Liverpool and Manchester City discover their Champions League round of 16 opponents on Friday, with the draw se to take place two days after the play-off round ties are completed
UEFA are bracing themselves for potentially two chaotic days involving Manchester City and Liverpool, depending on the outcome of Friday’s Champions League draw. The Premier League sides are in the round of 16, having secured automatic qualification from the group stage.
They will learn their opponents during Friday’s draw, after the knockout play-off stage concludes on Wednesday night. Both clubs are aware they will currently meet one of three teams, and that number will drop to two following Wednesday night’s second legs.
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For City, they will meet either Bodo/Glimt, who defeated Inter 5-2 on aggregate, or either Real Madrid or Benfica. Real Madrid currently hold a 1-0 aggregate lead in that fixture.
For Liverpool, it’s between Atletico Madrid, who secured their spot with a 7-4 aggregate victory on Tuesday night, and either Juventus or Galatasaray. The Turkish side currently hold a 5-2 advantage from the first leg.
For both teams, the first leg will take place away from home.
However, with Liverpool potentially being paired against Atletico Madrid, and City having the prospect of meeting Real Madrid, it means both sets of supporters could be in the Spanish capital simultaneously.
The opening leg of the last 16 phase will occur on March 10 and 11. The return fixtures will then follow a week later, on March 17 and 18.
Should this prove accurate, and given the recent tensions between the clubs, it suggests that UEFA and local police forces may need to implement additional security measures.
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Liverpool and City have been battling for Premier League supremacy in recent years, with City winning more often.
However, Liverpool capitalised on Pep Guardiola’s team’s decline last season to claim their 20th league title.
Both sides will also be aiming to add to their European Cup collections this campaign.
Liverpool have claimed the competition and its forerunner six times, whilst City secured the trophy for the first time in 2022/23.
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Matt Henry gets New Zealand off to a blistering start as Pathum Nissanka is dismissed with the first delivery of Sri Lanka’s innings in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super 8s match.
A Minnesota Vikings helmet rests along the sideline during third-quarter action in a divisional matchup against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The equipment sat near the bench area as Minnesota battled on the road in NFC North play. Nov 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA: A helmet remained positioned near the Vikings sideline during game action. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings are off and running at the NFL Combine, speaking to media on Tuesday and not holding back as they reveal their offseason plans. The club has an interim general manager after firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah four weeks ago, at least nine draft picks to spend, and all-in stakes to win in 2026. Thanks to head coach Kevin O’Connell and interim GM Rob Brzezinski, a few items became clear this week.
O’Connell spoke, Brzezinski clarified authority, and Minnesota’s next roster moves began to come into focus.
The developments were especially helpful as free agency gets off the ground in 12 days.
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The Vikings-Themed Items to Know at the Start of the Combine
O’Connell attends his fifth NFL Combine. Here’s what we learned so far.
Feb. 17, 2022 — Minnesota Vikings executive Rob Brzezinski speaks with Vikings.com’s Gabe Henderson during a recorded interview about roster construction, contract strategy, and the organization’s leadership framework. Brzezinski outlined the club’s long-range football operations approach and discussed the arrival of head coach Kevin O’Connell as part of Minnesota’s evolving front-office structure. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
1. The Power Structure Is Collaborative
Remember the Vikings’ “triangle of authority” from the Brad Childress days? That’s back.
Asked about the front office structure, Brzezinski replied, “We have to have protocol in place, and so the owners have asked me to handle that responsibility if that would occur. But our intent is to have complete and total collaboration, and I think the decisions are going to be pretty easy to make.”
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Brzezinski also said, “It’s an awesome responsibility. I’ve been here a long time. I know what this franchise means to our fans, and I just want to be a small part of one day delivering that championship.”
It sounds like O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores will be very much in charge of personnel, with Brzezinski possibly playing a tiebreaker role if necessary.
Meanwhile, Minnesota’s ownership group stated last month that it would hire a full-time general manager after the draft in April. Perhaps Brzezinski will impress enough to keep the job.
2. Josh McCown Has Been Promoted
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The Vikings announced a new coaching organizational chart, complete with new names, after losing seven coaches in the last two months. Among them, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown earned a new title: offensive passing game coordinator.
Some fans criticized McCown for not empowering J.J. McCarthy to the fullest in the last two seasons, but O’Connell clearly doesn’t agree.
McCown is now in charge of the passing offense, working with offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, who is also often an object of fans’ scorn.
3. Insider Says DT Javon Hargrave Is on the Trade Block
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Since the start of the offseason, Vikings loyalists have speculated about players who might be traded, including big names like McCarthy and wide receiver Jordan Addison.
But as of Tuesday, there’s officially a tangible trade rumor — involving defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweeted Tuesday, “Sources: The Vikings have had trade talks with teams regarding 2x Pro Bowl DT Javon Hargrave. Hargrave started 15 games last year and had 3.5 sacks in his first season with Minnesota.”
Minnesota is likely shopping Hargrave for a late-round draft pick, a last recourse before his release.
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4. The Vikings’ Timeline for J.J. McCarthy Has Changed
Media members asked O’Connell if he still considers McCarthy as a franchise quarterback, a slogan he’s never been afraid to attach to McCarthy.
Aug. 10, 2024 — Minneapolis, Minnesota — Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) participates in pregame stretching and warmup throws ahead of a preseason matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. The rookie passer worked on timing and mechanics as coaches evaluated offensive cohesion and depth entering exhibition play under the stadium lights. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
O’Connell said yes but added a caveat, “It’s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was in the summer of 2024. And I have a responsibility — we have a responsibility collectively as we put together this team — to make sure that we use the data that we have at this time and the experiences we have.”
This basically means that O’Connell classified McCarthy as his franchise quarterback in the summer of 2024 when he first answered the question; now, the timeline has changed. The Vikings need a McCarthy alternative in case injuries arise in 2026, a familiar theme for McCarthy.
5. All QB Options Will Be Examined
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At the start of the offseason, O’Connell and former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah proclaimed a deep quarterback room as the foremost priority.
That mindset remains, even after Adofo-Mensah left the Vikings.
Brzezinski said, “We’re exploring every option that can be out there. What we do know is we need a level of baseline quarterback play for us to be effective.”
“A lot of this has been J.J. in unfortunate situations with some of the injuries and things that he’s dealt with, but we’re going to explore every opportunity, and I don’t think there’s anything specifically we’re looking for. We can’t manufacture anything that’s not there. So, No. 1, what are the options? Is it reciprocal? Is it financially doable? All those things. There’s just a lot of factors that go into it.”
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Need a level of baseline quarterback play is the smoking gun that suggests a quarterback signing or trade is imminent.
6. Nothing But Love for Kwesi
Some claimed that an O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah rift may have caused Adofo-Mensah’s termination at the end of January. That is categorically false.
Oct. 7, 2023 — Minneapolis, Minnesota — Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah watches from the sideline during the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ game against the Michigan Wolverines at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Vikings executive attended the in-state contest as part of ongoing scouting work while continuing to shape the team’s roster planning and long-term draft outlook. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
O’Connell on Adofo-Mensah: “From the standpoint of my relationship, personally and professionally, with Kwesi was and will always continue to be strong. Any thoughts or noise to the contrary of that is not accurate in any way, shape or form. Speaking to the timing of it, I just know that our ownership is, I think they’re the best owners in sports.”
“I think they’re very thorough in their postseason evaluation. They made a decision, an ownership decision at that level. We will press onward, but obviously really, really thankful for my time to work with Kwes’ and what we were able to build together here and some of the success that we’ve had together and obviously the learning moments. I know he’s going to continue to go on to great things in his career.”
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Brzezinski, Adofo-Mensah’s direct replacement, called his predecessor a “fabulous human being.”
Team India opener Abhishek Sharma was expected to the Men in Blue’s X-factor in the T20 World Cup 2026. He had been in terrific form with the willow in the build-up to the ICC event. Expectations were so high from the southpaw that a number of critics had backed him to finish as the leading run-getter into the tournament. However, the script that has played out has been a completely opposite one.
After four innings in the T20 World Cup 2026, Abhishek has scored 15 runs at a paltry average of 3.75 and a strike rate of 75. He has struck two fours and a six in the ICC event so far. The left-handed batter began the T20 World Cup with three successive ducks. In India’s first Super 8 match against South Africa, he got off the mark, but ended up being dismissed for 15 off 12 balls.
Abhishek will be desperate to find form in India’s second Super 8 match against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, February 26. Ahead of the game, we look at five lower order batters who have scored more runs than the Indian opener in the T20 World Cup 2026 so far.
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#1 Brad Evans (Zimbabwe) – 43 runs
Zimbabwe fast bowler and lower order batter got a chance to bat in the T20 World Cup 2026 for the first time in the Group 1 Super 8 match against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Even as Zimbabwe crumbled in a chase of 255, Evans gave a good account of himself, smashing 43 off just 21 balls. Coming into bat at No. 8, Evans slammed two fours and five sixes.
The Zimbabwe batter was looking good for a half-century when he was caught at short third man off Matthew Forde’s bowling. Evans was the last man out as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 147 in 17.4 overs. In his T20I career, the 28-year-old has played 29 matches and has scored 131 runs at a strike rate of 119.09.
#2 Sompal Kami (Nepal) – 26 runs
Nepal’s right-arm pacer Sompal Kami scored an unbeaten 26 runs off 15 balls in the T20 World Cup 2026 Group C match against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Sent into bat, Nepal were held to 133-8. Coming into bat at No. 8, he struck four fours in a handy cameo.
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Kami (30) has the experience of 88 T20I matches. In 52 innings, he has scored 391 runs at an average of 11.50 and a strike rate of 114.32, with a best of 40.
#3 Noah Croes (Netherlands) – 25 runs
Netherlands’ Noah Croes featured in the T20 World Cup 2026 Group A match against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This was the same match in which Abhishek was cleaned up for a three-ball duck by off-spinner Aryan Dutt. India recovered to post 193-6 in their 20 overs.
In the chase, Netherlands responded with a commendable 176-7. There were handy contributions all round. Coming in at No. 8, Croes hammered an unbeaten 25 off 12 balls. His knock featured five fours. Croes has played 21 T20Is in which he has scored 228 runs at an average of 22.80 and a strike rate of 131.79.
#4 Nadeem Khan (Oman) – 22 runs
Oman left-arm spinner Nadeem Khan played three matches in the T20 World Cup 2026, scoring 22 runs at an average of 7.33 and a strike rate of 95.65. Nadeem’s best of 20 came off 18 balls against Zimbabwe in Colombo (SSC) in a Group B match. Batting at No. 9, he struck one four and one six.
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Nadeem was dismissed for two against Sri Lanka in Pallekele and registered a duck in the game against Ireland in Colombo (SSC). In 11 T20Is matches (eight innings), the 24-year-old has scored 84 runs at a an average of 16.80 and a strike rate of 123.52, with a best of 30*.
# 5 Oliver Davidson (Scotland) – 21 runs
Scotland’s bowling all-rounder Oliver Davidson played four matches in the T20 World Cup 2026, making his T20I debut during the tournament. In four matches (three innings), the left-arm spinner scored 21 runs at a strike rate of 123.52. Davidson’s best of 20* came off 15 balls against England in Kolkata. Batting at No. 9, he struck two fours and a six in his cameo.
The New Jersey Devils star is America’s hero after scoring the golden goal against Canada in Sunday’s Olympic final. It was the United States’ first gold medal since 1980, cementing the “Miracle on Ice.”
However, as the 2004 movie “Miracle” has skyrocketed in streams over the last couple of weeks, fans have noticed an eerie coincidence.
Team USA hero Jack Hughes shares the name of a player that was cut from the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team.(Gregory Shamus, Steve Babineau/Getty Images)
The movie shows a player named Jack Hughes getting cut from the 1980 Olympic team. While plenty of movies based on true stories are dramatized, this actually happened.
Jack Hughes was a member of the U.S. national team while playing for Harvard and tried out for the Olympics in 1979 but was cut.
In another wild coincidence, the elder Hughes played 46 games for the Colorado Rockies, which became the Devils.
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The Devils moved from Colorado in 1982 after six seasons — they were previously the Kansas City Scouts from 1974 to 1976.
United States’ Jack Hughes (86), who scored the winning overtime goal, celebrates after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Colorado’s hockey team is now the Avalanche, who were formerly the Quebec Nordiques from 1972 to 1995.
The two men are not related.
The newer Jack Hughes has lived up to the billing as the 2019 No. 1 overall pick. Drafted by the Devils out of the United States National Team Development Program, Hughes has made two All-Star Games and was also on last year’s 4 Nations team. His older brother, Quinn, scored an overtime goal against Sweden to bring the U.S. to the semifinals, and his younger brother, Luke, is also on the Devils. There’s been wide speculation that Quinn could join the Devils as a free agent.
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The only thing stopping Hughes from going to the next level has been injuries — he even missed time with nerve damage earlier this season from what was dubbed a “freak accident” at a Chicago steakhouse.
Jack Hughes of the United States celebrates with his national flag after scoring his goal in overtime to win gold on Feb. 22, 2026.(REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo)
Ruben Amorim’s stance on Benjamin Sesko never changed throughout his time at Manchester United
Fasika Zelealem Senior Sports Reporter
14:32, 25 Feb 2026Updated 14:35, 25 Feb 2026
Ruben Amorim supported Benjamin Sesko during his difficult early period at Manchester United and the striker is now showing just why the club signed him.
The Slovenian joined Old Trafford last summer in a £74million deal and was viewed as a key part of United’s attacking plans for the future. Despite an impressive spell at RB Leipzig where he found the net 39 times in 87 matches, the 22-year-old found it difficult to settle during the initial phases of his Manchester career.
Speaking before United’s 2-2 stalemate with Tottenham Hotspur, Amorim suggested Sesko possesses even greater ability than he initially anticipated, saying: “I understand how things are in football and he’s going to struggle. That is normal.
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“He has no experience here and then the first impact when everyone says that you are so good, you are the next big thing, and you hear about that with Sesko, and then you come to one club that is the hardest club.”
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Sesko faced criticism from significant sections of the media, including United legend Gary Neville. Amorim acknowledged that maintaining composure under pressure, particularly with the world’s attention on you, is especially challenging for a young player.
“If you don’t perform every week, you are going to hear a lot of things from club legends, from pundits, from the media, and sometimes they are right,” added Amorim. “To possess the ability to accept this as normal whilst still retaining your confidence is incredibly difficult for a young kid, particularly one who is a control freak, wants to manage everything, and realises he can’t control everything.
“So, I know, and I’ve said it since I started training with Ben, he has more potential than I initially thought. He’s going to face challenges, and we need to understand his style of play to incorporate our ideas.
“So, [with] everything, I think I’m quite relaxed with that. He is going to be our striker for the long term. But he’s going to have these struggles and these bumps during the ride, and that is a normal thing in football.”
The striker is undoubtedly vindicating his former manager’s faith as he keeps finding the net with crucial goals in United’s pursuit of Champions League qualification.
His 71st minute strike against Everton in Monday’s 1-0 victory is the most recent addition to his goal-scoring record, which now stands at eight for the campaign across all competitions. In recent weeks he also scored an incredible equaliser against West Ham to rescue a point at the London Stadium and the winner against Fulham in a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.
The 2026 NFL Combine runs from February 26 through March 1, and we’ll have you covered with both up-to-date and historical coverage.
Here’s a look at the historical list with all the results dating back to 2000. But before getting to the table, here’s an explanation of how and why pro scouts use the drill.
The vertical jump is used to measure athletic potential at the NFL Combine as a metric of muscular strength, anaerobic power, and raw explosiveness in football players.
It tends to improve draft stock most in wide receivers, defensive backs, and pass rushers.
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A device with prongs is used to mark the jump, which is measured in inches. From a standing position, a player crouches down and jumps as high as he can, using his hand to make contact with the highest prong possible.
Gerald Sensabaugh of North Carolina holds the current NFL Combine record at 46.0 inches, set in 2005.
Arizona State cornerback Chris McKenzie, at just 5-foot-9, recorded the best mark by a former player from the West with a 45-inch leap, also in 2005.
ASU’s Marcus Williams is next on the list with a jump of 43.5 in 2017.
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Cal’s Scott Fujita (2002), Washington State’s Raonall Smith (2002), and ASU’s Jaelen Strong (2015) round out the Top 5 with leaps of 42.0 inches each.
See all the other with their position, school, and the year they participated in the searchable, sortable table below.
Welcome to our weekly PGA Tour gambling-tips column, featuring picks from GOLF.com’s expert prognosticator, Brady Kannon. A seasoned golf bettor and commentator, Kannon is a host and regular guest on SportsGrid, a syndicated audio network devoted to sports and sports betting, and is a golf betting analyst for CBS Sportsline. You can follow Brady on Twitter at @LasVegasGolfer, and you can read his picks below for the 2026 Cognizant Classic, which gets underway Thursday in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Say goodbye to the Pacific coastline, desert golf, and Poa Annua and hello to palm trees, water hazards, and Bermudagrass. Yes, the West Coast Swing has concluded and we are onto Florida. The 2026 PGA Tour season begins its Florida Swing at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for the Cognizant Classic, the first of four consecutive stops in the Sunshine State.
Coming off two straight Signature Events and with another coming up next week at Bay Hill in Orlando, the Cognizant takes a hit as far as strength of field. Positioned on the schedule as a “tweener” makes for an unfortunate but obvious off week for the top players in the game.
Not only has this event changed in name (formerly known as the Honda Classic) but it has changed dramatically in terms of golf course difficulty. George and Tom Fazio designed PGA National back in the early 1980s. Jack Nicklaus was called upon to do a redesign in 1990 and has made three or four additional tweaks since then. For many years, we saw the champions barely reach double-digits under par. Chris Kirk won in a playoff four seasons ago at 14 under. Austin Eckroat won in 2024 at 17 under par and Joe Highsmith is your defending champion, closing at 19 under last year.
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One of the more challenging par 4s on Tour, the 10th hole at PGA National, was lengthened by 20 yards two years ago and converted to a much more scorable par 5. The dormant Bermudagrass is now being overseeded with winter Ryegrass and this makes for a softer landing, more receptive fairways, and less penal rough. It is interesting but this has really changed things by seemingly half a dozen shots or more. Jack Knapp opened last year’s event by shooting a 59. The current iteration is a par 71 that stretches to a little better than 7,200 yards and is now considered solely a Nicklaus design.
Another element that is always a factor here in Palm Beach Gardens is the wind. With water coming into play on 15 of the 18 holes, a good breeze can make things quite dicey. Nicklaus’ stretch of closing holes, Nos. 15 – 17, is known as the “Bear Trap.” Two par 3s and a par 4, all with shots over water. The forecast is calling for winds in the neighborhood of 10-15 mph. That is significant — but if it kicks up any higher, we could see some carnage.
For me, the golf course demands accuracy, ball striking, and scrambling around the greens. I looked at Strokes Gained: Approach, Off the Tee, and Ball Striking. I looked at Good Drives Gained, Scrambling, and Hole Proximity from 125-200 yards. With water all over the place, 60 sand bunkers, and wind, hitting good approach shots from 150 yards or more – PGA National becomes one of the more challenging venues on Tour to do such things.
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As for the correlated courses, I believe much of it has to do with how one plays in Florida. The conditions are similar at each venue on the swing, Bay Hill (Arnold Palmer Invitational), Innisbrook (Valspar), TPC Sawgrass (the Players), and PGA National. I feel we see some crossover success with Waialae in Honolulu and also with recent Canadian Open venues, Hamilton, St. George’s, and TPC Toronto. Finally, there is a lot of crossover success here at the Cognizant with that of the Open Championship. Former Open champions, Padraig Harrington and Marc Calcavecchia have each won this event twice. Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Justin Leonard, Rickie Fowler, and Todd Hamilton have all won here in Florida and have either won or played especially well in the Open. Personally, I believe much of that comes down to ball-striking and an ability to play in the wind — both handy when it comes to an Open Championship or the Florida Swing.
Daniel Berger (40-1)
The Florida State Seminole really kicked off his career here at PGA National when he lost in a playoff as a Tour rookie in 2015. He’s twice finished fourth here since then in 2020 and in 2022. Berger has always been a good ball-striker, wind player, accurate driver, and Bermudagrass specialist. Over the last 24 rounds, he ranks eighth in this field for Hole Proximity from 150-175 yards. He was sixth earlier this season in Hawaii at Waialae and eighth at the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s in 2021.
Aaron Rai (40-1)
Here is another very accurate, ball-striker type player that knows his way around windy conditions. Rai finished 14th at Hamilton at the Canadian Open in 2024 and 13th at St. George’s in 2022. He was 19th at Royal St. George’s in 2021 at the Open. In this field, Rai ranks 12th for SG: Approach, seventh in Bogey Avoidance, and is No. 1 for Good Drives Gained over the last 24 rounds.
Haotong Li at the 2025 Magical Kenya Open.
Getty Images
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Haotong Li (49-1)
We tried Li a few weeks ago in Phoenix and came up short but I am going to go back to him here given his recent form and his skill set. He’s finished eighth and 11th on Tour this season and top 10 twice on the DP World Tour to close out 2025. Li is currently eighth on Tour for SG: Tee to Green, 17th in Total Driving, and 19th for Scrambling. Li has twice finished top 4 at the Open Championship, including last summer at Royal Portrush.
Jordan Smith (60-1)
I’ve always felt Smith has a great deal of upside and I’m glad we are now getting to see him on a regular basis on the PGA Tour, where he currently ranks fifth in Total Driving, sixth in Greens in Regulation, and is No. 1 in Ball Striking. He finished 16th a few weeks ago in Phoenix and closed out 2025 on the DP World Tour with finishes of 15-20-and-21.
Mackenzie Hughes (62-1)
Enter the Canadian short game wizard who comes off two straight top-35 finishes at Phoenix and two weeks ago at Pebble Beach, where he ranked 17th in the field for Greens in Regulation. Over the last 24 rounds, Hughes ranks second in this field for Scrambling. At the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s in 2021, Hughes finished sixth. He was runner-up here at the Cognizant in 2020 and has finished seventh and 14th in the Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in 2024 and in 2019.
Emiliano Grillo (85-1)
It truly is a melting pot of selections this week, so why not an Argentinian? Seriously though, Grillo is a ball-striker who really seems to fit Florida golf. He was eighth here in Palm Beach Gardens in 2018, has been eighth and seventh at Bay Hill, and as high as 11th at The Players. He missed three cuts in five starts out west, so the move to the southeast may be a much-needed change. Over the last 24 rounds, Grillo ranks 14th in this field for Bogey Avoidance, 13th in Hole Proximity from 125-150 yards, and is seventh for Good Drives Gained. At the Open Championship, he has twice finished 12th and was sixth in 2023.
On paper it’s top versus mid-table. In reality, the context is doing most of the talking: Glasgow could be without close to 15 frontline players, Connacht are missing Finlay Bealham plus long-term injuries, and the betting line has swung so far that Connacht are around -3 favourites after a season where they’d usually be double-digit underdogs in this match-up.
It doesn’t flatter Connacht, but the table is tighter than it looks. A win here keeps the play-off chase alive, especially with Scarlets in two weeks in what becomes a vital mini-block for points.
The Six Nations Factor
Glasgow have been the most consistent side in the URC this season — 44 points, best points difference, and a run that has them looking like champions again. But international windows change everything.
Glasgow are expected to be missing ~15 starters due to Scotland duty
The handicap has flipped from what would likely be Glasgow -10 in a normal week to Connacht -3
Leadership and cohesion are the big risks when you remove a full international spine
They’ll still be structured. They’ll still have threat. But this is the kind of week where depth gets tested properly.
Connacht Recent URC Form
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
F
A
29 Nov 2025
Sharks
Dexcom Stadium
W
44
17
20 Dec 2025
Dragons
Rodney Parade
L
28
48
27 Dec 2025
Ulster
Dexcom Stadium
L
24
29
03 Jan 2026
Leinster
Aviva Stadium
L
17
52
24 Jan 2026
Leinster
Dexcom Stadium
L
23
34
31 Jan 2026
Zebre Parma
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
W
31
15
Connacht have won 2 of their last 6 URC matches
The Zebre win (31–15) ended a run of four straight defeats
Connacht have lost their last two URC home matches and haven’t lost three in a row at Dexcom Stadium in the Championship since January 2021
Glasgow Recent URC Form
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
F
A
29 Nov 2025
Scarlets
Parc y Scarlets
L
0
23
20 Dec 2025
Edinburgh
Hampden Park
W
24
12
27 Dec 2025
Edinburgh
Scottish Gas Murrayfield
W
21
3
03 Jan 2026
Zebre Parma
Scotstoun Stadium
W
47
10
24 Jan 2026
Zebre Parma
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
W
26
21
30 Jan 2026
Munster
Scotstoun Stadium
W
31
22
Glasgow have won 5 of their last 6 URC matches
Their only defeat in that run was 0–23 away to Scarlets
They’ve conceded just 91 points across those six matches (avg 15.2 per game)
Recent URC Meetings: Connacht v Glasgow
Date
Match
Venue
Score
22 Feb 2019
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht
Scotstoun Stadium
43–17
03 Oct 2020
Connacht v Glasgow Warriors
Dexcom Stadium
28–24
29 Jan 2022
Connacht v Glasgow Warriors
Dexcom Stadium
20–42
22 Apr 2023
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht
Scotstoun Stadium
29–27
28 Oct 2023
Connacht v Glasgow Warriors
Dexcom Stadium
34–26
26 Jan 2025
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht
Scotstoun Stadium
22–19
Connacht’s only win in the last four meetings was 34–26 in Galway in October 2023
The last meeting in Scotland was a tight one: Glasgow 22–19 Connacht (January 2025)
URC Era Record
Team
Played
Wins
Win %
Losses
Draws
Connacht
470
188
40.00%
271
11
Glasgow Warriors
486
275
56.58%
197
14
What It Means for Connacht (and Lancaster)
It’s been a rough first season for Stuart Lancaster results-wise, but the injury context matters. Connacht have been forced to lean on academy players far more than planned, and while that may pay off long-term, the URC table doesn’t wait for development stories.
This game is different. Glasgow are weakened. Connacht are closer to a settled XV than they’ve been in months. That flips the pressure.
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With Scarlets coming in two weeks, Connacht need a points haul from this block. Beat Glasgow’s second string at home and you suddenly have a runway. Miss the chance and the season starts slipping away fast.
Key Match Angles
Tempo: Connacht should try to play at speed and stretch Glasgow’s combinations
Breakdown pressure: less settled Glasgow units can be exposed if Connacht win collisions
Game management: Connacht must control exits — Glasgow live off cheap turnover ball
Prediction
This is the kind of fixture that usually feels like a free swing. Not this week. If Connacht want the play-offs, this is one they have to take.
Connacht by 4–8 points (but only if their set-piece and exits hold up).
Ryan Garcia’s father and trainer, Henry Garcia, has outlined the determining factor for whether a showdown between his son and Shakur Stevenson gets made.
Prior to their clash, many questioned whether Garcia was in the right mental space to dethrone Barrios, a tough but technically limited world champion.
But before facing Barrios, Garcia had expressed his desire to lock horns with Stevenson, the WBO super-lightweight champion, in a bid to test himself against one of his sport’s most elite operators.
Speaking with MillCity Boxing, though, Henry Garcia has said that Stevenson must move up to 147lbs, or else they will pursue a rematch with Devin Haney.
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“Absolutely [the Haney rematch is bigger than a Shakur Stevenson fight], by far, there is no comparison. In order for [Stevenson] to fight us, he’s going to have to come up to [147lbs]. Didn’t [Crawford] go up [to fight] Canelo [at 168lbs]? And he got respect, right?
“Why doesn’t Shakur go up to [fight] Ryan? He wants Ryan to [agree to] a catchweight. We don’t want to start going down – unless it makes sense, but I doubt it.”
Stevenson comes off a one-sided points victory over Teofimo Lopez, for which he moved up from 135lbs, and became a four-division world champion last month.
But despite Stevenson’s lofty status as a pound-for-pound star, Henry Garcia firmly believes that a rematch between his son and Haney, the WBO welterweight champion, is a much bigger fight.
Their first encounter came in April 2024, though Garcia’s majority decision victory was later overturned to a no-contest due to him testing positive for banned substance ostarine.
Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., right, guards Purdue’s Braden Smith during the second half on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
In previous seasons, Michigan State and Purdue playing this late with both ranked among the nation’s top 15 would feel like the Big Ten’s most important game of the year.
But entering their only regular-season meeting on Thursday night in West Lafayette, Ind., this clash between No. 13 Michigan State (22-5, 12-4 Big Ten) and No. 8 Purdue (22-5, 12-4) has no banner-hanging implications.
With Michigan owning a commanding lead in the conference title race, the Spartans and Boilermakers are left to play for postseason seeds and bragging rights instead of league titles.
Considering Purdue and Michigan State have won the last three Big Ten crowns — and their coaches have combined for 16 league titles — this is not an insignificant concession.
“Not being able to win the Big Ten championship is tough,” said Purdue head coach Matt Painter, whose team comes off a 93-64 rout of Indiana on Friday. “That’s tough. But we’re the ones that lost the games. So we’ve got to try to get better, try to improve. I thought (Indiana) was a great bounceback for our guys, but it’s hard to take. It’s really hard to take when you have lofty goals and one of them is out the window.”
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Purdue comes in having won five of its last six games. The only problem for the Boilermakers is that the defeat was a 91-80 home loss to Michigan, which essentially ended their hopes for a league title.
Purdue will forge on and focus on Michigan State in what will be a battle of two of the best point guards in the country.
In fact, Michigan State junior Jeremy Fears and Purdue senior Braden Smith are 1-2 in the country in assists. Fears averages 9.2 assists while Smith, who ranks fifth all-time with 994 assists, averages 8.7 per contest.
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The Spartans are coming off back-to-back home wins over UCLA and Ohio State, but they have lost their last two road games and don’t have a signature road win yet.
After Purdue, Michigan State will have another tough road game at Indiana.
“We have to get better,” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. “We talked a lot with the group about what the next couple of days are going to be like and what the next couple of weeks are going to be like. Our schedule ends about as tough as anybody’s.”
Michigan State will try to achieve that in a place that’s been a house of horrors lately.
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The Spartans have lost their last five games at Mackey Arena — six if you count an NCAA Tournament loss to UCLA during the COVID-plagued 2020-21 season.
The last time Michigan State won at Mackey Arena was in 2014.
“Mackey Arena is one of the toughest we play in during the conference or nonconference,” Izzo said. “I think this is a really experienced Purdue team. They’ve got three guys in Smith, (Fletcher) Loyer and (Trey) Kaufman-Renn where it seems like they’ve been there forever.”
Here’s a look at the historical list with all the results dating back to 2000. But before getting to the table, here’s an explanation of how and why pro scouts use the drill.
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