Diego Simeone expects Atletico Madrid and Real Valladolid to "give their lives" in a decisive final match in the LaLiga season.
Atleti head into Saturday's contest with a two-point lead over city rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table.
They know that a victory will guarantee their first top-flight title since 2013-14, when a 1-1 draw at Barcelona on the final day denied the Catalans the trophy.
However, the stakes are also high for Valladolid, who must win to stand a chance of avoiding relegation to the second tier.
History is on Atleti's side: Valladolid have not won any of their past 11 league meetings and failed to score in seven of the previous eight, while Sergio Gonzalez has gone eight LaLiga games without defeating Simeone, more than he has against any other head coach.
Simeone could become only the third Atletico coach to deliver two top-flight titles after Ricardo Zamora (1940 and 1941) and Helenio Herrera (1950 and 1951), so he could be forgiven for feeling the pressure.
However, the former midfielder says preparation for this weekend has been no different from the rest of the season.
"We've worked like every other week," he said on Friday. "We're concerned about the game against Valladolid, against an opponent who have their own needs and who will look to play a game like always.
"We understand that anything is possible in a game, and it's evident Valladolid's needs are different to ours, but they're the same in terms of being important objectives.
"We've always tried to be immersed in deciding our game, which is the only thing that concerns us and the only thing that depends on us.
"All the teams have gone through different situations to get here. We're two fighting for the league, three against relegation and three for the Europa League. That's the Spanish league: game by game, you have to put in your utmost, hoping for the best in the end.
"It's a final. Two teams are fighting for different goals and each will give their lives for that goal."
Simeone would not offer any clues as to his starting line-up but did confirm there are some players facing late fitness tests.
"First, let's see how two or three players under observation are doing and if they can start and, from there, tomorrow morning, we'll decide the plan," he added.
The Hurricanes made it two wins from two in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman as they scored five tries in a bonus-point defeat of the Rebels.
Julian Savea (two), Billy Proctor and Wes Goosen all crossed for the home side in Melbourne in a clinical 35-13 victory on Friday.
The Rebels, who lost prop Cabous Eloff to a 16th-minute yellow card, were only 11 points down at the break thanks to a Matt To'omua penalty sandwiched between tries from Savea and Proctor.
Michael Wells reduced the deficit further three minutes into the second half, the flanker touching down in the corner at the end of a clever passing move.
Savea scored his second of the match only for Campbell Magnay to give the visitors hope, but two further tries in seven minutes from Goosen and Asafo Aumua at last killed the contest as Jordie Barrett finished spotless with the boot.
The Highlanders also earned their second win in the Trans-Tasman competition as they won 25-15 against the Western Force in Perth.
There were 30 points scored in a frenetic first half, the Highlanders cruising ahead through tries from Jona Nareki, Ayden Johnstone and Scott Gregory before Tomas Cubelli reduced the arrears.
The second half proved a more attritional contest as the men from Dunedin showed real discipline in their defending. They won 63 of 63 rucks and 10 turnovers in the match, while only giving up nine penalties.
A second Gregory score 19 minutes from time put them firmly in control until replacement Angus Wagner went over in the dying moments for the Force, who lost narrowly to the Chiefs last week.
Zinedine Zidane feels flattered that Real Madrid's stars want him to stay at the club but claimed the team might be capable of hitting greater heights without him.
The Frenchman is widely expected to step down as Madrid coach during the close season, and confirmation of that could come as soon as Saturday.
Villarreal, who will face Manchester United in the Europa League final next Wednesday, provide the opposition for Madrid's final match of the campaign.
There is a chance Madrid could finish as LaLiga champions, but they head into the fixture with a two-point deficit to Atletico Madrid, who travel to Real Valladolid.
That would be an ideal way for Zidane to bow out of his second spell in charge of Los Blancos, although the most likely outcome is that his team finish runners-up.
When it was mentioned to Zidane in his pre-match news conference that the players would welcome him staying on, the 48-year-old said: "I love my players very much. They have saved me on the pitch, in the sense that they have always given everything in every game.
"That they think that for me is very nice as a coach."
Three-time FIFA world player of the year Zidane has won three Champions League titles with Madrid and LaLiga twice.
Asked whether Madrid could be a better side without him, Zidane gave a surprising response, saying: "Sure, sure."
He repeatedly refused to answer whether his mind was made up on his future.
"We are going to play tomorrow, that's the important thing. We have time to talk about that. This is not the time," Zidane said. "We must put all the energy into tomorrow's game After 37 matchdays we are not going to waste time talking about next year. We are only focusing on tomorrow's game.
"The important thing is not what I am going to do, but the team. I repeat myself, I'm sorry."
A barren season on the trophy front would be a sorry way for Zidane, the galactico turned superstar boss, to make his exit.
He could yet become the first Real Madrid manager to win two league titles in a row since Leo Beenhakker's three between 1987 and 1989, and Zidane may hope Villarreal's focus is on their European final.
However, Villarreal, who sit seventh heading into the weekend, will want to guarantee a place in next season's European competitions through their league placing, so it is not a dead game for them either.
Madrid have only won two of their last seven meetings with Villarreal in LaLiga (D4 L1). However, promisingly for Zidane, both of those wins came in their past two home league games (3-2 in May 2019 and 2-1 in July 2020).
If Madrid miss out on the title, Zidane accepts there will be disappointment, but he said: "My players cannot be blamed for anything. Injuries, COVID, there have been many things.
"You can always do better and I am always critical of myself. I am a winner and I don't like to lose. In my life I fight and I give everything to win. And the players also want to win."
Simona Halep will miss this year's French Open due to a calf injury.
The 2018 champion at Roland Garros suffered a tear in her left calf while playing against Angelique Kerber at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome last week.
Halep posted a statement on Twitter on Friday confirming she will not recover in time to take part in the second grand slam of the season, which begins in Paris on May 24.
"It's with a heavy heart that I announce my withdrawal from Roland Garros this year,” the world number three said.
"Unfortunately the tear in my left calf muscle needs more time to recover and the timeline is just too short.
"Withdrawing from a grand slam goes against all my instincts and aspirations as an athlete, but it is the right and only decision to make.
"The thought of not being in Paris fills me with sadness, but I will focus my energy on recovery, staying positive and getting back on court as soon as it is safe to do so.
"Roland Garros 2022, I am coming for you! A bientot [see you soon!]"
Halep defeated Sloane Stephens to win the clay-court tournament three years ago, having previously lost finals in 2014 and 2017.
The 29-year-old Romanian – who also won Wimbledon in 2019 – made the quarter-finals at the Australian Open back in February, her run in Melbourne ended by Serena Williams.
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos will be fit for a decisive weekend in LaLiga's title race, news that also hands Spain a major boost for Euro 2020.
Eden Hazard, though, has sustained an injury that will rule him out on Saturday, after head coach Zinedine Zidane delivered a pre-match injury update at his news conference.
Real Madrid are two points behind leaders and city rivals Atletico Madrid ahead of the final round of fixtures.
Atleti travel to relegation-threatened Real Valladolid while Real Madrid are at home to seventh-placed Villarreal.
If Atleti are crowned LaLiga champions it means Madrid will end the season without a major trophy, and there has been speculation that Zidane will quit as head coach.
But the presence of Ramos, who has been restricted to 15 top-flight appearances after sustaining a series of injuries this season, will lift the spirits of Madrid as well as giving Spain cause for cheer.
The defender has been out since he suffered a hamstring injury against Chelsea on May 5. That had been his first Madrid appearance for seven weeks after a previous absence.
"Yes, tomorrow he will be with us," Zidane said about Ramos. "Then, in the team, you will see him.
"I would always take Sergio [to the Euros if I was in charge] – always, whatever happens. He is one who always gives everything.
"Hazard has something. Not much, but we don't want to risk. If he doesn't train with the team, it's because something's wrong with him. That's it. So, he won't be there.
"It is a special day; it is the last game of a league with difficulties. We know who we are going to play against, a team that is doing very well. We are going to strive to get the three points."
Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman does not know if he will still be in charge of the club for next season.
The Catalan giants head into Saturday's final LaLiga match of 2020-21 against Eibar knowing they cannot finish any higher than third place.
After a mixed start to the season, a 19-match unbeaten run in the top flight propelled Barca back into title contention as leaders Atletico Madrid began to falter.
However, Koeman has overseen just three wins from their past eight league games, meaning they are five points behind Real Madrid and seven adrift of Atleti heading into matchday 38.
Barca's recent league form, coupled with their Champions League last-16 exit to Paris Saint-Germain, has left Koeman facing serious questions over his future despite winning the Copa del Rey in April.
President Joan Laporta has reportedly decided to appoint a new coach for next season after becoming frustrated with the way Barca allowed their promising title challenge to collapse in recent weeks.
Koeman expects to speak with Laporta after the game at Ipurua but, although he wants to stay on at Camp Nou, he knows matters are largely out of his hands.
"I don't know if I will continue," he said on Friday. "I haven't spoken with the president. We've agreed to do so after the end of the season.
"We'll see. I want to stay and complete my contract. Things have to change. The president has the last word.
"I don't know exactly what's going to happen. I will speak with the president. I love the club a lot and if the club thinks I'm not the one to lead the team, they say so.
"I give my opinion and that's it. Until I talk with [Laporta], I can't answer more.
"It's the last month. You have to respect the coach and the players more. I understand they're bothered because in the last few days they haven't deserved the treatment the press has given them."
Koeman went on to suggest he has not felt as though he has had the full backing of the club during a recent run of one win in five games, which culminated in a shock 2-1 home defeat to Celta Vigo that killed Barca's remaining title hopes.
"In the final part of the season, I haven't felt [that support] because we haven't spoken about the future. I understand where I am, at a club like this," he said.
"Despite the changes we're making, I've always stood up. I've been the only spokesman on the club's behalf in many moments and that should be recognised. If, in the end, we think we need a new coach or new players, perfect, but you have to communicate."
Justin Burrowes overcame three bogeys to shoot a one-over-par 73 and assume the early lead at the Alliance National Golf Championships at the Caymanas Golf Club on Thursday.
Burrowes also had three birdies and an eagle on the day that gave him a one-shot lead over William Knibbs. Owen Samuda had a 75 while Zandre Roye shot a 76 to be tied with Mark Newnham. Sean Morris and Shamar Wilson are both tied on 78.
Burrowes said he was happy with his first-round score even though he bogeyed the last two holes to end the round a stroke above par.
"Today was pretty good. I knew that I had to post a good number to keep myself in the tournament which I felt like I did today,” he said.
“Didn't putt as well as I wanted to but there are still a lot of positives to build on going into the next three days. I feel like I played well and there is a lot to build on and with the conditions being tough, it's always good to hit the ball well which I feel like I did today and I look forward to the next couple of days."
Meanwhile, many-time women’s champion Jodi Munn-Barrow led juniors Samantha Azan and Winni Lau with an even-par 72. She was also pleased with the day's play.
"(I am) very happy with today's round, didn't make a lot of mistakes which was good because the course was playing very tough. Conditions were hard, so overall happy, still have two more days to go so I have to focus on day two and day three so and hopefully the outcome will be good," she said.
In the Ladies 13 - 24 category, Valerie Grant had a score of 101 while Suzan White shot 106.
In the Men Senior 0-12 category, Vikram Dhuman leads with an 80 and is followed by Tony Allison (82), Nigel Davy (84) and Dave Cameron (87).
In the Men 7-12, Thajae Richards shot 88 while Richard White had 97.
The Men Super Senior 0-12 is led by former JGA president Wayne Chai Chong (79) and is followed by Teddy Alexander (80), Robert Chin (81), Stephen Chang (81) and Bert Tomlinson (82).
Desmond Brown scored a 97.
The golfers will take to the Caymanas Golf Course at 7:30 am today for the second day of the championship.
Lionel Messi will sit out Barcelona's final match of the LaLiga season against Eibar.
The club confirmed their captain has been granted permission to start his holidays early before he begins preparations for the Copa America with Argentina.
Midfielder Pedri will also skip the game at Ipurua after a hectic season, with Barca unable to finish any higher than third in the table.
Messi has played in all but two of Barca's league games in 2020-21, making 47 appearances in all competitions.
He leads the goalscoring charts in LaLiga with 30, seven clear of nearest rival Gerard Moreno, meaning he is almost certain to win the Pichichi trophy for the eighth time in his career.
It is unclear whether Messi will play for the Catalans again. The 33-year-old's future at Camp Nou remains in doubt, with his contract expiring in June and no agreement yet reached on an extension.
Messi attempted to leave last year, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain said to be interested, but he was thwarted by former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
The return of Joan Laporta, who has a good relationship with Messi, as Bartomeu's successor this year could play a part in the player's decision over his future.
Laporta is reported to have sanctioned a 10-year contract offer for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner, while Barca have also been tipped to sign Messi's Argentina team-mate Sergio Aguero on a free transfer after he leaves City.
Adam Gemili has accused the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of hypocrisy over its plans to sanction athletes who take a knee in support of Black Lives Matter at this year's Games in Tokyo.
Last month, the IOC executive board approved recommendations in regard to Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, relating to athlete expression at Tokyo 2020 and beyond.
Although it pledged to "increase opportunities for athletes' expression during the Olympic Games" and celebrate "Peace, Respect, Solidarity, Inclusion and Equality" through collective branding, it was deemed "not appropriate" for competitors to "demonstrate or express their views on the field of play".
As such, any actions such as taking a knee at a podium ceremony will be subject to sanctions, although it is unclear at this stage what the punishments might be.
British sprinter Gemili told The Guardian "all hell would break loose" if athletes were banned for protesting.
If he is able to improve upon his fourth-placed finish in the 200m at Rio 2016, the 27-year-old explained he would not be dissuaded from taking a stand and cited double standards over the celebrations of Black Power protests at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico and the IOC's present position.
"For sure I would be happy to take a knee if I was successful at the Olympics and I had that opportunity," he said.
"I would definitely protest. The fact the IOC is telling athletes 'no, you can't do it' is only going to make people more angry. If the opportunity came, I wouldn't shy away from it.
"This is what I don’t understand: the IOC are so quick to use Tommie Smith, the picture of his fist raised, but they are saying 'actually, no one is allowed to do that'. It doesn't make sense.
"I don't think you can ban an athlete for protesting. And if they do, all hell would break loose and it could go south and sour very quickly. They will be very naive to even try to do that.
"The Olympics is not a place to be political, it's a place for sport and to bring the whole world together, but the whole BLM movement is more than political. It's about being a good human, and equal rights for everyone."
The IOC reported 70 per cent of over 3,500 athlete respondents to their survey were against demonstrations on the "field of play" or at official ceremonies, with that figure dropping fractionally to 67 per cent for podium ceremonies.
Nevertheless, Gemili feels the governing body's methodology was flawed when it came to accurately showing the strength of feeling from athletes of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
"I think the IOC knew exactly what it was doing," he added.
Albert Pujols is confident the Los Angeles Dodgers remain the best team in MLB and was happy to help the World Series champions with his first home run since signing.
City rivals the Los Angeles Angels designated Pujols for assignment this month, but the future Hall of Famer quickly found a new home.
The Dodgers have since gone 4-0 to improve to 26-18, although they are still only third in the NL West.
Injuries to Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager have not helped the team, but Pujols believes they are still the best around.
"Just because I'm here, that doesn't change anything," he said when asked about the recent upturn in form. "These guys are a heck of a ball club.
"Before I got here, this team is probably the best team in the major leagues.
"You look up and down the lineup, the bullpen, the starting pitcher, even though they've got a couple of guys hurt. The quality guys we have here, they know how to win.
"The young guys, the energy that they have, I'm just excited to be part of this group.
"Just because I'm here we have a winning streak? I don't believe in that. I believe this is a great team."
The Dodgers' wins with Pujols on the team have all come in a series sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks, concluding with a 3-2 victory on Thursday.
Pujols set them on their way to that success with a two-run homer in the second inning.
It was his first for the Dodgers but 668th of his career, including five for the Angels this season.
The 41-year-old therefore became the first player in MLB history to homer for two different teams in the same metropolitan area before the end of May.
"Coming through here for 20 years-plus, I saw the energy that these guys have," said Pujols, who now has 3,256 hits, 13th on the all-time list.
"Whether with the Cardinals or the Angels, it always seemed like these guys were ready to play every day.
"I'm just glad to be on this side now and enjoying the energy and jumping on the wagon with some of these guys.
"I'm just excited to contribute and obviously to help this ball club continue to win."
Russell Westbrook has revealed how he inspired the Washington Wizards to turn their season around in a run to the playoffs that concluded with Thursday's play-in win over the Indiana Pacers.
The Wizards, who signed Westbrook in a trade from the Houston Rockets for John Wall last year, made a miserable 6-17 start to 2020-21.
However, that form was flipped on its head at the end of the campaign, with Washington 17-6 over their final 23 games to finish eighth in the East with a 34-38 record.
Westbrook and Co could not carry that momentum into the initial seven-eight play-in, going down 118-100 to the Boston Celtics, but the Wizards recovered to thrash the Pacers 142-115 and reach a first-round series against number one seed the Philadelphia 76ers.
It means Westbrook, who had 18 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds against Indiana, will appear in the playoffs for a sixth consecutive year, having missed the postseason only twice in a 13-season NBA career.
"We were struggling and everybody was doubting us on the outside and we had to figure out a way to knuckle up and make the playoffs," he said of Washington's regular season turnaround. "Simple as that.
"I didn't care what happened in the previous games. Moving forward, we had to figure ourselves out, look at ourselves in the mirror, starting with myself.
"I made it clear to the guys that we'll make it."
The Wizards still had work to do on Thursday, though, with Westbrook dismayed by his performance in the defeat to the Celtics.
Having averaged a triple-double this season – 22.2 points, 11.7 assists and 11.5 rebounds – to pass Oscar Robertson's record with 184 career triples, Westbrook felt he could have offered more than his 20 points, five assists and 14 rebounds in Boston.
Asked about his mood after that loss, he said: "You should ask my wife, my mom, my dad, my brother, everybody, they're so annoyed with me right now.
"I was so p***ed at my performance. I just wasn't feeling the best when my team needed me the most, but everything happens for a reason.
"I knuckled down and took care of my body and made sure that my mind was right coming into tonight and made sure that my energy and effort was there and my team could follow me."
Bradley Beal led Washington on Thursday with 25 points.
The ninth-year guard trailed only Stephen Curry with his 31.3 points this season, yet he had played only 40 career playoff games heading into this postseason.
Although Beal insists he was always happy on the Wizards – his only team – it is a relief to return.
"It feels that much better knowing that you're playing for something and you're winning," he said. "Obviously, you always want to be on the other side of that and win.
"So, in that regard, it definitely feels great to be back in a playoff position, but it doesn't change my happiness one way or another.
"You're obviously going to be happy to be in the playoffs and be happy to win games. When you're losing, you're not going to be that way. So, I'm definitely happy we are where we are."
The 76ers are next and Westbrook added: "They're the number one team in the East for a reason.
"They've been playing well all season long. They're a good team overall, with a lot of different talent on the team.
"We've got to make sure we prepare the right way and go and win the series, taking one game at a time."
Paris Saint-Germain have won seven of the past eight Ligue 1 titles. This weekend, they might make it eight out of nine.
But this time, the odds are against them.
In the Qatari Sports Investment era, PSG have turned Ligue 1 into their own personal playground, away from the heartache that Champions League tilts tend the bring.
In 2016-17, they missed out to Monaco, whose lavishly gifted young squad came together at the perfect time.
Kylian Mbappe's supernova emergence inconvenienced PSG so much they decided they had to sign him once the campaign ended, but the France sensation had quite the supporting cast.
Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar, Fabinho, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Benjamin Mendy all went on to rake in hundreds of millions of euros collectively as Europe's elite embarked upon a feeding frenzy.
Monaco's triumph spoke of the improbability of PSG being unseated again any time soon, given the extent to which numerous stars would have to align at just the right moment and for long enough before being ripped apart.
However, something feels different as leaders Lille head into Sunday's final matchday needing to match PSG's result at Brest when they travel to face Angers.
Once again, a vibrant youthful core are seeking to take down the kings of France, but if Christophe Galtier's fearless insurgents pull off their heist, it is unlikely their star attacker will have Parisian eyelashes fluttered in his direction.
That is because he is a 35-year-old veteran Turkey striker who, before this season, had never played anywhere outside his home country in Europe.
A free transfer to replace the €70m man
If there was a parallel to Burak Yilmaz in that shimmering Monaco team, it was Radamel Falcao, whose goalscoring nous and experience proved invaluable to Leonardo Jardim's side.
But the Colombia international was enjoying a resurgence, having established himself as one of the most lethal strikers in the world at Atletico Madrid before falling on hard times, initially at Monaco and then during fruitless loan stints at Manchester United and Chelsea.
Yilmaz's CV provides a who's who of Turkish football, counting Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Trabzonspor and Galatasaray among his former employers. While Monaco were getting to work in 2016-17, he enjoyed a hop aboard the fleeting Chinese Super League gravy train at Beijing Guoan.
He arrived at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on a free transfer last August with 224 league goals to his name over the course of a career impressive in its consistency. Nevertheless, it was impossible for the man brought in following Victor Osimhen's €70million departure to Napoli not to feel like an underwhelming replacement.
"During my career, I played in big clubs with a lot of pressure," Yilmaz said during his presentation to the media at Lille.
"I realised that this pressure was an advantage, something positive for me. It continues here in another way, with other objectives. I want to write a new page with LOSC."
Even calling upon all that experience, all that title pedigree from his homeland, Yilmaz surely could not have imagined the fairy tale to which he now only needs to apply the final pieces of punctuation and a definitive full-stop on Sunday.
Bearing teeth for Les Dogues
He went without a goal in Lille's opening four games, but the solid foundation that has become the bedrock of their title change ensured Galtier's men went unbeaten and picked up eight points.
In their fifth match, a late Yilmaz penalty sealed a 2-0 win over Nantes and, next time out, he crowned a fluid team move by outmuscling his marker and sliding home in a supreme piece of centre-forward play. Strasbourg were beaten 3-0 and Lille's attacking fulcrum was off and running, not to look back.
He has 15 goals and five assists in Ligue 1 this season, more goal involvements than any of his team-mates. Jonathan David has two assists alongside his 12 goals and Jonathan Bamba has six goals having laid on nine others.
Yilmaz has equalled the most goals scored in France's top-flight in a single season by a Turkish player, level with Melvut Erdinc's haul for PSG in 2009-10.
In terms of goals alone, his is the best debut season for Lille in Ligue 1 since Moussa Sow fired 25 in 2010-11 – the club's previous title success.
Golden autumns and heavy goals
It feels like a good time to be an experienced hitman in Europe right now and Yilmaz is among the most prolific.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo, with 29 despite Juventus' Serie A woes, has more goals across the top five leagues among players aged 35 and over.
Yilmaz is level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on 15, with Sampdoria's evergreen Fabio Quagliarella up next on 12.
Like Ibrahimovic, Yilmaz has been forced to spend some time on the sidelines since the turn of the year and it is tempting to wonder whether Lille might already have the title in the bag were it not for a calf injury that ruled their talisman out for two months.
Yilmaz was on a run of three in three games before being forced to watch on for nine Ligue 1 rounds. His team-mates ploughed on, winning seven and drawing two of those games and he returned as a man on a mission.
Lille were 2-0 down at Lyon when he thundered home a magnificent 25-yard free-kick. Yilmaz crossed for David to equalise with an hour played and he then charged through to dink in an 85th-minute winner.
That was a truly bravura performance, with the calmness under pressure he boldly highlighted eight months earlier proving unshakable. An astonishing 30-yarder as part of a brace in a 3-0 win at Lens was his 15th and best of the campaign, taking Lille to the brink of glory.
Lille's 12 strikes from outside the box are the most in Ligue 1 in 2020-21 and goals of such quality mean Yilmaz is performing well in excess of his expected goals (xG) figure of 9.2. A positive differential of 5.8 is the sixth-best in the elite divisions behind Robert Lewandowski, Marcos Llorente, Son Heung-min, Luis Muriel and Lionel Messi.
Don't look back in Angers
Yilmaz was unable to whip up another dose of magic last weekend, with a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to Saint-Etienne meaning Lille's advantage heading into Sunday's decisive fixtures is down to a point.
Their 80 points is already the club's record tally and is built as much on a watertight defence as it is on Yilmaz's attacking fireworks.
Only PSG in 2015-16 (19) have conceded fewer after 37 games than Les Dogues' 22. During the second half of the season, they have kept things improbably tight – letting in just six goals, eight fewer than any other team in the top five leagues over this time. Atletico Madrid, also on the verge of an unforgettable triumph this weekend, are up next with a typically miserly 14.
Lille's Mike Maignan closed out a 21st clean sheet of the campaign against Saint-Etienne, a continental best that puts him three clear of Atleti's Jan Oblak and Manchester City's Premier League Golden Glove winner Ederson.
Alongside his clean sheet percentage of 56.8, another leading mark in the elite competitions, he has saved 79.1 per cent of shots faced, which can only be bettered by Oblak (80.2) and Keylor Navas (79.3) of PSG.
Obviously, this makes Lille very hard to beat. They have only lost three Ligue 1 games, although one of those was against Angers in January.
That might set nerves jangling when it comes to the crunch this weekend, but they need only look towards Yilmaz and his air of a man who will not be denied.
Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols hit his first home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers as the World Series champions extended their winning streak in MLB.
Pujols – acquired on a one-year deal on Monday, having been designated for assignment by city rivals the Los Angeles Angels – launched a two-run homer in the second inning of the Dodgers' 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.
It was Pujols' 668th career home run as the Dodgers celebrated their fourth consecutive victory.
Pujols – a two-time World Series champion, three-time MVP and 10-time All-Star – now has 3,256 hits, 13th on the all-time list.
According to Stats Perform, the 41-year-old Pujols became the first player in MLB history to homer for two different teams in the same metro area before the end of May.
Elsewhere, the San Francisco Giants showed no mercy in a 19-4 demolition of the Cincinnati Reds, who suffered a four-game sweep.
Steven Duggar hit his first career grand slam in a nine-run third inning, while Brandon Crawford drove in six runs for the Giants.
The Giants, who had season highs of 19 runs and 16 hits, now own the best record in the majors amid a five-game winning streak.
Cubs roar as Happ homers
A pair of Ian Happ home runs helped the Chicago Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 5-2. Happ also drove in three runs at Wrigley Field.
The Tampa Bay Rays routed the Baltimore Orioles 10-1, extending their winning streak to seven games, thanks to Joey Wendle's two homers.
Sandy Alcantara produced a two-hit performance of six innings as the Miami Marlins shut out the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0.
Mahle struggles
It was a game to forget for Tyler Mahle and the Reds. Cincinnati pitcher Mahle allowed seven runs, seven hits and two walks in just two innings. His ERA rose from 2.93 to 4.20.
Martinez the hero in Dunedin
J.D. Martinez hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in a three-run ninth inning as the Boston Red Sox rallied past the Toronto Blue Jays 8-7. Martinez's 250th career home run snapped a 12-game streak without a homer as the Red Sox held onto the American League (AL) East lead.
Thursday's results
San Francisco Giants 19-4 Cincinnati Reds
Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 Baltimore Orioles
New York Yankees 2-0 Texas Rangers
Chicago Cubs 5-2 Washington Nationals
Houston Astros 8-4 Oakland Athletics
Los Angeles Angles 7-1 Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins 6-3 Los Angeles Angels
Miami Marlins 6-0 Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 Atlanta Braves
Boston Red Sox 8-7 Toronto Blue Jays
Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
White Sox at Yankees
AL Central leaders the Chicago White Sox (26-16) will visit the streaking Yankees (25-19) on Friday. The Yankees have won three straight games following a slow start to the season. White Sox ace Carlos Rodon takes to the mound at Yankee Stadium, where the hosts counter with Jordan Montgomery.
Brooks Koepka dismissed concerns over his knee, insisting he does not have to be "100 per cent" after impressing on day one of the US PGA Championship.
Koepka ended the opening round two strokes behind leader Corey Conners and tied for second position following his three-under-par 69 on Thursday.
American star Koepka has been plagued by injuries since winning back-to-back PGA Championships in 2019 and a fourth major title in three years, undergoing knee surgery in March before missing the cut at last month's Masters.
Koepka overcame a slow start after double-bogeying his opening hole in windy conditions as he made history in South Carolina.
The four-time major champion has opened the PGA Championship with a score in the 60s in each of the last six years, the longest such streak at any major in the modern era (since 1934), eclipsing Jack Nicklaus (five – 1972-1976 Masters).
"It's a major. I'm going to show up," Koepka said when asked about his fitness and whether it was the best he has felt since returning from injury. "I'm ready to play. I've been itching to do this since Augusta.
"I mean, I feel so much better now. I don't need to be a hundred percent to be able to play good."
"I love it when it's difficult," said Koepka. "I think that's why I do so well in the majors. I just know mentally I can grind it out. Like when it's windy like this, it's not so much putting, it's more about ball striking, and I felt like I struck it really well today. I feel like that's why I've done really well.
"You've got to understand that sometimes par is a good score. You've got to understand that 30, 35 feet is a great shot sometimes, and you've just got to accept it and move on."
Defending champion Collin Morikawa closed out day one a shot further back at two under.
Morikawa mixed five birdies with three bogeys to end the round three strokes off the pace at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
He played alongside big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau (72) and praised the reigning U.S. Open champion.
"I think people need to give him credit, starting today, that he's actually picking up the pace," Morikawa said. "It was amazing how fast he actually played. I'm not going to say fast, but he wasn't slow. You weren't just waiting on him to figure out whatever.
"Kudos to him because it was windy and he had to figure out some stuff for sure. But I enjoy it. He's a character. He's his own person. That's what makes Bryson, Bryson. I think that's why people love him. I enjoy playing with someone like that. It's not going to faze me that he hits it a hundred past me. I know I can still hit it and play golf."
DeChambeau, who heads into the second round tied for 31st, added: "The wind just kicked my butt. It's hot. Just grinding out there, it takes a lot out of you. Working really, really hard to hit every shot the exact way I want to, and then it doesn't happen, and you've got to be comfortable with it and going, okay, how do I get up-and-down.
"It's windy and you're over a four-footer. Wind is blowing really hard, and you think it's going to break. When the wind stops, it's not going to break. It's all just a really difficult thing that you've got to control out there. It's a lot of work."
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
