Saturday, January 17th
Manchester United vs Manchester City - 13:30 CET
The Manchester derby is always one of the standout games in the football calender but this Saturday's lunchtime clash has an extra edge to it - it will be the first game of Michael Carrick's interim reign after Darren Fletcher's brief spell as interim-interim manager.
Manchester City are the form side and the bookies' favourites, and for good reason - they are 11 points clear of their city rivals. However, expect Old Trafford to be electric, supporting Carrick's plea to the fans to help his side achieve something 'special'. The United squad, which is boosted by the return of Amad and Bryan Mbeumo from AFCON, must play up to the crowd and to their underdog role if they are to pull that off.
Anything less than a unified team performance and City's dangerous attack will punish the hosts' vulnerable defence emphatically. Erling Haaland is always a threat even when he's having a quiet game, and new signing Antione Semenyo adds dynamism to their front line. Ultimately, though, you could imagine this game being won in midfield, and on paper, City's is considerably stronger.
Kobbie Mainoo could play a pivotal role in that battle. United's midfield duo of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes has been one of, if not the weakest area of their team this season. A more balanced midfield three of Casemiro, Mainoo and Fernandes could make a huge difference between now and the end of the season.
Carrick will be hoping to get the best out of Mainoo from the start of his reign, because if he does, he might just inspire United to a hugely important Manchester derby win.
After three straight draws in the league, City's victory against Newcastle United in the EFL Cup semi-final in midweek was a timely boost to their confidence. With a six-point gap to league leaders Arsenal, City simply can't afford to lose more ground, making this a must-win game. United, meanwhile, will be desperate for the win themselves to keep within touching distance of the top four and some much-needed positivity after a miserable run.
The Masters semi-finals - 14:00 CET
The Masters draws to a fascinating conclusion at London’s Alexandra Palace this weekend, as several of snooker’s biggest stars battle it out for the trophy.
World number one Judd Trump faces legendary Scot John Higgins in the last four with both men targeting a third Masters crown, while Saturday’s other semi-final sees debutant Wu Yize take on either two-time champion Neil Robertson or last year’s runner-up Kyren Wilson.
Having failed to win a tournament last year, Trump will be desperate to get his 2026 off to a flying start, but with former world champions Higgins, Robertson and Wilson still in the draw, as well as the incredibly talented Wu, it promises to be quite the challenge.
Regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit and a highly sought-after Triple Crown event, the stakes couldn’t be higher!
Danny Clark
Sunday, January 18th
San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks (NFL Playoffs) - 02:00 CET
It'll be the rivals' third and final clash of the season in this winner-takes-all matchup. The 49ers won the first matchup during Week One of the regular season, with the Seahawks taking the second in the final week to claim the NFC West title and number one seed in the NFC.
San Fran are coming off their gritty win over the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles on their home turf and now head back out west for what all NFL fans cannot wait to see.
49ers star tight end George Kittle will be out for the game after tearing his Achilles in the Eagles matchup. However, the 49ers lost Kittle to injury in the first game against the Seahawks this season, and they ended up winning that game, which was in Seattle.
The Seahawks took down the 49ers in their home, which will be the site of the Super Bowl this season. Could it just be another typical atmosphere the Seahawks are used to? Or will the 49ers have home-field advantage in the Super Bowl? Well, whoever comes out of this game the winner will have to face either the Los Angeles Rams or the Chicago Bears to get there!
Eric Himmelheber
Senegal vs Morocco (AFCON final) - 20:00 CET
After nearly four weeks of furious competition in Morocco, it all comes down to this. In Rabat, on Sunday night, Senegal and Morocco do battle for the ultimate prize for African football.
It has been a long road for the hosts to get back to the final. They have not been there since 1976, when they won their sole AFCON crown, and there has been plenty of heartbreak in the intervening years, with a loss in the 2004 final, and deep runs in 1980, 1986 and 1988.
The same can't be said for the Lions of Terranga. They last won AFCON in 2021, thanks to a Sadio Mane penalty in a shootout win over Egypt. He was their vanquisher once more on Wednesday as Senegal snuck past the Pharaohs 1-0 on Wednesday.
For Morocco, they needed penalties to overcome Nigeria, and now face the pressure of playing in front of their expectant home crowd, who will be dreaming of that trophy lift at the end of the game.
To do it, they will need to stop Mane, of course, but Senegal have other weapons, including Nicolas Jackson and Iliman Ndiaye. But, they were struck a blow in the semis with the injury of captain Kalidou Koulibaly. He will miss the final even without the injury, after picking up a yellow card against Egypt, seeing him miss the showpiece through suspension, anyway.
Both semi-finals were short on goals, and it won't be a stretch to think the final will go down the same road. Nevertheless, it will be a game full of tension and intrigue with 60,000 fans hanging on every touch and every kick.
Don't expect a blockbuster, but expect a classic match, nonetheless.
Josh Donaldson
Monday, January 19th
Matteo Berrettini vs Alex De Minaur, Australian Open - TBC
The Australian Open, tennis' first Grand Slam of the year, begins on Sunday, but the standout clash of the opening round comes on Day 2 of the tournament.
Nobody will have more support down under than home hero Alex De Minaur. The world number six is the highest-ranked male player that the host nation have had at the tournament in 20 years, and their best hope in a long time of seeing one of their own lift the trophy for the first time since 1976.
However, the draw has not been kind, with Matteo Berrettini first up. The Italian reached the semis in Melbourne back in 2022, and while injuries have caused his level to drop since then, he showed signs at the end of last year that he's on his way back, with the former Wimbledon finalist winning all three of his matches in Italy's run to the Davis Cup title.
Berrettini also beat De Minaur in straight sets at the last Miami Open, and has won three of their six clashes in total. The Aussie won their most recent meeting in October, but only after a gruelling second set that lasted for well over an hour.
It looks all set to be a tight match with a raucous atmosphere, so if you're going to stay up late or get up early - the schedule has yet to be confirmed, but the match will start some time between 01:00 and 10:00 CET - for just one clash of the opening round, make it this one.
Finley Crebolder