Basketball and soccer take center stage this week as we progress through one of the busiest periods of the sports calendar. With another thrilling Masters tournament in the rearview window, attention turns to the business end of the season in the NBA, the Premier League and the Champions League.
We’ll be bringing you thorough, insightful coverage from all the events this week, including news, pregame build-up, play-by-play commentary, instant reaction, analysis and much more.
Share your opinions, thoughts, hot takes and predictions with us by emailing us at live@theathletic.com. We will take the best submissions and publish them in our live coverage.
Here is the full schedule for the week of April 13-19.
Monday
WNBA Draft
Our live coverage this week kicks off with the WNBA Draft, as the future stars of the league find out where they’ll be starting their careers. The Dallas Wings own the top overall pick for the second straight year, with names like TCU’s Olivia Miles, Spain’s Awa Fam, UConn’s Azzi Fudd and UCLA’s Lauren Betts in contention to be selected first.
Tuesday
UCL quarter-final second leg – Liverpool vs PSG
Paris Saint-Germain are in a strong position to advance to the semi-final as they seek to defend their Champions League title, entering Tuesday’s match with a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the first leg. Standing in their way are Liverpool, who are hoping to conjure up another magical European night at Anfield.
PSG carry a two-goal lead into Tuesday’s second leg against Liverpool. (Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP via Getty Images)
NBA Play-In Tournament
The NBA postseason begins with the first night of the Play-In tournament. In the Eastern Conference’s 9-10 matchup, the Miami Heat take on the Charlotte Hornets, followed by the Portland Trail Blazers facing the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference’s 7-8 game.
Wednesday
UCL quarter-final second leg – Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid
After their 2-1 win at the Bernabeu, Bayern Munich return home seeking just their second Champions League semi-final appearance in six seasons. But Real Madrid are famous for their European comebacks, and Kylian Mbappe’s goal in the first leg gave the Spanish side something to build on.
NBA Play-In Tournament
The Play-In Tournament continues with another pair of games. First up, the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers meet in the East’s 7-8 game, before the Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers face off in the West’s 9-10 matchup.
The Miami Heat are hoping to emulate their postseason from 2023, when they went from the Play-In to the NBA Finals. (Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images)
Friday
NBA Play-In Tournament
The Play-In Tournament concludes with the No. 8 vs. No 9 matchups. The losers of the 7-8 games and the winners of the 9-10 games will meet to determine the final two spots in the 16-team playoff field.
Saturday
Premier League – Chelsea vs Manchester United
An important match in the race for European football next season, as two clubs desperate to finish in the top five meet at Stamford Bridge. The reverse fixture in September was a 2-1 win for United, with both sides receiving a red card in the first half. Robert Sanchez was sent off in the opening five minutes for the visitors, while Casemiro at least scored for the hosts before he was also sent off.
Sunday
Premier League – Manchester City vs Arsenal
A pivotal match in the Premier League title race, with Arsenal reeling from a spate of defeats and forced to travel to the Etihad Stadium to face a Manchester City side who are suddenly breathing down their necks. If either side can emerge victorious, they’ll be in pole position to win the league come the end of May.
