Sports
Fenerbahçe face Europa mountain in Nottingham after 1st-leg blow
Fenerbahçe arrive in Nottingham, Thursday, with their European season hanging by a thread and a daunting equation in front of them.
Beaten 3-0 in Istanbul last week, the Turkish side must produce one of the greatest comebacks in their continental history when they face Nottingham Forest in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout round playoff.
The arithmetic is unforgiving. Fenerbahçe need a four-goal victory to progress outright. A three-goal win would force extra time and possibly penalties.
Any other result, including a narrow Forest defeat, sends the Premier League side into the last 16, where either Real Betis or FC Midtjylland await.
Forest under Pereira
Forest seized control of the tie with ruthless efficiency in Istanbul.
Newly appointed head coach Vitor Pereira, facing his former club just days into the job, watched his side dominate from the outset.
Murillo opened the scoring, Igor Jesus doubled the lead and Morgan Gibbs-White added a third before the hour mark, completing a clinical display that stunned the home crowd.
It was not just the margin but the manner. Forest pressed high, transitioned quickly and exposed Fenerbahçe’s defensive gaps with alarming ease.
The 3-0 result stands as the club’s biggest away win in European competition.
Domestic reality remains tense. A 97th-minute winner conceded against Liverpool in the Premier League left Forest 17th, hovering just two points above the relegation zone.
Yet in Europe, they have found clarity. A third consecutive continental victory would mark their best run in the competition since the 1983-84 campaign.
Igor Jesus has been central to that surge. The Brazilian is joint top scorer in this season’s Europa League with seven goals and is expected to spearhead the attack again, potentially ahead of January arrival Lorenzo Lucca.
Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson and Ryan Yates are all one booking away from suspension but remain key to Forest’s balance.
Injuries, however, have trimmed Pereira’s options. Chris Wood, Nicolo Savona, John Victor and Willy Boly are sidelined with knee issues, while goalkeeper Matz Sels is out with a groin problem. Luca Netz is ineligible for European action.
Fenerbahçe’s uphill battle
For Fenerbahçe, belief must outweigh precedent.
History offers little encouragement. The Yellow Canaries have never overturned a first-leg defeat in 26 previous European knockout ties.
Against English opposition, they have won just four of 22 encounters.
They have also claimed only one victory in their last six Europa League matches.
The personnel situation compounds the challenge. Fred and Jayden Oosterwolde are suspended, while Milan Skriniar, Çağlar Söyüncü, Anderson Talisca, Ederson and Edson Alvarez are ruled out through injury. Anthony Musaba and Mert Günok are not registered for the competition.
The defensive shortage is acute. Yiğit Efe stands as the only natural center back available, forcing coach Domenico Tedesco to consider reshuffling, with Mert Müldür or Matteo Guendouzi possible emergency solutions at the heart of the back line.
Yet there is context that fuels hope. Fenerbahçe are unbeaten in 14 away matches in all competitions since September.
Domestically, they remain firmly in the Süper Lig title race. A dramatic 1-1 draw with Kasımpaşa on Monday extended their unbeaten league run to 23 matches and kept them within two points of leaders Galatasaray.
The contrast is stark. At home in Europe, they have stumbled. On the road in all competitions, they have thrived.
Everything to chase, everything to protect
Forest can approach the night with structure and patience, protecting a three-goal cushion in front of a raucous City Ground.
Fenerbahçe must attack without recklessness, score early and withstand the counterattacking threat that punished them in the first leg.
Fenerbahçe reclaimed the EuroLeague Women title Sunday with a commanding 68-55 victory over archrival Galatasaray in an all-Turkish final in Zaragoza, Spain.
The win helped the Istanbul giants secure their third crown and reassert dominance in Europe’s premier women’s basketball competition.
Playing at Pabellon Principe Felipe, both teams struggled to find rhythm early, with Fenerbahçe edging a tight first quarter 17-16 despite Galatasaray’s strong defensive presence in the paint.
Galatasaray briefly took control in the second period with an 8-0 run to lead 27-25, but Fenerbahçe responded through efficient inside play, led by Iliana Rupert, to carry a 37-32 advantage into halftime.
Fenerbahçe tightened their grip in the third quarter, sparked by back-to-back 3-pointers from floor general Julie Allemand.
While Galatasaray stayed within reach behind efforts from Elizabeth Williams and Smalls, Fenerbahçe maintained a 51-45 lead heading into the final period.
The defending champions then pulled away in the fourth quarter, stretching the margin into double digits and closing out a comfortable 68-55 win.
Allemand was named Final Six MVP after delivering a near triple-double in the final with 13 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
Across the tournament, she averaged 12.5 points, 7.0 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, underlining her pivotal role in Fenerbahçe’s title run.
Teammate Emma Meesseman further cemented her legacy as one of the competition’s all-time greats by claiming her seventh EuroLeague Women title, the most by any player in the modern era.
The Final Six All-Star Five featured Allemand and Meesseman alongside Galatasaray’s Williams, Merritt Hempe of host club Casademont Zaragoza and Klara Holm of Spar Girona.
Earlier Sunday, Zaragoza secured their first-ever podium finish by defeating Spar Girona 66-63 in the third-place game, marking a historic achievement for the hosts.
The triumph capped a dominant campaign for Fenerbahçe, who had previously lifted the EuroLeague Women trophy in 2023 and 2024, and now return to the top of European basketball once again.
LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday, while the Denver Nuggets held off the Minnesota Timberwolves in a physical opener to the NBA playoffs.
The Nuggets, fueled by Nikola Jokic’s 25-point triple-double and 30 points from Jamal Murray, beat the Timberwolves 116-105.
The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers also powered to wins in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks beating the Atlanta Hawks 113-102 and the Cavaliers thumping the Toronto Raptors 126-113.
In Los Angeles, 41-year-old superstar James launched his record-equaling 19th playoff campaign with a double-double of 19 points and 13 assists.
He added eight rebounds as the Lakers shook off the injury absences of league-leading scorer Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves with a convincing victory in game one of their best-of-seven Western Conference series.
“We understand the circumstances that we’re in,” James said of a Lakers team that will be without Doncic and Reaves indefinitely after both suffered late-season injuries.
“We don’t have time to wait around, especially versus a hard-playing, well-coached team like Houston. So it was a good first test for us.”
Grimy game
All five Lakers starters scored in double figures, with Luke Kennard leading the way with 27 points on nine-of-13 shooting, including five-of-five from 3-point range.
“He stepped up big-time,” James said.
Turkish center Alperen Şengün scored 19 points to lead the Rockets, who felt the absence of Kevin Durant after the 37-year-old star was ruled out shortly before the game with a bruised knee.
“Hopefully it’s a one-game thing,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said.
In Denver, three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic added 13 rebounds and 11 assists, shaking off a slow start that saw him score just six points in the first half.
Murray scored 17 of his 30 in the first half to keep the Nuggets close and finished a perfect 16 of 16 from the free-throw line.
The third playoff series in four seasons between the teams got off to a physical start, with more than 40 fouls called, a flagrant foul called on Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels and a technical on Denver coach David Adelman.
The Nuggets trailed by as many as 12 in the first quarter before bearing down in the second period and pulling away after the break.
Adelman was pleased with the way his team responded after the early punch from the visitors.
“Winning a grimy game, it’s good,” Adelman said. “Both teams are experienced and used to winning these games. They know what it means to play in a physical match-up. There’s respect … there’s also a want to win.”
Anthony Edwards, battling back from a knee injury, led the Timberwolves with 22 points, and Rudy Gobert added a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
‘Always interesting’
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called the number of free throws awarded to Murray “a head scratcher”.
“Sixteen free throws is a lot,” Finch said. “It’s almost as many as we shot all game.”
Countered Murray: “They were real fouls.”
“It was physical,” Jokic said. “Whenever we play them, it’s always interesting.”
In New York, Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 25 for the Knicks against the Hawks.
Brunson scored 19 in the first quarter alone, and when he cooled off, Towns scored 19 in the second half to keep things rolling for a Knicks team aiming to improve on their trip to last year’s Eastern Conference finals.
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points to fuel the Cavaliers in a 126-113 win over the Toronto Raptors.
James Harden added a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds and Max Strus scored 24 points off the bench for the Cavs.
RJ Barrett scored 24 points for the Raptors, who never led after the opening minutes and trailed by as many as 24.
Mitchell has now scored at least 30 points in an NBA record nine straight playoff series openers.
Real Sociedad beat Atletico Madrid 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to win the Copa del Rey final Saturday in Seville, securing the club’s fourth title.
After Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez missed from the spot for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, Pablo Marin smashed home his kick to claim victory for the Basque side.
Ander Barrenetxea had headed Real Sociedad ahead after just 14 seconds, with Ademola Lookman leveling for Atletico.
Mikel Oyarzabal put the Basque side ahead from the penalty spot before the break, but Alvarez rescued Atletico and forced extra time and ultimately penalties with a superb strike.
La Real’s season seemed set to be one of struggle until American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo was appointed in December and he resuscitated their campaign.
“It’s a moment to enjoy, to dream and to believe … the kid who dreamed of this … has done it,” said Real Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero, who saved two penalties.
Champions League semifinalists Atletico, 10-time winners of the cup, were left to lick their wounds and rue mistakes.
“We did everything we could, we had to row against the current from the start,” said Atletico captain Koke.
“We had some chances before the end of the 90 minutes that, if we had scored, would have changed the story.
“We have to congratulate La Real, that’s life. It hurts, but we have to continue.”
At La Cartuja stadium, it was a battle between two teams that often attack fast and direct, and Real Sociedad certainly did that, netting the quickest ever goal scored in a Copa del Rey final.
Goncalo Guedes scampered away down the left on to a long ball, crossing for Barrenetxea to head beyond Juan Musso before the Rojiblancos had even touched the ball.
Simeone’s side, who last won the competition back in 2013 near the start of his 14-year reign, wrestled their way back level through Lookman.
Antoine Griezmann laid off the ball to him on the edge of the box and without much on, the Nigeria international spied a route to goal and drilled into the bottom corner.
Lookman almost created a goal for Griezmann, but Real Sociedad scrambled to block the 35-year-old French forward, who is leaving Atletico at the end of the season for MLS side Orlando City.
Atletico goalkeeper Musso, chosen ahead of the fit-again Jan Oblak after he impressed during the Slovenian’s recent injury absence, handed La Real the lead again just before the break.
Musso clumsily clattered Guedes’ fist first as the Portuguese leapt for a header and the Basque side were awarded a penalty.
Oyarzabal, who scored from the spot when they won the 2020 edition, without their fans present because of the global pandemic, sent Musso the wrong way.
After a first half in which they struggled, Atletico began to build some pressure after the interval.
Griezmann lashed over and Lookman whipped a shot high and wide as La Real tried to stave off the Rojiblancos, who dominated the ball.
Simeone called for his battering ram, sending on Norwegian target man Sorloth to try and force a way through.
Eventually, the goal they craved came from the guile of former Manchester City striker Alvarez instead.
The Argentina forward took a neat touch to spin on the edge of the box and then another to plant the ball in the top corner for his 19th goal of the season.
Blown chances
With La Real caving, Johnny Cardoso should have won it for Atletico in stoppage time. The American fired a golden opening wide of the far post with just goalkeeper Unai Marrero to beat.
Musso made a fine save to thwart Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson as he tried to turn home a rebound in extra time.
At the other end, Alvarez crashed a shot off the crossbar from long range, with both teams creating enough opportunities to win it before penalties.
Marrero denied both Sorloth and Alvarez on Atletico’s first two penalties, with Musso stopping one from Oskarsson to give Atletico a chance.
However, Marin made no mistake with Real Sociedad’s fifth penalty to spark wild celebrations.
Atletico’s last realistic chance of silverware this season, and something for Griezmann to celebrate on his departure, is in Europe, where they face Arsenal.
“We have a beautiful challenge – we want the Champions League, we will do everything we can to win it, but this is a sad night,” added Koke.
Turkish chess prodigy Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş has become the youngest player in history to surpass the 2700 ELO rating threshold, a milestone that places him among the elite of world chess.
According to a statement from the Turkish Chess Federation on Friday, the 14-year-old grandmaster achieved the feat during the “Clash of Generations III” tournament organized by the Monaco Chess Federation.
Competing in Monaco, Erdoğmuş delivered a dominant performance against former world champion Veselin Topalov, defeating him with a 4-1 score. The result earned him enough rating points to cross the 2700 ELO barrier, widely regarded as the benchmark of chess’s top tier.
With the achievement, Erdoğmuş set a new record as the youngest player ever to reach a 2700 rating at age 14. The previous record was held by Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi, who reached the mark at 15.
Some of the world’s leading players, including world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, Alireza Firouzja and Dommaraju Gukesh, crossed the same threshold at age 16.
Erdoğmuş also set a new national record, achieving the highest ELO rating in Turkish chess history.
Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak congratulated the young grandmaster, praising his “historic achievement” and expressing hope for his continued success.
“National grandmaster Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş has made us proud with his historic accomplishment,” Bak said in a statement. “By surpassing the 2700 ELO threshold in Monaco and becoming the youngest player to enter the elite ranks of world chess, he has set a world record. I congratulate him and thank everyone who contributed to this success.”
Top seed Elena Rybakina defeated Karolina Muchova 7-5, 6-1 to win the Stuttgart Open Sunday, claiming the title and a Porsche prize for the second time in her career.
While the Kazakh claimed her second title of the season, it was the tournament’s traditional Porsche award that truly captured Rybakina’s attention more than the silverware itself.
The first Porsche she won in 2024 had given her a push to get a driver’s license last year and she was all smiles when she drove her newly won second sports car down the ramp before parking it on the red clay of the arena.
Victory elevated Rybakina into exclusive company, making her just the fourth active player to win at least five WTA-level titles on multiple surfaces, joining an elite group that includes Venus Williams, Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek.
“It’s an amazing tournament, we love coming back here … It really feels like home and you just want to come back every year,” Rybakina said.
“Super happy for the second win here in Stuttgart and this beautiful car.”
Comes out swinging
Rybakina surged to a swift 3-0 lead in the opening set with a flurry of aggressive shot-making against a largely defensive Muchova.
She was nearly untouchable behind her first serve, consistently pushing Muchova onto the back foot, while the Australian Open champion also mixed in confident net play, forcing her Czech opponent to cover every inch of the court.
However, Muchova showed resilience, clawing her way back from 5-2 down to level at 5-5. But as she served to force a tiebreak, untimely errors crept in and Rybakina pounced to clinch the opening set when Muchova’s return sailed long.
That proved to be the spark Rybakina needed as she shifted gears decisively in the second set, reeling off five consecutive games – echoing her dominant win over Mirra Andreeva in the semifinal – before Muchova got on the board.
Serving for the title, Rybakina closed it out in style, serving to love and wrapping up a Tour-leading 25th victory of the season in 78 minutes.
“Elena, honestly, too good. You played really well,” Muchova said.
“I tried to stop you, but you clearly wanted a Porsche for the second time really bad. So, (you) made it very tough for me. Congrats!”
LeBron James and Bronny James made NBA history last season when a father and son played together for the first time. They took their family dynamic to another level this season by playing meaningful minutes together and even getting the first father-to-son assist in NBA history.
The James clan has the chance to add another chapter to its family lore this month, thanks to Bronny’s growth into a player that all of the Los Angeles Lakers can trust.
LeBron and Bronny seem likely to play postseason minutes together this month when the Lakers face the Houston Rockets in the first round. The greatest scorer in NBA history and his 21-year-old son have been teammates for nearly two years, but the prospect of accomplishing a new first is still special to both generations.
“It’s insane,” Bronny said Thursday after practice at the Lakers’ training complex. “I mean, I’ve literally watched his whole career. Now I’m a part of it. So it’s a great experience. I’m appreciative of it – but I’m part of the job, too. So I have to do my job as well. I’ve got to lock in.”
Bronny’s playing time has increased over the last month, and he has been a rotation member for the Lakers since Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with injuries two weeks ago.
LeBron takes an obvious fatherly pride in Bronny’s development into a contributor for their short-handed team.
“Every moment we get an opportunity to play together is something I never take for granted,” LeBron said.
“Me being on the floor with him postseason, regular season, training camp, practices, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career, above everything I’ve accomplished,” he added. “The fact that he’s put himself in position to get his number called for a postseason game is pretty remarkable and pretty cool, given the circumstances that he’s been through over the last couple of years. He earned it. He deserves it. He’ll be ready.”
After playing sporadic NBA minutes during his first 1 1/2 NBA seasons, Bronny has stepped up into a regular role – partly out of necessity with the Lakers’ top two scorers sidelined, but also because he earned more playing time. He has played 13 minutes or more in seven of the Lakers’ past 10 games, averaging 19 minutes over the past four.
That responsibility seems likely to continue in the postseason, since Doncic and Reaves won’t play in Game 1 on Saturday, and there’s no timetable for their return.
Lakers coach JJ Redick confirmed he will be using every healthy option while Los Angeles attempts to beat overwhelming odds without its starting backcourt.
“We’re going to have to have all hands on deck in this series,” Redick said. “That’s just what we’re handed. I think Bronny has improved a lot. We trust him. The shooting piece (of his game), I’m a believer in, because of how well he shot it the last two years in the G League. … He’s improved a ton defensively, in terms of his body positioning, both on and off ball. We want him to continue to evolve as a disruptive defender as well.”
Bronny played only four playoff minutes last season during two of the Lakers’ first-round losses to Minnesota, and he acknowledges hasn’t played in many big games during his brief basketball career.
He spent his sole collegiate season at Southern California, but he didn’t suit up for the Trojans until midseason after his recovery from an offseason cardiac incident, and that team didn’t make the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s what I’ve wanted, to play in the playoffs,” Bronny said. “I wasn’t able to play in March (Madness), and this is a bigger stage than that. I’m so excited to get out there with my teammates and try to get some wins and try to make it further in the playoffs.”
If and when they play together this month, Bronny thinks they can connect quickly. After all, he knows LeBron’s game pretty well.
“I don’t want to give all the answers to the test, but I’ve been watching him for a long time, and I’ve kind of picked up on his tendencies,” Bronny said with a grin. “I think it’s good that I’m paying attention during his career and what he likes to do in the postseason. I think we’ll be able to play good together. My IQ isn’t going to be far behind him, but I know what he’s doing and where he likes to get the ball on the floor.”
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