There are plenty of derby football matches to look forward to across the DStv Premiership, Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, MTN8 and Uefa Champions League this October. See the TV guide for all the dates, kick-off times and channels to watch these exciting matches.
CHIEFS V CAPE TOWN CITY
Cape Town City take on Kaizer Chiefs, who have had a mixed start to the season resulting in a tumultuous position with a mixed record of results. The two teams have had a similar record in their previous nine meetings, with each team winning four times and a single draw between them. This makes this matchup one of the most exciting in recent memory.
PIRATES V AMAZULU
The game pits two Spanish coaches, in Orlando Pirates’ Jose Riveiro and AmaZulu's Pablo Franco, and this will be their first league meeting, hence the match has been dubbed the “Paella derby”. Pirates have, however, monopolised this fixture in the last nine meetings between these two sides, winning six and drawing three matches.
CAPE TOWN DERBY
When Cape Town Spurs and Stellenbosch clash, in what promises to be an exciting game, Cape Town will be brought to a standstill. It will be the first meeting between the two teams in the Premier Soccer League this season, with Spurs having been promoted to the top tier, and the two teams have both had a mixed start to the season.
SWALLOWS V SUNDOWNS
For the first time in a league match, coach Steve Komphela and midfielder Andile Jali will face their former paymasters and aim to right all the wrongs they suffered in the cup match earlier this season. In that matchSundowns won, with Jali getting sent off for a rough challenge on Teboho Mokoena. This fixture has been largely dominated by Sundowns, with the team winning four matches and two games ending in draws.
MTN8 FINAL
As Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates renew their rivalry once again, sparks will fly as they face off in the MTN8 final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Pirates eliminated Sundowns in the semifinal of the same competition last season, leading to a change of coaching at Sundowns. After winning nine of the last 12 meetings between the two, Sundowns would have their tails up, while Pirates have only won two and drawn one.
ARSENAL V MANCHESTER CITY
It is the classic case of student against teacher once again as Mikel Arteta meets his mentor Pep Guardiola in this mouthwatering encounter between Arsenal and Manchester City. Arteta knows from experience that this is one fixture that Arsenal must win if they want to pull off the upset this season and topple City to the title, since City beat Arsenal to the title last season by coming from behind.
LIVERPOOL V EVERTON
There is one fixture in the Premier League calendar that football fans look forward to every year, the Merseyside derby, in which Liverpool face Everton in a match in which form in the lead up to the match is of little importance. The last 13 meetings between the two teams have seen Liverpool win seven, Everton win five, and one match end in a draw
MANCHESTER DERBY
It seems Manchester has been blue for far too long now, with City winning every title and United grappling for European football spots. However, all that is of less importance whenever the two teams meet. It has been City who have dominated this encounter, winning nine games, while United have managed only four, with two draws between the two giants in the last 15 encounters.
AC MILAN V JUVENTUS
AC Milan v Juventus is one match that you should definitely watch this October, as it's among the most exciting matches of the season with a lot of goals and drama. This meeting will serve as a measuring stick for the teams in terms of how far they have come and how long they have to go if they are going to be competitive this season. Both are looking to reclaim their glory after a tumultuous past season.
MADRID DERBY
As a result of being beaten by Atletico Madrid 3-1 in September, Real Madrid know that they will have to appease their fans in October with a victory over their arch-rival Barcelona. As far as statistics go, Madrid will have hope, having won five of their previous nine meetings, while Barcelona has won three matches, and one of them was a draw. In the last nine games that were played, there were a total of 17 goals scored, showing that this rivalry is indeed one of the fiercest in the world of football.
NEWCASTLE V PSG
Dubbed the “Money Derby" due to their rich owners, this is one of the matches to watch in the month of October. On paper PSG should win this one, however football has taught us that it’s never what it looks like and Newcastle have proved to be highly competitive under Eddie Howe and the new owners.
SEVILLA V ARSENAL
Arsenal made a fantastic return to the Uefa Champions League after years in the wilderness, but they come up against one of Europe’s elite teams in Sevilla, who have won matches and titles. Sevilla love beating English teams and they will definitely be giving Arsenal a match to remember. Brace yourself for this one and many other exciting UCL matches.