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Champions League Semis: Barcelona-Inter Revives Memories of 2010 Epic and Arsenal Hosts PSG 

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, of Portugal, reacts after a Champions League semifinal match, second leg, between Barcelona and Inter Milan, at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on April 28, 2010. (AP)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, of Portugal, reacts after a Champions League semifinal match, second leg, between Barcelona and Inter Milan, at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on April 28, 2010. (AP)
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Champions League Semis: Barcelona-Inter Revives Memories of 2010 Epic and Arsenal Hosts PSG 

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, of Portugal, reacts after a Champions League semifinal match, second leg, between Barcelona and Inter Milan, at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on April 28, 2010. (AP)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, of Portugal, reacts after a Champions League semifinal match, second leg, between Barcelona and Inter Milan, at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on April 28, 2010. (AP)

The free-flowing attack of Barcelona comes up against the rugged, smothering defense of Inter Milan in the Champions League semifinals.

Ring any bells?

Go back to 2010 — when Lamine Yamal was not even 3 years old and Lionel Messi was close to his prime — and Camp Nou was the scene of one of the most memorable matches in Champions League history, between the same teams going head-to-head there again on Wednesday.

Protecting a 3-1 lead from the first leg, Inter — coached at the time by Jose Mourinho — delivered a defensive masterclass against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona to survive with 10 men for more than an hour and lose just 1-0 to progress to the title match.

Memories will come flooding back ahead of the rematch this week, especially with the two protagonists owning the same traits as 15 years ago.

Barcelona is back in the Champions League semifinals for the first time since the 2018-19 season, on the back of by far the best attack in the new-look, 36-team league stage. With Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski up front, Barca scored 28 goals in eight games — and has netted nine more goals in eliminating Benfica and Borussia Dortmund in the knockouts.

Then there’s Inter, the Italian champion, which conceded just once in eight games in the first stage and held on grimly to oust Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

Inter won the 2010 final, against Bayern, for a third European Cup title so its run toward the final this season has echoes of that title-winning campaign.

Arsenal vs. Paris

Saint-Germain While the Barcelona-Inter Milan semifinal is awash with history, this one seems relatively fresh.

Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have met just three times in the Champions League and never in the knockout stage. One of those occasions was this season, when Arsenal won 2-0 at Emirates Stadium.

And it’s at home that the Gunners play on Tuesday in the first leg, hoping to reproduce the exploits that saw them beat defending champion Real Madrid in both legs in the quarterfinals.

Their opponents, however, are aiming to eliminate an English opponent for the third straight round, after seeing off Liverpool and — less impressively — Aston Villa.

With its “galacticos” — Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Messi — long gone, PSG is bidding to win a first Champions League title by going with talented up-and-coming players instead.

Arsenal is also striving to become European champion for the first time, having not reached the semis since 2009.

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Sports

Lens Close in on PSG with Win Over Lowly Metz

Lens' players celebrate winning the French L1 football match between RC Lens and FC Metz at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, northern France on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Francois LO PRESTI / AFP)
Lens' players celebrate winning the French L1 football match between RC Lens and FC Metz at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, northern France on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Francois LO PRESTI / AFP)
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Lens Close in on PSG with Win Over Lowly Metz

Lens' players celebrate winning the French L1 football match between RC Lens and FC Metz at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, northern France on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Francois LO PRESTI / AFP)
Lens' players celebrate winning the French L1 football match between RC Lens and FC Metz at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, northern France on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Francois LO PRESTI / AFP)

Lens clawed to within a point of Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday after beating bottom side Metz 3-0 to relaunch their unexpected title challenge.

Saudi international Saud Abdulhamid drilled in the opening goal late in the first half and Florian Thauvin doubled the lead for Lens immediately after the break.

Amadou Haidara wrapped up the victory on 52 minutes as Lens won for the first time in three matches to relaunch their pursuit of PSG, who lost 3-1 at home to Monaco on Friday.

"There are still a few hills to climb but being within a point of PSG with nine games to go is a good thing in itself," AFP quoted Lens coach Pierre Sage as saying

Metz, who beat Lens earlier in the season, stayed rooted to the foot of the table. They have not won in the league since November, taking only two points from their last 13 matches.

Recently fired coach Franck Haise had a triumphant return to south coast side Nice on Sunday.

Under new coach Claude Puel, Nice continued their slump towards the relegation zone as they were thumped 4-0 at home by Haise's resurgent Rennes, the Brittany club climbing above Lille to fourth.

Lille drew 1-1 with Lorient, while Brest put two goals past Le Havre without reply.

On Saturday, Marseille avenged their midweek French Cup elimination by Toulouse, as Mason Greenwood scored the only goal in a 1-0 league win.

Lyon can reclaim third place from Marseille later on Sunday with a win over Paris FC.

Sports

Southampton Stuns Premier League Fulham to Advance to the FA Cup Quarterfinals

Southampton's Scottish striker #11 Ross Stewart (L) celebrates after scoring on a penalty kick for his team's fist goal during the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Fulham and Southampton at Craven Cottage in London on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Southampton's Scottish striker #11 Ross Stewart (L) celebrates after scoring on a penalty kick for his team's fist goal during the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Fulham and Southampton at Craven Cottage in London on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
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Southampton Stuns Premier League Fulham to Advance to the FA Cup Quarterfinals

Southampton's Scottish striker #11 Ross Stewart (L) celebrates after scoring on a penalty kick for his team's fist goal during the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Fulham and Southampton at Craven Cottage in London on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Southampton's Scottish striker #11 Ross Stewart (L) celebrates after scoring on a penalty kick for his team's fist goal during the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Fulham and Southampton at Craven Cottage in London on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Southampton produced an FA Cup upset to knock out Premier League side Fulham on Sunday.

Ross Stewart's 91st-minute penalty sealed a 1-0 win for the Championship side at Craven Cottage and booked its place in the quarterfinals.

The game was heading to extra time when Joachim Andersen brought down Finn Azaz in the box late on, The Associated Press reported. Stewart stepped up and blasted past Fulham goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte.

Fulham coach Marco Silva paid the price for making nine changes to his starting lineup and leaving out star players like Raul Jimenez, Antonee Robinson and Alex Iwobi.

Victory continues Southampton's impressive surge under coach Tonda Eckert, who has transformed the club's fortunes since taking charge in November.

The team, which was relegated from the Premier League last season, was battling for survival in the Championship when former coach Will Still was fired.

Under Eckert it has risen up the standings and is competing for a place in the playoffs.

“Overall in the 90 minutes it’s deserved that we go to the next round,“ he told the BBC. “(We) just need to use this game as fuel for the games coming up.”

Sports

Iran Soccer Team Exits Women's Asian Cup and Faces the Prospect of Return Home

Iran players react during their national anthem ahead of the Women's Asian Cup soccer match between Iran and the Philippines in Robina, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP)
Iran players react during their national anthem ahead of the Women's Asian Cup soccer match between Iran and the Philippines in Robina, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP)
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Iran Soccer Team Exits Women's Asian Cup and Faces the Prospect of Return Home

Iran players react during their national anthem ahead of the Women's Asian Cup soccer match between Iran and the Philippines in Robina, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP)
Iran players react during their national anthem ahead of the Women's Asian Cup soccer match between Iran and the Philippines in Robina, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP)

Iran’s soccer team lost its last group match at the Women’s Asian Cup on Sunday and had to contemplate returning home to a country embroiled in war.

The Iranian women’s squad arrived in Australia for the continental championship last month, before the war that began with the US and Israel Feb. 28 strikes on Iran. Teams ousted during the group stage usually leave within days but organizers have not announced details for the departure of the Iran delegation, The AP news reported.

Their silence during the anthem before an opening loss to South Korea last Monday was viewed by some as an act of resistance and others as a show of mourning. The team hasn't clarified. But the players sang the anthem and saluted during the national anthem ahead of their 4-0 loss to Australia last Thursday and a 2-0 loss to Philippines on Sunday.

Amid concerns for player welfare following reported criticism in the Iranian media, the Australian Iranian Council wrote to Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke urging the government to protect the squad members while they’re in Australia.

It launched an online petition, which had more than 50,000 electronic signatures before kick-off Sunday, urging Australian authorities to “ensure that no member of Iran’s women’s national football team is to depart Australia while credible fears for their safety remain” and also to provide independent legal advice, support and interpreters.

Iran team management and players have mostly declined to comment on the situation at home during more than a week preparing for and playing games on Australia’s Gold Coast, although Iran forward Sara Didar choked back tears in a news conference last Wednesday as she shared their concerns for their families, friends and all Iranians during the conflict.

The Australian Associated Press reported late Sunday that protestors chanting “let them go" slightly delayed the departure of the Iran squad from the stadium.

Australia's national news agency quoted Iran's head coach Marziyeh Jafari saying the squad “want to come back to Iran as soon as we can.”

“I want to be with my country and home ... We are eager to come back," AAP quoted Jafari as saying.

The Australian Iranian Council's online petition asked local authorities to ensure any player seeking protection “can do so safely, privately, and without interference” and to “make clear that Australia will uphold its ... humanitarian protection obligations in relation to any player at risk of persecution or serious harm.

“Where credible evidence exists that visiting athletes may face persecution, imprisonment, coercion, or worse upon return, silence is not a neutral position," it said. “The current wartime environment has intensified repression, fear, and the risks faced by anyone publicly perceived by the Islamic Republic as disloyal.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong declined to comment on whether the Australian government had made contact with individuals but told domestic media Australia stood in solidarity with the Iranian women's team.

“It has been really moving for Australians to see them in Australia, and (Australia's women's team) swapping jerseys with them was a very evocative moment,” Wong told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Sunday. “We know this regime has brutally oppressed many Iranian women.”

Iranian Australian activist Tina Kordrostami, a local government member in Sydney’s Ryde Council, told The Australian newspaper the Iranian players “need an opportunity, a safe space, a chance to actually speak up about what their needs are and what their requirements are.”

“We can’t give them that space without the government helping us,” she said.

The Iranian women's team needed to beat Philippines to maintain any chance of advancing to the Asian Cup quarterfinals, which would have extended its stay in Australia for more than another week.