Football on TV this weekend in the UK: Info on channels and live streams

Your guide to the biggest matches available to watch so you won't miss any of the action

You can expect fireworks from the world of football this weekend. Starting on Bonfire night this Friday all the way until the close of play on Sunday night, there are some explosive ties on which to feast your eyes. We've got bitter local derbies, huge games with title implications and matches with goalfest written all over them. The weekend is here, and here comes the football!

Every weekend seems to bring with it an immense amount of football action and this one is no different. Here are some of the most exciting and important matches playing out across Europe this weekend which will be broadcast live on TV or online via live stream for UK based fans to enjoy. We've collected the hottest fixtures being shown by the likes of BT Sport, Sky Sports, Bet 365 and more fantastic providers this weekend.

All kick offs are displayed in UK time.

Friday 5 November

Mainz look like they are about to break away from mid table mediocrity and once again qualify for European competition as they did under Thomas Tuchel a decade ago. While Mainz may not score as many goals as Bayern, Dortmund or Leverkusen, only Freiburg have a better defensive record. Their opponents on Friday, Borussia Monchengladbach, have very similar numbers and just two fewer points but sit five places below in tenth. This might end up being a cagey affair with little excitement on the pitch but the giddiness should come from the prospect of lowly Mainz adding another three points to their tally and marching towards Europa League qualification. Relegation threatened Genoa have scored the same number of goals as Juventus in Serie A this season, but only four teams have conceded more. Their visit to mid table Empoli is almost certain to provide goals at both ends. Keep an eye out for legendary striker Goran Pandev still playing week in week out at 38 years old.

There's never been a better time to watch La Liga. Spanish football is as competitive and exciting as it's ever been right now. Athletic Bilbao, Rayo Vallecano and Osasuna are putting pressure on the usual Champions League suspects and Bilbao can move into fifth with a win this Friday against struggling Cadiz. The Basque club are unbeaten in five but need to turn draws into wins more often than they do. The visitors are in the relegation zone but by no means adrift as it's very tight down there. They also need to get three points on the board soon, having won only one game this season. No team has drawn more than them. Our final pick of the night is a lower mid table scrap from the Premier League, featuring two sides who could easily get dragged into a relegation battle. Aston Villa invested wisely in the summer but nonetheless seem to be missing their former captain Jack Grealish. Hosts Southampton have looked good at times but they are struggling to score. Only Norwich have netted fewer goals this season so far and the Saints really seem to be struggling without Danny Ings. Will their former top scorer come back to haunt them by scoring for the visitors on Friday? More narrative and intrigue than you would expect from a standard mid table game between teams in no way geographically related. Worth a look.

Saturday 6 November

Fridays are always a little bit sleepy but Saturday is when things really kick up a gear. Where else to start but at Old Trafford for the always anticipated Manchester derby? Manchester United's win over Spurs and subequent draw against Atalanta helped calm the storm a little after their shocking display against Liverpool but Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is still very much under pressure. Pep will be looking for a response after Manchester City's 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace and the stakes are higher than ever. Both teams and their coaches will be desperate to win and anything can happen in a derby. This one should be an absolute cracker. RB Leipzig need to put a run of wins together if they want to get back in the hunt for Champions League qualification. They are still banging in the goals under new coach Jesse Marsch but are giving up vital points all too often. On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund look ready to give Bayern some genuine, consistent competition this season. Erling Haaland is predictably leading the scoring charts again with nine goals in ten games already and only Bayern have scored more than Dortmund. Both of these teams are adapting to new managers, both play blistering attacking football but have serious weaknesses at the back. Goals, goals and more goals expected from this game.

Real Madrid are unbeaten in five now in all competitions and seem to be building some proper momentum at the top end of La Liga. In Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr they have the two top scorers so far, and as a team they are far and away the most dangerous attacking force in the league. If you haven't been paying attention this season, this next match might look like an obvious home win, but Rayo Vallecano, spearheaded by former Atletico star Radamel Falcao, are punching well above their weight in sixth. This may not be quite as big as the traditional Madrid derby but for the Rayo fans it will feel like it. They humbled Barcelona only a week ago and will be full of confidence that they can produce another upset here. Matches involving Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain aren't really about upsets. Rennes are the only side to have beaten them all season and that isn't likely to change here. With Bordeaux in the midst of an troubling relegation battle, this game will most likely be an opportunity for Messi, Neymar and Mbappe to add a few more goals to their records. It should be watched as an entertaining exhibition of attacking flair. Then if Bordeaux do the unthinkable, it'll be all the more exciting in a different way.

Sunday 7 November

Despite having a fantastic start to the season, Bayer Leverkusen haven't won in five games. Their form has dropped off a cliff and they seem low on confidence. A 5-1 battering from Bayern Munich can do that to you. Hertha Berlin, on the other hand, have won three of their last four and are looking to climb the table. This should be a fascinating encounter between sides with totally different recent fortunes seemingly headed in totally different directions. Later on Sunday afternoon, West Ham United will be the latest team to try and break Liverpool's unbeaten run. Jurgen Klopp's side remain one of the only teams left in Europe yet to taste defeat this season but four draws from ten games shows they can be got at. West Ham are on cloud nine and will be thirsty for another scalp going into this one, having knocked Man City out of the Carabao Cup last week, the first team to do so since 2017. This has all the hallmarks of a fantastic Sunday afternoon Premier League clash.

We end the weekend with two legendary derbies. First we're off to Milan where Zlatan Ibrahimovic has returned from injury to help drive AC Milan on in their thrilling title race with Napoli. The two are level at the top on 31 points and both are unbeaten so far this season. Trailing seven points behind are city rivals and current champions Inter Milan. The loss of Conte, Hakimi and Lukaku was always going to be difficult to deal with, and in the grand scheme of things the blue side of the city should be happy to be within touching distance, given the insane start to the season AC Milan and Napoli are having. This game is always feisty but there's an added edge this season with a possible win for Inter likely to lead to an intense title race involving the two rivals. Then it's off to Seville for the derby between Real Betis and Sevilla. Like the one in Milan, this rivalry is very deeply felt in the city and involves two teams both fighting directly at the top of the table. Only three points separate Sevilla in third and Betis in fifth. Both are very much a part of this manic La Liga title race as it stands, and there couldn't be a more exciting set of circumstances to stage one of the world's most intense derbies. If you like passion, these two matches are how you need to end your weekend.

Don't have a subscription to Sky or BT Sports?

If you aren't lucky enough to own a subscription to any of these traditional providers like BT Sport or Sky Sports, or even the live streaming platforms like La Liga TV, there's still an option for you. All of the most prestigious leagues from across Europe are available via live stream with Bet 365*. You can watch La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and many more leagues simply by creating an account and meeting a couple of very minor criteria. All fixtures from these competitions are available from the world's favourite betting brand. Simply register or login, find the fixture you're interested in and click the small video icon next to it to start live streaming. You can watch these matches with Bet 365 on desktop or with your mobile devices. Terms and conditions apply.

People often ask if Bet 365 live streaming is really free. Well it is. You can watch live football from the Bundesliga, La Liga and much more in the UK on their app. Here's how:https://t.co/i6qzl9yH8M#livestreaming #Bundesliga #LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/xNzqurZUmN

— Sporticos (@SporticosCom) March 31, 2021

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