We have another week of action to bring you from around the UK sporting scene with a sprinkling of European action this week as the Champions League kicks off. There is also the final day of Super League Rugby to bring you as the culmination of a long season comes closer.

 Tuesday 16th September EFL Cup: Sheffield Wednesday v. Grimsby Town 19:45

The EFL Cup is back after a short break, and early midweek sees two of the surprise packages from the previous round meet.

Sheffield Wednesday are in the doldrums this season following drama behind the scenes with owner Chansiri, who has been the lightning rod for turmoil at Hillsborough for a number of seasons now. Earlier on in the transfer window they lost fan favourite manager Danny Rohl as a result of the chaos behind the scenes as the squad find themselves low on numbers and staff, including players not being paid.

This has meant the cup has taken a back seat to survival in the Championship, but that could be easily forgotten in their match against Premier League Leeds United, who the Owls beat in dramatic style with only one first-team player in the starting 11 and the rest being made up of academy prospects.

The match ended in normal time with a 1-1 draw, but the Owls triumphed on penalties with all three of Leeds’ takers missing spot kicks.

Wednesday are yet to win in league action with just one point taken from five games, which was a 2-2 draw with second-tier new boys Wrexham. Since that unlikely victory over Leeds, they have also failed to score a goal in the league, with the intervening matches in league action ending in 2-0 and 3-0 losses to Swansea and Bristol City.

Such form has them in 23rd and languishing three points off safety already, with only their Steel City rivals Sheffield United being beneath them on 0 points.

Grimsby similarly triumphed on penalties but in a much more David and Goliath affair, as they were on hand to further embarrass Manchester United and Ruben Amorim at Blundell Park. It seemed to be an easy affair for the Mariners, who after half an hour were 2-0 up following strikes from Charles Vernam and former Manchester United academy prospect Tyrell Warren.

A late Harry Maguire goal evened the scoreline, and after a tense and arduous penalty shootout, the stands on Blundell Park were rocking as Mbeumo missed his penalty to hand Grimsby a 12-11 victory.

In League Two the Mariners are coasting well at this early stage with just one loss and five wins in eight matches, which is enough to have them in the playoffs in fifth position. Most recently, they earned a valiant win over MK Dons in a feisty 3-2 affair and fought out a lacklustre 1-1 home draw against Cambridge.

Much is yet to be seen from both sides in terms of their finish in the campaign, but a deep cup run for both could do the world of good ahead of what are to be tough seasons ahead, with Wednesday fighting to survive and Grimsby on the hunt for League One football.

Date: 16/09/2025

Time: 19:45

Venue: Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield

The match will be shown on Sky Sports+.

 

Thursday 18th September, UEFA Champions League, Newcastle United v Barcelona, 20:00

The Champions League group stage continues on Thursday with a matchup between an old bastion of the game and a re-emergence of a prior Champions League mainstay as Barcelona take the trip to the northeastto face Newcastle under the St James’ Park lights.

Newcastle have been somewhat disappointing in their opening to the Premier League season with five points from five games, including a close loss to Liverpool and two surprising stalemates against Aston Villa and newly promoted Leeds United.

Their first win came at the weekend in a 1-0 win over Wolves, and there have been concerns that the Magpies were looking toothless following the loss of star man Alexander Isak in a British world record transfer to Liverpool, but hopefully for the Newcastle faithful that problem could be solved with their record incoming of Woltemade from Stuttgart, as the striker was the only player on the scoresheet and looked to impress in his debut.

Barcelona are once again on the hunt for a La Liga title following their triumphant season last year. Hansi Flick’s men have been formidable under the German’s stewardship and will be hoping to add another Champions League title to the cabinet after an 11-year absence from the top prize in Europe.

This will actually be the fifth time the two sides have met in the Champions League, with the last match being in 2003, where Barcelona ran out 2-0 winners in Newcastle. That was the last of a three-game winning run for Barca in this fixture, with the only outlier being the first time the teams met in 1997, again at St James’ Park, where one of Newcastle’s most iconic nights took place, with Asprilla bagging a hat-trick to lead the Magpies to a 3-2 win.

Another historic night under the lights could be on the cards for Newcastle, who already had their fair share of recent Champions League memories, but a win over Barcelona again would be one of the most important and long-lasting.

Date: 18/09/2025

Time: 20:00

Venue: St James’ Park

The match will be shown on Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports.

 

Friday 19th September Betfred Super League Salford Red Devils v Wakefield Trinity 20:00

The final round of the Super League means this is the last chance for teams to sneak into the top six and claim a playoff spot. Wakefield find themselves in this position as they are in a head-to-head fight with Hull FC to acquire the final playoff place and further their campaign in the hunt for glory in 2025.

Wakefield has been in astounding form for the whole season, considering it is their first season since winning the championship in 2024. They have not looked out of place at all at the top level and have been the surprise package across the entire campaign, with notable wins along the way, including against Leeds Rhinos, Wigan and Leigh Leopards.

The biggest of all, though, could have been last weekend when Trinity hosted league leaders Hull KR at the DIY Kitchens Stadium. Many were expecting this to be an unfortunate opponent so close to the end, with Wakefield needing points to flow until the count stops.

Powell’s men proved all doubters wrong, however, with a stellar 28-12 victory where a Max Jowitt masterclass had them up by 26 points in just the first half. A late resurgence from the Robins had no effect, and Wakefield now find themselves one point clear of Hull FC with just this game to play.

Salford have been having a horrid time in Super League in 2025, with just six points taken all year and rock bottom of the table, with half the points of Castleford, who sit just a place above them. This could be Salford’s last game in the Super League for some time, with financial issues off the pitch marking them for a sad decline in years to come.

All eyes will be pointed towards West Yorkshire for what could be one of the most important fixtures of the season as Trinity look to join fellow Yorkshire sides Leeds and Hull KR in the playoffs.

Date: 19/09/2025

Time: 20:00

Venue: Salford Community Stadium

The match will be shown on Sky Sports Action.