Editors' Picks: Man United clash with Liverpool, Sinner & Alcaraz face off at Indian Wells
Saturday, March 16th
Ireland vs Scotland - 17:45 CET
After five rounds of enthralling rugby, the Six Nations has once again proven that it is still the premier tournament full of twists and turns.
No team will win the grand slam this year - the title for beating the other five teams - due to the unpredictable nature of this edition. Italy have picked up their first victory at home since 2013, whilst England beat Ireland for a morale-boosting win at Twickenham.
The Irish are still in pole position for the championship and will win it if they avoid defeat against Scotland, whilst France and England could still pick up silverware with a huge win when they face off in Lyon.
All games take place one after the other on a blockbuster Saturday with the game in the south of France headlining the day. Whether something is riding on it will be on Ireland, but either way, the last day of the Six Nations always delivers drama aplenty.
Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz
Usually, if a tennis tournament is coming to an end during the weekend we're previewing in these pieces, we'll look ahead to the final, but we're changing things up for Indian Wells because there's one semi-final that simply cannot be missed, with prodigies Jannik Sinner (22) and Carlos Alcaraz (20) facing off.
It's always exciting when players ranked second and third in the world go head-to-head, but when those players are Sinner and Alcaraz, the excitement ramps up to a whole other level. That's because the two usually whip up a thriller, with just three of their eight matches ending in straight sets and one - their US Open quarter-final in 2022 - being one of the greatest matches the sport has ever seen.
Sinner heads into this one as the slight favourite given his imperious start to 2024. The Australian Open champion has won his first sixteen matches, making the seventh-best-ever start to an ATP season since the tour as we know it was established in 1990. He hasn't had easy matches either, beating Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev before not dropping a single set on his way to the final four in Indian Wells.
As a result of his form and the fact that Alcaraz hasn't won a title since Wimbledon, Sinner has somewhat replaced Alcaraz as the sport's next big thing, and the Spaniard will be keen to show that title still belongs to him. He looks capable of doing so, playing his best tennis of the year in California after a disappointing first few months.
With both looking to be at their best and a place in the final of what is arguably tennis' fifth biggest tournament up for grabs as well as second in the world rankings, it doesn't get much better than this.
Sunday, March 17th
Manchester United vs Liverpool - 16:30 CET
The headline tie of this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final action is at Old Trafford where Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United come up against fierce rivals Liverpool.
After early exits in the Champions League and EFL Cup, Sunday’s clash against Jurgen Klopp’s title-chasing side is a hugely important one for both United and Ten Hag. Not only does the FA Cup represent the Red Devils’ last hope of silverware this season, but it also takes on added significance given that United are currently eight points adrift of Aston Villa in the top-four race.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have already won the EFL Cup and continue to challenge on all three remaining fronts as they look to give Klopp the best possible send-off ahead of his departure in the summer.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, and with the two sides set to play each other in the Premier League at the start of April, Sunday’s cup clash provides the perfect opportunity to build momentum going into the final stretch of the season.
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona - 21:00 CET
It hasn't been the easiest season for both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in LaLiga, and despite the fact that they look to be a long way away from winning the title, this weekend's clash is still of vital importance.
Atletico have two wins in their last six games in the league, and sit in fourth place - just two points ahead of Athletic Bilbao. As we get into the business end of the season, they cannot afford too many more errors as they look to secure a spot in the Champions League.
Diego Simeone's men are coming off the back of a supremely impressive result and performance in Europe against Inter Milan though, so will be chomping at the bit to return to the Metropolitan Stadium in front of their raucous home faithful.
Since Xavi announced that he would be stepping down from his role as coach of Barcelona, the LaLiga champions have gone unbeaten, and even managed to knock out Napoli and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
They have a chance to salvage something from what has been an underwhelming season, and although they are eight points off league leader Real Madrid, they will want to keep the pressure on their rivals while also guaranteeing a top-two finish ahead of Girona.
It promises to be a captivating contest between two Spanish heavyweights, and the perfect way to bring club football to an end ahead of the international break.
