By Matthew Taylor
There’s plenty of sporting action to look forward to in the days ahead with soccer, American football and rugby to the fore. Here are some big events to keep an eye out for this week.
1 Liverpool v Tottenham
Tuesday, 7:45pm, Sky Sports 1
Certainly one of the most anticipated ties when the draw was made, this game looks set to produce a classic encounter between two of the in-form teams in the league. Don’t let the fact that this is a League Cup tie put you off, both managers will be desperate to get one over each other. Tottenham have looked shaky without star striker Harry Kane in recent games, but they have a solid defence which has kept them going in the league. Liverpool, on the other hand, have been ruthless in attack but shaky in defence, perfectly setting up a game that’s not to be missed.
2 Manchester United v Manchester City
Wednesday, 8pm, Sky Sports 1
This will be no ordinary League Cup tie. With Jose Mourinho’s United suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of Chelsea at the weekend and Pep Guardiola’s City without a win in their last five, something’s got to give. We’re not quite sure how Mourinho will react to Sunday’s 4-0 drubbing, but one thing’s for sure, beating local rivals City would make him and United feel a lot better. Guardiola on the other hand looks to be stubborn in his approach to playing out from the back, which only adds to what will hopefully be an entertaining game under the lights at Old Trafford.
3 Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans
Friday, 12:30am, Sky Sports 1
With the NFL season in full swing, both teams badly need a win with the Jaguars and the Titans last and second last respectively. This match-up is sure to provide plenty of eye-catching entertainment, helping Irish NFL fans stay awake at such a late hour. Titans have been in good form, only recently losing a two-game win streak (their first in a few years), with star man Marcus Mariota running the show from quarterback. On the other hand, Jaguars’ quarterback Blake Bortles will look to arrest his current slump in form and get back to playing the football that broke him into the first team to begin with.
4 Ulster v Munster
Friday, 7.05pm, TG4
In the wake of the tragic passing of Munster head coach Anthony Foley, this All-Ireland encounter is sure to be an emotional one. With both teams coming off the back of wins in their previous games, this is sure to be a game that will grip the attention of the thousands of onlookers that will be in attendance at the Kingspan Stadium, as well as viewers at home. Ulster are currently leading the way in the Guinness PRO12 along with Leinster, but don’t rule out Munster who had an impressive 38-17 run-out last weekend against the Glasgow Warriors.
