Rangers manager Philippe Clement has backed Jack Butland to continue showing his international class in the domestic run-in after the goalkeeper suffered a double blow on Thursday.
Butland was left out of Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad before Rangers crashed out of the Europa League with a 1-0 home defeat by Benfica.
Some reports had claimed the 31-year-old was on the verge of an England call-up for the first time since 2018 as his impressive Ibrox form coincided with an injury to Newcastle’s Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale’s lack of game time for Arsenal.
However, Southgate named Ramsdale and Crystal Palace keeper Sam Johnstone alongside number one Jordan Pickford for his team’s upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
Former Birmingham and Stoke player Butland made his England debut at the age of 19 and won the last of his nine caps in 2018, before a move to Palace stalled his career.
However, he has been in outstanding form for Rangers since his summer move.
When asked if he was surprised England have overlooked his goalkeeper, Clement said: “I said from the beginning I will never interfere with whatever another manager needs to do out of selection because we don’t know all the details.
“Jack was ready to be there. So I think it proves that in England they have a lot of really good goalkeepers if he’s not there. That’s the only important thing.
“I spoke with Jack on Thursday afternoon but it was not really necessary because he was focused on the game, as he showed.
“Those are the things in life and he continues working hard for Rangers. Then other things can come. You create the possibility.
“The most positive thing is that, in the last couple of weeks a lot of things have been written about that, about Jack going to the England squad.
“I didn’t hear one person say, ‘oof, that’s a strange thing’. So in that he proved a lot already. He will continue doing that in the coming months.”
Rangers lacked quality in the final third against Benfica on Thursday and fell to a 3-2 aggregate defeat after being badly exposed on the counter-attack following their own corner.
But they have plenty to play for as the cinch Premiership leaders look forward to a trip to Dundee on Sunday and a Scottish Gas Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts next month.
Clement said: “It’s already a memorable season. How long ago did Rangers last win the League Cup?
“We are hungry for the two other trophies. We are going to stick together and work really hard to focus on those two goals.
“I read a lot in the last couple of weeks that it was maybe better we were not in Europe any more. I didn’t agree and I still don’t agree about that but it’s now about focusing on the two other trophies.”
Andy Farrell believes the chance to end a 34-year Triple Crown drought makes Scotland a major threat to Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations title bid.
Farrell’s reigning champions are on the cusp of retaining their crown and will do so on Saturday evening by avoiding defeat to the Scots or claiming two losing bonus points.
Gregor Townsend’s visitors, who have the slimmest of chances of snatching the title, will be desperate to bounce back in Dublin after being embarrassed by Italy last weekend.
While Scotland have not beaten rivals England, Ireland and Wales in a single championship since the 1990 Five Nations, Farrell acknowledges they have a track record of toppling Test rugby’s leading nations.
“They’ve been consistent at beating big teams over the years and playing a brand of rugby that’s been great for everyone to see,” he said.
“When you’re disappointed, all you want is an opportunity where there’s a trophy on the line.
“And I know that as far as the Triple Crown is concerned, they’ve not won that for some time now and that makes them dangerous in our view.
“We’ve got to be ready for them to be as good as they’ve ever been against us.”
Ireland are chasing a 10th consecutive victory over Scotland, having helped eliminate them in the pool stage of the last two Rugby World Cups.
“We’ve been lucky enough over the last few years to get on the right side of victory against Scotland,” said Farrell.
“But they’ve been tough, tough battles and hard-fought games, and you’ve got to be on point to make sure you continue in that manner.”
Scotland need a bonus-point win, a major swing in points difference and to avoid Ireland claiming a bonus point to overhaul their rivals.
Even then, Townsend’s men would be reliant on the result of France’s clash with England in Lyon, which concludes ‘Super Saturday’.
Although there are scenarios in which Ireland could finish top of the table in defeat, Farrell is determined to clinch championship glory in style after the pursuit of back-to-back Grand Slams was halted by England in round four.
“I love winning titles, there’s no doubt about that, but this is an occasion for us to perform when it really matters,” he said.
“We said it in the Grand Slam game last year (a 29-16 win over England) and we were able to get over the line but the performance wasn’t exactly white hot, so that’s what you’re always chasing.
“Of course winning matters a lot.
“Certainly winning Six Nations titles, however, means an awful lot but having said that, we pride on ourselves on performing well when it matters and I suppose that’s what we’ll judge ourselves on first.”
Lifting the trophy on St Patrick’s weekend for the second successive year would provide a springboard for what promises to be un unforgettable 2024 for Irish rugby.
Farrell’s men face a two-match tour against world champions South Africa in July before hosting New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia in the autumn.
“This year doesn’t get any better for Irish rugby, it doesn’t get any better,” said Farrell.
“Look at what we’ve got coming up.”
Manchester City face a Champions League quarter-final blockbuster against 14-time European champions Real Madrid.
The teams have met at the semi-final stage in the last two seasons, with City hammering Real 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium last season on their way to winning their first Champions League title.
Arsenal have been drawn against six-time European champions Bayern Munich, whose star striker Harry Kane is the former talisman of their bitter north London rivals Tottenham.
The Gunners have lost each of their last three meetings with Bayern 5-1, so will be hoping for much better this time around.
City and Arsenal will meet in the semi-finals if they can negotiate their tricky quarter-final ties.
Paris St Germain and Barcelona will go head to head, as will Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
The quarter-final first legs will be played on April 9 and 10, with the second legs the following week. The semi-finals take place on April 30 and May 1, with the return legs on May 7 and 8. Wembley will host the final on Saturday, June 1.
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo admits it is vital his team take points from Saturday’s crucial clash with Luton.
Forest, who have lost their last three in the Premier League and won just once in 2024, are anxiously looking over their shoulders in the relegation battle.
Their trip to Kenilworth Road to face fellow strugglers Luton, who are without a win in seven games, carries huge significance for both clubs.
Nuno said at a press conference: “We are in a bad moment but we stick together and react, bounce back, find solutions to get out of there.
“It doesn’t matter what you’re playing for. Football is always like that. You have to react from the bad moments. Don’t ignore it. It’s never done in football.
“Every week we have issues – players that go down in their performance, knocks, all these situations.
“But it’s all about working and facing the situation day by day. We are experienced enough to realise that now it’s important. Points, points, we need points.
“It’s a very important game due to the circumstances, due to the situation of both teams.”
Forest have lost their last two games 1-0, to Liverpool and Brighton, in controversial circumstances.
Liverpool claimed a last-gasp winner at the City Ground after wrongly being given possession following a stoppage in play while the Seagulls’ Jakub Moder was fortunate not to be sent off at the Amex Stadium.
While being frustrated with these situations, Nuno hopes his side can take such issues out of the equation this weekend by making the most of their chances.
“In the previous cycle, we were scoring and conceding,” Nuno said. “Now we’re not conceding but we’re still losing in the last minutes of the game.
“So we have to find the balance and this is what we are doing, trying always to improve. We create a lot of chances but we must be more clinical.”
Nuno is calling for his team to take the game to Luton.
“We have to play,” the Portuguese said. “We play football and try to give answers to the questions they’re going to make and, at the same time, create problems they have to react to.
“Our idea is never to just wait. Let’s be dominant, play with courage.”
Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has not been surprised by the way Conor Bradley has handled the spotlight after breaking into the Liverpool side with a string of impressive performances.
Northern Ireland fans have long been aware of the 20-year-old’s exciting talent as Bradley has earned 13 caps since making his senior debut in May 2021, a figure that would be much higher had he not missed the bulk of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign through injury last year.
Since returning to fitness, Bradley has broken into Jurgen Klopp’s side and turned in a series of eye-catching displays, helping Liverpool to lift the Carabao Cup last month.
View this post on Instagram
O’Neill welcomed back Bradley to international duty when he named his squad on Thursday for the upcoming friendlies against Romania and Scotland, and said Bradley has moved up a gear since recovering from a back injury.
“Conor was a big loss to us in the qualification campaign,” O’Neill told the PA news agency. “But physically he’s come back even stronger than he was prior to the injury.
“Athletically he’s demonstrated that in games – he’s played some extremely intense games, massive games for Liverpool and he’s excelled in those games. He’s not just held his own but in most of the those games people have come away talking about his level of performance.
“That’s something, going forward, we expect and hope he can bring to the international stage.”
Bradley spent last season on loan at League One Bolton, but has made the step up to Premier League and European football look seamless – something O’Neill said comes down to his character.
“The biggest thing for me is Conor’s mentality, to be able to play in those games at such a crucial stage of the season,” he said.
“He’s a very humble lad, he’s not one to get carried away. He takes it in his stride. He’s experienced already some of the ups and downs of football and it’s great to see him play at this level. He’s going to be a very important player for us going forward…
“If you know Conor and his background and his upbringing, how he’s handled it is exactly how I would expect. He’s not one that courts the spotlight, he’s not one I imagine does very much on social media.
“His focus is on his football and his performances. Away from the pitch he prefers a quiet life so he’s got all the traits you need to be a top player in the modern era.”
While Bradley is back in O’Neill’s squad, a number of senior players remain absent, with Jonny Evans sitting out this international window nursing a calf injury.
https://twitter.com/NorthernIreland/status/1768230711352299637/photo/1
As expected, it is still too soon for either Stuart Dallas or Corry Evans, long-term absentees, although O’Neill expects to see both players during next week’s training camp in Manchester.
Dallas, 32, has been out since suffering a broken femur in April 2022, having been frustrated by a number of setbacks in his recovery, while Corry Evans, 33, suffered a serious knee injury in January 2023.
“Both lads are coming to see us in Manchester so we’ll probably get a clearer picture then,” O’Neill said when asked about possible return dates.
“Their focus is to get back playing, to get back fit, and then they’ve both got contract situations to deal with as well, so international football is not at the forefront of their minds at this time.”
Ireland are within touching distance of retaining the Guinness Six Nations title ahead of hosting Scotland.
Andy Farrell’s men were denied potential back-to-back Grand Slams by last weekend’s 23-22 defeat to England but remain in pole position to win the tournament.
Here, the PA news agency picks out some of the main talking points ahead of Saturday’s match in Dublin.
Ireland’s title to lose
Ireland know victory or a draw will guarantee championship glory, while two losing bonus points would also be sufficient. Any other result would complicate matters and open the door for England to snatch the title. Steve Borthwick’s side, who begin the weekend four points off the pace, require a bonus-point win away to France in the final fixture of ‘Super Saturday’ on the back of halting Ireland’s 100 per cent record. Scotland and Les Bleus are also mathematically still in the title mix. However, their respective hopes of finishing top of the table are highly improbable due to Ireland’s vastly-superior points difference.
What might have been
The Aviva Stadium clash should arguably be a straight shoot-out for the title and could easily have been a Grand Slam showdown. Ireland were seconds away from remaining on track for a clean sweep before Marcus Smith’s last-gasp drop goal settled a Twickenham thriller. Scotland, meanwhile, are likely to still feel aggrieved about their controversial round-two loss to France, which was sandwiched between wins over Wales and England. The Scots’ campaign subsequently unravelled in disastrous fashion with a shock 31-29 defeat to Italy. Clinching a first Triple Crown since the 1990 Five Nations appears to be the only realistic achievement available to Gregor Townsend’s men amid a lingering sense of what might have been.
Testing times for Townsend
A major setback at Stadio Olimpico cast fresh doubt on the future of Scotland head coach Townsend. His side have produced plenty of statement results, including four consecutive Calcutta Cup victories. But he has also overseen successive World Cup pool-stage exits, while frustrating inconsistency means the Scots’ wait for a maiden Six Nations title goes on. The 50-year-old, whose contract runs until 2026, refused to entertain questions about his position after a calamitous second-half collapse in the Italian capital. Townsend insists he still believes in his players and will be desperate to end the championship by lifting silverware to alleviate mounting pressure.
Decade of dominance
Ireland have played pivotal roles in Scotland’s recent underwhelming World Cup campaigns during a decade of dominance of this fixture. At the 2019 tournament in Japan, the Irish began with a 27-3 win over Townsend’s men in Yokohama, before emphatically eliminating their rivals in France last year thanks to a crushing 36-14 Paris success. Ireland have won 13 of 14 meetings between the nations since 2014, including nine on the spin following a 27-22 Murrayfield loss in 2017. They are strong favourites to extend that streak as Scotland bid to become only the second away side – after France in 2021 – to triumph in Dublin during the Farrell era.
Concussion concerns
Ireland’s unchanged starting XV raised some eyebrows given Calvin Nash was forced off following a thunderous collision with England’s Tommy Freeman just six days ago. Concussion protocols remain a hot topic but Farrell insisted he trusts the medical experts as he moved to allay any concerns surrounding the Munster wing. The Englishman has also ditched his six-two split of forwards and backs on the bench in favour of a more conventional five-three selection. The bold call backfired in London due to head injury assessments dictating the withdrawals of Nash and his replacement Ciaran Frawley, who is not fit to feature this weekend.
Wales and Italy will contest the Guinness Six Nations’ least-wanted “prize” in Cardiff on Saturday.
Avoiding the mythical wooden spoon for finishing bottom of the table is front and centre for both countries, with Wales four points adrift of their fifth-placed opponents.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points heading into the game.
Wooden spoon stirs the pot
Wales have not finished last on the Six Nations log since 2003, when a 33-5 defeat against France in Paris meant they lost all five games under head coach Steve Hansen. The Wales team that day included players like Iestyn Harris, Gareth Thomas, Dwayne Peel, Gethin Jenkins and Martyn Williams as they suffered a heaviest reversal of the tournament. Wales have won the Six Nations title on six occasions since then, including four Grand Slams, which highlights this season’s demise, while Italy are striving to avoid a ninth successive wooden spoon after Scotland had that dubious distinction in 2015.
Farewell to George North
From the moment he arrived on the Test match stage as an 18-year-old against South Africa in 2010, North has proved an inspired presence for Wales and the British and Irish Lions. He will retire from international rugby after Saturday’s game, having helped Wales win four Six Nations titles – including two Grand Slams – and played in four World Cups. His Wales try-count stands at 47 in 120 games, and he has averaged almost one touchdown per game against Italy, with his sizeable haul including a hat-trick in 2015. North deserves every accolade he will receive as a modern-day Wales great whose pace, power and try-scoring prowess made him box-office entertainment.
Wales’ rebuild will continue
Whatever happens against Italy, short-term pain must be eclipsed by potential long-term gain as Wales head coach Warren Gatland continues moulding a new-look squad. Since the World Cup, Gatland has seen Leigh Halfpenny and Dan Biggar retire from Test rugby, with North to follow, Liam Williams and Gareth Anscombe head to club rugby in Japan, while Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Taulupe Faletau were among Six Nations injury absentees. Gatland has paraded five new caps during the tournament – including the exciting Cardiff trio of Cameron Winnett, Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin – and he asked Welsh supporters for patience that has so far been reciprocated.
Italy need to do a job
Italy have shown some impressive form in this season’s Six Nations, beating Scotland, drawing with France away from home and going down by just three points to England. The victory over Scotland was their first Six Nations triumph in Rome since 2013, and players like centre pairing Juan Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello, wing Louis Lynagh and captain Michele Lamaro have excelled. The challenge now is to produce another performance of the type that almost defeated France and then accounted for Scotland. They return to Cardiff two years after claiming a dramatic 22-21 success, and there will be expectation in the Azzurri camp of a repeat performance.
Cardiff no longer a fortress
The Principality Stadium has played host to some memorable Welsh rugby moments, with Six Nations title triumphs and Grand Slam glory topping that list. Recently though, the Cardiff venue has seemingly lost its aura. Wales have suffered six successive Six Nations defeats there, with all five of their championship opponents winning on the road. It is 13 losses and one draw from the last 20 capped internationals at home, with victories only being recorded against Canada, Fiji, Australia, Scotland, Argentina and England (World Cup warm-up match) in full internationals during that time. The atmosphere remains among world rugby’s finest, but opponents are no longer fazed by what awaits them.
Leicester Tigers were fined £309,841.06 but avoided a points deduction for breaches of salary cap regulations on this day two years ago.
The punishment came after it emerged the Premiership club had entered into an arrangement whereby a third party made payments to the image rights companies of Leicester players.
The payments were made over the four seasons from 2016-17 to 2019-20 and should have been declared as part of the Tigers’ salary cap obligations, but were not disclosed.
Leicester, who led the Premiership at the time and went on to win the title in 2022, avoided a harsher sanction because the salary cap was exceeded by less than the ‘overrun’ limit.
It is when this ceiling – which ranges from £325,000 to £350,000 each season – is breached that more formal charges are triggered.
Leicester’s highest ‘overrun’ during the period was £147,750 in 2016-17 and their total across the four seasons was £391,941.06.
The Tigers accepted the outcome of Premiership Rugby’s investigation into the matter and did not appeal against the punishment.
Premiership Rugby had been given stronger powers to act two years previously after a review of salary cap regulations in the wake of the Saracens affair.
Saracens were fined more than £5million and relegated in 2020 for repeated breaches of the rules.
Leicester chief executive Andrea Pinchen said: “We accept the decision and the acknowledgement that there was no overrun in the most recent season of the review.
“We are thankful this matter has been brought to a conclusion and pleased that we can now focus all of our energy and efforts on the future of the club.”
Jaylen Brown scored 37 points and Jayson Tatum added 26 as the league-leading Boston Celtics rolled to a 127-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot.
Al Horford had 24 points with six of Boston’s season high-tying 25 3-pointers as the Celtics defeated Phoenix for the second time in a week to win its fourth straight.
Tatum and Brown combined for 43 of the Celtics’ 65 first-half points and Boston broke open the game with an 18-6 run in the third quarter for a 97-78 cushion.
Devin Booker scored 23 points and Bradley Beal added 22 and seven assists for the Suns, who have lost four of six on the road.
Brunson’s big game powers Knicks
Jalen Brunson poured in 45 points and the New York Knicks rolled to a 105-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Brunson shot 14 of 30 from the field and was 2 of 10 from 3-point range while making 15 of 17 free throws. He reached the 40-point mark for the sixth time this season.
Donte DiVincenzo and OG Anunoby each added 12 points for the Knicks, who won consecutive games for the first time since a nine-game streak from Jan. 17-Feb. 1.
Deandre Ayton had 31 points and 14 rebounds as Portland completed a 2-4 homestand.
Antetokounmpo leads Bucks over 76ers
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to propel the Milwaukee Bucks to a 114-105 win over the struggling Philadelphia 76ers.
Brook Lopez had 19 points and seven rebounds and Damian Lillard added 17 points and seven assists for the Bucks, who returned home after losing three of four on a West Coast swing.
Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points for the 76ers, who have lost 16 of their last 23 games.
Brayden Point had three goals and three assists to match a team record in points and the Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a key 6-3 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Point scored Tampa Bay’s first goal of the game with 7:19 left in the second period and forged a 3-3 tie at 3:41 of the third. He completed his fourth career hat trick 2:03 later before assisting on Nikita Kucherov’s empty-netter with 3:38 left for a personal-best six points.
Kucherov finished with a goal and four assists to give him 112 points, three behind Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead.
Steven Stamkos and Anthony Duclair also scored for the Lightning, who have won three of four to move four points ahead of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
Jack Roslovic had a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who fell to 14-3-1 in their last 18 games.
Andersen shuts out Panthers
Frederik Andersen stopped 21 shots for his first shutout in more than a year and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Florida Panthers, 4-0.
Andersen notched his third win in as many starts after missing over four months with a blood clotting issue. He has stopped 63 of 66 shots in those games and is 7-1-0 this season.
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his first goal as a member of the Hurricanes and Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov also scored as Carolina won its fourth in five games.
The loss was just the second in 10 games for league-leading Florida, which is one point ahead of Boston for the Atlantic Division lead.
Matthews scores 55th in Maple Leafs’ win
Auston Matthews extended his NHL lead with his 55th goal and the Toronto Maple Leafs scored three times in the first period in a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Matthews became the first Toronto player to score 55 goals twice in his career and is within five of matching his career-high 60 goals set in 2021-22.
Tyler Bertuzzi, Pontus Holmberg, Timothy Liljegren and William Nylander each had a goal and an assist for the Leafs, who have won eight of 10 on the road to tighten their grip on third place in the Atlantic Division.
Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster had goals for the Flyers, who remained four points ahead of the Islanders in the race for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Los Angeles Chargers have traded veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.
The move gives the Bears, who own the top overall pick in next month’s draft, a reliable weapon to line up opposite DJ Moore.
While Chicago has not announced their plans for the No. 1 pick, most assume that they will select USC’s Caleb Williams. Pairing Allen with Moore could set the rookie quarterback up for success.
Darnell Mooney was the Bears’ No. 2 receiver last season, but he signed a three-year, $39million deal with the Atlanta Falcons earlier this week.
Allen, who will turn 32 next month, was selected to his sixth career Pro Bowl last season and has made 683 catches since 2017. Only Davante Adams (709) has more over that span.
After an injury-shortened 2022 campaign, Allen bounced back last season with 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games.
Allen, a renowned route-runner, proved his worth last season, but the Chargers reportedly asked the veteran to take a pay cut this year. After no deal could be struck, Los Angeles entered the trade market.
Trading Allen – along with his $34.7million cap hit – is the Chargers’ latest cost-cutting move after releasing fellow wide receiver Mike Williams and restructuring the contracts of pass-rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
Los Angeles also lost Austin Ekeler in free agency after the running back signed with the Washington Commanders.
The Chargers will need to find more weapons for franchise quarterback Justin Herbert and will hope that speedy wide receiver Quentin Johnston, last year’s first-round pick, develops this offseason.
Allen played 11 seasons for the Chargers. His 904 receptions and 10,530 receiving yards both rank second in franchise history, trailing only Antonio Gates.
World champion Luke Humphries delivered back-to-back nightly wins to move top of the Premier League with a 6-3 victory over Nathan Aspinall at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.
Humphries, who also triumphed in Brighton, beat Michael Smith in his opening match and then comfortably saw off Peter Wright to reach a second successive final.
Aspinall had ended the hopes of Luke Littler with a 6-3 win in the semi-final, but soon found himself trailing against the world number one.
Humphries had secured an early break to lead 2-0 which he soon extended to 4-1 on the back of another maximum.
Aspinall clawed a couple of legs back to trail by just one with a break of his own by checking out on double top.
The world champion, though, made the most of some wayward finishing to take the next leg and move one away, which he set up for a 78 finish, landing treble 18 and double 12.
Humphries now moves two points clear at the top of the table, with Aspinall sitting fourth.
“I had two great performances in the first two games, and Nathan was fantastic against Luke, who is such an amazing player – it gets to the point where you are thinking ‘play with two darts’ so Nathan did well to beat him,” Humphries said on Sky Sports.
“It was not the best final, maybe as we had both played really well we felt the pressure was off us and relaxed a little bit, tried too hard.
“But back-to-back weeks in the Premier League is really tough, so I am really proud to have done that and to be top of the league.”
Humphries added: “What me and Luke have done since the worlds has been amazing for the sport. I think the sport is in the best place possible now, with all these players, and is in the best place it has ever been.
“Hopefully now the crowds can keep getting behind us and enjoying it, because it is going to be an exciting sport for the next nine months.”
Littler was looking to build on his Belgian Darts Open final victory over Rob Cross, which had included a nine-dart finish, and earlier recorded an impressive 6-2 win against previous league leader Michael Van Gerwen.
Aspinall, though, produced his own top form in their semi-final clash, landing five maximums with an average of just over 104 to see off the 17-year-old sensation.
Humphries, meanwhile, hit four maximums as he had little trouble in coasting to a 6-1 win over Wright, who had earlier secured his first points of the competition.
In the night’s opening quarter-final at the Motorpoint Arena, Wright ended his barren run with his first points on the board when he edged out Gerwyn Price in a last-leg decider after the 2023 runner-up had missed three match darts.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes Mohamed Salah’s relentless drive to score goals will never end.
The Egypt international scored in the 6-1 Europa League demolition of Sparta Prague to bring up his 20th goal of the season, becoming the first player in the club’s history to reach that mark in seven successive campaigns.
“In seven years together with him, the one problem we never had was consistency,” said Klopp after the Egypt international’s first start since New Year’s Day after a hamstring injury.
“Mo is just delivering and delivering and delivering, his desire doesn’t stop, his quality is there and his desire to score doesn’t stop.
“He has improved in so many aspects since he started here. That’s how it is, he will not stop.
“I’m less surprised than maybe some others, I thought it had already happened to be honest, but he was injured for a while, otherwise he would have done it in January or February.
“But great, very good, and great to have him back.”
Salah also provided two assists for Bobby Clark and Cody Gakpo, who scored twice, with Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai also on target.
He completed his first 90 minutes in two months but Klopp admitted he had wanted to rest him earlier.
“It was not the plan he plays 90 minutes, the plan was to take him off when we brought on Mateusz (Musialowski) but Bobby Clark said (he felt something) and Mo is experienced enough that he recovers during the game.
“I told him not to defend any more – I never told a player that before.”
Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals 11-2 on aggregate after an early blitz ruled out any remote hopes of a comeback from the Czech champions.
“The boys started the game incredibly well and 4-0 up in 14 minutes is really strange. From then on it became a strange game because how can you now stay greedy?” said Klopp.
Sparta boss Brian Priske accepted his side had been totally outclassed.
“Big respect to Liverpool how they played these two legs, the level from Sparta to Liverpool is massive. It is a completely different level,” he said.
“We never faced something like this. Liverpool is a Champions League team and they should be playing in the Champions League.”
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi is targeting qualifying for Europe via the Premier League after his side were knocked out of the Europa League by Roma.
The damage was done for Brighton in last week’s 4-0 defeat in Rome and Danny Welbeck’s stunning solo strike on Thursday night – to hand them a 1-0 second-leg win – was not enough to extend their maiden European campaign as they suffered a 4-1 aggregate defeat.
De Zerbi said: “Today we saw the real Brighton and saw our team play with pride. I am proud because I saw 11 Roberto’s on the pitch.
“I knew my players were capable of responding this way because they are special people and they were hurting like me after losing 4-0 away.
“I believe in my players and I know we can fight to reach another historical target. We have 10 games left in the league and we will fight to qualify for another European competition.”
Brighton were in need of a miracle as no team in Europa League history had ever come back from losing a first leg by four goals away from home to qualify.
Despite the hosts dominating the first half, it was Roma who had the ball in the net after 23 minutes through a spectacular overhead kick from Sardar Azmoun.
Their celebrations were cut short when the goal was harshly chalked off for a high boot, handing Brighton a lifeline.
Welbeck fired the Seagulls in front after 37 minutes, picking up the ball midway inside the Roma half before exchanging passes with Pervis Estupinan and curling the ball into the top corner from 20 yards.
Roma came closing to levelling on the night early in the second half when Italy international Leonardo Spinazzola saw his shot rebound off the angle of post and crossbar.
Ansu Fati had two second-half efforts saved, while defender Jan-Paul Van Hecke also missed the target with two headers as the hosts failed to add to Welbeck’s goal and set up a nervy finish for their visitors.
Roma boss Daniele De Rossi said: “Brighton fought and they tried hard.
“We knew they would start very strongly because they always do and especially tonight, given the scoreline from the first leg.
“We must always be ready to fight, but with a clear mind. We were a bit sloppy at times and suffered a little bit but overall it was a good performance.
“It was more or less the kind of game I was expecting. We should have exploited more situations on the counter.
“We scored a goal that apparently was a legal one that was disallowed so we should have killed off the tie a lot earlier.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
