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Watch Live: Liverpool v. Bournemouth

By Joe Prince-WrightMar 7, 2020, 7:09 AM EST
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Liverpool host Bournemouth at Anfield on Saturday (Watch live, 7:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com) as Jurgen Klopp’s men aim to get back on track after defeats to Watford, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid in recent weeks.

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The Reds are no longer unbeaten but they’re still 22 points clear atop the table and set to win the Premier League title in record time. So it’s not all doom and gloom for Klopp’s boys despite three away defeats on the spin in all competitions.

Bournemouth and Eddie Howe are desperate for points as they remain deep in the relegation battle and they have an extremely tough run of games to finish up the season with. The Cherries currently sit in the relegation zone on goal difference and when Bournemouth have played Liverpool over the years they have usually struggled, with Liverpool winning their last five games against Bournemouth by an aggregate score of 17-0.

In team news Liverpool are without injured goalkeeper Alisson so Adrian replaces him, while James Milner comes in at left back for Andy Robertson and Joe Gomez returns to center back.

Bournemouth make one change as Josh King is out with a hamstring injury and is replaced by Junior Stanislas.

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Season restart preview: Bournemouth

Bournemouth season restart
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By Nicholas MendolaJun 2, 2020, 4:53 PM EDT
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With the 2019-20 Premier League season soon to restart, let’s focus on all 20 clubs and see where they stand ahead of the final nine matches of the season.

[ MORE: Remaining PL schedule in full ]

Let’s take a closer look at all things Bournemouth when it comes to the season restart.

Outlook: Tough sledding for the Cherries, who face zero of their fellow bottom-six sides (though 13th place Newcastle and 14th place Saints both visit the Vitality Stadium).

There’s been an element of bad luck to Bournemouth’s woes, with its expected goals stats showing Ryan Fraser, Joshua King, and Callum Wilson have deserved better end product and that the Cherries’ 14 goals from open play should be closer to 22. The defense has been bad and xG says it could’ve been worse, too. Injuries had hit Bournemouth’s defense corps in a big way, too. How much better will they be after the break?

[ MORE: Ranking every Cherries player in 2019-20 ]

Tactical analysis: Eddie Howe utilized a 4-4-2 with two defensive midfielders for much of the early season, but has gone between a lone striker with a packed-in midfielder and a 4-3-3 when he thinks an opponent is exploitable.

Howe started a 4-4-2 against almost all of the Cherries’ remaining opponents, choosing a 5-4-1 against Wolves and Man City. There’s no guarantee he’ll continue that, especially when some matches may dictate a draw or limited goal differential damage over wins.

Possible XI (4-3-3) 

—– Ramsdale —–

— Smith — S. Cook — Ake — Rico —

—– Lerma —– Billing — L. Cook —

— Fraser —– C. Wilson —– King —–

Howe prefers to attack when at all possible, but the points will be at a premium against some very challenging opponents. It’s a safe bet that he’ll ask a lot from his forwards while trying to deploy his three relentless midfielders together whenever possible. The question here is whether Aaron Ramsdale returns quickly from his COVID-19 positive test, or if it’ll be Artur Boruc or someone else between the sticks.

[ STREAM: Every PL match live ]

Remaining schedule
Home: Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Spurs, Leicester City, Southampton
Away: Wolves, Manchester United, Man City, Everton

Predicted finish: The Cherries stay up, just, as King and Callum Wilson deliver the goods in front of a determined and improved midfield.

Premier League clubs will reportedly be allowed preseason friendlies

Premier League return
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By Nicholas MendolaJun 2, 2020, 3:51 PM EDT
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Premier League clubs will be allowed to play preseason matches ahead of the 2019-20’s restart season later this month.

There will be strict protocols due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, and the matches will likely be officiated by club coaching staffs (We have so many Jose Mourinho as ref quips to make here, but let’s keep going anyway).

[ MORE: Remaining PL schedule in full ]

Sky Sports says clubs will be limited to opponents within 90 minutes of their venue, and that players will have to drive themselves to the stadiums and go directly to the field in uniform.

With the League One and League Two seasons still hanging in the balance, it’s likely PL sides will be limited to each other and Championship sides. Presumably clubs will not want to meet others still on their fixture list.

We assume some players will get dressed in their vehicles outside the ground, but allow yourself some levity in these challenging times and imagine a fully kitted-up Virgil van Dijk driving the roads from Liverpool to Wigan Athletic.

English defender Onuoha speaks out on fear of police in the U.S.

Nedum Onuoha
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By Nicholas MendolaJun 2, 2020, 3:12 PM EDT
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Real Salt Lake defender Nedum Onuoha is speaking out on his experience as a black man in the United States in the wake of ongoing protests and violence following the killing of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died after a white police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleaded for air in Minnesota.

Speaking with the BBC, Onuoha says he has loved his time in the United States but admitted a wariness around law enforcement that he does not experience at home in England. The 33-year-old says there are “plenty of good” police in the country but admitted he doesn’t feel “100% safe” around law enforcement officers and that he has a “fear and distrust” of them.

[ MORE: Remaining PL schedule in full ]

Onuoha says the protests and demands for reform are “emotional” and “overdue,” adding that he feels empowered by the non-black voices joining the calls for justice.

From The BBC:

“I have loved living in this country but there is [another] side of it. In the UK, I am more comfortable because if something happens it probably will not be deadly – but over here because of their rights it is more common that altercations become deadly. I am always very aware of that whenever I go around anywhere.

“I am comfortable but when it comes to any kind of brutality, if it’s from the police, if they read me the wrong way then my life could be taken. I feel that every single day. It is not just me but everybody else as well.”

The Nigeria-born English defender joined RSL in 2018 and has played 36 times for the Utah club. Onuoha previously spent seven years with Queens Park Rangers after beginning his career with City and Sunderland.

MLS released a statement on the Floyd killing earlier this week, expressing unity with the black community and “horror” at the “senseless murder” of the 46-year-old American man.

La Liga state of play, schedule for remainder of 2019-20 season

La Liga schedule
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By Nicholas MendolaJun 2, 2020, 1:59 PM EDT
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La Liga will return on June 11 and El Clasico’s heated rivals will restart a battle for the top of Spain’s top flight.

The full schedule has been released and is included below as the league builds to a July 19 final day which will feature two battles of current top seven sides.

Catalan clubs face drama at both ends of the table with Barcelona in first and Espanyol in 20th. Between there is mayhem.

[ MORE: Premier League remaining fixtures ]

Barca holds a two-point edge on Real Madrid in its bid for a third-straight La Liga crown and fifth in six seasons. Real will need a slip-up from Quique Setien’s men as there is not a Clasico to be found on the fixture list.

The other two Champions League spots will be hotly-contested with four sides within two points between third and sixth, especially considering the side bringing up the rear is powerful Atletico Madrid (45 points). Sevilla currently sits third with 47 points, with fourth-place Real Sociedad and fifth-place Getafe on 46.

Valencia is also in the picture with 42, and seventh-place will be a Europa League spot should Real Sociedad win the Copa del Rey or rivals Athletic Bilbao (37 points) win it and climb into sixth.

[ Bundesliga: Live scores | Week 29 preview, predictions  ] 

The bottom half of the table is a relegation picture, even if 11th-place Osasuna counts a nine-point lead on the bottom three of Mallorca (25 points), Leganes (23), and Espanyol (20).

The matches will, of course, be played behind closed doors, though Spanish authorities have hope for fans in the 2020-21 season.

Matchweek 28 will be played from June 12 to June 15 with the full La Liga schedule below, while there are also details on how you can watch on TV in the USA.

La Liga schedule

  • TV Channels: beIN Sports USA
  • Stream Live: Via beinSports
  • When: From June 11 to July 17

June 11
Sevilla v. Real Betis

June 12
Granada v. Getafe
Valencia v. Levante

June 13
Espanyol v. Alaves
Celta Vigo v. Villarreal
Leganes v. Valladolid
Mallorca v. Barcelona

June 14
Athletic Bilbao v. Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid v. Eibar
Real Sociedad v. Osasuna

June 15
Levante v. Sevilla
Real Betis v. Granada

June 16
Getafe v. Espanyol
Villarreal v. Mallorca
Barcelona v. Leganes

June 17
Valladolid v. Celta Vigo
Eibar v. Athletic Bilbao
Osasuna v. Atletico Madrid

June 18
Alaves v. Real Sociedad
Real Madrid v. Valencia

June 21
Mallorca v. Leganes
Athletic Bilbao v. Real Betis
Granada v. Villarreal
Sevilla v. Barcelona
Getafe v. Eibar
Atletico Madrid v. Valladolid
Real Sociedad v. Real Madrid
Valencia v. Osasuna
Espanyol v. Levante
Celta Vigo v. Alaves

June 24
Real Betis v. Espanyol
Villarreal v. Sevilla
Real Madrid v. Mallorca
Valladolid v. Getafe
Alaves v. Osasuna
Real Sociedad v. Celta Vigo
Eibar v. Valencia
Barcelona v. Athletic Bilbao
Leganes v. Granada
Levante v. Atletico Madrid

June 28
Levante v. Real Betis
Osasuna v. Leganes
Celta Vigo v. Barcelona
Villarreal v. Valencia
Athletic Bilbao v. Mallorca
Granada v. Eibar
Atletico Madrid v. Alaves
Espanyol v. Real Madrid
Sevilla v. Valladolid
Getafe v. Real Sociedad

July 1
Mallorca v. Celta Vigo
Leganes v. Sevilla
Alaves v. Granada
Valladolid v. Levante
Real Sociedad v. Espanyol
Real Betis v. Villarreal
Valencia v. Athletic Bilbao
Real Madrid v. Getafe
Eibar v. Osasuna
Barcelona v. Atletico Madrid

July 5
Athletic Bilbao v. Real Madrid
Villarreal v. Barcelona
Osasuna v. Getafe
Celta Vigo v. Real Betis
Levante v. Real Sociedad
Sevilla v. Eibar
Atletico Madrid v. Mallorca
Granada v. Valencia
Valladolid v. Alaves
Espanyol v. Leganes

July 8
Getafe v. Villarreal
Athletic Bilbao v. Sevilla
Mallorca v. Levante
Real Madrid v. Alaves
Celta Vigo v. Atletico Madrid
Eibar v. Leganes
Real Sociedad v. Granada
Barcelona v. Espanyol
Valencia v. Valladolid
Real Betis v. Osasuna

July 12
Granada v. Real Madrid
Sevilla v. Mallorca
Villarreal v. Real Sociedad
Espanyol v. Eibar
Alaves v. Getafe
Valladolid v. Barcelona
Atletico Madrid v. Real Betis
Levante v. Athletic Bilbao
Leganes v. Valencia
Osasuna v. Celta Vigo

July 15
Barcelona v. Osasuna
Mallorca v. Granada
Celta Vigo v. Levante
Real Sociedad v. Sevilla
Real Betis v. Alaves
Valencia v. Espanyol
Getafe v. Atletico Madrid
Eibar v. Valladolid
Real Madrid v. Villarreal
Athletic Bilbao v. Leganes

July 19
Osasuna v. Mallorca
Atletico Madrid v. Real Sociedad
Villarreal v. Eibar
Levante v. Getafe
Granada v. Athletic Bilbao
Espanyol v. Celta Vigo
Alaves v. Barcelona
Valladolid v. Real Betis
Leganes v. Real Madrid
Sevilla v. Valencia

Standings

Team GP W D L GF GA GD Home Away PTS
 Barcelona 27 18 4 5 63 31 32 13-1-0 5-3-5 58
 Real Madrid 27 16 8 3 49 19 30 9-4-0 7-4-3 56
 Sevilla 27 13 8 6 39 29 10 6-5-2 7-3-4 47
 Real Sociedad 27 14 4 9 45 33 12 8-2-3 6-2-6 46
 Getafe 27 13 7 7 37 25 12 7-4-3 6-3-4 46
 Atlético Madrid 27 11 12 4 31 21 10 8-5-1 3-7-3 45
 València 27 11 9 7 38 39 -1 8-6-0 3-3-7 42
 Villarreal 27 11 5 11 44 38 6 6-4-3 5-1-8 38
 Granada 27 11 5 11 33 32 1 8-2-3 3-3-8 38
 Athletic Club 27 9 10 8 29 23 6 7-3-3 2-7-5 37
 Osasuna 27 8 10 9 34 38 -4 5-5-4 3-5-5 34
 Betis 27 8 9 10 38 43 -5 7-3-4 1-6-6 33
 Levante 27 10 3 14 32 40 -8 7-3-3 3-0-11 33
 Alavés 27 8 8 11 29 37 -8 6-5-3 2-3-8 32
 Valladolid 27 6 11 10 23 33 -10 3-7-3 3-4-7 29
 Eibar 27 7 6 14 27 41 -14 6-1-7 1-5-7 27
 Celta Vigo 27 5 11 11 22 34 -12 4-5-4 1-6-7 26
 Mallorca 27 7 4 16 28 44 -16 6-2-6 1-2-10 25
 Leganés 27 5 8 14 21 39 -18 4-3-7 1-5-7 23
 Espanyol 27 4 8 15 23 46 -23 1-5-7 3-3-8 20