A new four year deal secured Premier League highlights on the BBC. Mark Lawrenson joined Trevor Brooking and Alan Hansen as a regular pundit during the second half of the season.
Episode 1
9th August 1997
August 9, 1997
The 34th season of Match of the Day kicks off with highlights of the first-ever top flight match in promoted Barnsley's 100-year history, as they take on West Ham at Oakwell. Also, there's action from Wimbledon v Liverpool, with Norwegian midfielder Oyvind Leonhardsen making a swift return to his former club. Plus key action and goals from the day's other Premiership games.
Episode 2
13th August 1997
August 13, 1997
Highlights from tonight's FA Premiership match between champions Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford. Manchester United are chasing their fifth Premiership title in six seasons, but Southampton only just avoided relegation last time around. Featuring all the goals and key moments in tonight's other Premiership matches.
Episode 3
23rd August 1997
August 23, 1997
Highlights of two of today's top matches in the FA Premiership, including the game between Newcastle United and Aston Villa from St James' Park.
Episode 4
27th August 1997
August 27, 1997
Highlights of two of tonight's top fixtures in the FA Premiership, including Everton v Manchester United at Goodison Park. Plus the other goals and main talking points in the division.
Episode 5
30th August 1997
August 30, 1997
Including highlights of the north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Highbury.
Episode 6
13th September 1997
September 13, 1997
Action from two of today's key matches in the FA Premiership, including Leicester City's game against Spurs at Filbert Street. Plus the Goal of the Month competition,
Episode 7
16th September 1997: Uefa Cup: Celtic v Liverpool
September 16, 1997
Coverage of the Uefa Cup first-round, first-leg clash at Parkhead, Glasgow. Liverpool are twice winners of this competition, in 1973 and 1976, but haven't reached a European final since 1985. Celtic are now under new manager Wim Jensen, and their last Uefa Cup appearance saw them lose to Sporting Lisbon in the second round in 1993-94.
Episode 8
20th September 1997
September 20, 1997
Highlights of two of today's key matches in the FA Premiership, including Bolton v Manchester United.
Episode 9
24th September 1997
September 24, 1997
Highlights of two matches in the FA Premiership, including Manchester United v Chelsea. Plus goals and news from tonight's other games.
Episode 10
27th September 1997
September 27, 1997
Highlights of two of today's key matches in the FA Premiership, including Derby v Southampton.
Episode 11
30th September 1997: Uefa Cup: Liverpool v Celtic
September 30, 1997
Coverage of the second leg of the Uefa Cup first-round tie from Anfield. Liverpool's late equaliser in the first leg, scored by Steve McManaman, gives them two away goals to add to their home advantage. But as Celtic have already proved, they will be no easy match for the Reds.
Episode 12
4th October 1997
October 4, 1997
Highlights of two of today's key matches in the FA Premiership, including Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur.
Episode 13
18th October 1997
October 18, 1997
Highlights of two of the day's Premiership games, including the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool. Plus the day's other goals.
Episode 14
21st October 1997: Uefa Cup: Strasbourg v Liverpool
October 21, 1997
Coverage of the first leg of the Uefa Cup second-round tie from the Stade de la Meinau. Both sides defeated Scottish opposition in the first round of the competition, Strasbourg twice dispatching Rangers 2-1, and Liverpool seeing off Celtic thanks to a last-minute Steve McManaman equaliser in the 2-2 first leg, before the goalless second clash.
Episode 15
25th October 1997
October 25, 1997
Highlights from the day's top Premiership games including the fixture at Anfield between Liverpool and Derby County.
Episode 16
1st November 1997
November 1, 1997
Highlight from two of today's top Premiership games, including Derby County v Arsenal from Pride Park. Plus all the goals from today's other games, and October's Goal of the Month competition.
Episode 17
4th November 1997: Uefa Cup: Liverpool v Strasbourg
November 4, 1997
Coverage of the second leg of the Uefa Cup second-round tie, from Anfield. Liverpool go into this match battling a 3-0 deficit from the first leg a fortnight ago and an away goal past Reds' keeper David James could be the final clincher for Strasbourg.
Episode 18
8th November 1997
November 8, 1997
Highlights from two of today's top FA Premiership games, including Blackburn Rovers v Everton. There is news and goals from all the Premiership games.
Episode 19
15th November 1997: FA Cup First Round
November 15, 1997
Highlights from two of today's FA Cup first-round ties, including Hull City's match against Hednesford Town at Boothferry Park. Plus other main talking points from first-round matches.
Episode 20
22nd November 1997
November 22, 1997
Highlights of two of the day's top FA Premiership matches, including championship contenders Arsenal's visit to Sheffield Wednesday. Plus other main talking points from today's games.
Episode 21
29th November 1997
November 29, 1997
Highlights of two of the day's top Premiership matches, including West Ham's game against Aston Villa. Plus other main talking points from today's Premiership games.
Episode 22
6th December 1997
December 6, 1997
Highlights of two of the day's top FA Premiership matches, including Liverpool against Manchester United at Anfield. Plus action from today's Premiership games, and a chance to enter November's Goal of the Month competition.
Episode 23
13th December 1997
December 13, 1997
Highlights of two of the day's top FA Premiership matches, including Arsenal against Blackburn Rovers at Highbury. Plus the rest of today's goals and action from the Premiership games.
Episode 24
20th December 1997
December 20, 1997
Highlights of two of the day's top FA Premiership matches, including the game between Leicester City and Everton at Filbert Street. Plus the rest of today's goals and other main talking points.
Episode 25
28th December 1997
December 28, 1997
Highlights of two of the day's top FA Premiership matches, including Newcastle United v Liverpool at St James' Park.
Episode 26
3rd January 1998: FA Cup Third Round
January 3, 1998
Highlights from two of today's top ties from the FA Cup third round and news from the other matches. Plus a chance to enter the December Goal of the Month competition.
Episode 27
5th January 1998: FA Cup Third Round: Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham
January 5, 1998
Highlights from tonight's FA Cup third-round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham at White Hart Lane.
Episode 28
10th January 1998
January 10, 1998
Highlights of the Premiership fixture between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. Plus goals and talking points from all the day's Premiership matches.
Episode 29
17th January 1998
January 17, 1998
Highlights of two of the day's games in the FA Premiership, including Coventry against Arsenal at Highfield Road. Plus the day's other Premiership goals and news.
Episode 30
24th January 1998: FA Cup Fourth Round
January 24, 1998
Highlights of two of today's top FA Cup fourth-round matches.
Episode 31
26th January 1998: FA Cup Fourth Round: Sheffield Wednesday v Blackburn
January 26, 1998
Highlights of tonight's FA Cup fourth-round match between Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers at Hillsborough.
Episode 32
31st January 1998
January 31, 1998
Action from the FA Premiership, including, from Anfield, two clubs still hoping to challenge for the title, Liverpool v Blackburn Rovers.
Episode 33
7th February 1998
February 7, 1998
Highlights from today's FA Premiership games, including the match at Pride Park between Derby County and Aston Villa. Plus January's Goal of the Month competition.
Episode 34
14th February 1998: FA Cup Fifth Round
February 14, 1998
Highlights of two of today's games in the fifth round of the FA Cup, including West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers at Upton Park. Plus other goals and talking points from today's FA Cup and Premiership action.
Episode 35
15th February 1998: FA Cup Fifth Round
February 15, 1998
Coverage of today's two matches in the FA Cup fifth round. The action centres on Arsenal's match against Crystal Palace at Highbury with highlights of Manchester Utd's home tie against Barnsley.
Episode 36
21st February 1998
February 21, 1998
Highlights of two of today's FA Premiership games, including Manchester Utd v Derby County at Old Trafford.
Episode 37
28th February 1998
February 28, 1998
Highlights of the FA Premiership top-of-the-table clash between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, plus the goals from all of today's other Premiership games.
Episode 38
3rd March 1998: Uefa Cup: Atletico Madrid v Aston Villa
March 3, 1998
Coverage of the Uefa Cup quarter-final first-leg tie, from Estadio Vicente Calderon. Brian Little's Aston Villa are the last remaining English representatives in this competition, having conquered Bordeaux, Athletic Bilbao and Steaua Bucharest in the three previous rounds. Atletico Madrid, managed by former Luton Town player Radomir Antic, could, however, be the toughest opponents Aston Villa have met in the Uefa Cup so far, having already knocked out Leicester City, Salonika and Croatia Zagreb. But Villa, who won the European Cup in 1982, should be capable of pulling off a good result.
Episode 39
7th March 1998: FA Cup Sixth Round
March 7, 1998
Highlights of today's FA Cup quarter-final action. Plus a roundup of goals from all the other Premiership matches.
Episode 40
8th March 1998: FA Cup Sixth Round
March 8, 1998
Highlights of today's FA Cup quarter-final games.
Episode 41
14th March 1998
March 14, 1998
Highlights of two of today's top games in the FA Premiership, including the top-of-the-table clash between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford. PIus today's other Premiership goals and talking points.
Episode 42
28th March 1998
March 28, 1998
Highlights of two of today's FA Premiership games, including Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur from Selhurst Park.
Episode 43
4th April 1998
April 4, 1998
Highlights of two of today's FA Premiership matches, including Everton's visit to Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Plus a chance to enter the March Goal of the Month competition.
Episode 44
5th April 1998: FA Cup Semi Finals
April 5, 1998
Desmond Lynam introduces highlights from today's FA Cup semi-finals: Sheffield Utd v Newcastle Utd and Wolves v Arsenal.
Episode 45
10th April 1998
April 10, 1998
Highlights of today's crucial FA Premiership clash between Manchester United and Liverpool from Old Trafford.
Episode 46
11th April 1998
April 11, 1998
Highlights of two of today's FA Premiership games, including Newcastle United's visit to Arsenal. Plus the day's other Premiership goals and talking points.
Episode 47
13th April 1998
April 13, 1998
Highlights of today's Premiership match at Ewood Park when Arsenal visit Blackburn Rovers. With less than a month to go before the end of the season the pressure is on for both sides. Arsenal are in title contention, after their 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford last month, while Blackburn are heavily involved in the chase for Uefa Cup places next season. Plus the day's other Premiership goals and news.
Episode 48
14th April 1998: Uefa Cup: Spartak Moscow v Inter Milan
April 14, 1998
Highlights of tonight's Uefa Cup semi-final, second leg between Spartak Moscow and Inter Milan.
Episode 49
18th April 1998
April 18, 1998
Highlights of two of today's key Premiership games, including Manchester Utd's clash with Newcastle Utd at Old Trafford.
Episode 50
25th April 1998
April 25, 1998
Highlights of the Premiership match between bottom-of-the-table strugglers Barnsley and title-chasing Arsenal at Oakwell. Plus action and goals from the day's other top games.
Episode 51
2nd May 1998
May 2, 1998
Highlights of a crucial day in the FA Premiership, as both Bolton and Barnsley battle to avoid relegation to the first division. Bolton are at home to Crystal Palace, while Barnsley play Leicester City. Plus a chance to enter April's Goal of the Month competition.
Episode 52
6th May 1998: Uefa Cup Final: Lazio v Inter Milan
May 6, 1998
Coverage from the Parc des Princes in Paris. There's been an Italian club in this final for the last nine years, and Inter are the favourites in this year's all-Italian clash. This is partly because they have won twice this decade (in 1991 and 1994, the last match against fellow Italians Roma), but largely because they now boast the brilliant Brazilian star Ronaldo among their players. Ronaldo, who transferred to Inter from Barcelona for £19.5m, added to his track record when he scored both winning goals in the second leg of Inter's semi-final against Spartak Moscow. He will almost certainly play for Brazil in the World Cup later this year. For Lazio, whose first European final this is, the attack will be led by another player bound for the World Cup, Croatian Alen Boksic, who scored the only goal of the semi-final against Atletico Madrid.
Episode 53
10th May 1998
May 10, 1998
Highlights of the two leading games from the final day of the FA Premiership season.
Episode 54
13th May 1998: Uefa Cup Winners' Cup Final: Chelsea v VfB Stuttgart
May 13, 1998
Coverage from the Rasunda Stadium, Stockholm, as Chelsea strive to win the European Cup Winners' Cup for the second time in their history. In Chelsea's only other appearance in a European final, they won the trophy in 1971, beating Real Madrid 2-1 in a replay in Athens. If player-manager Gianluca Vialli's talented, multi-national squad triumphs tonight it will be the third time an English club has won this tournament since England's readmission to European competition in 1990. Chelsea secured their place in Stockholm with a stirring semi-final victory over Italian side Vicenza, with Mark Hughes volleying the aggregate winner 14 minutes from time in the second leg at Stamford Bridge. In the other semi-final Stuttgart overcame Lokomotiv Moscow of Russia with a 3-1 aggregate win.
Episode 55
16th May 1998: FA Cup Final: Arsenal v Newcastle United
May 16, 1998
Highlights of this afternoon's FA Cup final from Wembley between Arsenal and Newcastle United. Arsenal could put the seal on a triumphant season by completing the double with this trophy, which they last won in 1993. Newcastle, meanwhile, have had a disappointing league season and are looking to lift the FA Cup for the first time since 1955. Plus the result of the Goal of the Season competition, and highlights of this afternoon's Scottish Cup final between Hearts and Rangers.
Episode 56
10th June 1998: World Cup 98
June 10, 1998
Highlights of the Group A game between Morocco and Norway, from the Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier. Norway are Scotland's next opponents and have not lost a game en route to France.
Episode 57
12th June 1998: World Cup 98
June 12, 1998
Gary Lineker introduces highlights of host nation France's opening Group C game against South Africa, at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille this evening, plus coverage of this afternoon's opening clash in Group D, Paraguay v Bulgaria, in Montpellier. Also, action from the Denmark v Saudi Arabia Group C match in Lens.
Episode 58
14th June 1998: World Cup 98
June 14, 1998
Highlights of the opening games from Group H which saw Argentina face Japan and Jamaica play Croatia. Plus action from the Group F game between Yugoslavia and Iran.
Episode 59
16th June 1998: World Cup 98
June 16, 1998
Highlights of the second set of games from Group A, in which Scotland take on Norway in Bordeaux and Brazil face Morocco in Nantes.
Episode 60
17th June 1998: World Cup 98
June 17, 1998
Highlights of Italy's second game in Group B, against Cameroon, played earlier this evening in Montpellier. Plus brief highlights of this afternoon's Group B game between Chile and Austria.
Episode 61
20th June 1998: World Cup 98
June 20, 1998
Highlights of Japan v Croatia, Holland v South Korea and Belgium v Mexico.
Episode 62
22nd June 1998: World Cup 98
June 22, 1998
Highlights of England's second match of the tournament, against Romania, played earlier this evening at the Stade Municipal in Toulouse. Plus brief highlights of this afternoon's other Group G match between Colombia and Tunisia.
Episode 63
24th June 1998: World Cup 98
June 24, 1998
A roundup of action on the day when final placings were decided in two groups. In Group D Spain met Bulgaria, and Nigeria played Paraguay. In Group C France faced Denmark, and South Africa played Saudi Arabia.
Episode 64
25th June 1998: World Cup 98
June 25, 1998
A roundup of the action on the day teams in Groups E and F played their last group matches.
Episode 67
29th June 1998: World Cup 98
June 29, 1998
Highlights of today's matches between the winners and runners-up in Groups E and F.
Episode 68
30th June 1998: World Cup 98
June 30, 1998
Highlights of today's matches between the winners and runners-up in Groups G and H.
Episode 69
3rd July 1998: World Cup 98: Quarter Finals
July 3, 1998
Highlights of today's quarter-final matches.
Episode 70
7th July 1998: World Cup 98: Semi Final
July 7, 1998
Highlights from tonight's semi-final match.
Episode 71
8th July 1998: World Cup 98: Semi Final
July 8, 1998
Highlights of tonight's second semi-final at the Stade de France, Paris.