A commanding first-half display by Italy condemned Northern Ireland to a 2-0 defeat in their opening World Cup qualifier in Parma.

An early goal from Domenico Berardi set the tone for the slick hosts, with Bailey Peacock-Farrell then beaten by Ciro Immobile at his near post.

Northern Ireland responded strongly after the break and went close through Gavin Whyte and Paddy McNair.

Ian Baraclough’s men play Bulgaria at home in their next qualifier.

That is next Wednesday night at Belfast’s Windsor Park, but before that at the same venue on Sunday, Baraclough must guide his squad through a friendly against USA.

Having replaced Michael O’Neill last year, the former NI Under-21 boss is still without a win during 90 minutes after nine matches in charge of the senior side.

This was always going to be a difficult match in which to get that first victory, with Italy, resurgent since Roberto Mancini took over in 2018, now unbeaten in 23 matches.

The four-time World Cup winners have still never lost a home World Cup qualifier, with Thursday’s win adding to the 10 victories they secured in 10 Euro 2020 qualifiers.

With Switzerland beating Bulgaria 3-1 earlier in the day’s other Group C match, next Wednesday’s encounter at Windsor now assumes even more importance for Northern Ireland as they bid to reach a World Cup finals for the first time since 1986.

If he doesn’t play on Sunday, Northern Ireland captain Steven Davis will hope to break Peter Shilton’s British international caps record against the Bulgarians, after equalling it with his 125th appearance in Parma.

England suffered a surprise defeat by Switzerland in the opening game of their European Under-21 Championship campaign.

Dan Ndoye’s looping effort 13 minutes from the end proved decisive for the Swiss on their first appearance at the finals for a decade.

While Aidy Boothroyd’s side dominated possession they struggled to break down resolute opponents.

Thursday’s other Group D fixture sees Portugal face Croatia at 20:00 GMT.

The group stage of the tournament began on Wednesday, hosted in Slovenia and Hungary.

The knockout phase is scheduled to take place between 31 May-6 June, with the final due to be played in Ljubljana.

And England, who have not advanced past the group stage in four of the last five finals, now have their work cut out to progress.

In truth it was no more than they deserved, with Switzerland enjoying the better chances in a hard-fought encounter.

England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale saved superbly from Brighton forward Andi Zeqiri following lax play from Ben Godfrey, and another error, this time from Tom Davies, saw Bastien Toma hit the post for Switzerland.

In response England were restricted to few chances of note, with a dipping Davies effort from distance, Lloyd Kelly’s wayward header from a corner and a Callum Hudson-Odoi free-kick all they could muster.

England Under-21s boss Aidy Boothroyd, speaking to Sky Sports: “I thought we had a high percentage of the ball but we were not clinical enough. I don’t think we created enough in the final third really and it is as simple as that.

“We are not out of it yet, two more games and we can still get out of the group and that is what we will aim to do.

“The word is cautious. We played a safe game today and if you are going to win you can’t play safe. I felt at half-time we had more to come. The substitutes we brought on had a go but unfortunately if was not our day today.

“This is the biggest test and we have to go through a bit of adversity to come through the other side. Am I worried about it? No I am not because the team that goes out against Portugal will be a very attacking team and we will see if we can improve. We have still got a chance.”

Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood has withdrawn from England Under-21s squad for the European Championships because of an injury.

It was the 19-year-old’s first call-up to any England squad since he was sent home from the first team last September having breached coronavirus protocols.

Norwich’s attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell will come in as a replacement.

The competition sees the group stage being held from 24-31 March and the knockout stage from 31 May to 6 June.

Hungary and Slovenia will host the tournament, which features 16 nations competing in four groups of four with the group winners and runners-up qualifying for the knockout phase

England play Switzerland in Slovenia in their first game on Thursday and also face Croatia and Portugal in Group D.

Former England striker Frank Worthington has died aged 72 following a long illness.

Frank Worthington began his career at Huddersfield in 1966, going on to play for more than 20 clubs during his 26-year career

Worthington, who won eight England caps and scored twice for the national team, began his career at Huddersfield Town.

He went on to make more than 200 appearances for Leicester City and played for clubs including Bolton, Birmingham City, Southampton, Leeds United and Sunderland.

He also had a spell as player-manager of Tranmere Rovers.

Former Leicester striker and BBC Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker paid tribute, tweeting: “Profoundly saddened to hear that Frank Worthington has died. He was my boyhood hero when he was at LCFC.

“A beautiful footballer, a maverick and a wonderful character who was so kind to this young apprentice when he joined the club. RIP Frank [Elvis].”

Worthington was known as much for his flamboyant antics off the pitch as he was for his maverick talents on it.

He played in 22 consecutive Football League seasons from 1966 to 1987, scoring 266 goals in 882 appearances in all competitions.

In 14 of those campaigns he played in the top division, notching 150 goals in 466 matches, and won the Golden Boot award playing for Bolton in 1978-79 as the leading scorer ahead of Liverpool’s Kenny Dalglish and Arsenal’s Frank Stapleton.

It was during that season he scored one of the defining goals of his career against Ipswich at Burnden Park in April 1979, juggling the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the penalty area before turning, knocking the ball over the onrushing defenders and volleying low into the corner.

He was player-manager of Tranmere between 1985-87 before having a number of short spells at non-league clubs including Chorley and Weymouth. He was player-coach at hometown club Halifax in the 1991-92 season.

He made all eight of his England appearances in 1974, scoring in friendlies against Bulgaria and Argentina.

In a statement, the Professional Footballers Association said: “We are very sad to hear the news about Frank Worthington. He was a great player and great character who lit up the game. He was also a marvellous after dinner entertainer with his football tales.

“Our deepest sympathies to Carol and all his family. Frank will be much missed but never forgotten.”

Former Bolton striker Alan Gowling, who provided the assist for Worthington’s famous goal against Ipswich, told BBC Radio Manchester: “Frank was a really skilful player. We always used to have a little laugh about the fact I used to do all his running for him while he was doing all the show business bits.

“Frank was up there with the George Bests and people of that ilk in football. He had this image of being the playboy. In fairness to him he enjoyed a social life, but his football came first.

“I’ll remember him as a good friend a great footballer with the best left foot I have ever seen on anybody.”

In 2016, Worthington’s daughter, Kim Malou, announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, something he publicly denied the following day.

In a statement, his wife Carol said: “Frank brought joy to so many people throughout his career and in his private life.

“He will be greatly missed by everyone who loved him so much.”

Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard has finally established himself as a key player for Arsenal, where he will play on a loan deal at least until the end of the 2020-2021 season. Arsenal are “extremely happy” with Odegaard’s recent performances and work ethic and will try their very best to keep the player when his current loan deal expires, according to reporter Fabrizio Romano.

Still, Real Madrid and the player himself will be the ones making that decision. Odegaard has said many times in the past that playing minutes consistently and stability are key factors for him, so he could ultimately be keen on extending his loan deal if he believes he’s not going to be given the chance to play for Madrid regularly.

Fabrizio Romano reported this Tuesday that coach Zinedine Zidane’s future is key. Zidane never found a way to get Odegaard involved even when the young talent was healthy and Odegaard might not want to find himself in the same situation next season if Zidane is going to stay.

Odegaard’s contract with Real Madrid expires in the summer of 2023, so at the end of the day Madrid will have to trust him and stop sending him on loan if they want Odegaard to commit to another contract extension.

Right now, extending his loan deal with Arsenal makes sense although negotiating an extension with him in 2022 when he would just be back in Madrid could be problematic if he decides to leave the club.

Gareth Bale says he plans to return to Real Madrid next season after his loan at Tottenham ends.

Wales captain Bale rejoined Spurs on a season-long loan in September but has a year left on his Real contract, which expires in the summer of 2022.

Bale, 31, is with Wales as they prepare for their opening World Cup qualifier away against Belgium on Wednesday.

“There’s no distraction for me,” Bale said when asked how his club future might affect his international form.

“I think the main reason I came to Spurs this year was to play football first and foremost.

“Going into the Euros I wanted to be match-fit. The original plan was to do a season at Spurs and after the Euros still have a year left at Real Madrid.

“My plan is to go back, that’s as far I have planned.”

At Real, Bale has won four Champions League titles, two La Liga championships, one Copa del Rey, three Uefa Super Cups and three Club World Cups.

However, a run of injuries, indifferent form and a deteriorating relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane had seen Bale become a marginal figure in Spain.

As a result, last September, he moved back to Tottenham, whom he had first joined as a 17-year-old from Southampton in 2007 for an initial payment of £5m.

Bale initially found playing time limited at Spurs but he has been in excellent form recently and has scored 10 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions this season

Xabi Alonso has had an offer to take over as Borussia Monchengladbach’s new manager, but a decision has not yet been made, says Spanish football expert Guillem Balague.

Bild has reported that Alonso, 39, will replace Marco Rose, who is to leave in the summer to take over at Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund.

Alonso is currently manager of La Liga side Real Sociedad’s B team. and Balague says the World Cup winner could stay and take over the senior team if that role becomes available.

He also says the Gladbach offer is one of many on the table and the former Liverpool midfielder is not in a rush to make the next step in his coaching career.

As a player, Alonso helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.

He also won the Champions League with Liverpool and Real Madrid before finishing his playing career with Bayern Munich in 2017.

On the coaching front, Alonso led Real Madrid Under-13s to a league title before joining his former club Real Sociedad’s B team in 2019 – managing in Spain’s third tier.

German football writer Constantin Eckner says Alonso is one of six candidates for the Gladbach job, including Ajax boss Erik ten Hag and former Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel.

Luis Suarez scored his 500th career goal to give La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid victory over Alaves.

The Uruguay forward reached the milestone by heading home Kieran Trippier’s cross in the second half.

It was his 19th goal for Atleti, while the 34-year-old has also scored 198 goals for Barcelona, 82 for Liverpool, and 63 for Uruguay.

Jan Oblak saved a late Joselu penalty to ensure Atletico remained four points clear at the top of La Liga.

Barcelona ensured they kept the pressure on Diego Simone’s side, thrashing Real Sociedad 6-1 in Sunday’s late kick-off – a win that saw Lionel Messi mark his record 768th appearance with a second-half double.

Suarez began his career at Uruguay side Club Nacional, where he scored 12 goals, before moving to Eredivisie outfit Groningen where he netted 15 times.

He joined Ajax in 2007, adding 111 goals before he joined Liverpool in 2011 and then Barcelona in 2014.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris St-Germain won 4-2 at Lyon to go top of Ligue 1.

The 22-year-old France striker’s efforts either side of the break saw him become the youngest player to score 100 goals in the French top flight.

Mbappe opened the scoring from a tight angle, before Danilo Pereira made it 2-0 with a half-volley and Angel di Maria added a third early in the second half.

Mbappe netted again before Islam Slimani and Maxwel Cornet responded.

Victory lifts PSG to the summit on goal difference above Lille, who were beaten 2-1 at home by Nimes earlier on Sunday.

Mbappe replaces Herve Revelli, who achieved the feat with Saint Etienne in 1969, as the youngest player ever to score 100 goals in the French top flight.

Victory against third-placed Lyon also saw Brazilian forward Neymar return from a six-week injury layoff, coming off the bench to replace Mbappe in the 70th minute.

Lionel Messi celebrated a record-breaking 768th appearance for Barcelona with two goals as the Spanish giants thrashed Real Sociedad 6-1 in La Liga.

The Argentina forward, 33, moved one game clear of former midfielder Xavi’s total as Barca closed the gap on leaders Atletico Madrid to four points.

Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring, Sergino Dest scored twice and Ousmane Dembele also found the net.

Messi has now scored 23 league goals so far this season.

At 5-0 down, Ander Barrenetxea did manage to find a consolation goal for Sociedad with arguably the strike of the night, but it was far too late for Imanol Alguacil’s side to stage a fightback at the Anoeta Stadium.

Messi did not disappoint on his history-making night, showing the same energy and enthusiasm he has done throughout his career for the Catalan club.

His first major act was to turn provider for American Dest to score his first goal for Barcelona. The threaded through-ball also took Messi’s assist tally up to eight for the 2020-21 season.

After testing Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro twice in the first half, Messi finally grabbed a well-deserved reward during the second half by poking home Barca’s fourth.

The icing on the cake for Messi came on 89 minutes when the Argentine’s good link-up play with left-back Jordi Alba resulted in a second goal on his special night.

As much as the three points were a welcome birthday gift for boss Ronald Koeman, Barca still trail league leaders Atletico Madrid in the race to become champions.

Juventus’ hopes of winning a 10th straight Serie A title were dealt a major blow after Adolfo Gaich snatched a remarkable winner for strugglers Benevento at the Allianz Stadium.

Gaich pounced on a stray Arthur pass before punishing the sluggish hosts.

Juve had a penalty overturned and Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal disallowed as Benevento ended an 11-game winless run with one of the season’s upsets.

The defeat leaves third-placed Juve 10 points adrift of leaders Inter Milan.

With Inter’s game against Sassuolo postponed this weekend because of a coronavirus outbreak at the Nerazzurri, victory against a Benevento side that has struggled so far in 2021 was seen a chance to put pressure on the title pacesetters.

Instead, the hosts suffered their first home defeat since December against a well-organised side that pinched victory with their only shot on goal.

Juve themselves had a number of chances, with Benevento goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo ensuring the Witches left with all three points after making a series of decisive saves either side of the break from Ronaldo, Matthijs de Ligt and Alvaro Morata.

Montipo was also called upon to tip a headed second-half clearance from team-mate Federico Barba over the bar in an inspired performance.

Juve were even awarded a penalty in the 35th minute when the ball appeared to brush Daam Foulon’s arm as he tried to get his chest to a cross, but referee Rosario Abisso overturned his decision after being instructed to watch a replay on the pitchside monitor.

From the resulting corner, De Ligt tested Montipo before Morata wastefully sent his follow-up effort over the bar.

Juventus continued to press forward in the second half, but lacked urgency and quality and were eventually punished by Argentine striker Gaich, who intercepted a weak pass across goal from Arthur before coolly beating keeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Ronaldo, who flashed an early shot across goal and had a volleyed effort ruled out for offside before the break, was twice denied a late equaliser by the excellent Montipo.

Arsenal came from three goals down to rescue a point in a stunning game against London rivals West Ham in the Premier League.

The Hammers raced into a three-goal lead at London Stadium through Jesse Lingard, Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek, who touched in a Michail Antonio header.

The visitors gave themselves hope when an Alexandre Lacazette effort went in off Soucek for an own goal just before half-time.

West Ham defender Craig Dawson turned in Arsenal full-back Calum Chambers’ low cross for another own goal in the 61st minute.

And Lacazette completed the comeback with a thumping header from Nicolas Pepe’s cross, before both sides had late chances to win the game.

The result leaves the Hammers two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in fifth, while Arsenal move above Aston Villa into ninth.

Robert Lewandowski scored a first-half hat-trick as 10-man Bayern Munich thrashed Stuttgart to go four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Bayern’s Alphonso Davies was sent off after 12 minutes only for Lewandowski to open the scoring five minutes later.

Serge Gnabry doubled Bayern’s advantage and Lewandowski completed his hat-trick with two further goals before half-time.

The Poland striker has now scored 42 times for Bayern this season.

With referee Daniel Schlager showing Davies a straight red for a foul on Stuttgart’s Wataru Endo, Bayern’s winning run – which stood at five going into Saturday’s game – initially looked in danger.

However, three goals in the following 11 minutes put the game beyond doubt and the hosts cantered to all three points after the restart.

Karim Benzema scored for a sixth consecutive game as his double helped Real Madrid to a 3-1 win over Celta Vigo in La Liga.

The France striker’s goals were both assisted by Germany midfielder Toni Kroos as Madrid moved above rivals Barcelona into second in the table.

Celta pulled one back on 40 minutes through Santi Mina’s powerful header.

After a lethargic second half from Real, Benzema turned provider as Marco Asensio added a third in stoppage time.

Benzema’s double at the Balaidos puts the 33-year-old on 23 goals in all competitions for Madrid so far this season.

Real’s victory also edges Zinedine Zidane’s side to within three points of league leaders Atletico Madrid, as the French boss continues his quest to lift back-to-back titles with the Spanish giants.

A high-tempo first-half helped Real Madrid earn three crucial points against Celta Vigo as they look to pressure Atlético Madrid at the top of the table. Two goals in 30 minutes from Karim Benzema and a third in injury time from Marco Asensio helped Zinedine Zidane’s men walk away with the victory.

See player ratings below.

Thibaut Courtois—7: Celta pressured Real Madrid’s backline but Courtois did well to keep them to just one goal. Made two saves and was lucky to see Iago Aspas’ free-kick hit the post (an inch over and it would’ve gone in). Finished with a very low 64% pass completion rate, though.

Lucas Vazquez — 8: Throughout the season Vazquez has been Madrid’s secret weapon and his consistently strong performances are key to their results. He was a workhorse down the wing tonight and was a threat moving forward. Finished with three dribbles, one tackle and 90% pass completion.

Raphael Varane — 6.75: Still looks shaky. Didn’t defend well enough and was at fault for Celta’s goal. Finished with one shot and one aerial won. Hoping he gets a boost in confidence with tough fixtures coming up quickly.

Nacho — 7: Continues to be a good stand-in for Sergio Ramos. Is not afraid to be physical on the pitch either, which was needed today. Finished with two tackles.

Ferland Mendy — 7: A decent performance from the left-back who continues to prove himself. Was an active threat down the wing and often drifted inside but didn’t really add much defensively. Finished with one shot and one key pass.

Casemiro — 8: One of the saviours for the team tonight. Wasn’t afraid to put his body on the line and did so often. Made a crucial tackle to keep Celta from scoring an equalizer. Finished with one dribble, one aerial won and three tackles.

Fede Valverde — 7.75: Earns another start which is great to see and looked more himself over the 90 minutes. Offered himself in offence and defence throughout the match. Finished with two shots, one dribble, two key passes and two tackles.

Toni Kroos — 9: Does Kroos love playing against Celta Vigo or what? Assisted both of Benzema’s goals tonight and dictated the match. Finished with one dribble, two tackles, three key passes and a 94% pass completion rate. Subbed off after 71 mins.

Luka Modric — 8: Played the full 90 minutes and was a life-line in the midfield as usual. Linked up well with Benzema, Vazquez and Kroos to drive Madrid towards victory. Finished with one shot, one dribble, one key pass and on aerial won.

Karim Benzema — 9: Man of the match today. Benzema’s performances are keeping Madrid in the title race. Genuinely all over the pitch today, great decision making and clinical finishing. Finished with two goals, six shots, one assist, one dribble, two key passes and two aerials won.

Vini Jr. — 7: Earns the start over Asensio and again had somewhat of a disappointing match. Eager to get in on the play but the finishing touch is lacking. Needs to find it quickly. Finished with four shots, two dribbles, one key pass and one tackle plus a low 78% pass completion rate.

Substitutes:

Marco Asensio — 7.5: Came on for Kroos for the last 20 minutes of the match and took a long time to get in on the action. In the end, though, he did exactly what a substitute is supposed to do and scored the club’s third goal to cap off the victory. Finished with one goal and one key pass.

Southampton put their Premier League troubles to one side as they reached the FA Cup semi-finals by brushing past Championship hosts Bournemouth.

Nathan Redmond inspired the Saints, who have lost 10 of their past 12 league games, with two goals and an assist.

The visitors went ahead when Moussa Djenepo coolly slotted in Redmond’s precise pass after a driving run.

Redmond’s stunning solo goal gave the visitors a commanding half-time lead before he calmly steered in the third.

“We had aspirations of getting to Wembley at the start of the season. It’s a chance for us to put the league form behind us,” Redmond told BT Sport.

“It was something for us to always aim for. We knew we wanted a cup run this season.”

Southampton will find out their semi-finals opponent when the draw is made at half-time in Sunday’s tie between Leicester and Manchester United, live on BBC One around 17:45 GMT.

The semi-finals will take place on the weekend of 17-18 April, with the final at Wembley on 15 May.

Late goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne broke Everton’s resistance as Manchester City kept their quest for the quadruple on course by reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for a third successive season.

A fiercely contested quarter-final looked like it was heading for extra time as Carlo Ancelotti’s side defended resolutely and went close in the first half when Yerry Mina’s header was cleared off the line.

Despite dominating possession at Goodison Park, City largely had an off day in front of goal with Raheem Sterling’s poorly hit shot tipped round the post by Everton’s third-choice keeper Joao Virginia.

After Pep Guardiola brought on Riyad Mahrez and De Bruyne, they finally breached Everton’s well-marshalled defence when Gudogan headed in with six minutes remaining after Aymeric Laporte’s shot was tipped onto the bar.

De Bruyne then fired in with a crisp shot to ensure their progress in the 90th minute, meaning City have won 25 out of their past 26 games in all competitions.

For Everton, who still threatened despite having little of the ball, it was a sterling attempt to try and stop the City juggernaut.

Despite missing out on a first FA Cup semi-final since 2016, they will now focus on their league campaign in an attempt to reach Europe next season.

Patrick Bamford hopes he can play himself into England’s Euro 2020 squad after scoring one and setting up the other as Leeds beat Fulham.

The game came the day after Bamford was left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the first World Cup qualifiers.

Fulham, meanwhile, missed the chance to move out of the Premier League relegation zone with a third defeat in four games.

Leeds had two goals disallowed in the first half – first when Luke Ayling’s header was ruled out by the video assistant referee and then when Raphinha was well offside before slotting home.

They led when Bamford smashed home at the near post from Jack Harrison’s cross.

Fulham were level when defender Joachim Andersen volleyed in from Ademola Lookman’s corner, his first goal in English football.

But Leeds scored the winner just before the hour mark, as Bamford fed Raphinha, who beat two defenders before poking home.

“I just need to keep working and see if I can get my name in contention for the Euros,” Bamford told Sky Sports. “If I keep going as I am I think I’m in with a shot. If you told me at the start of the season I’d be linked with England, I’d say you were bonkers.

“If it comes, it comes. If not, I’ll know I’ve done my best. It was in the back of my mind a little bit I guess. It gives you a bit of an extra fire in your belly.”

The result takes Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds up to 11th in the table on 39 points.

Bamford helps Leeds ease scoring problems

Bamford, 27, had only scored one Premier League goal before this season. Two years ago, while in the Championship with Leeds, he looked close to declaring for the Republic of Ireland.

But he has scored 14 top-flight goals this season now – Harry Kane is the only English striker to score more.

England boss Gareth Southgate said Bamford was “very close” to his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Former England defender Matt Upson, watching the game for BBC Radio 5 Live, said he was unlucky not to be in the squad.

“He’s shown he’s at a good level. He’s pushing and in real contention,” said Upson.

He was ultimately the difference between the teams in a high-tempo encounter.

Leeds had failed to score in four of their previous five games, as many as in their first 23 league games this season.

But, after two team-mates had goals ruled out for offside, Bamford gave them the lead as he showed good movement to lose a defender before hammering in Harrison’s cross.

Fulham created plenty of chances after equalising but Bamford kept his cool to feed Raphinha for a cleverly finished winner.

In an eventful game, he was booked for a foul, went close to an own goal and avoided a penalty shout for a handball after a ricochet in the box.

There was a bit of a downside to Leeds’ night as Bamford, who had been a doubt with a hip injury, hobbled off after 77 minutes.

Fulham miss big chance in relegation fight

The Cottagers appeared doomed early in the season but a recent revival gave them the opportunity to move out of the relegation zone for the first time since December.

They had several chances, most notably in the first half, and could only take one of them when Andersen smashed home.

The defeat keeps them two points below Newcastle and three off Brighton. Those two sides play on Saturday and will still have a game in hand on Fulham.

This third defeat in four games means the momentum of their previous five-game unbeaten run may have gone.

“The better team won,” boss Scott Parker told BBC Sport after the game.

“We couldn’t cope with their intensity at times. We didn’t want it to become a basketball match because that falls into Leeds’ hands. We have to move on.”

Ivan Cavaleiro had a shot blocked in the opening 15 seconds to set the tone for a high-energy game.

Josh Maja was denied by a sensational Illan Meslier save, with Ayling clearing the loose ball off the line.

The keeper then denied Cavaleiro from getting on to a poor header back and saved a Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa strike moments later.

Aleksandar Mitrovic replaced Maja at half-time and had to wait until the 89th minute for an effort on target, a header which Meslier saved.