Tuesday 30th September Skybet Championship Sheffield United v Southampton 19:45

The most competitive second tier in world football is living up to the hype this season, as the last two teams tipped to be at the top prior to the start of the season are now meeting with hopes of escaping the bottom end of the table.

Sheffield United missed out on promotion straight back to the Premier League after Sunderland fought back from a goal down to win 2-1 in the playoff final at Wembley. They were hot favourites for that game and similarly for another automatic promotion spot this year, but after sacking club legend Chris Wilder during the summer.

Ruben Selles was brought in to change the style but failed to pick up a single point in his opening games and was relieved of his duties. Wilder was reappointed for a third time after a 5-0 loss to Ipswich but failed to rewind the rot when he lost 1-0 to Charlton in his return fixture.

At the weekend, they secured their first win of the season, a 1-0 victory over Wilder's former team, Oxford. The win still has them at the bottom of the league and still six points adrift of safety.

Southampton has been similarly below par following their relegation from the Premier League. After finishing in last place with 12 points and narrowly missing out on the unfortunate title of lowest point total in the league, the club was expected to change fortunes and start a positive run with new manager Will Still. But so far the Saints have only picked up one win in seven games and are in 19th place, just two points from the relegation zone.

Date: 30/09/2025

Time: 19:45

Venue: Bramall Lane, Sheffield

The match will be shown on Sky Sports+.

Wednesday, 1st October, UEFA Champions League, Barcelona v PSG, 20:00

The Champions League continues this week with a match between two giants of their respective leagues and European football.

Barcelona got off to a winning start in the Champions League when they travelled to St James’ Park to face Newcastle. The match ended 2-1 with a brace from new signing Marcus Rashford which has Barca 12th in the Champions League table.

The Catalonians are going well in La Liga as they look to reclaim the title under Hansi Flick and continue their new reign as consistent success with them already having formed a breakaway at the top alongside Villareal and Real Madrid.

Reigning champions PSG also got off to a winning start in Europe with a 4-0 win against Atalanta with goals from Marquinho, Kvaratskhelia, Mendes and Ramos. Unsurprisingly the Parisians are top of Ligue Un, with just a single loss to Marseille being the only blot on what would be a perfect start to the campaign.

The matchup could be an indicator of where both sides lie in the pecking order, with the pair expected to go to the latter stages of the competition and fight for the trophy come May 2026.

Date: 01/10/2025

Time: 20:00

Venue: Esadi Olimpic Lluis

The match will be shown on Amazon Prime Video, TNT Sports 4.

Thursday 2nd October, Sky Bet League One, Rotherham v Bradford City, 20:00

This week, League One features a Yorkshire derby as Rotherham hosts high-flying Bradford at the New York Stadium.

Bradford have made a surprising return to the third tier following their automatic promotion last season. They have only suffered one loss in ten matches and are currently occupying the top spot with a point spare from Stevenage in second. The Bantams are also on an impressive run with just two goals conceded and seven scored in their last three fixtures.

On the other end of the scale lies Rotherham, who have only managed two wins from nine matches, including six losses, with three on the spin coming into this one. That less than stellar record has the Millers sitting in 21st and occupying the relegation zone.

A win for Rotherham would bring some parity to what has been a disappointing start, but with the challenge of reinvigorated Bradford, they may be waiting another week for an upturn. For Bradford, another win will be expected to continue what has been a meteoric rise for a club that spent years dwindling in League Two but could be on the verge of back-to-back promotions.

Date: 02/10/2025

Time: 20:00

Venue: New York Stadium, Rotherham


Friday, September 3rd, Betfred Super League Playoffs: Wigan Warriors vs. Leigh Leopards, 20:00

The Super League playoff semi-finals are here, where Wigan Warriors finally enter the fold against Leigh.

Wigan had an automatic bye into the semi-finals due to their second-place finish in the regular season, where they accrued 42 points and narrowly missed out on the league leaders' shield by two points to Hull KR.

Their opponents are the Leopards, who finished behind them in third but had to fight through a bolstered Wakefield side who entered the playoffs from sixth spot. The match ended with a 26-10 win for Leigh, who showed why they were much better placed over the season.

A new challenge awaits them in the form of the Warriors, who are five games unbeaten and who have playoff and league-winning pedigree. The last time the two sides met did end in a Leigh win, though, in an 18-8 home victory, but prior to that the Leopards had failed to beat Wigan since 2017.

Date: 03/10/2025

Time: 20:00

Venue: The Brick Community Stadium, Leigh