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Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium on Saturday, April 5, at 9pm (19:00 GMT), in a critical La Liga encounter. This match serves as a precursor to their Champions League quarterfinal series, with the two Spanish giants set to clash three times in 10 days.The Catalan club will be without winger Raphinha due to a hamstring injury, placing additional pressure on teenage star Lamine Yamal to deliver. The 18-year-old has been in impressive form, scoring six times in his last seven matches across all competitions.Yamal has drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi and has been a key player for Barca, helping the team win Euro 2024 and a domestic treble last season. His maturity and skill on the pitch have been notable, especially in big games.Barcelona currently leads La Liga and will look to maintain or extend their lead against Atletico, who have little to play for in the league but will aim to build momentum for their Champions League quarterfinal against Barca.The match is a rematch of their Copa del Rey semifinal encounter in February and March, where Atletico advanced to the final 4-3 on aggregate. Barcelona is seeking to reach the Champions League semifinals for the second consecutive season, while Atletico aims to return to the last four for the first time since 2017.In terms of team news, Atletico Madrid will be without Marcos Llorente and Johnny Cardoso due to suspensions, as well as Pablo Barrios and Rodrigo Mendoza due to injuries. Barcelona is likely to be without Frenkie de Jong but may see the return of Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde from injury.

Iran has introduced a ban on its sports teams traveling to countries it considers 'hostile', as reported by Iranian state TV. This move comes ahead of Tractor SC's scheduled football match in Saudi Arabia as part of the Asian Champions League. The ban was announced nearly a month after US-Israeli attacks on Iran led to war on February 28. The Iranian Ministry of Sports stated that the presence of national and club teams in countries unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes is prohibited until further notice. The decision specifically affects Tractor's playoff game against Shabab Al Ahli of Dubai in Saudi Arabia, set to take place next month. The Iranian football federation and clubs are responsible for notifying the Asian Football Confederation to relocate the games. Although the statement did not list countries deemed hostile, it mentioned that the western zone playoffs have been rescheduled for April 13-14 in Jeddah, with the tournament quarterfinals, semifinals, and final set for April 16-25 in the Saudi city. This development is separate from Iran's participation in the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the US in June and July, for which Iran has qualified. The Iranian ambassador in Mexico City has been negotiating with FIFA to move Iran's group-stage matches from the US to Mexico due to safety concerns raised by US President Donald Trump. However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has expressed a desire for the tournament to proceed as scheduled. The Iranian national team is currently training in Turkey ahead of friendly matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica.

Tractor FC from Iran is set to travel to Saudi Arabia for a crucial playoff match against Shabab Al-Ahli of Dubai. The winner of this match will advance to the Asian Champions League Elite quarterfinals to face Buriram United of Thailand. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recently conducted the draw for the quarterfinal pairings. This comes after the western zone playoffs were postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and have been rescheduled for April 13-14 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi city of Jeddah will also host the tournament quarterfinals, semifinals, and final from April 16 to 25. The AFC is hopeful that the situation in the region will calm down, allowing the matches to proceed as planned. “We all want to play matches as soon as possible. So, hopefully we’re able to finish fixtures in April as we have planned,” said AFC general secretary Windsor John. “We’re hoping that things will calm down very soon.” Other notable matches include Vissel Kobe (Japan) facing the winner of the playoff between Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Al-Sadd (United Arab Emirates). Defending champions Al-Ahli Saudi will play Al-Duhail (Qatar) for a spot in the quarterfinals against Johor Darul Ta’zim (Malaysia). The AFC Champions League Two and AFC Challenge League quarterfinals have also been postponed and will be played on April 19 and 22 at centralized venues yet to be announced. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr is among the teams competing in the Asian Champions League Two.

Barcelona have taken a commanding 6-2 lead over rivals Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League quarterfinals, putting them on the brink of the semifinals. The Catalan side dominated the match, with Ewa Pajor and Esmee Brugts scoring within the first 13 minutes.Despite Linda Caicedo pulling one back for Real Madrid, Irene Paredes quickly restored Barcelona's two-goal lead. Pajor and Vicky Lopez added to the tally in the second half, with Caicedo scoring again for Madrid. Alexia Putellas sealed the win with a late penalty.Barcelona, now unbeaten in 25 games across all competitions, are on the verge of their eighth consecutive semifinal appearance. They have won all four matches against Real Madrid this season, scoring 16 goals to Madrid's two.Real Madrid face a tough task to progress, needing only their second-ever victory against Barcelona in 23 encounters. The second leg will take place next week, with Madrid also set to face Barcelona in Liga F at the weekend.

Pep Guardiola was given the opportunity to engage in pre-match mind games with rival coach Mikel Arteta ahead of Manchester City's meeting with Arsenal in the English League Cup final on Sunday. However, he chose not to take the bait.Instead, Guardiola shifted the focus to global issues, stating, “Look what’s happened around the world. We have an incredible chaos and nobody moves one finger. Everything is behind the scenes. The world is going to collapse and still we are here talking about dark arts.”This comment recalled a previous flashpoint between the teams in September 2024, when Arsenal's tactics drew criticism from several City players following a 2-2 draw. Midfielder Bernardo Silva described Arsenal's players as pushing “the limits of what was possible to do,” while defender John Stones said they “break up the game which upsets the rhythm.” Full back Kyle Walker, no longer at City, referred to Arsenal's perceived tactics as “dark arts.”Guardiola praised Arsenal's evolution and “solidarity,” noting they are in contention to win four trophies this season as the Premier League leader by nine points and having advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League and FA Cup. He described Arsenal as an “exceptional team” and acknowledged the challenge they pose.Arteta, who previously worked under Guardiola at City from 2016-19, acknowledged that their relationship “had to” change due to their current roles as rivals. However, he expressed his enduring respect for Guardiola, citing his “inspiration” since he was young.

Real Madrid will host Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, March 22, in a highly anticipated La Liga match. The home side aims to stay in touch with league leaders Barcelona, who currently hold a four-point lead and face Rayo Vallecano earlier in the day. If Barcelona wins, Real Madrid will be seven points off the summit. Los Blancos are coming off a strong performance in the Champions League, where they defeated Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate in the last 16. Vinicius Junior scored twice in the second leg, helping his team progress to the quarterfinals. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, are fourth in La Liga and have a game in hand over third-placed Villarreal. They are also into the last eight of the Champions League and will play Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final. Diego Simeone's side are seeking to cause an upset against their city rivals and avenge their 5-2 drubbing in the first league meeting in September. The two teams have a long and intense rivalry, with 242 meetings between them. Real Madrid have won 124 matches, while Atletico have won 60, and 58 games have ended in draws. Atletico are unbeaten in their last six league games against Real Madrid, with four of those games finishing in draws. In terms of team news, Kylian Mbappe is set to start for Real Madrid alongside Vinicius Junior, while goalkeeper Thibault Courtois will be out for about six weeks due to a muscle injury. Andriy Lunin will deputise in goal. For Atletico, goalkeeper Jan Oblak is a major doubt due to a hip problem, and Juan Musso is likely to start between the sticks.