Sports
Man City face steep climb as Madrid command Champions League tie
The stakes could hardly be higher when Manchester City host Real Madrid on Tuesday night at the Etihad Stadium, with the English champions needing something close to a European miracle to keep their UEFA Champions League campaign alive.
Madrid arrive in Manchester with one foot firmly in the quarterfinals after a ruthless 3-0 first-leg victory at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The damage was done inside 45 minutes, when Federico Valverde produced a stunning first-half hat trick that left City stunned and scrambling.
Now Pep Guardiola’s side must overturn a three-goal deficit against the most decorated club in European football, a daunting task even for a team accustomed to controlling games and rewriting scripts.
First-leg shock still lingers
City’s collapse in Madrid raised serious questions about Guardiola’s approach.
The Spanish manager surprised many with his starting lineup, handing Savinho only his second start since returning from a two-month injury absence.
Regular attacking threats such as Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki began the match on the bench.
Equally puzzling was the omission of in-form players Matheus Nunes and Rayan Aït-Nouri, both of whom had impressed in recent weeks.
Guardiola also deployed an unconventional midfield trio featuring Bernardo Silva, Antoine Semenyo and Rodri, while Nico O’Reilly was asked to fill in at left back despite being used primarily in midfield in recent matches.
City struggled to recover after Valverde’s blitz, and the tactical gamble ultimately left them chasing the tie.
Guardiola defended his decisions afterward, but Tuesday’s return leg is expected to feature a more familiar lineup as City attempt to mount a comeback.
Attack losing its bite
City’s challenge is made more complicated by an uncharacteristic dip in attacking form.
A frustrating 1-1 draw against West Ham United in the Premier League over the weekend highlighted their struggles in front of goal.
Normally prolific striker Erling Haaland has endured a rare drought, scoring just four times in his last 17 appearances.
Foden has also struggled to rediscover his scoring rhythm, while wingers Jeremy Doku and Cherki have found consistency hard to come by in the final third.
Defensively, City have steadied after early-season issues, but their blunt attack could prove costly against a side as ruthless as Madrid.
The matchup has become a familiar fixture in Europe’s elite competition. This marks the fifth straight season the clubs have met in the Champions League knockout rounds, with Madrid winning the last two encounters.
Madrid arrive with momentum
Madrid head to Manchester in confident mood.
Under coach Alvaro Arbeloa, Los Blancos extended their strong run of form with a 4-1 victory over Elche CF in La Liga over the weekend.
The Spanish giants have won four of their last five matches in all competitions, their only setback a narrow 1-0 defeat to Getafe CF.
History is also firmly on Madrid’s side. The club have won 13 of their last 15 Champions League round-of-16 ties, a record that underscores their enduring dominance in Europe.
With a three-goal cushion already secured, the 14-time champions appear well-positioned to continue that tradition.
City did defeat Madrid 2-1 earlier in the league phase of the competition, but the emphatic first-leg result has shifted momentum decisively toward the Spanish side.
Team news
City have relatively few injury concerns.
Josko Gvardiol remains sidelined with a tibial fracture, while Rico Lewis is out with an ankle injury.
There is encouraging news with the return of Mateo Kovacic, who recently made the bench against West Ham after several months out.
Haaland is expected to lead the attack, while Nunes could slot in at right back. In central defense, Ruben Dias may partner Marc Guehi, with Ait-Nouri likely occupying the left side of defense.
Rodri should anchor midfield alongside O’Reilly and captain Bernardo Silva, while Semenyo, Doku and Cherki compete for attacking spots behind Haaland.
Madrid, however, continue to battle a lengthy injury list.
Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are both expected to miss the match after knee and hamstring injuries, respectively. Long-term absentee Rodrygo remains out with an ACL injury.
Midfielders Dani Ceballos and Alvaro Carreras are nursing calf problems, while defender David Alaba is sidelined with a muscle injury.
Eder Militao is still regaining fitness, and both Ferland Mendy and Raul Asensio are doubts, leaving Madrid potentially short of defensive options.
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.”
Fenerbahçe faces a pivotal test on Tuesday as they welcome Gaziantep FK to the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, desperate to shake off a shock first league loss and keep pace in the Turkish Süper Lig title race.
The Yellow Canaries trail leaders Galatasaray by seven points after surrendering their unbeaten record last Friday in a 2-0 defeat to bottom club Fatih Karagümrük.
With the defending champions idle this week, a win could cut the gap to four points and reignite Fenerbahçe’s title hopes.
The last fortnight has mirrored struggles from previous seasons, with the Kadıköy side struggling for consistency.
They claimed only one win in four league matches, a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Samsunspor, before the stunning Karagümrük defeat sent shockwaves through Turkish football and prompted reports of an urgent board meeting to assess head coach Domenico Tedesco’s future.
History favors Fenerbahçe in the upcoming clash.
The Yellow Canaries have won all 11 previous encounters with Gaziantep across competitions.
Yet, the Falcons arrive in Istanbul on a high, boasting a three-match unbeaten streak, highlighted by a commanding 4-1 away win over Antalyaspor, with Mohamed Bayo scoring twice and Kacper Kozlowski and Drissa Camara adding to the tally.
This will mark the third meeting between the sides this season, and Gaziantep has suffered heavy defeats in the first two: 4-0 in the league in October and another 4-0 loss in the Turkish Cup two weeks ago.
Despite that, the Falcons could sense an opportunity amid Fenerbahçe’s current vulnerabilities.
Injuries continue to disrupt Fenerbahçe’s lineup.
Edson Alvarez remains sidelined after ankle surgery, Nelson Semedo is out with an inner knee ligament injury, and both Anderson Talisca and Çağlar Söyüncü recover from partial muscle tears.
Goalkeeper Ederson, serving a one-match suspension against Karagümrük, is expected to return.
Gaziantep also faces selection challenges.
Salem M’Bakata and Ali Mevran Ablak are sidelined through injury, while Arda Kızıldağ, Christopher Lungoyi, and Nazım Sangare are suspended due to yellow card accumulation.
Badou Ndiaye and Kevin Rodrigues are doubts with lingering injuries.
Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Formula One victory Sunday at the Chinese Grand Prix, finishing ahead of George Russell, while Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium for Scuderia Ferrari.
The 19-year-old Antonelli converted being the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history into victory after both McLarens dramatically failed to start the Shanghai race.
Antonelli briefly lost the lead at the start, but once he got back in front, he controlled the pace to cruise home to the chequered flag by more than five seconds from Russell. Charles Leclerc was fourth in the second Ferrari.
“I’m speechless, I’m about to cry to be honest,” said Antonelli as he choked back tears.
“Thank you to the team for helping me to achieve this dream,” he added.
It was an almost flawless drive from the youngster, apart from one heart-fluttering moment when he locked up at the hairpin on his penultimate lap.
But he recovered to avoid nothing more damaging than a small excursion off track.
“I really wanted to bring Italy back to the top and we did today. Even if I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack toward the end a flat spot,” Antonelli added.
Early championship leader Russell was full of praise for his young teammate after the dominant Mercedes team secured a one-two for the second race running.
“A huge congratulations to Kimi because it’s always very special to win your first race,” said Russell, whose lead has been cut to four points by Antonelli.
The Italian replaced Hamilton at Mercedes and the seven-time world champion said he could not be more pleased for the teenager and his old team.
“I’m so so happy for you buddy and I’m so honored to be able to share this moment with him,” said Hamilton.
“He took my seat obviously, at this great team. So big congratulations to Mercedes.”
“They’re really pulling ahead at the moment. We’ve got a lot of work to do to try and keep up,” he added.
Hamilton, as he had done in Saturday’s sprint, got a great start and had taken the lead by the time the teams emerged from the first complex of turns.
Leclerc also launched brilliantly and managed to get past Russell, who started second on the grid.
The top four swapped places multiple times before a safety car on lap 11 brought them all into the pits.
McLaren, Red Bull woe
Once the dust settled and they went racing again, Antonelli led from Hamilton, with Leclerc third and Russell fourth.
By lap 29, Russell had passed both Ferraris and up to second and set off trying to catch his young Italian teammate, who was by now more than seven seconds up the road.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen continued Red Bull’s poor start to the new season when he was told to retire his car on lap 46.
Oliver Bearman was fifth in the Haas, followed home by Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Liam Lawson (RB).
Rounding out the Top-10 points scorers were Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Franco Colapinto (Alpine).
Current world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both failed to start due to separate issues, leaving McLaren without a car in the race.
Norris had an electrical problem that prevented him from getting to the grid.
Piastri did get round to the grid but was pushed back into the garage a few minutes later with a different problem.
“Unfortunately, we identified separate issues on both cars which prevented them from starting the Chinese GP,” said McLaren in a statement.
It has been an awful start to the season for the constructors’ world champions.
Last weekend, only one McLaren took part in the opening race in Melbourne after Piastri crashed on his way to the grid, meaning the Australian is yet to race in a grand prix this season.
Formula One said Saturday that the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will not be held in April because of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The announcement had been widely expected and the statement by the Liberty Media-owned sport and governing FIA, as well as local promoters, said the races will not be replaced on the calendar next month.
Sources have said they are also unlikely to be rescheduled for later in the year due to logistics and weather, although the statement did not explicitly rule that out, with the calendar set to be reduced from 24 to 22 races.
“While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East,” said Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali.
Bahrain’s desert Sakhir circuit had been due to host the fourth round of the season on April 12, with Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche track following the weekend after.
Both races are floodlit and at night.
Freight deadline looming
U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran are continuing while Iranian drones and missiles have hit Middle Eastern capitals, including Bahrain’s Manama, where team personnel would be staying in hotels.
Airports in the region have closed, including Manama, with Iran threatening to block the key trade route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Bahrain is also the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
The deadline for freight for the race to be sent to Bahrain was March 20, according to informed sources. Formula One is currently racing in Shanghai, China, with Japan next on the calendar on March 29.
Miami will now be the next round after that, on May 3, with a five-week gap. For some, such as struggling Aston Martin, that could be a welcome breathing space to improve their car.
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said that while several alternative venues had been considered, it was ultimately decided to leave April blank.
It said the decision had been taken in full consultation with Liberty Media-owned Formula One, local promoters and FIA member clubs.
Formula Two, Formula Three and the all-female F1 Academy rounds scheduled for the Middle Eastern races will also not go ahead there.
“The FIA will always place the safety and wellbeing of our community and colleagues first,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who comes from the United Arab Emirates, in the statement.
“After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind. We continue to hope for calm, safety and a swift return to stability in the region,” he added.
“Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow.”
The two races are major contributors to Formula One’s balance sheet and team finances, with Bahrain’s hosting fees alone estimated at around $45 million a year and Saudi Arabia’s likely to be higher.
Real Madrid’s Turkish star Arda Güler’s 70-yard worldie and a fine strike from in-form Fede Valverde helped Real Madrid thrash Elche 4-1 on Saturday in La Liga.
Uruguayan midfielder Valverde, who scored a sensational hat trick against Manchester City in the Champions League in midweek, whipped the ball into the top corner before half-time after Antonio Rüdiger blasted the hosts ahead.
Dean Huijsen headed home the third for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side, who visit Man City Tuesday, aiming to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.
The goal of the night, though, was scored by Turkish playmaker Güler late on, who spotted Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro off his line and lobbed home from near the center circle.
“He hit the bar (from there in another game) and today he pulled it off, what a goal,” Madrid forward Brahim Diaz told Real Madrid TV.
“Everyone had their hands on their head … it’s worth buying a ticket to see that goal,” added Arbeloa.
Arbeloa was able to rest several of the players that started after the break, including Vinicius Junior and Valverde, bringing on a host of youngsters to keep legs fresh.
Madrid are still without a host of injured stars, including Jude Bellingham, while French striker Kylian Mbappe could return from a knee sprain next week.
“We’ve still got room to improve, the players’ commitment is exceptional,” a happy Arbeloa told reporters after the convincing win.
Elche, 17th, slumped to an 11th consecutive league game without a victory and could finish the weekend in the relegation zone.
Madrid were on a high after defeating City and although Elche showed some resistance at first, they were gradually unpicked.
After Dituro saved Valverde’s free-kick, Elche could not clear the rebound effectively and German center-back Rüdiger rifled home in the 39th minute.
Valverde added a second before the break, opening up an angle on the edge of the box and guiding the ball into the top corner for his fifth goal in his last three appearances.
Madrid were cruising and Arbeloa – a former youth-level coach within the club – brought on several young players, including Daniel Yanez.
The 18-year-old winger set up Madrid’s third with a fine cross, which Huijsen nodded home.
“Yanez and (Diego) Aguado are two of the first players I coached when they were 13, 14 years old, to be able to bring them on in the Bernabeu for me is a dream come true,” said Arbeloa.
Another one of Madrid’s substitutes, Manuel Angel, put through his own net as he tried to cut a ball out with five minutes to go.
However, Güler restored Madrid’s advantage from inside his own territory with a shot that flew high over Dituro and sank into the net.
Abqar’s dismissal
Nahuel Molina’s thunderbolt from distance helped Atletico cut the gap to the top two but the bizarre incident early in the second half involving Getafe defender Abqar was the biggest talking point.
The Moroccan, who insisted he did not mean to touch the Atletico striker’s crotch, appeared to pinch the Norwegian, who threw him to the floor angrily.
“It was not my intention to touch the player in this area,” Abqar, who was dismissed after a VAR review, told Movistar.
“You see it in every game, and in football, we’re touching, clashing and everything, but I never thought about touching him in that area … I swear.”
Abqar said he was trying to touch Sorloth’s stomach.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone rotated his line-up ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Tottenham, but was still able to secure a sixth win in the last seven matches across all competitions.
The Rojiblancos moved two points above Villarreal, who drew at Alaves on Friday.
Defender Molina’s superb strike, lashed into the top corner from over 25 yards out after eight minutes, was enough to split the teams, with Atletico surviving a second-half onslaught.
Elsewhere, Real Oviedo grabbed a rare win, beating Valencia 1-0 but staying bottom of the table, while Girona thrashed Athletic Bilbao 3-0.
Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Formula One victory Sunday at the Chinese Grand Prix, finishing ahead of George Russell, while Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium for Scuderia Ferrari.
The 19-year-old Antonelli converted being the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history into victory after both McLarens dramatically failed to start the Shanghai race.
Antonelli briefly lost the lead at the start, but once he got back in front, he controlled the pace to cruise home to the chequered flag by more than five seconds from Russell. Charles Leclerc was fourth in the second Ferrari.
“I’m speechless, I’m about to cry to be honest,” said Antonelli as he choked back tears.
“Thank you to the team for helping me to achieve this dream,” he added.
It was an almost flawless drive from the youngster, apart from one heart-fluttering moment when he locked up at the hairpin on his penultimate lap.
But he recovered to avoid nothing more damaging than a small excursion off track.
“I really wanted to bring Italy back to the top and we did today. Even if I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack toward the end a flat spot,” Antonelli added.
Early championship leader Russell was full of praise for his young teammate after the dominant Mercedes team secured a one-two for the second race running.
“A huge congratulations to Kimi because it’s always very special to win your first race,” said Russell, whose lead has been cut to four points by Antonelli.
The Italian replaced Hamilton at Mercedes and the seven-time world champion said he could not be more pleased for the teenager and his old team.
“I’m so so happy for you buddy and I’m so honored to be able to share this moment with him,” said Hamilton.
“He took my seat obviously, at this great team. So big congratulations to Mercedes.”
“They’re really pulling ahead at the moment. We’ve got a lot of work to do to try and keep up,” he added.
Hamilton, as he had done in Saturday’s sprint, got a great start and had taken the lead by the time the teams emerged from the first complex of turns.
Leclerc also launched brilliantly and managed to get past Russell, who started second on the grid.
The top four swapped places multiple times before a safety car on lap 11 brought them all into the pits.
McLaren, Red Bull woe
Once the dust settled and they went racing again, Antonelli led from Hamilton, with Leclerc third and Russell fourth.
By lap 29, Russell had passed both Ferraris and up to second and set off trying to catch his young Italian teammate, who was by now more than seven seconds up the road.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen continued Red Bull’s poor start to the new season when he was told to retire his car on lap 46.
Oliver Bearman was fifth in the Haas, followed home by Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Liam Lawson (RB).
Rounding out the Top-10 points scorers were Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Franco Colapinto (Alpine).
Current world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both failed to start due to separate issues, leaving McLaren without a car in the race.
Norris had an electrical problem that prevented him from getting to the grid.
Piastri did get round to the grid but was pushed back into the garage a few minutes later with a different problem.
“Unfortunately, we identified separate issues on both cars which prevented them from starting the Chinese GP,” said McLaren in a statement.
It has been an awful start to the season for the constructors’ world champions.
Last weekend, only one McLaren took part in the opening race in Melbourne after Piastri crashed on his way to the grid, meaning the Australian is yet to race in a grand prix this season.
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