SOCCER

Juventus routs Barcelona in Champions quarterfinal

Paulo Dybala outshone his more famous compatriot, Lionel Messi, by scoring twice to help Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal Tuesday at Turin, Italy.

“We need to be happy with all we have done, but we need to keep our feet on the ground because we still haven’t achieved anything,” Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “It’s not over, we’ll need to play with bravery again.”

The result will give Juventus plenty of confidence heading into the second leg April 19, but it will be wary of another fantastic comeback from Barcelona, which beat Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 in its last match to become the first team to overturn a 4-0 first-leg loss in the history of the competition.

SPANISH LEAGUE: Barcelona forward Neymar was handed a two-game suspension for sarcastically applauding an assistant referee and will miss the April 23 game at Real Madrid – matching the league’s top two teams.

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TRACK AND FIELD

RUSSIANS APPROVED: Two world champions are among seven Russian athletes who were approved by track and field’s governing body to compete internationally while their country remains banned for doping.

The list includes 110-meter hurdler Sergei Shubenkov and high jumper Maria Kuchina. Both won gold medals at the 2015 world championships in Beijing and could defend their titles in London in August.

PLAN CHALLENGED: A plan to offer amnesty to Ukrainian track and field athletes who confess to doping led to inquiries from the IAAF and World Anti-Doping Agency.

BASKETBALL

COLLEGE: Steve Fisher, who led Michigan to the 1989 national championship after being promoted on the eve of the NCAA tournament, and later coached the Fab Five, is retiring after 18 seasons at San Diego State.

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“San Diego State is my legacy,” Fisher said while handing over the program to his longtime assistant, Brian Dutcher.

Memphis Athletic Director Tom Bowen said he and Coach Tubby Smith are “extremely optimistic about the future of our program” even though the Tigers’ top three scorers are all planning to transfer.

HOCKEY

U.S. MEN: Jeff Blashill of the Detroit Red Wings was named coach of the hockey team that will compete in the world championships next month in a key tuneup ahead of next year’s Winter Olympics.

The tournament runs May 5-21 in Germany and France.

FOOTBALL

COLLEGE: Washington Coach Chris Petersen signed a contract extension that goes through the 2023 season and averages out to nearly $5 million per season in total compensation.

– Staff and news service report


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