Manchester City’s Champions League hopes are over for another year after defeat to Real Madrid in the last-16. It means the Blues’ triumph in 2023 remains their sole success in the competition

It may well have been Bernardo Silva’s final Champions League act for Manchester City – thrusting out his elbow to block a Real Madrid shot on the line.

The skipper saw red after a VAR review and trudged off the Etihad pitch knowing his side’s long odds of a stunning comeback had just got longer. In the end the task was beyond the 10 men of City and their European aspirations are over for another year.

It’s prompted the debate of whether Pep Guardiola and City should have achieved more than one Champions League victory, achieved in 2023 as part of an historic treble. For his part, Guardiola has been steadfast in his belief that the competition is incredibly difficult to win.

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Real are the only side to defend the title since 1990 and the only multiple winner in the last 12 editions. Madrid may have cracked the continental formula but few others have. Guardiola himself has three Champions League victories, second only in manager terms to Carlo Ancelotti, while City were beaten in the 2021 final by Chelsea and suffered scarcely believable exits to Tottenham in 2019 and Real in 2022.

Guardiola referenced the Real game after the midweek defeat: “The 4-3 was the most unfair result I have ever experienced in my career.

In the build-up to the second leg he was asked by Marca about a ‘culture of failure’ and the possibility that City could be out early again in the Champions League. Guardiola referenced how Real have ‘only’ won 15 European Cups out of ‘probably 100 attempts,’ and highlighted the ‘Quinta del Buitre’ team that Real had in the 1980s – one that dominated Spanish football yet failed to win the biggest European prize – as one of the best he has ever seen to make his point that failure is a matter of personal opinion.

But while the manager pointed out the context and complications competing in Europe poses, his skipper – one of the central figures of the latest early exit – was more forthright.

“I’m not happy so he’s probably not very happy,” Bernardo said when asked by Amazon Prime on the eve of the game if he felt Guardiola was content with just one Champions League victory at City. “Of course one is better than zero, and we are very happy with the one we have won, but with the team that we have and the way our team has played in the past, we should have won more.”

For Bernardo, that ship looks to have sailed, with the 31-year-old widely expected to depart in the summer. For his manager, there might be one last European dance at City.

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Peter Moody expresses optimism regarding Alpha Sofie’s ability to turn things around in her upcoming Stakes race at Caulfield.

Her pristine record with trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman took a hit when Alpha Sofie bombed out badly in the $1 million Inglis Sprint (1200m) over Flemington’s track on February 28.

Post a detailed inspection of the mare, Moody is convinced Alpha Sofie is fit to race once more, entering her in the Group 3 Don Casboult Classic (1200m) this Saturday.

Starting out in Queensland with two closing wins for Jason Edwards, Alpha Sofie wasted no time making her mark for Moody and Coleman via success in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in the prior spring carnival.

Spelled after that triumph, she came back firing with a firm Caulfield win on February 7 in the Group 3 Peter Le Grand Stakes (1100m) before faltering along the Flemington straight.

Moody indicated Alpha Sofie has shaken off that result and he looks ahead to the filly navigating turns in her next outing.

“She’s flying,” Moody said.

“She just got a bump at the start the other day and then pulled her head off, which she’s never done before.

“That was down the straight for the first time for her. She charged and got lost.”

Such is Moody’s conviction in the filly that plans include the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville late in April for Alpha Sofie.

“Hopefully this run will set her up to go to Adelaide for the Sangster,” Moody said.

“That was where she was going the other day if she had won, so she can have this one to get her back on track.”

Zac Spain, having partnered the filly in all three of her runs for Moody and Coleman, travels to Sydney for Group 1 contention on Victorious Spirit in the Rosehill Guineas, leaving Luke Nolen to ride on Saturday.

Visit leading online bookmakers to check betting markets for the race in the Don Casboult Classic.

Veteran cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has reacted to news of India all-rounder Shivam Dube commuting by train following the 2026 T20 World Cup final. Hours after India defeated New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 8, Dube, accompanied by his wife and a friend, boarded a train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. The moment went viral on social media, with fans praising Dube’s simplicity. The all-rounder later revealed he was anxious to reunite with his son and father and chose the 5:10 am train over waiting for the official team flight.

Reacting to the hype during a RevSportz event, Ashwin dismissed the “big deal” surrounding the journey, stating: “I’m seeing news pieces on how Shivam Dube traveled by train. I don’t want to read pieces like that. What’s the big deal? I have traveled by train.”

Ashwin elaborated his opinion further. He wants star cricketers, who is always in the spotlight and under scrutiny, to get the chance to enjoy small joys of life.

“I would love for us… for international cricketers to be able to go to the chaiwalas and have chai with the people. In fact, we have forgotten that life’s joys are in very small moments,” he added.

Dube had boarded the Mumbai-bound Sayaji Nagari Express from Ahmedabad in the early hours of Monday, along with his wife Anjum and a friend.

To avoid being recognised by co-passengers, Dube reportedly wore a cap, mask and a full-sleeved T-shirt as he boarded the train at 5.10 am and climbed onto his upper berth after entering an AC three-tier coach.

An official said that after noticing his name on the train reservation chart, a ticket checker wondered if he was the cricketer Dube. However, his wife deftly handled the situation, saying why the cricketer would travel by train.

A Government Railway Police official said that before the train reached Borivali, Dube sought police assistance to ensure his exit was as discreet as it had been in Ahmedabad.

Policemen in plain clothes were sent to escort the cricketer to his vehicle outside the station to avoid drawing public attention, the official added.

(With PTI Inputs)

The 2026 NCAA Tournament has arrived, and women’s March Madness officially began Wednesday with the First Four. The 68-team field was unveiled Sunday night, and we know when and where everyone will be playing this weekend.

UConn, the undefeated reigning champion, was named the No. 1 overall seed. UCLA, Texas and South Carolina joined them on the top line. Those four teams, the title favorites, are among the 16 teams that will host games in the first and second rounds next weekend. Every 1-4 seed in the field will play host before the action shifts to the regional sites later in the month. Once again, there are just two regional sites for the women’s tournament: Sacramento and Fort Worth. The 2026 Final Four is set for Phoenix, with the championship game on Sunday, April 5.

Game times and TV information for the First Four and the first round were announced on Sunday night as well. The full schedule for the first four days of the 2026 NCAA Tournament is below.

2026 NCAA Women’s NCAA Tournament schedule

All times Eastern. All games are available to stream on fubo (Try for free).

Wednesday, March 18: First Four

• Nebraska 75, Richmond 56
• Missouri State 85, Stephen F. Austin 75

Thursday, March 19: First Four

• Southern vs. Samford, 7 p.m., ESPN2
• Virginia vs. Arizona State, 9 p.m., ESPN2

Friday, March 20: First round

• No. 3 Duke vs. No. 14 Charleston, 11:30 a.m., ESPN2
• No. 3 TCU vs. No. 14 UC San Diego, 12 p.m., ESPN
• No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 11 Nebraska/Richmond, 2 p.m., ESPN
• No. 6 Washington vs. No. 11 South Dakota State, 2:30 p.m., ESPNews
• No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Murray State, 3 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Missouri State/Stephen F. Austin, 4 p.m., ESPN
• No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Western Illinois, 5:30 p.m., ESPNews
• No. 2 LSU vs. No. 15 Jacksonville, 6 p.m., ESPN
• No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Green Bay, 6 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Colorado State, 7:30 p.m. ESPNews
• No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee, 8 p.m., ESPN
• No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Villanova, 8:30 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Idaho, 10 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, March 21: First round

• No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Howard, 11:30 a.m., ESPN2
• No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Vermont, 12 p.m., ESPN
• No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Southern/Samford, 1 p.m., ABC
• No. 7 Georgia vs. No 10 Virginia/Arizona State, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield, 2 p.m., ESPN
• No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 James Madison, 2:30 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Rhode Island, 2:30 p.m., ESPNews
• No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UTSA, 3 p.m., ABC
• No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 USC, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson, 4 p.m., ESPN
• No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Miami (Ohio), 5 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Syracuse, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 15 High Point, 7 p.m., ESPNews
• No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Princeton, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 Colorado, 9:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 Cal Baptist, 10 p.m., ESPN

Sunday, March 22: Second round

Monday, March 23: Second round

Friday, March 27: Sweet 16

• Four Sweet 16 games in Fort Worth and Sacramento

Saturday, March 28: Sweet 16

• Four Sweet 16 games in Fort Worth and Sacramento

Sunday, March 29: Elite Eight

• Two Elite Eight games in Fort Worth and Sacramento

Monday, March 30: Elite Eight

• Two Elite Eight games in Fort Worth and Sacramento

Friday, April 3

• Two Final Four games in Phoenix

Sunday, April 5

• Championship game in Phoenix, 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC/fubo

And here’s the full NCAA Tournament bracket, which will be updated as the field is revealed:

2026 NCAA Tournament women’s bracket

File photo of Yuzvendra Chahal© AFP

For over a year, Manchester United have been trying to push ahead with the new ‘Wembley of the North’, and there appears to be some movement in plans

Manchester United hope to file the planning application for their new £2billion stadium within the next 12 to 18 months. The Red Devils revealed proposals for a new ground last March.

It would be constructed on the same location as their existing Old Trafford home, with the surrounding area also set to undergo regeneration as part of the proposals. However, the new 100,000-seater Old Trafford has already encountered several setbacks.

United have been engaged in negotiations with Freightliner regarding a nearby freight terminal, which lies in the way of the new proposals. Discussions are also ongoing between the club and construction companies prepared to undertake such a substantial project.

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Club officials have now provided a fresh update on the new stadium, with a specific timeframe for the commencement of work being disclosed. Chief Executive Officer of the new stadium development, Collette Roche, shared her perspective at a property trade show in Cannes.

She said: “The plan would be that within the next couple of months we should be there or thereabouts on the land assembly which will be an important milestone.”

Roche confirmed that it would require seven months to finalise the detailed design of the stadium. She added: “We’re spending a lot of time with local council to say what’s your ambition, how many houses, where’s the best place to put them.

“Hopefully by the time we get to the planning application in 12-18 months time we won’t be starting from fresh.

“We are going through a process to make sure we get the best team in place one that works in the same way we work and is up for the challenge and the ambition. And then we will lock that in. Then we start to build the plans. It starts now.”

Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has pushed hard for the redevelopment of Old Trafford, having previously advocated for a ‘Wembley of the North’ before the plans were revealed.

He said: “There’s a very good case, in my view, for having a stadium of the North, which would serve the northern part of the country in that arena of football. If you look at the number of Champions Leagues the North West has won, it’s 10. London has won two.

“And yet everybody from the North has to get down to London to watch a big football match. And there should be one [a large stadium] in the North, in my view.

“But it’s also important for the southern side of Manchester, you know, to regenerate. It’s the sort of second capital of the country where the Industrial Revolution began.

“But if you have a regeneration project, you need a nucleus or a regeneration project and having that world-class stadium there, I think would provide the impetus to regenerate that region.”

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