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Substitute Bruno Petkovic scored and won a penalty in extra-time as Croatia secured a first Nations League final appearance with a 4-2 victory over the Netherlands in Rotterdam. The Dinamo Zagreb striker was introduced at the start of the additional period – just seconds after the Dutch had snatched an equaliser in the sixth minute of added time – and delivered a game-changing performance. Petkovic’s driving run and shot from 25 yards put Croatia in front again before the 28-year-old, who scored an extra-time equaliser in the World Cup quarter-final against Brazil, won a penalty for Luka Modric to make it 4-2. He also had a second goal ruled out for offside by VAR seconds before the final whistle. Croatia, who reached the 2018 World Cup final and finished third last year in Qatar, are one win away from their first major trophy, with Spain or Italy standing in the way in Sunday’s final. They had to do it the hard way as they recovered from Borussia Dortmund midfielder Donyell Malen’s first-half opener by scoring with their first two shots on target after the break. Mario Pasalic’s 72nd-minute goal capped a turnaround started 17 minutes earlier by Andrej Kramaric’s penalty. But just when it looked like they could celebrate a place in the final, Noa Lang pounced to force extra-time. Eight minutes into the additional period Petkovic made his introduction count with the goal which put his side ahead again. Netherlands’ desperation saw them send Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk up front but their hopes were ended when Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia pulled down Petkovic and Modric sent goalkeeper Justin Bijlow the wrong way from the penalty spot. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Callum Wilson revealed being dropped by both Newcastle and England fuelled his determination to fight back. The striker’s post-World Cup slump saw him confined to the bench at Newcastle as he scored just once in 13 appearances. It also saw him left out of the opening Euro 2024 qualifying wins over Ukraine and Italy in March. However, Wilson is back to face Malta on Friday before Monday’s visit of North Macedonia to Old Trafford after scoring 11 goals across his final 12 games for Newcastle to fire them to fourth place in the Premier League. He said: “I was finding myself on the bench and was used to playing week in, week out. All of a sudden, I was watching from the sidelines and coming on for 10 minutes at the end of the game. “I didn’t like that. You want to play. You work hard all week and then on a matchday it is where you want to perform and score goals. I wasn’t getting to do that and knew I had to make sure I was working even harder to get back into the team. “It was a weird one, playing a World Cup in the winter. Club and country is totally different as well. At the club you are playing regularly: week in, week out. “Here, it is a bit more difficult to get game time and you have to bide your time, be professional and make sure you are doing everything you can on the training field. “So to then go back into club football was exciting, really, as I had been away from it for so long and I was thinking I am going to start playing again a little bit more, especially as I was feeling so sharp as I was at the World Cup. “I tried to use it in a positive way but yes, mentally, you do have to reset because you go on a drought of scoring goals. “We went to Dubai for a mid-season training camp and we had five days there when we didn’t play football. “We got to sit back and think, ‘yes it has been a fantastic start to the season but it has turned into a bad season’ when I was out of the team so I had to basically pull my finger out and start scoring goals again.” The Magpies’ return to the Champions League after 20 years capped a successful season but it only sunk in for Wilson after he went to Sam Fender’s gig at St James’ Park on Sunday. He said: “I went to the concert with my wife at St James’ Park. There was a sea of black and white and, before he came out, he actually played the Champions League song and everyone was cheering and I was like, ‘this is absolutely real’. “I could see how much it meant to everybody in the stadium at that time. Hearing the anthem in the stadium, without actually walking out to play, was surreal. This is going to happen next season and I cannot wait to get started.” Along with his love of music, Wilson is also a keen art collector as he looks to build his portfolio. “I’m trying to add slowly at the right time. Banksy, Daimen Hirst, Tracey Emin, a few little pieces. Mr Doodle, I’ve got that one piece,” said the 31-year-old. “Art is art, isn’t it? It’s down to everyone’s personal preference. Me personally, I took a shine to it, in terms of investment side of things and then you actually start to get into it, ‘I’ll put that on the wall’. “I want to get something that’s got a bit of value and means something and try and find the right pieces at the right time.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Marcus Rashford couldn’t stomach Man City celebrations but England remain united Croatia reach Nations League final with extra-time win over Netherlands He was the main guy – Jordan James knew Jude Bellingham would reach the top

The return of Michael O’Neill as manager has convinced Northern Ireland’s players they can qualify for Euro 2024, according to Bailey Peacock-Farrell. The man who guided Northern Ireland to Euro 2016 came back to the job in December, instantly fuelling belief amongst fans that they could capitalise on a relatively favourable qualifying draw after the frustration of narrowly missing out on the last tournament under Ian Baraclough. Some of that confidence was dented by a home defeat to Finland in March, but Peacock-Farrell insists belief remains at “100 per cent” going into Friday’s match away to Denmark. Asked if O’Neill’s experience was key to that, he answered with a clear yes. “Obviously the Finland result wasn’t ideal, but we are fully confident that if we were to go to Finland we could get a result,” the goalkeeper said. “Denmark is going to be a tight game and a hard game, but it’s nothing we haven’t done before and there is still a long way to go in this group and a lot can change.” O’Neill had little time to work with a youthful squad before the games in March but has held a series of post-season training camps coming into this window, getting his ideas across to those players who are not veterans of his last spell in charge. “It’s the ability of the players and more time under the manager,” Peacock-Farrell said. “And getting the players in and accustomed to a slightly different way of playing under the last manager… “To be honest it’s back to how it was under him the first time. Obviously there are a lot of fresh faces, but I feel as though Michael is still Michael. “He brings so much detail and positive energy and a great feel about the place. It’s been nice to have him back and it feels good to be away with Northern Ireland.” Peacock-Farrell is in line to earn his 38th cap on Copenhagen on Friday. With so many senior players missing through injury, the 26-year-old is now among the most experienced players in the dressing room. He brings so much detail and positive energy and a great feel about the place Bailey Peacock-Farrell on Michael O'Neill “I’m not going to be anything other than myself when it comes to training and on the pitch,” he said of the extra responsibilities. “I’ll be leading like I was anyway. As a goalie, you have to do that anyway.” But if Peacock-Farrell is Northern Ireland’s number one, things are less clear at club level. When he made his international debut in May 2018, he had just broken into the Leeds side, but he lost his place six months later to Kiko Casilla. Peacock-Farrell soon left to join Burnley, but has never established himself as first choice there, and has played more games for Sheffield Wednesday – 47 – than any other club after a loan spell in 2021/22. There was perhaps an opportunity at Burnley last summer after Nick Pope left for Newcastle following relegation, but new manager Vincent Kompany opted to bring in Aro Muric. Peacock-Farrell had to content himself with the back-up role again, but played eight times in the league and 16 in total as the Clarets won promotion back to the top flight. “I am in a role where you can either get a lot of games or absolutely none,” Peacock-Farrell said. “I’ve been quite happy that I got the amount of games that I have. “We had really good cup runs and I played the back end of the season as well as a couple of games at the front. Overall I could have done with a few more games and I like to play every game, but it certainly wasn’t a bad season.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live He was the main guy – Jordan James knew Jude Bellingham would reach the top Rickie Fowler hopes to invest in Leeds with Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas Real Madrid complete signing of Jude Bellingham from Dortmund on six-year deal

The viewing figures for the Champions League final dropped in the Manchester area before the silverware was presented to Ilkay Gundogan. In at least one household, anyway. Marcus Rashford faces the dilemma many a Manchester City player of previous years did: watch the neighbours claim the biggest prizes or ignore it and pretend it did not happen? The football fan in the forward dictated he saw City beat Inter Milan. The Manchester United supporter in him did not want to see the subsequent scenes of delight. “I like watching football, I like watching the best games and that is what I did,” he explained. “But after they won the game I don’t need to watch them celebrating, so TV off.” Rashford was at a friend’s house. He had a closer view of the second part of City’s historic treble, an opponent in the FA Cup final when the United players stayed on the pitch to see their local rivals lift the trophy. He had done his bit in a vain bid to prevent them from retaining the Premier League title, scoring a derby winner at Old Trafford in January. Seeing City win a treble previously only achieved by Sir Alex Ferguson’s United in 1999 was, he said, “not nice”. Rashford had scored 30 goals, the most in a campaign by any United player since Ferguson retired, but he can seem a player trapped in the wrong era. Growing up as a United fan in Wythenshawe, he was on their books from the age of seven. It was a point when the dominant force in the city was clear. Now he has appeared in the first team in eight seasons: in all eight, United have finished below City. With 123 goals, Rashford is their top scorer since Ferguson retired. It has never brought a title challenge in his career, let alone a prize the Scot won 13 times. Meanwhile, City have claimed five of the last six Premier Leagues. Rashford has become wearily accustomed to their excellence. “Let’s be honest, it is not anything new. The only thing new is that they managed to win all three,” he reflected. “They are a very good team and it is not just us that are trying to catch up to them, it is pretty much every team as well. Is it a challenge? Yeah, but we can’t shy away from it, we have to face it and do our best next season. It is up to the rest of us to catch them up.” A difference for United, however, is that City’s superiority feels more of an indictment of them. Their supporters have to live next to City’s. The parade in their home city was not for them. An international call-up allowed Rashford to miss it. “I don’t want to be worrying about what is going on in Manchester,” he said. The arrival of City’s five England players to link up with Gareth Southgate’s squad means he is likely to get reminders. “It is going to be funny but congratulations to them,” he said. “For me, they deserved it; they played the best football this year. The talking is done on the pitch and they did really well.” United’s objective is to overhaul them. “I think that was always the aim regardless of their success this year or the previous years,” Rashford said. Now, at least, he has renewed hope after Erik ten Hag’s debut season. Rashford was rejuvenated by the Dutchman. He was damning about the period before his appointment. “The manager came in and he wanted to win,” he said. “I feel at times we have lacked that ambition. He wasn’t [just] caring about getting into the top four, he just wanted to win trophies and when you strive for the best sometimes you are going to fall short as we did in areas this season. You have to look at the outcome. “We managed to win a trophy and get back in the Champions League spots, get to another final and it is definitely a progression from the previous year or a couple of years before. He just managed to motivate me and just relight the flame that was missing.” Relighting Rashford’s fire took him from five goals in 2021-22 to 30. The best season of his career was also the finest in City’s history. His club campaign ended at Wembley, amid City celebrations. “We fought – especially in that competition – very hard against some good opposition and we fell short in the end, it’s as simple as that,” he said bluntly. “We have to dust ourselves down and get ready for next season because we can’t change what happened.” All he could do on Saturday was to reach for the remote control, to ensure he didn’t see the trophy that proved City had completed their treble. Read More Marcus Rashford underlines commitment to England after missing recent games Keep or sell? The deadwood Manchester United must offload this summer FA Cup final reveals key summer questions for Manchester United Rashford underlines commitment to England after missing recent games England rock bucket hats at Lord’s – Friday’s sporting social De Bruyne v Casemiro and Haaland v Varane – The key FA Cup final battles

Marcus Rashford could not bring himself to watch Manchester City lift the Champions League – but the Manchester United star says club rivalries are left at the door with England thanks to the group’s “strong bond”. Erik ten Hag’s arrival sparked a marked improvement in the red half of Manchester this season, with February’s Carabao Cup triumph followed up by a third-placed finish in the Premier League. But City stopped United ending their campaign on a high at Wembley by winning the first all-Manchester FA Cup final as they stayed on track to replicate their rivals’ historic 1999 treble triumph. Pep Guardiola’s men did just that by beating Inter Milan in Saturday’s Champions League final – a match Rashford watched on TV, although there was only so much he could stomach. Put to the forward that Trent Alexander-Arnold turned off the TV when United won the FA Cup as he could not bear to watch Liverpool’s rivals lift silverware, Rashford said: “It’s exactly the same. “I like watching football, I like watching the best games so that’s what I did. “But after they win the game, I don’t need to watch them celebrating and all that stuff, so yeah, TV off!” City’s treble understandably sticks in the craw but there appears little chance of club rivalries impacting England like they did with previous generations. “It is going to be funny,” Rashford said of the conversations he was expecting with the quintet on international duty. “But, like I said, it’s congratulations to them and, for me, they deserved it, they played the best football this year. “There’s not much more to say about it, really. The talking’s done on the pitch and they did really well this year.” Asked if it is a strength of the England squad to go from bantering about club matters to playing well together, Rashford said: “Yeah, I think definitely that’s a part of it. “But there’s a strong bond in this squad and there has been regardless of which players come in and that’s down to the environment. “There’s not much more I can put it down to, so we’re looking forward to having them back here. “They’re obviously all really good players and we need them if we want our squad to be as strong as possible.” I don’t need to watch them celebrating and all that stuff, so yeah, TV off! Marcus Rashford on Manchester City's trophy celebrations While club allegiances will not put a spoke in England’s wheel, Rashford does not hide from questions about United’s place in the pecking order. For so long the dominant force in English football, the 20-time league champions are now playing second fiddle in their own city. On the desire to be top dogs once more, Rashford said: “I think that was always the aim regardless of their success this year or the previous years. “Let’s be honest, it’s not anything new – the only thing that’s new is that they managed to win all three. “They are a very good team and it’s not just us that are trying to catch up to them, it’s pretty much every team as well. “Is it a challenge? Yeah, but we can’t shy away from it. We have to face it and do our best next season.” Rashford says United’s players and staff spoke in the dressing room after the FA Cup final about the need to kick on again as the 2023-24 campaign quickly comes into focus. There are only 23 days between Rashford, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw playing in England’s final June qualifier against North Macedonia at Old Trafford on Monday and United playing their first pre-season match. It is a far cry from the full summer of preparation Rashford enjoyed last year, which provided a platform for him to bounce back from the most challenging campaign of his career. The rejuvenated 25-year-old went onto score a career best 30 goals in all competitions under Ten Hag, who the United forward credits for changing the mindset of the group and helping him find his fire again. “He came in and he wanted to win,” Rashford said. “I feel like at times we have lacked that ambition, as I’ve said before. “He wasn’t caring about getting into the top four, doing any of that – he just wanted to win trophies and when you strive for the best sometimes you are going to fall short as we did in areas this season. “But you have to look at the outcome. We managed to win a trophy and get back into the Champions League spots, get to another final and it’s definitely a progression from the previous year, or couple of years before. “He just managed to motivate me and just relight the flame that was missing.” Ten Hag’s United have put things in place to close the gap to City next season, but the interminable takeover saga continues to provide a dark, uncertain cloud over the Old Trafford giants. Asked if it is easy to block out the constant noise about it, Rashford said: “For me, yeah, because I am here with the national team, like I don’t want to be worrying about what’s going on in Manchester and stuff like that. “For me, it’s just the importance on these next two games and getting the job done while also doing it as well as we can.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Callum Wilson tuned up to secure England recall after Newcastle disappointment Croatia reach Nations League final with extra-time win over Netherlands He was the main guy – Jordan James knew Jude Bellingham would reach the top

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The best F1 23 Australia setup is here with all the necessary settings, including aerodynamics, brakes, and tyres, to secure a victory at Albert Park Circuit.

After the Detroit Pistons' coaching prayers were answered, the time to seriously revamp the roster and start winning is now. Once again, the Detroit Pistons played a gruesome, less-than-photogenic 82-game season. They finished 17-65, holding the worst record in the entire league. It's ...

MLB Rumors: Red Sox regret calling up Matt DermodyThe Boston Red Sox gave pitcher Matt Dermody a spot start last week due to some injuries in their starting rotation. Normally, that wouldn't be a big story, but Boston didn't do their homework.Homophobic tweets from Dermody surfaced p...

Real Madrid have completed the signing of England midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund on a six-year deal. Dortmund confirmed in a statement last week that Real have agreed to pay an initial 103million euros (£88.5m) to land Bellingham, who moved to Germany from boyhood club Birmingham in 2020. Now both clubs have announced the deal for the 19-year-old has been finalised, with Real adding that he will be unveiled in the Spanish capital on Thursday. “Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund have agreed on the transfer of the player Jude Bellingham, who will remain linked to our club for the next six seasons,” a Real statement read. “Tomorrow, Thursday, June 15, at 12:00 noon at Real Madrid City, the presentation ceremony for Jude Bellingham as a new Real Madrid player will take place. “After, Jude Bellingham will appear before the media.” Bellingham was recently named Bundesliga player of the season after his starring role for Dortmund, who missed out on the title in agonising fashion on the final day of the campaign. The 19-year-old paid tribute to Dortmund on Instagram, writing: “Where to start, for the last 3 years Borussia Dortmund has been the biggest part of my life. “I joined as a 17 year old boy and am leaving as a man. I cannot thank this club enough for everything it’s done for me. “The opportunities, the experiences, the highs and even the lows. All of it has been part of what has been a great development both as a human and a player. “I am honoured to have represented this football club as often as I have, I’d like to thank all the players, managers, bosses and members of staff that have played a role in my time at the club. “I’ll always keep a place for BVB in my heart and will never forget the impact the values of the club has had on my life. Einmal Borusse, Immer Borusse. I wish the club nothing but the best for the future! Heja BVB!” I joined as a 17 year old boy and am leaving as a man. I cannot thank this club enough for everything it’s done for me Jude Bellingham on Instagram Bellingham scored his first England goal in their World Cup win over Iran but is absent from the squad to face Malta and North Macedonia in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers due to injury. He has long dreamt of a move to the 14-time European champions and recently told the PA news agency that he sees the Champions League as “the biggest stage”. “The goal has always been winning,” he told PA last month. “When you ask me what my biggest ambitions are in the game, it’s to win everything. And I’m not afraid to say that. “You know, everyone should have that goal, I feel like, as professional footballers.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Nick Kyrgios reveals he contemplated suicide following Wimbledon defeat in 2019 Heather Watson beats ‘friend’ Tatjana Maria to reach Nottingham Open quarters Sensational Surrey pull off biggest County Championship chase in 98 years