hi everyone. you're watching sport today, live from the bbc sport centre. i'm nick marshall—mccormack. coming up: juve look out. real madrid are going for duodecimo. they are into the champions league final. the asian champions league is hotting up. group toppers kashima antlers finish on a high before the knockout stage. and who's going to bring back bill from japan? we've got the draw for the rugby world cup. hi, wherever you are around the world. welcome to sport today. it was fiesty and ferocious at the vicente calderon stadium on wednesday. a madrid derby with the added spice of a spot in the champions league final up for grabs. real were 3—0 up from the first leg, and despite two atleti goals sparking hopes of a comeback, real put an end to the tie with an isco strike. it finished 4—2 on aggregate. real will play juventus in the final. it was the final european game at

the estadio vicente calderon, and the estadio vicente calderon, and the supporters made it a special occasion, and suddenly the impossible felt possible. a header in the 12th minute, and antoine grisman scored a penalty in the 16th minute. the comeback was on but credit to braille madrid, they didn't lose their heads. they knew that one away goal with turn things backin that one away goal with turn things back in their favour. they'd scored in the last 60 consecutive games so it was likely they'd find the back of the net, and they did just before half—time, great work by karim benzema, and isco scored from close range. relief for real madrid. a repeat of the 1998 final, which they w011 repeat of the 1998 final, which they won 1—0 against the italians, and what a season this could be from real madrid, trying to become the first ever team to defend the champions league in the modern era,

and they could win the la liga and champions league double for the first time since 1958. translation: we knew we were going to suffer but we also knew that, by remaining calm and patient, we would create chances, and, well, after 25 minutes, everything changed. we found our game minutes, everything changed. we found ourgame and minutes, everything changed. we found our game and isco making just the right moves. he wasjust terrific. when you have one like him moving around, with his quality, he can really hurt the opposition. reaching two champions league finals ina row reaching two champions league finals in a row is the result of everyone's ha rd in a row is the result of everyone's hard work. it's been so impressive but it's not over yet, we still have three very important league games ahead of us, and after that we'll have time to think about the final, so we are have time to think about the final, so we are happy and proud of every player. the final group matches in the asian champions league were played on wednesday. kashima antlers and muangthong united had already qualified

from group e and the match between them would decide who finished top. in the end, it was thej—league champions who won with yuma suzuki scoring both goals in a 2—1victory. they finished one point ahead of the thailand team. nice! little conversion. in group f, urawa red diamonds and shanghai sipg — who'd already qualified for the last 16 — both lost their final group games. the two sides finished level on points, which means urawa finish top because of their head—to—head record. the red diamonds were beaten 1—0 by fc seoul in south korea where yoon seung—won scored the only goal of the game. but shanghai sipg missed the chance to claim top spot when they lost 3—2 at western sydney wanderers where jaushua sotirio scored a last—minute winner for the 2014 champions. arsenal moved up to fifth place

in the english premier league on wednesday after defeating southampton 2—0. alexis sanchez and 0livier giroud scored for the gunners. she was an ambassador for the fifa world cup in brazil, and she carried the olympic flag into the stadium at last year's 0lympics. but marta has yet to win the bbc women's footballer of the year award. could this be her year? translation: i was very happy with the nomination one more time by the bbc. this shows that really what we have been doing over the years has been fruitful. she is five times world champion, a true warrior, a humble person. when you talk about

women's football, you already think about marta. women's football — marta. national team — about marta. women's football — marta. nationalteam — marta. about marta. women's football — marta. nationalteam - marta. she is very important. i used to sell fruits in the public market and also wait to help my family. i also sold clothes in the streets, too. kids should be in school but u nfortu nately i should be in school but unfortunately i had no way to go to school. my mother could not take me there because of our financial situation. people would come to me and say, it's a boy ‘s‘ sport. you have to play with a doll, it's not right for a have to play with a doll, it's not rightfora girl to have to play with a doll, it's not right for a girl to be in the middle ofa right for a girl to be in the middle of a bunch of boys playing. i've faced it. isimply left of a bunch of boys playing. i've faced it. i simply left them talking. that motivated me. i thought, they are talking about

myself, so i'm going to show on the pitch that i get it, and that's why i like to play. —— that i'm good. pitch that i get it, and that's why i like to play. -- that i'm good. my first impression was incredible. she was in front of me, the best player in the world. marta was the idol that i'd never met. but what really struck me was her humility and her simplicity, the way she treats people, regardless of who you are.|j said to her, it's no wonder that you've done this, because you always do beyond what you have to do. that's the brazilian culture. when it comes to football, the important thing is to reach the final and win the final. when you get second, third orfourth place, it's not so important. the medal you have to win his goals. we have already experienced this situation. in two olympic games we conquered silver,

but the weight of gold is different. we dream of doing well at the olympics, at the world cup. of course, when you get there, we want to win. but i believe that nowadays my biggest dream is to realise more and more that this sport is being valued the way it has to be. the draw for the 2019 rugby world cup was made on tuesday, more than two years before the tournament gets under way in japan. the competition is the third—largest sporting event in the world after the olympics and the football world cup. the 2019 tournament will be the eighth rugby world cup, and the first time it's been held in asia. 20 teams will take part, with 12 already confirmed, based on their performances at the last world cup in 2015, and eight more places

still to be decided. the host nationjapan have been drawn in the same group as ireland and scotland. the irish will be touring japan injune, playing two test matches. the holders new zealand are in pool b with a real heavyweight clash in prospect when they play south africa. italy are also in that group along with two other qualifiers. the six nations champions england are in a tough—looking pool three with france and argentina. australia and wales have been drawn together as they were in 2015. they should go through from a group that includes georgia and two qualifiers. tennis, and novak djokovic is through to the third round of the madrid masters. djokovic, who's the defending champion, had a bye in the first round, and was playing his first match since splitting

from his entire coaching team. the world number two was taken to three sets by spain's nicolas almagro, and he was almost on the wrong end of an upset. djokovic was 3—0 down in the deciding set but came through to win it 7—5. he now plays another spaniard, feliciano lopez. rafael nadal is also through to the third round, and he was also taken to three sets. he was playing italy's roberto fognini. nadal, who's bidding for a fifth madrid masters title, won 7—6, 3—6, 6—4, but admitted he wasn't at his best. he now plays nick kyrgios, the number 16 seed from australia. in the women's singles, the top seed, angelique kerber is out. she was forced to retire during her third round match against eugenie bouchard because of a hamstring injury. the canadian was well on top at the time. she won the first set 6—3 and was leading 5—0 in the second when kerber — who said she first had a problem in her previous match — was forced to call it day.

i'm nick marshall—mccormack — see you soon. bye bye. hello there. after the dry weather that we have been experiencing for days and weeks now, there is finally a change on the way, courtesy of these lumps of cloud, which have been bringing some quite vicious thunderstorms across spain and portugal, now on the march northwards. so many of us will see some showery rain and perhaps some thunderstorms over the next couple of days, and with that, a feed of warm, southerly winds, some humid air moving in our direction for the end of the week. so yes, those temperatures climbing. quite a muggy feel to the weather, with the risk of some thunderstorms. in fact, there could be the odd flash of lightning as some showers approach the far south through the first part of thursday morning. so, down towards the south coast, one or two showers to start the day. further north, for the likes of london, east anglia, should be a fine and sunny start.

could be one or two thundery showers across the channel islands, into the south—west of england. not expecting huge amounts of rain at this stage, but could just be a few sprinkles, and the odd flash of lightning overhead, some of that getting into the south of wales. but north wales, the west midlands, north—west england, starting the day with some sunshine, and actually a relatively chilly start to the day here. a fine start for northern ireland and much of scotland, but some extra cloud across caithness and sutherland, fringing into parts of aberdeenshire, certainly across the northern isles, where there will be the odd spot of rain. much of northern england seeing some fine weather, with some sunshine to start of the day. now, as we go through the day, there will be a lot of dry weather once again. some spells of sunshine, but we will see this very patchy, showery rain moving its way northwards, and then into the afternoon the chance that we could spark off some really quite vicious downpours and thunderstorms. not everywhere, but if you catch one, well, you will know about it, a lot of rain in a short space of time. temperatures in the south up as high as 22, maybe 23 degrees. a little bit cooler, still, further north.

but, as we go through thursday night into the early hours of friday, that humid air continues to trundle northwards. some hit—and—miss, showery rain, and it will be a much, much less chilly night than we have had recently. eight to 13 degrees, those are the minimum temperatures. friday, well, a bit of a mishmash, really. yes, there will be some spells of sunshine. there will also be some of the showers drifting northwards. still the potential for the odd rumble of thunder, flash of lightning, and still feeling pretty humid for many. 19 degrees there in london, something cooler holding on across the far north of scotland. saturday another fairly humid and showery day, some sunny spells between the downpours. but then, through saturday night, a change. a weather front moves its way in. behind that, some fresher air pushing in from the west. so temperatures on sunday will be a little bit lower. a fresher feel to the weather, with a mix of sunshine and showers. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories —

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