10/03/2026

SPORTS TUESDAY | MAR 10, 2026

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Champions League last-16, first-leg clashes

HERE’S a look at tomorrow’s Champions League last-16, first-leg clashes, as Liverpool go to Istanbul for the second time this season and Newcastle United prepare to host Barcelona again (All matches in Malaysian time) : Galatasaray vs Liverpool

competition for the first time in their history. Hosting a crumbling Spurs, they will aim to build a strong first-leg lead and try to capitalise on being in the theoretically weaker side of the draw. Newcastle vs Barcelona

They lead the Turkish Super Lig and won 1 0 at Istanbul rivals Besiktas on Saturday, with Victor Osimhen scoring the goal – that was his 18th of the season, with seven coming in Europe. Atalanta vs Bayern Munich

knock on his calf and would be back to his best in a couple of days. Atalanta knocked out Borussia Dortmund in the last round and have also beaten Eintracht Frankfurt this season, so will be relishing another test against German opposition. Gianluca Scamacca scored twice as they came from behind to draw 2-2 with Udinese in Serie A on Saturday. Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham

4.00am St James’s Park, England

1.45am Rams Park, Istanbul, Turkey

4.00am Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy

4.00am Civitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain

Liverpool’s Premier League title defence collapsed during a horrific run of results from late September, and they face a battle even to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Now Arne Slot’s side head back to Istanbul, where they lost 1-0 to Turkish champions Galatasaray during the league phase. A deep run in the Champions League would be a major boost for Slot, who has come under fire from frustrated fans during Liverpool’s slump. Significantly, German playmaker Florian Wirtz made his return from a back injury as a late substitute in Friday’s FA Cup win against Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Slot played down concerns over Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister after the World Cup winner limped off. Galatasaray held off Juventus in the playoff round, after winning 5-2 at home in the first leg and then losing 3-2 after extra-time in the return.

Having already beaten Newcastle 2-1 at St James’ Park in the league phase thanks to a Marcus Rashford brace and without teenage star Lamine Yamal, Barcelona will be confident when heading to Tyneside. Hansi Flick’s entertaining side still have their flaws though, particularly the exploitable high defensive line which makes them vulnerable to pace in behind, with Anthony Gordon likely to cause the Catalan giants trouble. Newcastle have found the going tougher in the Premier League this season after several years of sustained progress under Eddie Howe. They beat Manchester United last week before crumbling in the FA Cup against a Manchester City team that had made 10 changes. Nick Woltemade started against City after a brief illness while Tino Livramento was on the bench. Howe said Lewis Miley will not be ready to face Barcelona. AFP

Bayern probably deserve to be considered among the leading three or four contenders to win the Champions League, as the German giants chase what would be a seventh title in Europe’s elite club competition. Vincent Kompany’s team head to Italy with an 11-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga and having won seven of eight games in the Champions League so far. With the Bundesliga title all but wrapped up, Bayern gave Harry Kane a rest and left Michael Olise on the bench in Friday’s 4-1 win against Borussia Moenchengladbach. With 45 goals in 37 games in all competitions this campaign, Kane is in ominous form, reaching his best ever mark in a season by February. In leaving the England captain out for the first time this season, Kompany said Kane had a

Tottenham go back to the Metropolitano, where they lost to Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final. The current Spurs side is a shadow of Mauricio Pochettino’s exciting team, however, and they find themselves in the strange position of still being involved in Europe and locked in a relegation battle in the Premier League at the same time. A long way off the pace in La Liga, Diego Simeone’s Atletico are fully focused on cup goals for the remainder of the season. The Argentine coach led them to the Champions League final in 2014 and 2016 but came up short against rivals Real Madrid both times, and Atletico are desperate to win the

Crunch time Guardiola targets a strong finish to the season for Man City P EP GUARDIOLA says it is a “pity” Manchester City’s Premier League fate is not in their own hands but is targeting a blistering end to the season. City cruised into the FA Cup against big teams. It’s not win or lose, it’s be who we are as an indi vidual, as a team and after that, you can win or lose, you never know, but that is the main mental ity I have in my mind.” Guardiola is approaching the Ű BY DAMIAN SPELLMAN

Inter Milan’s Yann Bisseck (left) in action with AC Milan players during yesterday’s Serie A match at the San Siro. – REUTERSPIC

10th anniversary of his appoint ment at City and can reflect upon a decade which has already brought six League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and Champions League glory. However, he is acutely aware of the journey the club has travelled and acknowledges that it is becoming ever more difficult for others to do the same, as Newcastle are finding. Asked if he sees the Magpies as future contenders for the biggest prizes, he said: “For the last years since the new owners and espe cially with Eddie Howe, of course it’s a team to be there, a Champions League team. Look where they are. “They maybe have a lot of inju ries this season as well and play every three days, four days, three days, four days and maybe they are not used (to that) for 10 years or 12 like City right now. “The only problem in today’s modern football, especially in the Premier League, is just the fact when you play in all competitions, you have to have your players fit. When you don’t have that, nobody can survive, it’s impossible. “When you have injuries, it’s pray and survive and arrive at the end in the position that we are.” – The Independent

quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory at Newcastle on Sunday before turn ing their attention to Thursday’s Champions League last 16 clash with Real Madrid in Spain and beyond it, their Carabao Cup final showdown with Arsenal. The Gunners currently hold a seven-point lead over Guardiola’s men at the top of the League table having played one game more and while the Spaniard is happy that he is approaching the crunch point of the campaign with his team in form and his big players fit, he knows they will need a help ing hand to keep their quadruple hopes alive. He said: “We have experience of that in the trebles, quadruples. You have to arrive in the decisive moment of the season with the players in that position. “It’s a pity that the battle for the Premier League in not in our hands, so that is a big drop against Nottingham, but I don’t think much. “It’s just OK, now recover, go to Madrid, make a good selection and hopefully we can behave – I’m not talking win or lose, it’s behave in the way who we are. “That’s always my focus when we play in the biggest stages

Milan trim Inter’s Serie A lead

PERVIS ESTUPINAN’S first half goal proved enough for AC Milan to claim a 1 0 derby triumph at the San Siro yesterday and cut Inter Milan’s lead at the top of Serie A to seven points. Inter could have moved 13 points clear with just 10 matches remaining in the season with victory, but instead Milan kept their title hopes alive and extended their unbeaten run against their city rivals to seven meetings in all competitions. Estupinan struck 10 minutes before halftime before a dogged defensive dis play in the second period gave Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan a much needed success. The Rossoneri , who have still lost only twice in the league this season, are bid ding for their first Scudetto since 2022 and only their second since 2011.

the previous derby in November and snapped their eight-match winning run in the league. “We never managed to get into a good position, we lacked dynamism, we need to improve even more,” said Inter coach Cristian Chivu. In an earlier match, Roma dropped out of the top four and were replaced by Como after Vitinha’s late strike grabbed Genoa a 2-1 home win over the capital club. Como, who have never played in Europe, took the last Champions League berth from Roma on goal difference. Juventus are a point further back in sixth. Roma travel to face Como, who notched a third straight league win by beating Cagliari on Saturday, this week end in what could prove a crucial clash in the top-four battle. – AFP

“They still have a seven-point lead and remain the favourites for the title – the championship will be decided from March onwards,” said Allegri, after Milan’s first league double over Inter since he took them to the title during his first spell in charge 15 years ago. Inter are still on track to regain the crown they lost last term to Napoli, who are 11 points off the pace in third after suffering a series of injuries, but this result leaves them with more work to do. However, neither Milan club have ever won Serie A in a season in which they have lost both derbies. “It’s a well-deserved victory,” said vet eran Milan midfielder Luka Modric. “I don’t know if we can say the cham pionship is back on. For us, the title race was still open, it’s even more so now.” It was Inter’s first Serie A defeat since