
Blaine Roberts-McNally
Sports Reporter
10:49 AM 20th January 2025
sports
Sport: What's On This Week? January 20th - 24th, 2025
![Photo: LukaszWyrwik]()
Photo: LukaszWyrwik
As another weekend of sport ends, it does not mean that the excitement stops. Like most weeks, this midweek is filled with important fixtures to keep you occupied after work or school. So here are a few ideas on how to keep your midweek as full of high-octane sporting excitement as the weekend.
Tuesday 21st January: Bradford Park Avenue v Pontefract Collieries, 19:45pm
The Northern Premier League East Division is the gift that keeps on giving for Yorkshire derby fans. This week it’s a battle of the West Riding as Pontefract make the short trip to Bradford to face Park Avenue for a rearranged fixture that was strangely abandoned at half-time due to fog.
The visitors have failed to see through the fog all season, currently winless in the NPL East since the 26th October when they grabbed an away win at Bridlington Town. There was a spark of improvement for Pontefract in their last fixture, as they got the better of another Yorkshire rival Ilkley Town in the West Riding County Cup 2-0. The Colliers will be hoping this is a sign of things to come and that 2025 can be a turning point in a so far lacklustre season.
Another away victory would go some way to help alleviate some stress of a disastrous run of form that has them in 17th in the league, two points above Brighouse in the relegation zone.
Bradford have had a more positive experience in the league since being relegated from the Northern Premier last season. Four points from the playoffs has them in a position to make a push for an instant comeback. The fight for the automatic promotion seems out of reach for BPA as their recent performances has seen their form drop.
Date: 21/01/25
Time: 19:45pm
Venue: Horsfall Community Stadium Cemetery Rd, Low Moor, Bradford, BD6 2NG
Tickets can be purchased at the ground on the day.
Adult: £13, Concessions: £10, Youth (12-17): £3, Junior U12: £1
Wednesday 22nd January: PSG v Manchester City 20:00pm
We are into the business end of the new look Champions League group stage, with only two matches remaining for each team, as we begin to see how the table will shape up by the weekend. Things are not looking good for these two teams, who were predicted to be right at the top of the table, comfortably in automatic qualification. However, neither have managed to set the tournament alight and find themselves on the periphery of a shock early exit.
PSG are once again dominating Ligue 1, seven points clear of Marseille in second. Despite their league form, the Parisians have once again failed to capitalise on their riches as they strive to win the European trophy which has so far eluded them.
But this is no anomaly; the best they have managed in the competition is the 2019/20 season in which they were beaten by Bayern Munich in the final. It’s been a run of inconsistency since then, with two semi-finals and two Round of 16 exits. The new format seems to be further exposing them to their European shortcomings as they sit one point and one place outside the playoffs.
Manchester City’s European form has been less surprising considering their faltering campaign in the Premier League, where they sit in 6th. For Guardiola’s men, this is uncertain territory and so far there has been no reprieve in the Champions League.
Despite being above the Parisians in the league, their position of 22nd leads to less desirable viewing considering they suffered a 4-1 loss to Sporting Lisbon and a 2-0 defeat to Juventus. Their only wins have come against Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague, with a 3-3 draw at Feyenoord in between. This is far from usual for the sky blues and is indicative of a season of underachieving.
Their form has returned to somewhat of a normal rhythm with no losses in their last six. If Guardiola can stir a late push for success, they will need to carry on their recent impressive performances including a 6-0 demolishing of Ipswich away, and overcome the Parisians to give themselves any chance at redemption this season.
Date: 22/01/25
Time: 20:00pm
Venue: Parc de princes, Paris
The match will be shown on: TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+ UK
![Photo: Tama66]()
Photo: Tama66
Thursday 23rd January: Manchester United v Rangers, 20:00pm
The red side of Manchester are faring better in their European campaign, but all still hangs in the balance in the Europa League as the Red Devils await Philippe Clement’s Rangers at Old Trafford.
Just a single point separates the sides with the unbeaten United holding on to 7th spot. Amorim's first few months at the helm have been rocky to say the least. Marquee embarrassing losses under both Ten Hag and Amorim to Bournemouth, Wolves and West Ham, alongside an abundance of inconsistency means they are languishing in 13th in the Premier League.
Rangers share the woes of inconsistency and have been similarly unable to create a run good enough to usurp Celtic from their current pedestal. They trail their bitter enemies by 13 points and have also suffered blush inducing results such as losses to St Mirren and Kilmarnock.
In the Europa league, both have the chance to help seal a place in the top eight and advance into the next round at the quarter final stage. Manchester United’s form in Europe has been a welcome change and a rare light in Amorim’s tenure. They have won their last three fixtures which has helped them gain ground following two draws against Fenerbahce and Porto in their opening fixtures.
Rangers were handed a 4-1 battering at the hands of Lyon, but despite this slip have held a good account of themselves in the group, with respectable draws against Tottenham and Conference League winners Olympiacos, as well as a very impressive victory over Nice.
Old Trafford should be geared up for a tetchy encounter. There is little to split the sides, and both cry out for positivity to help stifle growing concerns amongst both fan bases that their clubs are not meeting expectations.
Date: 23/01/25
Time: 20:00pm
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
The match will be shown on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+ UK
Friday 24th January: Sheffield United v Hull City, 20:00pm
If one Yorkshire derby wasn’t enough for you, then here is another to get you ready for the weekend. This is another example of two Yorkshire sides who couldn’t have had more contrasting seasons, with Sheffield United in 3rd and Hull City third from bottom. The Blades find themselves in the middle of a hotly contested promotion race with Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland.
Burnley are being edged out of the automatic promotion places by two points, meaning this fixture could be the catalyst for Sheffield to make some headroom, especially with Burnley drawing with Sunderland and United picking up the win against Norwich at the weekend.
Chris Wilder’s men have the upper hand when it comes to previous encounters. It has been a whole seven years since The Tigers were able to snatch victory from The Blades, and on current form that wait is only going to extend.
It wouldn't be the Championship without some bizarre results however, and a shock win for the Tigers would be just what they need to boost morale in their relegation fight.
Date: 24/01/25
Time: 20:00pm
Venue: Bramall Lane, Sheffield, S2 4SU
Tickets can be purchased here. Adult: £30, Senior: £23, Students: £20, U22: £20, U18: £14