Harry Kane reached his half-century of European goals with an Allianz Arena double as Bayern Munich turned around their Champions League tie against Lazio to reach the last eight of the competition.
Kane scored twice and Thomas Muller added another to overturn Lazio’s first-leg lead in style and give Bayern a comfortable 3-0 victory in Bavaria.
Lazio’s resistance lasted 38 minutes, but there was only one outcome after Kane levelled the tie on aggregate with his 50th goal in European competition.
Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel sprang a surprise before kick-off by preferring England defender Eric Dier at centre-back to big-money summer purchase Kim Min-jae.
Lazio were aiming to reach a Champions League quarter-final for the first time since 2000 and had the first sight of goal inside five minutes, Matteo Guendouzi firing wide after being set up by Felipe Anderson.
But the pattern of the game was soon set as Bayern dominated possession, territory and chances before an expectant home crowd.
Leroy Sane shot straight at Ivan Provedel in the Lazio goal and Mario Gila stayed alert to block Jamal Musiala from 12 yards.
Provedel batted away Musiala’s firm effort and Gila was in the right place to deflect Kane’s effort wide.
Lazio bodies got in the way again to deny Musiala and Raphael Guerreiro, and Dier headed over Joshua Kimmich’s cross.
It had been one-way traffic for over half-an-hour, but Lazio should have doubled their aggregate lead eight minutes before the break.
Matthijs de Ligt inadvertently flicked Mattia Zaccagni’s cross into the path of Ciro Immobile but the Italy striker planted his header wide from six yards.
It was to prove a very costly miss as Kane instantly punished the Italians.
Muller headed down into a crowded goalmouth, Guerreiro’s mishit effort bounced into the ground, and Kane reacted first with a stooping header that Provedel got in the way of but could not stop.
Musiala sent a close-range opportunity wide and Bayern seized the lead in the tie for the first time in the second minute of stoppage time.
Immobile hoped he had diverted Guerreiro’s corner out of danger, but De Ligt sent back a ferocious volley which Muller headed home from inside the six-yard box.
Lazio had a penalty claim when Immobile went down under De Ligt’s challenge at the start of the second half.
But the Dutch defender appeared to make contact with the ball and normal order was quickly restored as Lazio hopes faded once and for all.
Provedel pushed out Sane’s shot and England captain Kane adjusted his feet sharply to plunder the rebound for his 33rd goal in as many Bayern games.
Muller hit a post as Bayern sought to add extra gloss, but their passage into the last eight had been confirmed long before the final whistle.
A late goal from Leif Davis ensured Ipswich kept pace with league leaders Leicester after coming from behind to beat Bristol City 3-2.
All five goals came in a frantic second half, with the Robins taking the lead through Anis Mehmeti only for substitute Ali Al-Hamadi to equalise.
Tommy Conway’s header put City back in front but Conor Chaplin drew the teams level with a header from a free-kick by Davis before the Town defender sealed the three points.
Al-Hamadi had a penalty saved by City’s goalkeeper Max O’Leary but he was unable to stop Ipswich’s sixth victory on the trot.
It was a dour first half with few chances before the game came to life in the second period.
Chaplin struck the outside of the left-hand post in the 33rd minute after Kieffer Moore’s flicked header from a corner, while at the other end Harry Cornick’s cross was met by Nahki Wells, who headed straight at Vaclav Hladky.
Just before the half-time whistle, a mix-up in the Ipswich defence between Luke Woolfenden and Axel Tuanzebe led to the ball falling to Mehmeti.
He set up skipper Jason Knight but his effort from inside the box deflected off Woolfenden and glanced just past the outside of Hladky’s right-hand post, with the goalkeeper stranded.
The visitors broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when Mehmeti’s shot caught a slight deflection off Massimo Luongo to find its way into the back of the Ipswich net. And Wells had a wonderful chance to extend City’s lead when his shot struck the angle of bar and post and rebounded to safety.
But Ipswich struck back eight minutes later through substitute Al-Hamadi, who had only been on the pitch less than two minutes, turning Davis’ goal-bound shot into the net following Wes Burns’ cross into the City penalty area.
Hladky came to the rescue of Ipswich when he acrobatically turned away a shot from Mehmeti and Mark Sykes’ follow-up was cleared.
City substitute Conway pounced to head the ball past Hladky in the 77th minute following a pin-point cross from Sykes to put City back in front but Chaplin levelled three minutes later when he headed home from a Davis free-kick.
Al-Hamadi missed a chance to put Town ahead for the first time in the match when his penalty was saved by O’Leary after Cameron Pring fouled Burns in the box.
But Town grabbed the three points when Davis’ fierce shot took a deflection off Rob Dickie and went into the back of the net while Jack Taylor struck a post late on to send the delirious Town fans home happy.
Late strikes from Tyreeq Bakinson and Alfie May earned Charlton a 3-1 League One win at Cheltenham to ease their relegation fears.
The improving Addicks took a first-half lead through Daniel Kanu before Liam Sercombe’s 70th-minute leveller set up a tense finish.
But the late double lifted Nathan Jones’ side seven points clear of their hosts and the drop zone.
It took 19 minutes for them to break the deadlock, with Conor Coventry releasing Tennai Watson on the right and his low ball was turned in by Kanu for his 10th of the season.
May was denied by Liam Kinsella’s block in the box and Luke Southwood blocked another May effort, but the rebound was skewed wide in the 33rd minute.
Matty Taylor saw a low shot deflected wide, but Charlton were on top for much of the first half.
Cheltenham equalised when Jordan Thomas weaved past two defenders and forced Harry Isted into a low save, but he could only parry it to Sercombe, who tapped home.
But Bakinson struck four minutes from the end with a low shot that Southwood reached – but could not keep out – after George Dobson’s pass.
And former Robins hero May added the third in the 90th minute, tapping into an empty net after collecting Freddie Ladapo’s pass as Charlton extended their unbeaten run to six.
Kylian Mbappe’s brace saw Paris St Germain cruise into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 2-1 win away to Real Sociedad completing a 4-1 aggregate victory.
Mbappe should soon play in the same league as Sociedad once his long-mooted Real Madrid move is complete but he showed he is a level above the San Sebastian side with his clinical finishing making the difference on the night.
With a 2-0 lead in their pocket from the first leg, PSG were comfortable throughout, with the only blot coming when Mikel Merino scored a consolation goal a minute from time.
Mbappe, the top scorer across Europe’s top five leagues so far this season, offered an early warning sign when he turned a shot narrowly over the bar from Fabian Ruiz’s cut-back in the fifth minute.
Sociedad went to the other end, where PSG defender Nuno Mendes was relieved to see his header go just wide of the post as he cut out Sheraldo Becker’s cross.
PSG were the dominant force and they went ahead after 15 minutes through Mbappe’s fifth Champions League goal of the season.
Ousmane Dembele played the ball into the left channel and the France striker cut back from the byline and bent the ball across goal and inside the far post, leaving Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro, unsighted by his own defenders, rooted to the spot.
Remiro would have better luck in the 29th minute when he made a superb save to keep out Mbappe’s low shot at his front post, but PSG were bossing the game.
Sociedad’s most dangerous moment came late in the half when Takefusa Kubo’s shot from range sailed just wide of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s post.
But 11 minutes into the second half, Mbappe killed off any remaining sense that Sociedad were in the contest.
Lee Kang-In’s ball through gave Mbappe the freedom to run at goal uncontested, and he opened up his body as if shaping for the far post before whipping the ball in at the near post with Remiro wrong-footed.
Sociedad had the ball in the net in the 63rd minute when Ander Barrenetxea headed home but the flag went up for offside.
Sociedad took encouragement as they stepped up their attacks, having found fresh impetus from a series of substitutions.
Merino turned his chance wide from the centre of the area and, late on, Jon Ander Olasagasti saw his close-range effort deflected over the crossbar.
They would finally reward the vocal support of their fans at the very end. Benat Turrientes drilled in a cross from the right, Donnarumma got a strong hand to it but could only push it out to Merino, who had a relatively simple task to rifle home from the centre of the goal.
Ellis Simms scored a first-half hat-trick as Coventry claimed a comprehensive 5-0 Championship victory over bottom-side Rotherham at the CBS Arena.
The Sky Blues raced into a 4-0 lead before the break thanks to Simms and a header from Joel Latibeaudiere as Coventry returned to winning ways following defeats to Preston and West Brom in their last two league outings.
Fabio Tavares finished things off in stoppage-time to cap a welcome return to form for Mark Robins, who celebrates his seventh anniversary in charge of the Sky Blues on Wednesday.
Rotherham, who are all-but consigned to relegation as they sit 19 points from safety, were handed their eighth loss in a row and their 14th away defeat in 18 outings this season.
Simms had claimed the match ball just eight days ago as the Sky Blues reached the FA Cup quarter final with a 5-0 win against Maidstone.
The former Everton striker was gifted the opener inside the first five minutes when Viktor Johansson spilled Jake Bidwell’s cross and the 23-year-old was in the right place to nod in his 10th of the season.
Bottom side Rotherham barely threatened Brad Collins in the Coventry goal, Hakeem Odoffin glancing his header wide early on from Christ Tiehi’s inviting cross.
Latibeaudiere then doubled the lead after 23 minutes when he rose highest to power home Bidwell’s inswinging corner.
Coventry found themselves 3-0 down inside 38 minutes against Ryan Lowe’s Preston in their last home league outing, but Simms helped himself to a second to put the Sky Blues three goals to the good inside half-an-hour on Tuesday night.
Simms was on the end of a fluent counter attack when he swept in a left-footed effort after the ball had been inadvertently deflected into his path following Haji Wright’s run down the left.
Simms completed his perfect hat-trick before the break as he picked up a loose ball and whipped his effort into the corner from the edge of the box.
Rotherham’s Jamie Lindsay spurned an effort to reply after the break.
While former Barnsley goalkeeper Collins was forced into action for the first time after 80 minutes when he turned Peter Kioso’s near-post effort wide.
Substitute Tavares then finished off the rout with the last kick of the game with his first Championship goal in over two years as he slotted past Johansson following Milan Van Ewijk’s precise pass.
The Millers are already the unfortunate owners of the lowest points tally in the Championship – having only mustered 23 points in 2016/17 – and need four more points to avoid breaking their own record as they surpassed 70 goals conceded this season.
It was another bruising night for Leam Richardson’s side, whose winless run on the road stretched to 31 matches as they were dealt one more blow towards being relegated back to League One.
It is hard not to be impressed by the sheer willpower and determination of Jamaica’s diving flagbearer Yona Knight-Wisdom.
While it is not surprising, as Olympians are often seen as the epitome of human performance given their incredible physical and mental strength, the manner in which Knight-Wisdom conducts himself is so businesslike that his financial challenges pale in comparison to his performances.
Despite having very little financial backing since he rose to prominence as Jamaica’s first-ever male diver to compete at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, Knight-wisdom has never lost hope and continues to establish himself on the global stage.
But while his ambition and immense ability shines through like the noonday sun, Knight-Wisdom is once again left contemplating his future in the sport, as he believes the hard work and sacrifice that goes into a thriving career means very little without the necessary funding.
This, as the task of achieving the Olympic dream requires financial accessibility, which Knight-Wisdom seldom has, as he sometimes struggles to make ends meet where preparation for, and getting into competitions are concerned.
It is for this reason why the talented diver, who recently qualified to represent Jamaica at a third-consecutive Olympic Games, might not push for a fourth, as the sport has been cruel in returning dividends on his spend.
“There are many factors that I will have to take into consideration when looking at the future. I think my body would be able to cope with another four years because I’m very professional and committed to doing things in the right way,” he declared.
“The main question for me is value. Of course, it would be amazing to chase a fourth Olympic Games, but there isn’t much money in diving, it takes a lot of personal and financial sacrifice, and I need to figure out if there is enough value in it,” Knight-Wisdom told SportsMax.TV from his base in the United Kingdom.
Though Knight-Wisdom’s hardship isn’t unique, as many athletes look for ways to make ends meet while training, it is the grace and faith that the English-born diver, whose mother is Barbadian and father Jamaican, exudes as he represents the country with much gusto that stands out.
Like his admirers, Knight-Wisdom continues to bask in the fact that he will again represent the country at a third consecutive Olympic Games, as he recently secured an automatic quota spot to this summer’s Paris Olympics Games.
Unlike Rio in 2016 and Tokyo 2020, this qualification struck an emotional chord for Knight-Wisdom, whose progress was derailed by ruptured rectus femoris tendons in his left knee late in 2022, which required surgery and months of rehabilitation for recovery.
“Yes, the emotion certainly caught me briefly after the preliminary round. Competing against 70 other divers and doing a dive every 50 minutes or so was a major mental battle…when you know you can’t afford to make a big mistake with each dive, 50 minutes is a lot of time for your brain to play tricks on you,” Knight-Wisdom shared.
“The hard work I put in before my injury and the motivation to recover and get ready for 2024 meant that I was feeling good and confident coming into this event, so I’m grateful and relieved it has resulted in a positive outcome,” he added.
That confidence stemmed from the fact that Knight-Wisdom sets appropriate goals, which helps to track his progress and provides feedback about the areas of his dives that need to be strengthened.
Add to that the fact that he holds strict expectations which does not allow for areas of his dives to be weak, thereby ensuring that he gives a capital effort on each occasion.
Still, the results were not always what he expected along the way.
But given his unwavering commitment and determination to reap success for the black, green and gold, Knight-Wisdom kept plugging away at training knowing very well that it takes flawless routines to turn his fortunes around.
The 28-year-old has shown in the past that he possesses enough ability to rise to the occasion when it matters most, and that he did at the World Aquatics Championships, where he ended with a semi-final score of 368.95.
“My performances were actually a little lower than I was hoping for, though that is because I anticipated the qualification standard would be a little higher than it was in the end. My dives were good and solid throughout, with only one major mistake in the semi-final, but they all need to be refined and improved to attract even higher scores from the judges when I do them well. But overall, my performances were similar to how my training has been, so I have no complaints,” Knight-Wisdom said.
“This time round I think I was more expectant that I would qualify, even considering the injury. It definitely wasn’t a certainty, but I wasn’t relying on hope and belief as much as I was for Rio or Tokyo. I feel like I’ve done what most people, including myself, thought I would do. I don’t think many people will be shocked or surprised that I have qualified this time so it did sink in very quickly and I was straight to thinking how I can get better,” he reasoned.
That said, the lanky six-foot tall diver declared his intentions to possibly spring a surprise in Paris, provided he maintains a clean bill of health to improve on his current vein of form.
“I’d love to put myself in a position to produce a shocking result in the summer. I just need to keep doing what I’ve been doing,” he stated.
“This (qualification) was another stepping stone on my journey back to peak performance, a potential obstacle successfully negotiated, so I will just continue working on improving the finer details of my dives and on more consistent execution. My confidence will continue to build going forward which will be displayed in my dives,” Knight-Wisdom ended.
Bolton came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Barnsley with substitute Randell Williams equalising deep into time added on.
Goals from John McAtee and Donovan Pines put the home side in control before Victor Adeboyejo and Williams scored to level the scores.
McAtee struck the opener after 25 minutes, slotting past Joel Coleman after the ball fell to him when Mael de Gevigney blocked George Thomason’s clearance.
Pines then produced an emphatic finish just after the break, with the ball going in off the underside of the bar, following Luca Connell’s corner.
Liam Roberts came to Barnsley’s rescue, saving Thomason’s shot with his legs.
Bolton pulled a goal back when Thomason found Aaron Collins, whose ball across the face of goal was met by a close-range finish from Adeboyejo in the 62nd minute.
Bolton’s Jon Dadi Bodvarsson went close to scoring a minute from time with a shot which hit a post.
A penalty at the death, awarded following a foul, was taken by Josh Sheehan and saved by Roberts, but Williams followed up to score in the eighth minute of added time.
Peterborough moved within five points of the Sky Bet League One automatic promotion places following a 5-1 demolition of Northampton Town in the Nene derby.
The Cobblers actually struck first at the Weston Homes Stadium, but they collapsed in the face of an onslaught from a rampant Posh side who recorded their third win in a row.
Northampton went ahead in the ninth minute when Marc Leonard’s inviting cross following a short corner was nodded in by captain Jon Guthrie at the back post.
But Peterborough were level in the 25th minute when Jadel Katongo played in a terrific low ball that was finished off by Ephron Mason-Clark.
Kwame Poku then completed a rapid turnaround three minutes later when he whipped a shot into the bottom corner and it was 3-1 just before half-time when his mishit came off Jack Sowerby for Joel Randall to finish.
The Posh were relentless in the second half, with Hector Kyprianou heading in just before the hour and Josh Knight completing the rout after Randall’s corner wasn’t cleared.
Dan James’ first-half strike ensured Leeds continued their Championship automatic-promotion charge with a 1-0 victory over Stoke at Elland Road.
The hosts took a while to settle into their rhythm but they soon produced an onslaught as James missed a couple before putting his side ahead with his 11th goal of the season.
A battling Stoke side looked the more likely to grab an equaliser but Illan Meslier kept out chances from Lewis Baker, Tyrese Campbell and Josh Laurent in the second period.
Mateo Joseph had Leeds’ best chance when he saw one blocked on the line and substitute Ben Pearson was sent off late on for the visitors.
Stoke mustered the first shot on target of the encounter with eight minutes on the clock as a counter-attack ended up at the feet of Laurent outside the box, but he could only roll into the hands of Meslier.
Leeds wanted a penalty when James tracked down Daniel Iversen’s loose touch – the Stoke goalkeeper seemingly got the man first but cries for a penalty were waved away by referee Oliver Langford.
Leeds tested Iversen for the first time midway through the first period when he got down well to tip away Patrick Bamford’s sharp snapshot.
Leeds started to turn up the heat and had another opportunity as James ran through on goal but fired straight into the midriff of Iversen and behind for a corner.
Stoke were just about hanging on thanks to Iversen, this time James seeing an effort on target turned behind.
Leeds finally had their deserved breakthrough just after the halfway mark.
Georginio Rutter’s clever footwork in the middle of the park helped set James away, the Welshman twisted and turned in the box before firing into the back of the net via a deflection.
Stoke came forward with the last attack of the half and Baker decided to let rip from around 25 yards with an effort that needed to be tipped over by Meslier.
Leeds started the second half with less intensity which saw them finish the first period and Stoke began to believe. Baker fancied his chances for a second time from range but Meslier was on hand to palm away.
The Potters came forward once again in search of an equaliser as Campbell fashioned space in the area, but he blasted straight at Meslier.
Leeds were denied a second with a block on the line.
Substitute Joseph wrestled Michael Rose off the ball and rounded Iversen only to see his goalbound shot blocked by Ben Wilmot.
Stoke were reduced to 10 men in the 86th minute when Pearson picked up a second yellow card for stopping Leeds on the counter.
James’ one-on-one effort was denied by Iversen again which kept the 10 men of Stoke alive and they could have snatched a last-gasp equaliser but Laurent smashed straight into Meslier with the last kick of the game.
Sammie Szmodics salvaged a point for Blackburn but his 20th Championship goal of the season could not disguise the home side’s frustration after a tough 1-1 draw with Millwall at Ewood Park.
Szmodics pounced on a defensive error to fire home just past the hour mark, 10 minutes after Millwall substitute Michael Obafemi had lashed the Lions in front.
But the result extended Rovers’ dismal streak to just one win in 15 league games and leaves John Eustace still searching for his first victory in charge.
In contrast, Millwall’s point stretched their unbeaten run under Neil Harris to three matches and they will arguably have been the happier, despite the careless manner in which they tossed away over an hour of sterling defensive work.
Revitalised under the charge of their all-time record goalscorer, the visitors had the best chance of a first half that was almost devoid of incident, Ziam Flemming shooting into the side-netting from a tight angle after George Saville’s corner.
It was the only chance of any kind mustered in the first half by Harris’ men, who seemed happy to sit back and squeeze the momentum out of the home side, with Japhet Tanganga in particular outstanding at the back.
The Lions’ tactics could largely be said to have worked if the scattered boos that greeted the hosts at the half-time whistle was anything to go by.
Szmodics could do nothing with an effort from a tight angle after being put through by Tyrhys Dolan, then Szmodics returned the favour but his team-mate was caught offside.
The busy Dolan tried his luck from long range but his effort was blocked by Tanganga, who was also central to hacking away a dangerous Dom Hyam free-kick, before Flemming had his chance at the other end, just before the half-hour mark.
Jake Cooper denied Szmodics a shooting chance with an excellent interception, then Ryan Longman’s gutsy counter-attack trickled out to neatly sum up a forgettable first period.
Obafemi needed less than eight minutes to make an impression, tenaciously winning Billy Mitchell’s fine cross into the box and capitalising on poor Rovers defending to turn and fire a rising shot past home goalkeeper Leo Wahlstedt.
Amid evident frustration among the home fans, Rovers responded well, Szmodics forcing a save from Matija Sarkic before a desperate blunder from Millwall’s Danny McNamara led to their 63rd-minute equaliser.
The full-back failed to spot Rovers substitute Amor Sigurdsson when playing a square ball and the Iceland striker, who had only been on the field for two minutes, served Szmodics to sweep the leveller past Sarkic.
The excellent Tanganga headed away a dangerous cross under pressure from Szmodics, while Yasin Ayari’s long-range effort deep into injury time was palmed away by Sarkic as Millwall held on.
Sheffield Wednesday’s survival bid gathered further momentum as Djeidi Gassama’s second-half strike clinched a 1-0 home win over Plymouth.
Gassama steered home the only goal in the 60th minute to secure the Owls a fifth win in their last six league matches and they remain in the bottom three only on goal difference.
Danny Rohl’s in-form side launched a concerted effort to rescue their season last month and they climbed to within two points of Plymouth, who stay 16th despite slipping to a fifth defeat in their last seven.
Morgan Whittaker rifled an early chance for Plymouth over the crossbar, but Wednesday were soon into their stride and Conor Hazard knew little about Ike Ugbo’s close-range effort, which the visiting goalkeeper saved with his chest.
The Owls thought they had taken a 20th-minute lead, but on-loan Leeds winger Ian Poveda was ruled offside when he turned home Pol Valentin’s cross at the end of a free-flowing move.
Mickel Miller’s angled shot forced Owls goalkeeper James Beadle into his first save, but the home side went on to dominate the first half, albeit without a cutting edge.
Valentin, twice, and Poveda both had shots blocked as confident Wednesday played with purpose and cohesion, but the breakthrough goal their play deserved eluded them.
Barry Bannan’s withdrawal during the interval was a major blow. The little playmaker took a bang to the head at the end of the first period and was replaced by Momo Diaby.
But Wednesday remained on the front foot and took a deserved lead in the 60th minute.
Ugbo wriggled to the by-line and cut the ball back for Gassama, whose first time shot found the bottom corner despite Hazard getting his palm to it.
Whittaker’s 20-yard drive was comfortably saved by Beadle and at the other end Gassama lashed another fierce effort wide before Plymouth roused themselves and pushed for an equaliser.
Jordan Houghton and Whittaker both had shots from inside the area blocked during a frantic scramble.
Argyle substitute Mustapha Bundu fired wide from inside the area and two more efforts struck defenders in a crowded box as the Owls dug deep and held on for a deserved three points.
Jamie Vardy’s 13th goal of the season proved unlucky for Sunderland as Leicester ended their losing streak to strengthen their Sky Bet Championship title hopes.
The 37-year-old’s first-half header was enough to secure a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light, although it took a fine save by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen to deny Trai Hume a spectacular equaliser and condemn his team to a fifth successive defeat.
Enzo Maresca’s men would have been kicking themselves had they allowed two priceless points to slip from their grasp after squandering early chances, but they had to resist a stern examination as the hosts finished strongly.
The Italian’s response to Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat by QPR was to shuffle his pack with one of his four changes restoring Vardy to the starting line-up, while at the other end of the scale, Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg was handed a first league start at the age of 16.
Leicester’s bandwagon had stalled somewhat after a run of three successive defeats, while Sunderland had lost their previous four and in the circumstances, a scrappy start to the game was perhaps not unexpected.
The Foxes were first to show when Stephy Mavididi cut inside from the left and raced away from Dan Ballard only for Luke O’Nien to get a vital touch on his cross, and it took an improbable double-save from Anthony Patterson to deny Vardy and then Yunus Akgun after Sunderland had been exposed down their right once again.
Patterson produced a fine reaction stop to keep out Wout Faes’ header from a 13th-minute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall free-kick, but Vardy pounced to nod the rebound home.
The Black Cats started to work their way back into the game and Hermansen was sent sprawling to his left to claim Jobe Bellingham’s header from a 31st-minute O’Nien cross, but Patterson had to get down well to save Hamza Choudhury’s first-time strike as City pressed once again.
Sunderland returned after the break in determined mood with Dan Neil probing from midfield, but they were unable to pierce the blue wall which stood between them and Hermansen until Hume took aim from distance and saw the keeper tip his 64th-minute piledriver on to the crossbar.
Hume forced Hermansen into further saves with an 80th-minute attempt from distance and a stoppage time free-kick as the home side piled on the pressure, but the visitors, who sent on Wilfred Ndidi as a late substitute on his return from injury, held firm to see out an important win.
Birmingham secured an important point in their battle against relegation with a hard-earned 1-1 draw at play-off contenders Hull.
Ozan Tufan looked to have consigned Blues to a 13th away defeat when he headed home in the first half.
But Hull, still in the Sky Bet Championship play-offs and now unbeaten in six, were sloppy in front of goal and could not score the second which their dominance arguably warranted.
They were punished after 82 minutes through Lukas Jutkiewicz’s firm header which moved Birmingham, still without unwell manager Tony Mowbray, a point above the drop zone.
With the visitors clearly short of confidence – only Rotherham have a weaker Championship away record – Liam Rosenior’s men were, unsurprisingly, keen to seize control early on.
Fabio Carvalho’s smart hit was sharply deflected for a corner by Emanuel Aiwu, after which Jean Michael Seri warmed John Ruddy’s palms from distance on seven minutes.
But just when it felt like Hull would kick on, Birmingham came desperately close to opening the scoring just 60 seconds later.
Junior Bacuna too easily beat Ryan Giles on the right before crossing hard and low towards the near post.
Hull centre-back Jacob Greaves looked to have snubbed out the threat, but his sliding defensive block skewed inches wide of the right post.
The hosts were fleetingly knocked off their stride following that let-off, but they always looked a threat in possession and gradually retained a strong foothold into the game.
Mark Venus, however, will still have been most disappointed by the manner in which Blues conceded after 25 minutes.
Abdulkadir Omur’s fierce corner was flicked on by Greaves towards the far post, but Tufan was still given too much space to head home.
Turkey international Tufan came close to adding a second after 40 minutes when he let rip from the edge of penalty area following good work from Jaden Philogene.
The ball bounced awkwardly but Ruddy did brilliantly to palm the ball onto the base of the left post, with Carvalho a stud’s length away from scoring on the follow-up.
Hull largely bossed proceedings after the restart, but they were often guilty of overcomplicated build-up play when a direct approach would have been more beneficial.
No better was this illustrated than after 73 minutes when Philogene cashed in on a defensive mix-up but tried to score the perfect goal when a simple strike would have had Ruddy in big trouble.
But with Hull goalkeeper Ryan Allsop a virtual bystander, few inside the MKM Stadium would have bet against a home win.
That was until substitute Alex Pritchard whipped over a teasing cross from the right, with Jutkiewicz heading home from close range to earn Birmingham what could prove to be a huge point.
Novak Djokovic still remains the favourite to win any tournament he enters and is capable of winning six more grand slams before the end of next year.
That is according to former Wimbledon winner Richard Krajicek, who told Stats Perform he considers Djokovic the sport's all-time greatest.
Djokovic won three majors last year and reached the final of a fourth, but he was knocked out of the 2024 Australian Open at the semi-final stage.
Jannik Sinner defeated the 10-time Melbourne champion in four sets before beating Daniil Medvedev in the final, seeming to usher in a new era for tennis.
However, Krajicek insists Djokovic is far from done as he continues to pick and choose which tournaments he enters.
"Five or six years ago, I was wondering how long he's going to maintain his level, but he's still doing it," Krajicek told Stats Perform.
"He played very few tournaments last year and still managed to be number one.
"I doubt that he's going to stay number one for long if he only plays 11 or 12 events because then you basically have to win every event.
"But for me, he's still going to win one to three grand slams a year, for the next two years at least."
Wimbledon was the only major at which Djokovic fell short last year as his streak of four straight titles at SW19 came to an end against Carlos Alcaraz.
Krajicek, who won the tournament in 1996, believes the 36-year-old remains the man to beat in this year's competition.
"For sure, at Wimbledon," Krajicek said when asked if Djokovic is the favourite. "The French Open and the US Open has more competition.
"It's difficult as there are more strong, fit players like Medvedev, Sinner and Alcaraz.
"That will be very difficult to win the US Open, but for me, he is still the favourite to win Wimbledon."
Djokovic won his 24th grand slam singles title when triumphing at the US Open last September with victory over Medvedev in the final.
The world number one is two in front of Rafael Nadal for the most majors won by a male in the Open Era, while the retired Roger Federer finished on 20.
On that basis, Djokovic is the greatest of all time in the view of Krajicek, who also cites his longevity.
"For me, he's the best player that ever played the game," the Dutchman said. "He has won every grand slam at least three times.
"He's won 24 grand slams, and he's also won four grand slams in a row previously. Those are just incredible stats.
"He's been number one for over 400 weeks, and I think Federer is the next one with about 310 weeks.
"So, for me, Federer and Nadal are unbelievable players, but Djokovic is just a little level higher."
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