Borussia Dortmund are increasingly confident star striker Erling Haaland will be able to play in the DFB-Pokal final on Thursday.
RB Leipzig will be Dortmund's opponents in Berlin as BVB seek a fifth success in Germany's cup competition.
Haaland was forced to miss the emphatic 5-0 DFB-Pokal semi-final win over Holstein Kiel as well as Saturday's dramatic 3-2 Bundesliga triumph over final opponents Leipzig, which secured the title for Bayern Munich.
The Norway international has been out with a thigh injury but, in a major boost, sporting director Michael Zorc confirmed the recent optimism around Haaland's involvement in the cup final is well placed.
Haaland has scored 37 goals in 38 appearances for Dortmund in a remarkable campaign that has led to him being linked with a transfer to almost all major European clubs.
He has netted 25 of those in the Bundesliga, with his 23 non-penalty strikes in that competition impressively outperforming an xG rate of 19.8.
"It looks good with Erling," Zorc said to SID on Tuesday when asked about Haaland's status for the final.
"He himself is very confident and so are we – we hope he can play."
It has been reported Haaland was able to complete some light fitness work and warm-up exercises at the training ground on Monday.
Leipzig, meanwhile, are yet to win the competition, having lost to Bayern in the 2019 final.
When he announced his upcoming departure to join Bayern, head coach Julian Nagelsmann pointed to the DFB-Pokal as a key target in his bid to leave the club on a high.
They promptly defeated Werder Bremen 2-1 in the last four and are also on track to finish second in the Bundesliga.
Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy is set to miss Thursday's LaLiga match with Granada after sustaining another injury.
The club confirmed the France international is suffering with tibial periostitis following tests carried out on Tuesday.
The news is the latest injury blow to Madrid in a season blighted by absences, particularly in defence.
Mendy has missed their past five LaLiga matches, as well as the first leg of the Champions League semi-final defeat to Chelsea, with a calf problem.
Captain Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez have been struggling for fitness in 2021 and all missed the 2-2 draw with Sevilla on Sunday.
That result allowed Madrid to move into second place in the table with three games remaining, level on points with Barcelona but ahead due to their superior head-to-head record, with Atletico Madrid two points clear at the top.
Madrid have only won three of the 10 games Mendy has missed this season in all competitions, all but one of which have been in the league.
They have taken 2.4 points per game on average with the former Lyon man in the side, compared to just 1.4 without him.
Lukas Klostermann admits it will hurt to see Julian Nagelsmann and Dayot Upamecano leave RB Leipzig for Bayern Munich – but he hopes they can depart after one last "beautiful moment".
Leipzig look set to finish second in the Bundesliga, given they lead Wolfsburg by four points with two rounds to go, and trophy glory could come on Thursday when they tackle Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal final.
A dress rehearsal in the league on Saturday saw Dortmund snatch a 3-2 victory that boosts their hopes of playing in next season's Champions League, but the cup final showdown in Berlin is a tough game to pick.
Coach Nagelsmann and star centre-back Upamecano are both heading for Bayern at the end of the season, so the game represents their final chance of snatching major silverware with Leipzig, a club that was established only 12 years ago and has come a long way since.
Right-back Klostermann, who will hope to be involved for Germany at Euro 2020, is preparing for reluctant farewells to Nagelsmann and Upamecano.
"Of course I am not that happy about it, that’s for sure," Klostermann told Stats Perform News.
"But I think the coach already told from the beginning that on a long-term perspective it would be his greatest wish to become coach of FC Bayern. But still, I would have wished that it happened a bit later than now. But if it's his big goal and dream, then I cannot be angry or annoyed because of him leaving.
"I think we showed in the past already a couple of times that we can compensate losses, just like how it was with Timo Werner. Some people said that we will fall into a deep hole but I think that was not the case."
Werner was a big-money acquisition by Chelsea last June, but Leipzig have pressed on without the Germany forward.
They will doubtless be strong next season too, but to keep losing major talents, whether from the playing or coaching ranks, cannot be conducive to building a team to challenge for the Bundesliga.
"For the club it would be good on a middle-term or long-term perspective to develop more and more, so the players don't need another club in Europe to play for the elite," Klostermann said. "We should achieve that ourselves, to be part of the elite. I know it's a long way to go, but I think this should be the long-term goal."
The 24-year-old Klostermann scored in the weekend loss to Dortmund, grabbing his first goal of the season, but said Leipzig "only played really well in the second half" of that game. It was tight in terms of the xG (expected goals) count, with Dortmund leading that by 1.7 to 1.5, enjoying the better chances despite Leipzig ending the game 8-4 ahead in terms of shots on target.
"I think that both teams will take the first game as a basis to analyse in order to change a couple of things in the final," he said. "That's why I think that the first game has an influence on the final. It's not that huge, as the game starts at 0-0 again, but the teams will analyse it and change certain things for the final."
Klostermann said it would "be incredibly important and great to finally win a title", adding: "For all of us it would be an extremely beautiful moment.
"Maybe even a bit more special for players and employees that have been part of the club for a longer time. Five, six, or seven years ago nobody believed that we could achieve that. Therefore, it's even nicer to have this chance to win a title. And for that, we better give everything on Thursday."
It remains to be seen whether Erling Haaland is fit to lead the Dortmund attack, after missing the weekend game with a muscle issue.
In the Bundesliga alone, Haaland has scored 25 goals in 26 games this season, with a shot conversion rate of 28.1 percent – among those to have netted more than five this term, only Max Kruse (37 percent) and Robert Lewandowski (32.5 percent) have put away a greater portion of their chances than the 20-year-old.
Should the Norwegian feature, Klostermann has no doubt about his threat, rating him in the top bracket of strikers.
"When you see how he plays right now, then for sure," Klostermann said.
"I think his numbers are showing that. If he plays, it will not be easier for us. But I am still very convinced that we can play better than we did last Saturday. Even if he plays, I give us good chances to win this final."
Andres Iniesta has agreed a new two-year contract with J1 League side Vissel Kobe.
The Japanese club announced on Tuesday, Iniesta's 37th birthday, that he was extending his deal until 2023.
Iniesta moved to Japan in 2018 after a glittering 22-year career with Barcelona came to an end.
The midfielder helped Vissel Kobe win the Emperor's Cup final on January 1 last year and qualify for the AFC Champions League for the first time. They also won the Japanese Super Cup in February 2020.
"I'm still very motivated to continue this project," Iniesta told reporters. "I had a strong feeling when I came here three years ago, and I still have that same feeling now."
Iniesta, who scored the winning goal for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final, won 30 major trophies in his storied career for Barca including nine LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues.
Vissel Kobe were purchased in 2014 by the billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani, whose e-commerce company Rakuten are major Barca sponsors.
After inconsistent results and tensions behind the scenes amid four changes of head coach, Vissel Kobe managed to reach the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League after the competition resumed following the coronavirus pandemic.
They were beaten 2-1 by eventual champions Ulsan Hydunai, with Iniesta sidelined due to a thigh injury.
"There have been some tough times over the past three years... but I realise we've made history with a first title and ACL appearance," Iniesta said.
"From myself and my family, I want to thank the people of Kobe and Japan. With their love, respect and hospitality, this place has really become our home."
Russell Westbrook believes it will be tough for anyone to break his record after he became the player with the most triple-doubles in NBA history.
Washington Wizards star Westbrook landed his 182nd career triple-double in a 125-124 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, finishing the game with 28 points, 21 assists and 13 rebounds.
At the age of 32, the likelihood is Westbrook will add significantly to his haul before his career runs its course.
He went past Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson with his latest individual epic performance, having already left the likes of Magic Johnson (138), Jason Kidd (107) and LeBron James (99) trailing in his wake.
Asked about the possibility of his record being broken one day, Westbrook said: "I'm not sure, I'm just trying to take it all in myself. I guess we'll see in another 50 years or so."
The former Oklahoma City Thunder mainstay, who joined Washington in December after a stint with the Houston Rockets, expressed pride at standing atop a list of greats.
He said: "It's a blessing. You put so much into the game and sacrifice so much that just to be mentioned with the guys like Oscar, Magic, Jason Kidd and those guys is something I never dreamt about as a young kid growing up in LA. I'm truly grateful for moments like this.
"Normally I don't like to pat myself on the back but tonight I will. Because I'm so grateful for the ones before me and so blessed and thankful for the one above that lets me go out and do what I do.
"I just go out and play and every night I try to do things that people say can't be done and my mind goes, 'Why not?'.
"That's how I think every time I step out on the floor – I try to do things people say I can and can't do over the years, proving people wrong and going out and competing at a high level."
Speaking about Robertson, who starred for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA before ending a 14-year career in 1974, Westbrook said the now 82-year-old had "paved the way for guys like myself".
"To be able to pass him, I want to just thank him because without him and the things he was able to do for the game I probably wouldn't be doing some of the things I'm able to do now," Westbrook said.
Addressing his own future, Westbrook expressed an ambition to keep on producing.
"I will never change because I've been blessed with the ability to be able to play this game at a level nobody else can play it at, and I won't stop until I can't play no more," he said.
In the course of his history-making game, Westbrook also joined James, Robertson and Gary Payton as the only players in NBA history with 20,000-plus points and 8,000-plus assists.
The Boston Celtics have made the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the past four years, but this time they are in danger of missing the playoffs entirely.
Boston (35-33) are seventh in the east heading into Tuesday's home clash against rivals the Miami Heat (37-31), and at this stage they are on track to feature in the NBA's inaugural play-in tournament next week.
If the Celtics, who lost 130-124 to the Heat on Sunday, go down to Miami again, it would all but seal Boston's fate.
Last season's NBA Finals participants Miami are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference – the top six advance directly to the playoffs.
The play-in tournament will include teams with the seventh through to the 10th-highest winning percentages in each conference, taking place between May 18-21.
There is a lot on the line with postseason berths up for grabs at TD Garden.
TOP PERFORMERS
Jimmy Butler – Miami Heat
If you needed more proof of Butler's importance to the Heat, look no further than Sunday's showdown. Miami's go-to guy put up 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds on the road in Boston, where he recorded his 17th double-double of the season.
Butler's character has often been questioned following stops in Minnesota and Philadelphia after making a splash with the Chicago Bulls, but he continues to impress in Miami, where he is averaging 21.6 points, a career-high 7.2 assists and a career-best 7.0 rebounds. The five-time All-Star also boasts a field-goal percentage of 49.6 – the best mark of his career so far.
Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
With Jaylen Brown suffering a season-ending wrist injury, the Celtics will rely heavily on another of their All-Stars – Tatum, who had 29 points in a losing effort against the Heat last time out.
Tatum is enjoying a career year, having elevated himself to an All-Star calibre forward with the Celtics last year. The third pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Tatum is averaging 26.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists – all career highs in 2020-21, while he is also averaging the highest number of minutes on the court (35.9) amid Boston's frustrating season.
KEY BATTLE – PRESSURE ON KEMBA
Kemba Walker arrived in Bostom amid much fanfare in 2019 but the four-time All-Star has only shown glimpses, albeit injuries have not helped.
Walker finished with 18 points in the previous game against the Heat, though he was five-for-12 shooting, making just one of his four three-point attempts.
As Tatum carries the load, Walker must provide the necessary support against a Heat roster stacked with shooters in Butler, Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Celtics and Heat have split their two games this season, and there is a theme.
After the Celtics beat the Heat 107-105 in January, Miami bounced back on Sunday. The margin of victory has not gone above six points, highlighting just how closely matched these two teams are.
Unsurprising, Tatum (27 points) and Butler (26 points) were the stars of the show in the January encounter.
The Cincinnati Reds showed no mercy in a 14-1 demolition of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, while Jared Walsh starred again in MLB.
Tyler Naquin homered and drove in four runs, while Tucker Barnhart's two-run double fuelled a six-run fourth inning against the Pirates.
Naquin celebrated a three-run homer in the seventh inning as the Reds moved 11-1 clear of the struggling Pirates.
Barnhart's double snapped a 1-1 tie in the fourth against the Pirates, who have dropped nine of 11 games, while losing eight straight to the Reds.
Walsh stays hot
The Los Angeles Angels edged the Houston Astros 5-4 after Walsh produced another big performance. Walsh had a home run and matched a career high with four hits as the Angels rallied past the Astros in Houston, where they had trailed by three.
Brandon Belt hit his eighth home run of the season for the San Francisco Giants, who were 3-1 winners over the Texas Rangers.
Keller crumbles
Mitch Keller headlined Pittsburgh's woes against Cincinnati. The Pirates pitcher gave up seven runs and seven hits in just 3.1 innings of work. Keller had two walks and two strikeouts.
Mancini moon shot
Trey Mancini clubbed a 440-foot home run to help the Baltimore Orioles defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-1. Mancini hit a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning as the Orioles avoided a four-game sweep against the team with the best record in baseball this season.
Monday's results
Cincinnati Reds 14-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
Baltimore Orioles 4-1 Boston Red Sox
Los Angeles Angels 5-4 Houston Astros
Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 Miami Marlins
San Francisco Giants 3-1 Texas Rangers
San Diego Padres-Colorado Rockies (postponed)
Mariners at Dodgers
World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers (18-17) will try to build some momentum when they host the Seattle Mariners (18-17) in Tuesday's series opener. Walker Buehler takes to the mound for the Dodgers as the Mariners counter with Yusei Kikuchi.
Stephen Curry was the hero as the Golden State Warriors upstaged the NBA-leading Utah Jazz 119-116.
Curry hit the game-winning shot during the final 14 seconds to lift the Warriors past the Jazz in San Francisco on Monday.
Two-time MVP Curry – coming off a 49-point performance – posted 36 points to make it seven successive games with 30-plus points.
The Warriors kept hold of the Western Conference eighth seed in the playoff race, with the play-in tournament set to take place next week.
Westbrook makes history
Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook broke the record for the most triple-doubles in NBA history after posting the 182nd of his career, surpassing Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson (181). Former MVP Westbrook finished with 28 points, 21 assists and 13 rebounds in a 125-124 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. With his second assist earlier in the game, Westbrook also joined LeBron James, Robertson and Gary Payton as the only players in NBA history with 20,000-plus points and 8,000-plus assists.
Trae Young had a game-high 36 points, while Clint Capela (10 points and 22 rebounds), Bogdan Bogdanovic (25 points) and John Collins (28 points) chipped in to fuel the Hawks.
It was a team effort from the San Antonio Spurs, who took down the Milwaukee Bucks 146-125. DeMar DeRozan (23), Dejounte Murray (21), Keldon Johnson (20), Patty Mills (20), Lonnie Walker IV (19) and Rudy Gay (19) all had double-digit points. In NBA history, only the Portland Trail Blazers on November 22 in 1983 had six team-mates with 19-plus points in a game.
Double-doubles from Domantas Sabonis (21 points and 20 rebounds) and Caris LeVert (20 points and 10 assists) inspired the Indiana Pacers' 111-102 victory at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Damian Lillard (34 points), CJ McCollum (28 points), Norman Powell (28 points) and Jusuf Nurkic combined to lead the Trail Blazers to a fourth straight win – a 140-129 success over the lowly Houston Rockets.
Ingles has off night
Usually a reliable shooter, Joe Ingles struggled in Utah's defeat. The Australian was two-for-seven shooting, having made just one of his six three-pointers for only five points in 31 minutes.
The Hawks won but Kevin Huerter made only three of his 12 field-goal attempts in 37 minutes of action. Huerter was one-for-six shooting from beyond the arc in the seven-point display.
Clutch Curry!
With the Warriors trailing 116-114, Curry nailed a triple 13.4 seconds from the end to lift Golden State in trademark fashion.
Monday's results
Indiana Pacers 111-102 Cleveland Cavaliers
Atlanta Hawks 125-124 Washington Wizards
Memphis Grizzlies 115-110 New Orleans Pelicans
Golden State Warriors 119-116 Utah Jazz
Portland Trail Blazers 140-129 Houston Rockets
San Antonio Spurs 146-125 Milwaukee Bucks
76ers at Pacers
Eastern Conference leaders the Philadelphia 76ers (47-21) – the most in-form team in the league – will put their eight-game winning streak on the line against the Pacers (32-36) on Tuesday.
Boston Celtics All-Star guard Jaylen Brown will miss the remainder of the NBA season due to a wrist injury.
In a major blow for the playoff-chasing Celtics, Brown was diagnosed with a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist, the team announced on Monday.
Brown is expected to have surgery on the torn ligament later this week, while there is no timetable for a return.
The 24-year-old had already missed the past three games with a sprained left ankle.
Brown had been enjoying a career season for the Celtics, resulting in his first All-Star selection.
In 2020-21, Brown was averaging career highs for points (24.7), assists (3.4), field-goal percentage (48.4) and three-point percentage (39.7), while he also averaged 6.0 rebounds per game.
Brown's injury comes with Boston's season in the balance.
The Celtics (35-33) are seventh in the Eastern Conference – enough for a play-in tournament berth – though Boston are in danger of missing the postseason altogether.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was a full participant in practice on Monday as he steps up his recovery from an ankle injury.
James returned from a six-week absence due to a right ankle sprain only to re-aggravate the injury after just two appearances for injury-hit NBA champions the Lakers.
The four-time MVP has since missed four straight games as the Lakers – seventh in the Western Conference – sit in the play-in positions in their playoff pursuit.
But James could reportedly return on Tuesday or Wednesday after Lakers head coach Frank Vogel provided an update following practice.
"He did participate in full practice. No update to his status tomorrow," Vogel told reporters on Monday. "General plan is to take it one day at a time. Nothing more than that."
Vogel added: "We did some drill work. We did some contrived scrimmages and we did a short, full scrimmage. And he did all of it."
James has been averaging 25.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the Lakers this season.
Through 43 games in 2020-21, James boasts a field-goal percentage of 51.3 – his best since 2017-18 and it is the same story regarding his three-point percentage of 36.6, which is his highest since that season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"What I've seen from LeBron today, he'll be fine. Trust me. He'll be fine," Lakers team-mate Anthony Davis said on Sunday, after inspiring a 123-110 win over the Phoenix Suns via 42 points and 12 rebounds.
"He's been in this game long enough. Obviously, he hasn't missed a ton of games, but he's been in this league long enough to be able to come back and lock in and do what he got to do to help the team.
"But I don't know what other teams are thinking. We know that we're confident against anybody we match up against, especially when we're fully healthy. That's our mindset.
"…We're going to come out and fight and I think teams know that just because we’re a lower seed we're not going to back down from anybody. We're going to come out and play Lakers basketball and I think teams know that and fear that as well."
Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook broke the record for the most triple-doubles in NBA history on Monday.
Westbrook surpassed Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson with his 182nd career triple-double during the Wizards' agonising 125-124 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Former MVP Westbrook collected the necessary rebound to eclipse Robertson in the fourth quarter away to the Hawks in Atlanta.
He finished with 28 points, 21 assists and 13 rebounds against the Hawks.
Westbrook now stands alone atop a list that also includes Magic Johnson (138), Jason Kidd (107), LeBron James (99), Wilt Chamberlain (78) and Larry Bird (59).
With his second assist earlier in the game, Westbrook also joined James, Robertson and Gary Payton as the only players in NBA history with 20,000-plus points and 8,000-plus assists.
Entering Monday's contest, Westbrook has been averaging 22.0 points, a career-high 11.6 rebounds and a career-best 11.5 assists.
Westbrook has also been leading the league in assists per game, total assists (700) and assist rate (48.0).
Bradley Beal's hamstring injury will keep the Washington Wizards All-Star guard out for at least two matches.
Beal did the damage during a 133-132 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.
The 27-year-old left the court in the third quarter with a hurt ankle but was able to return and complete a game he finished with 50 points.
Coach Scott Brooks revealed after the victory that Beal had strained his left hamstring and the Wizards confirmed ahead of Monday's clash with the Atlanta Hawks that he will be sidelined for a minimum of a couple of games.
Washington tweeted: "Bradley Beal has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain following MRI testing conducted yesterday.
"He will miss the team's next two games before being re-evaluated on Friday."
The Wizards, number nine seed in the NBA Eastern Conference, will hope for positive news on Beal's fitness later this week as they battle for a play-in place.
Only Stephen Curry (31.9) has a better average that Beal's 31.1 points per game this season. Beal averages 4.7 rebounds in each match and 4.5 assists.
He has racked up at least 25 points in 71 of his past 82 games and has scored 40 or more on eight occasions this season.
A rescheduled Indian Premier League looks highly unlikely to take place with any centrally contracted England players involved.
The IPL was postponed last week due to rising coronavirus cases in India.
It is up in the air as to where and when the tournament can be completed, but dates in September or November - either side of the T20 World Cup - have been talked of as options.
England players were permitted to miss the Test series against New Zealand next month to play in the IPL before it was cut short, but a rearranged event would be likely to clash with Future Tours Programme (FTP) commitments.
Ashley Giles, England's director of cricket, does not see how the players will be able play any further part in the IPL in what is such a busy year.
"We're planning on the involvement of England players in England matches," Giles said.
"We've got a full FTP schedule. So if those tours to Pakistan and Bangladesh [in September and October] are going ahead, I'd expect the players to be there.
"The New Zealand scenario was very different. Those Test matches were formalised at the end of January, by which time all those contracts and NOCs [no objection certificates] were signed for full involvement in the IPL.
"None of us knows what a rearranged IPL looks like at the moment; where it's going to be or when. But from when we start this summer against New Zealand, our programme is incredibly busy.
"We've got a lot of important, high-profile cricket including the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. And we're going to have to look after our players."
Two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom will be placed on the injured list after leaving Sunday’s start with tightness in his right side.
The New York Mets announced their intention to put deGrom on the shelf on social media on Monday, but added that the results of the right-hander’s MRI were "clean of any issues."
The team will announce a corresponding move on Tuesday.
With no apparent structural damage revealed by the MRI, the Mets and their fans are hopeful the 32-year-old flamethrower will only miss one start in the rotation, returning during a weekend series against the Miami Marlins from May 21-23.
DeGrom made his sixth start of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, his first time on the mound in 11 days after skipping a turn in the rotation, also because of right side tightness.
After winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2018 and 2019, deGrom finished third in voting last year and is off to a torrid start this season.
DeGrom is 3-2 for the first-place Mets with an MLB-leading 0.68 ERA and has 65 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched.
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