Premier League Pre-Match Buzz, La Liga, Africa Cup Knockout Stage and Celtic v Rangers – Matchday Live

One fan has made an epic trip. Christer Aakeroy emails this:

“Journeying more than 4,400 miles from Manhattan, Kansas – the 'Little Apple' – to support my beloved Seagulls, I really hope that they fulfill their obvious talent and bring plenty of cheer and happiness to the Amex this afternoon.”

Brighton host Burnley (three o'clock) so the odds are in your favour/favor Christer. Then again, this Opta stat is a little concerning:

• Burnley are unbeaten in their last seven away league games against Brighton (Two wins, five draws) since a 2-0 loss in August 2013. They’ve remained undefeated at the Amex in the top flight (W2 D4).

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, Billy Munday will bring you live updates from the two 3pm Premier League kick-offs in his Saturday clockwatch while Dominic Booth will cover the opening Afcon knockout matches (starting at four and seven).

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 marked his comeback with the opening Serie A strike of the new year. His second-half winner put Milan top of Serie A by two points although local rivals Inter can reclaim top spot 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

Meanwhile in France, Lens increased their lead at the top to four points over champions PSG with a comfortable 3-0 success at eighth-place Toulouse, who were clearly hampered by being having a player sent off after just 20 minutes. That’s seven straight wins now for Lens. They couldn’t, could they?

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

Heading to a Premier League match today? Or perhaps you’ve made a maverick trip to the Afcon? Share your predictions and stories with us.