Robert Lewandowski moved joint-second in the Bundesliga's all-time top scorers list as Bayern Munich claimed a 3-1 win over Werder Bremen on Saturday.
The Pole matched Klaus Fischer's tally of 268 goals as he joined Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry on the scoresheet in a comfortable win that extended the champions' lead at the summit to five points.
Lewandowski now needs another 97 goals to match Bayern legend Gerd Muller's incredible tally of 365.
Werder were given hope that they might put the champions under pressure when Ludwig Augustinsson produced the first shot on target of the match, cutting in before releasing a weak right-footed effort.
But it was all Bayern from there, with Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich signalling the visitors' intent as they each fired just over the bar in quick succession.
Wales are a win away from clinching a Six Nations Grand Slam after easing to a 48-7 victory over Italy at the Stadio Olimpico.
In control from the opening minutes, Saturday's clash was over as a contest inside a quarter of an hour. The scoring deluge continued throughout, Wales running riot as they crossed for seven tries in an emphatic bonus-point triumph.
It means they are 10 points clear of France, who face England later on Saturday and have a postponed game with Scotland in hand, with the two unbeaten sides set to meet at the Stade de France next week.
Dan Biggar booted Wales into a third-minute lead following an Italy infringement at the breakdown.
Luca Bigi was then sin-binned for offside and Wales took immediate advantage from the scrum, Biggar's long pass finding Josh Adams, who surged over in the left-hand corner.
Biggar converted from the sideline but was errant from the tee after Taulupe Faletau strolled over on the opposite wing with the Italy defence stretched, making it 15-0.
Ken Owens drove over from a rolling maul, Biggar rediscovering his form with the boot in converting, and the hooker crossed again from close range for his second, in the process clinching the try-scoring bonus after 30 minutes.
Louis Rees-Zammit saw a try chalked off for a forward pass, but there was no denying George North as he sprinted in under the sticks after a neat offload from Jonathan Davies.
Monty Ioane provided something for Italy to cheer, collecting his own chip down the left wing and dotting down for a try that Paolo Garbisi converted.
Adams missed out on a double as he failed to ground the ball properly but, after Marco Riccioni was yellow carded for foul play, Callum Sheedy crossed for his first Wales try.
Rees-Zammit's interception try added further gloss to the final scoreline, and Wales will hope to display the same kind of ruthlessness in their decisive encounter in Saint-Denis.
Sweet 16 for Wales
Wales' victory was their 16th successive win against Italy, which marks their longest such run against any opponent in Test rugby, surpassing a 15-match streak against France from 1908 to 1927.
Franco forlorn as Italy streak continues
Shots of Italy coach Franco Smith with his head in his hands were frequent as Wales scored at will in the first half. The Azzurri's winless run in the competition now stands at 31 games, the longest in the history of the Five or Six Nations. They have not won a home match in the competition since beating Ireland in 2013.
Mauricio Pochettino revealed Neymar is close to returning for Paris Saint-Germain as he urged critics to respect the team's Champions League win over Barcelona.
The PSG head coach did not specify whether Neymar would come into contention for Sunday's home match against lowly Nantes, who sit 19th in the 20-team Ligue 1 table.
Speaking on Saturday, Pochettino faced questions about the performance of his players in the second leg of their clash with Barcelona, with a string of excellent saves by Keylor Navas, including a penalty stop from Lionel Messi, helping the French side snatch a 1-1 draw.
That clinched a 5-2 aggregate victory, and Pochettino wants to hear more admiration for such a scoreline, given the stature of the opposition.
On the question of when Neymar would return from an injury lay-off that has extended to a month, Pochettino explained: "I think I said there was a chance he'd be back for the Barcelona game.
"We also knew it would be difficult to set a timeframe because players' recoveries can be difficult to predict. He has trained with the squad today, we are pleased with his progress, and we hope he will be back with the team soon."
But Pochettino was probed over how PSG allowed Barcelona to be so dominant for large parts of the second leg of their European tie, particularly the first half, and he was not happy for his team's achievement to be followed by such interrogation.
"I don't understand why we should be so focused on that," Pochettino said.
"That was the story of the first half of the second leg against Barcelona when we didn't play well. That is the reality. But focusing too much on that in my opinion would be a mistake.
"Of course we analyse everything that happens during games but we mustn't forget the team have reached the quarter-finals after beating a strong Barcelona side, and overall it finished 5-2 after 180 minutes. That is the reality.
"There have been games where we played well and lost, such as the game against Monaco [which PSG lost 2-0 last month], and other games where we haven't performed so well.
"The most important thing is to learn and we do have to improve because none of us were happy with the first half, but after achieving such a big target I think our performance in the first half can be downplayed."
With third-placed Lyon only drawing against Reims on Friday, PSG remain in the thick of a title battle, with leaders Lille having a tricky clash with Monaco on Sunday.
PSG sit second as they chase a fourth successive league title, and they cannot afford to slip up against a Nantes side who are equally in need of points.
"Yes, it will be a tough game for us," Pochettino said. "I wouldn't say it would be a trap, but we are aware that after such a happy night for the club and the fans, with us getting through in the Champions League, it is in our minds that the next game is important. That is the theory, but we know it's an important game and we have to put that into practice.
"Preparation is essential in football. We often say we are ready, but Nantes are a physical side who will make things difficult, just as Monaco did after we played Barcelona [in the first leg], but that is why our performance level is essential and we have to be fresh.
"I will try to select a team that can really battle with Nantes and have that freshness that can give us the energy that we need in this sort of game."
Lewis Hamilton endured more testing misery after beaching his Mercedes in trackside gravel at the Bahrain International Circuit on Saturday.
The Formula One drivers' champion, who will be chasing a record eighth title this year, complained about sand in the desert on Friday.
He said the sandstorms being whipped up were unlike anything he had ever experienced at the track, but it did not appear to be a factor in Saturday's loss of control.
Hamilton was entering Turn 13, having completed 35 laps, when his rear end went and the car span off the track.
The Briton attempted to drive away but his car would not move, the tyres spinning and sinking, sending up a cloud of dust.
Hamilton got out and required a lift back to the Mercedes garage, with the session red-flagged while his car was pulled out of the gravel.
It was not the end of his session, however, with Hamilton soon back on the track. He completed 58 laps overall and was eighth quickest in the morning action, clocking a best time of one minute 33.399 seconds.
Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren led the way in 1:32.215 while former world champion Fernando Alonso completed 60 laps in the Alpine, with 1:32.339 good enough for second on the morning timesheet.
Jordan Petaia rounded off a remarkable comeback from the Reds with a last-gasp try as they dealt the Brumbies their first defeat in Super Rugby AU this season in a 40-38 thriller.
The defending champion Brumbies led 24-16 at half-time of a rematch of last year's final and stretched their advantage to 15 points after Folau Fainga'a went over for his second try.
But Taniela Tupou and Harry Wilson crossed within six minutes of each other to trim the gap to a point and James O'Connor's penalty kept the Reds within striking distance even after Issak Fines' try had briefly settled Brumbies' nerves.
Yet it was Petaia who had a stunning final say, displaying superb handling to gather Hunter Paisami's low kick and touch down.
O'Connor slotted over a simple yet crucial conversion to clinch victory for the impressive Reds, who have three wins from three and are just two points behind leaders the Brumbies, who have played a game more.
In the Super Rugby Aotearoa tournament, the Crusaders breezed to a 39-17 win over the Chiefs, making it three straight wins to start their title defence.
They led by a slender 11-10 margin at half-time, the first half lit up by an extraordinary finish in the left-hand corner from Leicester Fainga'anuku.
But they ran in four tries after the break and are nine points clear of the Highlanders at the top, albeit having played a game more.
LeBron James has praised the continued development of Kyle Kuzma following his starring role in the Los Angeles Lakers' hard-fought victory over the Indiana Pacers.
The defending NBA champions returned to action after the All-Star break on Friday, though they were made to work for the win by a Pacers team that led by 12 at one stage in the fourth quarter.
However, Kuzma led an impressive rally with his team in trouble, scoring 15 of his 24 points in the final quarter as the Lakers - again without the injured Anthony Davis - eventually triumphed by a 105-100 scoreline.
James had 18 points but was happy to defer to the hot hand, leading to 10 assists. After the game, the four-time MVP pointed to how his long-time team-mate has continued to get better, year on year.
"It's all about growth. The game has just slowed down every year for him. I've been with him for the past three years and the game has just slowed down," James told the media.
"He knows his role with this team - and he does it to a high level. Tonight was another example of that."
He added: "Tonight, he had it going. We continue to find the hot hand, so I wanted to continue to get him the ball so he could continue to make plays.
"That's the growth of him, knowing that some games are going to be different. It's not always going to be high-scoring nights, but he is still able to make an impact – especially on the glass, with his energy and effort.
"But we need him to make shots, especially in the absence of AD [Davis]."
Kuzma also contributed 13 rebounds as the Lakers played a 10th successive game without Davis, who is expected to be out for at least another two weeks due to a leg injury.
Center Marc Gasol is also sidelined, with James insisting it is now down to the rest of the roster to step up in the absence of the two big men.
Montrezl Harrell certainly helped out against the Pacers, contributing 17 points and six rebounds as he played 32 minutes off the bench.
"It's a collective group, a collective effort in the front court," James said. "Starting with DJ [Damian Jones], 'Trez' [Harrell] coming off the bench smooth, myself, Kyle, it's a collective group.
"We all have to put our hard hats on in the absence of Marc and AD, play bigger than our size. It's going to be a collective effort from all of us. We all have to step up."
Adelaide United and Sydney FC each boosted their play-off hopes with respective victories over two of the A-League's strugglers on Saturday.
Though they fell behind to Jake Brimmer's stunning long-range free-kick, which cannoned in off the crossbar, Adelaide fought back to go second with a 3-1 win against Melbourne Victory.
Captain Stefan Mauk lashed home the equaliser before Kusini Yengi tapped in Craig Goodwin's cross at the end of a well-worked move.
Mauk stole into the box to make sure of the points 13 minutes from time, converting from Yengi's ball in.
As for Sydney, they were 2-1 winners over Newcastle Jets.
Sydney also fell behind in the first half as Luka Prso scored his first A-League goal after a dreadful error from goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne.
But Milos Ninkovic levelled matters and Alex Wilkinson headed home his first A-League goal in over a decade 11 minutes from time.
Saturday's results leave Sydney fourth, a point behind Adelaide.
The Los Angeles Lakers returned to winning ways in their first game since the All-Star break, LeBron James helping the NBA champions to a 105-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
The Lakers had dropped back-to-back games prior to Sunday's All-Star Game in Atlanta, but they snapped their skid at home to the Pacers on Friday.
James – who sat out the loss to the Sacramento Kings before the break – posted 18 points and 10 assists for his 16th double-double of the season.
But it was Kyle Kuzma who top-scored for the Lakers off the bench, putting up 24 points – including 15 in the final quarter – 13 rebounds and two steals.
Eastern Conference leaders the Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to four games after topping the lowly Washington Wizards 127-101.
However, Philadelphia's triumph was overshadowed by a knee injury to MVP candidate and All-Star Joel Embiid.
Embiid will have an MRI after appearing to hyperextend his knee in a scary fall in the third quarter – the 76ers big man hobbled to the locker room in pain.
He had 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks prior to the injury in Washington.
Westbrook reaches milestone
While Russell Westbrook saw his league-leading streak of 13 double-doubles come to an end, the Wizards star surpassed 21,000 career points. With 25 points, eight assists and five rebounds, Westbrook joined James and Oscar Robertson as the only players with at least 21,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 7,000 assists in their careers.
The 76ers snapped a 10-game losing streak away to the Wizards. Philadelphia also swept the Wizards for the first time since 2008-09.
Goran Dragic scored 20 of his 25 points in the final period as the Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 101-90. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 28 points against his former team.
The Denver Nuggets edged the Memphis Grizzlies 103-102 behind Nikola Jokic's double-double of 28 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.
Cavs crumble, Rockets lose again
It was a forgettable outing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were humbled 116-82 by the New Orleans Pelicans. Cleveland scored just nine points in the third quarter. The Cavaliers shot 34.1 per cent from the field. Kevin Love – in his first game back since December – was one-of-four shooting, while he made only one of three attempts from beyond the arc for four points in 10 minutes. Isaac Okoro was one of eight from the field, while he missed both three-pointers for two points in 29 minutes.
The Orlando Magic were also swept aside 104-77 at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. Michael Carter-Williams finished with five points on two-of-nine shooting, making just one of his three shots from beyond the arc.
The Houston Rockets were no match for the NBA-leading Utah Jazz – 114-99 – in the absence of Victor Oladipo, Christian Wood and Danuel House Jr. Ben McLemore was three-of-14 from the field for eight points. The Rockets guard was also two-of-six from three-point range. It was Houston's 15th straight loss.
Rudy says no!
After featuring in the All-Star Game, Utah's Rudy Gobert was back to business with a double-double (14 points and 13 rebounds). He put up six blocks, including an emphatic effort in the third period.
Friday's results
Philadelphia 76ers 127-101 Washington Wizards
Denver Nuggets 103-102 Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans Pelicans 116-82 Cleveland Cavaliers
Miami Heat 101-90 Chicago Bulls
San Antonio Spurs 104-77 Orlando Magic
Los Angeles Lakers 105-100 Indiana Pacers
Utah Jazz 114-99 Houston Rockets
Pistons at Nets
The lowly Detroit Pistons (10-27) – bottom of the Eastern Conference – will visit the in-form Brooklyn Nets (25-13) on Saturday. Brooklyn have won three straight, while Detroit have dropped back-to-back games.
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis will be re-evaluated in two weeks as he continues to recover from tendinosis and a calf strain in his right leg.
Davis has not featured for NBA champions the Lakers since exiting against the Denver Nuggets on February 14.
The 28-year-old was examined by team doctors on Friday – before the Lakers resumed their title defence following the All-Star break, with Davis cleared to enter the next phase of his return to play process.
At least another fortnight on the sidelines would mean Davis missing a minimum of nine games, including Friday's matchup against the Indiana Pacers.
It has been tough for Davis and the Lakers coming off a shortened offseason after ending their 10-year title drought in 2019-20 inside the Orlando bubble amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Davis is averaging 22.5 points per game this season – his lowest since his second year in the league with the New Orleans Pelicans (20.8).
The eight-time All-Star's average of 8.4 rebounds in 2020-21 is the lowest since his rookie season (8.2) in 2012-13.
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers said he is "hoping for the best" after NBA MVP candidate Joel Embiid suffered a left knee injury against the Washington Wizards.
Embiid – enjoying an MVP-calibre season – will undergo an MRI after appearing to hyperextend his knee in a scary fall following a dunk in the third quarter of Friday's 127-101 win over the lowly Wizards.
Back in the line-up after sitting out Sunday's All-Star Game and Thursday's victory against the Chicago Bulls due to coronavirus contact tracing, Embiid posted 23 points on eight-of-11 shooting to go with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks prior to exiting in pain.
Embiid stayed down for a couple of minutes before eventually hobbling back to the locker room at Capital One Arena in Washington.
As the Eastern Conference-leading 76ers sweat on Embiid's fitness, given his importance to their championship aspirations, Rivers told reporters: "I thought there was a little contact when he went up to dunk the ball.
"Thought he fell with his balance off. I'm not going to speculate, tomorrow [Saturday] we'll know, we'll have all the information for you. Hoping for the best.
"I did talk to him, he was in the locker room. He's in pretty good spirits so let's just hope for the best."
Heading into the Washington matchup, Embiid was averaging a career-high 30.2 points per game – second only to Wizards star Bradley Beal (32.5) in the NBA.
Embiid is fourth in the league points, assists and rebounds per game (45.0), behind Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic (46.8), reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (46.0) of the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (46.0).
Prior to Friday's trip to Washington, the 26-year-old Embiid has also been averaging career highs in field-goal percentage (52.1) and three-point percentage (41.6).
"We don't do anything right now because we don't have any information, so we're just gonna wait," Rivers said. "I thought our guys took care of the game which is great, and then tomorrow we'll get some more information and then we'll go from there.
"Listen, it's a long season, so at the end of the day, hopefully, it's not something where we lose him, obviously. But our guys will be good, we'll be ready."
The 76ers (26-12) have won four consecutive games to top the east ahead of the star-studded Brooklyn Nets (25-13).
All-Star outfielder and veteran Nick Markakis retired following 15 seasons in MLB.
Markakis – a free agent at the end of 2020 – made the announcement on Friday, prior to the start of the 2021 campaign, which gets underway on April 1.
The 37-year-old spent the past five seasons with the Braves, having started his career at the Baltimore Orioles in 2006.
Markakis made his sole All-Star appearance in 2018, while he won a Silver Slugger Award the same year, to go with three Gold Glove honours.
"I just think it's my time," Markakis, who featured in last season's National League Championship Series (NLCS) loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, told The Athletic. "My number one decision and my main focus on this is obviously my kids and my family.
"I've been fortunate enough to do this for a very long time and not many people get to do what I've gone through. I'm thankful for every second and every minute."
Markakis – who won three consecutive NL East titles in Atlanta – hit .288/.357/.423 with 1,119 runs, 514 doubles and 189 home runs in 2,154 MLB games from 2006 to 2020, while collecting 2,388 hits for the Orioles and Braves.
He appeared in 2,074 games in right field, eighth most in MLB history.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said: "It was just a great career. I felt honoured to be able to manage him for the last few years of his career.
"Coming in every day, you knew what you were going to get. He's a flatline pro. There weren't any highs and lows. It was business as usual every day. He was just a consummate pro with everything he did."
"Everybody who was ever around him in this clubhouse speaks so highly of him from a leadership standpoint, about what kind of team-mate he was," added Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde.
"He meant a lot to the people who are still here who were around the years he played here. He had a heck of a career."
Cristian Garin continued his quest for Chile Open glory as another upset in the other half of the draw paired two Argentinians in the semi-finals.
Top seed Garin is aiming to win an ATP Tour event on home soil for the first time in Santiago.
The 24-year-old was made to work by Peruvian qualifier Juan Pablo Varillas in the last eight on Friday, but he prevailed 6-4 6-4.
Garin was broken first in either set yet responded instantly on each occasion.
"I would love to be able to do something important in this tournament," the Chilean said. "It is special and I hope I can continue to win.
"I am playing better, in a semi-final and I am excited to do better, but I prefer to go step by step, game by game."
Daniel Elahi Galan is up next, while the highest remaining seed besides Garin is Argentina's Federico Delbonis, the number eight.
That is because Facundo Bagnis set up a meeting with his compatriot by defeating fourth seed Laslo Djere.
Bagnis, who had already claimed the scalp of fifth seed Frances Tiafoe, dropped the first set but recovered to advance 4-6 6-3 6-3 at the ATP 250 tournament.
Stefanos Tsitsipas saw his hopes of a hat-trick of titles at the Open 13 Provence ended by a shock quarter-final defeat on Friday.
The second seed was upset by French world number 93 Pierre-Hugues Herbert, as the doubles expert scored a 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-2 win.
Herbert had won only one singles match on tour in 2021 before this week, but Kei Nishikori and Cameron Norrie fell to the 29-year-old in the early rounds before he stunned world number five Tsitsipas.
It was a first career win in singles over a player ranked in the world's top five for Herbert, and he said: "It has been an incredible week for me so far, especially this match."
Quoted on the ATP website, Herbert added: "I knew I was going to have to play an amazing match to have a chance to win and I managed to do that. I am really happy about the way I played. I am so happy to be in the semi-finals here."
A French finalist is guaranteed as Herbert will face compatriot Ugo Humbert in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Humbert beat another Frenchman, world number 138 Arthur Rinderknech, in a tight contest, saving a match point and coming through 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4) in two hours and 36 minutes.
Russian top seed Daniil Medvedev chased off the threat of Jannik Sinner at this indoor event for the second year running, securing a 6-2 6-4 success against the Italian teenager.
Their only two career meetings have come in Marseille, and Medvedev bossed this encounter, taking three of his five break chances and holding serve throughout.
He will face Australian Matthew Ebden in the final four after the world number 287 earned an eye-catching 4-6 6-4 6-2 win over Russian third seed Karen Khachanov, who was champion in 2018 in Marseille.
At the Qatar Open, Nikoloz Basilashvili backed up his three-set win over Roger Federer by reaching the final of the tournament.
The Georgian scored a 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 semi-final victory over American Taylor Fritz in a clash of two unseeded players.
Basilashvili will tackle Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut for the title on Saturday after the fifth seed ousted Russian third seed Andrey Rublev.
A 6-3 6-3 win for Bautista Agut nudged the man from Castellon de la Plana into a 3-2 career head-to-head lead over his Muscovite opponent.
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