Here are the events our editors are watching this weekend:
Friday, March 21st
March Madness - from 17:15 CET
We only saw two upsets on the opening day of March Madness in (#12) McNeese St. over (#5) Clemson and (#11) Drake over (#6) Missouri, so if you chalked the first round then your bracket is probably shaping up nicely.
In the second day of play in the Round of 64, upset possibilities are all over the board with matchups like (#11) University of North Carolina against (#6) Ole Miss, (#10) Vanderbilt against (#5) St. Mary’s, (#12) Colorado State against (#5) Memphis, and many others.
The first slate of games was shockingly disappointing for the most part with a lot of blowouts but hopefully the second go at it proves the Round of 64 to be as thrilling as we know it can be.
My upset pick of the second day goes to (#11) Xavier over (#6) Illinois as they continue to ride their momentum from their play-in-game victory.
Most of the top seeds in the tournament are getting the job done and that, no offence to the fan bases, tends to be boring in the eyes of the first round. So let’s see some more upsets!
Eric Himmelheber
England vs Albania - 20:45 CET
England vs Albania is a match that usually wouldn't catch the eye, but that's not the case with this edition, because it marks the first match for a manager whose appointment was one of the biggest moves in the history of international football.
A coach as accomplished as Thomas Tuchel entering international management is a big story in itself, but it's made huge by the fact that he'll be doing so with England. With the players at his disposal, he could create an unstoppable force if things click. This could be the start of a journey that ends with the Three Lions finally becoming World Champions again.
However, that feels less likely to be the case for many after the German picked a widely unpopular first squad. The most controversial call was the decision to bring Jordan Henderson back into the fold with James Maddison and Adam Wharton missing out, and the decision to leave out Jarrad Branthwaite wasn't well received either.
Those decisions have sparked fears that, like predecessor Gareth Southgate, Tuchel will stifle an exciting generation of talent with a conservative, safety-first approach, but he's criticised the team for being too "afraid" during Euro 2024 and has promised to make them play with more "excitement" and "hunger".
Actions speak louder than words though, and with the pressure already on given many fans aren't happy with his squad and some would prefer England to have an English manager, he'll need to hit the ground running in a match that could tell us a lot about what to expect from the nation for the next few years.
Finley Crebolder
Saturday, March 22nd
Milan-Sanremo - 10:15 CET
It feels like yesterday that the road cycling season began down under in January, and now we are set for the first monument of the season - Milan-Sanremo.
The spring classic along Italy’s northern coastline is one of the longest of the year at 289 kilometres, but the final 70 kilometres is where the action will happen. The beauty of that finale is the unpredictability of it - any type of rider, whether you are a climber, puncheur or a sprinter, can win it.
The start list suggests that too, with world champion Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock all headlining it. All three will hope to make their mark on the final climb of the race - the Poggio - which tops out with just seven kilometres to go.
The sprinters will hope to survive that climb and take it to the Via Roma for a sprint finish. Jasper Phillipsen, a teammate of Van Der Poel, Mads Pedersen and Olav Kooij will all hope the rest stay together over the Poggio.
Home hopes rest on time-trial specialist Filippo Ganna. The Ineos Grenadiers rider has shown great form in the past couple of weeks and certainly has a shout of springing a surprise.
This list of names shows just how volatile this race can be, so make sure to sit down late on Saturday afternoon for stunning views, and, hopefully, stunning racing.
Josh Donaldson
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru - 15:00 CET
For cricket fans, particularly those in India, there is one tournament that stands above the crowded mess of Twenty20 franchise leagues and that is the Indian Premier League (IPL). No other league in the world has its own dedicated window in which international cricket largely pauses to allow it maximum access to the world’s best players.
There are many reasons for that but the main result is that all cricketing eyes are on India for this tournament from when it starts (this weekend) until the final in late May.
Saturday sees the tournament kick off with a bang as last season’s champions Kolkata Knight Riders host Virat Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the iconic Eden Gardens. It’s a long old tournament but both sides will be hoping to get early momentum in this one. Unfortunately, rain is forecast for the day of the game so let's hope that stays away.
Interestingly, both sides are much changed - as are many of the franchises - since there was a mega auction in the off-season just gone. In the case of these two, they will be led by new captains in the forms of Ajinkya Rahane (KKR) and Rajat Patidar (RCB) but there will still be the old favourites on show in Kohli along with KKR’s West Indian duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine (last season’s brilliant MVP).
The good news for cricket tragics is that if you miss this match, there’s a massive double-header on Sunday with SunRisers Hyderabad hosting Rajasthan Royals before Chennai Super Kings take on Mumbai Indians. And after that? Well, there’s basically a game a day with double-headers on weekends until the end. Bring it on!
Pat Dempsey
Sunday, March 23rd
Nations League quarter-final second legs - 20:45 CET
The Nations League quarter-finals have been set up nicely after tightly fought first legs, leaving it all to play for this Sunday evening.
Surprisingly, the one nation with the most work to do is France after they were stunned away to Croatia on Thursday night. Didier Deschamps’ side have often struggled to live up to the talent at their disposal and that was the case once again as Croatia beat them 2-0. That leaves them with a huge test in Paris to overturn the deficit and book their place in the semi-finals but if any side has the quality to do it, it is them.
Elsewhere, Denmark produced a mini shock of their own as Rasmus Hojlund came off the bench to score the game's only goal in Copenhagen. That sets up a tense second leg in Portugal with the pressure on the home side to produce a comeback and avoid a shock exit.
Meanwhile, Italy are up against it after losing at home to Germany after an inspired performance from veteran Joshua Kimmich in the first leg. Italy showed in spells during the first leg that Germany are vulnerable to the counter-attack with their high line, so this classic tie is far from over.
Finally, a last-gasp equaliser from Mikel Merino rescued a 2-2 draw for Spain in Amsterdam against the Netherlands, leaving all the cards on the table for the return leg this weekend. Both sides play attractive attacking football so you can expect more goals and plenty more drama in a must-watch second leg.
Harry Dunnett