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BARCELONA — Lewis Hamilton claimed his 88th Formula One career victory and, with it, an outright record 156th podium finish on Sunday when he drove his Mercedes to a masterful victory in the Spanish Grand Prix.

It was the world championship leader and six-time champion’s fifth win in Spain and his fourth in consecutive years, extending his record run of finishes in the points to 39.

Hamilton came home 24 seconds ahead of nearest title race rival Max Verstappen of Red Bull who finished 20 seconds ahead of Valtteri Bottas in the second Mercedes.

Hamilton had shared a record 155 podium finishes with Michael Schumacher whose other records for championships and wins are in the Briton’s sights this year.

His victory increased his lead in the drivers title race to 37 points ahead of Verstappen.

Sergio Perez, back in his Racing Point after missing two races with coronavirus, was fourth ahead of his teammate Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz of McLaren.

“Wow, I was in another zone then,” said Hamilton.

“I didn’t even know it was the fastest lap. Thank you everyone. I was just in a daze out there — it was good.” 

Verstappen was satisfied with his result. 

“To split them was the best we could do today,” said the Dutchman who won the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone last week.

“We didn’t have the speed of Lewis and it was important to get past Valtteri at the start.”

Bottas said: “I lost a place at the start and that was it — it’s so difficult to pass around here.” 

Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, in his final season with Ferrari and linked with a move to Aston Martin next year, finished seventh ahead of Alex Albon in the second Red Bull, Pierre Gasly of Alpha Tauri and Lando Norris who was 10th in the second McLaren.

On another hot afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya, with a track temperature of 50ºC and the air at 31, Hamilton made a clean start from his 92nd pole position, but behind him Bottas made sluggish progress from second.

‘Tyre is dead’

Both Verstappen and Stroll took advantage on the ‘drag race’ down to the first corner, pushing the Finn down to fourth. 

All of them were aware of the threat of serious tyre degradation in the conditions, a hazard that persuaded Hamilton to control the lead pace with caution.

Bottas was soon back on pace, passing Stroll into Turn One and then launching his chase after Hamilton and Verstappen.

The champion was soon clear of the Dutchman by 1.5 seconds, but not surging clear as he backed up Verstappen towards the Finn. 

By lap 12, he was lapping faster and reeling off fastest laps, opening a gap of 1.7, which he increased to four seconds by lap 15 while Bottas, third, closed to within two seconds of Verstappen.

All of the top ten drivers had started on softs, the rest on mediums. This meant pit-stops were inevitable with tyre-wear and strategy sure to be critical factors.

Albon was the first to blink, taking a set of hard tyres for his Red Bull as the team sought the means for him to make progress and opted, in vain, for a one-stop race. He returned for mediums on lap 43.

By lap 20, a frustrated Verstappen was grumbling about his soft rear tyres. 

“The tyre is dead,” he shouted. “I’m losing so much time.” 

He pitted two laps later taking mediums in a remarkable 1.9 seconds stop.

This move enabled Bottas to regain second, ten seconds behind his teammate with Verstappen rejoining third, adrift by nearly 30 seconds — but on lap 24 Mercedes “double-stacked” their men for mediums in a slower move.

Hamilton was stationary for 4.3 seconds and Bottas for 3.1, a delay that allowed Verstappen to regain second, 4.3 down on the leader.

Behind the leaders, the mixed strategies ensured plenty of positional battles including scraps between Lando Norris of McLaren and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for 10th and the two Racing Points for fifth.

Leclerc’s hopes ended on lap 38 when his engine cut out and he spun at the chicane. He re-joined in 20th before pitting and retiring as black thunderclouds loomed.

LISBON — Moussa Dembele came off the bench to score two late goals as Lyon caused another Champions League sensation on Saturday, dumping out Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City with a 3-1 quarter-final win in Lisbon.

City had looked on course to come back and win the tie behind closed doors at the Estadio Jose Alvalade after Kevin De Bruyne’s goal midway through the second half had cancelled out Maxwel Cornet’s first-half opener.

However, Dembele put Lyon back ahead in the 79th minute and then capitalised on a shocking miss by Raheem Sterling to clinch the victory three minutes from the end.

Against all expectations, a team who finished seventh in the curtailed French season, and had played just two competitive games since early March, now find themselves through to a Champions League semifinal on Wednesday against Bayern Munich.

That, surely, will be a step too far for Rudi Garcia’s team but then again nobody expected them to eliminate Juventus in the last round, never mind knock out City here.

“We are still in it, which means we have a great team,” former Celtic striker Dembele told French television channel RMC Sport.

“We are taking it game by game, not getting carried away. We will try to be ready for Bayern.”

Guardiola’s team had been warned about Lyon, losing at home and then drawing away against the French club in last season’s Champions League.

But that was almost two years ago now and Lyon had lost several key players since then. 

This, a day after Bayern’s 8-2 demolition of Barcelona, is a seismic shock and a hammer blow to the ambitions of City under Guardiola.

Their wait for European glory will go on, with this a third consecutive quarter-final exit. 

“It is what it is. Maybe one day we are going to break through the quarter-finals. We are not able to do it now, with these incredible guys, but we are going to try in the future,” Guardiola said.

He was brought to the Etihad Stadium to deliver the Champions League, but he has not managed to equal the club’s best performance to date in the competition, a semifinal appearance in 2016, just before he was appointed.

Franco-German battle

And so, a year after Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur in an all-English final, there will be no English representative in the semifinals in the Portuguese capital.

Instead both ties will be Franco-German duels, with Paris Saint-Germain facing RB Leipzig before Bayern meet Lyon in a repeat of the 2010 semifinals.

Guardiola had set his team up with a three-man defence, as Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte were joined by the young Spaniard Eric Garcia. Phil Foden dropped out of their line-up.

City created little in the first half and were caught out by a long ball over the top as Lyon took the lead.

Garcia raced back to tackle Karl Toko-Ekambi, but Cornet was quickest to the loose ball and, with Ederson off his line, curled a low shot first-time into the corner of the net to keep up his remarkable record against these opponents — the wing-back scored three times against City in last season’s two meetings.

De Bruyne appeared the most likely to make something happen for City and threatened from free-kicks after the restart, as City turned up the heat following the introduction of Riyad Mahrez in place of Fernandinho.

The equaliser duly arrived in the 69th minute as Mahrez clipped a ball forward towards Sterling and he cut it back from the byline to De Bruyne, the Belgian arriving unmarked at the edge of the box to sidefoot home.

Sterling’s amazing miss

Few would have bet against City going on to win the game from there. Lyon had offered nothing going forward in the second half and coach Garcia even decided to take off Memphis Depay, who had been anonymous.

But it proved an inspired decision as his replacement Dembele latched onto Houssem Aouar’s through ball to race through on goal and beat Ederson.

City expected the effort to be disallowed following a VAR review but the Dutch officials let it stand, and Lyon were back in front.

Still they should have been pegged back again, but Sterling somehow put the ball over with the goal gaping having been teed up by Ilkay Gundogan.

Lyon went straight downfield and sealed a famous victory as Dembele converted the loose ball after Ederson had saved from Aouar.

MADRID — Barcelona’s worst ever defeat in Europe, an 8-2 mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich, will signal the end of Quique Setien as coach but it feels like the end of more than that. 

Setien may not even survive the weekend but the fact a second sacking in eight months would be the least of Barca’s worries says it all. 

“It’s too soon to say if I will continue or not and it doesn’t depend on me,” said Setien.

“The club needs changes,” said Gerard Pique. “Nobody is untouchable, least of all me. Fresh blood is needed to change this. We’ve hit rock bottom.”

Lionel Messi was supposed to win it alone, the Argentinian charged with somehow masking the failings of an entire club against the most formidable team in Europe. 

It was a desperate hope, swiftly dashed by a ruthless Bayern side, whose demolition exposed Barcelona’s ageing team for what Messi has been saying all along: they are simply not good enough. 

He said it in February and again in July, when a rant in the aftermath of handing Real Madrid the title turned into a brutal, but honest, assessment of their season. 

Messi saw the fall coming but it was too late to do anything about it and the question now is whether he wants to be part of the process of recovery and renewal. 

Most have assumed it would take something cataclysmic for Messi to leave but at an elite football club, what could be worse than this? 

This was more painful than the capitulations against Roma and Liverpool, when carelessness and fragility deprived Barcelona of a genuine chance to lift the Champions League trophy. 

But they were shocks because Barca were contenders. This time, nobody expected them to beat Bayern. Many expected a thrashing but few could have predicted the severity of it.

The humiliations started in the fourth minute and kept coming until the 89th. 

They began even before kick-off when the starting line-ups were announced, with three Barca signings bought for more than 100 million euros each all sitting on the bench. 

One of them, Philippe Coutinho, was on Bayern’s bench and he came on to score twice against his parent club, the first even seemingly with reluctance. 

Messi, at 33, knows his end is near but he will choose when it comes. Others may not be so lucky, with Pique and Luis Suarez also 33 and Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba 31. 

All of them have played a part in Barca’s golden era but that era feels a long time ago now and if this team is to regenerate, brave decisions will have to be made. 

Frenkie de Jong, Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig are the future, smothered this season by the failures of those ahead of them and perhaps ready to be trusted to lead. 

If it’s the end of an era for Barcelona, it is for Spain too. The national team may have long been overtaken but Messi kept Barca challenging while the Champions League became the kingdom of Real Madrid.

Not anymore, this the first year since 2007 that the semifinals will be without a Spanish club, and the first since 2005 without either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Who will lead the Barca revolution remains to be seen, with Xavi Hernandez, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman all sufficiently put off that they rejected the chance in January. Will they be any keener now? 

Barcelona will not have the money to make big additions, meaning they may have to look within. 

But that would be a long-term project, which the club cannot guarantee either given their presidential elections are due in 2021. A new regime could well bring a new coach too. 

A year might even feel like a long time for the current president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who would not rule out the elections being brought forward on Friday. 

“Today was a disaster,” he said. “Some decisions we had already thought to take and others we will think about in the next few days.”

Since 2014, his board have stumbled from blunder to blunder, all the while alienating the dressing room and driving this period of chaos and decline. 

It began with Neymar leaving and never being replaced, the frantic attempts to bring him back then failing because the funds had been squandered elsewhere. 

And it ended with a public humiliation that Messi saw coming. It had been coming for a long time.

COLOGNE, Germany — The Europa League may not be able to match the riches and glamour of the Champions League, but the presence of Manchester United and Inter Milan in the semifinals is further evidence that Europe’s giants are increasingly taking the competition seriously.

United and Sevilla, who face off in Sunday’s first semifinal, have already benefited from the introduction of a place in the Champions League for the Europa League winners in 2015, but with Ukranian champions Shakhtar Donetsk facing Inter in the other semifinal on Monday, all four sides remaining have already secured their places in the Champions League next season.

Instead, it is the prestige of a European trophy and prize money that is driving the ambitions of the semifinalists despite the eery atmosphere with all games behind closed doors in northern Germany.

United have not won a trophy since they lifted the Europa League for the first time in 2017.

Sevilla are the kings of this competition, winning it five times since 2006, but have not claimed any silverware since they last lifted the Europa League in 2016.

Inter have made giant strides towards closing the gap to Juventus in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge, but are also seeking their first trophy since 2011.

The presence of United and Inter means there will be more previous Champions League winners in the Europa League semifinals than UEFA’s premier club competition in Lisbon.

But European football’s governing body has peaked the interest of the continent’s biggest clubs with increased prize money in the Europa League in recent seasons.

Spanish and English clubs have combined to win the competition for the past eight years.

The 560 million euros ($660 million) distributed among clubs in the Europa League is still just a quarter of the 2 billion euro pot for the Champions League, but provides a significant financial boost, particularly with the coronavirus pandemic squeezing clubs’ finances on matchday income.

Chelsea pocketed 46 million euros for winning the competition last season, whilst those dropping into the Europa League from the Champions League as Inter and Shakhtar did this season stand to win even more.

Sevilla have been the biggest beneficiaries of the laissez-faire attitude of some clubs to the importance of the Europa League in the past.

The Spanish side defeated Middlesbrough, Espanyol, Benfica and Dnipro in the first four of their five final victories before outgunning Liverpool four years ago.

Shakhtar also took advantage when they became only the second Ukrainian club to ever win a European trophy by beating Werder Bremen in 2009.

Both are shining examples how smart player trading can bridge an economic gap to the continent’s super clubs, but every season the rebuild gets harder as the likes of United and Inter’s financial muscle allows them to scoop up the best talent.

Only three of the Sevilla starting line-up that knocked United out of the Champions League two years ago will be part of Julen Lopetegui’s squad on Sunday.

LISBON — Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka said the German giants are working out how to curb the legendary talents of Barcelona star Lionel Messi ahead of Friday's Champions League quarter-final.

"Thousands of people before me have tried to answer this question," Goretzka replied Tuesday in Lisbon when asked how to stop Messi.

"It is nice — after playing against [Juventus star Cristiano] Ronaldo a few times — to play the other formative player of the last decade.

"That can only be done collectively," the 25-year-old central midfielder said of Messi, "because he is a gifted footballer".

"I don't know how, but we have to force our game on them."

Messi scored his 31st goal this season on Saturday and is looking to lift the Champions League for the fifth time in his career with Barcelona.

Treble-chasing Bayern, however, have won all 13 games since the coronavirus lockdown restart.

They underlined their impressive form on Saturday when Robert Lewandowski, the Champions League's top scorer, netted twice and created two more in the last 16, second-leg rout of Chelsea to seal a 7-1 thrashing on aggregate.

Bayern are chasing the treble having already won an eighth straight Bundesliga title and lifted the German Cup, but Goretzka says Barcelona present a true test.

"There is no easy way now. We are here in the sun in Portugal and are preparing for a knockout game in the Champions League," he said.

"We're really up for it. Knockout matches are great."

While Barcelona are packed with stars alongside Messi, Goretzka says Bayern are far more than just Lewandowski's goals. 

"At the moment, we're playing as a unit, in addition to the quality of the individual players.

"We have a clear plan in hand and our intensity without the ball can make the difference." 

But he admitted being wary of Arturo Vidal, Barca's ex-Bayern midfielder.

"I got to know him for a few weeks and played against him many times. He has a first-class mentality with amazing fitness," added Goretzka.

"I noticed that during fitness tests — which I took next to him — he can go beyond the pain threshold."

Hansi Flick says treble-chasing Bayern must adapt quickly to the heat in Portugal as they fine-tune preparations for Friday's quarter-final with Jerome Boateng and Kingsley Coman fit again.

Flick oversaw training on Monday in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius at Bayern's training camp in Lagos in south-west Portugal.

Both centre-back Boateng, who picked up a leg injury in Saturday's last 16 return leg against Chelsea, and winger Coman, who missed the 4-1 victory with a knock, trained on Monday and are in the frame to face Barca.

"It's very important that we get used to the temperatures," said Flick, although cooler temperatures are forecast for Friday's tie in Lisbon.

Bayern underlined their status as one of the favourites to lift the Champions League trophy on August 23 as Robert Lewandowski scored twice and set up two more goals in the rout of Chelsea.

It sealed a 7-1 thrashing on aggregate, with the Bundesliga champions and German Cup holders having won all 12 of their games since the restart in mid-May following the coronavirus shutdown.

They are determined to repeat their 2013 treble in Flick's first season in charge.

"We shouldn't say now that we are in Portugal, near the sea and we're off on our holidays," said Bayern forward Thomas Mueller.

The Bavarians touched down in Portugal on Sunday in confident mood with Mueller insisting they are focused but must stay "loose" and relaxed.

"We have to train cleverly — and be cunning," added Mueller.

"A good mixture is important, we have to create a feel-good factor."

While Bayern were busy dispatching Chelsea, Barcelona swept into the quarter-finals with 3-1 home win over Napoli after a 1-1 draw in the first leg last February.

"It's full speed ahead. We're really looking forward to the game," said Mueller.

However, he emphasised that Bayern call ill afford to "focus" solely on Lionel Messi. 

"That's the big problem," he explained. "Barca has a lot of strong players who you have to watch out for."

LISBON — Yussuf Poulsen has shaken off an ankle injury and is ready to slot in for Timo Werner and help provide the goals for RB Leipzig in Thursday’s Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid.

After scoring 34 times last season, including four in the Champions League, Germany striker Werner quit Leipzig to sign for Premier League side Chelsea in June.

Despite permission from Chelsea, Werner turned down the chance to play for Leipzig in the quarter-finals in order to focus on settling into life in London.

In his absence Poulsen, who has recovered from an ankle injury in May, is set to partner on-loan Czech forward Patrik Schick in Lisbon.

“We know that we can’t completely replace Timo one to one,” Poulsen told AFP subsidiary SID.

“But I also know that the coach has a lot of ideas on how we can approach this and be at least as effective in Lisbon as we were in our previous Champions League games.

“As long as I’m in the starting eleven, I always agree with the coach,” he joked.

Leipzig were only founded in 2009 and are in the knock-out stages of the Champions League for the first time.

After beating Tottenham in the last 16, they are eager to extend their run under ambitious head coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Despite being just 26, Poulsen has spent seven years at Leipzig and has come up with them from Germany’s third division to Europe’s top table. 

The Denmark international has scored 63 goals and created 51 more in 250 appearances for the club from Germany’s east.

He has the distinction of being the first Leipzig player to score a Bundesliga hat-trick, doing so against Hertha Berlin in March 2019.

Now, after weeks of uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic between February’s last-16 win and the quarter-final, Poulsen said the Germans are ready to face an experienced Atletico side.

Title aspirations

“We’re all really looking forward to the game,” said the Dane.

“We’ve worked hard for it and we’re happy that we can finish it.

“There were times when that wasn’t certain, so it’s a great feeling to be in Lisbon.

“Once you’re there, you must have the determination to go all the way to the final and the title.”

Under Diego Simeone, Atletico are hunting their first Champions League title after losing the 2014 and 2016 finals to archrivals Real Madrid.

“Those responsible have been doing a very good job at Atletico for many years,” said Poulsen.

“Of course Atletico is the favourite, we are more the underdog.

“We’re in the Champions League quarter finals for the first time, they’ve always been fully involved for the last eight, ten years.

“But, of course, we have a chance and we believe we do.”

Under Nagelsmann, RB Leipzig play a brand of attacking football and big things are expected from their talented Spanish attacking midfielder Daniel Olmo, a product of Barcelona’s youth academy.

In contrast, Atletico have earned a reputation for tough defending with their back four notoriously hard to break down, as Liverpool found to their cost in the last 16.

“Yes, there are a few differences, but whoever says that Atletico only sit deep and defend, only knows the team partially,” warned Poulsen.

“They can also push very high, but are very well trained to prevent a goal from being scored.

“We can learn from that too.” 

ORLANDO — Damian Lillard exploded for 61 points on Tuesday as the Portland Trail Blazers roared towards a place in the NBA play-offs with a thrilling 134-131 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Lillard — who had scored 51 points in a victory against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday — once again led from the front for Portland, who are now within touching distance of a postseason berth.

The Blazers talisman nailed a clutch three-pointer in the closing stages to level the score at 130-130 and then provided the assist that saw Portland take a 132-130 lead with just under a minute remaining.

The win vaulted Portland above the Memphis Grizzlies into the eighth and final play-off spot in the Western Conference standings with 34 wins and 39 defeats.

The eighth- and ninth-placed teams in the West will advance to an elimination game this weekend to determine who claims the final postseason berth from the conference.

Tuesday’s combination of results elsewhere left everything to play for heading into the final round of seeding games on Thursday, with Portland, Memphis, the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs still mathematically in with a chance of claiming eighth or ninth place.

Portland, however, remain in the driving seat. A win on Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets will assure them of a place in the play-in game.

Lillard’s 61-point effort made him only the second player in NBA history to score 60 points or more in three games during a single season, putting him alongside Wilt Chamberlain.

“I’m happy to be in that kind of company, and I’m happy that two of those three [60-point games] came in a winning effort,” Lillard said.

“Tonight couldn’t have been better timing for that type of game. It’s an honour to be in company with Wilt. Hopefully it can continue.”

Rising Suns

Lillard’s latest masterclass was complemented with 26 points from veteran Carmelo Anthony, while Zach Collins and Gary Trent Jr had 11 points each.

For the Mavericks, Kristaps Porzingis led the scoring with 36 points, while Luka Doncic added 25 with 10 assists and eight rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr scored 24 points with four rebounds.

Elsewhere Tuesday, Phoenix’s unbeaten streak inside the Orlando “bubble” stretched to seven games after yet another high-scoring display from Devin Booker in a victory over Philadelphia.

Booker scored 35 points in a 130-117 win over a severely depleted Sixers side missing Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

It was Booker’s fifth 30-point scoring display in seven games since the NBA restarted its season in Orlando.

The Suns’ win, combined with San Antonio’s 123-105 victory over Houston and Memphis’s 122-107 defeat to the Boston Celtics, leaves the race for the eighth and ninth places on a knife edge.

The Grizzlies, who have lost six of their seven games since the league restarted, face the Eastern Conference top seeds Milwaukee in their final game on Thursday.

Phoenix, who have won all seven of their games since the restart, take on the Dallas Mavericks. An eighth win against Dallas, and a Grizzlies loss against the Bucks, would put the Suns into the play-in round.

Even if Phoenix win on Thursday to make it eight wins out of eight, they could still be eliminated depending on results elsewhere.

“We know we’re not totally in control of our fate but we’ve put ourselves in a good position,” Phoenix coach Monty Williams said after Tuesday’s win.

“Nobody would have guessed that the Phoenix Suns would be in this position before this started. 

“Our guys have just battled, and executed, and made the plays necessary to give us a chance.”

Booker, meanwhile, insists Phoenix will be satisfied even if they don’t reach the playoffs.

“That’s life, man,” Booker said. “We’re controlling what we can control and that’s the eight games we play in. 

“I’m proud of my guys regardless. We came in with the right mindset. We locked in and made the sacrifices we had to. “

LISBON — Paris Saint-Germain have once again been hit by a flood of injuries going into a crunch Champions League knockout tie, but this time Neymar is fit and seemingly ready to live up to his status as the world’s most expensive player.

PSG face Atalanta in Lisbon on Wednesday in the first quarter-final of the “Final Eight”, after UEFA turned the latter stages of Europe’s elite club competition into something akin to a World Cup after the long coronavirus shutdown.

There will be no fans in the Estadio da Luz, but the French champions coped just fine behind closed doors when they beat Borussia Dortmund in their last 16, second leg in March.

That night Neymar scored the opener in a 2-0 win as they overturned a first-leg deficit.

After the game, the Brazilian sat on a step high up in the stands at the Parc des Princes and cried tears of joy.

After all, his first two seasons in Paris following his 222 million-euro ($264 million) transfer from Barcelona were marred by injuries at the worst possible moments.

First there was the broken metatarsal that saw him miss the last 16, second leg against Real Madrid in 2018 as PSG were knocked out by the reigning champions.

And history repeated itself a year later, as another metatarsal injury forced him to miss the defeat against a mediocre Manchester United, when they contrived to throw away a 2-0 first-leg advantage.

Since then, the much talked about move back to Barcelona has not happened and does not look likely to happen in the post-pandemic market.

Wednesday’s game comes a day short of three years after Neymar made his debut for PSG following that stunning, 222 million euros transfer from Spain.

Aged 28, Neymar now finally seems settled in Paris and is in fine shape to lead his team against Atalanta as they look to progress to the Champions League semifinals for the first time since the Qatari takeover in 2011.

“I think I’m having my best time since I came to Paris,” he said in an interview with the club’s website last week.

Mbappe a major doubt

And how PSG — in the week they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club’s founding — need him as coach Thomas Tuchel has all sorts of selection concerns elsewhere.

His other superstar forward, Kylian Mbappe, is expected to be on the bench at best as he battles to shake off an ankle injury suffered in last month’s French Cup final against Saint-Etienne.

Angel Di Maria is suspended, while the club’s all-time record goal-scorer, Edinson Cavani, left at the end of June when his contract expired. Ironically, he has been tipped to move to Lisbon to sign for Benfica.

Perhaps most worryingly of all, midfield maestro Marco Verratti is out with a calf injury and reports claim the Italian would possibly not even be fit for the final should PSG make it.

To top it all, Tuchel is on crutches too, the German coach breaking his fifth metatarsal and spraining his left ankle during a workout.

But as long as Neymar is fit, PSG will remain hopeful of progressing to a semi-final next week against Atletico Madrid or RB Leipzig.

“We’re a very strong team together, we’ve won four titles already this season, and I’m very happy to be the Paris Saint-Germain manager,” Tuchel told PSG TV this week. “It’s a gift for me.”

MIAMI — Portland’s Damian Lillard poured in 51 points against a Philadelphia team missing injured stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, powering the Trail Blazers to a 124-121 NBA victory on Sunday.

Lillard, taunted on social media after two key missed free throws in a Saturday loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, unleashed the 10th 50-point performance of his career and fifth of the season to pull Portland within a half-game of Memphis for eighth in the Western Conference play-off fight.

“This was different because our season was on the line,” Lillard said. “We drop this one and we don’t control our destiny. I thought we answered the call down the stretch.”

Lillard hit 16-of-28 shot from the floor, 4-of-12 from 3-point range, and 15-of-16 from the free throw line and dished out a game-high seven assists.

“He just showed the determination he has showed throughout his career,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “I don’t think anybody was concerned about how he was going to come out tonight.”

Cameroon forward Embiid was removed from the game for medical evaluation with a left ankle injury only 5:42 into the first quarter after landing awkwardly near the bottom of a basket stanchion. He didn’t return and there was no immediate update on his status.

The setback came as the Sixers (42-28) coped with Wednesday’s loss of All-Star Aussie guard Simmons, who will undergo left knee surgery after suffering a temporary kneecap dislocation.

Portland’s Jusuf Nurkic sank two free throws with 10 seconds remaining for the final margin. Josh Richardson, who led the Sixers with 34 points, missed a 3-pointer and the rebound was batted around to the final buzzer.

“This was a tough win but we’ll take it,” Blazers star Carmelo Anthony said. “We just had to tough it out.”

All games are being played without spectators in a quarantine bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, after COVID-19 shut down the NBA season March 11.

The Blazers (33-39) and Memphis (33-38) are trying to hold off San Antonio (31-38) and Phoenix (31-39) for spots in next weekend’s play-in series for the last West play-off berth. Portland’s win eliminated New Orleans and Sacramento.

“Our fight and competitive spirit is where it needs to be,” Lillard said. “Eventually [attention to detail] will come, but we don’t have the luxury of having that time.”

Cameroon playmaker Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 26 points to spark Toronto over Memphis 108-99, clinching the second seed in the Eastern Conference play-offs for the defending champion Raptors (50-19).

Memphis, led by 25 points from Dillon Brooks, missed a chance to clinch a play-in series berth. The Grizzlies are 1-5 in bubble games.

San Antonio, trying to reach the play-offs for a 23rd consecutive season, pulled within a game of Memphis by beating New Orleans 122-113.

DeMar DeRozan scored 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to ignite the Spurs’ attack and subdue the stubborn Pelicans, who had 25 points in 27 minutes from star rookie Zion Williamson.

Jayson Tatum scored 29 points, five in the final minute of regulation time and five more in overtime, to spark the Boston Celtics over Orlando 122-119.

Tatum’s 3-pointer with 37 seconds to play in the fourth and a basket with 4.2 seconds remaining in the fourth forced over-time at 112-112.

He then had half of the Celtics’ 10 points in the extra five minutes to secure victory for the 47-23 East third seeds as Orlando fell to 32-39.

Brooklyn’s Caris LeVert scored 27 points and Joe Harris added 25 to lead the Nets over the Los Angeles Clippers 129-120. The Clippers fell despite 39 points from Kawhi Leonard.

Reserve Austin Rivers scored 41 points and James Harden added 32 as the Houston Rockets ripped Sacramento 129-112.

Darius Bazley scored 23 points off the bench and Danilo Gallinari added 20 to power Oklahoma City over Washington 121-103.

AMMAN — He said he would make an impact, and Jordan’s Ali Al Qaisi didn’t disappoint with an accomplished performance that saw him just edged out on a split decision for his debut at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in Las Vegas on Saturday night, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service. 

The “Royal Fighter” lost to Mexico’s Irwin Rivera on a 2-1 judges’ decision following three brutal rounds that could have seen the fight go either way.

Qaisi made history in the bantamweight contest, becoming the first fighter from Jordan to make it to the UFC. And he started strongly, flooring Rivera with an uppercut, but the Mexican fought back as the fight continued at breath-taking pace and reached a brawling conclusion. 

Two judges marked the fight 29-28 in Rivera’s favour, with Qaisi scoring 28-29 with the third judge.