Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×European Football
AC Milan espn.com cut Inter Milan's Serie A lead to seven points with a 1-0 derby victory at San Siro. Pep Guardiola espn.com revealed he rested Erling Haaland against Newcastle to help the striker regain his "pace" ahead of the Champions League trip to Real Madrid. In Germany, a masked fan bbc.com disrupted a second-division match by unplugging a VAR monitor as a referee prepared to review a penalty decision.
Cup Competitions & Upsets
Leeds United skysports.com reached their first FA Cup quarter-final since 2003 by defeating Norwich 3-0 at Elland Road. Port Vale bbc.com, bottom of League One, continued their remarkable cup run by reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals for just the second time in their history. AFC Wimbledon skysports.com won 1-0 at Northampton to deepen the hosts' relegation worries. Southampton skysports.com caused a fifth-round upset by eliminating Fulham 1-0 in a match overshadowed by controversial refereeing.
Scottish Football
The Old Firm bbc.com derby in the Scottish Cup quarter-final ended in disgrace as supporters from both Celtic and Rangers invaded the pitch following Celtic's victory. Celtic bbc.com will now face St Mirren in a Hampden Park semi-final, a repeat of this season's League Cup final. St Mirren skysports.com secured their place in that semi-final with a 2-1 win over Partick Thistle, thanks to goals from Dan Nlundulu and Jake Young. Meanwhile, a Falkirk versus Dunfermline derby will complete the semi-final lineup.
North America & Transfers
Hugo Lloris espn.com kept his fourth consecutive clean sheet to start the MLS season as LAFC beat FC Dallas 1-0. Bernardo Silva espn.com is expected to leave Manchester City this summer, with Real Madrid among the clubs interested. West Ham United skysports.com have agreed a one-year contract extension with forward Jarrod Bowen. Andy Robertson espn.com insisted he remained fully committed to Liverpool despite reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur in January.
Other Football News
Graham Arnold espn.com has asked FIFA to reschedule Iraq's World Cup playoff due to regional tensions. CF Montreal espn.com thumped the New York Red Bulls 3-0, with Wiki Carmona scoring twice against his former club. Middlesbrough skysports.com boosted their Championship promotion hopes with a dominant 4-0 win at QPR. Melvine Malard bbc.com discussed her development as a forward for Manchester United and France. Liverpool and Manchester United have complained to platform X about AI-generated posts skysports.com regarding football tragedies.