Nani has admitted he is struggling to regain his top form since returning from injury for Manchester United.

The Portugal international played in both legs against Ajax in the Europa League after being sidelined for a month.

Robin Van Persie has confirmed Arsenal's north London derby clash with Tottenham Hotspur will carry an extra edge by insisting it is a game Arsene Wenger's side simply cannot afford to lose.

Local rivalry ensures the visit of Spurs to the Emirates Stadium is always highly charged.

Struggling Chelsea striker Fernando Torres was dropped by World Cup champion Spain for the first time in more than five years on Friday.

Torres was missing from the squad announced by coach Vicente del Bosque for next week's international friendly against Venezuela.

Newly-minted NBA star Jeremy Lin proved no match for Miami's "Big Three" as the Heat handed Lin and his New York Knicks a 102-88 defeat as the league heads into the All-Star break.

Miami's swarming defense Thursday saw Lin deliver his worst numbers since his breakout run began, scoring eight points on 1-of-11 shooting with three assists and eight turnovers.

Manchester United squeezed through to the Europa League last 16 on Thursday despite losing 2-1 to Ajax at Old Trafford while former champions Atletico Madrid became Spain's third team in the next stage.

Sir Alex Ferguson's United went through 3-2 on aggregate and will face Athletic Bilbao in the next round.

Two-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel has been given Germany's highest honor for sporting achievement.

Horst Seehofer, Germany's acting president, praised the 24-year-old Vettel's "strength of character" as he presented the Red Bull driver with the Silver Laurel Leaf on Friday.

Kevin Durant scored 33 points to lead Oklahoma City to a 100-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers as the Thunder matched Miami for the best record in the NBA.

Russell Westbrook on Thursday added 19 points, James Harden had 16 and Serge Ibaka chipped in 11 points with 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who improved to 27-7 going into this weekend's All-Star break.

A dramatic 93rd-minute header from Andre Ayew gave Marseille a 1-0 victory over luckless Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie here on Wednesday.

Bidding to reach the last eight for the first time since they won the trophy in 1993, the hosts dominated possession but looked set for a night of frustration until Ayew's decisive intervention in the game's dying stages.

Former world champion Fernando Alonso admitted Ferrari have work to do if they are to compete for the Formula One title this season following testing in Barcelona on Wednesday.

Alonso was fourth fastest on the second day of testing, just behind current world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.

Jeremy Lin scored 17 points and added nine assists to spark the New York Knicks over Atlanta 99-82, improving the team to 9-2 since the Asian-American star emerged from a reserve role.

The 23-year-old point guard whose parents are from Taiwan had been cut by two other NBA clubs, but was given a chance when the Knicks lost two starters and produced record scoring and assist figures to ignite a struggling club.