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Barcelona's 46-game unbeaten streak in Liga F was ended by struggling Levante on Saturday as they lost 2-1 to suffer their first ever defeat at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
María Alharilla opened the scoring in the 50th minute and Ivonne Chacón doubled Levante's lead in stoppage time after they had withstood wave after wave of Barça attacks.
There was still time for Fridolina Rolfö to pull one back and for Ainhoa Bascuñán to be sent off for the visitors, but Barça could not rescue a point.
Levante, who are in the bottom two in Liga F, have become the first side to beat Barça in the league since Madrid CFF in May 2023 and the first to ever beat them at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, where they have played home games since 2019.
It's the second time Pere Romeu's side have lost this season in any competition. Their only other defeat came against Manchester City in the Champions League, although they recovered to progress to the quarterfinals as group winners.
Barça went unbeaten through 30 matches as they won the league last season and had won all 16 of their fixtures so far this term.
They will wonder how that did not become 17 wins after accumulating a remarkable 47 shots against Levante.
After dominating the first half, they fell behind early in the second period to Alharilla's goal.
Romeu responded by bringing on Rolfö, Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor, Cláudia Pina and Mapi León.
However, an equaliser continued to elude them, with their luck clearly evading them when even Putellas missed an easy chance late on.
Chacón then appeared to seal the points for Levante on the counter attack, but Rolfö's goal set up a late onslaught as the game passed 100 minutes and the away side were reduced to 10.
Levante held, though, on to move within two points of safety, while Barça remain eight points clear of Real Madrid having played a game more.
Slot: TAA doubtful for Spurs SF clash with injury
Arne Slot has said he "would be surprised" if Trent Alexander-Arnold is able to play in Liverpool's Carabao Cup semifinal second leg clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday after the right-back limped off in the 70th minute of the team's win over Bournemouth on Saturday.
Alexander-Arnold was forced off with 20 minutes to go at the Vitality Stadium after pulling up with an apparent issue with his thigh.
"The situation was that he said to me: 'You have to take me off' and he sat on the floor and we took him off," Slot told a news conference.
"He felt something, I can't tell you exactly what and how bad it is of course because we are one hour after the game, but it is never a good sign if a player is asking for a substitution.
"This is not a fact but I would be surprised if he plays on Thursday, but let's hope he is back with us as soon as possible."
If Alexander-Arnold is unable to recover in time for the visit of Ange Postecoglou's struggling Spurs side, Connor Bradley would likely take his place on the right of the back four. Spurs hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg thanks to Lucas Bergvall's late goal.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah continued his fine form this season as his brace inspired Liverpool to victory over an in-form Bournemouth side.
Salah's goals saw him leapfrog Chelsea legend Frank Lampard into sixth place the Premier League's all-time goalscoring charts. The Egypt international netted his 178th goal with a fine curling effort that sealed the points at the Vitality Stadium and left him six behind former Manchester City forward Sergio Agüero (184).
Asked about Salah's devastating consistency in front of goal, Slot told the BBC: "Yeah -- especially the second goal of course. First one, the penalty, big moment so then you have to step up as well. But the second one, that was maybe the difference between the two teams because they were in those positions once in a while as well, and the way Mo finishes that ball it pure pure pure quality."
Madrid's profligacy punished as Espanyol grab win
LaLiga leaders Real Madrid were stunned at lowly Espanyol on Saturday after losing 1-0 thanks to a late Carlos Romero strike.
Vinicius Jr. appeared to have given Madrid the lead in the 21st minute after latching onto Kylian Mbappe's pass. However, the goal was disallowed after the France forward had been adjudged to have fouled Espanyol's Pol Lozano in the build-up.
The hosts kept Madrid at bay in the second half, with Lucas Vazquez, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham all having efforts brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Romero netted the winner in the 85th minute after latching onto Omar El Hilali's pass.
The result means Madrid, on 49 points, are one point clear of Atletico Madrid, who beat Mallorca 2-0 earlier on Saturday. Espanyol moved up to 17th in the table with 23 points.
Armed with all-NZ attack, Canterbury look to shed bridesmaids tag
"I think [winning the title] would mean a lot. I think, if we're honest, we'll put a big tag on the T20 title. And, you know, it would certainly mean a lot to the boys and the association. You know, very fortunate with the support that we get at Hagley with our friends and family and the cricketing community. And, we've had plenty of messages of support from the Canterbury cricket community."
"You know, [in] the last few years, he showed glimpses in games," McConchie said. "All of us lads have seen what he does at training, and, you know, he's a quality striker of the ball, and a quality player. And, you know, he's worked really hard at his game, and to see him get the rewards is not surprising for us, because we know the sort of quality that he is."
Boyle vs Boyle in battle of the brothers
The battle between Matt and Jack will divide the family's loyalties and add more spice to the final.
"Yeah, I think the good part is it's been different guys have been contributing every game, and that's all you're after," Bruce said. "Obviously as captain, it's nice to score some runs myself as well and be consistent, but at different games and different times, other guys have stepped up and have really led the way. So really pleasing to see some of the guys show a bit of consistency there and sort of lead from the front, which has been awesome."
For Bruce, who had captained CD to Super Smash glory in 2018-19, the focus is on adding another trophy to his kitty.
"Yeah, look, 2018-19 season was the last time we lifted the T20 trophy and it's the only time in my ten-year career," Bruce said. There's a few guys there that played in that game as well, so obviously fond memories for those guys. And saying that, the previous year we got our pants pulled down a wee bit from ND as well, so some not-so-fond memories there. So a lot of guys, it's their first finals experience, so awesome to see them and to see how they'll come through the day and through the opportunity."
Jayasuriya: 'There was a serious problem with our shot selection'
Sri Lanka's batters also largely fell playing attacking strokes.
"There was a serious problem with shot selections, as well as with handling situations," Jayasuriya said. "I don't think certain players have handled situations well. They're experienced players, and they have to be more mature.
"These players have played a lot of cricket and should know how to play. I've talked to them about this. But we've got to talk to them in detail about this now. Also, we cannot blame the wicket. Because we saw how the wicket behaved. This was a very good wicket. For a long time, we haven't seen such a good wicket in Galle, on the third and fourth days."
The problem, Jayasuriya said, is batters not converting their starts into big scores. In Australia's first innings of the first Test in Galle, six batters faced 50 balls or more. In Sri Lanka's first innings, only Dinesh Chandimal faced more than 50 balls.
"The biggest problem is the batters who are taking a start but are not going to play a long innings," Jayasuriya said. "This is something I always mutter. We saw [Usman] Khawaja, [Steven] Smith and [Josh] Inglis, all three of them took a good start and they converted them to big hundreds. This conversion must be there. We're not consistent in that. Our players should know that these are our conditions and we must make use of these conditions. There were lots of opportunities but we didn't make use of them."
Australia's spinners did tend to bowl faster than Sri Lanka's, but at the time, Sri Lanka's spinners had felt their slower pace was better suited to this surface.
"They were bowling a little faster than us, but we were thinking that our pace was the best. That's what we've been doing. The wicket was on the slower side and we were trying to bowl a little faster, but we ended up bowling as we usually do here.
"After the third or fourth day, we saw the normal Galle wicket. What the Australia spinners did was bowl a little faster than us. That's normally what they're doing.
"We're used to bowling at a slower pace, but it didn't work in this match. We need to discuss all that also."
UFC's Imavov stuns Adesanya in 2nd via TKO
Israel Adesanya's remarkable career in combat sports has come to a major crossroads, following his fourth defeat in five appearances on Saturday.
Adesanya (24-5) suffered a TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov (16-4) at the 30-second mark of the second round. Imavov rocked Adesanya with a right hand to the chin and followed with a strong left to his chin, after Adesanya crashed backward to the fence. Referee Marc Goddard gave him a chance to respond, but once Adesanya rolled onto his stomach and covered up, the fight was over.
The nontitle bout, which was Adesanya's first non-championship appearance since 2019, headlined UFC Fight Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A win would have kept him in title contention -- while a loss throws his entire future in the sport into question. For Imavov, it's the biggest win of the 28-year-old Frenchman's career, and now has him eyeing his first shot at UFC gold.
"I said it all week long, that I was in perfect shape and I proved it tonight," Imavov said through an interpreter. "I proved I was a better striker and now, the real bonus for me is going to be fighting for the belt. There is no doubt I am ready for the belt. Four victories in one year -- the record speaks for itself."
Adesanya, 35, took nearly a year off to regroup in 2024, after losing his belt in a shocking upset to Sean Strickland in September 2023. He returned to an immediate title shot against Dricus Du Plessis in August, and lost via submission in the fourth round.
He was favored to defeat Imavov, 29, on Saturday, but he failed to produce much of his historical magic. He targeted Imavov's body with kicks and outlanded him in total strikes 32-to-18 according to UFC Stats -- but his volume style has lacked its effectiveness in this 1-4 skid. He has now been knocked out twice in less than three years, after going his entire MMA career without being knocked out previously.
Current champion Du Plessis (22-2) is scheduled to defend his title in a rematch against Strickland (29-6) in the main event of UFC 312 next weekend in Sydney. The undefeated Khamzat Chimaev looms as a potential title challenger beyond next weekend's contest, but Imavov is now firmly in the conversation as well.
Adesanya, who was born in Nigeria and now lives and trains out of New Zealand, appeared to briefly question the referee's decision to stop the fight immediately after returning to his feet, but left the Octagon without incident shortly after.
"I have to chill and then think about things," Adesanya said on the UFC post show. "I will relax first for a little bit, just help the teammates who have fights coming up and see what I want to do. I was going to do that anyway, but now I'm forced to. Shoutout to Nassourdine for that."
UFC CEO Dana White did not seem concerned about Adesanya's prospects moving forward, despite his recent skid. White praised Adesanya's performance in the opening round, which all three judges did score in his favor.
"I thought Izzy looked incredible until he got caught," White said. "He was picking him apart, staying on the outside, takedown defense was incredible, chopping that calf kick. That whole round, he couldn't have had a better first round, but then he got caught."
KSU stuns No. 3 ISU, halts 29-game home streak
AMES, Iowa -- Dug McDaniel scored 20 points as Kansas State upset No. 3 Iowa State 80-61 on Saturday, ending the Cyclones' 29-game home winning streak.
The Wildcats (10-11, 4-6 Big 12) ended a 15-game road losing streak -- 12 of which occurred within the Big 12. Kansas State's 19-point road win is tied for the largest by an unranked team against a top 3 opponent in AP Poll history, according to ESPN Research.
The win is also Kansas State's largest against an AP top 5 team since 1951 and the Wildcats' largest road win against an AP top 5 team in poll history.
Kansas State has won its past three games, also beating then-No. 23 West Virginia and Oklahoma State.
Coleman Hawkins added 17 points and Brendan Hausen had 15 for the Wildcats.
The Cyclones' 29-game home winning streak was the second longest in the nation, behind Houston's 33.
Tamin Lipsey tied a season high with 20 points for the Cyclones (17-4, 7-3). Curtis Jones added 14 and Joshua Jefferson chipped in 13.
Kansas State: The Wildcats took down their first top 5 team on the road since 2017 when Kansas State beat then-No. 2 Baylor 56-54 at the Ferrell Center on Feb. 2.
Iowa State: The Cyclones tied a season high with 18 turnovers, the second straight game they've finished with that many turnovers. They lost both games.
Iowa State hosts TCU next Saturday. Kansas State visits Arizona State Tuesday night.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Wilson: Focused on Steelers, not on Raiders talk
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Russell Wilson strolled into Camping World Stadium on Saturday and immediately started looking for his son. He spotted him on the opposite sideline and made a beeline across the field. Wilson didn't want to do anything without Future Wilson by his side.
After all, Wilson realizes his 10th Pro Bowl might be his last.
The 36-year-old quarterback, who was added to the Pro Bowl Games as an alternate when Buffalo's Josh Allen pulled out this week, is a pending free agent after spending one year in Pittsburgh.
"I'm looking forward to hopefully going back to the Steelers and we'll see what happens with the rest," Wilson told The Associated Press. "I love it in Pittsburgh."
The Steelers might have other ideas.
Team president Art Rooney II indicated Monday that he would like to keep Wilson or Justin Fields on a multiyear deal. Rooney didn't specify which one, but he said age could play a factor in the decision.
Fields, who went 4-2 while filling in for an injured Wilson early in the season, turns 26 next month. Wilson had made three Pro Bowls before Fields even became a star at Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia.
"I've been fortunate to play 13-plus years, and I've got a lot more ball left in me," Wilson said. "I think staying healthy is always the thing. You've got to be healthy to play your best, and I feel great right now."
Wilson sidestepped several questions about potentially reuniting with former Seattle coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas. The Raiders hired Carroll, 73, last month, and speculation quickly followed that Wilson might join him in Vegas.
"Pete's going to be a great coach, obviously," Wilson said. "He's great at what he does. But I'm focused on the Steelers."
Wilson started the final 11 games of the 2024 season after returning from a calf injury he suffered at the start of training camp. He completed 63.7% of his passes for 2,482 yards, with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for 155 yards and two scores.
Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward said it "would be huge" to keep Wilson in 2025 before adding Fields to his response.
"I don't know what's going to happen, but those quarterbacks know what they're doing," Heyward said. "I just hope we find a solution and a recipe for us to continue to win."
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers smiled when asked about the notion of playing with Wilson but stopped short of stumping for an upgrade over Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew. He said he did pepper Wilson with questions about Carroll.
"He said he's great, he's awesome and he brings a lot of energy to practices," Bowers said. "Coach Carroll has won a lot and has a lot of football knowledge, so I'm excited to see what happens."
No one really knows what's next for Wilson, who raved about the Steelers.
"Mike Tomlin is special," Wilson said. "He's an amazing individual. He's one of the greatest of all time."
Some would say the same about Wilson, who is one of three quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for at least 2,400 yards in each of their first 13 seasons. He also has more wins (130) in his first 13 NFL seasons than every quarterback in NFL history except Tom Brady (153), Peyton Manning (150), Ben Roethlisberger (136) and Brett Favre (136).
And he's got 10 Pro Bowls, to boot.
"It's a blessing," Wilson said. "I remember being here my rookie year and being around guys like Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton and Eli Manning. And I remember how grateful I was. Ten Pro Bowls later, it's still a blessing."
Hurley says Arizona had 'no class' in testy finish
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Tommy Lloyd and Bobby Hurley met near midcourt before the game and exchanged pleasantries.
An afternoon of chirping and a late headbutt ruined the mood by the time the rivalry game was over.
Frustrated with Arizona's constant chatter, Hurley waved Arizona State's players off the floor after the Wildcats' 81-72 road win Saturday to prevent any further escalation.
"Right near our bench, it was relentless, constant chatter from a couple of Arizona's players that wasn't being policed properly," Hurley said. "Of course, they're going to be happy with winning, but it was done with no class, in my opinion."
The Territorial Cup rivalry had been mostly civil since Lloyd was hired at Arizona in 2021. The latest version followed suit for most of the afternoon at Desert Financial Arena, other than a first-half technical foul on Arizona's Jaden Bradley for a gesture.
It got wild as Arizona pulled away late.
Thirty-nine minutes of trash-talking boiled over with 30 seconds left, when Arizona State's BJ Freeman headbutted Arizona's Caleb Love in the lane. Love staggered back and started toward Freeman before yelling at one of the officials about the headbutt.
Love then jawed at Arizona State's bench while being held back by a teammate and was ejected. The officials reviewed the play for several minutes before ejecting Freeman as well.
"Obviously, it's disappointing, probably on all sides," Lloyd said. "When tough things happen, we want to be a program that responds with class, and I don't know if we did or didn't. But it was a tough moment in an emotional game. I've got a lot of respect for Bobby and Arizona State's players."
Hurley didn't have the same sentiment, at least in the heat of the aftermath.
With the final seconds winding down, Hurley had his players head up the tunnel toward the locker room. He lingered along the baseline for the final inbounds play before frantically waving at his remaining players to leave the court instead of shaking hands.
Arizona associate head coach Jack Murphy tried to talk to one of Arizona State's players near midcourt, but Hurley waved him off with what appeared to be a few choice words.
"Words that were said back and forth led to the exchange with Freeman and he lost his cool with the constant talk that was allowed to go on," Hurley said. "I had to make the decision, in the best interest of our team, to get them into the locker room so there were no incidents the rest of the game."
Hurley spiced things up more in his postgame news conference, saying he has a vote for the All-Big 12 and media members could guess who he wouldn't vote for -- apparently talking about Love.
The rivals meet again March 4 in Tucson, Arizona.
Clippers trade off idle veteran Tucker to Jazz
The LA Clippers have traded forward P.J. Tucker, center Mo Bamba, a future second-round pick and cash to the Utah Jazz for forward Drew Eubanks and guard Patty Mills, the teams announced Saturday
Tucker did not play for the Clippers this season. He stepped away from the team in October, with the two sides reportedly in agreement to find him a different situation.
The move puts the Clippers $4 million below the luxury tax threshold, giving them more flexibility ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
Tucker, 39, is in the final season of a three-year, $33 million deal he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022 before being traded to the Clippers.
Bamba, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, was averaging 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 28 games for the Clippers this season in a reserve role behind Ivica Zubac.
Mills, 36, signed with the Jazz in the offseason and is in his 16th season in the NBA. In 17 appearances this season, the veteran guard is averaging 4.4 points per game.
Eubanks, who turns 28 Saturday, signed a two-year deal with the Jazz in the offseason and was averaging 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 37 games for Utah. The Clippers will be his fifth NBA team since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.
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