Jack Grealish will prove a good signing for Manchester City, says David James, even if the former England goalkeeper remains unsure whether the playmaker has lived up to his record-breaking price tag.
Grealish became the most expensive British transfer of all time when he moved to the Premier League champions from Aston Villa for £100million last year.
While the 26-year-old has not been at the sparkling best he showed during his time at Villa, he has made 31 appearances across all competitions, starting 26 times.
Those appearances have yielded only four goals, with Pep Guardiola happy to utilise Grealish as a rotation option, with City still in with a chance of a domestic and European treble.
Though Grealish's price tag hangs over his head, ex-City man James believes helping deliver more silverware will make the transfer worthwhile.
"You can't ignore the money," James told Stats Perform. "But there wouldn't be a value or a price tag which would arguably justify either way whether it was a good or bad signing.
"Grealish has been heavily involved in Manchester City's games this season. [They are] top of the league, [in the] quarter-finals of the Champions League and semi-finals of the FA Cup.
"Jack Grealish has been involved in that. He's part of the team which has been very successful at the moment. It's a good signing."
Grealish directly contributed to 16 Premier League goals last season at Villa (six goals, 10 assists), but that figure stands at just four so far this term (two goals, two assists).
He crafted 81 chances in total last season in the top flight, at an average of 3.3 per 90 minutes. That has dropped to 43 so far this season (2.5 per 90).
But James believes the switch has shown new shades to Grealish's game, such as having to become more of a team player in a squad packed with stars.
"The thing that I like more about Jack is that there's a different side to his game than what he had [at] Aston Villa," he added.
"As influential as he was, it was almost like they needed Jack to make Aston Villa work. [City] don't need in the same sense. They don't need Jack at Manchester City for Man City to work.
"He has to be part of the bigger team, which I think he's done successfully. I think he's been a successful signing.
"If City are to win the league, [if] they are to win the Champions League [and if they are] to win the FA Cup, then a big part of that will be Jack Grealish being in the club."
Shubman Gill and Rahul Tewatia starred as Gujarat Titans beat Punjab Kings by six wickets in a thrilling finale to maintain their winning start to the Indian Premier League season.
A career-best 96 off 59 balls for Gill laid the groundwork for Tewatia, who hit two sixes off the final two balls to get the Titans over the line for a third win from three matches.
The Kings, who have now won two and lost two, had earlier reached 189-9 from their 20 overs at the Brabourne Stadium after losing the toss and being forced to bat first.
Liam Livingstone top scored before being dismissed for 64 by Rashid Khan (3-22), while Shikhar Dhawan (35), Jitesh Sharma (23) and Rahul Chahar (22) also played handy cameos.
Set a target of 190 for victory, Gill kept the runs ticking along as he registered his 12th IPL half-century, but Gujarat were still 96 runs with 60 balls remaining.
Gil fell in the 19th over to the bowling of Kagiso Rabada, at which point the Kings had 18 runs to defend from six balls.
The loss of Hardik Pandya (27) from the first delivery of the final over seemed to spell the end, but Tewatia's late heroics ensured the Titans pulled off an unlikely triumph.
Smith unable to keep Tewatia at bay
Odean Smith was the man tasked with keeping Gujarat at bay with those final six balls, but he was unable to do so and the Kings now find themselves sixth in the table.
Rabada showed Smith how it is done earlier in the contest as he ended with figures of 2-35.
The Shubman show
Gil scored 84 off 46 balls against Delhi Capitals last time out and bettered that score against the Kings, hitting 11 fours and one maximum.
That allowed Tewatia (13 not out) to steal the headlines as he made up for some poor bowling in his lone over, which went for 24 runs, with a brutally effective batting display.
Frank Lampard "lives and breathes" Everton as he reiterated his belief that the Toffees can clinch Premier League survival.
Everton led 2-1 in a crucial contest with fellow strugglers Burnley heading into the second half at Turf Moor on Wednesday, yet a familiar tale of costly defensive mistakes struck once more.
From having a first league away victory since August in their grasp, and a six-point cushion on the relegation zone, Everton succumbed to goals from Jay Rodriguez and Maxwel Cornet.
That leaves Lampard's team just a point above the 18th-placed Clarets ahead of Saturday's meeting with Manchester United at Goodison Park.
Everton have won just one of their last 13 Premier League meetings with United (D6 L6), beating them 4-0 just under three years ago during Marco Silva's tenure.
Silva is one of six permanent managers to have been hired by Everton's majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri since 2016, and that managerial upheaval has not helped as the Toffees' hopes of mounting a challenge for silverware and European qualification have been replaced, in the short term, by a desperate bid to maintain their top-flight status.
Everton have never been relegated from the competition and Lampard, who is the first manager to lose his first five away matches at a Premier League club since Jan Siewert at Huddersfield Town in 2019, is well aware of the need for results with nine games remaining.
"We have to lift ourselves. Sometimes a game coming quickly is good for that," Lampard told a news conference.
"In my relatively short managerial career, I probably spent 18 months at Chelsea two or three games from the sack. Maybe that's a symptom of football in the Premier League, that's pressure, no problem, I signed up for that.
"We're a huge club, people will talk about [my job]. We've got no right to not be fighting relegation, irrespective of history, but what I am is proud to manage here, proud to keep the history of this club going in a positive way.
"I came into a great club, a great squad of players, they're working well. The results are a turning point and I understand that. If we'd have won on Wednesday – seven-point buffer to Burnley, six to Watford, game in hand, everything feels great.
"If you don't, it flicks in a different direction. Everybody's working hard, the players, we just need those results.
"I understand. Fans have passion, they live and breathe the club. I do, I've been here five minutes in football terms, I live and breathe the club and I want us to stay in the league. I have to handle that, I have to do my job."
Key to Everton staying up may well be Dominic Calvert-Lewin. An injury ravaged season has resulted in just three goals, which came in the first three games.
Calvert-Lewin has returned to full fitness in recent weeks but has looked way off the pace, and managed just one attempt and one key pass in the loss at Burnley. Lampard, though, has full confidence in the England forward.
"I just give him complete support," Lampard said of Calvert-Lewin.
"Dominic now is reaching that fitness and the next step is can he contribute as well as he can, can he get the goals that we want from him? I know how much he wants to deliver, and I've got absolute confidence that that will come good in terms of goals for him."
David Goffin moved within a match of his first ATP Final in over a year after fighting back to beat Roberto Carballes Baena 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-0 at the Grand Prix Hassan II.
The former world number seven saw off the Spaniard in a three-set quarter-final to book his place in the last four, 14 months on from his last title in the Open Sud de France.
Goffin, ranked 74th in the world and unseeded for the event in Marrakech, was forced to fight across a gruelling first set, which Baena edged out in a tie-break.
But he fought back to level things in the second before sweeping through the third set unanswered.
Goffin will face Argentine Federico Coria following the latter's 6-7 (1-7) 6-1 6-4 comeback win over Richard Gasquet.
Elsewhere, Alex Molcan's run continued after the Slovakian won 4-6 6-3 6-4 against Botic van de Zandschulp following his last-16 victory over top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
He will now face Laslo Djere in the last four after the Serbian overcame Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets.
Tiger Woods set off on his second round at Augusta with the wind blowing and the world watching as the five-time Masters champion looked to stay in contention.
After an opening one-under-par 71, Woods said he was "right where I need to be" at his comeback tournament, explaining he would require "lots of ice baths" before returning to action on Friday.
That is because his body is continuing to recover from the serious car accident in February 2021 that left him with major leg and foot injuries.
It is a surprise to many that Woods is competing this week, but he said ahead of the tournament that he believed he could win again, and Thursday's impressive round showed that was not merely bravado.
He teed off at 13:42 local time (18:42 BST), taking the driver off the tee and finding a large fairway bunker. From there he failed to hit the green, with Woods then unable to get up and down for par, rolling in for a bogey that nudged him back to level par.
The 46-year-old was champion at the Masters most recently in 2019, when he ended a run of 11 years without a major title.
He has 15 majors to date by his name, three behind record holder Jack Nicklaus.
Woods is playing his opening two rounds with Chile's Joaquin Niemann, who had a sparkling three-under 69 on Thursday. Louis Oosthuizen was part of the group but shot a 76 on day one and pulled out injured before the second round.
South African Charl Schwartzel won at Augusta in 2011 and made a significant move on Friday as a three-under 69, following an opening level-par 72, nudged him to within a shot of the lead, which was held by another former Masters winner in Danny Willett.
Willett made a birdie at his second hole of the day and stood at four under for the tournament early in his second round after an opening 69 on Thursday.
Im Sung-jae began at five under but slipped back to three under with three holes of his round remaining.
Australian Cameron Smith, who tied second at the Masters in 2020 and has two wins on the PGA Tour already this year, had a bizarre opening round on Thursday, with his four-under-par 68 bookended by double bogeys on the first and 18th holes.
The eight birdies he recorded between those calamitous holes pointed to Smith being a contender again this year.
Smith, 28, began on Friday with a dropped shot at the first, an improvement on how he got on in the opening round at the same hole but a blow nonetheless as it knocked him back to three under.
LeBron James' season is over, the Los Angeles Lakers have confirmed.
The NBA great has had the second most productive campaign of his storied career in terms of points per game, though the Lakers have had a year to forget, failing to reach the playoffs or even next week's play-in tournament.
LeBron sprained his ankle in a defeat at the New Orleans Pelicans in late March, and the Lakers confirmed on Friday that he will not play in either of their final two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers' tweeted: "LeBron James' left ankle was recently reassessed by the team's medical staff, and it was determined that due to the ankle sprain James suffered in a game on March 27th, he will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 NBA season to allow for continued healing and an expected full recovery."
The 37-year-old ends the campaign having played 56 games overall, averaging 30.3 points per game, only the second time he has averaged over 30 in a season (31.4 PPG for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2005-06). Only Joel Embiid (30.4) averages more in the league this season.
LeBron averaged 8.2 rebounds per game, 6.2 assists and brought three-pointers into his arsenal more than ever, hitting a career-high season average of 2.9 successes and 8.0 attempts per game.
He also became the first player in NBA history to record more than 10,000 career points, rebounds and assists.
Novak Djokovic could face Carlos Alcaraz for the first time after the Monte Carlo Masters draw put the world number one and the teenage revelation on course to clash in the quarter-finals.
The draw for the tournament that begins on Sunday served up the appetising prospect of a tussle between the reigning French Open champion and a player many expect to enjoy huge Roland Garros success.
Alcaraz, 18, last week became the youngest men's champion at the Miami Open, and he has soared to number 11 in the ATP rankings after sitting outside the top 100 at this time 12 months ago.
He won an ATP 250 tournament on clay last year in Umag, and an ATP 500 on the surface in Rio de Janeiro in February, but earning a Masters 1000 hard court title in Miami highlighted the scale of Alcaraz's rapid improvement.
Both he and Djokovic will receive a first-round bye in Monte Carlo, and they must then win twice to set up a meeting at the last-eight stage.
Alcaraz may have to beat the in-form Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz in the third round, with Marin Cilic and Sebastian Korda also potential early opponents for the young Spaniard.
Djokovic will not be taking a quarter-final place for granted, either. If he navigates his opening match, the Serbian could face a dicey third-round clash with Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut or the player to whom he lost at the last-16 stage last year, Britain's Dan Evans.
Rafael Nadal is absent after suffering a stress fracture of a rib during his Indian Wells final defeat to Fritz.
Diego Simeone says he does not care what others think in response to criticism of his methods following Atletico Madrid's Champions League loss to Manchester City.
Atleti slumped to a first-leg defeat at Etihad Stadium against Pep Guardiola's side, after Kevin De Bruyne struck in the second half to secure a 1-0 advantage in the quarter-final tie.
Simeone's side failed to register a single shot throughout the match, becoming the first team for a decade to do so in the competition in the process, after APOEL in 2012.
That performance prompted criticism from ex-Atleti coach Arrigo Sacchi.
Simeone's approach was the subject of intense scrutiny from Sacchi, who bemoaned that the Argentine's defensive capabilities had turned his team of title-winners into a "boring" team.
But speaking ahead of his side's trip to Mallorca in LaLiga on Saturday, Simeone stated he does not care to listen to their verdicts.
"I don't think what others think," he responded when asked about criticism of his approach. "Everyone has their own thoughts, everyone is respectable.
"From humility, [we have to] keep working and do our best for Atletico Madrid. We cannot value what people from outside may think or speak."
Atleti also look set to face repercussions from fan discord during their midweek defeat, after UEFA confirmed they had opened an investigation into the club's supporters.
"Disciplinary proceedings have been instigated in accordance with Article 55 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations," read an official statement from the governing body.
"The charges against Club Atletico de Madrid [are] discriminatory behaviour [under] Article 14 [and] throwing of objects [under] Article 16(2)(b).
"The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) will decide on the matter in due course."
Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah insists his contract situation is not distracting him from his game ahead of a crucial clash in the Premier League title race.
Salah's deal at Anfield runs out at the end of the 2022-23 season, and reports suggest he is looking to be made the highest-paid player at the club by a considerable distance.
The former Chelsea and Roma forward has scored 28 goals in all competitions this season, a tally bettered only by Real Madrid's Karim Benzema (37) and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (45) from Europe's top five leagues.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Sunday's encounter with title rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium – with Liverpool just one point behind Pep Guardiola's team at the top of the table – Salah said now is not the time to discuss his own future ahead of a busy period.
After being asked if he was confident a deal would eventually be struck, Salah answered: "I can't say yes, I can't say no, but I've said many times before about what I want.
"But again, I can't really go deep into the contract [situation] now because it's a really sensitive situation and the team needs to win.
"I can't be just going to the news and talking about my contract now, I just focus on the team and that's it."
Salah has not scored from open play in his last eight games for Liverpool, but the 29-year-old insisted he has not allowed the ongoing contract situation to distract him on the pitch.
"No, not at all," he said when asked if it was affecting his game. "I talk to the manager from time to time, I am very professional.
"I know my job very well, I am almost here the first one and last one to leave [the training ground], I know what I'm doing so I'm not bothered about that.
"I am just focused with the team, that's the most important thing for me. Focused to win trophies, and I'm giving everything for the club I could."
Liverpool remain in the hunt for what would be an unprecedented quadruple. Jurgen Klopp's team have already won the EFL Cup and they are firmly in with a chance of lifting the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
Mauricio Pochettino believes staying at Paris Saint-Germain would be the best thing for Kylian Mbappe.
The superstar striker is out of contract at the end of the season and has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, but recent reports have suggested he may yet sign a new deal with his hometown club.
Mbappe has scored 28 goals in 38 games for PSG in all competitions this season, with his 45 direct goal involvements dwarfing the tallies of Messi (18) and Neymar (12).
On Sunday, Mbappe was involved in all five of PSG's goals in a 5-1 hammering of Lorient, scoring twice and providing three assists. It was the first time in his club career that he had been involved in as many goals in a single match.
Once again pressed on Mbappe's future ahead of Saturday's trip to Clermont, Pochettino told a media conference: "When Kylian is here, you can ask him and he can give you a better answer. PSG, just like me as the coach, want the best for Kylian and the club.
"We think that the best thing for this club is for Mbappe to stay, and we think it is also good for Kylian to stay here with us. Then, there are negotiations that have to serve to reach an agreement."
Pochettino also believes that Mbappe has made significant strides in his development since he took over from Thomas Tuchel in January of last year.
"Kylian is a clear example of how, when we arrived, his form wasn't as everyone expected it to be," Pochettino said.
"But thanks to his hard work and the commitment and confidence that we have generated here, particularly over the last year, he has shown what a fantastic player he is.
"The most important thing here is his commitment and his ability to turn around difficult situations because when we arrived here it was a difficult time for him.
Pochettino will be without several players through injury for Saturday's match, and also confirmed he will rest Marquinhos after his captain's partner recently gave birth.
"[Marquinhos] has had a few niggles and so we have decided to give him a rest, especially given the week he has had with the birth of his daughter," Pochettino added.
When asked if Mbappe could take the armband in the Brazilian's absence, Pochettino replied: "I think that is possible for Mbappe and other players as well. Kylian is certainly part of the possible group."
Neymar merely needs to find his rhythm to rediscover his best form, so says Mauricio Pochettino.
Brazil star Neymar has endured another injury hit campaign for Paris Saint-Germain, with the 30-year-old having made just 22 appearances across all competitions.
That is 16 fewer than Kylian Mbappe, who has arguably outshone the former Barcelona forward since they both arrived in Paris in 2017.
Neymar served up a reminder of his qualities with two fine goals in PSG's 5-1 thrashing of Lorient last time out, though it was again Mbappe who stole the show with a pair of superb strikes and three assists, with the final star of Pochettino's attacking trio, Lionel Messi, also netting.
It was not for a lack of trying from a creative standpoint for Neymar, though, as he led the way for key passes (five) and had as many shots on target (three) as Mbappe, while his double took him to within one goal of his 200th in European football since he joined Barca from Santos in 2013.
Neymar's 12 direct goal contributions this season pales in comparison to Mbappe (45), though Pochettino is confident that his fellow South American will be able to return to his peak form sooner rather than later.
"PSG signed Neymar because of his quality, and it has been there for all to see," Pochettino told a news conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Clermont.
"He has had runs of injuries, there are ups and downs. Neymar suffered an injury soon after [I] arrived [at PSG].
"We have worked hard to get him back and like every attacker he needs rhythm, he needs to play to feel confident.
"I have no doubt that Neymar will keep showing his quality. He will be aiming for more."
Another of PSG's Brazil regulars to have struggled for his best form in recent weeks, albeit at the other end of the pitch, has been Marquinhos.
The centre-back has been a consistent performer during his time in the French capital yet had a horror show along with the rest of PSG's defence in the capitulation to Real Madrid in the Champions League on March 9.
Marquinhos has only made one error that led to a shot this season, yet it came against PSG and resulted in Karim Benzema scoring in that famous comeback win for Los Blancos.
He has made 33 starts this season, tallying up 2,952 minutes and helping PSG to 12 clean sheets, though he was unusually sloppy against Lorient.
With Marquinhos and his partner having welcomed a child this week, and the 27-year-old dealing with minor injury issues, Pochettino has elected to rest him.
"Everyone has been affected by the game in Madrid and getting knocked out of the Champions League," Pochettino said.
"If we analysed all of that game, we were better than Madrid but in the end it didn't go our way. Marquinhos will not be involved in the Clermont game. He’s had a few injuries and we have decided to give him a rest.
"Every player goes through different stages throughout the season, but the Marquinhos is a consistent player. He has very high standards, he is our captain and a top player.
Marquinhos' absence may mean that Sergio Ramos comes into the side.
"That is something I am thinking about now Marquinhos is unavailable," Pochettino said.
Dean Elgar, Keegan Petersen and Temba Bavuma hit half-centuries as South Africa reached stumps on 278-5 on day one of the second Test against Bangladesh.
The Proteas are chasing victory at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth to seal a 2-0 series victory after they claimed a resounding win in the first match, Keshav Maharaj claiming 7-32 to skittle the touring Tigers for 53.
Captain Elgar's 70 helped to build the platform on Friday, as Petersen's 64 and Bavuma's 67 provided further impetus, with Taijul Islam (3-77) the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers.
The hosts opted to bat after winning the toss and started in positive fashion, with openers Sarel Erwee and Elgar sharing 52 inside 12 overs before the former was caught behind off Khaled Ahmed (2-59) for 24.
Elgar continued in imperious form to reach his third consecutive half-century as the Proteas skipper mounted an 81-run partnership with Petersen, before edging left-arm spinner Taijul behind.
Petersen cruised to a third fifty in as many Tests, but he was soon dismissed lbw on review by Taijul.
South Africa's dominance wilted in the final session with Bavuma and Ryan Rickelton (42) falling in quick succession to slip catches off Khaled and Taijul respectively.
The unbeaten Kyle Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder defied the Bangladesh attack before the close, and the home side will look to capitalise to build a healthy advantage on Saturday.
Bavuma's century wait continues but Proteas dominate
South Africa have won four of their past five Tests, including each of their last two. Elgar and Petersen have been keen drivers of that recent Proteas success and again contributed here.
But Bavuma, with batting conditions easing later in the day, will have been frustrated to miss out on a second Test century, with his lone ton coming all the way back in January 2016 against England.
Ebadot toils as Taijul excels
Ebadot Hossain typified Bangladesh's bowling problems as he went wicketless, conceding 75 from his 16 overs at a hefty economy of 4.68. Taijul, by contrast, went for just 2.4 an over for his three-wicket haul.
The Tigers will need Ebadot and Co to support Taijul if they are to claw their way back and beat the Proteas for the first time in 14 attempts in the longest format.
Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann says he is "happy" the Bundesliga leaders will not be stripped of their victory over Freiburg following their 12-man mix-up.
The German top-flight champions fielded an additional player briefly during Saturday's 4-1 league win, with Kingsley Coman staying on despite Nagelsmann making a double substitution.
Freiburg reluctantly lodged an appeal to the German Football Association (DFB) for their opponent to forfeit the result, though Nagelsmann may have been more preoccupied with a surprise midweek defeat.
Bayern were off the pace at Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final as they fell to a 1-0 loss, but a positive decision for the Bavarian giants on the DFB's ruling was confirmed on Friday.
The league has decided to uphold the original result against Freiburg and the former RB Leizpig coach expressed his satisfaction after seeing the points preserved ahead of Saturday's game with Augsburg.
"I'm happy we keep the points," he told reporters at a pre-match news conference. "I think that's quite normal.
"What's important to me [is that] I'm in no way disappointed with Freiburg. The contest against the result has not changed that."
Bayern take a nine-point lead into their clash at Allianz Arena, but could well be more focused upon their return leg against Unai Emery's Villarreal in Europe.
Nagelsmann, however, says that both games are vital for him, laying out that he intends to rotate his side in order to help his squad find rhythm across two crucial games.
"We have a very important game on Tuesday, probably the most important game of the season," he stated. "But [in] the Bundesliga, we also have to give players some rhythm.
"We will certainly rotate on a few positions. We will let Niklas Sule play from start, we will let [Leon Goretzka] play from the start.
"Alphonso Davies will have a break and [we'll] give a couple [of other] players a little more rhythm for Tuesday.
"It's a very important game for us tomorrow that we are taking very seriously, and are determined and desperate to win."
One man expected to figure will be evergreen playmaker Thomas Muller, with the World Cup winner in line to feature against Augsburg.
If he does so, and if Bayern are victorious, the 32-year-old will become the first outfield player to amass 300 wins in the Bundesliga.
Carlo Ancelotti wants Gareth Bale to leave Real Madrid in a blaze of glory rather than with his reputation sullied, hailing the Welsh winger as a history maker.
Bale was a €100million (£85.3m) signing from Tottenham nine years ago during Ancelotti's first stint as Los Blancos coach, and with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema he formed part of a thrilling front three.
The 32-year-old has already won the Champions League four times in Madrid, as well as two LaLiga titles, but in recent seasons Bale has been nudged towards the fringes of the squad.
Injuries have been a factor, and while Bale has been reliably brilliant for the Wales national team, opportunities in Madrid have become sporadic. He spent last season on loan at Tottenham.
His contract expires at the end of June, and Bale will be moving on. This season he has faced vicious criticism in some sections of the Spanish media, recently being dubbed a "parasite" in sports daily Marca, and there has been a danger of him leaving without any fanfare, or even amid a torrent of negativity.
Bale did not help himself when he paraded a flag bearing the immortal slogan "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order" after helping his national team qualify for Euro 2020.
Yet head coach Ancelotti says Bale, who could face Getafe in LaLiga on Saturday, is worthy of respect for his achievements in Spain.
He has scored 81 goals in 175 LaLiga games for the club, and has managed five goals and two assists in eight league games against Getafe.
In the Champions League, Bale has totted up 16 goals and 12 assists in 41 starts and 16 substitute appearances. That figure includes two crucial goals in Madrid's 3-1 defeat of Liverpool in the 2018 final in Kyiv.
The most recent outing from the bench came on Wednesday, late in the day as Madrid won 3-1 at Chelsea in the first leg of their quarter-final.
Madrid could yet win a famous double in Bale's final season at the club.
"Gareth Bale is fit right now. I'm sure he wants to show it here at Real Madrid," said Ancelotti. "It would be deserved and right for him to bid farewell to the Bernabeu.
"He expects confidence in him from us. He wants to finish his career at Real Madrid on a high note. We will see how it goes.
"He has already made history at Real Madrid with his games, his goals and his triumphs. He's a very respected player, and we want the best for him."
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