All Articles

Madrid, 7 February — Atlético Madrid produced a first-half blitz for the ages, shredding FC Barcelona 4-0 in the opening leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final at a raucous Estadio Metropolitano and all but booking a trip to the final before March’s return leg. Diego Simeone’s side needed only 45 minutes to turn the tie on its head, the damage started by an Eric García own goal and finished by a thunderbolt from Julián Álvarez, with Antoine Griezmann and deadline-day revelation Ademola Lookman also on target. The quartet of goals arrived inside a whirlwind opening period in which Atleti struck the woodwork twice and forced Iñaki Peña into a string of desperate saves. Barcelona, who arrived as the competition’s form team, never recovered from the early barrage. Their lone moment of respite — Pau Cubarsí’s scrappy finish seven minutes after the restart — was erased by an offside flag following an exhaustive VAR review. García’s miserable night was complete when he collected a second yellow in the 84th minute, ruling him out of the Camp Nou date and compounding the visitors’ misery. The rout continued a striking pattern under Simeone: Atlético simply do not do slow starts in knockout ties. Last season they stunned Barça by scoring twice inside six minutes in the corresponding fixture; in 2018 Diego Costa netted within 50 seconds of the UEFA Super Cup; Saúl Ñíguez needed four minutes to open the scoring against Liverpool in 2020. Thursday’s exhibition suggested the Argentine coach’s planteamiento — an aggressive, front-foot approach — remains perfectly calibrated to exploit Barça’s high defensive line. While the forwards stole the headlines, Juan Musso quietly delivered the game’s most complete performance between the sticks. The Argentine backup, preferred in cup competitions, rushed off his line to deny Ferrán Torres at 2-0 and later clawed away a Raphinha drive that looked destined for the top corner. His quick release ignited the second goal, a laser-like punt that sent Lookman haring away to double the advantage. Fotmob’s algorithm graded him 8.7 — the highest mark on the pitch — while local ratings panel Into the Calderón handed him a rare 8. For Julián Álvarez, the strike carried added catharsis. The World Cup winner had gone 13 matches and 65 days without scoring, spurning a gilt-edged chance at 2-0 before lashing a 25-metre rocket into the top-left corner to make it four. The relief was visible as he sprinted toward the Atlético ultras, spider-monkey celebration in tow. Possession told a misleading story: Barça hogged 66 percent of it yet rarely looked capable of breaching Musso’s goal. Atlético’s clinical edge — four goals from 12 attempts — finally delivered the contundencia Simeone has demanded all winter. Alexander Sørloth, guilty of profligate finishing in recent weeks, watched from the bench as his teammates converted chances at will. On the defensive side, Matteo Ruggeri largely neutralised 16-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal until an audacious second-half back-heel almost gifted Barça a consolation, only for Cubarsí’s effort to be chalked off. Eric García’s dismissal ended any faint hopes of a comeback; the defender will now sit out the second leg while his teammates attempt to preserve a four-goal cushion. The result matched Barcelona’s worst Copa del Rey first-half deficit since an 8-0 humiliation at the hands of Real Madrid in 1943. On this evidence, the Catalans will need something approaching a miracle in three weeks’ time; Atlético, meanwhile, can already dream of a return to the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville on 26 April. SEO keywords:

Former England manager Sam Allardyce has dismissed suggestions that Mohamed Salah’s dip in form is down to physical decline, insisting the Liverpool forward’s struggles are rooted in mindset rather than fitness. Salah, 33, has come under scrutiny this season after a noticeable drop in goal contributions, prompting questions about whether the Egyptian’s explosive pace and sharpness have begun to wane. Yet Allardyce, speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, argued the data still shows Salah covering ground and finding the net, albeit at a reduced rate. “Players of Mo’s calibre can hit a spell where the confidence just dips,” Allardyce said. “The legs are still willing, the numbers are still respectable, but that ruthless edge—timing the run, picking the corner, backing yourself—takes a knock. One goal changes everything; suddenly the net ripples, shoulders lift and the swagger returns.” Allardyce believes external factors have played a part. Egypt’s fourth-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations, where Salah had hoped to deliver a first continental crown for his country, left a lingering disappointment that can weigh heavily on an elite athlete. “When you fall short of a major trophy with your nation, it can sit in the back of your mind,” he added. “You try to park it, but subconsciously it can erode that extra bit of conviction.” Despite the scrutiny, Allardyce was quick to underline Salah’s enduring value to Liverpool. Over multiple seasons the winger has produced consistent goal returns and remains central to the club’s attacking blueprint. “He’s been a guarantee for so long,” Allardyce noted. “A short blip doesn’t erase the years of elite production. The quality is still there; it just needs unlocking with a single moment.” Liverpool will hope that moment arrives soon, resetting Salah’s confidence and reigniting the attacking spark that has become synonymous with his name.

The NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia is now penciled in for either Wednesday, September 9, or Thursday, September 10, 2026, according to reporting from John Ourand of Puck, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will meet at Melbourne Cricket Ground in what will be the league’s earliest kickoff to a season in recent memory. Initial plans had the matchup pegged for a Sunday afternoon U.S. window during Week 1, but the combination of a 15-hour flight and a seven-day turnaround before Week 2 prompted the league to reconsider. The midweek option gives both NFC West clubs a full weekend after the preseason finale to travel, acclimate, and then return home with nearly a week before their next contest. Florio noted that the league is also juggling a Thursday night opener for the Seattle Seahawks, meaning the Australia game could anchor a Wednesday-Thursday doubleheader to launch the season. The exact order—49ers-Rams on Wednesday and Seahawks on Thursday, or vice versa—remains fluid. The NFL is expected to unveil the complete 2026 schedule in May, yet international fixtures customarily leak early to aid travel partners and host venues. If the dates hold, the 49ers will also notch another passport stamp later that year: they are reportedly scheduled to host a December game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, making them the first franchise to play two international regular-season games in non-consecutive weeks within the same season.

Madrid’s Teatro Real continues its tradition of mounting concert-format operas with a rare foray into Verdi’s early catalogue, presenting I masnadieri (1847) during the 2025-26 season. The staging follows the house’s recent pattern of alternating familiar titles—such as Orfeo ed Euridice, Idomeneo, and Die Fledermaus—with lesser-known gems, giving audiences a chance to reassess the composer’s formative dramatic voice. Credit for the production’s visual documentation goes to Javier del Real, whose imagery captures the austere elegance of the Teatro Real’s celebrated stage. Verdi’s I masnadieri, based on Schiller’s play The Robbers, has remained on the periphery of the standard repertory, making the Teatro Real’s decision to program it in concert form a noteworthy curatorial choice. By eschewing full scenic trappings, the company places the spotlight squarely on the musical forces assembled for the occasion, aligning with the theatre’s broader mission to re-examine overlooked works through the clarity of a concert presentation. The performance adds another chapter to the Teatro Real’s ambitious multi-season exploration of operas in concert, a format that has proven both economical and artistically revealing in recent seasons. While details of the cast and conductor remain unannounced in the initial coverage, the mere inclusion of I masnadieri on the 2025-26 roster signals the institution’s ongoing commitment to breadth and balance in its programming. SEO keywords:

The New York Yankees have bolstered their bullpen ahead of the 2026 campaign, agreeing to terms with veteran right-hander Rafael Montero, the club announced. Montero, 35, arrives on a low-risk deal that brings a blend of postseason pedigree and swing-and-miss capability to a relief corps that underwent an off-season retool. A member of the 2022 World Series champion Houston Astros, Montero has spent the better part of a decade working high-leverage innings. His peak came in Houston earlier in the decade, when he thrived as a primary setup option and occasional closer, leaning on a mid-to-upper-90s fastball and a sharp splitter that consistently generated empty swings. While recent seasons have seen his results fluctuate, the Yankees are banking that a fresh environment and a clearly defined role will restore the righty’s consistency. The organization’s analytics staff has a proven history of tweaking veteran relievers’ pitch usage and sequencing, often coaxing additional strikeouts through data-driven adjustments. New York’s bullpen remains headlined by elite late-inning arms, but depth became a priority after injuries and heavy workloads exposed cracks down the stretch last year. Montero projects as a middle-to-late inning bridge capable of neutralizing right-handed power bats, a critical skill in the American League East. His postseason résumé also aligns with a clubhouse whose mandate is to play deep into October. Financial terms were not disclosed, yet the pact is not expected to dent the Yankees’ payroll flexibility. It represents the type of calculated addition contenders make as they stockpile experienced arms before spring training competitions begin. If Montero can recapture command of his splitter and curb free passes, he could emerge as a key piece in a division race that is already shaping up to be one of baseball’s tightest. He will report to Tampa next month with every opportunity to prove he can still be a difference-maker in the Bronx.

Barcelona defender Eric Garcia has publicly questioned the officiating that left his side with ten men in Wednesday night’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg, a match that ended in a bruising 4-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano. Speaking after the game, Garcia focused on the flashpoint that reduced the visitors to ten inside the opening half-hour. “Did you see Guiliano’s tackle?” he asked reporters, referencing the challenge that preceded the straight red card shown to a Barcelona player. The centre-back’s rhetorical query underlines the visitors’ belief that the decision was harsh and proved the pivotal moment in an already uphill battle. Atlético took full advantage of the extra space, racing into a commanding lead before the interval and never looking back. The four-goal margin leaves Barcelona with a mountain to climb in the return leg and intensifies scrutiny on a side that, across multiple outlets, has been described as “lost” and “blown out” in one of its heaviest defeats of the season. Barça now face the prospect of needing to score at least five without reply in the second leg to keep their cup hopes alive, a task made all the more daunting by the suspension hanging over the player sent off in the Spanish capital.

Bloomington, Ind. — When Fernando Mendoza hoisted both the Heisman Trophy and the national championship trophy last January, the Indiana Hoosiers believed their quarterback pipeline had reached an unprecedented peak. Less than five months later, Mendoza’s departure has forced the program to confront life after a legend—yet head coach Curt Cignetti insists the standard never drops. Enter Josh Hoover, the 3,000-plus-yard passer plucked from TCU this off-season. CBS Sports analyst Cody Nagel argues Hoover’s arrival flips the narrative from rebuilding to reloading, writing that “the thought of Indiana producing a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft would have seemed impossible” before Mendoza. Doing it in back-to-back drafts, Nagel adds, “would have been absurd,” but Hoover now inherits an offense already proven to elevate quarterbacks to the top of draft boards. Oklahoma accomplished the feat with Baker Mayfield (2018) and Kyler Murray (2019); USC last did it in the late 1960s. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit echoed the optimism on “Crain and Cone,” tagging Hoover as a potential sleeper among returning signal-callers. “I really think that Josh Hoover could be that guy,” Herbstreit said, lumping him in with Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed as breakout candidates in 2025. Whether Hoover ultimately emerges as a franchise-quarterback prototype or simply keeps the Hoosiers in Big Ten contention, the message inside the football complex is uniform: the engine that Mendoza drove to historic heights remains revved. Cignetti, described by staffers as “a fearless leader who continuously strives for perfection,” has made it clear the off-season objective is continuity, not consolation. Indiana will open camp this summer with the same up-tempo, quarterback-friendly scheme that turned Mendoza into a household name. If Hoover mirrors even a fraction of that success, the Hoosiers could again find themselves at the center of college football’s most improbable story—only this time, the plot twist is already written in Bloomington.

Aliso Niguel High has turned to veteran sideline leader Fred Gambrell to guide its football program, announcing the hire Thursday on the team’s social media channels. Gambrell, who spent the past two seasons as head coach at Sunny Hills, confirmed the move and will take over for Michael Calahan, who resigned in December after six years with the Wolverines. Gambrell’s recent tenure at Sunny Hills saw the Lancers rebound from a 2-8 campaign in 2024 to a 6-4 finish this past fall. Prior to that post, he served as an assistant coach at San Clemente, bringing a mix of head-coaching experience and deep local knowledge to his new role. Aliso Niguel is coming off an 8-4 season that included a third-place finish in the Foxtrot League. With the program set to transition into the competitive Epsilon League in 2026 and 2027—joining Brea Olinda, Foothill, Newport Harbor, Tesoro and Trabuco Hills—athletic officials are banking on Gambrell’s track record of quick turnarounds to keep the Wolverines on an upward trajectory.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Boston Red Sox have added a towering new arm to their system, agreeing to terms on a minor-league deal with undrafted free-agent right-hander Harrison Blum, the club confirmed via SoxProspects.com’s Andrew Parker. Blum, 24, spent six seasons in college baseball, beginning at Division III Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he earned back-to-back American Rivers Conference first-team honors in 2023 and 2024. The Minnesota native capped his collegiate journey in 2025 as a graduate transfer at Division II Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. Working predominantly out of the Vikings bullpen last spring, Blum logged 50 innings across 17 appearances (three starts), striking out 48, walking 22 and collecting four saves. Opponents hit .269 against him while he posted a 4.50 ERA. Standing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Blum fits the profile the Red Sox have pursued under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. His fastball has jumped from 91 mph on average last season to 96-97 mph this winter, and he complements the heater with a curveball and a splitter. Blum showcased his improved stuff at DST Arizona’s pro day in Phoenix last month, drawing enough attention from Boston’s evaluators to secure his first professional contract. “I am excited for another opportunity to continue to push myself further in this game we all love,” Blum said in a statement released by Luther College on Tuesday. “There is a ton of talent within the Red Sox organization, and I’m looking forward to being a part of this historical franchise.” Luther head coach Bryan Nikkel calls Blum a “late bloomer,” while Augustana head coach Tim Huber believes the righty still has “more in the tank.” Blum is expected to report to the Red Sox spring-training complex in Fort Myers shortly and open the season at either Low-A Salem or High-A Greenville.

Boise, Idaho — The most anticipated hiatus in Gem State football is coming to an end. During a Thursday-morning ceremony in downtown Boise, Governor Brad Little—joined by mascots Joe Vandal and Buster Bronco, Idaho athletic director Terry Gawlik and Boise State counterpart Jeremiah Dickey—announced that the Idaho Vandals and Boise State Broncos will meet on the gridiron for the first time since 2010. The date is already circled: Sept. 6, 2031, inside Albertsons Stadium in Boise. That contest will break a 16-season pause in a series that dates to 1971 and will serve as the 41st all-time meeting between the former conference foes. “We are excited to renew our rivalry with Boise State and get back on the football field in 2031,” Gawlik said in a release distributed moments after the governor’s remarks. “We know how much this game means for both fan bases and the entire Gem State.” Boise State owns a 22-17-1 advantage overall, but the momentum has swung wildly through the decades. Idaho’s golden era stretched from the late 1980s into the 1990s, when the Vandals reeled off 12 consecutive victories, including the memorable 62-16 and 64-19 routs in Boise in 1992 and 1996. The Broncos flipped the script beginning in 1999; they have not lost to UI since, stacking 12 straight wins and outscoring the Vandals by comfortable margins. The most recent clash—Nov. 12, 2010, in Moscow—ended with Boise State posting a 52-14 victory. Of the 20 games previously staged in Boise, each program has claimed 10, setting the stage for a winner-take-all atmosphere when the rivalry resumes in seven seasons. Tickets are not yet on sale, but administrators from both schools predict a sell-out crowd once the 2031 schedule is finalized. For now, fans on either side of Highway 95 can begin the countdown to a reunion long thought to be permanently shelved.

Charlottesville — Virginia head coach Tony Elliott has formally elevated two members of the program’s support staff to on-field roles, the Daily Progress has learned, continuing a reshuffle that coincides with the Cavaliers’ aggressive work in the transfer portal. Joey Orck, who spent last season as a football analyst, will now coach the offensive line, according to sources familiar with the decision. The promotion is part of a broader staff adjustment Elliott began after Virginia secured commitments from veteran quarterbacks Beau Pribula and Eli Holstein while the program awaited clarity on the eligibility status of Chandler Morris. Elliott, speaking earlier about the quarterback additions, noted that the staff’s ability to recruit two signal-callers in the same cycle reflected both urgency and long-term planning. The concurrent staff changes suggest the Cavaliers are aligning on-field instruction with the influx of experienced personnel, aiming to accelerate development on both sides of the ball. Further details on additional promotions or new hires have not been released, but the program is expected to finalize the remainder of the 2024 coaching lineup in the coming days. Virginia ended the 2023 campaign on a three-game slide, heightening the emphasis on spring practice and the integration of portal talent. With Orck’s promotion, Elliott underscores an internal belief that answers to last season’s offensive-line inconsistencies can be found within the current building.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s future is once again the subject of intense speculation after fresh reports linked the five-time Ballon d’Or winner with a sensational return to Sporting CP, the Portuguese giants where he began his professional career. Sources close to Football Transfers indicate that renewed contact has been made despite a recent détente in the previously strained relationship between Ronaldo and current club Al Nassr. The 39-year-old forward, who left Sporting for Manchester United in 2003, has never hidden his affection for the Lisbon club. While no formal offer has been disclosed, the mere suggestion of a homecoming has ignited excitement among Sporting supporters and European media alike. Parallel to the Ronaldo storyline, Liverpool are plotting a blockbuster move of their own. According to Barcelona-based outlet El Nacional, the Reds are ready to trigger the full €95 million (£82.7 million, $112.9 million) release clause of Athletic Club winger Nico Williams. The Spain international, whose season has been disrupted by injury, is viewed inside Anfield as the long-term successor to Mohamed Salah on the right flank. Tottenham Hotspur are also monitoring Williams and are willing to commit significant funds, setting up a potential summer bidding war. Williams is not the only La Liga talent on Liverpool’s radar. Fichajes reports that the Merseysiders would be prepared to spend €80 million (£69.7 million, $95.1 million) to prise Jules Kounde away from Barcelona, viewing the French right-back as a transformative defensive addition. Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell is a lower-cost alternative, with Liverpool ready to table more than €30 million after seeing a €25 million bid rejected in January. Elsewhere, Barcelona have swatted away Arsenal’s serious interest in Raphinha by pointing to the Brazilian’s €1 billion release clause. Mikel Arteta, who previously attempted to sign the former Leeds United winger, was willing to offer an “astronomical” salary, but the Catalan club remain adamant the player is not for sale. Manchester United’s recruitment staff have turned their attention to Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu, with Tuttosport indicating that scouts have been dispatched to assess the versatile Frenchman. United are also described as “frontrunners” to secure Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye in a deal that could bolster Erik ten Hag’s attacking options. Chelsea, meanwhile, are juggling multiple pursuits. The Blues are lining up a £50 million ($68.2 million) offer for Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to provide genuine competition for Robert Sánchez, while Bayern Munich also have the Dutchman on their shortlist as a long-term heir to Manuel Neuer. In midfield, Chelsea have taken pole position to sign Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimarães, prepared to meet the €75 million (£65.3 million, $89.1 million) valuation, ahead of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Arsenal are weighing a £40 million ($54.6 million) move for Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, adding another layer to the London clubs’ rivalry. On the continent, Atlético Madrid have slapped a €100 million price tag on Julián Alvarez despite the striker’s €500 million buyout clause, with Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal all circling. Robert Lewandowski has no shortage of suitors: Chicago Fire, AC Milan, Atlético Madrid, Fenerbahçe and Saudi Pro League sides have all expressed interest in the veteran striker. Saudi club Al Ittihad are assembling a “huge” financial package for Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga to fill the void left by N’Golo Kanté. Should Jürgen Klopp move to the Bernabéu, he has reportedly identified Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister as the ideal Camavinga replacement. With the summer window approaching, Europe’s heavyweights are already maneuvering for position, setting the stage for a frenetic few months of negotiations, clauses and record-breaking fees.

London, United Kingdom – As the Premier League’s heavyweights pause their title duel, Arsenal and Manchester City turn to the FA Cup fourth round this weekend with history in their sights: both clubs can still complete an unprecedented quadruple of Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup in the same season. City already matched Manchester United’s 1999 treble last May, but no English side has ever added the League Cup to that haul. The two giants will meet in early April at the Etihad in a league showdown that could decide the championship, yet first they must avoid slipping on the competition’s traditional banana skins. Arsenal host 2013 winners Wigan Athletic, currently mired in the League One relegation zone, while City welcome fourth-tier Salford City—co-owned by Manchester United icons David Beckham and Gary Neville—hoping to erase memories of an 8-0 humiliation of the Ammies last term. Aston Villa and Newcastle United, meanwhile, collide in Sunday’s marquee tie at Villa Park. Villa’s last FA Cup triumph came in 1957; Newcastle’s in 1955. Although the Magpies ended a 70-year domestic trophy drought by lifting the League Cup last season, a bruising Premier League campaign has left Eddie Howe’s side in 10th place and likely without injured captain Bruno Guimaraes. Emery’s Villa, third in the table but conceding the title race is all but over, view the Cup as their most realistic route to silverware after three barren decades. Further down the pyramid, sixth-tier Macclesfield Town dream of back-to-back miracles. The Silkmen’s third-round eviction of holders Crystal Palace represented the biggest upset in FA Cup history by ranking gap—117 places—and they could break their own record when seventh-placed Brentford visit Moss Rose on Monday. “We went into the Crystal Palace game thinking it would take a miracle,” said Macclesfield manager John Rooney, brother of former England captain Wayne Rooney. “There will be a lot more eyes on us expecting an upset, but that’s testament to the club.” With the draw for round five scheduled for Monday evening, the Premier League’s elite will hope to remain on course for a clean sweep, while underdogs plot the next chapter in Cup folklore. FA Cup fourth-round schedule (all times GMT): Saturday: Burton v West Ham (12:15), Burnley v Mansfield, Norwich v West Brom, Manchester City v Salford, Southampton v Leicester, Port Vale v Bristol City (all 15:00), Aston Villa v Newcastle (17:45), Liverpool v Brighton (20:00) Sunday: Birmingham v Leeds (12:00), Grimsby v Wolves (13:30), Stoke v Fulham, Oxford v Sunderland (14:00), Arsenal v Wigan (16:30)

Colombo, Sri Lanka — Pakistan’s Usman Tariq has become the most talked-about spinner at the T20 World Cup, not merely for his three-wicket burst against the United States, but for a delivery stride so unorthodox that it has reignited one of cricket’s oldest debates: where does ingenuity end and illegality begin? The 28-year-old off-spinner’s hallmark is a near-freeze at the crease: a momentary pause so pronounced that batters speak of losing rhythm, then a whip-cat release that has already accounted for high-profile scalps such as South Africa’s Dewald Brevis and Australia’s Cameron Green. Brevis fell to Tariq’s second ball in T20 international cricket last November; Green, after miscuing to cover during Pakistan’s 3-0 sweep of Australia in Lahore, mocked the action before later apologising. Television replays show Tariq’s bowling arm locked in a statuesque position, elbow visibly bent. Critics, including former India wicket-keeper Shreevats Goswami, liken the stutter to a footballer stopping mid-penalty run-up—an act outlawed in the Laws of the Game. The International Cricket Council allows up to 15 degrees of elbow flex, a threshold umpires concede is almost impossible to gauge by eye in real time. Tariq has already been reported twice for a suspect action during Pakistan Super League campaigns, only to be cleared after biomechanical testing at Lahore’s National Cricket Academy. “I have two elbows in my arm,” he said after the latest round of assessments. “My arm bends naturally. I have got this tested and cleared. Everyone feels I bend my arm and all that. My bent arm is a biological issue.” The numbers support his impact. In four T20 internationals he has claimed 11 wickets from 88 deliveries, including a hat-trick en route to 4-18 against Zimbabwe in November’s tri-series at Rawalpindi. Those returns persuaded selectors to include him in Pakistan’s 15-man World Cup squad, anticipating slow, turning pitches in Sri Lanka. Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who kept to Tariq at Quetta Gladiators, believes the pause is the key. “The long pause disturbs all the concentration of batters,” he told The Associated Press. “When he bowls a fastish delivery, or even a slow ball, it leaves the batters clueless.” Tariq’s rise has been swift. Less than three months ago he spoke of a childhood dream to face arch-rival India. With Pakistan reversing a boycott, Sunday’s group-stage clash offers the off-spinner a potential stage. “I wish there’s a match against India and I can win the game for Pakistan single-handedly,” he said. “My coaches have injected this thing in me that ‘you have to win matches single-handedly’.” For now, the debate rolls on. Umpires have again scrutinised his action in Sri Lanka; the ICC has taken no further action. Whether Tariq’s pause-and-sling will be remembered as a masterful piece of gamesmanship or a loophole closed by future regulation may depend on how deeply he wounds batting line-ups—and how loudly opponents protest. SEO keywords:

Santa Monica Studio has formally unveiled God of War: Sons of Sparta, confirming the title is out now exclusively on PlayStation 5. The announcement arrives alongside a striking visual of franchise protagonist Kratos standing before a golden cloud, the iconic Blades of Chaos ignited in his grip. No further gameplay details, narrative elements, or release-window caveats accompanied the reveal; the developer’s single image and brief confirmation serve as the entire communique to fans. Players can download the new entry immediately through the PlayStation Store.

TROY, N.Y. — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake alumnus Tyler Manning has earned a spot on the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association’s Third-Team Preseason All-American list, highlighting one of the region’s standout players as the 2026 campaign approaches. The announcement comes as the Empire 8 men’s lacrosse season prepares to open on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, with three conference squads slated for non-league competition. St. John Fisher University, which has captured six consecutive Empire 8 titles, will aim to extend its streak this spring while a 10-team field vies for the 2026 championship. League action begins Sunday, March 21, and the top six finishers will qualify for the Empire 8 Championship Tournament. First-round games are scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, followed by semifinals on Thursday, April 30, and the title contest on Saturday, May 2. Manning’s preseason accolade adds a local storyline to the conference race and positions the former Spartan as a player to watch when the opening faceoff arrives next month.

VERMILLION, S.D. — The University of South Dakota locked in every non-conference date for the 2026 football season on Thursday, unveiling a four-game slate that features a first-time visitor to the DakotaDome, two Big Sky Conference opponents and a trip to one of college football’s most recognizable venues. South Dakota will kick things off on Saturday, Aug. 29, welcoming Central Connecticut State to the DakotaDome. The Blue Devils are coming off a 2025 Northeast Conference championship and an FCS playoff appearance, and the meeting will be the inaugural clash between the programs. One week later, on Sept. 5, the Coyotes head west to face Northern Colorado in Greeley. The rivals—former North Central Conference foes—renew acquaintances after USD’s 24-17 overtime victory in Vermillion last fall. The Bears enter 2026 looking to improve on a 4-8 record, while the all-time series favors UNC, 24-17, through 41 meetings. Eastern Washington will make its first visit to Vermillion since 2011 on Sept. 12. The Eagles, who finished 5-7 last season, were stunned that year by the Coyotes, then ranked No. 1 in the FCS. USD will return the trip in 2027 with a game in Cheney. The non-conference finale sends the Coyotes to Boise, Idaho, on Sept. 19, to face Boise State on the Broncos’ iconic blue turf. The programs last met in the 1973 Division II playoffs, a 53-10 Broncos win. Boise State will be entering its first season in the reconstituted Pac-12. Game times for all four contests will be released at a later date. While the non-conference schedule is complete, South Dakota’s Missouri Valley Football Conference docket remains fluid. North Dakota State’s departure to the Mountain West has forced a league realignment; the Coyotes had been slated to host the Bison on Oct. 24. With the Valley shrinking to nine members, USD will face every conference opponent once—four home games and four away—giving the Coyotes six total home dates inside the DakotaDome in 2026. Youngstown State, originally set to be skipped, will now appear on the schedule. An updated league lineup is expected in the coming weeks. Off the field, new head coach Matt Vitzthum will be formally introduced at 10:30 a.m. Friday inside the DakotaDome Club. A statewide tour follows: Rapid City (Murphy’s Pub and Grill, Feb. 24), Sioux Falls (Pizza Ranch, Feb. 26), Yankton (Hillcrest Golf and Country Club, Feb. 26) and Mitchell (Bradley’s Pub and Grille, March 4).

Beijing — Snowboarding superstar Chloe Kim’s bid for an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic half-pipe gold came to an end on Friday night, but the 23-year-old American left the mountain with a symbolic victory: the emergence of a new South Korean talent she has long mentored. Kim, whose back-to-back titles in PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 elevated her to icon status, could not secure the elusive three-peat. Yet in the final rotation of the night, 16-year-old Lee Seo-yoon of South Korea stomped a switch double cork 1080 to leap onto the podium and claim silver, instantly becoming the face of the sport’s next generation. The moment carried extra resonance: Kim has quietly coached Lee during off-season camps in Mammoth Lakes, California, gifting boards, sharing training tips and inviting the teenager to ride alongside her private pipe. As Lee’s final score flashed above 90 points, Kim skated over, wrapped the younger rider in a bear hug and lifted her off the snow in celebration. “She’s the future,” Kim said simply, eyes still wet from the emotion of the night. “Tonight was her turn to shine.” With the torch passed, Kim left the half-pipe to a standing ovation, her legacy secure even as a new chapter begins.

BRENTFORD — When Arsenal arrived at the Gtech Community Stadium on Thursday night, they did so with a four-point cushion at the summit and the chance to stretch it further. They departed with the lead intact on paper, yet the sense that the momentum in the Premier League title race had lurched unmistakably toward the chasing pack — and specifically toward Manchester City. City had spent the previous 48 hours tightening the screws: a hard-fought win at Anfield followed by a routine dismissal of Fulham meant Pep Guardiola’s side had already trimmed the gap before a ball was kicked in west London. Mikel Arteta’s side, therefore, knew anything less than victory against a Brentford outfit sitting seventh would invite pressure. They managed only a 1-1 draw, and even that felt generous. Noni Madueke’s acrobatic 61st-minute finish — a soaring volley from Piero Hincapié’s delivery — appeared to have Arsenal en route to the kind of statement response their manager demanded. Instead, the visitors retreated, inviting the chaos Thomas Frank’s successor, Keith Andrews, openly craves. A long throw from Michael Kayode was flicked on by Sepp van den Berg and steered home by Keane Lewis-Potter, the goal dripping with the set-piece pedigree Andrews once helped forge at Brentford. Arsenal could easily have left with nothing. Gabriel Magalhães escaped a second yellow for hauling back Dango Ouattara, Igor Thiago twice went close, and only Declan Rice’s perfectly timed intervention denied Mikkel Damsgaard a late winner. At the other end, Gabriel Martinelli dallied long enough for Caoimhín Kelleher to smother the game’s best chance to restore the lead. The numbers paint a stark picture: two shots on target all evening, a sixth league match in nine without scoring more than once, and just two wins from the last six. Arsenal’s shot-conversion rate ranks 11th in that span; their expected goals figure (3.54) is 12th. Only 16% of their league goals this season have originated from open play — the fourth-worst ratio in the division. Arteta’s experiment of starting Eberechi Eze in Martin Odegaard’s usual playmaking role fizzled out. Eze drifted ever deeper in search of possession, prompting the manager to gesture animatedly for Martín Zubimendi to push beyond him. By the interval, the tweak was abandoned; by the 54th minute, Eze was hooked. “We needed another profile to generate problems in the areas they were pressing,” Arteta conceded afterwards, refusing to single out the Palace loanee. Yet the issues were collective. Viktor Gyökeres could not hold the ball, Leandro Trossard flickered on the margins, and even the introduction of Bukayo Saka failed to ignite a blunt attack. Declan Rice, ever the realist, fronted up. “You can’t be naïve to think this is going to be easy,” he said. “We’re playing the best teams every week. We control the controllables, block out the noise.” The midfielder’s rallying cry echoed around a silent away end that had arrived hoping for reassurance and left wondering whether the old narrative of Arsenal as perennial runners-up is about to be reprised. Brentford, for their part, revelled in the result. “Second again, ole ole,” sang the home support, gleefully forecasting another near-miss for their visitors. The Bees, unbeaten in five, were good value for a point and might have had more but for the woodwork and some last-ditch defending. City, watching from afar, could hardly have scripted a better midweek. The gap remains four points, yet the psychological swing is palpable. Arsenal still hold pole position, but the road ahead — and the rear-view mirror — suddenly looks a lot more crowded.

Manchester United’s £65 million summer signing Bryan Mbeumo has already supplied nine goals and two assists in 21 Premier League outings, but two of English football’s most respected voices believe the 26-year-old Cameroon international might have flourished even more had he chosen a different shade of red—or blue. Speaking to Metro, former Manchester United captain Gary Neville argued that Arsenal and Chelsea ultimately missed out on the forward they needed. “If you look at it now, Mbeumo would probably have been better for Chelsea and Arsenal than the players they got,” Neville said, while stressing that United have still secured “a really solid signing. I like him a lot.” Arsenal legend Ian Wright echoed the sentiment, praising Mbeumo’s menace in the final third. “He always looks dangerous… absolutely [he would have strengthened Arsenal],” Wright explained. “It’s the same with Semenyo, you watch Semenyo and think, ‘I could see him at Arsenal’. I could see Mbeumo at Arsenal as well. Gutted.” The debate arrives at a pivotal moment for all three clubs. Arsenal and Chelsea remain locked in a tight race for major domestic prizes, and both outfits were linked with Mbeumo before United sealed the initial £65 million transfer from Brentford. The forward’s October exploits—capped by the EA SPORTS Player of the Month award—have only intensified the what-if conversations around the capital. For Erik ten Hag’s side, the priority is ensuring Mbeumo’s hot streak continues through the season’s run-in. With 11 direct goal involvements already to his name, the winger has become United’s primary attacking outlet, and any dip in form could prove costly as the club chases a return to the Champions League places. Whether the pundits’ musings amount to mere hindsight or a prescient warning for Premier League rivals, Mbeumo’s early impact at Old Trafford suggests United will feel they made the right call—no matter how loudly the London clubs lament the one that got away.

Madrid – Barcelona arrived at the Metropolitano without Marcus Rashford, Raphinha and Pedri, and by the time they left, their unbeaten Copa del Rey streak against Atletico Madrid—eight ties, six wins, two draws—lay in tatters. A 4-0 first-leg demolition means the tie is all but over and leaves Hansi Flick with more questions than answers. 1. A first half that exposed every flaw From the opening whistle, only one team looked like a side chasing a final. Atleti snapped into tackles, beat Barca to every 50-50, and turned possession into thrusting attacks down the flanks. The visitors, by contrast, were second-best in every department, lacking both the bite to disrupt Atletico’s rhythm and the composure to keep the ball under pressure. The scoreboard read 2-0 at the interval; it could have been worse. 2. Balde’s horror show highlights full-back frailty Alejandro Balde has shown flashes of promise during his Camp Nou career, but Thursday was a sobering reminder of his limitations. Tasked with providing width, he repeatedly surrendered possession with wayward crosses, and when Atleti countered, the space behind him resembled a motorway. Giuliano Simeone ghosted past him for one chance after Balde had gifted him a two-yard head-start, a moment that summed up the 21-year-old’s night. With Gerard Martin the only alternative on the books, Flick faces a selection dilemma that could define the rest of the season. 3. Spanish officiating under the microscope again An eight-minute VAR stoppage for a marginal offside, two red-card incidents involving Simeone on Balde that went unpunished, and a string of baffling whistles turned a one-sided contest into a stop-start affair. In a competition that prides itself on drama, the officials stole the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, raising fresh concerns about Spain’s credibility among Europe’s elite leagues. Atletico, unbeaten in nine of their last 12 Thursday fixtures, now hold a commanding advantage ahead of the return leg. Barcelona, who had won eight of their previous nine away matches and 11 of their last 12 Copa trips, must somehow overturn the deficit without the momentum they carried into the Metropolitano. On this evidence, that prospect looks bleak.

Manchester United’s dramatic extra-time victory over Arsenal in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final has been cemented at the summit of the competition’s folklore after Ryan Giggs’ solo winner was voted the greatest moment in the tournament’s history. A poll of 2,000 supporters conducted by The Express placed the Welsh winger’s blistering run and finish above every other iconic episode the Cup has produced, from giant-killings to Wembley wonder strikes. Giggs, introduced from the bench by Sir Alex Ferguson as United fought fatigue on three fronts, seized on a loose Patrick Vieira pass deep inside his own half. What followed was 60 yards of balletic balance and raw pace: four Arsenal shirts left in his wake, the last defender bamboozled, and David Seaman beaten by a rising rocket into the roof of the net. Villa Park erupted; United were propelled to a final they would win 2-0 against Newcastle, and the Treble dream stayed alive. The goal edged out Wimbledon’s 1988 triumph over Liverpool, which finished second in the poll, while Leicester City’s 2021 final victory against Chelsea claimed third. Paul Gascoigne’s thunderous 1991 free kick for Tottenham against Arsenal and Wigan’s shock 2013 defeat of Manchester City also featured prominently, yet none could dislodge Giggs’ moment of brilliance. Few recall that Roy Keane’s legitimate effort in the initial tie, had it stood, would have rendered the replay—and its signature strike—unnecessary. Instead, the stage was set for a substitute to author the competition’s most enduring highlight. United, 13-time winners, will not add to that tally this season after a third-round exit at Brighton, but the club will return next year aiming to match Arsenal’s record 14 triumphs and, perhaps, witness a new chapter of Cup magic.

MADRID — A calamitous first-half goalkeeping error set the tone for Barcelona’s collapse as they were routed 4-0 by Atlético Madrid in Thursday’s opening leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals at the Metropolitano. The early blunder left the visitors reeling, and they never recovered, surrendering all four goals before the interval to leave their tournament hopes on life support ahead of the return leg. Barcelona, usually reliant on steady possession and defensive composure, found themselves chasing shadows after the keeper’s misjudgment handed Atlético the initiative. With each subsequent blow landing in rapid succession, the Catalans’ back line appeared shell-shocked, unable to reset or stem the red-and-white tide that swept through their penalty area. The four-goal deficit represents a commanding advantage for Atlético, who will now travel to Catalonia with one foot firmly in the final. Barcelona, meanwhile, must somehow overturn the scoreline on home soil if they are to keep their domestic cup ambitions alive.

Wolfsburg produced a dramatic late comeback to snatch a 2-2 draw against Juventus in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League playoff on Thursday. Down by two goals on home soil, the German side looked headed for defeat until defender Sarai Linder lashed home the equalizer in the fifth minute of stoppage time, capping a spirited rally and setting up a finely balanced return leg. The result preserves Wolfsburg’s unbeaten European run at home this season and leaves the tie wide open ahead of the decisive encounter in Turin. Meanwhile, Manchester United secured a victory in their own playoff, strengthening English representation in the competition’s latter stages.

Manchester United have received the verdict they were hoping for after contesting the red card shown to academy prospect JJ Gabriel during Tuesday’s Under-18 Premier League Cup meeting with West Bromwich Albion. Gabriel, 15, was dismissed in the 52nd minute for an off-the-ball incident involving West Brom midfielder Harry French. The decision left United temporarily down to ten men, yet his team-mates held on for a 4-3 victory that secured top spot in the group with a perfect nine points from three matches. Because the dismissal carried an automatic three-match suspension, Gabriel would have sat out next week’s FA Youth Cup third-round tie against Oxford United, as well as two further academy fixtures. United lodged an immediate appeal, and the Football Association has now ruled in their favour, overturning the red card and wiping the ban from the youngster’s record. Before his premature exit, Gabriel had already showcased his growing influence by registering two assists, underlining why he is considered one of the brightest talents in the club’s youth system. After the game, the England youth international voiced his frustration on Instagram, posting footage of the clash and asking, “How can this be a yellow let alone a red, how?” United’s successful appeal means Gabriel is available for selection when the Under-18s resume their dual pursuit of cup and league progress. Sources close to the academy indicate that the winger has trained with the senior squad on multiple occasions, including sessions overseen by former interim first-team coach Michael Carrick, further evidence of the coaching staff’s belief in his long-term potential. With the suspension quashed, attention now turns to Gabriel’s continued development and whether his eye-catching performances at youth level will translate into a future senior debut at Old Trafford.

Bengaluru, 20 February: M Chinnaswamy Stadium will once again reverberate with the sound of willow on leather after the Karnataka state cabinet formally approved the resumption of cricket matches at the iconic venue. The decision, taken on Thursday, follows the conditional clearance issued by the state home department on 17 January and clears the path for defending Indian Premier League champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to stage their 2025 home fixtures in the city. The green signal comes almost eight months after the government suspended all cricketing activities at the ground in the wake of the 4 June stampede that killed 11 fans during RCB’s title-winning celebrations last season. A government-appointed expert committee led by Maheshwar Rao, chief of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, reviewed safety protocols and submitted recommendations that formed the basis of Thursday’s cabinet nod. Law minister H K Patil told reporters that the home department will shortly release a comprehensive order detailing the pre-conditions the Karnataka State Cricket Association must satisfy before the first ball is bowled. “Keeping in mind the D’Cunha report and the recommendations of the government expert committee, the home minister will share the details shortly,” Patil said after the cabinet meeting. Home minister G Parameshwara earlier chaired a two-hour review with KSCA officials, RCB representatives and members of the Rao-led panel. Sources present said the committee expressed satisfaction with the progress on 17 short-term safety measures identified by the Justice D’Cunha inquiry, all of which must be completed by 15 March. The measures range from revamped entry-exit controls to enhanced medical response infrastructure inside the 40,000-capacity stadium. With the IPL season scheduled to begin on 26 March, the timing is critical: convention dictates that the defending champions host both the tournament opener and the glittering opening ceremony. RCB, who clinched their maiden title in 2024, had been forced to explore alternative venues while the stadium remained off-limits. The formal government order, expected within days, will spell out final compliance benchmarks for KSCA, but Thursday’s cabinet decision effectively ends the sport’s enforced hiatus in Karnataka’s capital and restores Bengaluru to the centre-stage of IPL cricket.

By the final whistle at the Gtech Community Stadium, Arsenal were left counting the cost of a game that slipped through their fingers after they had taken the lead, as Brentford’s set-piece expertise and a chaotic final half-hour forced the league leaders to settle for a 1-1 draw. Mikel Arteta, whose side have now dropped points only twice in 17 Premier League fixtures when scoring first this season, admitted his team allowed the contest to descend into the type of arm-wrestle that suits the Bees. “We wanted to win so we feel like we dropped two points,” the Arsenal boss told BBC Sport. “The moment you start to give away one or two free-kicks, the ball goes into the channels, it can go out for a throw and then it is a nightmare. They can throw the ball from anywhere on the pitch.” Arteta’s reference was a pointed one; Brentford have married their long-established prowess from dead-ball situations with a long-throw weapon that repeatedly pinned Arsenal back after the break. “They are one of the best historically in the league [from set-pieces] and they have developed this year with the long throw. It is a real threat and difficult to defend,” he added. Declan Rice, whose midfield graft helped Arsenal wrestle back control either side of half-time, echoed his manager’s frustration. “The game was split into different halves,” the England international said. “We suffocated a lot after the goal. In this journey you are never going to be at the level for 70 games of the season but you have to be at the best you can.” The draw means Arsenal have now collected 15 wins and just one draw from the 17 league matches in which they have opened the scoring, the only other blemish a 2-3 home defeat to Manchester United in January. Yet the underlying numbers offered a sobering context: the visitors’ 0.6 expected goals was their third-lowest total in a Premier League fixture this term, behind only the two meetings with Liverpool in August (0.49) and January (0.57). Arteta insisted the outcome should not be viewed as a fatal blow in the title race. “We keep going,” he said, while Rice urged his team-mates to shut out the rising outside noise. “People are going to talk up the title race and Arsenal but we have a really calm group,” he stressed. “It’s a point gained in our journey but we wanted to win the game.” Statistically, the value of defensive lynchpin William Saliba was underlined once more: with the Frenchman on the pitch since the start of 2022-23, Arsenal average 2.3 points per match and boast a 68.6% win rate, compared with 1.6 points per game and a 42.1% win rate without him. For Brentford, the result continues a recent upward curve and leaves Thomas Frank’s side buoyed by a hard-earned point against the division’s pacesetters. For Arsenal, it is a reminder that control, once ceded against a side schooled in the dark arts of set-piece chaos, can be painfully difficult to reclaim.

Barcelona’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Atlético Madrid ended in a bruising 4-0 defeat at the Metropolitano, yet the result was only part of the story. The match was dominated by an eight-minute VAR review that ultimately ruled out a second-half strike from teenage defender Pau Cubarsi, a delay the Spanish referees’ body, the CTA, has now blamed on a malfunction in the semi-automated offside technology. With Hansi Flick’s side trailing by three goals and searching for a lifeline, Cubarsi thought he had pulled one back when he smashed home a loose ball. The stadium screens flashed “GOAL,” players celebrated, and momentum seemed to swing—until referee César Soto Grado received word from the VAR room to hold play. What followed was the longest check of the night as technicians attempted to generate the skeletal model that SAOT relies on to judge offside. According to a CTA statement released to Mundo Deportivo, the system “generated a failure in the player modeling through the skeletons, upon detecting a situation with a high density of players.” Operators tried to recalibrate the software, but the crowded penalty area—packed with Atlético defenders, Barcelona attackers and goalkeeper Jan Oblak—overloaded the algorithm. After repeated attempts failed, the VAR team abandoned the automated tool and resorted to the old manual method, drawing lines frame-by-frame to determine that Cubarsi had been marginally ahead of the last defender when the initial shot was taken. The process took eight minutes and 12 seconds, a span in which players stretched, coaches argued and the stadium announcer repeatedly asked fans for patience. The CTA stressed the final call was “correct,” yet admitted the extraordinary delay prevented broadcasters from receiving the customary 3-D replay, leaving television viewers and supporters inside the ground in the dark. Barcelona staff, already incensed by the scoreline, argued the prolonged wait killed any chance of a comeback, while Atlético officials privately complained the episode disrupted their rhythm ahead of Thursday’s second leg at Montjuïc. Flick, who summoned 22 players for the return fixture, refused to blame the technology in his post-match press conference, but sources inside the club say the German coach will seek clarification from competition organisers over contingency plans should SAOT fail again. For now, Barcelona must overturn a four-goal deficit without the comfort of an away goal—an already monumental task made more frustrating by the memory of a celebration that never counted.

Manchester City’s breath-taking 2-1 comeback at Anfield has not only reignited their title hopes but also forced Opta’s supercomputer to dramatically recalibrate the 2025-26 Premier League forecast. Quick-fire strikes from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland in the dying minutes turned what had been a coronation march for Arsenal into a nerve-shredding race to the wire. Arsenal, who had been poised to open up a nine-point cushion after Dominik Szoboszlai’s sumptuous free-kick against Sunderland, still sit six points clear at the summit. The Gunners’ projected title probability remains a commanding 90.14%, with the looming trip to the Etihad in mid-April now billed as the championship’s decisive flashpoint. City, resurgent after their Merseyside miracle, have seen their chances jump to 8.15%—slim, but alive. Aston Villa’s surprise challenge has faltered; a damaging draw at Bournemouth leaves them nine points adrift of Arsenal and, according to the model, all but out of contention. Injuries in midfield have derailed their momentum at the worst possible time. The fight for Champions League places is equally volatile. Liverpool’s late collapse against City sees them drop to sixth in the projections, the first time this season the supercomputer has them missing the top five. Manchester United’s victory over Tottenham keeps them fourth, five points ahead of their historic rivals and with a 59.3% likelihood of a return to Europe’s elite tier. Yet it is Chelsea—buoyed by Liam Rosenior’s revitalising influence—who are tipped to finish highest of the chasing pack, handed a 72.1% probability of qualification. Brentford’s stoppage-time win over Newcastle lifted them level on points with the reigning champions and keeps faint top-five hopes flickering. Everton, after edging Brighton, harbour outside ambitions of continental competition, though the Europa League or Conference League appears a more realistic target. At the foot of the table, Wolverhampton Wanderers remain marooned on single-digit points and are considered certainties for relegation. Burnley’s weekend defeat at home to West Ham leaves them with a 0.37% survival chance, while West Ham themselves are still projected to finish 18th despite recent upturns, carrying a 73.63% risk of the drop. Leeds United, level on points with Tottenham after beating Nottingham Forest, have reduced their relegation probability to 6.77%. Forest, ever unpredictable, sit at 15.41%. Spurs, stunned by Cristian Romero’s red card and another loss, are just six points above the bottom three and can ill-afford another slip. With ten matches remaining, the supercomputer’s latest update underscores a season where margins are razor-thin from top to bottom—and where one dramatic swing at Anfield may yet shape the destiny of the Premier League.

The opening legs of the UEFA Women’s Champions League knockout-phase playoffs produced statement wins, dramatic collapses and a reminder that the holders are beginning to hit their stride at the ideal moment. Arsenal, champions a year ago but only fourth in the current WSL table, underlined why they remain the team to beat in Europe with a merciless 4-0 dismantling of Belgian debutants OH Leuven at Den Dreef. A Frida Maanum brace, Olivia Smith’s solo strike and an own goal gave the Gunners a tie-clinching advantage and stretched their UWCL clean-sheet streak to four games. Smith, who led all players with 16 touches in the opposition box, will sit out the return through suspension after a late yellow card for time-wasting, yet Renee Slegers’ side already look bound for a quarter-final date with Chelsea. Former Arsenal defender Jen Beattie, speaking on CBS Sports, praised the clarity Slegers has brought to the squad: “She’s direct, explains exactly where you stand, and the plans have been exceptional. That versatility is huge when you’re coming into the business end.” The numbers back up the eye test: Arsenal generated 2.67 expected goals from 19 attempts while limiting Leuven to 0.14 xG off five tame shots. While the holders cruised, Real Madrid survived a Parisian scare to win 3-2 at Paris FC and finally break a hex that had seen them fail to beat the French side in four previous UWCL meetings. Kaja Korošec’s sensational tenth-minute volley put the hosts ahead before Caroline Weir and Linda Caicedo—named Player of the Match—flipped the contest. Maeline Mendy’s stoppage-time reply keeps the tie alive heading to Madrid, but the Spanish giants carry a precious one-goal cushion. In Germany, Juventus were five minutes from a famous victory at the AOK Stadium until Wolfsburg’s late surge produced a 2-2 draw. January signing Ana Capeta scored and assisted Amalie Vangsgaard’s header as the Bianconeri twice led, only for Janina Minge’s 82nd-minute penalty and Sarai Linder’s curling 94th-minute equaliser to snatch a result that feels like a defeat for the Italians. Manchester United, meanwhile, turned defence into devastation in the Spanish capital, toppling Atlético Madrid 3-0 behind goals from Leah Galton, Nikita Parris and an own goal. Maya Le Tissier and Dominique Janssen repelled everything Atlético threw their way, helping Phallon Tullis-Joyce preserve yet another UWCL clean sheet. “United’s centre-back pairing is so connected; they organise everyone in front of them,” Beattie noted. “Le Tissier is one of the most underrated defenders in Europe.” With second legs to come, Arsenal and United hold commanding leads, Real Madrid own a slender edge, and Wolfsburg-Juventus is anyone’s game. But the message from the first night of knock-out football is clear: the holders are heating up, and the Red Devils look every inch a dark horse.

Arsenal’s cushion at the Premier League summit was trimmed to a fragile four points after a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Brentford, the leaders managing only two shots on target all evening and squandering the chance to restore the six-point advantage they held 48 hours earlier. Second-placed Manchester City’s mid-week win over Fulham had already shaved the gap to three, and Mikel Arteta’s side could extend it by only one after a night of graft at the Gtech Community Stadium that ended with the home side wondering how they had not completed a remarkable turnaround. A tepid first half yielded no Arsenal attempt on target, Gabriel’s near-post flick from an early corner the closest they came, while David Raya, back at his former club, had to spring low to his left to claw away Igor Thiago’s 12-yard header. The introduction of captain Martin Odegaard for the ineffective Eberechi Eze at the interval sharpened Arsenal’s edge, and the league leaders struck with their first purposeful effort moments after Bukayo Saka was readied on the touchline. Piero Hincapie thundered a cross into the corridor of uncertainty and Noni Madueke stooped to nod inside the far post. Brentford’s response was instant. Keane Lewis-Potter glanced a free header wide from a corner, and only Michael Kayode’s perfectly-timed sliding intervention prevented Viktor Gyokeres from doubling the advantage after Declan Rice hesitated in the box. The Bees’ pressure told 13 minutes from time. Kayode’s prodigious long throw was flicked on at the near post, Lewis-Potter out-muscled Odegaard at the back stick and steered home the equaliser. Thomas Strakosha was a spectator thereafter as Brentford pushed for a dramatic winner. Gabriel escaped a second yellow for a high challenge on Dango Ouattara, Raya tipping the subsequent free-kick over, before Mosquera’s recovery tackle denied Thiago a clean break and Rice threw his body in the way of another Ouattara surge. Arsenal’s best late opening fell to substitute Gabriel Martinelli, but the Brazilian could not convert a one-on-one, leaving Arteta to rue a third-lowest expected goals tally (0.6) of the Gunners’ league campaign. The draw lifts Brentford within touching distance of the European places and leaves Arsenal four clear of City with 12 matches remaining, the leaders now winless in two and facing questions over their ability to negotiate the division’s more attritional assignments. Player of the Match Michael Kayode embodied Brentford’s relentless display, marauding down the right, thwarting Gyokeres and launching the throw that engineered the leveller. Keith Andrews’ side have now taken seven points from a possible nine against Aston Villa, Newcastle and the league leaders, their fearless, high-tempo approach turning the capital club into outside contenders for continental qualification. Arteta, meanwhile, must re-ignite his squad ahead of a run-in where any further slip-ups could prove fatal to a title bid that only days ago appeared in firm control.

Liverpool are monitoring Christian Pulisic’s situation at AC Milan after the winger’s anticipated contract upgrade failed to materialise, according to respected Italian reporter Nicolo Schira. Pulisic, 27, is tied to the Rossoneri until 2026 with an option for a further two seasons, yet the absence of fresh terms has put Premier League suitors on red alert. The United States captain swapped Stamford Bridge for San Siro in a €22 million deal in July 2023 and has reignited his career in Serie A, registering 42 goals and 25 assists in 120 appearances across the past two campaigns. That productivity marks a sharp upturn from his final seasons at Chelsea, where he managed 26 goals and 21 assists in 145 games after an initial £58 million move and a starring role in the club’s 2020-21 Champions League triumph under Thomas Tuchel. Pulisic’s early development zig-zagged between Brackley Town in England, Michigan Rush and PA Classics in the United States, before he emerged at Borussia Dortmund during Jürgen Klopp’s last months in charge. Under Tuchel, Peter Bosz and Lucien Favre he cemented first-team status, convincing Chelsea to make him one of the most expensive Americans in history. Anfield recruiters view the versatile forward as a potential utility option rather than a marquee purchase. Deployed variously as a centre-forward, second striker, winger and number 10 at Milan, Pulisic’s pace, dribbling and creative spark could address Liverpool’s current lack of incision from wide areas. With record-signing Alexander Isak sidelined, Cody Gakpo struggling to replicate Luis Díaz’s influence on the left, and Mohamed Salah showing signs of decline, reinforcements are high on the agenda. Recruitment chiefs are conscious that Pulisic does not fit the club’s usual age profile for incoming transfers, yet they believe a short-term, high-impact acquisition—akin to the roles once filled by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Xherdan Shaqiri—could add depth and experience for a renewed title push. Any deal would likely hinge on Milan’s willingness to sanction a cut-price exit and on Pulisic accepting a squad role rather than guaranteed starts. For now, Liverpool will continue to watch developments in Milan. If the contract impasse persists, Pulisic could become a cost-effective solution to bolster the bench, freeing up funds for priority targets on both flanks while offering immediate competition to Federico Chiesa, who is expected to depart in search of regular football.

Madrid, Spain – Real Madrid will attempt to claw back top spot in La Liga this weekend when they host Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabéu, buoyed by a show of squad unity that saw forwards Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé foot the bill for a players-only team dinner earlier this week. According to club sources, the gathering was arranged to reinforce dressing-room cohesion at a pivotal stage of the title race. The Brazilian and French internationals, two of the squad’s highest-profile figures, reportedly covered the entire cost of the meal, underscoring a collective determination to finish the campaign strongly. Carlo Ancelotti’s side enter the matchday two points adrift of league leaders Barcelona but with a game in hand, meaning victory against La Real would move Los Blancos to the summit on goal difference. A win would also extend their unbeaten run in the competition to eight matches and maintain momentum ahead of a congested final stretch that includes fixtures against Champions League-chasing rivals. Real Sociedad, currently sixth, arrive in the capital seeking a fourth consecutive league triumph and a result that would tighten the battle for European qualification. Kick-off is scheduled for Saturday evening.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has added “team owner” to his résumé after purchasing a minority stake in Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported. The size of Cunningham’s share was not disclosed. A native of Arlington, Texas—the Rangers’ home since the franchise relocated from Washington in 1972—Cunningham grew up cheering for local teams and threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Rangers game on July 2, 2025. The club has been operated by Rangers Baseball Express since 2011, with Ray C. Davis serving as chairman and majority owner. Cunningham joins a small group of active NBA players with ownership stakes in other major sports franchises. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James holds a share in Fenway Sports Group, which owns MLB’s Boston Red Sox and the Premier League’s Liverpool FC, while Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has invested in the Milwaukee Brewers. Now in his fifth NBA season, Cunningham has earned back-to-back All-Star selections and is guiding the first-place Pistons in their quest to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2004-05.

Robert Lewandowski has pencilled in a firm timeline for resolving his Barcelona future, informing confidants that he will not commit to any course of action until after the club’s presidential election on 15 March, according to Mundo Deportivo. The decision day is now circled on calendars across Europe and North America, with the striker’s current deal at Spotify Camp Nou due to expire in less than five months and no extension offer yet tabled. Despite four prolific seasons in Catalonia, the 37-year-old has slipped down the pecking order under Hansi Flick, losing the starting striker’s armband to Ferran Torres in recent weeks. Even so, Lewandowski remains determined to prolong his stay and has signalled a willingness to accept a significant wage reduction to remain in Blaugrana colours. Barcelona’s hierarchy, however, have not reciprocated that urgency. Club bosses have prioritised identifying a long-term successor and are actively scouting the market, leaving the Pole in limbo until the new board is elected and outlines its sporting roadmap. Across the Atlantic, Chicago Fire have already formalised an offer, hopeful of luring Lewandowski to Major League Soccer this summer. The veteran is said to be intrigued by the prospect of experiencing life and football in the United States, yet he will not entertain the move—or any other—until the post-election landscape becomes clear. Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Fenerbahce and several Saudi Arabian outfits are also monitoring developments, each prepared to move swiftly should the forward become a free agent. All suitors now understand that the next five-to-six weeks will be decisive, as Lewandowski’s camp awaits internal clarity from the Camp Nou power brokers. While the door to a Barcelona stay remains technically ajar, sources close to the dressing room concede that an exit appears increasingly probable once the electoral fog lifts.

When India and Pakistan walk out for their T20 World Cup clash on Sunday, the players will carry with them more than batting averages and bowling figures; they will shoulder the weight of a 78-year geopolitical feud that has now poisoned every ritual of cricket diplomacy. What began as a routine tournament fixture has become the most politically charged encounter in the competition’s history, a microcosm of a relationship that has spiralled from uneasy coexistence to open sporting hostility. The rupture can be traced to a single moment in May 2025, when artillery shells and air-raid sirens replaced the usual summer buzz along the border. A four-day cross-border conflict—sparked by an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir—left the nuclear-armed neighbours closer to war than at any point in two decades. Cricket, the secular religion of South Asia, was always going to feel the after-shocks; few anticipated how completely it would be re-engineered as an extension of state rhetoric. The first tremor came at the toss of the Asia Cup group stage in September. India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, 35, bypassed the customary handshake with Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha, a gesture so small it was almost missed by broadcasters yet so loaded it ignited a firestorm on both sides of the Radcliffe Line. After India sealed victory with two balls to spare, Yadav and Shivam Dube turned on their heels and disappeared into the dressing room, leaving the Pakistani XI standing in a huddle waiting for handshakes that never arrived. Yadav later confirmed the snub was pre-meditated, invoking the Kashmir attack: “A few things in life are above sportsman’s spirit.” The ripple effects were immediate. Pakistan’s next assignment, against UAE, was delayed by an hour after the tourists demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, the official who had enforced the no-handshake directive at the India game. Pycroft apologised for “miscommunication,” but the symbolism was unmistakable: every neutral arbiter was now suspect. Hostility escalated into provocation when the sides met again. Haris Rauf peppered India’s Abhishek Sharma with verbals, then turned to the stands, holding up six fingers and miming a jet spiralling to earth—a taunt referencing Islamabad’s claim of downing six Indian aircraft in May. Rauf’s colleague Sahibzada Farhan marked a half-century with a mock-gun celebration aimed at the Indian dugout. India responded through Jasprit Bumrah, whose airplane-crashing pantomime after taking a wicket in the final was judged by the ICC to be “bringing the game into disrepute.” The scoreboard offered no respite. India chased down Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, yet refused to accept the trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi—who doubles as Pakistan’s federal interior minister. For more than an hour Naqvi stood on the presentation dais while the Indian squad staged an impromptu pantomime, lifting an invisible cup as photographers scrambled for angles. BCCI chief Devajit Saikia framed the boycott as a moral stance: “We have decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan.” The contagion spread to the women’s game. At the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 in Sri Lanka, India’s female players emulated their male counterparts, abstaining from handshakes with Pakistan. What had once been an isolated act of protest hardened into policy. By the time the ICC disciplinary committee completed its review, five players had been sanctioned. Yadav and Rauf were docked 30 percent of their match fees and given two demerit points each; Rauf’s repeat offence triggered a two-match suspension. Farhan and Bumrah received warnings and demerit points, a ledger of penalties unprecedented for on-field gestures. Pakistan’s government flirted with the ultimate protest, initially ordering the team to boycott Sunday’s World Cup encounter after Bangladesh’s early elimination. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif framed the move as solidarity with Dhaka, only to reverse course a week later under joint lobbying from Sri Lanka, UAE and other full members seeking “a viable solution to recent challenges.” The climb-down ensured the fixture will proceed, but not before confirming that every future India-Pakistan contest will be parsed for diplomatic subtext long before the first ball is bowled. Cricket between the two has always oscillated between theatre and diplomacy; today it functions as an annex of foreign policy. Handshakes, trophy presentations, even the choice of match referee have become contested terrain. Sunday’s game will therefore be remembered less for the runs scored than for the handshakes withheld, the gestures punished, and the governments that have turned a cricket field into the latest frontier of a 78-year conflict. SEO keywords:

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is set to miss England’s March internationals against Uruguay and Japan at Wembley, extending Thomas Tuchel’s injury headaches ahead of the 2026 World Cup cycle. Initially expected to be sidelined for four weeks with a hamstring complaint suffered earlier this month, the 22-year-old is now facing a six-to-eight-week lay-off, effectively ruling him out of the upcoming friendlies. The setback continues an unsettling run of fitness issues for Bellingham, whose intermittent absences have opened the door for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers to stake an increasingly credible claim to his midfield berth. While the former Borussia Dortmann prodigy remains a central figure in Tuchel’s long-term plans, his inability to string together consistent minutes has allowed Rogers to leapfrog him in the pecking order for the time being. Bellingham’s numbers this season—six goals and four assists in 28 appearances—underscore his enduring quality, yet they pale beside Rogers’ recent output. The 23-year-old Villa playmaker has compiled 10 goals and seven assists in 36 matches, including a string of match-winning strikes that have propelled Unai Emery’s side into Premier League title contention. Rogers’ direct running, creative spark and knack for decisive moments have caught Tuchel’s eye, with the England boss known to reward form and match sharpness above reputation. With the clock ticking toward the 2026 World Cup, the battle for midfield supremacy has intensified. Bellingham will use his prolonged rehabilitation period to regain full fitness and consistency, while Rogers aims to cement the momentum that currently tilts the balance in his favour. Should Rogers maintain his blistering club form through the spring, he could head into this summer’s internationals as England’s first-choice advanced midfielder, leaving Bellingham with ground to recover once he returns. England, meanwhile, must navigate the Uruguay and Japan fixtures without one of their headline talents, a scenario that will test the depth of Tuchel’s revamped squad as the countdown to North America continues.

Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Torry Holt, a seven-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, delivered a pointed message about Dallas Cowboys pass-catcher George Pickens during an appearance on the Up & Adams show with Kay Adams. Holt, who terrorized secondaries for 11 seasons, praised Pickens’ rare physical gifts, calling the 24-year-old “unbelievably talented” and “a freak of nature,” but quickly pivoted to the mental side of the position. “I want to see more situational awareness,” Holt said. “Lock in all the time. Know the situation. Be aware of what’s going on. Grow up, in a sense, is basically what I’m saying.” Holt emphasized that the next step for Pickens is consistency and accountability, traits he believes separate good receivers from the league’s elite. “Take accountability for his actions, become a pro down after down after down, year after year after year,” Holt continued. “He has the physical ability. He’s got somebody in Dak that can get it to him.” The conversation turned to Pickens’ contractual future after Adams noted the Cowboys are expected to place the franchise tag on the fourth-year wideout. Holt urged both parties to find common ground, arguing that keeping Pickens and All-Pro CeeDee Lamb together would give Dallas one of the NFC’s most feared tandems. “I think that the Cowboys should do the right thing, and George should also do the right thing by growing up, showing a level of maturity, staying there, and becoming a really good dominant wide receiver in our league,” Holt said. With the 2026 offseason approaching and negotiations looming, Holt’s message is clear: the talent is undeniable, but sustained greatness will hinge on Pickens’ willingness to mature and maximize his considerable potential in Dallas.

Craig Bellamy has set Wales the target of cementing their place among Europe’s top 16 nations after the draw for the next UEFA Nations League paired his side with Portugal, Denmark and Norway and confirmed their return to League A. Speaking after the draw, the Wales head coach said remaining in the top tier is the first step toward becoming a seeded nation in future qualifying campaigns and, ultimately, securing automatic passage to major tournaments. “I’m very excited and actually quite happy with the draw,” Bellamy said. “How I look at this group is to stay in this group. We’ve dipped between A and B and in the qualifying campaigns we are second. How do we get to be number one so we’re competing for the number one spot? “If we can stay in League A it will give us a better opportunity of being a number one seeded team that goes into qualifiers, and able to stay at number one and go straight to a tournament and not in the play-offs anymore.” The fixtures will revive memories of Wales’ memorable Euro 2016 run, ended at the semi-final stage by eventual champions Portugal. Roberto Martínez, now in charge of the Portuguese and a former Swansea City manager, praised the transformation under Bellamy. “Wales are a national team I know very well and are close to my heart,” Martínez said. “Craig Bellamy has transmitted that feeling of taking risks, playing games eye to eye with any national team.” Martínez labelled Norway, spearheaded by Erling Haaland, as “European football’s form team” after they cruised through World Cup qualifying with a perfect record. Bellamy, who has recently studied the Scandinavians, sees similarities between them and Denmark but expects a stern test across the board. “They were all going to be tough, that’s why you’re in League A,” he added. “It’s the top 16 teams in Europe.” The Nations League campaign begins in September with four matches squeezed into the opening window, presenting an early examination of squad depth. Full focus on the competition must wait, however, until Wales tackle a March World Cup play-off semi-final against Bosnia. Victory would set up a final against either Northern Ireland or Italy for a place at the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Asked whether the prospect of leading Wales to a World Cup as a manager—something he never achieved as a player—was a motivating vision, Bellamy kept his eyes fixed on the immediate challenge. “It’s one game at a time. We’ve just got to beat Bosnia, that’s it. Bosnia is the most important, it’s a real tough game, and all my focus and energy is on that moment. The rest will take care of itself.” Wales fans will hope that by the time the Nations League kicks off, Bellamy’s side will be preparing for a summer in North America before testing themselves against the continent’s heavyweights in the autumn.

Barcelona have announced that teenage striker Oscar Gistau faces another three-month lay-off after sustaining a fresh thigh injury, only weeks after making his return from a previous knee problem that had already sidelined him for an extended period. Medical examinations revealed damage to the biceps femoris in the 17-year-old’s right leg, with the club estimating a 12-week recovery timeline. The setback occurred during Barça Atlètic’s quarter-final clash against UD Palmas in the Copa del Rey youth tournament, where Gistau was forced off at half-time. Gistau, regarded as one of La Masia’s most promising centre-forwards, had just rejoined team activities after a lengthy rehabilitation and was being groomed as the natural successor to lead the club’s attacking line. The latest diagnosis deals a severe blow to both the player’s development and Barcelona’s long-term striking plans. Barcelona’s official statement read: “The medical tests carried out have shown that the Barça Atlètic player Oscar Gistau has an injury to the biceps femoris of his right leg. The estimated recovery time will be about 12 weeks.” The Spain youth international will now begin another arduous rehabilitation process, postponing any hope of senior-squad involvement until well into the new season.

Real Madrid Castilla coach Álvaro Arbeloa has opted to recall David Jiménez to the reserve side just days after the 21-year-old academy graduate made an eye-catching La Liga debut against Valencia at Mestalla. Jiménez, handed his first senior start by the club, completed more than 70 minutes at right-back before yielding his spot to Trent Alexander-Arnold, and his poised performance had fuelled speculation that he might remain with the first-team squad for the remainder of the campaign. Instead, with Dani Carvajal declaring himself fully fit following a private meeting with Arbeloa last Tuesday, the manager has decided that Jiménez’s immediate development is best served by regular minutes with Castilla. The defender is expected to start tomorrow’s clash against Athletic Club in Spain’s third tier, allowing the senior side to rely on the established pairing of Carvajal and Alexander-Arnold at right-back. Carvajal, club captain and long-time starter, had grown increasingly frustrated after featuring sparingly in the last ten match-day squads and failing even to warm up during the Valencia fixture. The conversation between the 32-year-old and Arbeloa has reportedly settled any lingering doubts over the veteran’s physical readiness, clearing the path for a return to the starting line-up this weekend against Real Sociedad, with Alexander-Arnold providing cover from the bench. While Real Madrid view Jiménez as part of the first-team picture next season, the immediate priority is to ensure he continues playing competitive football rather than spending prolonged periods on the senior bench. Arbeloa’s decision underscores the club’s commitment to balancing short-term results with the steady progression of its most promising academy talents.

Barcelona Director of Football Deco has outlined the club’s recruitment focus for the summer of 2026, identifying central defence and the centre-forward position as the two areas that will command most attention once the window opens. Speaking to Sport, the Brazilian acknowledged that the club’s exact spending power remains unclear until LaLiga’s financial audit is completed, meaning the board may again need bank guarantees to register new signings. The Blaugrana have been linked with reinforcements at both ends of the pitch. Veteran stopper Iñigo Martínez’s unexpected departure last summer left Hansi Flick short of left-sided cover, forcing the German to field academy graduate Gerard Martín in makeshift roles. Up front, Robert Lewandowski’s contract is due to expire, placing the long-term future of the club’s record signing under scrutiny. Asked whether Barça will target a like-for-like replacement for the Polish striker, Deco cautioned against a narrow search. “We shouldn’t get obsessed with any one striker because the team is doing well. We have Ferran and Rashford; we’ll see what we can do to make decisions,” he said. “If we’re talking about the best striker, the best number 9 of the last ten years, it’s been Robert. There’s no one like him. It’s not easy to go to the market and look for someone like Robert because teams tend to go for other types of strikers.” Julian Álvarez has emerged as the most frequently mentioned name in Catalan media, though Deco refused to be drawn on specific targets, emphasising instead the profile the club values: “technical ability, the capacity to link up with teammates, and the ability to find solutions.” Marcus Rashford’s status was also addressed. Barcelona hold a €30 million purchase option after a season-long loan from Manchester United and have already informed the Premier League side of their intention to trigger the clause, pending a possible renegotiation. “He’s a footballer who has played at a very high level, with enormous demands at a club like Manchester United,” Deco said. “He took a pay cut to make it happen… we’re very happy about that. He’s a player who contributes a lot to the team.” Ferran Torres, out of contract in 2027, represents an internal solution, yet his long-term role is undecided. Deco praised the Spain international’s attitude and output—“he’s a player we value highly; he’s a player we want to keep”—but stopped short of guaranteeing an extension, citing LaLiga’s financial regulations and the need to balance squad planning with wage structure. With four months of football described by Deco as “an eternity,” the sporting director conceded that priorities could shift, but for now the roadmap is set: shore up the back line and secure a sustainable succession plan at centre-forward as Barcelona prepare for life after Lewandowski.

New Delhi, 2026 – India underlined their title credentials with a commanding 93-run victory over Namibia at the T20 World Cup, storming to the summit of Group A and setting up a blockbuster clash with Pakistan on Sunday. Electing to bat first after losing the toss, the hosts blazed to 209-9 on the back of a power-play record 86-1. Ishan Kishan set the tone, hammering 61 off 24 balls to give India the early impetus. Namibia’s Gerhard Erasmus briefly checked the charge, claiming career-best figures of 4-20 as India slipped to 124-4 midway through the innings. Hardik Pandya responded in style, crunching four sixes and four fours in a 52-run assault that anchored an 81-run stand with Shivam Dube (23). The late surge lifted India to a daunting 209-9, leaving Namibia needing more than ten an over. Namibia’s reply began brightly at 67-1 after seven overs, but the chase unravelled once Varun Chakravarthy entered the attack. The mystery spinner snared 3-7 in two overs, dismissing top-scorer Louren Steenkamp (29) and triggering a collapse that saw the African side lose their last eight wickets for 30 runs. Pandya complemented his batting heroics with 2-21, sealing victory when Ben Shikongo was trapped lbw with nearly two overs unused. The win, India’s second in as many games, keeps the defending champions on course for the Super 8 stage and tees up a high-stakes encounter against neighbours Pakistan after their threatened boycott was averted.

Mumbai witnessed a landmark moment in T20 World Cup history as Italy registered their first-ever victory in the tournament, dismantling Nepal by 10 wickets in a commanding display. The Italian openers, brothers Anthony and Justin Mosca, chased down the required runs without loss, finishing on 124-0 to seal the memorable win. Nepal, batting first, were bowled out for a modest total that never proved enough against the disciplined Italian bowling effort. In reply, the Moscas showcased composure and aggression in equal measure, sharing an unbeaten 124-run stand to steer Italy past the finish line with all wickets intact. The result not only breaks new ground for Italian cricket but also shakes up the group standings, while traditional powerhouses India and Sri Lanka maintained their perfect records elsewhere in the competition.

Denver’s linebacker corps could be gutted this off-season. Captain Alex Singleton and special-teams stalwart Justin Strnad are both scheduled for unrestricted free agency, while veteran Dre Greenlaw’s name has surfaced as a possible cap casualty. If those departures materialize, the Broncos will be shopping for a new anchor in the middle of their defense, and one of the most intriguing names on the open market is Green Bay’s Quay Walker. The 25-year-old former first-round pick has started 57 games since 2022, compiling 469 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and 17 pass breakups. In 2024 alone he logged 128 tackles, eight TFLs, 2.5 sacks and five passes defensed in 14 starts. At 6-4, 240 pounds with 4.5 speed, Walker offers the downhill burst and sideline-to-sideline range that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph prioritizes in his pressure-heavy scheme. Denver finished 2024 with a respectable run defense, but Walker would represent a clear upgrade over Singleton in terms of raw athleticism and playmaking ability. He has worn the communication headset for Green Bay and handled play-calling duties, experience that would be valuable if Singleton departs. The Broncos project to have ample cap space and a glaring need at linebacker, making Walker a logical target when the negotiating window opens. The Packers would like to retain their young core as they remain in a Super Bowl window, yet re-signing Walker is no certainty. Should he reach free agency, Denver is expected to be among the suitors willing to pay premium dollars for a run-stopping specialist. The biggest knock on Walker is coverage. Despite elite size and speed, he has never developed into a reliable matchup piece against athletic tight ends or backs, limiting his every-down value in a pass-heavy league. For a Broncos defense that has already struggled to cover from the second level, that flaw gives the front office pause. Still, in an era when offenses are increasingly committed to the ground game—Buffalo’s divisional-round pounding of Denver served as a fresh reminder—an attacking linebacker who can limit yards before contact has merit. Walker would not fix all of Denver’s second-level issues, yet he would solidify a run front that must contend with physical AFC West attacks. Denver may ultimately pursue a more complete coverage linebacker, but if the price is palatable, Walker’s downhill skill set, youth and first-round pedigree would immediately raise the unit’s floor. For a defense seeking both a culture reset and a talent infusion, the former Packer offers a high-upside gamble the Broncos can afford to consider.

Riyadh Air Metropolitano will stage tonight’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg between FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, and Hansi Flick has unveiled the XI charged with securing a first-leg advantage. The headline selection is the return of Frenkie de Jong. The Dutch midfielder missed the weekend win over Mallorca as a precaution but has been declared fit to start alongside academy graduate Marc Casado, pushing teenage pivot Marc Bernal to the sidelines. With Bernal dropping out, De Jong’s experience will be pivotal against the combative Atleti engine room. Further forward, Dani Olmo has been handed the central playmaker’s role, operating just behind a re-shaped front three. Fermín López earns a surprise start on the left wing in the continued absence of Raphinha and on-loan forward Marcus Rashford, while teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal retains his customary berth on the right. Leading the line is Ferran Torres, preferred to veteran Robert Lewandowski for the high-stakes cup clash. At the back, Joan García continues between the posts, shielded by a back four that sees Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde stationed as full-backs. The centre-half pairing is composed of home-grown duo Pau Cubarsí and Eric García, with first-choice stopper Ronald Araújo among the substitutes as a precautionary measure. Kickoff is little more than an hour away as both camps look to seize the initiative before the return leg at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Barcelona starting XI: Joan García; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie de Jong, Marc Casado; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Fermín López; Ferran Torres. Barcelona substitutes include: Ronald Araújo, Robert Lewandowski, Marc Bernal, among others.

Riyadh Air Metropolitano will roar on Thursday night as Atlético Madrid and Barcelona open their 2025-26 Copa del Rey semi-final tie, with the hosts aiming to seize a first-leg advantage before the return at Camp Nou in three weeks’ time. Kick-off is set for 9 p.m. CET, placing the match in prime-time across Europe and at 3 p.m. Eastern for viewers in the United States. Barcelona manager opts for a 4-2-3-1 shape, handing Joan the gloves behind a back line of Kounde, Cubarsí, Eric and Balde. The double pivot pairs Casadó with De Jong, while teenage sensation Yamal starts wide right opposite Olmo on the left. Fermín occupies the central channel behind lone striker Ferran. Lewandowski headlines a strong bench that also includes Araujo, Cancelo and Bernal. Atlético counter with a traditional 4-4-2. Musso starts in goal, shielded by Molina, Pubill, Hancko and Ruggeri. Captain Koke anchors midfield alongside Simeone and Llorente, with Lookman providing width. Up front, Alvarez and Griezmann form a strike partnership loaded with international pedigree. Oblak, Giménez and Sorloth are among the options off the bench for the hosts. Global viewing details vary by region. Spanish audiences can watch on TVE La 1 or stream via RTVE Play, while ITV4 carries the contest in the United Kingdom. Nigerian viewers tune to Sporty TV, and Indian supporters access the action through FanCode. U.S. rights reside exclusively with ESPN+, with no traditional television window available. Kick-off times translate to 8 p.m. GMT, 1:30 a.m. IST Friday, and 12 p.m. Pacific. As with every live thread, the community is reminded to keep language respectful, avoid posting unauthorized stream links, and maintain a supportive atmosphere. Regardless of the score, the mantra remains the same: Visca el Barça.

London – Arsenal’s charge toward the Premier League summit hit another speed bump on Thursday night as Mikel Arteta’s side lined up at the Gtech Community Stadium without Kai Havertz, the German whose recent re-emergence had offered timely relief to an injury-ravaged squad. Manchester City’s mid-week win trimmed the Gunners’ lead at the top to three points, intensifying the stakes of the short trip to face a Brentford side that has lost only twice at home all season and sits an impressive seventh under interim boss Keith Andrews. Yet while the Bees’ form commands respect, Arsenal’s immediate concern is the treatment table. Havertz, 26, is back on it. After five months out, he had featured in six matches since his return, registering four direct goal contributions and re-establishing himself as a central-midfield option for Arteta. A fresh muscle injury, however, has ruled him out for a minimum of two weeks, beginning with the Brentford fixture. The setback is expected to sideline him for four matches in total: the league meeting with Brentford, an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Wigan Athletic, and subsequent league encounters with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur. The news compounds selection headaches for Arteta, who is already without captain Martin Ødegaard and long-term absentee Mikel Merino—recovering from foot surgery and unlikely to return for three to five months. Young midfielder Max Dowman will not resume training until next week, further thinning the engine-room ranks. Pre-match updates offered only cautious optimism elsewhere: Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard were mentioned as possible returns after weekend knocks, but neither was assured of facing Brentford. With Havertz now unavailable, Martín Zubimendi and Declan Rice are set to anchor midfield, while Eberechi Eze appears the most probable candidate to fill the void left by the absentees. For a side desperate to restore a six-point cushion at the league’s summit, the timing could hardly be worse. Arsenal must navigate an awkward west-London derby depleted in numbers yet expected to deliver a statement response.

Madrid, Spain – Spain will open their 2026-27 UEFA Nations League campaign in September against Croatia, England and Czechia after the draw for League A Group A3 was confirmed on Monday. La Roja, seeded alongside Portugal, Germany and France, will again target a place in the final four after falling to Portugal on penalties in last season’s decider. The league phase runs from September to November 2026, with quarter-finals scheduled for March 2027 and the final tournament set for 9-13 June 2027. Spain’s first fixtures will come in the opening international window after this summer’s World Cup. Group A3 shapes as one of the competition’s most eye-catching pools. England return to the top tier after promotion from League B, while Czechia also climbed up ahead of Ukraine, Georgia and Albania. Croatia, ever-present in League A, provide another stern test for Luis de la Fuente’s side. Recent history adds spice to the ties. Spain beat Croatia 3-1 in their Euro 2024 opener in Germany before edging England 2-1 in the Berlin final to lift the trophy. The rematches promise subplots: Barcelona and Real Madrid stars Marcus Rashford, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham could line up against several club-mates, while Croatia captain Luka Modric may face La Roja in Spain for the first time since leaving Real Madrid, provided he extends his career beyond the World Cup. Czechia, winless in seven previous meetings with Spain, last faced La Roja in a 2022 Nations League fixture. Injury clouds hover over the squad. Samu Aghehowa will miss the World Cup and is likely to sit out the early Nations League games, while the Spanish federation will monitor the progress of Marc Cucurella and Mikel Merino as they race to be fit for the World Cup and subsequent Nations League duties. Spain, finalists in each of the last two editions, will hope to go one step further in 2027 and claim their first Nations League crown.

Madrid, Spain — Atletico Madrid authored the finest 45 minutes of their campaign to date, shredding Barcelona 4-0 in Thursday’s Copa del Rey semifinal first leg at a raucous Estadio Metropolitano and flipping a lopsided recent rivalry on its head. The rout began inside seven minutes when goalkeeper Joan García misjudged a routine back-pass from Eric García, allowing the ball to trickle over the line for an own goal. Before the quarter-hour mark Antoine Griezmann, facing his former club, finished a sweeping counter to make it 2-0 and could have had a hat-trick by the half-hour mark. Ademola Lookman added the third in the 33rd minute, capping a move that again featured every member of Diego Simeone’s daring four-man attack. Julian Álvarez, goal-shy since November, emphatically ended his drought in first-half stoppage time, smashing a low drive past the exposed Joan García. The four-goal deficit at the break matched Barca’s worst collapse since 2004-05, replicating the 2-8 Champions League humiliation against Bayern Munich in August 2020. Barcelona briefly thought they had clawed one back early in the second period when Pau Cubarsi tucked home, yet an eight-minute VAR review ruled Robert Lewandowski offside in the build-up. Cubarsi’s night soured further in the 85th minute when his initial yellow for a foul on Álex Baena was upgraded to red, leaving the visitors with ten men for the closing stages. Simeone’s gamble to start Griezmann, Álvarez, Lookman and Giuliano Simeone together paid spectacular dividends, overwhelming a Barca side missing injured forwards Raphinha and Marcus Rashford. Hansi Flick’s reshuffle—Ferran Torres as a false nine flanked by Fermín López and Dani Olmo—never found traction, and the coach acknowledged the miscue by introducing Lewandowski for midfielder Marc Casado after just 36 minutes. The result gives Atletico a commanding lead ahead of next week’s return at Montjuïc and serves notice that Simeone’s men, written off after a limp loss to Real Betis last weekend, remain serious contenders on three fronts. SEO keywords: