Alexander Isak hit a clinical double to give Newcastle United a 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest and believes the Magpies can soar after the international break.
The Swedish striker tucked away a late penalty to earn the win at the City Ground, moving Newcastle to 47 points from 26 games.
They sit one point behind fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand and are five points better off than Liverpool.
Several of their players will disperse to represent their countries over the next fortnight, before the battle for Premier League places resumes.
Emmanuel Dennis put Forest ahead in Friday's contest with a high-quality chip in the 26th minute, but Newcastle drew level moments before half-time as Isak volleyed in Joe Willock's cross.
Newcastle's Elliot Anderson had a goal disallowed midway through the second half, with team-mate Sean Longstaff ruled to have been offside in the build-up.
It looked set to finish level, but a rash handball from Moussa Niakhate gave Newcastle a stoppage-time penalty and Isak made no mistake with a confident strike from the spot.
Asked about the scrap for Champions League places, Isak said on Sky Sports: "We feel confident. We spoke about how it's very important to go into this break with a good feeling.
"Hopefully this will give us energy for when we come back."
He felt Newcastle "were not on it" in the first half and spoke in the dressing room about the need to step up their level.
"We came out in the second half and changed our game and we played really well and we got rewarded as well," Isak added.
Isak celebrated with the thousands of Newcastle fans who made the trip and said: "Those late winners are the best goals to score."
It was Newcastle's first league win of the season after conceding the opening goal in a game, although at one point head coach Eddie Howe was concerned it might be "one of those nights".
When it was explained to Howe that the comeback feat was a first for his team in the competition this term, he said: "I think that's in part because we've been so good this season that we've led in a lot of games, but it's nice to be able to have that in your game."
Forest, in a relegation battle, have now lost 15 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, with only Bournemouth (17) and Leicester City (19) having lost more.
Howe was baffled by the decision to deny 20-year-old midfielder Anderson what would have been his first senior goal for Newcastle.
"I couldn't believe it at the time," Howe said. "I'd need to be sat down and explained the rules on that one. I'm disappointed for Elliot because it would have been a massive moment in his career."
Lionel Messi's father Jorge has claimed "fake news" is being spread about the superstar forward's future at Paris Saint-Germain.
Argentina international Messi is due to be out of contract at the Parc des Princes at the end of the campaign, only intensifying talk over his next career move.
A report this week suggested PSG are not willing to accept Messi's wage demands over a new deal, while another claimed he is asking for €600million to join Saudi side Al Hilal.
It was also alleged on Friday that Messi left a training session early this week due to a falling-out with head coach Christophe Galtier.
However, Jorge Messi took to social media on Friday to denounce all three articles.
"When will you stop lying?" he posted on his personal Instagram account, alongside screenshots from the three articles.
"Where's the proof? Oh, it's all false. OK. No matter how loud it is called. Do not believe it. We will no longer tolerate fake news to gain followers."
Messi has 18 goals and 17 assists in 31 games for PSG this season, but he came in for criticism for his displays in their Champions League last-16 elimination to Bayern Munich.
Asked about the World Cup winner's future at a press conference on Friday, Galtier said: "I know that Leo Messi and the board have been in talks.
"As for whether Leo Messi will be here next season or not, I have said that it is about desire. I know people are discussing it, but Leo Messi is happy in the dressing room.
"He has 18 goals and 17 assists this season. I know there was some criticism about the [Champions League] game against Bayern Munich, but he wasn't the only one.
"As for his future, it is too early to know what will happen."
Messi, who has also been strongly linked with a move to Major League Soccer, is in line to start PSG's Ligue 1 meeting with Rennes at Parc des Princes on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola thinks Ruben Dias has rediscovered his best Manchester City form, crediting his work ethic off-field as much as on it as key to his success.
The Portuguese has been close to the strongest form of his Premier League career since returning from a thigh muscle injury in mid-January.
City have kept a clean sheet in each of his last four appearances, with Dias' work at the back helping to keep them in the midst of silverware challenges on three fronts.
Guardiola was happy to highlight the impact his centre-back has delivered in recent weeks, and believes it has had a trickle-down effect to his team-mates on and off the pitch.
"He is the type of player that doesn't just care about he is playing," he said. "He is playing the game for everyone. He has the ability to see and solve problems.
"His character is so important. When we talk about football, his leadership is huge, even when he doesn't play. You should see the impact [he has]. His character and leadership is really important."
Guardiola will reunite with a former player, Vincent Kompany, on opposite sides of the dugout when City play against Burnley in the FA Cup this weekend.
Asked whether he sees Dias as a successor to the Belgian in his ability to generate team spirit, the Spaniard concurred, suggesting the pair are both quick to push past errors and ensure they can recover.
"The body language, the gestures, these kinds of things are so important for them," he said. "Since day one, they have been there.
"[Ruben] is always positive, thinking about the next action, forgetting the mistake. He is always there for the next [play]. He is so positive. His mentality is top."
Manchester City and England defender Kyle Walker will not face a criminal charge over an alleged incident of indecent exposure.
Cheshire Constabulary opened an investigation after Walker was shown on CCTV footage, published by The Sun, with friends at a venue where he apparently pulled down his trousers.
The newspaper alleged Walker indecently exposed himself, with the incident said to have happened on March 5.
However, Cheshire Constabulary said on Friday that the case has now been closed after Walker voluntarily attended a police station on Thursday.
"On Wednesday 8 March, Cheshire Constabulary was made aware of a video circulating on social media in relation to an alleged incident at a bar in the Wilmslow area," the widely released statement read.
"Officers have now concluded their enquiries which included speaking to those directly involved. A 32-year-old man from Prestbury voluntarily attended a police station for questioning on 16 March.
"He has been dealt with by an out of court disposal and the matter is now closed."
An out of court disposal is a resolution that can be used to deal with a low-level offence.
Walker was named as part of Gareth Southgate's 25-man England squad on Thursday for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes a conspiracy is at the root of allegations the club are facing over payments to a company owned by a former top referee.
A corruption complaint was filed last week by Spanish prosecutors against Barcelona, concerning payments allegedly made to a business run by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
Negreira, once a top match official, was latterly vice-president of Spain's Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).
It has been claimed the total payments from Barcelona exceeded €7million, dating from 2001 to 2018. Newspaper El Pais last month reported Enriquez Negreira's company – DASNIL 95 SL – produced written reports and DVD assessments of referees for Barcelona prior to games.
Real Madrid have said they are ready to appear at any trial that stems from the investigation, and with remarkable timing there is a Clasico coming up on Sunday, with Barcelona at home to Madrid.
Laporta addressed supporters on Friday, telling them to trust Barcelona's side of the story.
"This Sunday we have a great game," Laporta said. "I ask you to come to cheer on the team more than ever. We have a great opportunity to get closer to our goal this season, which is to win the league. A great opportunity."
Barcelona lead the way in LaLiga by nine points from defending champions Madrid.
"The campaign we are suffering is not by chance, you all know this," Laporta said of the allegations. "Its objective is, in the short term, to destabilise the team, and in the medium term to control Barca. I will have time and I want to explain to you who, why and how they want to orchestrate this campaign.
"Have no doubt that we will defend ourselves. And we will not only defend ourselves, we will attack. But now we must be focused on encouraging the team this Sunday because, as I told you, their first objective is to destabilise the team."
Laporta offered no clarity regarding who he believes might be out to destabilise the club, and why they would have that motivation.
He told fans: "We have to focus on encouraging the team, our players, our coaches, so that they win the game. I think that we should not be focused on other aspects that could divert the attention of our players from concentrating on the game to win it. Because it is essential.
"Therefore, come this Sunday to cheer on the team more than ever. Let's encourage Barca because we love Barca. Long live Barca."
Roberto Mancini selected a trio of debutants and handed an international comeback to Inter defender Matteo Darmian in his latest Italy squad.
Darmian was named in the 30-man selection for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against England and Malta, marking his first call-up since March 2018, when he failed to appear from the substitutes' bench in friendlies with Argentina and England.
He last played for Italy in November 2017, when the Azzurri lost to Sweden and subsequently failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Mancini has also handed an opportunity to Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone, Torino defender Alessandro Buongiorno and Tigre forward Mateo Retegui.
However, there are notable absentees with Nicolo Zaniolo, Gianluca Mancini, Manuel Locatelli and Mattia Zaccagni missing out, while Alessandro Bastoni, Giacomo Raspadori and Guglielmo Vicario are absent due to injury.
Italy's qualification for Euro 2024 begins with a rematch of the 2020 final against England on March 23, before then travelling to face Malta three days later.
Italy squad: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG), Wladimiro Falcone (Lecce), Alex Meret (Napoli), Ivan Provedel (Lazio); Francesco Acerbi (Inter), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino), Matteo Darmian (Inter), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Alessio Romagnoli (Lazio), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta); Nicolo Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Davide Frattesi (Sassuolo), Jorginho (Arsenal), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Monza), Sandro Tonali (Milan), Marco Verratti (PSG); Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds United), Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg), Simone Pafundi (Udinese), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Club Atletico Tigre), Gianluca Scamacca (West Ham).
Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez has pulled out of Uruguay's squad for their upcoming friendlies.
The 23-year-old had been included in Uruguay's squad for the games against Japan and South Korea on March 24 and 28 respectively.
However, the Uruguayan Football Association and Liverpool both announced on Friday that Nunez will not be linking up with his international team-mates.
According to reports from Uruguay, the former Benfica man is recovering from an ankle injury sustained in Wednesday's 1-0 loss at Real Madrid.
Nunez has 14 goals and four assists in 33 appearances in his first campaign at Anfield – only Mohamed Salah (33) has been directly involved in more goals among Liverpool players.
Uruguay have called up Club America forward Jonathan Rodriguez as Nunez's replacement.
Leon Edwards wants to "put a show on" for the fans at UFC 286 in London as he prepares to face rival Kamaru Usman for a third time.
The duo both weighed in at 170lb on Friday at the O2 Arena, before squaring up one last time prior to clashing when it matters on Saturday.
Nigerian Usman suffered just a second loss of his professional career against Edwards in August at UFC 278, seven years after winning their first bout.
Edwards' shock win in Utah earned him the UFC welterweight championship, and his first defence will be against Usman.
Though born in Jamaica, Edwards and his family moved to England when he was young, and the 31-year-old is eager to impress at the first numbered UFC event to take place in the United Kingdom since 2017.
"I'm excited to be here tomorrow and put a show on for you guys, to do another head-shot and take him out again," Edwards said at the weigh-in.
Usman simply replied: "He's talking now so tomorrow night we're going to talk in that octagon."
The co-main event will see American Justin Gaethje go up against Azerbaijan's Rafael Fiziev.
The Seattle Seahawks have added to their talented young secondary with the signing of former New York Giants safety Julian Love.
Love has signed a two-year, $12million deal with Seattle, according to multiple reports, after helping the Giants to the Divisional round of the playoffs last season.
A fourth-round pick of the Giants in 2019, Love enjoyed his best season in 2022, emerging as a valuable and versatile defender.
He intercepted two passes, recorded five pass breakups, six tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
His 109 tackles were a career-high by a wide margin, Love's previous best tally having come in 2020 (61).
Used primarily as a deep safety but also deployed in the box and in the slot, Love allowed receivers to get open on 60 per cent of his targets in 2022, the eighth-best ratio among safeties with at least 200 coverage snaps, per Stats Perform data.
He will join a secondary that features one of the NFL's premier safeties in Quandre Diggs and cornerback Tariq Woolen, who recorded a league-leading six interceptions as a rookie last year.
The Seahawks will be hoping Coby Bryant can make further strides after an encouraging rookie year at nickel corner, while Jamal Adams will look to bounce back after tearing his quad in the 2022 season opener.
With Love's arrival, the Seahawks can claim to have one of the deeper and most talented secondaries in the NFL, which will likely be key as Seattle aim to build on a 9-8 season that ended in a Wild Card round defeat to the San Francisco 49ers.
Lucas Leiva has announced the end of his playing career after undergoing tests for a heart problem.
The former Liverpool and Lazio midfielder was forced to withdraw from training at Brazilian club Gremio in December after the discovery was made during a routine screening.
After spending some time to evaluate and undergo further tests, Lucas confirmed at a press conference on Friday that he has decided to call time on his playing days.
"Firstly I would like to thank Gremio for all the support in these three months," a tearful Lucas said. "Today, I am announcing my retirement.
"It's been a difficult period, I think this is the first time I've cried over this case. But I can only thank you. I'm ending where I'd like, not the way I'd like. But I'm sure a new cycle will begin.
"I had a lot of hope that it could reverse, but it was not the case. My health comes first."
Lucas was joined by Gremio president Alberto Guerra, vice president Paulo Caleffi, coach Renato Portaluppi and team-mate Pedro Geromel, as well as doctors Marcio Dornelles and Paulo Rabaldo.
Dr Dornelles revealed that the Brazilian's diagnosis was scarring in the myocardium. Further testing showed no change after three months away from football activity, and as a result, it was recommended that Lucas end his career.
Lucas made 337 appearances during a 10-year spell with Liverpool where he became a fan favourite at Anfield despite a difficult start, before joining Serie A giants Lazio in 2017.
After leaving Italy at the end of last season, the former Brazil international re-joined Gremio – the club where he began his career.
Gremio won promotion back to Brazil's top tier in 2022 after finishing second in Serie B, with Lucas scoring in the 3-0 win over Nautico that clinched it.
The New England Patriots have secured free agent tight end Mike Gesicki to a one-year deal.
A second-round selection by the Miami Dolphins in the 2018 NFL Draft, Gesicki will reunite with new Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien – who recruited him to Penn State in 2014.
Gesicki caught only 32 passes for 362 yards in the 2022 season, his lowest totals in both since his 2018 rookie season, and did not fit into Mike McDaniel's offensive scheme in Florida.
Prior to that, the 27-year-old caught 73 passes for 780 yards in 2021, both career highs, ranking fifth among tight ends that season for the most receptions.
According to ESPN, Gesicki's one-year deal is worth up to $9million with the Patriots.
In five seasons in the NFL, Gesicki has totalled 231 receptions for 2,617 total yards, scoring 18 touchdowns.
The Patriots have rejuvenated their offensive options in free agency, signing wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, running back James Robinson and offensive tackles Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson.
Jimmy Garoppolo and the Las Vegas Raiders made their tie-up official on Friday as the quarterback was reunited with Josh McDaniels.
Garoppolo's move as a free agent was initially reported on Monday, with ESPN's Adam Schefter suggesting the quarterback had agreed to a three-year, $67.5million deal, including $34m guaranteed.
The 31-year-old Garoppolo was expected to appear at a press conference on Thursday, but that was postponed without explanation. Now the deal is complete, however, with the Raiders confirming it in a press release. Terms were not disclosed.
Garoppolo will replace Derek Carr, who has departed for the New Orleans Saints.
Raiders head coach McDaniels knows all about Garoppolo's game, having been his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the New England Patriots.
Garoppolo left his role as Tom Brady's Patriots understudy to spend five and a half seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, featuring in the team that went to Super Bowl LIV and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
He featured for much of last season with the Niners, despite losing his place as starter initially to Trey Lance, although his campaign ended early because of a foot injury.
Dillon Brooks has been fined $35,000 by the NBA for the "unsportsmanlike act" of pushing a camera person.
The Memphis Grizzlies guard-forward could be seen nudging the camera operator while trying to retrieve a loose ball during the second quarter of the 138-119 defeat to the Miami Heat on Wednesday at Miami-Dade Arena.
A statement from Joe Dumars, the NBA's executive vice president and head of basketball operations on Friday confirmed that Brooks had been "fined $35,000 for the unsportsmanlike act of shoving a camera person on the sideline after pursuing a loose ball".
It is not the first time this year that Brooks has been in disciplinary trouble, having been judged to have committed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected from the Grizzlies' game with the Cleveland Cavaliers last month after a scuffle with Donovan Mitchell in which he hit his opponent in the groin.
Brooks was suspended for one game without pay for the incident.
He got into a war of words with the Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green before and after a game earlier this month, also bumping chests with Green on court during the Grizzlies' win against the defending champions.
Brooks is averaging 14.2 points per game this season.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in contention to start for Milan against Udinese on Saturday as the 41-year-old looks to lift Stefano Pioli's' struggling champions.
The striker, recalled by Sweden this week, has recovered from major knee surgery and come through three substitute appearances.
Now the veteran is a prime contender to line up from the first whistle as Milan are forced to cope without the suspended Olivier Giroud in their last game before the international break.
Ibrahimovic is already the oldest player to feature for Milan in a Serie A game during the three-points-for-a-win era (since 1994-95), and Pioli would have no doubts about his readiness.
"Zlatan is calm; he wants to play and win every game," Pioli said on Friday. "He's feeling good, but I don't think he's got 90 minutes in him. He could start, as could Divock [Origi] and Ante [Rebic]."
Ibrahimovic has been involved in five goals in his last four games against Udinese in Serie A (3 goals, 2 assists) and is looking to start a game in Serie A for the first time since January 23, 2022, when he faced Juventus.
Winger Rafael Leao should keep his place despite what Pioli described as a "strange situation" on Monday, when the Portugal international put in a flat performance in the 1-1 draw with Salernitana, a result that followed defeat to Fiorentina in Milan's previous league game.
Coach Pioli is surprised by how little impact Leao is having at times, but he expects him to come good.
"Rafa is training really well. He's very motivated and determined, and he remains an important figure in our attack because, even if he's not scoring, he keeps opposition defences occupied," Pioli said.
"My advice to him would be to stay close to those who care deeply for him and want to help him grow. Goals and decisive pieces of play are expected from him, but, as previously mentioned, he's dangerous even when he doesn't score."
Ibrahimovic was left off Milan's Champions League squad list, so Pioli must plan without him for the quarter-final against runaway Serie A leaders Napoli.
That was the match-up that came out of Friday's draw, and it is not one that intimidates the Rossoneri, who have won Europe's premier club competition seven times.
Quoted on Milan's official website, Pioli said: "Napoli are enjoying a great league campaign, but the Champions League is the Champions League and AC Milan are AC Milan. It's exciting and fascinating and our opponents are very strong, but we're deservedly part of it and have plenty of motivation and ambition.
"We'll play with the aim of making it through. We'll have time to talk about the Champions League, which is certainly an objective of ours, but, right now, doing well in our next three league games is crucial."
Milan sit fourth in Serie A, a point ahead of Roma who have a derby against third-placed Lazio coming up on Sunday.
Dropping points to mid-table Udinese would be a jarring way to enter the international break for the San Siro giants.
"It's not the break itself that will be important but how we head into it," said Pioli, "meaning tomorrow's result will be vital."
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
