Attacks on Brussels airport, metro kill 26

At least 26 people were killed in twin attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital on Tuesday, triggering security alerts across western Europe and bringing some cross-border transport to a halt.

A witness said he heard shouts in Arabic shortly before two blasts struck a packed airport departure lounge at Brussels airport. The federal prosecutor said one of the blasts was probably triggered by a suicide bomber.

The Belgian health minister said 11 people were killed in the airport bombing and 81 wounded.

The blasts at the airport and metro station occurred four days after the arrest in Brussels of a suspected participant in November militant attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.

Belgian police and combat troops on the streets had been on alert for any reprisal action but the attacks took place in crowded public areas where people and bags are not searched.

Video showed devastation in the hall with ceiling tiles and glass scattered across the floor. Some passengers emerged from the terminal with blood spattered over their clothes. Smoke rose from the building through shattered windows and passengers fled down a slipway, some still hauling their bags.

Many of the dead and wounded were badly injured in the legs, one airport worker told Reuters, suggesting at least one bomb in a bag.

Britain, Germany, France and the Netherlands, all wary of spillover from conflict in Syria, were among states announcing extra security measures.

All public transport in Brussels was shut down, as it was in London during 2005 Islamist militant attacks there that killed 52. Authorities appealed to citizens not to use overloaded telephone networks, extra troops were sent into the city and the Belgian Crisis Centre, clearly wary of a further incident, appealed to the population: "Stay where you are".

British Sky News television's Alex Rossi, at the airport, said he heard two "very, very loud explosions".

"I could feel the building move. There was also dust and smoke as well...I went toward where the explosion came from and there were people coming out looking very dazed and shocked."

Alphonse Youla, 40, who works at the airport, told Reuters he heard a man shouting out in Arabic before the first explosion. "Then the glass ceiling of the airport collapsed."

"I helped carry out five people dead, their legs destroyed," he said, his hands covered in blood.

Brussels Airport explosions: 11 dead, 24 injured after blast at American Airlines desk

At least 11 people have died and dozens more have been injured after two explosions went off at Brussels Airport this morning.

The terminal was evacuated after the blasts went off near to an American Airlines departure desk, according to reports from the scene.

Belgian media is also reporting that there were gunshots before the explosions and Arabic was shouted beforehand.

Some reports suggest that firefighters have discovered more explosive devices at the airport, also known as Zaventem Airport.

Two explosions have been reported at Zaventem airport in Brussels.

Images on social media from the scene showed smoke rising from one of the terminal buildings. The cause of the explosions is unknown.

Reports say the blasts were in the departures area and speak of casualties although this has not been confirmed.

The blasts come four days after the capture in Brussels of Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in the Paris attacks in November.

Belgian media say the airport is being evacuated. It has been closed to flights. Rail transport to the facility has been halted.

Social media reports from the scene speak of panic as people fled the airport buildings.

Images showed a swathe of shattered glass on one of the buildings.

Other reports say at least one explosion was close to the American Airlines check-in area but again this has not been confirmed.

The Belgian broadcaster RTBF quoted a witness as saying there were people injured or unconscious in the departure area, opposite the Sheraton hotel.

Niels Caignau, a Swissport employee, told Flemish broadcaster VRT: "I was on a break and heard and felt a big explosion - we have from here a view over the departure hall and saw a plume of smoke come out.

"The windows are completely shattered. People went outside in shock. It doesn't look good.

Azarenka and Djokovic reign supreme in the desert, cruise to Indian Wells titles

Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka rolled to easy victories in the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday, with the top-ranked Serb collecting his record fifth title and Azarenka winning for the second time to get back into the world's top 10.

Djokovic beat Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-0 to improve his match record to 22-1 this year.

It was the Serb's third consecutive title in the California desert, breaking a tie with four-time champion Roger Federer, who lost to Djokovic the past two years in the final and skipped this year because of a knee injury.

''I'm just glad to be able to raise the level of my game as the tournament progresses, and that's something that I have been doing in the last two years particularly on the big events,'' Djokovic said.

Azarenka defeated error-prone Serena Williams 6-4, 6-4.

Azarenka's victory and Williams' return to the final for the first time since 2001, when a hostile crowd triggered her 14-year boycott, was overshadowed by comments from tournament director Raymond Moore. Earlier Sunday, he criticized the WTA Tour and its players, saying they ''ride on the coattails of the men'' while describing the women as ''physically attractive and competitively attractive.''

Williams objected, saying, ''Those remarks are very much mistaken and very, very, very inaccurate.'' Azarenka also expressed disappointment.

Djokovic and Azarenka each earned $1.02 million.

Djokovic needed an hour, 17 minutes to dispatch Raonic, whose big serve got broken five times. The 25-year-old Canadian served just four aces and had 27 unforced errors. His first serve averaged 128 mph - much faster than Djokovic's 111 mph - but he connected on only 55 percent. The Serb landed 68 percent of his first serves and was never broken.

''He's the best returner probably of all time,'' Raonic said.

Raonic was bothered by an injury shortly after the match began, although afterward he wasn't sure what was wrong. He was playing his first event since a thigh injury in the Australian Open semis in January.

''I don't think it affected my effort,'' he said. ''I thought he played much better than I did.''

Clearly the crowd favorite, Williams gave fans little to cheer about on an unseasonable 91-degree (32 C) day while making 33 unforced errors. After getting broken to trail 3-0 in the second set, Williams returned to her seat and smashed her racket.

Trailing 5-1, Williams won three straight games and held two break points on Azarenka's serve in the last game. But Williams ended the match with three straight errors.

''Just unexpected nerves maybe. I definitely didn't expect to be on that stage again,'' said Williams, who was back at Indian Wells after ending her 14-year boycott last year.

It was Azarenka's first victory over the top-ranked Williams since the Cincinnati final in August 2013. She will move up seven spots to No. 8 in the rankings released Monday, her first time back in the top 10 since August 2014.

Azarenka, who won here in 2012, hit just 10 winners and had 20 unforced errors in the 2-hour match. She connected on 60 percent of her first serves and broke Williams' serve three times. Williams converted just 1 of 12 break chances.

''I have to go for it,'' Azarenka said. ''She's not a type of player that if you're going to play safe she's going to give it to you or she's going to miss. You really have to go out there and take away because there is nothing coming easy.''

The crowd, including Queen Latifah, was eager to support Williams. One fan held up a sign reading, ''Go Serena. We straight outta Compton,'' in a nod to the gang-infested Los Angeles suburb where the Williams sisters learned to play tennis.

Williams was bidding to become the first woman to win three titles at Indian Wells, where she won in 1999 and 2001. After getting booed heavily while beating Kim Clijsters for her last title here, she vowed never to return. That year the Williams sisters were supposed to meet in a semifinal, but Venus withdrew shortly before the match with a knee injury. The crowd reacted harshly and their father Richard said he heard racial taunts.

''Obviously the last time I was there was probably the worst moment of my whole career. Not probably. Sure,'' Williams said. ''To be back out there, which I never thought I would be, was really different and special. I was overwhelmed with emotions and nerves.''

Williams' low-key persona was in direct contrast to her usual fist-pumping and screams of ''Come on!'' She hit just 22 winners.

Azarenka and Williams met for the 21st time in their careers, with Williams owning a 17-4 edge. The only player she has faced more in her career is her older sister, who watched grim-faced from a box after losing early in her return to Indian Wells for the first time since 2001.

''It was so great for our sport to see them both here,'' Azarenka said.

Williams was warmly welcomed back last year only to withdraw with a knee injury before her semifinal.

She got emotional while accepting the runner-up trophy, tears welling in her eyes, after tournament officials thanked her and Venus for ending their boycotts.

''Thank you so much for the cheers,'' Williams said. ''I can't tell you how much it means to me.''

Williams playfully stuck out her tongue as she walked past Azarenka posing with the winner's crystal trophy on her way off the court.

Nico Rosberg claims 2016 Australian Grand Prix

Mercedes F1 driver Nico Rosberg has won the 2016 Australian Grand Prix, an action-packed race that at one point was red flagged after a serious accident.

The German team started from the front row of the grid - with Hamilton ahead of Rosberg on pole, but it was Sebastian Vettel who got off to a strong start in his Ferrari, overtaking both Silver Arrows cars by the first corner.

The Grand Prix was only 18 laps old when the Haas of Esteban Gutierrez and the McLaren of Fernando Alonso collided heading into turn three, with the Spaniard's car sent flying into the air, flipping twice before narrowly avoiding flying over the fence.

Alonso's MP4-31 was largely unrecognisable after the crash, but amazingly the dual World Champion walked away uninjured. The amount of debris saw the red flag brought out and race stopped.

Once the race resumed, it was Rosberg's victory, while Hamilton and Vettel both struggled with tyre strategy.

Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth for Red Bull Racing, after the Australian pit for fresh super soft tyres with 15 laps to go.

Leicester march closer to Premier League title

Leicester City moved eight points clear at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.

Riyad Mahrez's goal extended Leicester's advantage over second-place Tottenham, who host Bournemouth on Sunday.

Palace's Damien Delaney hit the crossbar in stoppage time, but the surprising Foxes held on to take another step toward an unlikely title.

"The game was very difficult, it was a very good win," Mahrez said.

"It's getting close, but still seven matches to go.

"It's a long way, we need to keep focused on our team and we will see what we can do."

Mahrez turned in Jamie Vardy's cross in the first half for his 17th goal of the season.

As he has been doing all along, manager Claudio Ranieri refused to talk about the title.

"Step by step," the Italian said.

"The race for the title is the same as a match.

"Every match you don't know what happens until the end."

Palace boss Alan Pardew thinks otherwise after his team's winless league run reached 13 games.

"Leicester are top of the league for a reason," he said.

"They have a lovely balance to the team.

"They will be difficult to catch and they would be worthy champions."

Arsenal rebounded from their FA Cup and Champions League exits with a much-needed 2-0 win at Everton.

Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi scored as Arsenal won for just the second time in nine in all competitions.

"It's been a difficult couple of weeks with the results we've had," Welbeck told BT Sport.

"It was good to get back to winning ways and have something to build on."

The Gunners stay 11 points behind Leicester in third and pulled within three points of Tottenham.

Everton were booed at the final whistle after an eighth loss in 16 home league games.

"We had second thoughts in every action and Arsenal were, in every single bit of the performance, better than us," manager Roberto Martinez said.

"It was so disappointing."

West Ham missed a chance to go into fourth place by drawing 2-2 at Chelsea.

Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll each gave the Hammers a one-goal lead only for Cesc Fabregas to twice equalise with a free-kick and then an 89th-minute penalty.

The Hammers remain a point behind Manchester City and Chelsea, who are unbeaten under interim manager Guus Hiddink, stay 10th.

Norwich beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 to move out of the relegation zone and end a 10-game winless run.

Robbie Brady's goal lifted the Canaries three points ahead of Sunderland, who can go back above them with a win at Newcastle on Sunday.

Jon Walters and Joselu scored as Stoke won 2-1 at Watford to climb two spots to seventh.

Swansea hammered another nail into Aston Villa's Premier League coffin on Saturday with the softest of goals earning the Welsh side a 1-0 victory that may well secure their safety for another season.

Villa keeper Brad Guzan came off his line in the 53rd minute only to flap hopelessly at a free-kick curled in by Gylfi Sigurdsson and tip the ball on to a grateful Federico Fernandez's shoulder and into the net.

The woeful defending in a game of poor quality seemed to sum up the visitors' hapless season as they suffered a sixth successive league defeat, leaving them marooned at the bottom of the table, eight points behind second from bottom Newcastle United.

Georgios Printezis leads Olympiacos to convincing home win

Olympiacos Piraeus improved its playoffs options in Top 16 Group F by downing Zalgiris Kaunas 74-59 at home on Friday. Olympiacos improved to 5-6 while Zalgiris dropped to 2-9 and is mathematically out of chances to make the playoffs. Georgios Printezis led the winners with 17 points. Kostas Papanikolaou added 11 while Othello Hunter pulled down 11 rebounds for Olympiacos. Ian Vougioukas had 14 points for Zalgiris while Paulius Jankunas added 12. Printezis and Vassilis Spanoulis shined early to give Olympiacos a 14-8 lead but a 0-7 run that Brock Motum capped with a reverse layup gave Zalgiris a 14-15 lead after 10 minutes. Daniel Hackett rescued the Reds early in the second quarter and got plenty of help from Papanikolaou and Printezis to give Olympiacos a 39-30 lead at halftime. Back-to-back three-pointers by Ioannis Papapetrou and Printezis broke the game open, 53-35, midway through the third quarter. Olympiacos kept a 58-41 lead after 30 minutes on a buzzer-beating layup by Dimitrios Agravanis and kept a safe margin throughout the fourth quarter to seal a well-deserved win all before the final buzzer.

Melbourne City go top after comeback win over 10-man Roar Read

A blistering second half has seen Melbourne City surge to a crucial 3-1 win over a 10-man Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park on Friday night to keep their Premiers’ Plate hopes alive.

Roar led 1-0 at the break courtesy of a Dimitri Petratos howitzer before the game swung City’s way early in the second half when Jack Hingert conceded a penalty and was shown a red card.

And City took full advantage, with Aaron Mooy converting from the spot before late goals from Anthony Caceres and Nick Fitzgerald sealed a precious three points for the home side.

GOALS

0-1 Petratos (22’) – A Brisbane corner was headed clear by Alex Wilkinson but flew straight to Petratos just outside the box. The midfielder controlled the ball on his thigh before unleashing a left foot volley which whizzed past Thomas Sorensen into the roof of the net.

1-1 Mooy (54’) – Fornaroli won a penalty for the hosts with Mooy making no mistake, sending Jamie Young the wrong way and slotting it home with ease.

2-1 Caceres (81’) – Ivan Franjic swung in a cross from the right with Caceres timing his run perfectly to leap over Daniel Bowles at the far post and plant a header into the bottom corner.

3-1 Fitzgerald(84’) – Fornaroli took a free-kick just outside the box, getting it up over the wall but it cannoned onto the crossbar, the rebound bouncing up for Fitzgerald to head past a stranded Young.

Melbourne City: Sorensen (gk), Franjic, Wilkinson, Kisnorbo (c), Garuccio, Malik, Fitzgerald, Mooy, Novillo, Zullo (Caceres 74’), Fornaroli

Brisbane Roar: Young (gk), Hingert, North, Bowles, Brown, Corona (Oar 85’), Petratos, McKay (c), Borrello (Henrique 70’), Broich (Stefanutto 57’), Maclaren

Holders Barcelona to face Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich meet Benfica

Holders Barcelona will face fellow Spaniards Atletico Madrid, runners-up two seasons ago, in the Champions League quarter-finals following the draw in Nyon on Friday.

Paris St Germain, who last reached the semi-finals in 1995, will face fellow big spenders Manchester City in the other outstanding tie, with the first leg at the Parc des Princes.

Ten-times champions Real Madrid were pitted against German side VfL Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich will face Portugal's Benfica. Both Bundesliga teams will play the first legs at home.

Barca, at home in the first leg, get the chance to avenge their defeat at the same stage two years ago when Atletico won 1-0 at home after a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp. Atletico went on to reach the final where they lost to neighbours Real.

However, recent form clearly favours the Catalans who have won their last six games against Atletico with Lionel Messi scoring in five of them. In all, the Argentine forward has netted 25 goals in 27 matches against them.

PSG and Manchester City have met only once before, in the group stage of the old UEFA Cup in 2008-09 when they shared a goalless draw.

Real Madrid have won their last three knockout ties against Bundesliga teams, with Bayern among the victims, but Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking was unperturbed.

"We have the opportunity to show our ability on the biggest stage, and we want to grasp that chance with everything we've got," he said.

"I will have to think about whether we want to approach the game with an attack-minded approach or more defensively."

Bayern demolished Benfica's rivals Porto 7-4 on aggregate last season, with a 6-1 win at the Allianz arena, although they were not taking anything for granted.

"We came through a tough tie against Juventus and need to keep going," midfielder Xabi Alonso said. "We have to respect Benfica, but we have plenty of time to analyse them."

Juergen Klopp's Liverpool drawn against his old club Dortmund

Juergen Klopp will face his former club in the Europa League quarter-finals after the German coach's Liverpool side were pitted against Borussia Dortmund in Friday's draw.

Liverpool, without a major trophy since they lifted the League Cup in 2012, will travel to Germany for the first leg on April 7 before hosting Dortmund at Anfield seven days later.

It is 50 years since the two teams met in the final of the now-defunct European Cup Winners' Cup final in 1966, Dortmund winning 2-1.

The Germans reached the last eight by defeating another English club, Tottenham Hotspur, in the last 16 on Thursday while Liverpool ousted bitter rivals Manchester United.

Holders Sevilla will meet La Liga rivals Athletic Bilbao in the quarter-finals while Villarreal take on Sparta Prague and Braga meet Shakhtar Donetsk.

Greece told to reinstate Cup tournament or risk sanctions

Football's governing body FIFA has warned Greece to reinstate the Greek Cup, cancelled by the government in March because of crowd trouble at a game, or risk sanctions against the country's football federation.

The competition was called off after the first leg of the semi-final between PAOK Salonika and Olympiakos Piraeus was abandoned on March 2.

FIFA and European football's governing body UEFA sent a joint letter to the Greek authorities on Friday requesting they reverse the cancellation within two weeks, describing the decision as disproportionate.

"In case of non-compliance, the relevant FIFA bodies would consider sanctions," said FIFA in a statement following an executive committee meeting.

Sanctions could include the suspension of the Greek federation, preventing Greek clubs from playing in European club competitions while the national side would also be barred from playing.

Violence erupted during the game after a penalty was denied to PAOK.

Their players and supporters were incensed by the decision, prompting an explosion of violence as large groups of fans rushed on to the pitch, hurling flares and missiles before being dispersed by riot police.

Greece's deputy minister for sport Stavros Kontonis had recommended the suspension of all competitive football in the country, but the Super League and the rest of the professional football divisions haven continued.

It was the second time this season that a match in Greece has been stopped. The Athens derby in November between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos was called off due to violent clashes between fans and police before kickoff.

In another decision on Friday, FIFA's executive committee agreed to allow an experiment with extra substitutes during the Olympic Games, women's Under-20 World Cup and Club World Cup tournaments this year.

FIFA said a fourth substitute, in addition to the usual three, could be used in matches that went to extra-time. This followed a recommendation made by football's rule-making body IFAB earlier this month.

Sean Price jailed for life for murder of Melbourne schoolgirl Masa Vukotic

Convicted rapist Sean Price has been jailed for life over the murder of 17-year-old schoolgirl Masa Vukotic, who was stabbed to death during a random attack in a Melbourne park.

He was given a non-parole period of 38 years by Justice Lex Lasry in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Ms Vukotic's family was in the packed courtroom to hear the decision.

Price, now 32, pleaded guilty to killing the teenager while she was going for a walk near her home in Doncaster in March last year.

World's longest anaconda uncovered in the Amazon by BBC documentary team is 17ft-long 'monster'

The world's longest anaconda has been discovered in the Amazon jungle – and it measures in at a whopping 17 feet long.

The huge reptile was uncovered during filming for new BBC documentary Tribes, Predators and Me.

In the first episode presenter Gordon Buchanan joins a Waorani tribal family in Ecuador's Amazon jungle as they search for giant anacondas.

The tribe, who know this remote rainforest better than anyone else, teach Gordon their secrets for surviving here, using blow pipes and sharpened sticks to huntmonkeys and wild pigs.

BBC

The massive snake was pulled out of the jungle by the tribe and Buchanan

But his greatest challenge is to help them catch and release a massive anaconda, which is the Amazon's most dangerous animal.

Read more:

The tribe also believe the proven maneater can hold the key to their future and has high spiritual importance to them.

BBC/YouTube

The giant snake is thought to be the largest ever found

BBC

Discovery: A 17-foot long anaconda was discovered during filming for a new BBC documentary Tribes, Predators and Me

There is also a scientific reason to capture the snake, as the Waorani are losing their land to oil exploration, prompting scientists to test the effects of this on the animals.

Read more:

The anaconda caught and then released in the programme is the longest ever recorded at more than 17 feet long.

In the show Gordon has two weeks to learn the Waorani tribe’s ancient wildlife secrets.

Along the way he sees the mysterious Amazon river dolphins, joins the Waorani on a dangerous peccary spear hunt and sees how the women garden within the forest and how they befriend wild animals such as monkeys, parrots and tapirs.

Tribes, Predators and Me is on BBC Two at 9pm this Sunday.

Liverpool kick Manchester United out of the Europa League

Liverpool ended arch-rival Manchester United's participation in the Europa League, with a 1-1 draw in the return leg of their last 16 tie at Old Trafford.

The Reds advanced 3-1 on aggregate after their 2-0 first leg win at Anfield.

United's exit leaves embattled manager Louis Van Gaal with only the English FA Cup to concentrate on for silverware this season.

The Red Devils' are currently sixth in the Premier League and will have to make up a four-point margin to overhaul neighbours Manchester City to claim the final Champions League berth for next season.

United played their way into the tie when Anthony Martial converted from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute, but all hopes evaporated when Brazilian Philippe Coutinho equalised with a crucial away goal late in the first half to effectively kill the tie.

Tottenham Hotspur's run in the competition also came to an end when they were beaten 2-1 by Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund, who were previously coached by current Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp, went through 5-1 on aggregate.

Spurs' defeat will allow the London outfit to concentrate on their EPL title assault where they are second behind Leicester City and in prime position to secure one of the four Champions League spots on offer.

Meanwhile Athletic Bilbao, Villarreal and Sparta Prague reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League at the expense of Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Lazio.

Bilbao lost 2-1 to Valencia, who started with Socceroo Mat Ryan in goal, but squeaked through on the away goals rule, with a 2-2 aggregate.

Valencia's exit from Europe's second-tier competition heaps more pressure on under-fire English manager Gary Neville, who was sent off for vehemently protesting against Bilbao's controversial killer goal.

Valencia swept into a promising 2-0 lead but conceded the vital away goal to Bilbao's ageless striker Aritz Aduriz.

Santi Mina opened the scoring for Valencia in the 13th minute after good work down the left by the impressive Jose Gaya.

Defender Aderlan Santos made it 2-0 eight minutes before half time by heading in an excellent centre from Gaya.

Bilbao dominated the second half and tournament top scorer Aduriz, 35, saved the Basques from elimination by beating Ryan 15 minutes from time, despite what seemed to be a handball by Markel Susaeta earlier in the move.

"I never like to put the blame on the referee, but when he sees (on television) what occurred, he will be disappointed with himself," Neville said.

"I didn't insult him at all. I just said that it was handball. This was a very unfair match. We should have won by four or five goals. You need a bit of luck in football, and we didn't have that tonight."

Tim Cahill says former Greek striker Apostolos Giannou adds to the Socceroos’ depth

TIM Cahill has revealed he was the catalyst behind the likely Socceroos debut of former Greek international Apostolos  Giannou.

Cahill told The Advertiser he lobbied for the inclusion of Greek-born Giannou, 26, in the squad which takes on Tajikistan in a World Cup qualifier at Adelaide on Thursday.

Giannou was granted FIFA permission to play for Austtralia despite coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes in a friendly against Turkey.

Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou last week made a shock announcement that Giannou would partner Cahill in attack.

Victorian-raised Giannou was leading the Greek Super League’s goalscorer with Asteras (14 goals) before joining China’s Guangzhou R&F.

“I spoke to the boss probably three weeks ago about Giannou, mentioning we might be able to get him and there was an option and that was something he was very positive about,’’ Cahill said after landing in Sydney from China on Thursday.

“Now you see Matthew Spiranovic is injured and Alex Wilkinson has come in, so you see a lot of depth in (the Socceroos) and with depth comes opportunities to hopefully do well for your country.

“Hopefully these new boys can get a crack at it and try and be consistent in providing what we need and that’s three points consistently.”

Cahill also welcomed other uncapped Socceroos Alex Gersbach, 18, formerly of Sydney FC but now of Norwegian club Rosenborg and Melbourne Victory’s Jason Geria, 22, to the squad.

He said he expected the Socceroos to field its strongest XI against Tajikistan after the underdog put up a good fight in Dashanbe before succumbing 3-0.

Cahill scored twice in that September clash to take his record Socceroos tally to 45 goals in 88 appearances before making the move to China’s Hangzhou Greentown this year where he scored on debut in a 2-1 win over Changchun Yatai on March 6 in the season opening match.

Cahill said he won’t be taking Tajikistan lightly.

“I take every game the same,’’ Cahill said.

“We got a little bit of a wake up call when we played Jordan away (0-2 last year), I watched that game from the bench to start with and came on towards the end.

“But overall every game is a must win, you set yourself a standard of how you want to play and also the standard that you want as a group of boys.

“You want to reflect the manager’s (Postecoglou) work ethic and effort and to push ourselves.

“Tajikistan is one of those games people might look upon lightly on but as a squad the boss won’t let us. It’s a massive game and making sure we stay top of group.”

Barcelona and Bayern Advance in the UEFA Champions League

Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar each scored in a 3-1 win over visiting Arsenal on Wednesday that gave Barcelona, the defending champion, a 5-1 victory on aggregate and sent the team into the Champions League quarterfinals for a ninth consecutive season.

Three weeks after Messi scored both goals in a 2-0 first leg win, Suárez passed for Neymar to open the scoring in the 18th minute.

Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny struck in the 51st minute, and the English side threatened to add another before Suárez answered with an acrobatic goal in the 65th.

Messi chipped in Barcelona’s third goal with two minutes to play following two timely stops by goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen to protect the lead.

Arsenal Coach Arsène Wenger, whose side was eliminated from the round of 16 for a sixth straight year, said Barcelona’s strike trio had taken the game to the level of “art.”

“We played against the team with the best strikers I have seen,” Wenger said. “The three together are exceptional. Messi is incredible. They are two or three players who transform normal life into art.”

Barcelona increased its Spanish record streak to 38 unbeaten games, and stayed on course to repeat its triple feat of winning the European Cup, the Spanish league and the Copa del Rey titles.

Arsenal bowed out of the F.A. Cup last weekend and now must focus on catching Tottenham and Leicester in the English Premier League standings.

BAYERN WINS IN EXTRA TIME Thomas Müller tied the score in the first minute of injury time, and Bayern Munich scored two more goals in extra time to complete a thrilling 4-2 victory at home against Juventus and send Bayern into the Champions League quarterfinals.

Thiago Alcantara scored in the 108th minute to put Bayern ahead for good in the second leg match of the last 16, and Kingsley Coman, on loan from Juventus, added the fourth goal just two minutes later to seal a 6-4 victory on aggregate.

Bayern trailed, 2-0, at halftime after goals from Paul Pogba and Juan Cuadrado put Juventus firmly in charge. Bayern looked to be on the way out until a score by Robert Lewandowski in the 73rd and Müller’s late header changed everything.

“To score four goals against an Italian side, wow, compliments to my team,” Bayern Coach Pep Guardiola said.