sport

Aryna Sabalenka kept her cool to storm past Elina Svitolina and reach a fourth Australian Open final in a row.

World number one Sabalenka overcame fluctuations in form and a hindrance call against her in the fourth game of the match to thrash Svitolina 6-2 6-3.

Ukraine’s 12th seed Svitolina had beaten two top-10 players to reach the semi-finals but was no match for Sabalenka’s powerful hitting.

Sabalenka has yet to drop a set this year and is now on an 11-match winning streak.

She will face either Elena Rybakina or Jessica Pegula on Saturday as she bids for a fifth Grand Slam singles title and a third here.

The 27-year-old will also be searching for some redemption after last year’s final, when she felt she was “not brave enough” in a three-set loss to Madison Keys.

“I cannot believe that,” Sabalenka said of reaching another Melbourne final.

“It is an incredible achievement but the job is not done yet.”

More to follow.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS
CITY SECTION
AMIT 39, MSAR 28
Angelou 76, Jefferson 65
Bernstein 89, Belmont 35
Birmingham 72, Taft 48
Central City Value 58, USC-MAE 46
CHAMPS 54, Lakeview Charter 21
Cleveland 79, Granada Hills 57
Community Charter 54, Valley Oaks CES 41
East Valley 64, Vaughn 48
El Camino Real 66, Chatsworth 58
Foshay 76, Stella Charter 23
Fulton 51, VAAS 39
Garfield 53, Huntington Park 45
Gertz-Ressler 68, Alliance Ouchi 27
Grant 77, Chavez 35
Hawkins 60, Harbor Teacher 42
Los Angeles 76, West Adams 49
LA Hamilton 61, LA University 55
LA Marshall 68, Bravo 45
LA Roosevelt 56, South Gate 30
LA Wilson 83, Franklin 45
Lincoln 43, Eagle Rock 39
Marquez 89, Torres 29
Maywood Academy 45, Maywood CES 41
MSCP 68, Middle College 30
Orthopaedic 46, Animo Bunche 25
Palisades 91, LACES 63
Panorama 64, Reseda 47
Port of Los Angeles 79, Dymally 27
RFK Community 58, Hollywood 56
San Fernando 82, Canoga Park 51
San Pedro 81, Gardena 60
Santee 65, Diego Rivera 45
Simon Tech 66, TEACH Tech Charter 34
Sotomayor 67, Elizabeth 48
South East 71, Legacy 58
Sun Valley Magnet 78, Lake Balboa College 59
Sun Valley Poly 59, North Hollywood 56
Sylmar 86, Van Nuys 55
Triumph Charter 72, Bert Corona 20
USC Hybrid 77, Esperanza College Prep 22
Valor Academy 51, Discovery 25
View Park 60, Locke 36
Washington Prep d. Fremont, forfeit

SOUTHERN SECTION
Aliso Niguel 65, Trabuco Hills 43
Arroyo 74, Pasadena Marshall 41
Ayala 71, Diamond Bar 63
Azusa 73, Baldwin Park 55
Bassett 66, Pomona 34
Bishop Amat 76, Gardena Serra 38
Blair 58, Temple City 51
Bonita 60, Walnut 55
Burbank Providence 66, Milken 55
California 75, El Rancho 36
Chaparral 73, Vista Murrieta 58
Charter Oak 56, Hacienda Heights Wilson 55
Citrus Hill 72, Canyon Springs 37
Covina 42, Rowland 39
CSDR 62, La Sierra Academy 46
Desert Christian Academy 41, California Military Institute 32
Desert Hot Springs 68, Banning 56
Eastvale Roosevelt 94, Norco 51
Edgewood 59, Workman 24
El Dorado 68, Troy 47
Gahr 43, Dominguez 36
Glendora 62, Claremont 47
Hemet 66, Arlington 32
Heritage 68, Lakeside 61
Hesperia 99, Apple Valley 60
Indian Springs 57, Pacific 49
Indio 70, Twentynine Palms 66
JSerra 89, Servite 47
La Canada 76, South Pasadena 45
La Mirada 81, Mayfair 65
La Serna 60, Santa Fe 24
Loara 57, Magnolia 45
Los Alamitos 71, Fountain Valley 52
Los Amigos 72, Anaheim 55
Mission Viejo 75, Dana Hills 56
Moreno Valley 66, Riverside North 44
Murrieta Mesa 71, Great Oak 63
Nogales 56, Garey 43
Norte Vista 86, Rubidoux 44
Norwalk 42, Lynwood 33
Orange Lutheran 72, St. John Bosco 68
Oxnard Pacifica 59, Buena 54
Paloma Valley 56, Vista del Lago 49
Pasadena Poly 47, Flintridge Prep 42
Patriot 56, la Sierra 29
Pilibos 89, Le Lycée 40
Public Safety Academy 74, River Springs Charter 28
Ramona 73, Jurupa Valley 40
Riverside King 69, Corona 61
Riverside Poly 54, Hillcrest 47
Rosemead 46, South El Monte 29
RSCSM 62, River Springs 52
San Bernardino 95, Miller 58
San Clemente 64, Capistrano Valley 37
San Marcos 61, Dos Pueblos 51
San Marino 77, Monrovia 40
Santa Barbara Providence 72, Oak Grove 16
Santa Margarita 74, Mater Dei 73
Sierra Vista 68, Duarte 61
St. Bonaventure 52, Thacher 47
St. Monica 89, St. Paul 53
Tesoro 74, San Juan Hills 39
Valley View 78, Perris 65
Villanova Prep 57, Laguna Blanca 42
Vista Meridian 58, Eastside Christian 34
Westminster La Quinta 48, Orange 46

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
AMIT 27, MSAR 20
Angelou 51, Jefferson 22
Animo Bunche 33, Orthopaedic 24
Arleta 67, Monroe 7
Aspire Ollin 53, Downtown Magnets 9
Bernstein 52, Belmont 4
Birmingham 76, Taft 29
Carson 92, Rancho Dominguez 3
Contreras 28, Roybal 19
Discovery 35, Valor Academy 24
Eagle Rock d. Lincoln, forfeit
King/Drew 85, Crenshaw 20
LA Hamilton 88, LA University 16
Garfield 63, Huntington Park 30
Granada Hills 56, Cleveland 45
Marquez 33, Torres 28
MSCP 53, Middle College 15
Palisades 56, LACES 35
Panorama 54, Reseda 12
San Pedro 42, Gardena 24
USC-MAE 31, Central City Value 28
Washington Prep 79, Fremont 7
West Adams 55, Los Angeles 20
Westchester 83, Venice 44

SOUTHERN SECTION
Arlington 32, Citrus Hill 15
Arroyo 24, Pasadena Marshall 16
Baldwin Park 48, Azusa 39
Bassett 23, Pomona 8
Bolsa Grande 42, Estancia 31
Bonita 34, Walnut 30
Brentwood 59, Windward 57
Buena Park 73, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 10
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 52, St. Mary’s Academy 25
Carpinteria 44, Del Sol 24
Chaparral 52, Vista Murrieta 50
Coachella Valley 54, Yucca Valley 44
Crossroads 45, Archer 12
Desert Christian Academy 47, California Military Institute 30
Desert Hot Springs 49, Banning 42
Desert Mirage 31, Cathedral City 24
Eastvale Roosevelt 58, Corona Santiago 38
Edgewood 49, Workman 22
El Rancho 60, California 47
Excelsior Charter 48, PAL Academy 4
Fillmore 53, Nordhoff 43
Flintridge Prep 58, Mayfield 14
Fullerton 56, Laguna Hills 32
Garden Grove 52, Katella 39
Glendora 55, Claremont 38
Godinez 75, Placentia Valencia 60
Hacienda Heights Wilson 59, Charter Oak 26
Harvard-Westlake 58, Louisville 29
Hemet 45, Canyon Springs 39
Hesperia 59, Apple Valley 21
Hillcrest 58, Riverside Poly 46
Indian Springs 59, Pacific 26
La Canada 54, South Pasadena 39
La Palma Kennedy 30, Santa Ana 7
La Puente 38, Ganesha 30
Liberty 44, Vista del Lago 18
Loara 28, Westminster La Quinta 19
Long Beach Jordan 66, Long Beach Cabrillo 0
Nogales 62, Garey 23
Norte Vista 31, Rubidoux 12
Northview 38, West Covina 36
Northwood 46, Irvine University 26
Norwalk 56, Bellflower 37
Oak Hills 71, Ridgecrest Burroughs 35
Orange 57, Magnolia 13
Orange County Pacifica Christian 69, San Gabriel Academy 18
Packinghouse Christian Academy 47, Bethel Christian 10
Paramount 84, La Mirada 15
Pasadena Poly 56, Oakwood 37
Patriot 42, La Sierra 34
Pilibos 55, Le Lycée 10
Quartz Hill 53, Rosamond 37
Ramona 64, Jurupa Valley 38
Riverside North 36, Lakeside 31
River Springs Charter Magnolia d. Hemet River Springs, forfeit
Rolling Hills Prep 91, Leuzinger 67
Rosemead 51, South El Monte 24
Saddleback 27, Century 22
Sage Hill 65, Rosary Academy 50
San Bernardino 56, Miller 19
San Marino 40, Monrovia 13
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 59, Chaminade 50
Sierra Vista 44, Duarte 42
St. Margaret’s 36, Portola 32
Warren 74, Mayfair 15
Western 52, Garden Grove Santiago 8
Woodbridge 44, Irvine 27

Serena Williams has refused to rule out returning to professional tennis after recently filing the necessary paperwork.

Williams, who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, retired after the 2022 US Open.

In December, the International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed to BBC Sport that the 44-year-old was back on the list of players registered for the drug testing pool.

At the time, the American said she was “not coming back” but during an interview on the Today Show on Wednesday, Williams did not rule out stepping back on to the court.

“I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens,” Williams said.

Interviewer Savannah Guthrie pushed Williams further, saying “that’s a maybe to me”, and the seven-time Wimbledon champion said “It’s not a maybe”.

So much has happened over the past seven days, including Australian Open grudge matches, X Games extremes and a manic marsupial.

About 14% of quizzers got full marks in last week’s edition. Will you make the grade this week?

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CLEVELAND — Luka Doncic grabbed at his left leg. He immediately thought of Dru Smith. The Miami Heat guard’s knee injury suffered in 2023 when he slipped off the side of the Cleveland Cavaliers court haunted Doncic while he winced in pain near the Lakers bench.

The Lakers superstar avoided serious injury after falling off the side of the Cavaliers’ raised court on Monday, but the threat of a player being hurt by Cleveland’s unique 10-inch drop off between the court and the arena floor came into focus again during the Lakers’ 129-99 loss to the Cavaliers.

“It is absolutely a safety hazard,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Doncic was able to return later in the first quarter. “And I don’t know why it’s still like that. I don’t. You know, you can lodge formal complaints. A lot of times you don’t see any change when you lodge a formal complaint.”

Doncic was injured shooting a fadeaway three with 7:58 left in the first quarter. He was hopping on one foot after releasing the shot and hopped right off the platform, grabbing immediately for his left leg. When he hobbled to the locker room, Doncic could barely put any weight on his leg.

But he returned with 1:32 remaining in the first quarter and finished with 29 points, six assists and five rebounds. He didn’t have any additional braces or wraps on his left leg, but he said he didn’t feel quite 100%.

“I kind of got scared,” Doncic said. “It wasn’t a great feeling and looking back at the video I think I got a little bit lucky. It hurts obviously more now, but, just, I tried to go.”

Smith was injured much more severely in 2023 when he was closing out on defense, landed on a stat sheet and slipped over the edge. He suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament sprain in the accident, and the Heat contacted the NBA to express concerns about the floor at the time.

“It’s tough to see another player get hurt on this court, with the fall, with the drop off,” Lakers guard Gabe Vincent said Monday, “so hopefully something can get fixed with that, but we’re fortunate that [Doncic] is OK.”

Cleveland’s Rocket Arena, which opened in 1994 and was last renovated in 2019, is also home to the Cleveland Monsters, an American Hockey League affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The basketball court is raised to accommodate the ice underneath the floor. But several teams in the NBA, including the Lakers, share their arena with hockey teams and none have a court that drops off like Cleveland’s.

“It’s the only court like this so, I guess it’s my fault,” Doncic said. “I [gotta] stop jumping like that.”

The Lakers have history with concerning courts this year. In November, Doncic said during a postgame news conference that the Lakers’ custom NBA Cup court used during a home game against the Clippers was dangerously slippery. The team flagged the problem to the league and the Lakers did not use the court again because it was not deemed safe for play in time for the other NBA Cup games.

But when asked if there was a way he could bring the latest problem up with the league, Doncic demurred.

“I don’t know,” Doncic said, “don’t involve me in that.”

Similarly, Redick said any changes would be “way above my pay grade.”

Merthyr are not short of star names who have dipped into their own wallets to help. Line of Duty star Vicky McClure and her filmmaker husband Jonny Owen, who is from Merthyr, are among the club’s 150-plus owners, along with former Wales international Joe Morrell.

But any major takeover – by a company or individuals who could potentially propel Merthyr up the divisions at speed, like Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have done at Wrexham – would likely lead to a big change in its ownership structure.

“Unfortunately we’re a fan-owned club,” said Barlow, who has seen more ups and downs than most during his 65-year involvement with Merthyr, from player to kitman, physio to boardroom leader.

But fan-owned is what Wrexham were before Rob and Ryan breezed into the Stok Cae Ras and changed the world as Red Dragons’ fans knew it back in 2021.

“Yes, and those guys [Rob and Ryan] came in and put their hands in their pockets,” said Barlow.

“We haven’t come across anybody like that at the moment, but we have had some good sponsors and, as I say, we’re talking to people weekly.

“We’re starting now for next year. Irrespective of where we end up, we still want to be in a better position financially and stadium-wise than where we are now.

“One side of the ground is perfect, but we’ve got another area which I think the Romans built when they had a fort in the corner!”

Keep moving, keep looking for new forms of investment. A responsibility to do that comes from a need to keep supporting the man leading Merthyr’s charge for a second successive promotion, manager Paul Michael.

“We’re working as hard as we can because we want to support this guy, and we want the best team we can afford,” said Barlow.

“The better the results we can get with this guy in charge…it helps a long way.”

Appointed after leaving Yate Town in April 2022, Michael has transformed Merthyr from relegation candidates in Southern League Premier South to National League hopefuls.

“It’s been a real step into the unknown, but we’ve grown and grown and got better and better,” said Michael, who has managed to overcome the loss of 23-goal top scorer and Penydarren cult hero Ricardo Rees, who signed for National League promotion chasers Forest Green Rovers in December.

“Over the past few weeks we’ve probably been the most in-form team in the league, yet we’re competing against full-time teams. We’ve got no right to stay up there, really.

“If we were fortunate enough to get to the National League we would try to take it all in our stride. It would be an unbelievable achievement for a part-time team, though we’ve still got a long way to go.

“What’s happening here is fantastic for Welsh football, not just Merthyr Town.”

The result in Naples could prove to be of great importance for Rosenior whose appointment in place of Enzo Maresca was hardly greeted with open arms.

Rosenior’s lack of elite experience – having moved from sister club Strasbourg after stints with Derby County and Hull City in the Championship – saw him labelled by some as a ‘yes man’.

He also experienced the wrath of the fans who voiced anti-ownership chants questioning the ambition of the BlueCo.

Rosenior has been adamant from the start that his reply must be through results.

And he has put together an impressive set of results in his first weeks with five wins in six matches and the latest over a former Chelsea favourite should win him the confidence of more supporters.

“These players lost a manager that they really respected for reasons that are beyond my control or knowledge,” Rosenior told TNT Sports.

“So when you go through that as a young group, to accept a new manager the way they have done and for them to work as hard as they have done is a credit to them.

“It’s not about me or my ego or trying to prove anything. I’m trying to do the very best I can with my group, with my staff and hopefully we can have more and more really good nights like this.”

Rosenior’s introduction of Cole Palmer at half-time provided assisted both of Joao Pedro’s goals while Trevoh Chalobah added defensive solidity after coming on later in the half as the Blues restricted Napoli to a single shot on target after the break.

The Chelsea manager added: “I’m learning all the time about my team, about what we’re capable of.

“I really wanted to be front-footed today. I wanted to go out and win the game.”

His impetus was rewarded with a win that helps Chelsea avoid adding a two-legged play-off to their already busy schedule.

“It’s massive – that is huge for us to be able to be able to work with the players on the training round,” Rosenior said.

Bigger challenges await Rosenior and his young squad as they enter the business end of the competition but the London-born coach is optimistic.

“You have to enjoy this job,” he said.

“We’re the luckiest people in the world to do this job. You have to enjoy these moments, but we want more.

“You’re in the Champions League, so at the end of the day you have to play against the best and beat the best.”

When Gary Patterson resigned as coach of Texas Christian in October 2021, midway through his 21st season with the Horned Frogs, the now-65-year old coach decided to take a step back and reevaluate where he and the college game were headed.

“I’d had a job since I was 9 years old,” Patterson said. “Just kind of wanted to take a break.”

For decades, football had been at the forefront of his and his family’s life, so much so that his wife joked she was merely his “mistress.” He wanted to spend time with her, with his grandkids. Plus, after a few seasons, he knew he’d be eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame, which was important to him.

Patterson ended up filling that time with football, anyway. He watched the game from afar, helping out as a consultant on staffs at Texas and Baylor, even working with Amazon Prime’s football coverage, just to score a subscription to Catapult, all along biding his time for the right opportunity to come along.

It came earlier this month, four years after his departure from Fort Worth, in the form of a text message from USC coach Lincoln Riley, whom he knew from their days coaching across from each other in the Big 12. The Trojans’ defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, had left in late December for the same job at Penn State. Riley needed a replacement.

“He wasn’t going to jump back into this for anything,” Riley said Wednesday. “It had to be the right opportunity, the right kind of place, the right kind of setting. I know he knows and believe he’s found that.”

No one is more invested in that than USC’s head coach. Whether Patterson turns out to be the right fit at the right time for the Trojans may ultimately determine the trajectory of Riley’s future with the program. Patterson will be Riley’s third defensive coordinator in five seasons at USC.

“I think it’s an unbelievable hire by Lincoln,” said David Bailiff, who worked with Patterson at New Mexico and TCU. “For him not to be intimidated with Gary’s background, that all he wants to do is get USC better — a lot of coaches probably wouldn’t hire Gary because he’s been a head coach for so long.”

For Patterson, who never beat Riley in seven meetings while at TCU, it was a particularly ideal partnership.

“Any time that I was ever part of a team that had a great offense and scored a lot of points, we won a lot of ball games,” Patterson said.

Patterson, however, hasn’t been a full-time assistant since the turn of the 21st century. He last served as defensive coordinator under Dennis Franchione, who brought Patterson with him from New Mexico to TCU in 1998. He was promoted to head coach in 2000, when Franchione left for Alabama. A week later, across the country, USC hired Pete Carroll.

That’s how deeply entrenched Patterson was for more than two decades at TCU, where his tenure, by any measure, was a staggering success. Over 22 seasons, Patterson led the Horned Frogs to 181 wins and six conference titles. Throughout, defense remained his calling card. Five different times during his tenure, TCU finished No. 1 in the nation in yards allowed, as Big 12 offenses struggled for years to adjust to his multifaceted 4-2-5 scheme.

But by 2021, while Patterson’s TCU defense had largely remained strong, the luster of his long tenure in Fort Worth had faded. The bottom fell out that fall, as the Horned Frogs started the season 3-5. Informed that he wouldn’t be back the following season, Patterson instead resigned with four games left.

Now he returns not as a head coach, but as a coordinator, a step down that Patterson seemed just fine with when asked Wednesday.

“I love it, to be honest with you,” Patterson said.

The entire landscape of college football has also been turned on its head since Patterson last coached, with the advent of revenue sharing and the rise of the transfer portal. But he didn’t seem all that concerned by those changes Wednesday. Mostly because he doesn’t expect it to affect what USC is asking him to do.

Trojans fans hope Gary Patterson’s hire leads to more of this, when three USC players brought down a Northwestern running back last season.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

“My job is defense,” Patterson said. “I don’t deal with NIL. I don’t deal with all those different things.”

His reputation as a mastermind on the defense certainly precedes him, and at USC, that’s where he’ll be needed most. Bailiff, who worked with Patterson at New Mexico and served as his first defensive coordinator at TCU, said that hisability to diagnose what a defense needs is “superior from any person I’ve ever seen.”

His signature 4-2-5 defense was designed, in part, to allow for such adaptability. With five defensive backs on the field most of the time, Patterson’s scheme is intended to adjust to any offense, allowing for his defense to limit substitutions and match up against most personnel groupings.

That scheme, after four years away from the game, is likely to be different by the time it’s installed at USC. Patterson said he plans to marry his original 4-2-5 at TCU with concepts he learned at Texas and Baylor. He also plans to integrate some of what USC’s defense was already doing, with most of the assistants from last season expected to remain on staff.

“Instead of just coming in and saying, well, ‘This is how we’re going to do it,’” Patterson said, “it’s been a little bit more work of trying to put it all together.”

It’ll be up to Patterson to put it all together on USC’s defense, which in four seasons under Riley, has never put things together for long.

“Hopefully,” he said, “[I can] be that last piece to help SC get over the bar, get into the playoffs, to bring out a championship.”

Firsts are not easy to come by for Jose Mourinho at this stage of his long, often highly dramatic, career.

But on Wednesday night in Lisbon, Anatoly Trubin provided such a moment.

Simply beating 15-time European champions Real Madrid was not going to be enough for Benfica.

In added time to added time, they led 3-2 but needed another goal or their Champions League campaign would be over.

A free-kick provided them with one last chance and goalkeeper Trubin was sent forward.

Moments later it was pandemonium at Estadio da Luz with Benfica players running in all directions and Trubin ending his own euphoric wild charge with a knee slide having scored the decisive goal with a bullet header.

“A fantastic goal, a historic goal, a goal that nearly brought the whole stadium down – and I think it was very deserved for us,” Mourinho said.

“For Benfica it’s an incredible prestige to beat Real Madrid.”

Given the way the league format works with 18 games taking place simultaneously on the final matchday, it is little wonder Trubin was not fully aware of what his side needed.

They were heading out on goal difference at the end of the eight-round league phase, until his sensational intervention. Marseille were the unlucky side, falling out of the play-off places as Benfica snatched their spot.

A couple of minutes before his goal, Trubin had dropped to his knees after claiming a cross, seemingly trying to waste a few seconds to close out the win, unaware Benfica were still going out as it stood.

“Before, I didn’t understand what we needed,” Trubin said. “I see everyone start to point at me and I go and after I see [I can go forward]. We need one more goal.

“I don’t know, I don’t know what to say. A crazy moment.

“I am not used to scoring, so for me it was something completely new. I am 24 years old and for me it’s the first time.”

Champions League pundits Stephen Warnock, Nedum Onuoha and Julien Lauren discuss Tottenham’s “clinical ability” to score goals away from home and Thomas Frank’s “great achievement” to handle the pressure.

MATCH REPORT: Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Available to UK users only.

Barcelona leap into Champions League automatic qualifying positions with win in Copenhagen, but PSG face playoffs.

Barcelona stormed ‌back in the second half to claim a 4-1 victory over Copenhagen at the Camp ‍Nou, sealing ‍a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League.

Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Marcus Rashford on Wednesday ensured the Catalans finished fifth in the standings on 16 points, level with Manchester City, Chelsea and Sporting but ahead on goal difference.

Copenhagen shocked ⁠the hosts early when 17-year-old Viktor Dadason slotted the opener past Joan Garcia in the fourth minute, but ​the second half began with a Barcelona fightback.

Yamal set up Lewandowski to equalise in ‍the 48th minute, before scoring himself in the 60th with a deflected effort that left Copenhagen keeper Dominik Kotarski helpless. Raphinha made it 3-1 from the penalty spot after Lewandowski was fouled, and Rashford added a fourth with a free kick ‍in the 85th minute.

“We ⁠all came here tonight thinking about getting into the top eight. We’re very happy with the win,” 18-year-old Yamal told Movistar Plus.

“When you concede a goal in the Champions League, it’s very difficult to come back, but the team was very resilient and managed to turn it around. With the number of matches we play in a season, having two fewer matches leaves you feeling much better.”

Despite the comfortable final result, Barcelona endured a frustrating first half, during which Copenhagen took ​a shock lead.

Dadason stunned the home crowd after Mohamed Elyounoussi delivered a ‌defence-splitting pass, allowing Dadason to outrun Barca’s high defensive line before rifling a low shot past keeper Garcia.

Clearly unsettled, Barcelona were wasteful in attack during the opening 45 minutes. Raphinha and Lewandowski spurned opportunities to equalise, while Eric Garcia came closest to levelling ‌when his driven effort struck the crossbar in the 33rd minute.

The second half, however, saw a completely transformed Barcelona.

Barely three minutes after the restart, Yamal burst forward ‌on a counterattack, darting past Copenhagen defenders before unselfishly squaring the ⁠ball for Lewandowski to slot into an empty net.

The hosts seized control and upped the tempo, pinning Copenhagen deep inside their own half, and Barca took the lead on the hour mark through Yamal, whose deflected shot from inside the box looped over a ‌stranded Kotarski and nestled into the far corner.

Raphinha made it 3-1 from the penalty spot in the 69th minute after Lewandowski was brought down inside the area while attempting to shoot, and substitute Rashford wrapped up ‍the scoring.

Although Barcelona delivered a clinical attacking display, questions remain about their defensive organisation. They completed the league phase without a clean sheet and finished with the worst defence among the top 13 teams.

Dembele’s penalty miss costs PSG in 1-1 draw with Newcastle

Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele had a night to forget, missing an early penalty and a golden chance from close range as defending champion Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 with Newcastle in the Champions League.

The draw meant both sides finished out of the top eight places in the league table and failed to qualify automatically for the last 16. They will enter the playoffs instead.

PSG was awarded an early penalty when Bradley Barcola got behind the defence down the left wing with less than one minute played. The ball hit Barcola’s arm following a tackle from a defender coming across, and then flew onto the arm of Lewis Miley right behind him.

Miley seemed unsighted, and the handball appeared accidental, but referee Slavko Vincic awarded the spot kick following a short video review.

Dembele aimed for the bottom right corner, but goalkeeper Nick Pope made a brilliant save. Pope was beaten in the eighth minute when Vitinha curled a shot into the same corner after being set up by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the edge of the penalty area.

Dembele, who scored 35 goals overall last season, scooped the ball well over the crossbar from 10 metres out in the 40th minute when meeting a cross from the left.

Joe Willock equalised for the visitors in first-half stoppage time, and substitute Harvey Barnes missed a chance to win it for the visitors with moments left.

Benfica beat Real 4-2 which sends both teams into Champions League playoffs, as Madrid miss out on top eight.

Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored an astonishing 98th-minute header as Benfica beat Real Madrid 4-2 to keep themselves in the Champions League and deny their illustrious opponents an automatic spot in the last 16.

In an extraordinary finale on Wednesday, the Portuguese side were ⁠heading out despite leading 3-2 with seconds of stoppage time remaining before Trubin came forward for a free ​kick to score the goal needed to sneak into the playoff round on goal ‍difference.

That sparked wild celebrations from Benfica players, fans and their charismatic coach Jose Mourinho – a former manager of Real Madrid – at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon.

The Spaniards had hoped to finish in the top eight and go straight into the ‍last 16, but ⁠their 15 points from eight games were not enough, and they finished the match with nine men as Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were sent off.

Andreas Schjelderup scored two goals for Benfica and Vangelis Pavlidis netted from the penalty spot, while Kylian Mbappe netted twice for Real in a hugely entertaining, end-to-end contest.

Benfica advance at the expense of Marseille, who lost 3-0 at Club Brugge. The giant screen in the stadium in Belgium congratulated both teams for advancing to the ​next stage, but that proved premature as Trubin turned the tables.

Both Benfica ‌and Real needed a goal for different reasons going into the final minutes, and it is a vindication of the competition’s format that a single goal could have such a dramatic effect on the table.

Benfica were denied two strong early penalty shots, ‌and Real took the lead on 30 minutes against the run of play when Asencio’s cross to the back post was headed in by Mbappe.

The home ‌side drew level six minutes later when Asencio’s slip in the ⁠wet conditions allowed Pavlidis to provide a perfect cross for Schjelderup to head into the net.

Benfica were awarded a penalty in first-half added time when Aurelien Tchouameni was adjudged to have hauled Nicolas Otamendi to the floor, and Pavlidis buried his spot-kick.

Schjelderup ‌scored his second of the game from Pavlidis’s perfect pass to make it 3-1, before Mbappe swept home his second, too – his 36th goal of the season in all competitions.

Benfica were still outside the top 24 ‍when they were awarded a free kick with virtually the final play, and Fredrik Aursnes’s delivery was headed in by Trubin to complete a night of high drama in Lisbon.

The U.S. Department of Education has given San José State 10 days to comply with a list of demands after finding that the university violated Title IX concerning a transgender volleyball player in 2024.

A federal investigation was launched into San José State a year ago after controversy over a transgender player marred the 2024 volleyball season. Four Mountain West Conference teams — Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada-Reno — each chose to forfeit or cancel two conference matches to San José State. Boise State also forfeited its conference tournament semifinal match to the Spartans.

The transgender player, Blaire Fleming, was on the San José State roster for three seasons after transferring from Coastal Carolina, although opponents protested the player’s participation only in 2024.

In a news release Wednesday, the Education Department warned that San José State risks “imminent enforcement action” if it doesn’t voluntarily resolve the violations by taking the following actions, not all of which pertain solely to sports:

1) Issue a public statement that SJSU will adopt biology-based definitions of the words “male” and “female” and acknowledge that the sex of a human — male or female — is unchangeable.

2) Specify that SJSU will follow Title IX by separating sports and intimate facilities based on biological sex.

3) State that SJSU will not delegate its obligation to comply with Title IX to any external association or entity and will not contract with any entity that discriminates on the basis of sex.

4) Restore to female athletes all individual athletic records and titles misappropriated by male athletes competing in women’s categories, and issue a personalized letter of apology on behalf of SJSU to each female athlete for allowing her participation in athletics to be marred by sex discrimination.

5) Send a personalized apology to every woman who played in SJSU’s women’s indoor volleyball from 2022 to 2024, beach volleyball in 2023, and to any woman on a team that forfeited rather than compete against SJSU while a male student was on the roster — expressing sincere regret for placing female athletes in that position.

“SJSU caused significant harm to female athletes by allowing a male to compete on the women’s volleyball team — creating unfairness in competition, compromising safety, and denying women equal opportunities in athletics, including scholarships and playing time,” Kimberly Richey, Education Department assistant secretary for civil rights, said.

“Even worse, when female athletes spoke out, SJSU retaliated — ignoring sex-discrimination claims while subjecting one female SJSU athlete to a Title IX complaint for allegedly ‘misgendering’ the male athlete competing on a women’s team. This is unacceptable.”

San José State responded with a statement acknowledging that the Education Department had informed the university of its investigation and findings.

“The University is in the process of reviewing the Department’s findings and proposed resolution agreement,” the statement said. “We remain committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive educational environment for all students while complying with applicable laws and regulations.”

In a New York Times profile, Fleming said she learned about transgender identity when she was in eighth grade. “It was a lightbulb moment,” she said. “I felt this huge relief and a weight off my shoulders. It made so much sense.”

With the support of her mother and stepfather, Fleming worked with a therapist and a doctor and started to socially and medically transition, according to the Times. When she joined the high school girls’ volleyball team, her coaches and teammates knew she was transgender and accepted her.

Fleming’s first two years at San José State were uneventful, but in 2024 co-captain Brooke Slusser joined lawsuits against the NCAA, the Mountain West Conference and representatives of San José State after alleging she shared hotel rooms and locker rooms with Fleming without being told she is transgender.

The Education Department also determined that Fleming and a Colorado State player conspired to spike Slusser in the face, although a Mountain West investigation found “insufficient evidence to corroborate the allegations of misconduct.” Slusser was not spiked in the face during the match.

President Trump signed an executive order a year ago designed to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. The order stated that educational institutions and athletic associations may not ignore “fundamental biological truths between the two sexes.” The NCAA responded by banning transgender athletes.

The order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” gives federal agencies, including the Justice and Education departments, wide latitude to ensure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration’s view, which interprets a person’s sex as the gender they were assigned at birth.

San José State has been in the federal government’s crosshairs ever since. If the university does not comply voluntarily to the actions listed by the government, it could face a Justice Department lawsuit and risk losing federal funding.

“We will not relent until SJSU is held to account for these abuses and commits to upholding Title IX to protect future athletes from the same indignities,” Richey said.

San José State was found in violation of Title IX in an unrelated case in 2021 and paid $1.6 million to more than a dozen female athletes after the Department of Justice found that the university failed to properly handle the students’ allegations of sexual abuse by a former athletic trainer.

The federal investigation found that San José State did not take adequate action in response to the athletes’ reports and retaliated against two employees who raised repeated concerns about Scott Shaw, the former director of sports medicine. Shaw was sentenced to 24 months in prison for unlawfully touching female student-athletes under the guise of providing medical treatment.

The current findings against San José State came two weeks after federal investigators announced that the California Community College Athletic Assn. and four other state colleges and school districts are the targets of a probe over whether their transgender participation policies violate Title IX.

The investigation targets a California Community College Athletic Assn. rule that allows transgender and nonbinary students to participate on women’s sports teams if the students have completed “at least one calendar year of testosterone suppression.”

Also, the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights has launched 18 Title IX investigations into school districts across the United States on the heels of the Supreme Court hearing oral arguments on efforts to protect women’s and girls’ sports.

Minter has agreed to return to Baltimore in the top job, having previously spent four years as an assistant coach with the Ravens under Harbaugh.

The 42-year-old then worked in the college game before returning to the NFL as the Los Angeles Chargers defensive co-ordinator for the past two seasons.

“This is an organisation whose values, culture and tradition of excellence reflect everything I believe about the game of football and how it should be played,” said Minter.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti added: “He clearly understands the values, high expectations and history of the Ravens, and he has a great vision for the future.”

Harbaugh had been in charge of the Ravens for 18 years so Minter will be just the fourth head coach in the team’s 31-year history.

He also had a second interview with the Las Vegas Raiders and cancelled an interview with the Cleveland Browns.

The car has now passed all its impact tests, Vowles added, and drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon “stand shoulder to shoulder with me”.

“They’re clearly, as I am, disappointed,” said Vowles.

“They want to be out there testing the car, and whilst they’re in our driver and loop simulator in tandem now, to increase that programme, it isn’t the same.”

Vowles said the main problem was the factory was unable to cope with the demand put on it by the car build process.

“It’s more of an output than anything else, of pushing not just the boundaries of design but the boundaries of just simply how many components can be pushed through the factory in a very short space of time,” said Vowles.

“The car we’ve built is about three times more complicated than anything we have put through our business beforehand.

“So, to put that in perspective, it means the amount of load going through our system is about three times what it used to be.

“And we started falling a little bit behind and late on parts. There are compromises you can make as a result of it.

“In addition to that, we have absolutely pushed the boundaries of what we’re doing in certain areas. And one of those is in certain corresponding tests that go with it.”

However, he said the team were on target to make it to the second pre-season test, which takes place in Bahrain on 11-13 February.

Vowles added: “We could have made Barcelona testing. Simple as that. But in doing so, I would have to turn upside down the impact on spares, components, and updates across Bahrain, [the first race in] Melbourne, and beyond.

“And the evaluation of it was that for running in a cold, damp Barcelona, against doing a (rig) test, against the spare situation, and frankly, there was zero points for running in a shakedown test, we made the decision, and I stand by it, that the right thing to do is to make sure we’re turning up at Bahrain, correctly prepared, and prepared in Melbourne as well.”

Vowles did not directly answer a question as to whether the car was significantly over the minimum weight limit, saying it was impossible to respond to “murmurings in the media” because it was not possible to know the answer until the car was assembled.

He also said he had “experts and specialists” working with Williams to try to improve their factory operations.

A PGA Tour statement said:, external “Given that he resigned his Tour membership prior to violating any Tour regulations, he would be eligible to return to Tour competition on August 25, 2026, as a non-member, provided that he complies with Tour regulations and does not participate in additional unauthorised events.

“At that time, Reed would be eligible to participate in FedExCup Fall events as a non-member and could accept sponsor exemptions or participate in open qualifying for those tournaments.

“Reed would then be able to reinstate his membership for the 2027 Tour season, where he would play out of the past champion category.”

It added Reed planned to play on the Europe-based DP World Tour this year, having won the Dubai Desert Classic last week.

“I will continue to compete and play as an honorary lifetime member on the DP World Tour, which is something that I am truly honored and excited to do,” said Reed.

“I’m a traditionalist at heart, and I was born to play on the PGA Tour, which is where my story began with my wife, Justine.

“I am very fortunate for the opportunities that have come my way and grateful for the life we have created.

“I am moving forward in my career, and I look forward to competing on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. I can’t wait to get back out there and revisit some of the best places on earth.

“I want to thank everyone involved for helping me make this decision. Over the last four years, I have learned a lot about myself, about who I am and who I am not, and for that I am forever grateful.”

Reed was part of the 4Aces team in LIV Golf alongside fellow American Dustin Johnson.

“To Dustin Johnson, The Aces, and LIV Golf, I want to thank you for the memories we shared and created together,” added Reed.

“To golf fans around the world, I just want to thank you all for your continued support over the years.

“I just ask that you respect the decision we have made for our family, our children, and our future. Thank you for your continued support.”

Reed’s move comes with LIV Golf preparing for a fifth season in the first week of February in Riyadh.

“LIV has always been an advocate for player movement and recognises that when golf settles into a new normal, players will not only have the right, but the opportunity to play golf when and where they want,” added the LIV statement.

“As we look forward, our focus remains on building teams and a league that fans can believe in and players enjoy – those who compete at the highest level, play the game the right way, and understand the responsibility to grow the game around the world by engaging fans and celebrating partners.”

A Chelsea supporter has described his “shock” after being stabbed and taken to hospital before Wednesday’s Champions League match against Napoli in Italy.

Marcus, 22, who did not want to give his surname, said he and a group of Chelsea fans were targeted in the centre of Naples by a group of Napoli ‘ultras’ – a term used for hardcore supporter groups in European football.

“We turned a corner – it wasn’t technically an alleyway, but it felt like one because there were no lights,” he said.

“There were about 20 or 30 people, all in black, walking towards us as soon as we made eye contact. Some people knew what was happening and ran straight away.”

Marcus, who was with “seven or eight” friends, added: “It was definitely a shock. Everyone was shaken up when we eventually found the police.

“I was in shorts and they were covered in blood, with blood going all down my leg. We think it was a screwdriver – it could’ve been a Stanley blade. It was either that or a screwdriver.

“I didn’t really feel it until I started running away. My left cheek felt heavy, almost, and as soon as I touched it my hand was covered in blood.”

Wainwright’s family were in the stands when he won his first cap in Wales’ historic 13-12 win against South Africa in Bloemfontein – the only time the men’s national team has won a game against the Springboks on their soil.

The prop from Prestatyn, then with Saracens after earning a move from Rygbi Gogledd Cymru (RGC), helped win a scrum penalty that set up field position for Josh Adams’ late try that was converted by Gareth Anscombe.

Wainwright was able to celebrate with his father, who was instrumental on his rise to Test level.

“He was a huge influence,” said the prop. “We were best friends and he did everything with me.

“He was one of the biggest support networks for me and when I got the call-up I thought about him a lot, it was quite emotional.

“We’d speak about everything and he’d watch every game. When I was at the Scarlets he would tell me what to pick up on after every game.

“He was unbelievable for me and that’s why getting this call up was a bit emotional for me. He would have been proud of me – 1,000%.”

A former rugby league player and a construction worker, Shaun ensured that Sam was able to give RGC his full attention.

“I told him I wanted to follow his route and have the rugby alongside it, but he would never let me do it,” said Wainwright, whose exploits earned a chance with Saracens in 2019.

“He said ‘I do this, not you – you just focus on the rugby’. I was part-time at RGC and got a wage, but my dad just told me to eat and sleep rugby.”

The women-only world record applies to races that take place without male pacemakers or competitors.

Assefa previously held the outright women’s world record after running 2:11:53 in Berlin in 2023.

She remains the second-fastest female marathon runner in history, behind Ruth Chepngetich, who was banned from the sport for three years after the Kenyan admitted to anti-doping rule violations following a positive test in March last year.

Chepngetich’s achievements that pre-date that sample, including her world record time of 2:09:56 in Chicago in 2024, still stand.

While no female athlete in history had run below Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing record of 2:15:25 until 2019, eight have surpassed that mark in the past seven years – including Assefa, Dutch star Hassan (2:13:44) and Kenyans Jepkosgei (2:14:00) and Jepchirchir (2:14:43).

Also confirmed for this year’s London Marathon is Uruguay’s Julia Paternain, who was raised in the UK and made headlines for her stunned reaction to completing the world podium with an unexpected bronze last year.

The unveiling of the elite women’s line-up at the London Marathon follows the announcement of the elite British entries, which include Emile Cairess and Eilish McColgan.

In the elite wheelchair events, Great Britain’s David Weir will seek to stop Swiss great Marcel Hug equalling his record eight wins.

Junior Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian has upped her scoring average this season. She’s No. 2 in the state with an average of 32.8 points a game. Virtually any college team in the country would welcome her with open arms.

There’s others making an impact in the scoring department this season, according to stats posted on MaxPreps.com.

Aryanna Reyes of Whittier Pioneer is at 30.1 points for 14 games.

Leqi Zhen of L.A. Lincoln is averaging 28.9 points in 10 games.

Rancho Christian freshman Addison Archer is averaging 27.0 points in 22 games.

Darby Dunn of Canyon Country Canyon has had some big scoring nights and is at 26.2 points over 25 games. Tatyana Aubry of Leuzinger is averaging 24.8 points over 25 games.

Ventura’s Kailee Staniland is averaging 23.3 points. Savannah Myles of Westchester is at 22.2 points through 19 games.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans has been ruled out for up to 10 weeks to deepen their midfield injury crisis.

The Belgium international, 28, came off in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Newcastle with an ankle injury and checks have confirmed he is unlikely to return until April.

He is the latest key midfielder for the side currently lying third in the Premier League to suffer a serious injury in recent weeks. John McGinn has been sidelined for two months and Boubacar Kamara is out for the season, both with knee injuries.

Villa are close to signing their former midfielder Douglas Luiz on loan from Juventus to add cover.

“Tielemans is eight to 10 weeks out,” said manager Unai Emery on Wednesday. “Kamara is not going to play this season. McGinn is six to eight weeks out.

“After those updates of those players we need to manage the centre midfield in the matches we are going to play.”

Emery described the move for Luiz, who played for Villa between 2019 and 2024, as “close”.

Tammy Abraham joined Villa in an £18.5m deal on Tuesday and winger Leon Bailey has returned after spending the first half of the season on loan at Roma, while Donyell Malen signed for Roma earlier in the window.

Villa host Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday in the Europa League at Villa Park having already qualified for the knockout stage.