MATCHDAY: Manchester United faces Newcastle in League Cup in latest test for Ten Hag
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Wednesday:
ENGLAND
Manchester United hosts Newcastle in a repeat of last season's League Cup final, with Erik ten Hag needing to turn his team's season around. The Dutchman led United to its first trophy in six years when they won the cup in February, but his second season in charge is not going to plan. The loss to Manchester City on Sunday was United's seventh of the season in all competitions. West Ham vs. Arsenal, Bournemouth vs. Liverpool and Chelsea vs. Blackburn are among other games in the round of 16.
GERMANY
The second round of the German Cup concludes with eight more games and Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are all in action. At least that's the plan. Bayern's game at third-division Saarbruecken is in doubt after a waterlogged field forced Saarbruecken's last home game Sunday to be stopped at halftime. If the game is postponed, it would deprive Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of valuable game time ahead of Saturday's “Klassiker” against Dortmund after Neuer returned Saturday following a broken leg. Dortmund hosts Hoffenheim in a meeting of two top-division teams and league leader Leverkusen visits third-tier Sandhausen. In other games involving top-flight teams, Eintracht Frankfurt visits Viktoria Cologne, Mainz travels to Hertha Berlin and Freiburg hosts Paderborn.
SPAIN
The first round of the Copa del Rey continues with 10 topflight clubs facing lower-division opponents. Girona, which shares the lead of the Spanish league with Real Madrid, faces fourth-division club San Roque de Lepe. Fifth-place Real Sociedad takes on sixth-division side Buñol, while Sevilla plays at sixth-division club Quintanar. The first round is played in single elimination games at the home of the lower-division teams.
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