibrahimovic when it visits Portugal’s Rio Ave.
How to watch Tottenham – Maccabi Haifa + Europa League playoff round streams, start times
Thursday
CFR Cluk v KuPS — 11:30 am ET
Malmo v Granada — 1 pm ET
Charleroi v Lech Poznan — 1 pm ET
Rosenborg v PSV Eindhoven — 1 pm ET
Dinamo Zagreb v Flora — 1 pm ET
Ararat-Armenia v Red Star Belgrade — 1 pm ET
Liberec v APOEL Nicosia — 1 pm ET
Hapo’el Beer-Sheva v Viktoria Plzen — 1:30 pm ET
Sarajevo v Celtic — 2pm ET
Standard Liege v Fehervar — 2pm ET
Dinamo Brest v Ludogorets Razgrad — 2pm ET
Copenhagen v Rijeka — 2pm ET
Legia Warsaw v Qarabag — 2pm ET
Dundalk v KI — 2:30 pm ET
Young Boys v Tirana — 2:30 pm ET
Basel v CSKA Sofia — 2:30 pm ET
AEK Athens v Wolfsburg — 2:45 pm ET
Rangers v Galatasaray — 2:45 pm ET
Rio Ave v AC Milan — 3 pm ET
Tottenham Hotspur v Maccabi Haifa — 3 pm ET
Sporting Lisbon v LASK — 3 pm ET
Sarajevo (+800) v Celtic (-358) | Draw (+400)
AEK Athens (+235) v Wolfsburg (-103) | Draw (+235)
Rangers (+108) v Galatasaray (+220) | Draw (+225)
Rio Ave (+300) v AC Milan (-125) | Draw (+240)
Tottenham Hotspur (-667) v Maccabi Haifa (+1200) | Draw (+550)
Sporting Lisbon (+115) v LASK (+215) | Draw (+215)
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