Sports
Samsunspor’s Conference League last 8 hopes on line in Rayo test
Samsunspor stand on the brink of a defining European night, but the path ahead in Madrid looks unforgiving.
The Turkish side travel to face Rayo Vallecano at Estadio de Vallecas on Thursday with a 3-1 deficit hanging over them after a punishing first leg in Samsun.
It is a margin that leaves little room for error and even less for hesitation.
The opening encounter on March 12 offered a sharp lesson in efficiency.
Rayo struck early through Alemao, set up by the ever-influential Isi Palazon, before Marius Mouandilmadji briefly restored parity with a composed finish.
Yet the visitors’ response was ruthless. Alvaro Garcia regained the lead before halftime, and Alemao’s second, driven in midway through the second half, turned control into command.
For Samsunspor, the numbers told a familiar story. Decent possession, limited incision, and costly lapses at the back. For Rayo, it was a display built on timing, precision and a cutting edge that rarely dulls at home.
Now the equation is simple and severe. Samsunspor must win by at least two goals to force extra time or by three to advance outright. Anything less ends a campaign that has already rewritten the club’s European history.
That journey to the round of 16 has been one of quiet milestones. Samsunspor navigated the league phase with maturity, posting three wins, a draw and two defeats to reach the knockouts for the first time. Along the way came commanding moments, including a 4-0 aggregate dismissal of Shkëndija and competitive outings against seasoned sides like Mainz and AEK Athens.
Yet this tie has exposed the gap that still exists at this level. Rayo, fifth in the league phase and armed with one of the competition’s most productive attacks, have blended La Liga experience with European composure. Their 13 goals in the group stage underlined that threat, and last week only reinforced it.
Isi Palazon, who delivered two assists in the first leg, continues to orchestrate with clarity and intent, while Alemao’s brace in Türkiye underlined a forward line capable of punishing even brief defensive lapses. At Vallecas, where Rayo have won all three of their Conference League home games this season, that threat tends to grow sharper.
Coach Iñigo Pérez is expected to restore several regular starters after rotating heavily in a recent league draw, with only minor injury concerns disrupting his plans. The hosts arrive balanced, confident and within touching distance of the quarter-finals.
Samsunspor, guided by Thorsten Fink, will need something closer to perfection. Their attack offers hope. Mouandilmadji has been prolific in Europe with eight goals and two assists, and the side showed resilience with a weekend win over Kayserispor that snapped a losing run.
But the absences of captain Olivier Ntcham, along with injuries to Bedirhan Cetin, Afonso Sousa and Jaures Assoumou, leave the squad stretched at a moment that demands depth as much as belief.
History offers only a flicker of encouragement. Just once has a team overturned a 3-1 first-leg deficit in this competition, when Olympiacos stunned Maccabi Tel Aviv last season. Samsunspor now chase a similar script, but on foreign ground and against a side that rarely loses control at home.
Three-time World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu returns to action this weekend, lining up for the second round of his rookie MotoGP World Championship season at Brazil’s long-awaited Grand Prix.
The Turkish rider, stepping into MotoGP as the first from his country to reach the premier class, continues his transition from WorldSBK dominance to prototype racing with growing confidence.
After securing three Superbike crowns, including a commanding 2025 title, Razgatlıoğlu made the leap to the factory-supported Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP squad, reuniting with Yamaha Motor Company machinery and partnering veteran Jack Miller.
Now racing with the number 7 and backed by Red Bull, Razgatlıoğlu has brought his signature late-braking aggression and flair to the grid.
His debut outing at the Thai Grand Prix showed flashes of promise, holding his own against seasoned rivals while adapting to Michelin tyres, carbon brakes, and the sharper demands of MotoGP bikes.
Brazil offers the next test.
The championship returns to the historic Autódromo Internacional de Goiania – Ayrton Senna, a 3.835-kilometer circuit named after Brazilian icon Ayrton Senna.
With 12 corners and a mix of fast straights and flowing sections, the track rewards precision and bravery, two traits that define Razgatlıoğlu’s riding style.
The event also marks MotoGP’s return to Brazil after more than two decades, adding extra energy to an already charged weekend.
The schedule unfolds across three days. Track action begins Friday with free practice, followed by a decisive longer session that shapes qualifying positions.
Saturday brings final practice, qualifying, and the sprint race, where early points are on offer. Sunday builds to the main Grand Prix, a 31-lap battle that will test endurance, strategy, and racecraft.
For Razgatlıoğlu, expectations remain measured but optimistic.
The focus is on consistency, data gathering, and pushing toward regular top-10 finishes as he sharpens his understanding of the Yamaha package ahead of future regulation changes.
Each lap in Goiania is another step in a steep learning curve, but one he appears increasingly equipped to climb.
Senegal said it will appeal after being sensationally stripped of its Africa Cup of Nations title Tuesday, with the Confederation of African Football instead awarding the crown to Morocco two months after a chaotic final.
The controversy stems from the Jan. 18 showdown in Rabat, where several Senegal players walked off in protest after the hosts were awarded a late stoppage-time penalty.
Captain Sadio Mane eventually led his teammates back onto the pitch. Morocco went on to miss the penalty, and Pape Gueye struck in extra time to seal what appeared to be a 1-0 win for Senegal.
But CAF ruled otherwise.
After reviewing Morocco’s appeal, the governing body declared that Senegal had forfeited the match, with the result officially recorded as a 3-0 victory for Morocco.
The CAF Appeals Committee justified its decision by applying Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, which state that if a team “refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered loser and shall be eliminated from the competition.”
The articles add that the team contravening the regulations “will lose its match 3-0.”
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation said in a statement its appeal “was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition regulations.”
“The federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, to the clarity of the competitive framework, and to the stability of African competitions,” the statement added.
Senegal’s football authorities said it will appeal “as soon as possible” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“The Senegalese Football Federation condemns this unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision, which brings African football into disrepute,” it said in a statement.
Chaotic scenes
Minutes before the end of the match, some Senegal supporters attempted a pitch invasion, while Senegal’s players halted the game for nearly 20 minutes to protest the late penalty awarded to Morocco.
The controversial spot kick was awarded by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala at the end of the allotted eight minutes of added time following a VAR check for a challenge on Brahim Diaz by El Hadji Malick Diouf.
The game was goalless at the time, and Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with the penalty deep into stoppage time.
But Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted Panenka by the Real Madrid winger, who appeared distracted by the long delay following the decision.
The match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium then went to extra time, and Gueye’s 94th-minute strike won it for Senegal.
Several of the team’s players posted on social media after the announcement that they had been stripped of the title.
Defender Moussa Niakhate, who plays for Lyon, posted a picture of himself lifting the trophy with the message “they’re mad,” in an apparent reference to CAF.
In the immediate aftermath of the final, FIFA president Gianni Infantino condemned “some Senegal players” for the “unacceptable scenes.”
“It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport. It is simply not right,” Infantino, who attended the match, said.
In late January, CAF imposed a series of disciplinary sanctions, including fines amounting to several hundred thousand euros, on the federations of both countries for unsportsmanlike conduct and violations of fair play principles.
The appeal trial of 18 Senegal supporters, imprisoned since the final and sentenced to prison terms ranging from three months to one year for hooliganism, which had been scheduled for Monday, has been postponed until March 30.
Barcelona host Newcastle United at Camp Nou on Wednesday with their Champions League last-16 tie delicately balanced, a contest shaped as much by late drama in the first leg as by the weight of history now leaning on both sides.
The 1-1 draw at St James’ Park was a study in tension and timing.
Harvey Barnes struck in the 86th minute to put Newcastle on the brink of a statement win, only for Lamine Yamal to rescue Barcelona deep into stoppage time with a 96th-minute penalty that shifted the emotional and tactical balance of the tie.
Head coach Hansi Flick was blunt in his assessment afterward, conceding his side fell short of their usual level.
The message since has been clear. Control the tempo, tighten the structure, and raise the intensity.
Barcelona’s recent European record suggests they often respond when it matters. They have progressed from 23 of 29 UEFA two-legged ties after drawing the first leg away, including 11 of 14 when that opener ended 1-1.
Their attacking reliability remains a cornerstone. Barcelona have failed to score in just one of their last 29 Champions League matches, a run built on fluid movement and wide creativity. Yet there is a vulnerability beneath it. They have not kept a clean sheet in their last 12 games in the competition, leaving the door open for opponents who can transition quickly and finish clinically.
At Camp Nou, the numbers are even more imposing. Barcelona have lost only two of 37 home matches against English sides in European competition, and they have not been beaten in such a fixture since a 2-1 loss to Liverpool in 2007. They have also won each of their last five Champions League round-of-16 ties against English opposition, reinforcing a sense of familiarity with nights like this.
Form adds another layer of confidence. A commanding 5-2 win over Sevilla at the weekend restored their four-point lead at the top of La Liga and sharpened belief in a potential treble. Raphinha’s hat-trick in that match offers Flick both momentum and a selection dilemma, especially with Marcus Rashford pushing for a recall after earlier success in this season’s meeting with Newcastle.
Yamal remains central to Barcelona’s attacking narrative. Still only 18, he is one goal away from matching Kylian Mbappé’s record for most Champions League goals before turning 19, underlining both his influence and the trust placed in him on the biggest stage.
Newcastle arrive without the same European pedigree but with growing belief under Eddie Howe. Their response to the first-leg setback was measured and effective, a 1-0 win away to Chelsea secured by Anthony Gordon. More significant than the result was the discipline behind it. The clean sheet ended a 14-game run without one and reflected the defensive structure Howe has been demanding.
Newcastle’s Champions League campaign has been quietly impressive. They have lost just two of 11 matches, showing resilience in both group and knockout settings. They have also handled second legs well in recent European ties, losing only once in their last 10. Still, history presents a clear obstacle. The club has never advanced beyond the last 16, and away trips to Spain have often exposed their limits, with four defeats in their last five such matches.
Gordon’s role will be pivotal. He did not start the first leg but is now expected to lead the line, carrying a return of 10 Champions League goals this season, second only to Mbappe. His pace and directness offer Newcastle a clear route to exploit Barcelona’s defensive gaps, particularly in transition.
Both sides are managing key absences. Barcelona remain without Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde, while Andreas Christensen is also sidelined. Newcastle are missing Bruno Guimaraes, Fabian Schar and Emil Krafth, with Sandro Tonali facing a late fitness check.
Neymar was omitted from Brazil’s latest squad announced Monday by coach Carlo Ancelotti for this month’s friendlies as the five-time world champions ramp up preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil will face France on March 26 in Boston and Croatia on March 31 in Orlando ahead of the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The 34-year-old’s absence follows a recent missed match for Santos FC due to muscle fatigue, a game Ancelotti had planned to watch in person while scouting players ahead of finalizing the squad.
Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, has not played for the national team since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023 and has struggled to maintain a consistent run of matches since returning to Santos last year.
“Neymar can be at the World Cup if he’s 100%,” Ancelotti told reporters Monday after announcing his squad. “I didn’t call him up because he’s not 100%. Neymar has to be training and playing.”
Neymar, at a Kings League event in Sao Paulo on Monday, said he was disappointed and sad about being left out.
“But I remain focused, day after day, training session after training session, match after match. We will achieve our goal. The dream continues.”
Ancelotti has called up 19-year-old Endrick, who returns to international action for the first time in almost a year, and handed a first call-up to Brentford’s Igor Thiago as Brazil looks to refresh its attacking options.
Brazil will play another friendly against Egypt in June before beginning its Group C World Cup campaign against Morocco on June 13.
Brazil squad
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al-Nassr), Ederson (Fenerbahçe)
Defenders: Wesley (AS Roma), Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Douglas Santos (Zenit St. Petersburg), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Bremer (Juventus), Danilo (Flamengo), Ibanez (Al-Ahli), Leo Pereira (Flamengo)
Midfielders: Andrey Santos (Chelsea), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Gabriel Sara (Galatasaray)
Forwards: Endrick (Olympique Lyonnais), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Luiz Henrique (Zenit St. Petersburg), Rayan (Bournemouth), Joao Pedro (Chelsea), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
Galatasaray step into Anfield with a narrow lead, but a performance in Istanbul that suggested far more than a one-goal advantage.
The Turkish champions hold a 1-0 aggregate edge over Liverpool heading into Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League last-16 second leg, a reward for a composed and tactically sharp display that exposed both the strengths and recurring flaws of their English opponents.
Mario Lemina’s early header, guided in after Victor Osimhen won the first contact from a corner, proved decisive on the night and underlined a persistent issue for Liverpool, who have struggled to defend set pieces all season.
That opening goal shaped everything. Galatasaray settled into a compact mid-block, closing central lanes and forcing Liverpool wide, where crosses were dealt with efficiently.
The hosts did not dominate possession, but they controlled the game’s tempo.
Osimhen’s disallowed goal hinted at further danger, while Liverpool’s own effort, ruled out for handball, summed up a frustrating evening where their attacking quality lacked precision in decisive moments.
It was not an isolated success. Galatasaray have now beaten Liverpool four straight times across competitions, including another 1-0 win earlier in the league phase, and have kept clean sheets in the last three meetings.
Yet the challenge ahead remains steep. They have never won at Anfield and have managed just one victory in England, a reminder of the scale of the task despite their current advantage.
Their path to this stage has already carried the hallmarks of a side comfortable with adversity.
Finishing 20th in the league phase, Galatasaray needed a playoff to survive and delivered one of the round’s most dramatic ties, eliminating Juventus 7-5 on aggregate after extra time.
That resilience has carried into recent weeks, with five consecutive domestic wins, including a controlled 3-0 victory over Istanbul Başakşehir that extended their lead at the top of the Süper Lig.
Okan Buruk is expected to trust the same structure that has brought stability. A 4-2-3-1 system built on discipline and transitions, with Lemina and Lucas Torreira shielding the defense and initiating quick breaks.
The absence of suspended center-back Davinson Sanchez forces a reshuffle, but the broader defensive approach will remain intact: stay compact, limit space between lines, and strike quickly when possession turns over.
Everything in attack flows through Osimhen. His seven Champions League goals this season place him among Europe’s most productive forwards, and his physical presence alone alters defensive plans.
Around him, Barış Alper Yılmaz and Noa Lang provide pace and directness, while the midfield looks to release them early into space left behind by Liverpool’s aggressive positioning.
Liverpool, however, present a different challenge at home. Anfield has long been one of Europe’s most demanding venues, and their record reflects it, with 15 wins from their last 19 UEFA matches there.
The expectation is a fast start, driven by intensity and crowd energy, as Arne Slot’s side look to overturn the deficit before Galatasaray can settle.
Mohamed Salah remains the central threat, chasing his 50th Champions League goal, while Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai offer creativity between the lines.
Szoboszlai, in particular, has been Liverpool’s most reliable scorer in Europe this season. Hugo Ekitike is expected to lead the line, supported by overlapping full-backs and a midfield tasked with sustaining pressure.
Yet questions linger over consistency. Liverpool have won only three of their last six matches in all competitions and recently dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham, a result that reflected a broader issue: control without clinical finishing. Against a disciplined Galatasaray defense that has already shut them out twice this season, that inefficiency could prove costly again.
The equation is clear. Liverpool must win by two goals to progress in normal time. A 1-0 victory forces extra time. Any Galatasaray goal shifts the balance heavily in favor of the visitors, who would then demand at least three from the hosts.
Italy’s Jannik Sinner capped a flawless run in the California desert on Sunday, edging Russia’s Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) to capture his first title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, while world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka survived a gripping final against Elena Rybakina to finally claim the women’s crown.
Sinner edges Medvedev
Sinner’s victory came in dramatic fashion. The Italian star trailed 4-0 in the second-set tiebreak before rattling off seven consecutive points, sealing the match in one hour and 55 minutes and completing the tournament without dropping a single set.
Ranked No. 2 in the world, Sinner continued his recent dominance over Medvedev, beating the Russian for the ninth time in their last 10 meetings. The win also secured the 2026 season’s first title for the four-time Grand Slam champion.
The final offered little room for error. Neither player dropped serve, forcing both sets into tiebreaks in a contest defined by precise serving and razor-thin margins.
Sinner was nearly untouchable behind his first serve, winning 43 of the 47 points when it landed in play. He also did not face a single break point.
Medvedev’s best chance arrived late in the opening-set tiebreak when he led 5-4. But the Russian misjudged a ball he allowed to pass, which clipped the line. Moments later, Sinner blasted a forehand to earn another set point and closed the opener with a thunderous service winner.
The second set seemed headed for a decider when Medvedev surged to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak, helped by Sinner’s double fault. Instead, the Italian flipped the script, attacking aggressively and reeling off seven straight points to finish the match in stunning fashion.
“I kept believing and kept pushing,” Sinner said. “I tried to go for my shots more. If it went to a third set we would start from zero again, so I wanted to close it out.”
The triumph places Sinner alongside Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as the only players to win all six of the ATP’s hard-court Masters 1000 tournaments.
Medvedev entered the final in strong form after winning the title in Dubai and riding a nine-match winning streak. His biggest statement came in the semifinal, where he stunned world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and snapped the Spaniard’s 16-match winning streak to begin the season.
Still, the Russian was left with mixed emotions.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling,” Medvedev said. “It felt amazing to beat Carlos, but there is a final to play. Jannik was serving phenomenal today. It was super tough on the return.”
Despite the loss, Medvedev’s deep run signals a strong return to form after a disappointing 2025 season and will lift him back into the ATP top 10.
Sinner, meanwhile, quickly turned his focus to the next stop on the calendar, the Miami Open, the second leg of the “Sunshine Double.”
“There is not much time between here and Miami,” he said. “But we try to bring the best tennis there as well.”
The victory also carried a touch of national pride. Earlier in the day, young Italian driver Kimi Antonelli captured the Chinese Grand Prix, prompting Sinner to salute his compatriot.
“It’s been a special day for Italy,” Sinner said. “I’m a huge Formula One fan and seeing such a young Italian bring the country back to the top is amazing.”
Sabalenka finally conquers Indian Wells
On the women’s side, Sabalenka ended years of frustration in the desert with a gritty 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over Rybakina in a dramatic final played under searing heat.
Temperatures soared into the 90s as the two big-hitting rivals battled for nearly three hours in one of the tournament’s most dramatic women’s finals.
Sabalenka had come painfully close before, finishing runner-up in 2023 and again in 2025. This time, she finally crossed the finish line.
“I’ll remember this for the rest of my life,” Sabalenka said.
The Belarusian had to dig deep to do it. Rybakina controlled the first set, breaking for a 4-2 lead and sealing it with relentless serving and aggressive groundstrokes.
Sabalenka responded in the second, turning the momentum by winning four consecutive games after falling behind early. The match then built toward a tense deciding set.
At 5-4, Sabalenka appeared ready to serve for the championship but was broken, pushing the contest into a decisive tiebreak.
Rybakina even earned a championship point at 6-5, only for Sabalenka to erase it with a stunning backhand winner. The top seed then captured the final two points, finishing with a booming serve that forced Rybakina’s return long.
“The whole idea was to stay mentally strong,” Sabalenka said. “No matter what happened, I wanted to show that I was fighting.”
The win also flipped the momentum in a rivalry that had haunted Sabalenka. Rybakina had won four straight finals between them, including the Indian Wells title clash in 2023 and another thriller at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Their latest meeting marked the 16th chapter of the rivalry, with Sabalenka now holding a 9-7 edge.
“It was a very difficult match,” Rybakina said afterward. “Congratulations to Aryna.”
Sabalenka’s celebrations were expected to be brief. The world No. 1 boarded a flight Sunday night for Miami, where she arrives as the defending champion.
“Maybe a couple drinks on the plane,” she joked. “Then it’s back to work. I’m defending champion there.”
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