Three sporting events to watch this week: Your handy guide to sport on television

Guide to sport on television (Monday – Sunday, Feb 5th – 11th)

Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Bayern Munich

Every year for the past 11 seasons, various German top-flight teams – usually Dortmund or Leverkusen or Leipzig – have attempted to challenge Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title. And every year for the past 11 seasons, they have fallen short. Next Saturday evening, Harry Kane’s side travel to Leverkusen in what looks like, albeit in February, a crucial top-of-the-table clash. If Leverkusen – currently two points clear at the top of the table, but who have finished as runner-up in the Bundesliga five times without ever winning it – are to stop the Munich giants claiming 12-in-a-row and their 34th in total, victory next weekend is crucial. – Saturday, Sky Sports

Real Madrid v Girona

Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have occupied the top three positions at the end of the Spanish La Liga season for 11 seasons in a row – the order often changed but not the teams. Well, this season has the most unusual of sides trying to muscle in at the top of the table – Girona. After a sensational start to the season, the thinking was the club from a small Catalan city north of Barcelona – with a home stadium capacity of less than 15,000 – would struggle to maintain the pace in 2024. Then, in their four league matches in January, they beat Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Celta Vigo, along with a draw with Almeria. On Saturday, first and second in the table meet at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium when Girona take on Real Madrid. The fairytale has to end somewhere, right? – Saturday, LaLigaTV, Premier Sports & ITV

Super Bowl LVIII

The biggest annual day in America sports takes place in Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada next Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a rematch of the final game of the 2019/20 season which the Chiefs won 31-20. Kansas City are defending champions, after coming from behind to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35. Of course, this is more than just a game – Usher will headline the half-time show. – Sunday, Virgin Media, UTV & Sky Sports

MONDAY (Feb 5th)

  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 9am-5pm – WTA Abu Dhabi Open
  • GAA – TG4 – Women’s Football League – 3pm Kerry v Cork
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 5pm-9pm – ATP From Marseille
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm Roma v Cagliari
  • SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8pm Rayo Vallecano v Sevilla
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 8pm Brentford v Man City
  • GAA – TG4, 8pm-9pm League highlights
  • RTÉ 2 – TG4, 8pm-9pm Against the Head

TUESDAY (Feb 6th)

  • NBA – TNT Sports 1 – Midnight Kings @ Cavaliers
  • CRICKET – TNT Sports 4 from 3.30am – 3rd ODI Australia v West Indies
  • CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket – Men’s U19 WC Semi-final – 8am India v South Africa
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 9am-5pm – WTA Abu Dhabi Open
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 5pm-9pm – ATP From Marseille
  • SOCCER – BBC 1 – FA Cup, 4th round replay – 7.45pm Plymouth Argyle v Leeds Utd
  • SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – German Cup – 7.45pm Bayer 04 Leverkusen v VfB Stuttgart
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – 8pm Rangers v Aberdeen

WEDNESDAY (Feb 7th)

  • NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 0.30am Mavericks @ Nets; 3am Bucks @ Suns
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 9am-5pm – WTA Abu Dhabi Open
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 5pm-9pm – ATP From Marseille
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football & BBC 2 – Africa Cup of Nations Semi-final – 5pm Nigeria v South Africa
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Mix – Bundesliga – 5.30pm Mainz v Union Berlin
  • SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – German Cup – 7.45pm Saarbrücken v Borussia Mönchengladbach
  • SOCCER – UTV – FA Cup, 4th Round Replay – 8pm Aston Villa v Chelsea
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League & BBC Three – Africa Cup of Nations Semi-final – 8pm Côte d’Ivoire v DR Congo
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – 8pm Hibernian v Celtic

THURSDAY (Feb 8th)

  • NBA – TNT Sports 2 – Midnight Warriors @ 76ers
  • CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket – Men’s U19 WC Semi-final – 8am Australia v Pakistan
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 9am-2pm Qatar Masters
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 9am-5pm – WTA Abu Dhabi Open
  • CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 10.30am-12.30pm – Stage 1 Women’s UAE Tour
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Mix, noon-3pm Kenya Ladies Open
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 3pm-1am Phoenix Open
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 5pm-9pm – ATP From Marseille
  • DARTS – Sky Sports Arena, 7pm-10.30pm – Berlin Premier League

FRIDAY (Feb 9th)

  • NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 0.30am Mavericks @ Knicks; 3am Nuggets @ Lakers
  • BOXING – Sky Sports Arena from 1.30am – Las Vegas Teofimo Lopez v Jamaine Ortiz
  • CRICKET – TNT Sports 2 from 8.45am – 1st ODI Sri Lanka v Afghanistan
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 9am-2pm Qatar Masters
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 9am-5pm – WTA Abu Dhabi Open
  • CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 10.50am-12.30pm – Stage 2 Women’s UAE Tour
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Mix, noon-3pm Kenya Ladies Open
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 3pm-1am Phoenix Open
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 5pm-9pm – ATP From Marseille
  • RUGBY – Virgin Media Two – U20 Six Nations – 7.15pm Ireland v Italy
  • RUGBY – BBC Red Button – U20 Six Nations – 7.15pm England v Wales
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Serie A – 7.45pm Salernitana v Empoli
  • SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8pm Cádiz v Real Betis
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Ligue 1 – 8pm Marseille v Metz
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 8pm Sheffield Wednesday v Birmingham City

SATURDAY (Feb 10th)

  • NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 3.30am Pelicans @ Lakers
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 9.30am-2pm Qatar Masters
  • CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 10.50am-12.30pm – Stage 3 Women’s UAE Tour
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 11am-3pm – WTA Abu Dhabi Open
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Mix, noon-3pm Kenya Ladies Open
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Premier League – 12.30pm Man City v Everton
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 12.30pm Ipswich Town v West Brom
  • CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 1pm-2.45pm – Men’s one-day Tour of Murcia
  • SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 2 – La Liga – 1pm Alavés v Villarreal; 3.15pm Real Sociedad v Osasuna
  • RACING – UTV, 1.05pm-3.40pm Newbury
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 5pm Roma v Inter Milan
  • RUGBY – Virgin Media One & BBC 1 – Six Nations – 2.15pm Scotland v France
  • SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 3pm Liverpool v Burnley
  • CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 3pm-5pm – Men’s one-day Figueria Champions Classic
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 3.30pm-7.30pm – ATP From Marseille
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 3.30pm-11pm Phoenix Open
  • RUGBY – RTÉ 2 & UTV – Six Nations – 4.45pm England v Wales
  • GAA – TG4 – Hurling League – 5pm Wexford v Offaly
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 5.30pm Nottingham Forest v Newcastle Utd
  • SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – Scottish Cup, 5th Round – 5.30pm Rangers v Ayr Utd
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Bundesliga – 5.30pm Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich
  • SOCCER – LaLigaTV, Premier Sports 1 & ITV4 – La Liga – 5.30pm Real Madrid v Girona
  • BOXING – TNT Sports 1 from 7pm – London Hamzah Sheeraz v Liam Williams
  • GAA – RTÉ 2 – Hurling League – 7.30pm Cork v Kilkenny
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 4 – Serie A – 7.45pm Sassuolo v Torino
  • NBA – TNT Sports 3 – 8pm Thunder @ Mavericks
  • SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8pm Las Palmas v Valencia
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Africa Cup of Nations 3rd Place Play-Off – 8pm South Africa v DR Congo
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Ligue 1 – 8pm PSG v Lille
  • SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.30pm-11.55pm Match of the Day

SUNDAY (Feb 11th)

  • UFC – TNT Sports 2 from midnight – Las Vegas Jack Hermansson v Joe Pyfer
  • CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket – 8am Men’s U19 WC Final
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 8.30am-1.30pm Qatar Masters
  • CRICKET – TNT Sports 4 from 8.45am – 2nd ODI Sri Lanka v Afghanistan
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Mix, 10am-1pm; Sky Sports Golf, 1.30pm-3.30pm Kenya Ladies Open
  • CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 10.30am-12.30pm – Final stage Women’s UAE Tour
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Serie A – 11.30am Fiorentina v Frosinone; 2pm Monza v Hellas Verona
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – Noon Coventry City v Millwall
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Ligue 1 – Noon Le Havre v Rennes
  • SOCCER – BBC 2 – Women’s FA Cup, 5th round – 12.30pm Arsenal v Man City
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 1pm-3pm – WTA Abu Dhabi Open Final
  • SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 2 – La Liga – 1pm Getafe v Celta Vigo; 3.15pm Mallorca v Rayo Vallecano
  • GAA – TG4 – Hurling League – 1.45pm Waterford v Clare; 3.45pm Tipperary v Galway; Deferred Antrim v Dublin
  • SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Scottish Cup, 5th Round – 2pm St Mirren v Celtic
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 2pm Bologna v Lecce; 5pm Genoa v Atalanta; 7.45pm AC Milan v Napoli
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Ligue 1 – 2pm Lorient v Reims; 4.05pm Montpellier v Lyon
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 2pm West Ham Utd v Arsenal; 4.30pm Aston Villa v Manchester Utd
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Bundesliga – 2.30pm Stuttgart v Mainz; 4.30pm Hoffenheim v Cologne
  • RUGBY – Virgin Media One & UTV – Six Nations – 3pm Ireland v Italy
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 3pm-4.30pm – ATP Final from Marseille
  • CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 3pm-4.45pm – One-day Clasica de Almeria
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 3.30pm-11pm Phoenix Open
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 4.30pm-5.30pm – WTA Final from Cluj, Romania
  • SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 5.30pm Sevilla v Atlético Madrid; 8pm Barcelona v Granada
  • TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 7pm-9pm – ATP Dallas Open Final
  • NBA – TNT Sports 2 – 7pm Celtics @ Heat
  • RUGBY – Virgin Media Two, 7pm-8pm Six Nations highlights
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Ligue 1 – 7.45pm Nice v Monaco
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football & BBC Three – Africa Cup of Nations Final – 8pm Nigeria v Côte d’Ivoire
  • GAA – RTÉ 2, 9.30pm-11pm League Sunday
  • SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.30pm-11.30pm Match of the Day 2
  • NFL – Virgin Media Two, UTV & Sky Sports NFL – Super Bowl LVIII – 11.30pm San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City Chiefs
Damian Cullen

Damian Cullen

Damian Cullen is Health & Family Editor of The Irish Times