Arsenal are set to play Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. Mikel Arteta’s side are looking to keep their hopes of multiple trophies alive. Tonight is something of a homecoming for Kai Havertz, who could face his former club.
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Declan Rice, and Martin Zubimendi are fit for Arsenal’s clash with Bayer Leverkusen. Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard are also a possibility. However, Martin Odegaard remains sidelined due to a knee injury.
The LSU men’s basketball team are set to face Kentucky in the opening game of the 2026 SEC Basketball Tournament. This first-round contest will be the first time they have met at this stage of the event. Kentucky are the ninth seed and LSU the sixteenth.
Real Madrid are preparing to face Manchester City in the Champions League knockout stages for the fifth year in a row. Coach Álvaro Arbeloa maintains that Real Madrid should never feel inferior to any opponent. The director Emilio Butragueño noted the repeated meetings between the two clubs.
NC State will face Pittsburgh in the ACC Tournament after losing to Stanford. Pittsburgh upset Stanford in the first round of the tournament. The Wolfpack lost six of its last seven regular season games.
Sir Alex Ferguson will have several runners at the Cheltenham Festival this week. Caldwell Potter, who cost connections £640,000, has been ruled out for the season. Ferguson will still have four runners competing at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.
Conor Stone-Walsh has been handed a two-day suspension for careless riding at the Cheltenham Festival. The suspension relates to an incident in Tuesday’s National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase. Danny Gilligan also received a suspension.
St. Bonaventure and La Salle will compete in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The Bonnies have a better season-long record, but La Salle edged them out in conference standings. This will be Mark Schmidt’s final tournament as St. Bonaventure coach.
The Cheltenham Festival saw a messy start to a race, leading to scrutiny of jockeys. Ruby Walsh commented on the need for better starting mechanisms. Harry Cobden experienced contrasting fortunes.
Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, has announced that the national football team will not participate in the 2026 World Cup. This decision follows the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and escalating conflict in the region. Gianni Infantino reported that Donald Trump said Iran were “welcome” to play.
