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Mwene would have “preferred to play worse but win” with Mainz

Phil Laffertey
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Mwene would have “preferred to play worse but win” with Mainz

For the first time since the end of November, Phillipp Mwene played 90 minutes in a Mainz 05 jersey. He was quite satisfied with his own performance, but not with the 1-1 final score against HSV.

“I’m ready. If the coach needs me, I’m there. I believe I did my job. Nevertheless, I would have preferred to win and maybe play worse…” The 32-year-old was not satisfied after the 1-1 draw against Hamburger SV.

Phillipp Mwene returned to his original starting position for Silvan Widmer, who was suspended due to yellow cards. Since mid-January, coach Urs Fischer had played Widmer on the left and Danny da Costa on the right in five games. “The guys did well before, so you have to be a little patient,” emphasized Mwene, who was plagued by “one or two cramps” in the final stages of the game against HSV.

Mwene was baffled by Hamburg’s complaints about Mainz’s tackling: “Everyone saw how they complained to the referee about every little thing and demanded things. Five players ran up to him. There was no yellow card. Of course, the opposing players also want to take advantage of every opportunity, but nevertheless, I think the referee did a good job.” There was no trace of the once-praised captain’s rule.

On the other hand, 1. FSV Mainz 05 was lucky that referee Robin Braun did not show yellow-red cards after Silas’ tackle in the 39th minute and Dominik Kohr’s in the 53rd minute. “The substitutions came at the right time,” said FSV coach Urs Fischer with a wink.
“I had the feeling that the HSV players wanted to provoke these yellow-red cards a bit,” criticized Mwene, who looked back on “a very intense game.” “With the two or three chances we had shortly before the end, we should have rewarded ourselves and taken the win,” he complained. According to Mwene, Mainz lacked “the final punch” in the numerous corner and free kick situations.

Suddenly a goal scorer: ManCity closes in on Arsenal thanks to O’Reilly

Jeffrey Gooding
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Suddenly a goal scorer: ManCity closes in on Arsenal thanks to O’Reilly

Manchester City is finally back in the Premier League title race and has reduced the gap to leaders Arsenal to just two points. In the 2-1 home win against Newcastle, home-grown player O’Reilly appeared in a “new” role.

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola had a whole week to prepare for their upcoming opponents after their 2-0 win over Salford City in the FA Cup. However, their opponents had put in an impressive performance during the week: Newcastle dismantled underdogs Qarabag Agdam 6-1 in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.

Perhaps that’s why the Skyblues started the game against their Champions League rivals wide awake. In an intense opening phase, City always seemed to be one step quicker. This was also the case in the 14th minute, when the favorites took the lead: Marmoush passed to O’Reilly, who thundered the ball into the bottom left corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Ait Nouri deflects unstoppably – Clever push from Ruben Dias

Newcastle had to shake it off briefly, but eight minutes later they scored a surprising equalizer: After a corner, the Skyblues cleared poorly, Hall shot from the second row – and Ait Nouri deflected the ball unstoppably for Donnarumma (22′). The home side reacted angrily to the unnecessary 1-1 and took the lead again just five minutes later. Haaland spotted O’Reilly lurking at the far post in the right side of the box, who coolly headed the ball against Pope’s direction of movement (27′).

The 20-year-old homegrown talent has discovered his scoring instinct: he had already scored his second goal of the season in the 3-0 win over Fulham on the previous Premier League matchday – and now added numbers three and four.

Newcastle remained courageous and had already celebrated another equalizer: Burn headed a Tonali corner past Donnarumma, who had misjudged the ball, but the Magpies’ defensive stalwart was narrowly offside after a clever push from Ruben Dias (42′). So the favorites went into the break with a narrow lead.

At the start of the second half, both teams neutralized each other, prompting both coaches to make their first substitutions: Newcastle’s lackluster national striker Woltemade had to make way, as did Willock, with Joelinton and Barnes coming on in their place. Guardiola, for his part, brought on Cherki for Marmoush.

Semenyo too hasty

The substitute City pro had more impact on the play, but Semenyo was too hasty with his finish after receiving his pass (64′). The game then flattened out noticeably and lived on its tension. Newcastle posed too little threat offensively, and even a long-range shot from Joelinton couldn’t remedy the situation (77′).

Shortly afterwards, Cherki played an outstanding pass to Ait Nouri, who had plenty of space in front of him and was allowed to penetrate the penalty area. There, however, the advancing defender apparently had too many ideas at once and carelessly stumbled over the ball (80′). In crunch time, the hosts cleverly played for time – and had a 3-1 lead in sight, but substitute Foden failed to beat Magpies keeper Pope (90’+1). It remained a narrow but deserved victory, which saw ManCity close the gap on Arsenal to two points with the same number of Premier League games played (27 each at this point).

Next Saturday (6:30 p.m.), Manchester City will be looking to secure their sixth competitive win in a row at Leeds United. Meanwhile, Newcastle, who are mid-table, are aiming for another big win in the Champions League in front of their home crowd against Qarabag on Tuesday.

Müller unlucky with the woodwork, new signing Jackson scores: Whitecaps win MLS opener

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Müller unlucky with the woodwork, new signing Jackson scores: Whitecaps win MLS opener

Less than three months after losing the championship final to Inter Miami, Thomas Müller’s Vancouver Whitecaps have made a successful start to the new season.

Three days after a 0-0 draw in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup first round at CS Cartagines in Costa Rica, runners-up Vancouver Whitecaps opened their new MLS season with a home game against Real Salt Lake City. While Müller led the team onto the field as captain, former HSVer Schonlau sat on the bench for the entire game. He is still waiting to make his debut after his transfer in August and a long injury break. Against the team from the US state of Utah, the 23,546 spectators at BC Place Stadium, a World Cup arena, saw only glimpses of the soccer that coach Jesper Sörensen and Müller want to see from the Whitecaps: active, high pressing, quick transitions, drive toward the goal. The 2014 World Cup winner, on the other hand, played as we have come to expect from him: Müller was not afraid to get stuck in, directing his teammates and communicating with them a lot. He almost scored his first goal of the season, but his left-footed shot from 17 meters out hit the post (16th minute).

In response, the Whitecaps were lucky when Piol stole a back pass that was too short, but he put the ball into the side netting from a tight angle. In the 38th minute, Salt Lake City celebrated briefly and prematurely, but it was offside. As we know all too well from the Bundesliga, the VAR review took almost two minutes, which was too long.

A difficult game with a deserved victory

In a game with chances at both ends, Vancouver gained more dominance after the restart and was rewarded. Johnson pushed forward down the left, crossed and found Aziel Jackson, who scored with a beautiful first-time shot into the far corner (57′). The 24-year-old “AZ,” as it says on his jersey and as he is called, joined the team in the winter from Polish first division club Jagiellonia Bialystok and impressed as a left winger on his debut. Prior to that, the one-time U.S. international had played for several clubs in the MLS, most recently in Columbus.

Shortly afterwards, Sabbi should have made it 2-0, but was denied by City goalkeeper Rafael. A deflected cross from Müller also almost sailed into the goal (80′). Without this second goal, the Whitecaps had to survive a hectic final phase. Coach Sörensen spoke afterwards of a “difficult game” but also a “deserved victory,” and he was right on both counts.

The Whitecaps host Cartagines on Wednesday for the second leg, and their second MLS game of the season against Toronto will also take place at BC Place Stadium. This is a welcome change from the recent heavy travel schedule, with the team completing their preparations in Marbella, Spain, among other locations.

False start for Messi in Los Angeles – Werner must wait for debut

Sports Of The Day
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False start for Messi in Los Angeles – Werner must wait for debut

Defending champions Inter Miami started the new MLS season with a defeat. Lionel Messi’s team lost 3-0 to Los Angeles FC. Meanwhile, Timo Werner still has to wait for his debut in the USA.

Werner, who has played 57 times for his country, was still missing from the San Jose Earthquakes squad at the start of the new MLS season on Saturday night. The reason: the 29-year-old, who moved from RB Leipzig to the US West Coast in the winter, is still waiting for his visa. According to Earthquakes coach Bruce Arena, this could take “a few weeks.”

Without Werner, San Jose celebrated a confident 3-0 win in front of their home crowd against Sporting Kansas City. Shortly before halftime, Daniel Munie (42′) and Preston Judd (45’+1) put the hosts on course. Munie sealed the final score with a second goal in the 54th minute.

Fans in Los Angeles also saw a 3-0 win, with LAFC putting the defending champions in their place at the start of the season – and that in front of the second-largest crowd in MLS history. In front of 75,673 fans at the Memorial Coliseum, Heung-Min Son set up David Martinez for the opening goal in the 37th minute.

The visitors from Florida had 68 percent possession and pushed hard for the equalizer, especially in the second half, before Denis Bouanga added another for LAFC in the 73rd minute. Nathan Ordaz sealed the deal in stoppage time (90+4). However, Miami only managed three shots on target.

Messi’s curling shot just misses

Messi remained largely ineffective, only missing the top left corner with a beautiful curling shot from 16 meters in stoppage time in the first half. “We just prepared for the best Messi, and when you prepare for the best Messi, you have to have numbers around him in the penalty area,” LAFC coach Marc Dos Santos explained his tactics against the 38-year-old.

In this regard, his team delivered an “A+” defensively, Dos Santos said. However, he still saw room for improvement when his team had possession: “We can be much better—and we want to be much better.” For Inter coach Javier Mascherano, the final score was too high, but the truth is that “they beat us fair and square.” On Monday night, Los Angeles Galaxy, led by Marco Reus, will also kick off the new season with a home game against New York City FC.

Sensational upset: Bayern loses to Bamberg again in the semifinals

Phil Laffertey
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Sensational upset: Bayern loses to Bamberg again in the semifinals

The sensational upset is complete. In the first semifinal of the Top Four, BMA365 Bamberg Baskets eliminated the host and overwhelming favorite Bayern Munich. In an intense game, the Upper Franconians prevailed 103-97 after overtime.

With one minute to go, things were not looking good for Bayern, but three-pointers from Andi Obst and Neno Dimitrijevic forced overtime. There, both teams engaged in a wild shootout with many three-pointers. Moritz Krimmer had the last word for Bamberg, while Obst missed a potential game winner. The Upper Franconians finally sealed the deal from the line.

Bayern’s top scorers were Dimitrijevic (24, 7 assists) and Vladimir Lucic (17 points), while Obst had two points before the final quarter but ended the day with 17 points. Ibi Watson (22) and Cobe Williams (22, 10 assists) were the most prolific scorers for Bamberg. Bayern started nervously with a few careless mistakes, and it took 2:30 minutes before Justus Hollatz converted a three-pointer at the buzzer. Bamberg, on the other hand, moved the ball well and took a 17-12 lead after a long-range shot by E.J. Onu. In the following 3:30 minutes, Bayern allowed only three points and took the lead for the first time at the end of the quarter thanks to free throws by Neno Dimitrijevic (21-20).

Bayern force overtime – and lose

However, the hosts failed to build on their momentum. Bamberg had major problems on the boards, but also benefited from the fact that Pesic’s team was hardly successful from outside (1/9). Only captain Vladimir Lucic provided a rare moment of success (31:27), while Obst hardly managed anything in the first half. So Bamberg was fully in the game, even though Munich was ahead 36:34 at the break. Until then, the game had been tough, but after halftime the shots finally started to fall. Lucic scored twice with fouls, Bamberg countered each time from distance and nipped any runs in the bud. Munich’s three-pointers were not a factor, and the hosts were hardly able to gain any advantage. Instead, it was Ibi Watson who put Bamberg back in the lead shortly before the end of the third quarter (53:54).

Watson followed up immediately after the quarter break with another three-pointer, followed by two jumpers from Dimitrijevic for Bayern. Munich took the lead again after three minutes with Obst’s first successful three-pointer, and shortly afterwards the national player was fouled on a three-pointer. As Bamberg’s coach Anton Gavel complained loudly about this, there was an additional technical foul and Obst netted all four attempts (68:61).

Cobe Williams took responsibility in this phase, and with three minutes remaining, the guard made it 75:72 from Bamberg’s perspective with a layup. Isiaha Mike missed two free throws, and Moritz Krimmer increased the lead with an and-1. The visitors now had everything going their way, and a step-back three-pointer by Williams felt like the decisive shot with one minute remaining, but a wild three-pointer by Obst and another by Dimitrijevic after an offensive rebound forced overtime, which was not enough for the champions.

Mick Schumacher’s predecessors: How former F1 drivers fared in IndyCar

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Mick Schumacher’s predecessors: How former F1 drivers fared in IndyCar

Overview of the more than 70 drivers who raced in IndyCar after or during their Formula 1 careers, and the results they achieved

Mick Schumacher is the latest, but by no means the first, to decide to switch to the IndyCar series with Formula 1 racing experience.

In fact, before Mick Schumacher, there were already more than 70 drivers who, after or during a more or less successful Formula 1 career, decided to take exactly this step and try their luck in North America’s top formula racing series.

For eight of them, including Fernando Alonso, Jean Alesi, and Nelson Piquet, this step was limited to the Indy 500. We have compiled a detailed photo gallery of all 70 drivers and show the results they achieved in both racing series. Note: The photo gallery primarily shows drivers who competed in their first IndyCar race after their last Formula 1 race. However, there are a few notable exceptions who drove Formula 1 again after their IndyCar debut. These include Nigel Mansell, Alex Zanardi, and Fernando Alonso, as well as Jack Brabham, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Jochen Rindt, and others long before them.

On the other hand, the reverse case is not shown in this photo gallery, i.e., drivers who made their Formula 1 debut only after their IndyCar debut. These include Mario Andretti, Danny Sullivan, Roberto Moreno, Michael Andretti, Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya, Cristiano da Matta, Sebastien Bourdais, and others.

Nigel Mansell not only managed the feat of being both Formula 1 World Champion and IndyCar Champion at the same time, holding both titles for a week in September 1993. Mansell is also the only former Formula 1 driver to have won another Formula 1 race after his IndyCar career.

Incidentally, the 11 editions of the Indy 500 between 1950 and 1960, which officially counted towards the Formula 1 World Championship, are not included in the photo gallery. Alberto Ascari, for example, competed in the Indy 500 once, but at a time when it was not an IndyCar race but a Formula 1 race. Juan Manuel Fangio tried, but did not qualify for the most famous of all oval races.

Lifelong privilege: Jenson Button talks about special Formula 1 bonus

Jeffrey Gooding
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Lifelong privilege: Jenson Button talks about special Formula 1 bonus

World champion Jenson Button talks about exclusive privileges in the Formula 1 paddock: Why the “red pass” is so valuable for champions

Jenson Button has given an insight into an exclusive privilege that drivers are granted permanently after winning the Formula 1 world championship title. In a video by Sky Sports F1, the Briton talked about the life of a champion, dealing with pressure, and the logistics behind the coveted trophies.

Button particularly highlighted one advantage that concerns access to the paddock. When asked about special perks, he explained: “Yes. I have a lifetime red pass, which is great.”

This special pass opens doors that remain closed to most other people in the paddock. Button explains: “A red pass basically means unrestricted access. You can go to the starting grid, the pit lane, and the media areas. You have to have won a world championship to get this lifetime pass, which is pretty cool.”

In addition to Button, other champions such as Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Jacques Villeneuve, and Sir Jackie Stewart also regularly take advantage of this opportunity to be present at the Grands Prix.

New role at Aston Martin

For Button, 2026 marks a new chapter in his life. After ending his driving career in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the end of 2025, he was introduced as a team ambassador for Aston Martin in early February. In this role, he will represent the Silverstone-based racing team at global events and media appointments. Button previously held a similar role for Williams.
“Joining Aston Martin at such a transformative time for the team and the history of the sport is really exciting for me,” said Button on his appointment. The new factory partnership between Honda and the team was a particularly important factor. “I look forward to bringing my years of experience working with them to my new role as ambassador. The 2026 season will be fascinating, and being part of such an ambitious team is a real opportunity. I can’t wait for Melbourne!”

Ralf Schumacher: If Esteban Ocon doesn’t perform this year, he’s gone

Lesley Summerville
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Ralf Schumacher: If Esteban Ocon doesn’t perform this year, he’s gone

Ralf Schumacher is convinced: Esteban Ocon must deliver in his duel against Oliver Bearman at Haas this season, otherwise “it will be a farewell event.”

Anyone who wants to hold their own in Formula 1 must first beat the most direct benchmark: their teammate. Same car, identical technology, same data—the comparability is maximum. Esteban Ocon is currently experiencing just how relentless this internal power struggle can be.

The established Frenchman, who has been racing in the premier class since 2016 with a few interruptions, had a tough nut to crack last year with rookie Oliver Bearman. “The youngster came, saw, and conquered, and of course he made Ocon look a bit pale,” recalls Ralf Schumacher.

“He has to change that now,” the expert is convinced in the current Sky podcast Backstage Boxengasse. “Otherwise, I think it will be more of a farewell event for him at Haas if he doesn’t show this year that he can be faster or at least on par [with Bearman].”

The 20-year-old Brit, who completed his first full season in the premier class last year, scored three more World Championship points than his teammate and made a clear statement with several highlights, most notably fourth place at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Team owner Haas makes “tough decisions”

For Ocon, this is a delicate situation. “Of course, with Bearman, he probably has one of the better talents who also has the potential to become world champion,” says Schumacher, who is convinced of the young Briton’s potential for development. “We’ll see when he’s at Ferrari.”

But that’s no excuse. “He has to perform,” the Sky expert makes clear, increasing the pressure: “Otherwise, there are so many good people waiting in the wings who were strong in Formula 2 and who also deserve a chance.”

“We know that [team owner] Gene Haas is also someone who makes tough decisions and who needs performance, wants performance.” Team boss Ayao Komatsu also recently made it clear that they had “expected more” from Ocon and are demanding a clear improvement for 2026.

Oliver Bearman a candidate for Ferrari

Meanwhile, there is little doubt about Oliver Bearman’s potential, not even for Ralf Schumacher. “I think Ferrari is currently looking at Bearman,” the 50-year-old is convinced, even though the Scuderia is still well staffed with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Nevertheless, rumors have been circulating in recent months that Leclerc could possibly leave the team. “But I hardly believe that,” says Schumacher, also with a view to the test drives so far: “By the way, the car also looked good with Charles Leclerc.”

The decisive factor will therefore be how the situation with Hamilton develops, who had “a few difficulties” and was “not entirely happy,” according to the expert. “But with Charles Leclerc, it already looked really good.”

“Accordingly, this could be a great team,” Schumacher outlines a possible future option at Ferrari: “Leclerc now and Bearman, the man of the future, who can be developed within a short period of time. No question about it.”

Why Cadillac isn’t using all Ferrari components for its Formula 1 debut

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Why Cadillac isn’t using all Ferrari components for its Formula 1 debut

Cadillac will be racing with a Ferrari engine and transmission for its debut, but will not be using all of the permitted parts: Pat Symonds reveals the reasons behind this decision.

Cadillac will not be using its own power unit for its Formula 1 debut, which is not due to arrive until the 2029 season, but will instead use Ferrari engines and gearboxes for the time being. However, the American team is refraining from using as many parts as the technical regulations would allow.

By way of comparison, the second Ferrari customer team in the field, Haas, even uses suspension, steering, and the steering wheel from Maranello in its VF-26. However, this was out of the question for Cadillac, emphasizes Pat Symonds, the team’s technical advisor.

“What we may have done a little differently than, say, the last new team that came in is that we firmly believe that we should take our destiny into our own hands and that we are a works team,” the Briton even alludes to the Haas team. “We will be a works team.”

“So if you look at our car, you’ll see that we didn’t just buy all the components we could,” Symonds emphasizes. “We decided that since we’re using the Ferrari engine, we’ll also use the Ferrari gearbox, but we didn’t buy the entire rear end, as others might have done.”

Important decision to make progress

“We felt that we needed to build our own gearbox housing, our own rear suspension, and so on.” The technical regulations of the premier class would have allowed the team to take over and use the parts from Ferrari.

“Although there are a number of parts that we could still legally adopt, we decided against it,” the experienced Formula 1 engineer reiterates his statement and explains: “I think it’s very important to understand the philosophy behind your own design if you want to make progress.”

Given that Cadillac is planning to develop its own powertrain and wants to completely break away from Ferrari by the 2029 season, this decision is crucial, according to Symonds. “It’s difficult to further develop someone else’s philosophical design if you don’t understand all the nuances involved.”

Alcaraz triumphs in Doha

Sports Of The Day
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Alcaraz triumphs in Doha

The Spaniard continues his winning streak and wins the title in Doha. The world number one prevails in the final against Arthur Fils.

Spain’s tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has won the ATP tournament in Doha for the first time. The world number one defeated France’s Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-1 in the final with apparent ease, claiming the 26th tournament victory of his career. After just 51 minutes, the favorite converted his first match point.

For Alcaraz, it was his twelfth victory in twelve matches in the still young season, keeping his record in 2026 flawless. The 22-year-old won the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, completing his career Grand Slam. In the Qatari capital, he reached the final for the first time.

“I came here this year with a lot of hunger,” Alcaraz said after the match. “I’m just happy and proud of everything I’ve achieved with my team on and off the court.”

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