WHAT TO WATCH: Another thrilling football weekend awaits

Get ready for an action-packed football bonanza this weekend on SuperSport! The highly anticipated Soweto Derby in South Africa, the Milan Derby in Italy, and the massive showdown between Arsenal and Manchester City in England will all be on display.

Fans are in for a treat as the world's best leagues bring high-stakes clashes, unforgettable moments, and gripping narratives that will keep everyone on the edge of their seats.

Whether it's title races heating up, underdog stories unfolding, or tactical masterclasses on display, this is a weekend no football enthusiast will want to miss.

Here are the key matches to watch this weekend, all televised live on SuperSport:

ALL EYES ON THE SOWETO DERBY
- Betway Premiership: Orlando Pirates v Kaizer Chiefs
- Saturday, 1 February | 3:30pm (CAT)

Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs meet in a league encounter that marks their 107th league clash since their first meeting in 1971. Catch the action live on SS PSL, DStv Compact and SS Variety 4 (Access). Match buildup starts at 2pm.

This fixture is the longest-running league rivalry in South African football, as it is the only match that has taken place in every season since 1971. In their 106 previous league encounters, Chiefs have won 45 matches compared to Pirates' 25, with 36 games ending in draws.

In the PSL era (since 1996-97), this will be their 57th league meeting. Chiefs have 18 wins, Pirates 14, and 24 games have been drawn in the previous 56 PSL-era clashes.

Across all competitions, this marks the 181st meeting between the two teams since their first clash in January 1970 in the Rogue Cup third-place playoff. Chiefs hold the historical advantage, winning 74 matches compared to Pirates’ 47, with 54 draws.

Both teams hail from Orlando in Soweto—Pirates from Orlando East and Chiefs from the Phefeni area in Orlando West—separated by a railway line and the main Klipspruit Valley Road.

Their first-ever league meeting took place on 24 April 1971, ending in a thrilling 4-3 victory for Chiefs over Pirates.

LIVERPOOL NEED TO GIVE THEIR ALL AGAINST AN IN-FORM BOURNEMOUTH
- Premier League: Bournemouth v Liverpool
- Saturday, 1 February | 5pm (CAT)

Bournemouth earned four points from their first four Premier League encounters against Liverpool (W1 D1 L2), but since then, they have managed just three points from their last 11 meetings (W1 D0 L10). The Cherries also scored more goals in their first four games (7) than in the subsequent 11 (3) against the Reds.

Liverpool have only failed to score in one of their 15 Premier League meetings with Bournemouth, netting at least three goals in 10 of those matches.

Bournemouth (unbeaten in 11) and Liverpool (unbeaten in 18) boast two of the longest ongoing unbeaten runs in the Premier League. Since 29 November (Matchday 13), no team has won more Premier League points than Bournemouth (25 – W7 D4 L0).

Bournemouth have already beaten Manchester City and Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium this season. The last team to defeat all of the previous season’s top three teams at home while finishing in the bottom half themselves was Blackburn Rovers in 2005-06.

Liverpool have lost just one of their last eight Premier League matches against teams coming into the match on an 11+ game unbeaten run (W4 D3), with their only defeat being a 4-1 loss to Man City in February 2021.

ALL MOMENTUM WITH MBAPPE AFTER FIVE GOALS IN TWO GAMES
- LaLiga: Espanyol v Real Madrid
- Saturday, 1 February | 10pm (CAT)

Espanyol have won two of their last five home games against Real Madrid in LaLiga (L3), after managing just one win in their previous 11 home matches (W1 D1 L9).

Real Madrid have won 108 of their 177 LaLiga meetings with Espanyol (D33 L36), making it the most wins by any team against another in the competition's history.

Madrid have scored in 33 of their last 34 league games against Espanyol (90 goals overall, averaging 2.6 per game) and have won 17 of their last 19 league meetings (L2).

Espanyol have lost only one of their last six LaLiga matches (W1 D4 L1), after losing eight of their previous 10 games (W2).

Real Madrid have collected 49 points from their first 21 LaLiga games this season. In the 15 seasons where they had at least 49 points at this stage (counting three points per win), they won the title in all but one (2014-15).

AN ALL-IMPORTANT CLASH AT THE EMIRATES
- Premier League: Arsenal v Man City
- Sunday, 2 February | 6:30pm (CAT)

Arsenal won this fixture 1-0 last season—their first consecutive home league wins over Man City since 2005-06 to 2008-09 (a run of four).

Man City dominated this fixture between 2017 and 2023, winning 12 consecutive league encounters. However, Arsenal are unbeaten in their last three meetings with City (D2 L1).

Arsenal are unbeaten in 13 Premier League matches (W8 D5) and have earned the most points from Matchday 11 onwards (29). The Gunners’ longest unbeaten run under Mikel Arteta is 14 games, last achieved between August and December 2018 under Unai Emery.

Man City are unbeaten in their last six league games (W4 D2) and have lost just one of their last 40 league matches played from January to the season’s end (W33 D6). Their only defeat was a 1-0 loss to Brentford on the final day of the 2022-23 campaign.

Arsenal have scored the most set-piece goals (12, excluding penalties) in the league this season, while City have conceded the joint-fewest (2, level with Brentford). Notably, one of City's two set-piece concessions came against Arsenal earlier in the season.

ALL ATTENTION ON THE MILAN DERBY
- Serie A: AC Milan v Inter Milan
- Sunday, 2 February | 7pm (CAT)

Inter Milan have a chance to increase pressure on Serie A leaders Napoli as they take on arch-rivals AC Milan in one of the world’s most prestigious derbies.

Fresh off securing a Champions League last-16 spot by thrashing Monaco, Inter shift focus to domestic competition, trailing Napoli by just three points.

Simone Inzaghi’s men are in fine form, with seven wins in their last eight Serie A outings. Key players Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi are nearing a return from injury.

Last weekend’s emphatic 4-0 win at Lecce was Inter’s eighth consecutive away victory in Serie A. They have not conceded a goal on the road since their first win in that run against Udinese in late September.

Although this match is technically an away fixture, Milan fans will dominate the stands at a raucous San Siro.