Premier League Buildup, Spanish Football, Africa Cup Knockout Stage and Old Firm Derby – Matchday Live

An early contender for longest traveller. Christer Aakeroy emails this:

“Having travelled over 4,400 miles from Manhattan, Kansas (yes, it’s known as the ‘Little Apple’) to watch my beloved Seagulls, I really hope that they fulfill their obvious talent and bring plenty of warmth and joy to the Amex this afternoon.”

Brighton host Burnley (three o'clock) so statistics suggest a positive outcome, Christer. However, this piece of data might be worrying:

• Burnley are unbeaten in their last seven away league games against Brighton (W2 D5) since a 2-0 loss in August 2013. They’ve never lost at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League (Two wins, four draws).

For fans of live text commentary, we offer extensive coverage. And more!

• 12.30pm Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest – Sarah Rendell
• 12.30pm Celtic v Rangers – David Tindall
• 5.30pm Bournemouth v Arsenal – Barry Glendenning

Additionally, live updates from the 3pm EPL games will be provided by Billy Munday in his clockwatch while Dominic Booth will cover the opening Afcon knockout matches (4pm and 7pm kick-offs).

Oh, look out for live updates from the concluding Ashes Test and the World Darts Championship final!

Here are some key European scores from Friday.

Serie A

Cagliari 0-1 AC Milan

La Liga

Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Getafe

Ligue 1

Toulouse 0-3 Lens

Over in Italy, Rafael Leao celebrated his return from injury with the first Serie A goal of 2026. His second-half winner put Milan at the summit of the table although local rivals Inter can return to the summit when they host Bologna on Sunday.

Serie A Table (Top 5):

• 1. AC Milan – 38 pts
• 2. Inter Milan – 36 pts
• 3. Napoli – 34 pts
• 4. Roma – 33 pts
• 5. Juventus – 32 pts

In France, Lens extended their advantage at the summit over champions PSG with a comfortable 3-0 success at eighth-place Toulouse, who were clearly hampered by being reduced to 10 men after just 20 minutes. That’s seven straight wins now for Lens. Could they pull off a title shock?

Ligue 1 Table (Top 5):

• 1. Lens – 40 pts
• 2. PSG – 36 pts
• 3. Marseille – 32 pts
• 4. Lille – 32 pts
• 5. Lyon – 27 pts

Off to a top-flight game this afternoon? Maybe you've embarked on an adventurous journey to the Africa Cup of Nations? Share your predictions and stories with us.