Mohammed Kudus was thankful to the referee for understanding his tribute to Christian Atsu was "bigger than the rules of football".

Kudus scored the final goal in Ajax's 4-0 rout of Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday, moving John Heitinga's team into second in the Eredivisie. 

The Ghana international who enjoyed a fine World Cup, curled in a free-kick in the 84th minute and celebrated by removing his shirt to show an undershirt with the message "RIP Atsu".

It was confirmed on Saturday that former Chelsea, Porto, Newcastle United and Everton winger Atsu had died in the earthquakes that shook southern Turkey and northern Syria.

The 31-year-old had been missing since February 6, but his body was eventually recovered from the rubble of his apartment building in the city of Hatay, where he had been playing for Hatayspor.

Kudus scoring from a left-footed free-kick was a fitting tribute in itself to his late compatriot Atsu, who netted with the same kind of effort in his final game, on February 5.

Referee Pol van Boekel spoke with Kudus after his celebration, but did not book the 22-year-old.

Kudus told ESPN: "This is bigger than the rules of football, it's about life and death.

"The referee said it was not allowed, but he understood the situation. I am grateful to him for that and I respect him very much."

Explaining his tribute, Kudus said: "This one was for Christian. Everyone knows what happened in Turkey. I chose this because he is dear to me. 

"It's naturally for all those families that are affected. I learned a lot from watching him, he also regularly gave me advice. Everything I gave today was for him. 

"If I hadn't have scored, I would have shown the shirt after the game."

Over 47,000 people have died as a result of the earthquakes.

Neymar did not suffer a fractured ankle in Paris Saint-Germain's win over Lille, but will have to wait on the results of further scans to see if he has ligament damage.

The 31-year-old was taken off on a stretcher early in the second half at Parc des Princes on Sunday after sustaining an injury to his right ankle.

PSG went on to win 4-3 thanks to Lionel Messi's stunning stoppage-time free-kick, but Neymar's injury presents cause for concern, especially looking ahead to the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich on March 8.

Christophe Galtier suggested Neymar, who set up Kylian Mbappe's opener and scored PSG's second goal, had sprained his ankle and that has now been confirmed by PSG.

However, further scans will be required to determine if there are any issues with the ligaments.

"Victim of a sprained ankle during the match against Lille, Neymar underwent an MRI [on Sunday]," a PSG medical update read.

"This did not reveal a fracture. A new ligament assessment will be carried out in 48 hours."

Nuno Mendes also went off injured against Lille, with the Portugal international suffering "a small inflammation of the internal ligament of the right knee".

Like Neymar, the full-back will undergo more tests in the coming days to confirm the extent of the damage.

Juventus eased to their third straight Serie A victory after Moise Kean and Angel Di Maria struck in a 2-0 victory at relegation-threatened Spezia on Sunday.

Spezia sacked coach Luca Gotti in midweek and saw some improvements, yet Massimiliano Allegri's team still triumphed at Stadio Alberto Picco.

Kean's deadly 32nd-minute finish sent the visiting Juve on their way before substitute Di Maria drilled home in the second period to seal the three points.

Victory moved Juve to seventh, albeit nine points behind sixth-placed Atalanta and a place in Europe next season, while Spezia remain two above the relegation zone.

Dusan Vlahovic saw a cool finish ruled out for offside in a slow opening, while Danilo nodded narrowly wide after Spezia lost goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski to an apparent hip injury.

Juve capitalised soon after as Filip Kostic's left-wing cross found Kean, who calmly swept a left-footed finish into the bottom-right corner past Federico Marchetti.

Eldor Shomurodov nodded just off target and Emmanuel Gyasi was unable to get the required touch on a bouncing ball past Mattia Perin as the struggling hosts looked to respond.

Kean headed a glorious chance from Alex Sandro's delivery wide after the interval before Danilo thwarted Shomurodov with a last-ditch block.

Di Maria, brought on for Kean, ended any hope of a Spezia fightback as he lashed low into the bottom-right corner from outside the area after 66 minutes.

Perrin produced an expert stop to deny Gyasi's ferocious effort as Juve held out for another triumph.

What does it mean? Juve continue to recover

With a Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter in April and hopes of a Europa League run, Allegri's side still have a chance of salvaging their season after their 15-point deduction last month.

Italy's top six may prove a step too far but Juve continue to recover after winning their sixth straight Serie A clash with Spezia, who have not scored at home in the league since a 2-2 draw with Atalanta on January 4.

If the Bianconeri can edge past Nantes in their Europa League play-off second leg, with the tie level at 1-1, Juve will be able to take pride in their response to the punishments.

Classy Kostic

Kostic continues to impress after signing from Eintracht Frankfurt in August, with yet another pinpoint assist coming from the left-hand side.

The Serbia international has created nine goals in all competitions this season, only Napoli's in-form Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (12) has managed more assists among Serie A players.

Defensive solidity key for Juve

Juve have kept a clean sheet in four of their six league victories over Spezia, with the defensive resilience of Allegri's men a notable factor this season.

The Bianconeri have won the most Serie A games this term without their defence being breached (14), the last time they managed more shutouts after 23 league games was in the 1977-78 campaign (16).

What's next?

Juve visit Nantes in the aforementioned European clash on Thursday, before hosting fierce rivals Torino five days later in Serie A.

Christophe Galtier claims Paris Saint-Germain's intense fixture schedule played a part in Neymar's latest injury.

Neymar was taken from the field on a stretcher early in the second half of PSG's scintillating Ligue 1 clash with Lille on Sunday, which Galtier's team won 4-3 thanks to Lionel Messi's stunning late free-kick.

Brazilian forward Neymar appeared to go over on his right ankle while challenging Benjamin Andre, and Galtier said the early diagnosis was a sprain.

That could make Neymar a doubt to feature for PSG in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich on March 8.

Asked if bad luck was responsible for the 31-year-old's issue, Galtier told reporters: "No, it's not bad luck.

"There are always reasons for injuries: the schedule, the sequence of games. There is no chance [it is just luck].

"Of course it complicates things and that's the way it is. We have to keep our heads down. We're going to do it again, but with a victory. That's more pleasant."

Neymar has played nine times since PSG's season restarted after the World Cup, in which he also suffered an ankle injury.

The 31-year-old played the whole 90 minutes in Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Bayern, and in the league loss at Monaco three days earlier.

"[Neymar] is being examined," explained Galtier, who also had to take Nuno Mendes off due to an injury. "He went quickly to have tests to know the severity of his sprain.

"Nuno Mendes stretched his medial collateral ligament a little bit, but it really doesn't look serious at all."

Galtier said ahead of the game that he had spoken with Neymar after the forward was pictured in a McDonald's during a midweek night out in Paris.

Neymar set up Kylian Mbappe's opener at the Parc des Princes and then made it 2-0 to PSG in the 17th minute, but Lille hauled themselves level through Bafode Diakite and Jonathan David's controversially awarded penalty.

Jonathan Bamba completed the turnaround for Lille, who boasted a better expected goals (xG) total than their hosts (2.5 to 2.3), but Mbappe equalised before Messi curled in a wonderful free-kick in the fifth minute of added time.

"The difference on this game? It's very easy. The difference was Messi, it was Mbappe," said Lille coach Paulo Fonseca.

"That's the difference, because I think the whole game we dominated.

"We created a few chances, we played our game, and I think we deserved another result. But that's how it is, that's football. But I think the difference was Messi and Mbappe."

Julian Nagelsmann has been ordered to explain his behaviour towards the match officials after Bayern Munich's 3-2 defeat at Borussia Monchengladbach.

The German Football Association (DFB) will receive an official letter from disciplinary chiefs this week and his response will dictate whether further action follows.

Nagelsmann was left furious by Dayot Upamecano's red card in the eighth minute of Saturday's Bundesliga game, after the French defender tangled with Alassane Plea.

It was reported after the final whistle that Nagelsmann confronted referee Tobias Welz, reportedly storming through the media area to loudly knock on the official's door.

Nagelsmann described the red-card incident to reporters as "a minimal touch", but he has admitted he went overboard when confronting Welz and the referee's assistants.

Now the fiery reaction could see him facing punishment, with the DFB saying in a statement it was investigating Nagelsmann for "unsportsmanlike comments".

"As a first step, Julian Nagelsmann will be written to by the control committee at the beginning of the new week and asked to comment on the alleged incident," the DFB said.

"After the statement has been received and evaluated, the committee will decide on the further progress of the procedure."

Nagelsmann posted an apology on Twitter after the game, writing: "Emotions are part of sport. And given the red card, I had to vent after the game.

"However, I have to apologise for the choice of words to the team around Tobias Welz. Unfortunately I went too far there."

Kylian Mbappe insisted he was not making a comment against Neymar when he referred to his Paris Saint-Germain club-mates having to "eat well and sleep well".

Mbappe was one of PSG's heroes on Sunday as they snatched a 4-3 victory over Lille in a thrilling Ligue 1 encounter.

Neymar teed up Mbappe's opener and himself made it 2-0 to the hosts at Parc des Princes inside 17 minutes, only for the Brazil forward to go off with an apparently serious ankle injury early in the second half as Lille restored parity and then took the lead through Jonathan Bamba's superb strike.

Yet Mbappe dragged PSG level, setting the stage for Lionel Messi to win it with a sublime free-kick deep into stoppage time, ending a three-match losing streak for PSG, who trail 1-0 in their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich.

Mbappe urged his team-mates to take care of their fitness and energy levels ahead of the second leg on March 8, but a day later Neymar was pictured in a McDonald's branch on a night out in Paris.

Christophe Galtier revealed in the build-up to Sunday's match that he had discussed the matter with Neymar, but Mbappe was adamant his comments were not meant as a slant against his fellow superstar forward.

"I saw that people were talking about Ney, about what happened," Mbappe told Amazon Prime Sport. "It was not a [comment] against Neymar.

"In the context, we need everything except a fight. It's really advice for everyone.

"Because, as I said, when you have everyone, we saw it at the start of the match, when everyone is there, the teams have to worry.

"I hope Ney will come back soon because he is an important player for us."

The sight of Neymar being taken off on a stretcher was not promising for PSG, and Galtier said: "It's probably a sprained ankle, we will see the seriousness. He is being examined."

PSG's prospects looked bleak until Mbappe and Messi stepped up late on to ease what could have been mounting scrutiny on Galtier's position.

"The term is relief. It's the emotional lift," Galtier added.

"The match was very important for everyone, for the players, for me. We knew that a victory was mandatory to reset the dynamic.

"A coach who loses four games in a row, even more at PSG, is obviously in difficulty; there may be a lot of doubt around. What I can tell you is that I have the permanent support of my sports management and my president. It is very important."

Erling Haaland should be valued at €1billion in the current transfer market, according to the Manchester City star's agent.

The Norway international has taken the Premier League by storm since joining from Borussia Dortmund, scoring 32 goals in all competitions.

That is five more than his nearest challenger, Kylian Mbappe, across Europe's top five leagues this season, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward repeatedly drawing interest from Real Madrid.

Carlo Ancelotti's Spanish and European champions have previously also been credited with an interest in Haaland, whose agent Rafaela Pimenta believes it would take a record-breaking fee to secure his services.

"Erling Haaland is worth €1billion. That's not a guess, I'm sure of it," Pimenta told French broadcaster Telefoot.

"They might say I'm being ridiculous, that a club is not going to pay a billion, but his age, his quality, his progression and the way he behaves is why I talk about a billion.

"The future is unknown, but it's coming."

Pimenta has a host of high-profile players on her books after taking over Mino Raiola's agency following the super agent's death last year.

PSG and Italy midfielder Marco Verratti is one of her clients, although Pimenta does not envisage the 30-year-old leaving the Parc des Princes.

Pimenta added: "It's impossible to imagine Verratti anywhere else. Never! He just loves PSG."

Lionel Messi scored a stoppage-time free-kick as he and Kylian Mbappe came to Paris Saint-Germain's rescue in a pulsating 4-3 victory over Lille.

PSG's prospects looked bleak when Jonathan Bamba's stunner put Lille 3-2 up after Neymar had gone off on a stretcher with an ankle injury.

The Ligue 1 champions had seemed in control after 17 minutes of Sunday's clash at Parc des Princes thanks to Mbappe and Neymar, only for Lille to deservedly haul themselves level through Bafode Diakite's header and Jonathan David's contentiously awarded penalty.

Yet Mbappe, who prodded home in the 87th minute to restore parity, paved the way for Messi to curl in a wonderful free-kick off the right-hand upright deep into the seven minutes of added time.

Coach Lorne Donaldson believes Jamaica's Reggae Girlz needs to a better job at managing games following his team's 3-2 loss to the Czech Republic in the FFA Nations Cup in Australia on Sunday.

“There’s some stuff, but we’ve got to be able to manage games,” he said after Sunday’s loss. “We conceded in the last minute of the first half and in the second half, we decided to give up a goal because we’re thinking outside the box.

“Managing the game, especially when you’re tired is key and we were awful at that.”

In what was a much better showing than their 3-0 loss to Spain on Thursday, Jamaica conceded from the penalty spot in the 24^th minute after Satara Murray was deemed to have fouled Kristyna Ruzickova, after she drove into the box.

Andrea Staskova converted from the spot.

Jamaica would pull level in the 42^nd following some quality build-up play involving Havana Solaun, Drew Spence and Trudi Carter, whose pass found Jody Brown who buried her shot from just inside the box for her 14^th international goal.

However, Klara Cahynova headed in from a corner in first-half stoppage time to give her team a 2-1 lead at the break.

Ten minutes after the resumption debutant Kameron Necole Simmons collected a rebound from a Spence attempt on goal and slotted into the bottom left corner to pull Jamaica level once again.

It was her first international goal for Jamaica.

However, Jamaica conceded in the 90^th minute from a low cross that found Alena Peckova wide open at the far post for an easy tap-in and victory for the Czech Republic.

Jamaica will next play hosts Australia on February 22.

Jamaica’s U17 Reggae Boyz were eliminated from the CONCACAF U17 Championships on Saturday night, going down 2-1 in a hard-fought game against hosts Guatemala.

With the winner to earn a place in the quarter-finals, Guatemala assumed the early advantage when Selvin Sagastume put them 1-0 up in the 32^nd minute, a lead that would last until the half-time break.

Jamaica would pull level in the 54^th minute when Ronaldo Barrett scored from a free kick.

However, as has been the case in all their previous matches, Jamaica conceded a late goal. That problem cost them three points against Guadeloupe and two points against Costa Rica.

On Saturday night, Gabino Vasquez’s 77^th minute strike cost them a place in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, the USA drubbed the Dominican Republic 7-0 in their encounter in Antigua.

Christopher Aquino scored in the 22nd and 30^th minutes to give his side a 2-0 lead.

Keyrol Figueroa then scored just before the break to give the US a 3-0 lead. Figueroa added his second and the USA’s fourth in the 57^th before Micah Burton added a fifth in the 62^nd.

Ezekiel Soto scored the third brace of the day for the U.S., with goals in the 83’ and 90’ to round out the 7-0 scoreline.

In the nightcap in Antigua, Canada ended Haiti’s hopes of a quarter-final spot by handing them a 3-0 defeat.

Antoine Sedar N Diaye opened the scoring in the fourth-minute of play and Lucas Ozimec netted in the 16^th as Canada took a 2-0 lead within the first 20-minutes.

Erik Pop scored in the 88th to complete the victory.

Simone Inzaghi hailed the improvements made by Romelu Lukaku after his penalty helped them to a 3-1 win over Udinese.

Lukaku opened the scoring in the 20th minute after Denzel Dumfries was adjudged by the VAR to have been brought down by Walace.

The Belgium international saw his first effort saved by Marco Silvestri, but the goalkeeper was ruled to have strayed off his line and Lukaku made no mistake with his second attempt.

His strike ended a 189-day drought in Serie A for Lukaku, his previous goal coming way back in August against Lecce.

Sandi Lovric levelled for Udinese but a superb Henrikh Mkhitaryan volley and a late Lautaro Martinez goal gave Inter the points.

Lukaku has seen much of his season hindered by a hamstring injury, but Inzaghi is full of belief in the on-loan Chelsea striker now his fitness issues appear to be behind him.

Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia: "Lukaku is improving day by day, game by game, training session by training session.

"We have great faith in Rom. He had a few problems last season in London, we brought him back here and then he had this serious injury that troubled him for four months.

"If he is starting games, that means he is in good shape and playing will help him strengthen that form."

Inter are 15 points behind Serie A leaders Napoli, but the win over Udinese allows them to go into Wednesday's Champions League tie with Porto on a high.

"We knew Udinese are a very physical side with good technique who cause you a lot of problems, as we already saw in the reverse fixture," he added.

"It was a good first half with the only setback being the goal we conceded, when we should've been more focused on the loose ball.

"I am glad with the result, it is an important victory that allows us to keep going."

Carlo Ancelotti lauded Vinicius Junior as an "extraordinary player" after the Real Madrid star stepped up in the absence of Karim Benzema.

Madrid's LaLiga top scorer Benzema was rested for the trip to Osasuna on Saturday ahead of Tuesday's Champions League last-16 clash at Liverpool.

Vinicius twice saw goals ruled out for offside at El Sadar and assisted Federico Valverde as Madrid ran out 2-0 winners to cut Barcelona's lead at the top-flight summit to five points.

The Brazil winger created a team-leading three chances for Los Blancos, much to the delight of coach Ancelotti.

"It is clear that Vinicius is a player who makes a difference," the Italian said at his post-match press conference.

"He played an outstanding game. He is an extraordinary footballer."

Ancelotti was less impressed with the manner of Madrid's victory, though, after waiting until the 78th minute for Valverde's opener before Marco Asensio sealed the points 14 minutes later.

"What I liked least is that we have done in the second half what we could have done in the first," he added.

"What I liked most is that the team has not lost its mind and has been patient [in the final stages]. 

"The team has played well. They have had to suffer when they had to suffer and we are very satisfied with that."

Toni Kroos also missed the visit to Osasuna, as well as Aurelien Tcouhameni, but Ancelotti assured Madrid will be prepared for the first leg at Anfield in Europe.

"We had a last-minute problem with Tchoaumeni, but we're fine," he continued. 

"We will go into Tuesday's game with good dynamics. The players are recovering and we will arrive with all the confidence in the world."

Real Madrid and Brazil great Marcelo has left Olympiacos just five months after signing for the Greek Super League champions.

The left-back, a five-time Champions League winner, called an end to his glittering Madrid career in September as he joined Olympiacos on a free transfer.

Marcelo made just five appearances in the Greek top flight this term, failing to start in any of those, after signing a reported one-year deal with an option of an additional year extension.

The 34-year-old took to Instagram to confirm he had parted ways with Olympiacos on Saturday.

"I have lived unforgettable moments in Greece, in which I was warmly welcomed to a new home, not only for me, but also for my family," he wrote.

"Piraeus and the people have all my heart and this won't be my last time in this amazing country. I can only express gratitude for wearing the Olympiacos jersey.

"Even though the brief stay, the experience and the friends I made there will be forever marked in my life.

"Today I say goodbye but I'm leaving my affection and respect to the president, my team-mates, all the employees and fans of the club.

"I wish Olympiacos a successful future! Thank you, Olympiacos."

The Greek Super League side added: "The entire Olympiacos family would like to thank @MarceloM12 for his cooperation and presence in Olympiacos.

"The time he stayed with us was brief but enough to create everlasting bonds. He knows that in Greece, in Piraeus he will always have friends!"

Reports suggest retirement is not on the cards for Marcelo, who remains Madrid's most decorated player after the 58-cap Brazil international lifted 25 major trophies with the LaLiga giants.

Real Madrid closed the gap on Barcelona at the LaLiga summit after late goals from Federico Valverde and Marco Asensio downed Osasuna 2-0 on Saturday.

Carlo Ancelotti rested Karim Benzema ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash at Liverpool as Madrid, also without Toni Kroos, struggled to victory at El Sadar.

Chances were limited without top scorer Benzema, but Valverde's calm finish after 78 minutes and Asensio's similarly cool strike 14 minutes later snatched a vital win in Madrid's title defence.

Victory moved Los Blancos five points behind Barca ahead of Xavi's side hosting Cadiz on Sunday.

Sergio Herrera thwarted a glorious Vinicius Junior chance after an errant Jon Moncayola pass, while Thibaut Courtois parried away from Moi Gomez in an entertaining opening.

Valverde whistled a long-range attempt narrowly off target before Ante Budimir whipped the best first-half opportunity just wide from the edge of the area.

A resurgent Madrid twice went close to breaking the deadlock after the interval.

Rodrygo had Herrera scrambling with a curling effort that evaded the bottom-right corner and Vinicius' cool finish was denied for offside from David Alaba's throughball.

Osasuna responded as Gomez struck the right post with a driven effort through a crowd of Madrid defenders before Moncayalo volleyed narrowly wide with Courtois static.

Madrid finally edged in front against their mid-table opponents as Vinicius crossed for Valverde to coolly poke into the bottom-right corner, before the Brazil international saw another goal ruled out for offside.

Asensio sealed victory in the closing stages with a deadly finish past Herrera following Alvaro Rodriguez's selfless pass.

What does it mean? Madrid keep feint title hopes alive with another Osasuna win

Madrid have enjoyed their recent visits to Osasuna, winning four of their past five LaLiga trips – they had triumphed just once in their previous six league games at El Sadar before that.

Yet another success on the road at Osasuna means Xavi's Barca cannot afford to slip up, with a potentially title-deciding Clasico at Camp Nou coming in March.

But for now, Madrid's attention will turn to defending their European crown at the resurgent Liverpool, who have won back-to-back games to end a poor start to 2023.

Energetic Vinicius leads the way

Vinicius was central to all of Madrid's attacking play as the Brazil star shone in the absence of key attacker Benzema.

The winger was twice denied by offside decisions and created a team-leading three chances, including the pivotal assist from the left flank for Valverde's opener.

Ancelotti record over Osasuna continues

Ancelotti continued his impressive managerial record against Osasuna with this victory.

The Italian has faced Osasuna eight times in all competitions without losing (W4 D4) – only against Elche (W7 D1) has he managed as many games without defeat (among LaLiga teams).

What's next?

Los Blancos visit Anfield in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, before a crucial derby at home to Atletico Madrid in LaLiga four days later.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan's superb second-half volley helped Inter overcome a stubborn Udinese in Serie A on Saturday, claiming a 3-1 win at San Siro.

Romelu Lukaku's 20th-minute penalty after Denzel Dumfries was brought down saw the hosts initially lead, only for Sandi Lovric's breakaway finish to reel them in before the break.

But just as it looked like the Nerazzurri would be forced to settle for a point, the Armenia international rode to their rescue with an excellent 73rd-minute strike.

Martinez made sure of the points in the 89th minute as Simone Inzaghi's side stretched their lead over third-place Milan to three points, ahead of the congested European race beneath them.

Inter entered the match with a verve and energy their visitors struggled to handle early on, and won a penalty after Walace was deemed to have fouled Dumfries by the VAR.

Lukaku initially saw his first effort saved by Marco Silvestri, but the goalkeeper was adjudged to be off his line and the Belgian made no mistake with his second attempt.

Yet the hosts failed to capitalise on their advantage, and Udinese deservedly drew level two minutes from the interval when Lovric finished off a shrewd counter-attack.

Dumfries fluffed his lines when presented with a chance to restore Inter's lead with a cross from Mkhitaryan, who achieved that feat with 17 minutes of normal time remaining when he lifted Federico Dimarco's square delivery beyond Silvestri.

Martinez added a late touch of gloss by powering a strike home in the closing stages to ensure there would be no late capitulation from Inter.