The big news: Leicester win

Leicester City registered their first home win in 2017 as they beat Derby County 3-1 in their FA Cup fourth-round replay on Thursday. Andy King gave Leicester the lead in the beginning of the second half, before Abdoul Camara’s free-kick gave Derby the equaliser. The match went into extra-time as both teams were tied 1-1 after 90 minutes.

However, Leicester scored two smashing goals during extra-time through Demarai Gray and Wilfred Ndidi, to help them progress. The Foxes will now face League One side Millwall in the round of 16 on February 18.

Football:

  • Alaves reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time in their 96-year history with a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo in their semi-final second leg. They will face Barcelona in the final. 
  • Dimitri Payet and Memphis Depay scored their first goals for their respective new Ligue 1 clubs. Former West Ham midfielder Payet scored from a free-kick as Marseille beat Guingamp 2-0. Depay scored in Lyon’s 4-0 win against Nancy.      
  • Gonzalo Higuain’s 16th league goal of the season powered Juventus seven points clear at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 victory against Crotone.
  • Barcelona have appealed Luis Suarez’s suspension from the King’s Cup final. The Uruguayan was sent off in Tuesday’s second leg semi-final with Atletico Madrid, which ended in a 1-1 draw. 
  • I-League club Chennai City FC have parted ways with chief coach Robin Charles Raja after their horrible start to the season.  

Cricket:

  • India are set to take on Bangladesh in the one-off Test match in Hyderabad on Thursday. India has piled on solid performances at home by registering series wins against New Zealand and England. They will hope to continue their run against the Tigers, who are going to play their first Test match in India.
  • The fifth and final one-day game between India Under-19 and England ended in a tie at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. India won the five-match series 3-1.
  • The Indian women’s team beat Thailand by nine wickets in the second match of their Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Colombo on Wednesday. Thailand were bowled out for 55 after a splendid show by the Indian bowlers. 
  • South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi is yet to recover from the hip injury he sustained during the third T20 against Sri Lanka in Cape Town and will not travel with the squad to New Zealand. 
  • England’s Gary Ballance backed Joe Root to be England’s Test skipper. Ballance said that Root was ready to be given the responsibility to handle the squad as lead from the front. 

Formula One:

  • Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was confident that no trouble will brew between Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas when the 2017 season begins in March.
  • Nico Rosberg said that he would have preferred Fernando Alonso to replace him as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate. Rosberg retired last November, five days after winning the title, and Mercedes picked Valtteri Bottas to replace him.