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Today's sports news: What you need to know

11:37 am on 19 February 2020

Latest - Champions League holders Liverpool will need to summon another famous European comeback at Anfield next month after they were beaten 1-0 away to Atletico Madrid in their last-16 first leg today.

Atletico Madrid's Saul Níguez Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Spain midfielder Saul Niguez struck the only goal of the game in the fourth minute by bundling into the net from close range following a corner, their traditional weapon of choice in recent years.

Juergen Klopp's side play at home to Atletico on 11 March in the return leg at Anfield, where they produced an incredible 4-0 win over Barcelona in last year's semi-final second leg after losing the first match 3-0.

Borussia Dortmund teenager Erling Haaland scored twice in eight minutes to lead his team to a 2-1 victory over Paris St Germain.

The Norwegian 19-year-old, who has already netted eight times in five Bundesliga matches, stabbed in from close range after a quickfire passing move in the 69th minute and then thundered in an unstoppable shot for his second in the 77th, two minutes after Neymar had levelled for the French champions.

- Reuters

Hurricanes star heading to France

The French rugby club Bordeaux-Begles have announced the signing of former All Blacks Sevens star and Hurricanes wing Ben Lam, who will join them at the end of the season.

Ben Lam Photo: Photosport

The 28-year-old will arrive at the Top 14 side as a replacement for Semi Radradra after he agreed a move to Bristol Bears ahead of 2020/21.

Lam has been a firm fixture at the Hurricanes in recent seasons, scoring 16 tries in as many games during the 2018 Super Rugby campaign.

The former Sevens star, who scored 54 tries on the World Rugby Series, has inked a two-year contract that runs until June 2022.

Despite his success in Sevens and at Super Rugby level, Lam could not force his way into the All Blacks setup and now opts to move on.

Hurricanes Head Coach, Jason Holland, says Lam's speed and strength has made him a dominant force in Super Rugby.

"When Ben first came to the club he was injured and worked really hard in rehab to get himself back into form. Since then, he has become a force to be reckoned with in all facets of the game and the team will miss his influence at training and on game day."

Ben says the decision stems from wanting a new challenge.

"Growing up, I always wanted to play Super Rugby and I'm truly proud that I've been able to do that. But I do feel in my heart that it's time for me to try something else."

McLaughlin forced to re-auction helmet for charity

Photo: Twitter

New Zealand supercars champion Scott McLaughlin is having to re-auction a helmet had sold to raise money for the Australian bushfire relief after the intial winner didn't pay up.

McLaughlin auctioned off a helmet he wore in the 2017 season but has said on social media that, "unfortunately when the auction closed, the winner bidder told me they couldn't proceed with their bid."

"Sometimes when you try do something nice, it doesn't end well, but determined to make sure we get a good outcome for this!," he said on Twitter.

The current bid for the helmet sits at over $8000.

Newman 'awake and speaking' after Daytona 500 wreck

Driver Ryan Newman is awake and able to speak after a horrifying last-lap crash at Monday's Daytona 500 resulted in him being rushed to a nearby hospital in serious condition, his racing team said on Tuesday.

"Ryan Newman remains under the care of doctors at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida," Roush Fenway Racing said in a statement on social media. "He is awake and speaking with family and doctors."

After competitor Ryan Blaney tapped the 42-year-old's car from behind during the NASCAR race, Newman's vehicle careened into a wall, flipped into the air and was hit by another car on the driver's side.

Newman, who won the Daytona 500 in 2008, was immediately transported to a hospital following the incident, which stunned onlookers and fans, including President Donald Trump, who had served as the race's grand marshal.

- Reuters

Multi-talented Bond switches between bike and boat

National cycling champion one week, back at the rowing championships the next week.

Just days after securing the time trial title at the National road cycling championships in Cambridge, Hamish Bond has driven down the road to win his heat of the men's pair at the National Rowing Championships on Lake Karapiro.

Bond and James Lassche won their heat to progress to the finals.

Bond is a part of the New Zealand eight which is still attempting to qualify for the Olympics.

Boult ready for Black Caps return

Black Caps pace bowler Trent Boult concedes his latest injury lay off has been one of the more frustrating of his career and is raring to return to the international scene after almost two months off.

Trent Boult Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Boult suffered a broken right hand while batting in the Boxing Day test against Australian when he was struck by a delivery from fast bowler Mitchell Starc.

"Any injury that happens while batting is very frustrating from my point of view, but I'm not really looking at it as an injury it was probably more of an accident than anything, but it serves me right for trying to bat properly," Boult said.

The Black Caps play India, who lead the Test Championship, in two Test matches.

The first Test starts on Friday at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Another injury concern for Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho doesn't expect forward Son Heung Min to play again this season after the South Korean fractured his right arm at the weekend.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Son's injury leaves Spurs short on attacking options for their Champions League last-16 first-leg match against RB Leipzig tomorrow.

Son, who has 14 goals and eight assists in the English Premier League and Champions League this season, is set to undergo surgery with no time frame given for his return.

Mourinho said a Spurs statement that Son would be out for a "number of weeks" was fairly optimistic.

Spurs striker Harry Kane is sidelined until April with a hamstring injury and Mourinho compared the loss of Son to climbing up stairs that break without warning.

"We are holding by our arms on the balcony. Now we have two options, to fall and die ... the other is to climb," the Portuguese manager said.

Mourinho said 18-year-old striker Troy Parrott was not ready to fill in for Son or Kane, and that winger Ryan Sessegnon could not play as a striker.

- Reuters

Vunipola out for England's Six Nations match

England's Mako Vunipola has not been named in the 33-man squad for their third Six Nations match against Ireland this weekend after the prop travelled back to Tonga for family reasons.

Mako Vunipola, left, will not play for England against Ireland Photo: AFP

Vunipola, 29, did not play a part in their shock opening defeat by France earlier this month but started the second match when they beat Scotland in Edinburgh.

Beno Obano joins Joe Marler and Ellis Genge as the three loosehead props named in Eddie Jones' group, which will be trimmed to a matchday 23 on Friday.

Centres Manu Tuilagi, who injured his groin in the first game, and Henry Slade who has been out since December with an ankle injury, have both recovered and were named in the squad. They filled the midfield, with Owen Farrell at flyhalf, in last year's victory in Dublin, one of England's best Six Nations performances for many years.

Northampton Saints' scrumhalf Alex Mitchell was also named as an apprentice player.

England are fourth in the standings with five points while Ireland are second with nine points ahead of the match at Twickenham.

- Reuters

China withdraws from Davis Cup tie due to coronavirus

China have withdrawn from a Davis Cup tie due to the coronavirus epidemic, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said, adding that Romania will advance to the World Group I as a result.

The Chinese team were due to travel to Romania for a March 6-7 playoff but will be unable to do so due to "increased restrictions" in response to the outbreak, the ITF said in a statement on Twitter

"Romania will advance to play in World Group I in September," the statement added.

The winning countries from the playoffs and the losing countries from the qualifiers - 24 teams in all - advance to the World Group I ties in September.

Winners of the World Group I ties advance to the 2021 Davis Cup qualifiers, and the losing nations have to contest the World Group I playoffs in 2021.