Soccer

The Morning Sports Briefing

City back Kompany, brave Arsenal fall short, Shefflin decision within a week, Roscrea claim title number one, Ireland set to go unchanged for Scotland and what to watch out for

Manchester City’s coach Manuel Pellegrini attends a news conference at Hotel Vela in Barcelona - City will play their Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match against Barcelona at Camp Nou stadium on Wednesday. Photograph: Gustau Nacarino/Reuters
Manchester City’s coach Manuel Pellegrini attends a news conference at Hotel Vela in Barcelona - City will play their Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match against Barcelona at Camp Nou stadium on Wednesday. Photograph: Gustau Nacarino/Reuters
Wed Mar 18 2015 - 08:49

Soccer: Champions League

Ahead of Manchester City's season-defining second leg last 16 tie with Barcelona tonight manager Manuel Pellegrini was in defiant mood as he urged his team to prove they are continental heavyweights at the Camp Nou.

Quite frankly out of the title race, the Champions League is now the team’s lead concern, and for the manager his job is very much on the line.

Also having a hard time of it of late is out of form captain Vincent Kompany but Yaya Toure has backed the defender ahead of the game.

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Last night Arsenal made it so that City were the last English team standing in the competition. They needed to score three goals away to Monaco and despite a spirited display, and two goals, they couldn't quite muster a third.

GAA: Club finals

After Ballyhale Shamrock's convincing 1-18 to 1-6 win over Kilmallock in yesterday's club All-Ireland hurling final, one in which a Colin Fennelly goal and a litany of wides from the Limerick champions proved crucial, all eyes turned to Ballyhale's captain to discuss his intercounty future.

After winning his 13th All-Ireland title Henry Shefflin says he will announce his decision within the next week.

Meanwhile a Michael Lundy inspired Corofin team also cruised to All-Ireland glory in the football decider.

All of 17 years after bringing this title west for the first time the Galway champions defeated Slaughtneil by ten points.

Rugby: Leinster Schools

Yesterday Cistercian College Roscrea grabbed history and the Leinster Schools Senior Cup with both hands.

An 18-11 triumph over Belvedere College, and a deserving Roscrea side refused to lose in just their fourth ever final appearance and so got their just rewards with title number one.

Irish forwards coach Simon Easterby yesterday dropped the broadest of hints that the Irish starting fifteen and replacements for the Six Nations' finale against Scotland in Murrayfield will remain largely unchanged.

Ahead of that game scrumhalf Eoin Reddan says Ireland won't consider a Six Nations title until they take care of business at hand and secure the win against Scotland.

What to watch out for

The new TG4 series GAA USA begins tonight telling "story of a people and their national games thousands of miles from home, a story of isolation, of nationalist gun-running disguised within Kerry GAA tours, a sport of splits, infighting, bribes, and back-handers."

TG4 from 9.30pm

The first of the Cricket World Cup quarter finals is on this morning where Sri Lanka take on South Africa.

Whilst the big one tonight is the Champions League leg second leg round of 16 match between Manchester City and Barcelona. City trail 2-1 from the first leg.

RTE 2 from 7.30pm