Manchester City trail by three goals going into Tuesday’s Champions League second-leg against Real Madrid

Bernardo Silva believes Pep Guardiola shares his frustration for not winning the Champions League more with Manchester City. City’s hopes of progressing are hanging by a thread after Real Madrid ran out 3-0 winners in their Round of 16 leg last week.

The Portuguese international hopes they can expose Los Blancos’ secret to success to move into the quarter-finals. But in doing so, they will need to overcome the three-goal deficit in order to stand a chance of progression.

Under the guidance of the Catalan tactician, City earned their maiden crown when they completed a famous treble in 2023, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. Guardiola’s side have a mountain to climb against the record holders of the competition on Tuesday. Speaking o Gabriel Clarke ahead of Prime Video’s UEFA Champions League coverage of Manchester City vs. Real Madrid, Silva revealed that he felt they should’ve had more success in Europe.

READ MORE: Pep Guardiola fending off Real Madrid suspicions as spotlight shines on unusual Man City approachREAD MORE: Mbappe, Bellingham, Mendy – Real Madrid injury news and return dates ahead of Man City

He said: “I’m not happy so he’s probably not very happy. 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.”

Madrid have established themselves as serial winners of the competition in the modern era and on course to their European dominance, they have proved to be knockout experts.

City and their Premier League rivals, Chelsea, have previously succumbed to Real Madrid in the latter stages of the competition. Liverpool have been beaten twice in the final in the last 10 years to the Spanish giants.

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Silva highlighted Real’s three key ingredients to success but says they need the tide to turn on Tuesday. He said: “Confidence, character, personality, the little details.

“In this competition, it’s not always about the best team, or who plays better, it’s about all the little things that Madrid are really good at. We have been good in moments, and hopefully tomorrow we can turn the tide and put on a good performance.

“The higher the level, the finer the margins and those little details make all the difference.”

City are staring down the barrel of a Champions League elimination after reaching at least the quarter-finals in five out of the last six years.

Guardiola’s side will be seeking to avenge their exit in the playoff knockout last season when Madrid beat them 6-3 on aggregate.

Silva, who has become an integral figure in City’s squad since signing from AS Monaco, believes they have to go against Guardiola’s beliefs and make it a chaotic encounter with the La Liga giants.

The 31-year-old said: “The key is belief, even in minute sixty. In football a lot of things can happen, and we can create a lot, it’s happened in the past where we scored two or three goals in 10-15 minutes so we can do it.

“Sometimes I think we need to do the opposite of what Pep wants – which is a very controlled game – as tomorrow maybe a bit more of a chaotic game is needed, we need to try and create different outcomes as it’s not a normal game.”

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Manchester City have reached the UEFA Champions League round of 16 where they face Real Madrid on March 17. Fans can watch the game for free with an Amazon Prime subscription or 30-day trial.

After being linked to a host of fighters following his world title win, WBC welterweight ruler Ryan Garcia now believes he has been left with just one option for his first defence of his new 147lb title.

Garcia breezed through Mario Barrios with ease last month and he has since been linked to a grudge rematch with Devin Haney and a move back down to super-lightweight to take on Shakur Stevenson, as well as dust-up’s with Conor Benn and Arnold Barboza Jr.

As one of the most high-profile, household names in the sport today, but still relatively too unproven to be a possible pound-for-pound consideration, Garcia has subsequently become one of the most in-demand world champions across all weights.

However, on a n3on Kick stream, Ryan Garcia let slip that he has now been left with only one option for his next bout, with Haney, Stevenson and Benn pursuing alternate fights. Instead, ‘King Ry’ believes that two-division champion Teofimo Lopez is next in store.

“Well, I don’t have really many options, Devin Haney ducked me, Shakur just ducked me, so I got one option … Yeah, Teofimo. I mean, for him to come to 147, is going to be hard for him, but he has said that he is down.”

Lopez lost his WBO super-lightweight world title to Stevenson last time out, but revealed that he would be moving up to welterweight during the aftermath.

Meanwhile, Devin Haney is expected to take on Rolando Romero in a welterweight title unification bout in May, whilst Conor Benn debuts with Zuffa Boxing next month.

Ollie Pope has challenged the perception England “weren’t fussed” during their troubled Ashes tour but accepts why it formed.

Ben Stokes’ tourists crashed to a 4-1 series defeat by Australia that is currently being reviewed by the England and Wales Cricket Board, with tour planning, preparation, individual performances and behaviour all under scrutiny.

Apart from being comprehensively outplayed on the field, concerns about the culture of the squad emerged during a break in Noosa, where there were reports of excessive drinking by players, followed by revelations over vice-captain Harry Brook’s altercation with a nightclub bouncer on the pre-Ashes visit to New Zealand.

Pope, however, insists England’s were intent on beating Australia and might have been more successful had they built on a competitive start to the first Test in Perth.

“Going into that series, there was a lot spoken about the preparation of it. As a team, the misconception might be that we weren’t as fussed as it came across,” the 28-year-old said at Surrey’s pre-season media day.

“The tough thing for everyone in that first game was the nature of it. Had we won that, and we’d done slightly better on day two, the idea is different.

“Of course we want to be a well-liked team, on and off the pitch, and unfortunately our performance didn’t allow that to happen in Australia.

“I can understand why people felt that way, but at the same time the perception that we weren’t fussed was probably the hard thing. All we wanted to do was go and win the Ashes.

“As individuals, everyone’s trying to manage with the pressures of an Ashes series and trying to get the best out of their performance and doing what they can.

“All anyone wanted to do was to win. And for us at times it was just trying to, in our minds, take the pressure off the actual Test match.”

Among the criticisms made of England was inadequate preparation for an Ashes that consisted of a three-day match against England Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth.

“As we’ve done over the previous years, we tried to treat it like a normal series to get the best out of ourselves. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite go to plan,” Pope said.

“It wasn’t ideal batting at Lilac Hill because then we go and play in Perth and it’s the opposite kind of conditions. But that’s the cards you’re dealt.

“And we did have experiences over previous years where that kind of preparation has worked for us in places like New Zealand, Pakistan and India.

“I know what I need to be as ready as I can be. From a personal point, I felt as ready as I could have been for that first Test.”

Pope was dropped after the third Test after averaging only 20.83 runs across the first three games but will fight to regain his England place, declaring: “I still feel like my best batting years are to come.”

The Surrey batsman was speaking after the ECB reversed plans to stop its Ashes players speaking to the media ahead of the new county season while it conducts its review.

Stephen Torpey has spoken out in an interview with external media after his appointment as Man Utd’s academy chief.

12:00, 17 Mar 2026Updated 12:09, 17 Mar 2026

When Sir Jim Ratcliffe singled out the Manchester United academy as having “slipped” with some of his customary direct feedback in October, he highlighted the appointment of Stephen Torpey as evidence of change.

Torpey is the latest Old Trafford recruit from the Manchester City blueprint Ratcliffe so admires, and that introduction from the United co-owner was pretty clear.

“The academy has really slipped at Manchester United,” Ratcliffe said. “You need the academy to be producing talent all the time. It helps you financially. That’s not a light switch. You don’t solve the academy problem overnight. It takes time.”

United’s first team will play just 40 games this season. An unusually sparse schedule at first team level has led to heightened interest in the club’s academy, as has the emergence of young talents like JJ Gabriel.

Torpey wants to develop some of the country’s best young players at Carrington. Gabriel, who has scored 23 goals in 25 appearances for the U18s this season, fits that billing.

The 15-year-old has starred in the youth set-up and has already trained with the first team on several occasions. Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada were involved in a meeting last summer to ensure Gabriel remained at Old Trafford.

“I’ve got to be careful that I don’t put unnecessary pressure on anyone from the academy,” Torpey said in response to a question about Gabriel. “I think it’s well documented with the number of players that are out there, and they’re performing really well, and they’re doing extremely well.

“I suppose when you look at those types of players, they give you these moments of magic and these bits that get you off your seat, and sometimes that’s a really good tackle, sometimes that’s a goal line clearance.

“The other times, it’s a great bit of skill on the edge of the box, like we saw last weekend when he wrapped it in the top corner. You see these things, but there’s a lot that can go on. We have some special talents right now in our groups, and JJ is one of those, for sure.”

Torpey wants United’s academy to be the best in the world and knows how crucial a clear plan will be. “There are things we can improve, they are areas where we can be better, but that’s evolution, that’s just common in every single organisation,” he said.

“We don’t want to be complacent. I don’t work like that. I’m always thinking about what’s next. It’s the same with some of the staff, really, when we do something good, it’s like great, what’s next?

“I want to help us be the greatest academy in the world and do it in a way that we can be proud of, which is with clear processes, a method about the way we do things, with the best people.”

Torpey continued: “I’m looking for players to do things that are above their year group. I’m not necessarily looking for consistency in youth, I think, because I need to see capability, and we also need to see mistakes, because they need to fail in order to be equipped upon arrival to the first team.

“So we are excited by a number of players, for sure, but I’m looking for those standout moments, and for the player you named [Gabriel], he’s showing those things, which is great.

“But we’ve also got to make sure he’s doing the responsible non-negotiable parts of the game as well, which is the other side of it. Is he tracking back? Is he working for the team? Is he making good decisions? He does make fantastic decisions a lot of the time.

“It’s not for us to create robots here, it’s for us to allow individuals to flourish the way they want to flourish and therefore express themselves in a way they want to express themselves.”

Torpey was reluctant to discuss individual players, but politely answered when asked whether he was excited about Gabriel. “We’re all excited. I think the whole club’s excited by the talent that we’re seeing right now, and we’ve got to handle it with care,” he said.

“It’s easier to spoil talent than it is to help it flourish.”

Torpey was born in Merseyside and came through Liverpool’s academy as a teenager. After retiring from playing, he pursued a coaching career and ended up at Manchester City, so he hasn’t taken an orthodox route to working for United.

Torpey “loves” his new job as head of United’s academy, though. “I’m really excited about coming into work every day. Being here is really inspiring for me. I feel really happy about it. I think that it’s the sort of pinnacle of youth football in terms of the role I’m currently holding, which is something I’ve worked a long, long time for.”

In June, the MEN were the first outlet to report that United were considering appointing Torpey to replace Nick Cox. A month earlier, United had announced that Cox was set to leave the academy after nine years of service to become Everton’s technical director, creating the vacancy at United.

Cox played a pivotal role in the United academy’s renaissance, securing top youth signings and overseeing an FA Youth Cup triumph in 2021/22, setting the bar for his successor.

Torpey joined from Brentford and officially started work in September. “The brief for me, so to speak, is just that we want to be the best, we want to be the greatest academy around, we want to be the greatest football club in the world. That’s not changed,” he explained.

“I think Manchester United can say over the years, certainly in the UK, that we’ve got the conveyor belt of talent, we’ve got the production line that would suggest we are up there with the greatest.

“And my remit is to make sure that we can all look in the mirror, hand on heart, and say that we feel we’re really challenging for that status. And my view really is that we’ve just got to think critically about what we do, we’ve got to innovate where we can, and we’ve got to do this with the best possible people.

“We’ve got some unbelievable people. You arrive to a real warm welcome with people who are good at what they do, experienced at what they do. But ultimately, there are things we can improve, there are areas where we can be better, but that’s evolution, that’s just common in every single organisation.”

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Torpey was asked about Ratcliffe’s comment on the academy, suggesting the co-owner was referring to the facilities rather than the academy itself. “Ultimately, I think that was based on things like facilities,” he said. “You’re sitting in this beautiful [first-team] building right now, and it’s like decorating your home for me.

“You do one room, and maybe you feel like one of the other rooms does not feel the same as the rest of the house. We’ve got to do the academy and there’s a plan in place now for us to refurbish and regenerate.

“We need to do a lot of work around the academy facilities as well. So I think those kinds of comments are based around that because I think it’s clear that you could say that the academy building isn’t as advanced as where the first team is right now, but there’s a phase into that.”

Torpey said improving the academy’s facilities was the natural next step for him as the new academy boss. United spent £50million to refurbish the first-team building, and the club is planning to bring academy facilities in line with the ‘leading standards’ they have for the main facility.

There will be upheaval when the academy building is redeveloped, meaning the Under-21s and Under-18s will use the modular building, a two-storey block behind the main building. The women’s team used the same set-up during the £10m redevelopment of their facilities at Carrington.

The modular building is already equipped to house an elite team and staff, but it will be further developed for specific academy needs to ensure minimal disruption for the U21s and U18s.

Cooling expectations around Gabriel will be another challenge for Torpey. The youngster has a huge following on social media, and Bryan Mbeumo described him as “something special” during an interview on a YouTube channel last week.

“That’s the modern era,” said Torpey of dealing with the spotlight on young players. “I think at most clubs now there’s some kind of media coverage of the youth players. There’s also the fact that the boys who play now in the U18s have never known a life without social media.

“That’s not the world I grew up in when I was playing. We are currently looking at our comms strategy and what we should do, you know, to try to prevent certain things and also protect certain things. We’ve got young people who, because of society, are craving clicks and followers.

“We have to embrace that a little bit, it’s not necessarily something I’m comfortable with, but maybe we have to embrace that for the future, maybe create our own version of how we can give them that stimulus.”

Darren Fletcher returned to manage the U18s after serving as first-team caretaker, and Torpey has enjoyed working with him. “I’ve known Darren for years,” he explained. “I’ve known him through the family, working with the boys [Jack and Tyler Fletcher] previously.

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“He’s always come across as a really amazing guy, a really clever guy, studious in terms of football, obviously passionate about football and Manchester United in particular. So, to arrive at the club with Darren here is quite warm for me, it’s familiar in terms of seeing Darren.

“He’s a leader, that’s the one thing I would say, he leads by example. He’s a real leader here at the club. He knows what it means to be at Manchester United. I think the boys look up to him.”

Carrick has shown support for the academy by attending the majority of youth matches since his appointment. The 44-year-old even made a 300-mile round trip to watch the U18s against Oxford recently.

“That says everything about him as an individual, but I also think it’s what Manchester United people do,” Torpey said of the interim first-team head coach. “It’s what they know about, it’s what they feel. It’s gone down extremely well. It’s not been done for a gimmick, it’s done because it’s genuine.”

Last month, academy staff held a meeting and the department heads were asked to share success stories from their teams. “Michael turned up, and he took it upon himself to come,” Torpey said.

The academy is being transformed, but the likes of Carrick and Fletcher will do their best to help retain traditional values. Torpey seems on board as the academy drives into the future.

Brad Widdup holds two jockey options in reserve for Jedibeel ahead of this Saturday’s Group 1 The Galaxy, with the choice resting on the weight the quick horse receives.

Rosehill’s 1100-metre handicap weights for the feature appear Tuesday, prompting Widdup to finalize the rider post-announcement.

“Depending on the weight, we’ve got Tommy (Berry) booked, or Alysha (Collett), so we’ve got two bites at the cherry there with jockeys,” Widdup said.

“Hopefully he can draw a gate, and we’ll go from there.”

Jedibeel joins 25 nominations for the $1 million The Galaxy, up against rivals including star grey Briasa, Generosity the Challenge Stakes winner, Beadman and Grafterburners.

Running second-up in The Galaxy, Jedibeel was fourth last start from a wide gate in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 21.

He featured in entries for Rosehill’s Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m) Saturday, but Widdup saved him for the flagship event.

“I ‘ummed and ahhed’ about running (in the Maurice McCarten), but I thought, we’re going to get into the Galaxy with an OK weight,” he said.

“I had a good think about it, and we don’t have to run him all the time. We just have to pick the right races.”

Jedibeel placed ninth to Private Harry in The Galaxy a year prior, hindered by an outer draw in a race suited to leaders.

Post that, his highlight became a photo-finish runner-up to Libertad in the Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm in May, backed by eight triumphs and proven ability at Rosehill’s 1100m.

Saturday brought Widdup victory at Rosehill courtesy of Audrey’s Lane dominating the Midway Handicap (1200m), positioning her for a Provincial-Midway Championships slot at Randwick in April pending the Wyong qualifier March 28.

Widdup pondered the March 14 Gosford heat for the half-sister to 2014 Golden Slipper winner Mossfun but selected Rosehill for her initial run.

“We’ll look at Wyong,” Widdup said.

“I had her in at Gosford, I just didn’t think it was the right track, but the way she went (at Rosehill), it might have been.

“But we’ll take this. She is a well-bred mare and it’s great to see her win.”

Visit betting sites to find the best racing betting markets for The Galaxy.

Berkeley Alvarado and Christine Lord aren’t princesses, but they are goddesses. More precisely, they are the resident Tequila Goddesses at La Hacienda, the state’s top-rated Mexican restaurant that just happens to be located inside the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.

Each year, these certified tequila experts and bar-side storytellers visit Mexico to continue their libation education and, more importantly, to taste and select an exclusive barrel from distillery El Tequileno that’s then brought back to La Hacienda.

“I cannot wait to share the wonderful memories I made,” Alvarado says. “Specifically the love and passion that goes on behind the scenes while making tequila.”

It’s a similar passion for quality you’ll find throughout Arizona’s largest and longest-running AAA Five Diamond hotel resort. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is a sprawling 65-acre retreat set against the scenic backdrop of the McDowell Mountains. The expansive grounds encourage guests to wander. Spanish Colonial architecture is complemented by lush gardens and thoughtfully constructed plazas. A total of 750 guest rooms include a selection of high-end suites and villas, many of which enjoy a panoramic view of the adjacent golf course, TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium course, host of the annual WM Phoenix Open. During tournament week, resort guests even enjoy complimentary access to the 5th fairway.

The Princess offers six unique pool complexes, with options for lap swimming, zero-depth entry, a soft white sand beach, a splash pad and a pair of 200-foot waterslides. The resort’s 44,000-square-foot Well & Being spa houses a rooftop adults-only option. And while you won’t want to swim in the resort’s lagoon, you can drop a line to catch and release an assortment of bluegill, catfish, tilapia and bass.

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Now let’s talk dining. The Princess boasts a total of five restaurants, three of which are anchored by renowned chefs; Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina and two Latin American options by Richard Sandoval: Toro, located in TPC Scottsdale’s clubhouse, and the aforementioned La Hacienda, where you’ll enjoy guacamole prepared tableside, house specialties like carnitas and fresh ceviche, along with a selection of 250-plus tequila and agave spirits. But it’s that exclusive barrel you’ll want a pour from.

“Amazing flavors of caramel, honey and vanilla give it just the right amount of sweetness but still allow the cooked agave to continue to shine through,” says Lord. “It is such a high-quality bottle — perfect for new tequila drinkers or tequila connoisseurs. We are so proud and cannot wait for everyone to try it.”

You heard the goddess, get out to the Princess and sip for yourself.

Mohammad Rizwan in action© AFP

Two-time undisputed heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk is being heralded as one of the greats of the division, but some argue that he has lacked fierce competition. When asked how Usyk would have fared in his era, Lennox Lewis answered confidently.

Usyk’s undisputed runs at both cruiserweight and heavyweight have been nothing short of legendary, winning all four belts at 200lbs with three victories on away soil before moving up to heavyweight and making history – all whilst maintaining an undefeated record – against Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.

While there is no question on the great Ukrainian’s skillset, some fans continue to debate whether or not the era that Usyk has conquered could be considered as a weak one.

Meanwhile, Lewis, the last man to claim the coveted undisputed heavyweight throne before Usyk, had to jostle for the belts with stars such as Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe.

In an interview with Boxing News, Lewis was quizzed on whether the 39-year-old southpaw could have held his own in that star-studded period, and ‘The Lion’ explained why he believes Holyfield’s success is proof that he would have.

“He would have got on good [in my era]. Just look at how Evander Holyfield got on, Oleksandr is the same size and just as good. I think he would have done just as well.”

Holyfield and Usyk remain the only two fighters in boxing history to have held the undisputed title at both cruiserweight and heavyweight – with David Haye being the only other man to have held a world title in both divisions.

However, a fourth man may soon enter that elite club, with Murat Gassiev in with a chance of being elevated to full WBA heavyweight world champion in the near future should Usyk vacate or be stripped.