At long last, the new season of European soccer has started.
Neymar’s record transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain dominated preseason headlines, but competitive games are reclaiming their rightful place in the spotlight, now that the “Big-Five” — English, Spanish, French, German and Italian — domestic soccer seasons have kicked off.
The 2017-18 UEFA Champions League also is in the news, as the final round of group-stage qualifying games are under way. Notably, Liverpool claimed an early advantage over Hoffenheim as the Reds seek to claim one of the 10 remaining places in the Champions League group stage.
If fans were worried about waiting a long time for big matchups, the 2017 Spanish Super Cup eased those fears. Real Madrid humbled Barcelona, largely without the help of Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s suspended for pushing a referee.
For those who follow U.S. Soccer closely, there was some bad news, as USA defender John Brooks suffered an injury, which threatens to derail his first season with Wolfsburg, the team he joined this offseason for an American-record transfer fee.
As always, NESN.com’s Marcus O’Mard and Marc DiBenedetto are pumped to talk soccer, particularly on this week’s European soccer kick-off special episode of the “NESN Soccer Show,” which you can watch in the above video.
Thumbnail photo via LiverpoolFC.com
