Friday

Seven great matches to take you from Friday to Sunday. It’s the Sound Of Football Weekend Boxset.

All times are GMT

Friday

Bundesliga: Freiburg v Bayern

19.30 BT Sport 3
The Bundesliga is back after it’s winter break. Though hardly the most fashionable club in the German top flight, Freiburg are nobody’s mugs especially at home. Bayern have registered just one win in their last four trips to the Dreisamstadion which suggests it won’t be an easy return to League action for the Champions. If German football is going to be your thing for 2017 or you think it could be, why not subscribe to Terry’s weekly Bundesliga newletter.

Saturday

Scottish FA Cup 4th Round: Rangers v Motherwell

12.30 on Sky Sports 2 and 5
Looks like TV schedulers north of the border are just as unromantic when it comes to Cup match selection. The holders Hibs were drawn away to the delightfully named Bonnyrigg Rose of the Scottish East Superleague, sadly however the match has moved to Tynecastle and won’t be shown live. For Rangers, last season’s losing finalists, the Cup represents their only real chance of silverware in their return season to the top division (a return that was delayed after play-off defeat to today’s opponents in 2015).

Premier League: Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur

17.30 on BT Sport 1
Six games into his first Premier League campaign, Pep Guardiola was making it look all too easy with six straight wins. Then he took side to White Hart Lane and lost 2-0. Since then his side has looked little better than mid-table material. In one of those weird coincidences that makes up narrative, Spurs are on a run of six straight wins themselves - are situations about to be reversed? City’s summer purchase, 19 year old Brazilian Gabriel Jesus, has been cleared to make his debut.

Serie A: Milan v Napoli

19.45 on BT Sport 3
This weekend there are a couple of huge clashes at the top of Serie A that could have a big say on the remainder of the season. Milan lost 4-2 in Naples at the start of the season in a firey encounter that saw two of their players sent off. That alone would set up this match perfectly but victory will see Milan move a point behind Napoli, defeat will see the Champions League places slip further out of reach and could even see them fall below a resurgent Inter.

Sunday

Serie A: Juventus v Lazio

11.30 on BT Sport 1
Juve’s surprise defeat away to Fiorenta last week certainly threw the gatto amongst the piccioni but with their 100% home record still intact The Old Lady fears no one. Simone Inzaghi’s Lazio sit in fourth spot but have struggled against the top teams, taking just one point from five games against the other sides in the top six. Lazio’s city rivals, Roma, will be set to snatch top spot if Allegri’s men fail to stretch their run of home wins.

Premier League: Chelsea v Hull City

16.30 on Sky Sports 1
Stamford Bridge is not a place you want to go if you need to stem a run of eight consecutive away defeats. Marco Silva got his reign as Hull City manager off to a great start with their win over Bournemouth but here he can really silence his detractors (the vast majority of which are failed English managers). Victory or even a draw might be too much to expect, but a decent performance against Conte’s men can be something to build from. For Chelsea, with or without Diego Costa, it’s still very much their title to lose.

Africa Cup of Nations 2017 Group A: Cameroon v Gabon

19.00 on British Eurosport
The tournament reaches the final round of group games. The hosts, Gabon, go into their last game needing a win after drawing both their other games. Once again the weight of responsibility will be on their captain and record goal-scorer, Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - who has scored both of their goals so far in the tournament. In the other game, tournament first-timers Guinea Bissau need Cameroon to avoid defeat if they are to have any hope of progressing. 2013 runners up Burkina Faso know that a win for them will be enough win to see them in the quarter finals.

Whatever you watch, have a great weekend

Graham