Another week during the international break means a spotlight also shone on the remaining games going ahead this week. Luckily, the drama on display over the coming days is full of intrigue and potential excitement.

Tuesday 14th October: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Latvia v England, 19:45

England find themselves potentially one game away from securing a place in the 2026 World Cup, with a win over Latvia being enough for the Three Lions to progress in Riga.

With fifteen points and current leaders in Group K, England have a significant gap of four points between them and Albania in second place and an even larger eight-point buffer between them and dropping from the qualification places.

The Three Lions cruised to a 3-0 win in their latest fixture, a friendly with Wales at Wembley, where it seemed to click for Tuchel's men in a team without star men Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.

Latvia have had a much less fruitful time in terms of results, with just one win in the group and five points to show for themselves, with their last fixture being a 2-2 draw with Andorra, in a match where they were leading.

England will be hoping their form continues in competitive fixtures, as they have failed to lose or draw any of their five qualifiers and look set to once again be on the plane in an empty stadium to finally bring home some silverware.
Date: 14/10/25

Time: 19:45

Venue: Daugavas stadions, Riga

The match will be shown on ITV 1.

Thursday 16th October Skybet League One Huddersfield Town v Bolton Wanderers 20:00

The battle for the playoffs is starting even at this early stage of the season, with the picture of who looks to be vying for the top spots becoming clearer by the week.

Two sides that sit for now on the edge but heavily within the battle meet this week, with seventh-placed Huddersfield hosting Bolton, who sit just one place behind them in eighth.

There are just two points separating the sides, and both have been far from playoff form of late. Huddersfield have only won one of their last four fixtures in League One, that being a 1-0 away win against strugglers Exeter. Their latest fixture was a loss to Stockport at home, where the Terriers could only manage a 90+2 minute consolation goal through Radulovic.

Bolton have been similarly lacklustre but slightly better off with two wins and two losses from their previous four fixtures, with their last result being a disappointing 3-0 away loss to Burton.

The wanderers will be hoping this meeting will be a repeat of the last time the two sides met, which was in late January this year, where a 55th-minute Aaron Collins goal was enough to grab the 1-0 win at the John Smith's Stadium.

Date: 16/10/2025

Time: 20:00

Venue: John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield

The match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

Friday 17th October, Sky Bet Championship, Middlesbrough v Ipswich, 20:00

This week in the Championship, Middlesbrough, who currently hold the automatic promotion spot, will face newly relegated Premier League outfit Ipswich at the Riverside.

Boro are looking rejuvenated under manager Rob Edwards and have only recently been taken from the top spot by Coventry. They currently just sit one point behind the Sky Blues with 18 points and a two-point gap to Leicester in third.

After a strong start of winning five of their opening six matches, Boro have lapsed recently with no wins in their last three, which includes two draws to Southampton and Stoke, as well as a 1-0 away loss to Portsmouth last week.

Ipswich, on the other hand, have had reverse fortunes, with the Tractor Boys initially struggling after their relegation from the Premier League. It took them five matches to pick up their first victory in the Championship, but since then they have been unstoppable, with three wins from four and a vital 3-1 win in the East Anglia derby against Norwich before the international break.

This uptick has them now in ninth place and just two points from the playoffs, meaning a win for McKenna’s men would be enough to potentially lift them into a campaign of promotion chasing, which is what had been expected of them since the start.

Date: 17/10/2025

Time: 20:00

Venue: Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough

The match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.