On this Members-only episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Mehedi Hassan and Jeremy Beren discuss:

– What has changed for Atletico from the beginning of their season?
– Atletico’s crazy fixtures in April
– Key matchups in the Derby: Vini vs. Molina on the left wing
– Will Julian Alvarez leave Atletico or remain the face of the project?

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And more.

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Hosts this week:

Mehedi Hassan (⁠⁠@MhassanFootball⁠⁠)

Jeremy Beren (@JBBeren)

The 11-seed Texas Longhorns face the 3-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament West Region on Saturday. Texas advanced by upsetting BYU 79-71 in the first round on Thursday, while Gonzaga downed Kennesaw State 73-64. The Longhorns (20-14), who placed 10th in the SEC at 9-9, are 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Bulldogs (23-3), who finished first in the WCC standings at 16-2, are 12-1 against non-conference opponents this season. 

Tipoff from Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, is set for 7:10 p.m. ET. Gonzaga is a 6.5-point favorite in the latest Texas vs. Gonzaga odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Before making any Gonzaga vs. Texas picks, check out the Gonzaga vs. Texas predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament on a sizzling 11-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-22 run on top-rated CBB side picks. 

Now, the model has simulated Texas vs. Gonzaga 10,000 times and just revealed its college basketball picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several college basketball odds and college basketball lines for Texas vs. Gonzaga:

Top Texas vs. Gonzaga predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Texas vs. Gonzaga, SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (147.5 points). The total has gone over in four of the Longhorns’ last five games played on a Saturday. The Over has also hit in the last four games played between these two schools. The Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS against the Longhorns in the last five matchups.

The model projects the Longhorns to have four players score 14 or more points, including Dailyn Swain, who is projected to score 17.6 points. The Bulldogs are projected to have two players score 13 or more points, led by Graham Ike, who is projected to score 22.2 points. The model is projecting 156 combined points, as the Over clears 74% of the time. You can get the spread pick at SportsLine.

How to make Texas vs. Gonzaga picks

Now, the model simulated every possession of Texas vs. Gonzaga 10,000 times and says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Texas vs. Gonzaga, and which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texas vs. Gonzaga spread to back, all from the advanced model that just simulated this game 10,000 times, and find out.

Arne Slot accepted that Liverpool have dropped too many points in the Premier League after playing in the Champions League as they suffered another blow to their hopes of finishing in the top-five with defeat at Brighton.

Danny Welbeck’s double earned Brighton a deserved victory over Slot’s side, who became the first reigning Premier League champions to lose 10 games in a season since Chelsea in 2017-18.

The Reds have lost five games of their 10 games immediately after playing in Europe this season, winning four and drawing one, as they failed to back up Wednesday’s big win over Galatasaray to reach the quarter-finals.

Already without Mohamed Salah and goalkeeper Alisson to injuries, Liverpool lost Hugo Ekitike to a dead leg following a heavy collision with James Milner in the opening five minutes and they were outworked by an energetic Brighton team who were fully deserving of their fourth win in five games.

“It is clear that we have lost a lot of points after playing in Europe,” Slot told TNT Sports. “I have tried to explain a lot of times already why this is but today we also have to give credit to Brighton. In the second half, they were the better team on the pitch.

“What I thought [before the game], is you won’t need 24 points to qualify [from the final eight games of the season] and hopefully I am right because we aren’t able to get 24 points anymore.

“We kept trying. In the second half we were close but they were closer to score the third one than we were the second one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough after a week like this.”

Slot said losing Ekitike so early in the game was a “big blow” and Liverpool will be desperate to get as many players as possible back fit after the international break for the FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City, which will be followed by the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.

But Liverpool also risk slipping from the Premier League’s top five after a run of three games without a win. While the impressive nature of Liverpool’s win over Galatasaray had lifted the mood following the defeat at bottom club Wolves and 1-1 draw with struggling Tottenham, there is pressure on Slot again ahead of a crucial stretch of the season.

“There is always pressure at Liverpool, on me, on the players,” Slot said. “That is completely normal. We have qualified for the quarter finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League, but in the league we need to make sure that in the end we qualify for the Champions League.

“As much as I dislike us losing here today, Brighton away has always been a difficult one and will always be a difficult one as long as they keep bringing in so many good players.

“But there are other games where we should have picked up more points, like last week against Tottenham. That is far more unacceptable than this. But even away at Brighton, a club like Liverpool should be able to get a result.”

The intensity of Brighton’s display stood in contrast to Liverpool’s lethargic showing, with Steven Gerrard questioning why Slot did not make more changes to freshen up his side. The former captain said Liverpool’s performance felt predictable.

“The performance wasn’t good enough, but you can almost feel that this performance and this result was coming,” Gerrard told TNT Sports.

“Liverpool get a couple of injuries to key players like Salah, Allison, on the back of midweek, the manager speaking about maybe the lack of energy they might have, and then you look at Brighton’s plans to come and try and play a game with that intensity and that speed, that energy.

“We’ve seen it quite a few times this season now, where they put in a lot of effort and they perform really well in the Champions League. “There’s all the emotion and all the energy and the intensity they have to put in to win those or get a result.

“It’s having a big effect on them at the weekend. They haven’t got the options in the squad or on the bench to make numerous changes, to bring that energy and that quality into the team to perform at the same level they do in midweek.

“Liverpool made a couple of changes that were forced on them, but the manager wanted to keep the team rather than make changes for energy, and it backfired today. Brighton deserved the win overall, and a big opportunity missed for Liverpool.”

The Carabao Cup final has never had so much on the line, a weight that can be sensed in the very shifts in moods. Over the build-up, Pep Guardiola has been trying to figure out a few things. Does he go more attacking, as Manchester City have been doing recently, or repeat the constrained approach from drawing 1-1 with Arsenal in September? If the former, is it with this open midfield that he has been trying, or was Real Madrid too much of a lesson? What would such an approach in a marquee game even say?

Such variables give a tactical obsessive like Mikel Arteta a lot to think about, but he is at least sure of his own structure. That won’t shift. The main question will be over personnel, and how much that changes the emphasis of the team; whether it’s Riccardo Calafiori or Piero Hincapie at left-back, for example. Martin Odegaard is expected to return to the bench, and Jurrien Timber may start.

Arsenal, in short, have a lot less to think about. That is very different to when the two sides qualified for this final, way back at the start of February. At that point, the trophy was seen as psychologically crucial to Arsenal sustaining both momentum and the idea of superiority over City, a key part of the wider pursuit for the first Premier League title in 22 years. The weight was all the greater since it had looked like this final could be the first in a grand and unprecedented English series, maybe four or five matches to decide everything.

The very week before the final has put paid to that. City have already been eliminated from the Champions League in that match against Madrid, which followed a frustrated 1-1 draw at West Ham to allow Arsenal an even greater gap in the title race.

Their hopes in the Premier League haven’t gone yet, but their aura has. The old City sense of foreboding isn’t there.

This Arsenal team may badly need to win their first trophy together, but it doesn’t quite feel as essential when this City don’t look like the trophy machine of before.

As such, there’s been a twist before the game starts. It now feels like this Carabao Cup final is bigger for City than it is for Arsenal.

That would have sounded absurd for most of the season – and the past few years – especially with how Guardiola has repeatedly subjected his former assistant to second places, but that’s how this season is going. The fact everyone is talking about this being the City manager’s last season, which the club still describe as “speculation”, only adds to that. Guardiola certainly won’t want to leave on a barren campaign, in any case.

Winning a fourth Carabao Cup for the coach and a historic ninth for City would be valuable in and of itself, but more significant is what it might do for everything else. It would be a reminder to Arsenal of what the order has been. It would put the league leaders back in their box, after a period when City haven’t even beaten Arteta’s side in three years.

Maybe most crucial of all, however, is that it would create new doubt for Arsenal just at the point when confidence is building; when Max Dowman seems to have helped banish all the angst. Talk of the quadruple is tentatively rising. This could swiftly end that, but do more. If the six-year wait for silverware were to go on that bit longer, into at least May, it creates greater space for collapse.

This is nevertheless the prospect facing City, too. To see two trophies disappear in two matches, alongside the increasing distance to top spot, could be debilitating. From that, if City were to lose on Sunday, it isn’t impossible that they could fall apart.

Duly, City have constantly looked a team on a thin line on the actual pitch. It is like almost every game can go either way. There are spells when spectacular attacking is suggested, only for a defensive fallibility to immediately be exposed. City often sublime and ridiculous in the same five minutes of football, as was seen against Madrid.

Much will depend on the mood going into this game, which is said to be one of focus and trying to remind everyone of the force that this team has been. Down at Arsenal’s Colney base, a mere 13 miles from Wembley, a first final since the 2020 FA Cup win is being downplayed. There is a calmness, which many say has been welcome. This season has been characterised by ramping up most of the matches, after all. Perhaps a softening mood is also natural, given this is a break from all the noise around the title.

The greater gap in the league, of course, helps that, especially as Arsenal now know they will be nine points ahead of City until 12 April at the earliest. It was why last weekend was so crucial. Of course, this weekend might end up being seen as even more crucial, depending on how it goes.

Arsenal right now feel good about the title race, but that can dramatically change if their main chasers beat them, to once more shift that momentum. Out of that, this is yet another Carabao Cup final that is cast as being about more than the Carabao Cup, as so many are. It is about what it can mean for the future.

That’s partly why Newcastle United’s win last year was so distinctive, since it was about the trophy alone. You arguably have to go back to Swansea City in 2013 for similar.

Consequently, as regards Arsenal, you don’t really need to read the same old lines about how Chelsea’s 2005 victory invigorated the Jose Mourinho era, or Brian Clough’s quote about how the Anglo-Scottish Cup gave his great Nottingham Forest team “a shot of something positive that only a trophy, whatever it is, can bring”. The times are different. The situation is different.

This is nevertheless the first League Cup final involving both of the top two since 1978, and a meeting between Liverpool and that Forest team. Clough’s side won to eventually complete a League Cup and title double.

That season was the first time the feat was managed, and both City and Arsenal are hoping to make this the 12th. City have already managed it four times, with Guardiola responsible for three of those.

As befits the occasion in the modern era, however, both sides are also going for more. City are aiming for a domestic treble. Arsenal are going for the quadruple. The League Cup has never had so much on the line, which marks quite a shift. The final itself may well mark another.

The ninth-seeded Texas Christian Horned Frogs meet the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament East Region on Saturday. TCU advanced with a 66-64 win over eighth-seeded Ohio State on Thursday, while Duke survived with a 71-65 victory over 16th-seeded Siena. The Horned Frogs (23-11), who finished sixth in the Big 12 at 11-7, have won seven of their past eight games. The Blue Devils (33-2), who won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season (17-1) and tournament titles, have won 12 games in a row. Duke is without Caleb Foster (foot), while center Patrick Ngongba (foot) is questionable. 

Tipoff from Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., is set for 5:15 p.m. ET. Duke is a 12.5-point favorite in the latest TCU vs. Duke odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 140.5. Before making any TCU vs. Duke picks, check out the TCU vs. Duke predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament on a sizzling 11-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-22 run on top-rated CBB side picks. 

Now, the model has simulated TCU vs. Duke 10,000 times and just revealed its college basketball picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several college basketball odds and college basketball lines for Duke vs. TCU:

Top TCU vs. Duke predictions

After 10,000 simulations of TCU vs. Duke, SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (140.5 points). The Over has hit in two of the last three TCU games, and in six of the last 10 Duke games. TCU is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 games. Duke, meanwhile, is 6-4 ATS in its last 10.

The model projects the Horned Frogs to have two players score 11 or more points, including David Punch, who is projected to score 11.9 points. The Blue Devils are projected to have three players score 11.4 points or more, led by Cameron Boozer, who is projected to score 25 points. The model is projecting 148 combined points. You can get the spread pick at SportsLine.

How to make Duke vs. TCU picks

Now, the model simulated every possession of Duke vs. TCU 10,000 times and says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Duke vs. TCU, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the TCU vs. Duke spread to back, all from the advanced model that just simulated this game 10,000 times, and find out.

The reigning 2025 NBA champions won’t be making the traditional visit to the White House due to a timing issue. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are due to play the Washington Wizards on Saturday evening, but a team spokesperson said that despite talks with the White House, the team will not be celebrating with the president. 

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first half of Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 13, 2025. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)

“We have been in touch with the White House, and we are appreciative and grateful for the communication we have had, but the timing just didn’t work out,” the team said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. 

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It was not immediately clear whether a formal invitation had been extended to the team. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for confirmation.

The White House has a long-standing tradition of welcoming championship teams to celebrate their achievements. On Friday, President Donald Trump invited the Navy Midshipmen following a historic season that culminated in winning the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.

President Donald Trump holds up a helmet as he speaks during the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy presentation with the Navy Midshipmen football team in the East Room of the White House in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

TRUMP SAYS US WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM WILL ‘SOON’ VISIT WHITE HOUSE AFTER DECLINING SOTU INVITATION

Teams have declined a White House visit in the past. The most notable instance was in 2017 when the Golden State Warriors had their invitation withdrawn by Trump after Stephen Curry and other players indicated they were not interested in visiting.

Trump recently invited the U.S. men’s ice hockey team to the White House and the State of the Union after their gold medal victory over Canada at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. The women’s team was also invited amid controversy regarding a quip the president made during a call with the men’s team. 

The women’s team declined Trump’s invitation to the State of the Union, citing “previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.”

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) holds the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy as he celebrates with his team after they won the NBA basketball championship with a Game 7 victory against the Indiana Pacers Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City.  (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

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“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” USA Hockey said in a statement. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The Minnesota Vikings were not overly busy in free agency — aside from signing quarterback Kyler Murray — compared to recent offseasons, but they still have a bit of cash flow to use on available players in a pinch. Consider these five free agents to explore in the pinch.

Minnesota can still find help on defense and the offensive line before draft week.

The NFL Draft is less than five weeks away, but here’s a look at free agents for Minnesota if they want to shore up the roster depth.

Five Available FAs Who Still Make Sense for Minnesota

The roster is in decent shape; these men are about upgrades, and they’re ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = best available free agent for Minnesota).

5. Ifeatu Melifonwu (S)

Pretend for a moment that the Vikings welcome Harrison Smith back for Year No. 15, prefer a defensive tackle, for example, in Round 1 of the draft, and are not overly enthused about Theo Jackson having a middling 2025 campaign. In those realistic scenarios, the club might need safety depth.

Melifonwu has the juice for it. The 26-year-old banked a 62.9 Pro Football Focus grade in 2025, playing 549 defensive snaps in Miami. Not long ago in 2023 with the Detroit Lions, he punched his card for an 82.1 PFF mark. He’s proven that he can thrive in the right system.

The former 3rd-Rounder from the 2021 NFL Draft would look good in purple if the Round 1 or 2 draft pick is not a safety.

4. Tyreek Hill (WR)

Hill’s 2025 season was cut short after only four games because of a nasty left knee injury — multiple torn ligaments and a torn ACL. Before the injury, Hill was still getting it done, averaging 66.3 yards per game. That’s over 1,100 yards when scaled to a full season. His top speed isn’t quite what it used to be, but there’s still burst and playmaking ability on tape.

The man obviously has an electric track record: 11,363 yards, 83 touchdowns, and everyone knows he’s one of the scariest deep threats ever. He can still change a game in a heartbeat.

His contract could work out nicely, too. He might get a “prove-it” deal, which would be tempting for teams trying to win it all. Picture Hill playing alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in Minnesota. Scary.

And — Hill’s been a Vikings fan forever, always talking about how he grew up rooting for them. Plus, Frank Smith, who used to coach Hill in Miami, is now on Minnesota’s coaching staff as the assistant head coach. It won’t be hard for Smith to lure Hill.

3. L’Jarius Sneed (CB)

This is Sneed’s PFF work through six seasons:

• 2020: 68.4
• 2021: 63.6
• 2022: 77.7
• 2023: 72.5
• 2024: 36.3
• 2025: 50.4

Then, the passer rating allowed:

• 2025: 120.0
• 2020: 54.2
• 2021: 91.9
• 2022: 85.0
• 2023: 56.2
• 2024: 91.8

The last two seasons obviously aren’t ideal, but there’s a chance that he could cook and regain 2023 form with Brian Flores’s magic touch. The Titans recently dropped Sneed. He’s there for the taking and won’t cost much.

2. Ethan Pocic (C)

At 30, Pocic is expected to snag an $8–12 million yearly salary, putting him in the middle of the pack for veteran centers. That price might even be smaller through two weeks of free agency with no nibbles.

In 2025, PFF gave him a 62.2 for pass-blocking and a 63.2 for run-blocking, landing him an overall grade of 63.8. He’s reliable, but not a superstar. Drafted in the 2nd Round in 2017, he played under his rookie deal with Seattle before heading to Cleveland in 2022, where he became a starter.

The only knock on Pocic is durability. He generally misses at least 3-4 games annually due to injury. Minnesota’s in a good spot to handle this, though, with Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens ready to step in if he gets hurt.

1. Christian Wilkins (DT)

Wilkins is a consistently dependable run stopper, making him a good fit for Minnesota, especially with their run defense looking vulnerable early in 2025.

Market conditions are also favorable, as he hopes to repair his reputation following bizarre locker-room allegations. An unsigned Wikins through 20 days of March suggests affordability, and a short, inexpensive contract — perhaps even near the veteran minimum — seems realistic for a 29-year-old seeking a new team. The rumor mill suggested that up to 26 teams have inquired about Wilkin’s availability.

Wilkins has consistently demonstrated top-tier production, so much so that the Las Vegas Raiders handed him a $110 million contract over four years in the offseason of 2024. Furthermore, Wilkins and Vikings defensive coordinator Flores have a prior connection: Flores drafted and developed Wilkins in Miami in 2019, a significant relationship.

Finally, Wilkins and current Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel were also teammates in Miami. With Flores already intimately familiar with Wilkins’s capabilities, Minnesota has a real connection to Wilkins. There are existing ties.