Sergi Roberto accepts Barcelona "have a problem in midfield" ahead of their return leg at Manchester United due to Pedri and Gavi being ruled out.

The sides played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Camp Nou on Thursday to leave their Europa League play-off tie in the balance heading into next week's second leg.

Barca rallied from behind, having earlier let slip a lead of their own, but it came at a cost as Pedri limped off with a hamstring injury that is expected to rule him out for a month.

Meanwhile, fellow central midfielder Gavi received a yellow card, with that his third in Europe this season, resulting in an automatic suspension for the game at Old Trafford.

Xavi's options are further limited as Sergio Busquets is also nursing an injury, but versatile defender Sergi Roberto is happy to fill the void if called upon.

"We hope that Pedri's injury won't be too serious, so he can be back on the pitch as soon as possible," Sergi Roberto said.

"But it's true that we have a problem in midfield now, especially in the Europa League, because Gavi can't play. We don't know yet if Pedri can. 

"I will be willing to play in any position the coach wants me to. Either in the midfield or as winger. The coach knows I am at his disposal for wherever he needs me."

Pedri in particular has been hugely influential for Barca this season, with no player in LaLiga winning more points for their side (10 points with six goals).

The youngster left the field against United with the game still goalless, but Marcos Alonso opened the scoring for Barca early in the second half.

Marcus Rashford's 22nd goal of the season – equalling his career-best tally in the 2019-20 campaign – and a Jules Kounde own goal had United in front nine minutes later.

But Raphinha levelled for the hosts in rather fortuitous circumstances in the 76th minute to leave the tie delicately poised ahead of the return match in Manchester.

"A win wasn't to be, so to draw is better than losing," Sergi Roberto said. "My team really competed right until the end. 

"It's true that when you have a win in the bag, the second leg looks better. It was a night when both teams had lots of chances. Next week we'll have to improve.

"United are a team who love having the ball and that's made it a very interesting match. What a shame we couldn't win it."

LaLiga leaders Barcelona are now unbeaten in all six of their home games against United (W3 D3).

Tom Blundell frustrated England by making a magnificent century before New Zealand took two wickets under the lights on an enthralling day two of the first Test at Bay Oval.

The Black Caps were in trouble on 83-5 in reply to the tourists' 325-9 declared in Mount Maunganui, but Blundell made a Test-best 138 to get them up to 306 all out.

Devon Conway (77) also batted superbly after being dropped by Zak Crawley when he had only nine runs to his name on day one.

Blundell and Blair Tickner put on 59 for the final wicket before England closed on 79-2 in the day-night Test, leading by 98 after losing openers Ben Duckett and Crawley.

Neil Wagner hung around to make 27 after New Zealand resumed on 37-3 on Friday before falling to Stuart Broad, and the excellent Ollie Robinson (4-54) trapped Daryl Mitchell leg before without scoring.

Conway and Blundell combined for a 75-run stand, but the Black Caps were six down when the opener pulled Ben Stokes to Ollie Pope at square leg, and Jack Leach got in the act by removing Michael Bracewell.

Scott Kuggeleijn chipped in with 20 before Robinson cleaned up the debutant and sent Tim Southee on his way, so it was left for Tickner to dig in and enable Blundell to reach three figures.

Blundell's sublime knock was finally ended when he was caught and bowled by James Anderson (3-36), leaving the England batters a tricky period to bat late in the day.

Duckett (25) and Crawley (28) got starts but fell to Tickner and Kuggeleijn respectively. Broad had a life when Kuggeleijn and Blundell looked at each other rather than going for a catch after being sent in as a 'nighthawk', seeing it through to the close along with Ollie Pope. 

Blundell ensures it is game on

England would have had a substantial lead but for an outstanding innings from Blundell.

He made a fourth Test hundred, having also scored a century against England at Trent Bridge last year.

The wicketkeeper-batter struck 19 fours and a six, spending just over three hours at the crease to keep his team in the game.

Anderson and Broad equal record

Anderson and Broad matched the record set by Australia legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath for the most successful bowling partnership in Test history.

The England duo have 1,001 wickets between them when playing together after taking one apiece on day two, and they will surely break new ground in this match.

"Is there any history between Newcastle and Liverpool that I don't know about? The atmosphere was like there was something that happened in the past."

Jurgen Klopp's question was understandable at the end of an enthralling 3-2 Liverpool win at St James' Park back in 2019.

A raucous Tyneside atmosphere had been ramped up further by controversy on the pitch and fights off it, with the presence of Liverpool fans in the Newcastle United sections – hoping to see their side take another step towards Premier League glory – playing its part.

Of course, when Newcastle were going for the title in the 1990s, Liverpool tried and succeeded to spoil the party with a pair of epic 4-3 Anfield wins, even if that meant helping rivals Manchester United to twice take top spot.

Newcastle's class of 2019 had similarly given their all – but not because it was Liverpool, with Rafael Benitez's men and their supporters relieved not to be relegated rather than worrying about settling scores.

For Newcastle, there is rather more riding on the outcome of Liverpool's visit this weekend for another Saturday night match. This one, Klopp might note, will have a little more history.

Liverpool are the only team to have beaten Newcastle in the Premier League this season, and that reverse fixture, back in August, was another hot-tempered affair.

A marginal offside call denied Alexander Isak a second goal, before Liverpool rallied to win with a 98th-minute winner having been repeatedly frustrated by the Newcastle time-wasting that led to the game dragging on so long.

It felt like a big moment for Liverpool as they went ahead of Newcastle with just their second victory in five matches at the start of the campaign. Meanwhile, the visiting players were booed off the pitch.

Heading into the return match, however, Liverpool are back below Newcastle. In fact, they are nine points below this weekend's hosts – the largest margin in the Magpies' favour ahead of a fixture between the two sides in the Premier League era. This is the first time since 1995-96, with that Stan Collymore winner, that Newcastle have led Liverpool going into both home and away meetings.

As Liverpool's season went on a downward spiral almost from the moment Fabio Carvalho broke Geordie hearts with his best Collymore impression, Newcastle – then missing a number of key men – were emboldened by the furious reaction of the Anfield crowd.

"My ideal is that we're booed off every week when we go to away grounds, because you don't want to be popular," Eddie Howe said afterwards ahead of a 17-match unbeaten league run, Newcastle's joint-longest in their history.

"We're here to win, we're here to compete," Howe added, "and we'll do whatever it takes to try to win."

Except Newcastle's undefeated streak has included only nine wins, topped up by eight draws – including five in their past six and three in a row.

Progress to the EFL Cup final has maintained Newcastle's momentum, but frustration has just started to fester since the semi-final, which was followed by stalemates against strugglers West Ham and Bournemouth that saw the Magpies fall to fourth.

While Newcastle may have a nine-point cushion to Liverpool, they equally could be level on points with the Reds by the time they play again in the league if Saturday's result goes against them.

Manchester City, winners at Arsenal in midweek, have shown how quickly such a gap can vanish.

The four-match winning run Liverpool would require for such a rapid turnaround – including Monday's defeat of Everton – seemed highly unlikely at the start of the week, but such a streak has proven very much within their capabilities in the past.

Liverpool won four in a row in the Premier League as recently as December, their 12th sequence of four or more consecutive victories under Klopp. Those include 17- and 18-match winning runs.

That is the threat Newcastle must attempt to guard against – along with challenges from Tottenham, Brighton and Hove Albion and the rest of the chasing pack.

As for Arsenal on Wednesday, a draw might well suit Howe's men. The form book suggests that result is likely, too, but an atmosphere akin to that of four years ago will not allow Newcastle to play conservatively.

They have the final next, then a trip to City. Liverpool face Real Madrid on Tuesday and host Manchester United at the start of next month.

A season-defining stretch for both teams might itself be defined first by what happens at St James' Park.

Kevin De Bruyne served up a reminder of his match-winning brilliance as Manchester City usurped Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, so Nottingham Forest will be on high alert.

City go to Forest on Saturday, looking to stay at the summit, and their Belgian playmaker is set to be a key figure once more, and potentially a big points winner when it comes to fantasy leagues.

In an unlikely top-seven battle, Brighton and Hove Albion will look to in-form left-back Pervis Estupinan to contribute at both ends of the pitch against Fulham, while Wolves and Brentford will be hoping for big contributions from Ruben Neves and Ivan Toney as they tackle Bournemouth and Crystal Palace respectively.

Stats Perform, using Opta data, has chosen these four players for your selection consideration ahead of the weekend games.

Pervis Estupinan (Brighton v Fulham)

With three assists in his last three Premier League appearances, including last time out against Palace, Ecuadorian Estupinan is making a huge impact for the Seagulls.

Only three defenders have provided more assists than him in the competition this season, while Estupinan is one of only four such players to create at least 20 chances from open play (21).

Head coach Roberto De Zerbi has welcomed the efforts of the former Villarreal player, saying: "He's very important in build-up, but he's becoming a complete player now."

Kevin De Bruyne (Nottingham Forest v Manchester City)

Dropped to the bench at Tottenham recently, De Bruyne has responded by showing his value to City.

After scoring the opener, De Bruyne assisted for Erling Haaland's clincher in the 3-1 win at Arsenal, meaning the Belgian has been involved in 16 Premier League goals this season (4 goals, 12 assists), bettered by only three players.

Since the start of the 2019-20 season, only Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (14) has both scored and assisted in more games in the competition than De Bruyne (13).

Forest beware: De Bruyne has assisted Haaland six times in the Premier League this season, more than any other player has assisted another.

Ruben Neves (Wolves v Bournemouth)

Wolves midfielder Neves has scored five goals in this Premier League season, equalling his best tally from the 2020-21 campaign.

Four of those five goals have come at Molineux, including in his last such appearance against Liverpool, so he will fancy his prospects of adding to that haul and setting an outright personal best for goals when second-bottom Bournemouth visit.

He is Wolves' joint top scorer in the league, matching Daniel Podence's total, and Neves brings abundant creativity too.

Ivan Toney (Brentford v Crystal Palace)

The visit of Palace should bring the best out of Toney, given he has scored in his last three London derby appearances (against Arsenal, West Ham and Tottenham), helping Brentford to a healthy five points.

Only Haaland (30) and Harry Kane (18) have been involved in more Premier League goals this season than Toney (17 – 14 goals, 3 assists).

Another factor in his favour is that among players with 30-plus shots this term, only Haaland (33.3 per cent) has a better shot conversion rate than him (23.7 per cent).

After LeBron James' scoring record celebrations last weekend, it is fellow NBA legend Michael Jordan's turn to party in the coming days.

The former Chicago Bulls (and Washington Wizards) superstar turned 60 on Friday.

Stats Perform has marked the occasion by recapping some of the most remarkable numbers of his career – from one to 60.

1 – Since the ABA–NBA merger, Jordan is the only player to have scored 60 or more points in a playoff game, finishing with 63 in a double overtime defeat to the Boston Celtics in 1986.

2 – As if dominating in the games that mattered was not enough, Jordan twice won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1987 and 1988. At the time, he was the only player to have won it back-to-back.

3 – Jordan was the All-Star Game MVP on three occasions, beaten only by Kobe Bryant, who the award is now named after, and Bob Pettit.

4 – In the regular season, Jordan scored 60 or more points in four different games. Bryant (six) is the sole player to have topped that feat since the merger.

5 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six) alone has won more MVP awards in the regular season than Jordan's five.

6 – Jordan boasts a remarkable 6-0 Finals record and was named Finals MVP on each occasion. No player can match his six such awards.

7 – In leading the league in scoring between 1986-87 and 1992-93, Jordan tied Wilt Chamberlain's record by doing so in seven straight seasons. They are the only two players to lead the league in scoring in any seven seasons.

8 – Jordan scored 50 or more points in eight different playoff games, a dominant record. Allen Iverson is his nearest challenger with three such performances since the merger.

9 – As well as being a legendary scorer, Jordan was named to the All-Defensive First Team on nine occasions. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1988.

10 – Jordan led the league in scoring in a record 10 seasons across his career, following up his streak of seven in a row by doing so in 1995-96 to 1997-98.

11 – In his rookie season, Jordan led the league in total points (2,313), although Bernard King and Larry Bird were ahead in scoring average. Along with his 10 seasons as NBA scoring champion, Jordan led the league in total points 11 times.

12 – Jordan needed only 12 games of his rookie season to reach 300 points, the fewest since the merger.

13 – Led by Jordan, the Bulls lost only 13 games across the regular season and postseason in 1995-96. Their combined 87-13 record remains the best of all time.

14 – Jordan was a 14-time All-Star. In a 15-season career, he was not selected only in the 1994-95 season when he came out of retirement after the All-Star Game. He missed the 1986 game through injury.

15 – Jordan is one of 15 players to have made more than 10,000 field goals in the regular season. He ranks fifth on 12,192.

16 – The NBA named Jordan its Player of the Month on 16 occasions, with all of those wins coming before the award was split by conference from the 2001-02 season.

17 – Jordan made 17 field goals in the 1988 All-Star Game, tying a Chamberlain record. It stood for a further 26 years before being broken by Blake Griffin.

18 – An early highlight of Jordan's career saw him score the Bulls' final 18 points in a win against the New York Knicks. No player in the NBA had previously scored 18 points in a row, although he broke his own record by scoring 23 straight in a 61-point game against the Atlanta Hawks.

19 – Of the 119 playoff wins Jordan played in, 19 were by at least a 20-point margin.

20 – Jordan's scoring average of 20.0 in his final season in 2002-03 was comfortably the lowest of his career. Only LeBron James (20 – including 2022-23), Abdul Jabbar and Karl Malone (both 17) have averaged 20 or more points in more than Jordan's 15 seasons.

21 – Jordan was 21 at the start of his rookie season, but he averaged 27.7 points before his birthday. That is the best average of any player before their 22nd birthday since the merger.

22 – At the end of his rookie season, Jordan, aged 22, became the youngest player ever to score 30 points in consecutive playoff games. That record was later broken by Bryant.

23 – The number Jordan wore is forever associated with his remarkable career. It was retired by the Bulls but also by the Miami Heat ahead of their final game against him.

24 – Jordan made a move to point guard for the final 24 games of the 1988-89 regular season and dominated in a whole new way. He had 12 triple-doubles over that stretch – he only had 28 across his entire career – as he averaged 30.4 points, 10.7 assists and 9.2 rebounds.

25 – Jordan won his first Player of the Week award in January 1985 and his last 18 years later in January 2003, just three months before he retired for good. That was his 25th win.

26 – In the 1997 All-Star Game, Jordan recorded the event's first ever triple-double. He had 14 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes.

27 – Jordan played more playoff games against the Knicks than against any other team, averaging 33.1 points across those 27 games.

28 – A sign of what was to come saw Jordan score 28.2 points per game in his rookie season, a record since the merger.

29 – Of Jordan's 32,292 regular season career points, 29,277 came playing for the Bulls. Discounting his points for the Wizards, Jordan still ranks above Shaquille O'Neal, who is eighth on the all-time NBA scoring list.

30 – Jordan's 30.1 career points per game in the regular season rank him first all time. Only Chamberlain (also 30.1) is also above 30.

31 – Since the merger, no player can match Jordan's 31 50-point games in the regular season. Modern greats like James (14) and Stephen Curry (11) have less than half as many such performances.

32 – Jordan scored 246 points in the 1993 NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns, just 32 fewer than Jerry West's 278 against the Baltimore Bullets in the 1965 playoffs – the most ever by a winning player in a single series.

33 – A career playoff scoring average of 33.4 remains unmatched, although Luka Doncic (32.5), Jordan's nearest rival, is still going strong.

34 – The Portland Trail Blazers were Jordan's favourite regular season opponents as he averaged 34.0 points in such matchups, although he averaged 34.8 against the Utah Jazz when counting only games as a starter.

35 – Jordan scored 20 or more points in a record 35 straight Finals games between 1991 and 1998. That sequence included scoring a benchmark 35 in a single half against the 1992 Trail Blazers.

36 – Jordan played in 37 playoff series for the Bulls and was the leading scorer in 36 of those, beaten only by the Milwaukee Bucks' Terry Cummings during his rookie year.

37 – The best scoring season of Jordan's career saw him average 37.1 points per game in 1986-87, a mark only beaten by Chamberlain (four times) and Elgin Baylor.

38 – Jordan's final 50-point game came in the 2001-02 season, aged 38. He was the oldest player to have such a performance until Jamal Crawford in 2019.

39 – Although later known as a legendary postseason winner, Jordan did not come out on top in a playoff series until his fourth attempt. His 39 points in Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1988 took the Bulls beyond the first round.

40 – In scoring 43 points in 43 minutes against the New Jersey Nets four days after his 40th birthday, Jordan became the first and only player to score 40 points in a game aged 40 or older.

41 – Jordan still boasts the best scoring average for a Finals series with his 41.0 against the Suns in 1993.

4​2 – Even in his final season, Jordan scored 20 points or more in 42 games. He did so in at least 70 regular season games in 10 separate seasons and in 926 games over the course of his career.

43 – Across three playoff games in 1986, Jordan averaged 43.7 points – an NBA high for a single postseason.

44 – The 1988-89 season that included 15 Jordan triple-doubles also unsurprisingly saw a career-high for double-doubles. He had 44 in the regular season as he averaged highs in both assists and rebounds (both 8.0).

45 – Jordan played his final playoff game in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Jazz and scored 45 points in a one-point win.

46 – MJ played four games on his birthday, with his best performance on February 17 seeing him score 46 points against the Cavaliers in 1992.

47 – Jordan ended his career having scored 20 or more points in each of his final 47 playoff games, albeit he later played two more seasons with the Wizards without making the postseason.

48 – Jordan finished having played 48,485 minutes across the regular season and postseason for his career.

49 – MJ attempted a career-high 49 field goals in a 64-point performance against the Orlando Magic in 1993. Only Bryant (50 against the Jazz in 2016) has since attempted more in either the regular season or postseason.

50 – The Bulls relied on Jordan to score more than 50 per cent of their points in four different playoff games, including his last with the team. The Bulls won each time.

51 – Jordan shot 51.5 per cent from the field in his rookie season. No guard has made more field goals in a rookie season (837).

52 – Before Jordan returned with 17 games remaining of the 1994-95 regular season, seeing the Bulls go 13-4 to finish, the team had a middling 52.3 per cent win percentage.

53 – Jordan is the only guard in NBA history to attempt 1,750 field goals in a regular season and make at least 53 per cent – he did so three times.

54 – Jordan scored 54 points in the first game of the 1989-90 season. No player since the merger has scored more in the first game of a new season.

55 – Game 4 of the 1993 Finals saw Jordan score 55 points, his most in a championship series and behind only Baylor's 61 against the Celtics in 1962 all-time.

56 – Jordan's biggest playoff performance in a game that did not go to overtime saw him put up 56 in a 1992 win against the Heat. Legend has it he played a full round of golf on the morning of that game, too.

57 – Jordan had a 24-11 record in the NBA Finals, but one defeat in the championship series was the longest game of his career. He played 57 minutes in a triple overtime loss to the Suns in Game 3 in 1993.

58 – In a 1987 game against the Nets, Jordan outscored his opponents' entire starting five. The Nets' starters scored 54 to Jordan's 58.

59 – Jordan's great team-mate Scottie Pippen won 73.5 per cent of the 859 career games he played alongside MJ across the regular season and postseason. Pippen won only 59.8 per cent of 527 games when not playing with Jordan.

60 – Jordan scored at least 20 points in a record 60 consecutive playoff games between 1989 and 1993.

Defending champion Felix Auger-Aliassime must overcome a dismal record against Daniil Medvedev to go any further at the Rotterdam Open after both won on Thursday to set up a heavyweight quarter-final, while Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out.

Third seed Auger-Aliassime beat French qualifier Gregoire Barrere 6-4 6-3, while Medvedev earned a 6-2 6-2 victory against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.

Despite being the higher-ranked of the two at present, Canadian Auger-Aliassime has a 0-4 career record against Russian Medvedev.

Those losses include a painful defeat from two sets up in the 2022 Australian Open quarter-finals, and a US Open semi-final knockout blow in the previous season.

It is a record that is all the more surprising considering Auger-Aliassime has wins over Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Carlos Alcaraz to his name.

Auger-Aliassime sits eighth on the ATP ranking list, three places clear of former number one Medvedev, who is relishing their clash on Friday.

Medvedev said on Amazon Prime: "Felix is a top player. He won here last year and played amazing at the end of last season. I'm looking forward to a tough match, and hopefully I can be at my best.

"He's going to take his opportunities. He's going to go for it when he has the chance. So I will need to be at my best and everything has to be better."

Top seed and Australian Open runner-up Tsitsipas was beaten 6-4 6-3 by Jannik Sinner, with last week's Open Sud de France champion winning in an hour and 21 minutes to set up a quarter-final against Stan Wawrinka.

It was Sinner's first career win over a top-three opponent. The Italian held a 0-8 record against such opponents coming into this match.

Fourth seed Holger Rune is also out after retiring hurt while 6-4 4-0 down to Dutch wildcard Gijs Brouwer, who advances to play compatriot Tallon Griekspoor.

Australian Alex de Minaur advanced to the final eight with a 7-5 3-6 6-3 win over American Maxime Cressy, earning a shot at Grigor Dimitrov next.

Juventus dominated throughout but were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Nantes after Ludovic Blas scored a priceless equaliser in the Europa League play-off.

Massimiliano Allegri's side fell into this competition after a dire Champions League campaign, finishing third in Group H, but looked good value for their early first-leg lead on Thursday.

Dusan Vlahovic tapped home after 13 minutes at Allianz Stadium, only for Blas to finish a flowing counter-attack in the second half before Juve were left aggrieved after a late VAR check deemed Andrei Girotto had not handled for a penalty in the dying minutes.

That left it all to play for in the return meeting at Beaujoire Stadium on February 23 after a wasteful Juve offered Nantes the chance for a memorable European night at home.

Angel Di Maria stung the palms of Alban Lafont with an early drive and Nantes did not heed the opening warning signs from Argentina's World Cup winner.

A delicate Di Maria chipped pass found Federico Chiesa to selflessly nod across for Vlahovic to convert from point-blank range.

Lafont parried another ferocious Di Maria long-range effort as a tepid Nantes were fortunate to head in at half-time just a goal down.

A clinical counter-attack drew Nantes level on the hour as Blas capitalised on Bremer's slip to race onto Mostafa Mohamed's pass and fire past Wojciech Szczesny.

Chiesa rattled the crossbar and Lafont's left post with a venomous left-footed strike that somehow bounced off the line and away from goal as Juve looked to respond.

Danilo blazed over on the volley before Girotto was deemed not to have handled when challenging a late Bremer headed chance, with the referee awarding a free-kick for a push on Girotto instead, leaving it all to play for in France next week.

What does it mean? Juve falter in rare Europa League appearance

Juve had played their last 84 matches in European competition in the Champions League, as has been their dominance in recent years on the continent.

On their first appearance in the Europa League since reaching the 2013-14 semi-finals, Allegri's side failed to make their superiority count and were punished for a profligate outing.

Any hopes in Serie A have diminished due to their points deduction, therefore Juve need to recover in the return leg as a run in Europe or April's Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter could be their only hope of salvaging a positive season.

Chiesa and Vlahovic finally link-up again

Star Juve attackers Chiesa and Vlahovic have rarely played together due to injuries hampering the pair this season, but Allegri will be delighted to see them together once more.

The duo linked up in ruthless fashion for the opening strike, just their second combination together for a goal – the other coming in August 2019 when Vlahovic assisted Chiesa for former side Fiorentina.

Lafont leads the way

Lafont produced a captain's performance as Nantes battled with their backs against the wall to keep their hopes alive in this two-legged affair.

While the majority were far from eye-catching, the France goalkeeper made six saves in a vital performance to stave off Juve's prolonged periods of pressure.

What's next?

Juventus return to Serie A action at Spezia on Sunday, when Nantes travel to Lens in Ligue 1.

Barcelona head coach Xavi feels his side were denied a "very clear" penalty late on in their action-packed 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

The sides played out a thriller at Camp Nou on Thursday to leave their Europa League knockout play-off round tie in the balance heading into next week's return leg.

Marcos Alonso opened the scoring for Barca early in the second half, but United were in front nine minutes later through a Marcus Rashford strike and Jules Kounde's own goal.

Raphinha equalised for the hosts in rather fortuitous circumstances in the 76th minute, the winger's cross going right through without a touch, and Barca went all out for a winner.

A scramble in the box culminated in Casemiro hitting his own post, before Ansu Fati was brilliantly denied by David de Gea – the United keeper's sixth save of the game.

Amid the end-to-end drama in the closing stages, Xavi is adamant his side should have been awarded a spot-kick for a shot that struck Fred on the arm.

"For me, the penalty is very clear," he told Movistar+. "I went over to tell the referee that at the end. It was clear. That's my opinion and I know that won't change anything.

"The referee said the ball was too close to [Fred's] body, but for me it's not. It's a clear penalty."

Barcelona finished the game with an expected goals (xG) return of 1.26 compared to 2.13 for their opponents, suggesting the Red Devils did more to win the contest.

Raphinha's goal ultimately salvaged a draw for the LaLiga leaders, with the former Leeds United player having now been involved in five goals in his four games against United. 

He also played in the corner for Alonso's opener, meaning he has scored and assisted in the same game four times this term – the most of any LaLiga player in all competitions.

The Brazil international reacted angrily to being substituted for Ferran Torres soon after scoring, but head coach Xavi says that is entirely understandable. 

"I have to do it for the good of the team," Xavi said. "I perfectly understand the anger shown by players. I was also angry.

"He has come to apologise to me, but he didn't have to. We wanted to find a way to win the game and we almost did at the end."

Barcelona are now unbeaten in their past 16 matches, but one big negative for the Catalan giants was losing influential midfielder Pedri to a first-half injury.

The 20-year-old sustained muscle discomfort in the quadriceps of his right leg, which initial reports suggest will rule him out for up to a month – and thus next week's second leg.

Asked for an update on Pedri's injury, Xavi simply said: "He noticed some discomfort in the quadriceps. We'll have to see."

Gavi will also miss the return fixture at Old Trafford next Thursday after picking up a yellow card in the second half.

Despite the initial air of frustration, Xavi was happy with his side's performance against a United side that have now lost just once in 16 games since the World Cup break.

"It was a very even match. We played well against a great team," Xavi said. "We had to work hard. We had the feeling we could have scored a winning goal.

"Old Trafford will now decide it. We go to Manchester with the aim to advance."

Diego Maradona's Argentinian connection to Napoli continues to inspire Giovanni Simeone as the Partenopei edge closer to the Scudetto.

Napoli have not won the Serie A title since the late Maradona guided the Naples side to the championship in 1990.

Simeone – son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego, who is a former team-mate of Maradona – has played a supporting role to star striker Victor Osimhen, though that does not diminish his squad status.

The 27-year-old forward scored a late winner against Milan in September and repeated the dose in a crucial 2-1 victory over Roma on January 29, with those representing two of his three Serie A goals this term.

With a 15-point lead at the summit and a first Scudetto in 23 years in sight, Simeone lauded the connection he has with Napoli fans due to their love for Albiceleste icon Maradona.

"Being an Argentinian here is amazing," he told Sky Sports. "Napoli is different. This club represents the history of Italy, the history of Diego Maradona.

"It is a pleasure for me to play here because every fan sees me as Argentinian and because of Maradona they want to speak to me. It is 'Maradona, Maradona, Maradona'.

"It is not just the club, it is the whole city. Everybody is a fan here. Everybody speaks about football, everybody breathes football.

"Neapolitans are similar to Argentinians. We speak similarly.  We have the same gestures. It feels like home. I am the same as them because football is a passion for me. I am in the right place."

Simeone, who has the Champions League emblem tattooed on his skin, scored three minutes into his competition debut against Liverpool this season.

That marked the first of eight strikes in all competitions this season, scoring a goal every 66.8 minutes – by comparison, Erling Haaland has hit the net once every 72.3, while Kylian Mbappe has done so every 84.9.

Napoli team-mate Osimhen is further down that list with his 18 goals in 22 games coming at a rate of 93.7 minutes-per-goal, yet Simeone treasures every opportunity he gets as a substitute.

"It is not easy to know that you do not start. When the coach tells me that I will be on the bench, it is difficult for me but I always prepare as if I am starting," he added.

"I need to be ready for everything. Life is like this, you must be ready for the moments that you do have. I am ready for every minute I am given.

"The quality of the time is more important than the quantity."

While Simeone insists Napoli will not get ahead of themselves, relying on a mantra from his father, the striker believes Luciano Spalletti's side have no limit to their ambitions this campaign.

"The group is the most important thing. Every player will be needed. If the starting forward does not score, the next one can," he continued.

"To get the trophy, we need to be there in every match. My dad says something that I have always tried to remember – partido a partido – match-to-match.

"We need to be prepared for every match, ready for everything, because every three points counts. I feel the same with the Champions League.

"I feel we can play against any club, ready to play against anyone. Then, it is difficult to say if you will win or not. But we are ready. The Champions League is really important to me. I want to be there in June."

Asked if Napoli can achieve something special, Simeone will believe it when he sees it, adding: "I do not know because I have not won anything. When it is the time, maybe I can tell you."

Marcus Rashford's heroics were not enough for Manchester United as Raphinha's fortuitous goal rescued Barcelona a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Europa League knockout round play-off.

In-form Rashford scored his 22nd goal of the season – matching his best tally for a single campaign – to cancel out Marcos Alonso's opener in Thursday's thrilling clash at Camp Nou.

United were ahead nine minutes after falling behind thanks to more good work from Rashford, whose quick thinking from a short corner culminated in Jules Kounde putting into his own net.

But Barca, who lost influential midfielder Pedri to a first-half injury, hit back against the run of play in the 76th minute when Raphinha's cross went right the way through to keep things finely poised ahead of next week's return leg.

Jude Bellingham described captaining Borussia Dortmund as "the biggest honour of my career so far" as he warned it will be tough to finish off Chelsea in London.

The England midfielder led Dortmund to a 1-0 win in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, with the 19-year-old skippering the hosts as 38-year-old Thiago Silva wore the armband for Chelsea.

The result on Wednesday gave Dortmund a first win over English opposition in the competition since a 2-0 victory against Arsenal in September 2014, halting a winless run of nine games (D1 L8).

Bellingham said of his leadership experience: "I think it comes quite naturally, but for me it's probably the biggest honour of my career so far, to captain this football club.

"I have brilliant role models like Marco [Reus] and Mats [Hummels], and I know how to carry myself when I see them. They carry themselves so well, so I take a lot of examples from that.

"I know that without the captain's armband I can still try and lead the team and this is a bit more for show, but we need to all be captains in the second leg. It's important that we all show up and we all get the job done."

Bellingham has four goals and an assist for Dortmund in this season's Champions League, and this form coupled with his maturity has pushed him towards the responsibility Edin Terzic trusted him with on Wednesday.

In October, Bellingham became just the third teenager in history to score in four consecutive Champions League appearances, after Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

At the beginning of the same month he captained Dortmund for the first time, in a league clash with Koln.

Former Birmingham City player Bellingham is the leading scorer among midfielders aged under 21 from Europe's top five leagues this season, with 10 goals.

He told CBS Golazo of his relish for the second leg on March 7 at Stamford Bridge, comparing the first 90 minutes at Signal Iduna Park to what awaits Dortmund when they head to England.

Dortmund have won all seven of their matches in 2023. Beating Premier League opposition, albeit by a slender margin, fuels the anticipation for their next European trip.

"It's a small win in comparison to the challenge that we've got facing us in a few weeks' time," Bellingham said. "We've got to go to Stamford Bridge and get another positive result.

"We can be really pleased with how we played and especially how we defended in the second half, but we need to understand it's not over, and they can definitely come back with a lot of power."

Mikal Bridges scored a career-high 45 points in his third game for the Brooklyn Nets since his trade for Kevin Durant as they won 116-105 over the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

The Nets had dropped four of their past five games since trading Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, with the injured Durant following him out the exit door last week.

Bridges shot 17-of-24 from the field, making four-of-six from beyond the arc with eight rebounds and five assists.

The Nets became the first team in NBA history to have four players score 45 points or more in a single game in one season.

Cameron Johnson, who also joined the Nets from the Phoenix Suns alongside Bridges, added 18 points with three assists.

The Nets had trailed 56-52 at the main break, but Bridges broke the game open with 15 straight points.

Bridges finished the game with 17 points in the fourth quarter, comfortably eclipsing his previous career-best return of 34 points.

Bam Adebayo had 24 points with 13 rebounds and six assists for the Heat, while Max Strus scored 18 points as the Heat fell to 32-27.

The win lifted the Nets to 34-24, although Ben Simmons' woes continued with only two points, four rebounds and assists in 20 minutes.

Embiid brings up milestone amid double-double

Joel Embiid brought up his 10,000th career as he recorded a double-double as the Philadelphia 76ers won their fourth straight in a 118-112 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Embiid finished with 29 points with 14 rebounds and five assists, while James Harden also managed a double-double with 19 points and 12 assists. Harden assisted and scored in 27 of 38 first-quarter points.

The 76ers led 63-38 at half-time, although Donovan Mitchell fought hard for the Cavaliers, scoring 25 second-half points, before finishing with 33.

LeBron returns as Lakers win

LeBron James scored 21 points on his return after three games out with a foot injury as the Los Angeles Lakers won 120-102 over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Anthony Davis scored a game-high 28 points with 10 rebounds and five assists as the Lakers improved to 27-32 to boost their playoff hopes, while D'Angelo Russell added 21 points. The Lakers never trailed after a 38-point opening quarter.

Brandon Ingram top scored for the Pelicans, still missing Zion Williamson, with 25 points, while Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points with 11 rebounds.

Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic acknowledged his side were fortunate to defeat Chelsea – but saw little reason to apologise for a fortuitous Champions League victory.

Chelsea dominated at the Signal Iduna Park but Karim Adeyemi's ruthless 63rd-minute strike ensured Dortmund will head back to Stamford Bridge on March 7 with a slender 1-0 lead in the last-16 tie.

Joao Felix twice spurned gilt-edged chances in the first half before Adeyemi broke away from a Chelsea corner to round Kepa Arrizabalaga and earn Dortmund a rare win over English opposition on Wednesday.

It marked the Bundesliga side's first win against an English team in European competition for 11 games, their last such victory against Tottenham in March 2016.

Terzic pinpointed Gregor Kobel, who made a personal Champions League record seven saves, as the difference as Dortmund rode their luck to snatch the advantage at the halfway point in the two-legged affair.

He told DAZN: "It's great to come out on the winning side.

"There was a little bit of luck involved and we had an exceptional goalkeeper.

"But there's no need to apologise after winning at home against Chelsea in the last 16.

"What we really needed was longer periods of possession. We won the ball well in midfield a lot, but then gave it away again too cheaply.

"There were a lot of good things, too – the best of which is the result – but we know it's not easy to play against Chelsea and we took a good step tonight."

Chelsea registered 21 shots to Dortmund's 14, with the Blues finding the target with eight of those compared to the hosts' two.

Graham Potter's men amassed an expected goals tally of 2.14 to Dortmund's 1.41 as well, suggesting Chelsea had higher quality chances, albeit they were unable to find a decisive strike.

While Kobel kept his 11th clean sheet in 23 games in all competitions this term, one more than the whole of last season (10 in 40 matches), Terzic felt Dortmund handed Chelsea the initiative too often.

"I feel like we defended our goal well but made it a little too easy for them to get into the final third at times," he added.

"If you saw how often we threw ourselves into challenges, how many shots we blocked, Chelsea have an incredible quality up front.

"But Gregor Kobel is in incredible form and we know when things get tight we can rely on him."

Erling Haaland made light of his longest goalscoring drought as a Manchester City player after netting in Wednesday's crucial 3-1 Premier League win over Arsenal.

The prolific striker scored City's third goal at Emirates Stadium to seal a victory that lifted his side above Arsenal at the summit for the first time since November.

Haaland took his tally for the season to 32 goals in 30 games in all competitions, which is seven more than any other player across Europe's top five leagues.

He now has 26 Premier League goals to his name, already matching Sergio Aguero's tally from 2014-15 as the most ever by a City player in a single campaign in the competition.

Haaland's latest strike ended a run of three games without a goal since bagging a hat-trick against Wolves four games ago on January 22.
 
Asked how he felt after getting back on the scoresheet, Haaland told Amazon Prime: "It's been 20 minutes since I last got a goal – I have to keep working!"

A Jack Grealish strike restored City's lead against Arsenal after Bukayo Saka's penalty had earlier cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne's opener.

Haaland sealed the win from one of his game-high three attempts as City recorded their 11th successive league victory over the Gunners, who still have a game in hand to play.

City claimed a massive victory despite having just 36 per cent of the ball, which is the lowest possession registered by a Pep Guardiola-managed side in his top-flight career.

"We have to play a little bit more like this sometimes and that is what we did today," Haaland added. "I am so proud of every guy here and so happy to be here.

"We can all agree [Arsenal] have been the best team this season so to come and play against them is not easy.

"But we played an amazing game and got three really important points. We are in it again.

"I am so happy with everything. We needed this one and now we have to go on a run, because that's what Manchester City should do."

City have now won each of their past 23 Premier League games on a Wednesday – the longest winning run on a specific day of the week in the competition's history.

Next up for Guardiola's side, who lead the way on goal difference, is a trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Graham Potter urged Chelsea to not "wait around for luck" but hailed a "dominant" performance despite a slender defeat at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last 16.

Karim Adeyemi's third goal in as many games for Dortmund in all competitions, one more than in his previous 20 appearances, proved the difference in a narrow 1-0 win at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday.

Chelsea should have arguably been out of sight before Adeyemi's 63rd-minute strike, with Joao Felix squandering a pair of glorious first-half opportunities in an entertaining encounter.

Gregor Kobel had a fine game in goal for Edin Terzic's side too, and Potter appeared far from worried after an encouraging display ahead of the return meeting at Stamford Bridge on March 7.

The Chelsea head coach told BT Sport: "I thought we were the dominant team in the second half.

"It is half-time in the tie, we have to regroup. You can see the supporters' reaction, they were really positive, they can see the performance of the team, they gave us a fantastic reception.

"We are a team in progress, we know there are a lot of positive things there.

"You always need a bit of luck but you can't wait around for luck, you have to keep working.

"The boys have been fantastic with their work but we are still suffering at the moment. But we will keep on working."

Visiting Chelsea had 21 shots to their hosts' 14, with six more on target than Dortmund's two, as the Blues dominated without reward in Germany.

Potter's side amassed an expected goals tally of 2.14 to the 1.41 of Terzic's men as well, although all that mattered was Adeyemi's brilliant finish after a roaring counter-attack from a Chelsea corner.

Struggles in front of goal are not a new problem for Potter, with Chelsea managing just four goals in nine matches in all competitions and failing to score in five of those games.  

The Blues have drawn a blank in more outings in 2023 than any other Premier League club, yet Potter was pleased with what he saw – apart from Adeyemi's ruthless finish.

"It was a very strong performance, especially the second half," he added. "We created a lot of chances and efforts on goal but I am disappointed with the goal we conceded.

"It is a counter-attack from a corner, we were close to scoring ourselves. They broke on us. It is disappointing, we need to do better.

"Apart from that, we were really, really good, we just have to score. We had good attacking movements, clarity in terms of how we wanted to attack and got into the right areas. The attitude was really positive as well."