FA Cup: AFC Wimbledon at Sutton United, 9 a.m. Saturday, FS1. The beauty of the FA Cup is that this match, between third-division Wimbledon and fifth-division Sutton, matters as much as any of the four all-Premier League matchups in the Cup's third round. This game will be played on artificial turf, in a stadium with just 765 seats. Short on fans but long on romance.
Liga MX: Santos Laguna at Tigres, 7 p.m. Saturday, Univision. For the second consecutive year, Tigres took home the title in the Apertura (fall) season. In 2016, though, the northern giants fell all the way to eighth in the Clausura (spring), barely squeaking into the playoffs and then losing in the first round. Can Tigres get a victory against fellow northerners Santos, and get the spring started right?
FA Cup: Aston Villa at Tottenham, 10 a.m. Sunday, FS1. One year after an ugly relegation season, Aston Villa is bobbing along in 10th place in the Championship. With little glory apparently upcoming, an FA Cup run might be the Birmingham side's only shot at excitement this year. An away victory against Premiership giants Tottenham might buoy some spirits.
La Liga: Barcelona at Villareal, 1:45 p.m. Sunday, beIN. Barcelona's opening game of 2017 is an away trip to Villareal, where the home side — with the delightful "Yellow Submarine" nickname — has one of Europe's stingiest defenses, having conceded just 11 goals this season. Barca can ill afford any more dropped points, with Real Madrid looking unbeatable.
