In the action-packed Champions League quarter-final at Park des Princes, players from Barcelona Rafinha and Kristensen clinched victories. The football achievements that FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain showed on Wednesday were among their most exciting in recent memory.

The score fluctuated throughout the thrilling match at Parc des Princes, but Barcelona eventually prevailed 3-2 to move one step closer to sealing a position in the Champions League semifinal against either Borussia Dortmund or Atletico Madrid.

No Real Barca fans can go without liking this photo and video.
Kylian Mbappe
PSG Vs Barca#PSGFCB #ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/ptoyQru4KL

— 𝓚𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓪𝓪𝓷𝓪-𝓑𝓐56 (Army) (@Babar_BA56_) April 11, 2024

Barcelona’s Lead

Things would ultimately be decided by Kristensen’s header, meaning Barcelona now holds a one-goal lead and home advantage for the second leg next Tuesday. But nothing is set in stone. Teams like PSG can’t be taken lightly. However, Barcelona is currently in a very good position and will depart from the French capital with a big smile on their face. Smiles that are being shared worldwide at this moment!

Frankie and Pedri Return

One of the biggest stories of the day unfolded even before the game started. Not only was Frankie de Jong fit and in the starting lineup, but Pedri was also ready and waiting on the bench.

Indeed, it was a brilliant lob forward by the Canarian forward, marking his return by assisting Rafinha’s equalizer in the 62nd minute. What a way to mark his comeback!

Rafinha Opener

PSG was clearly excited about it and made their presence felt in the early minutes, but they were only able to capitalize on half-chances, leaving Ter Stegen untroubled. Such onslaughts from all sides had them caught off guard. As a result, Barcelona, despite both teams being quiet, were the ones presented with the biggest opportunities, including a chance from Lewandowski that Nuno Mendes did well to shepherd out.

Barcelona took some time to build momentum, but once they did, they ensured it counted. Lenglet was targeting Lewandowski, and though Donnarumma got there first, he could only divert the ball into the path of Rafinha… and it was the Brazilian’s first Champions League goal… sealing a 1-0 victory for Catalonia! Still, within the first five minutes of the restart, Barcelona was playing catch-up.

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Kylian Mbappe
PSG Vs Barca #ChampionsLeague #PSGFCB pic.twitter.com/1vmKChyhx9

— जोधपुरी छोरा (@np_jodhpur) April 11, 2024

PSG Changes

After celebrating so many of Ousmane Dembélé’s goals in recent years, it’s now time to lament. Ronald Araujo blocked a shot straight into the former blogger’s path, and it was a fantastic finish for Ter Stegen. There was no time to digest this blow before the through ball to Vittinha at the end and the score was 2-1.

Also Read : Watch| Real Madrid 3-3 Man City: Valverde volley denies City first-leg victory in Champions League quarter-final

Back in Charge

It could have gotten even worse if Ter Stegen hadn’t pushed Bradley Barcola’s effort onto the crossbar, but a fairly comfortable situation quickly turned very worrisome. It was resolved immediately by Pedri’s delightful lob, and in the same spectacular fashion, Rafinha once again elevated this extraordinary match to another level with a volley.

PSG had two good chances to re-establish their lead, but Barcelona denied them with some superb saves from Araujo and Kilian Mbappé. Birthday Boy Kristensen stood tall at the corner to put Barcelona ahead again, and this time it was for good! The Dane is such an important player, but it’s unfortunate that he won’t be able to play in the return leg, as both he and captain Sergi Roberto had to endure yellow card suspensions tonight.

The match ended at 3-2, but there are still 90 minutes left. Act II kicks off at the Estadio Olímpico next Tuesday night at 12:30 IST. And we can’t wait!

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In the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, Manchester City drew 3-3 with Real Madrid, goals for City came from Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Joao Cancelo, but Federico Valverde’s late equalizer ensured the match ended in a draw.

City’s game against Real Madrid

Manchester City played an extraordinary game against Real Madrid, drawing 3-3, leaving the Champions League quarter-final tie finely poised.

Bernardo Silva’s early goal

It seemed like Phil Foden and Joao Cancelo’s long-range strikes had secured a dramatic win for Pep Guardiola’s European champions in the night, but Madrid took the lead twice within two minutes after Bernardo Silva’s early goal.

Valverde’s splendid volley

The technique on Fede Valverde’s goal is ridiculous.

What a player. pic.twitter.com/C505E6sgoz

— TC (@totalcristiano) April 9, 2024

However, Federico Valverde’s splendid volley leveled it once again, much to the delight of the enthusiastic Bernabeu crowd. A draw was a fair result considering City’s dominance, although Madrid had better chances. Everyone needs to play their part in Manchester before the second leg.

Guardiola on Foden

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Guardiola addressed some concerns about Foden limping towards the end of the game: “He was angry with me for substituting him. That means he’s okay.”

How the drama unfolded

Kevin De Bruyne’s absence from the bench wasn’t an ideal start for City, but they gained an early advantage after Jack Grealish was brought down in the first minute. Silva’s free-kick found Andriy Lunin diving to keep it out.

Real Madrid’s response

The attempt to close the roof of the famous old stadium in an effort to spoil the atmosphere was thwarted by two quick goals. It was a notable response from the 14-time champions, even if City considered themselves unfortunate in terms of goal-scoring.

Eduardo Camavinga’s shot was heading the other way until he collided with Ruben Dias, diverting onto the wrong foot of goalkeeper Stephen Ortega, who was left helpless again as Rodrigo’s shot deflected off Manuel Akanji and into the empty net. Real Madrid can be weird at times, as City knows best two years after suffering semifinal defeat in the Spanish capital. More worrisome was Carlo Ancelotti’s team continuing to trouble the Premier League champions after that.

Also Read : “Watch| Foden’s Spectacular Hat-Trick Leads Man City to 4-1 Victory Against Aston Villa

Some missed opportunities

Rodrigo and Vinicius Junior had several opportunities to double their lead before halftime, attacking the left channel according to their wishes. Both sides lost good chances at the start of the second half. It proved costly.

Foden’s chance wasn’t as clear, but it was more precise, lobbing the ball into the top corner from 20 yards out to break Madrid’s resistance. It was a characteristic of his recent excellent form. The manner in which Guardiola’s side conceded was less anticipated. Cutting inside with his supposedly weaker right foot, the Croatian defender found himself in space and beat Lunin at his near post. All three of City’s goals came from outside the penalty box. It was a fantastic finishing display, but Madrid had an answer of their own.

Valverde made a run at the back post and took his shot spectacularly, scoring three times from as many attempts, setting the stage perfectly for the rematch at the Etihad Stadium next week. Based on this evidence, both teams will fancy their chances of progressing.

Match stats

This was only the first knockout round game in the Champions League where both teams scored three or more goals in the first leg, despite the lead swinging back and forth. It’s only the fourth time in Champions League history that both teams have scored three or more goals in the first leg of a two-legged knockout tie, with the previous instance also involving these two sides (semifinal in 2022).

In his last three games at the Santiago Bernabeu versus Real Madrid, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has not won, which is his longest losing run as a visiting coach. The only other knockout round match in the Champions League where the first 14 minutes featured three goals was in April 2019, when Manchester City faced Tottenham. More goals from outside the box than any other Premier League player in all competitions have been scored by Foden for Manchester City this season.”

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MI vs DC: Today’s exciting IPL showdown is set to take place at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium on April 7th, featuring a thrilling face-off between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Delhi Capitals (DC). This will be the first match of the day, starting at 3:30 PM.

Return of Surya

No corner on the ground, no stand is safe – Surya dada is 🔙 🔥#MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians | @surya_14kumar pic.twitter.com/YUaBvMqgbc

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 5, 2024

As Suryakumar Yadav is back from an extended injury, today’s game is really important for MI since they haven’t won an IPL game yet. The team’s performance heavily relies on their batting to secure their first win.
While MI might win today’s game, chances are they’ll remain at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table. DC has only won 1 out of the 4 games played so far, placing MI at the same podium. Unless MI improves their net run rate (NRR), climbing up the points table seems unlikely.

Mumbai Indians so far

Mumbai has played 3 matches so far, losing all of them. Since taking over as the team’s captain from Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya has been under fire for his on-field performance.
On the other hand, Delhi secured their first win against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 31. Both teams are currently at the bottom of the points table; MI at 10th and DC at 9th.

MI vs DC Head-to-Head Record

Mumbai and Delhi have played 33 IPL matches so far. MI has won 18 and DC has won 15. Mumbai’s highest score against DC is 218, while Delhi’s highest score against MI is 213.

In the last 5 matches between them, MI has won 2. In IPL 2021, Mumbai played two matches against Delhi, losing both. In 2023, the last time they clashed in an IPL match, Rohit Sharma was the Player of the Match. His innings of 65 runs out of 45 balls helped Mumbai secure a win by 6 wickets.

MI vs DC Fantasy Team

Rishabh Pant (WK and VC), Axar Patel, David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Enrique Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (C), Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma.

MI vs DC Pitch Report

Expecting high scores due to good pitch conditions, a fresh surface, and short boundaries in T20 cricket. Teams winning the toss might opt to bowl first. Out of the 112 IPL matches played here, teams batting second have won 62.
Fast bowlers have taken 70.61% of the wickets on this ground. To date, pacers have clinched an impressive 877 wickets, whereas spin maestros have accounted for 365 dismissals on the same turf. The average score in the first innings is 169.

Also Read : “Watch| Angkrish Raghuvanshi: KKR’s Rising Star Lights Up IPL Debut with Explosive 25-Ball Fifty Against DC”

#MIkaHafta matlab dhamaal full-on guarantee! 💙

Catch #MumbaiIndians in 3⃣ high-octane clashes only with #IPLonJioCinema!#TATAIPL #MIvDC #MIvRCB #MIvCSK #JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/q2lKZpJhvk

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) April 7, 2024

MI vs DC Weather

The temperature in Mumbai will be around 34 degrees Celsius at the start of the match, remaining fairly consistent throughout. There’s no chance of rain, and humidity won’t go above 32%. According to AccuWeather, air quality will be poor.

MI vs DC Prediction

According to Google, there’s a 59% chance that MI will defeat DC in their fourth match and secure their first points. We also believe that Mumbai will clinch their first victory and move up a bit in the points table.

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A breathtaking match that kept us on the edge from start to finish, Chelsea’s insane double in extra time secured the win, as Cole Palmer’s first Chelsea hat-trick marked the most dramatic victory over Manchester United.

Chelsea’s Late Win

In a fierce contest, Chelsea managed to emerge victorious despite trailing in the 99th minute. Then came Palmer’s intervention, equalizing first from the penalty spot after Noni Madueke  was brought down by Diogo Dalot, followed by a sensational turn of events just a minute later to seal the win with a deflected shot.
The Blues had taken a two-goal lead in the first half, which was set in motion quite early when Havertz completed his hat-trick in the 11th minute.

A simply breathtaking end to a football match. #CFC | #CheMun pic.twitter.com/DNQz2bmG93

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 4, 2024

Connor Gallagher made his way into our first half within five minutes, before Palmer doubled his advantage when he capitalized on a foul on Marc Cucurella, this time committed by Anthony Elanga.
However, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes leveled the score to 2-2 by halftime, and Manchester United took the lead after the break through Garnacho’s second goal. Nevertheless, it was Chelsea and Palmer who had the final say on that incredible night at Stamford Bridge, a moment not easily forgotten.

Gallagher Strikes

It was a fast-paced start to the game, which Chelsea capitalized on with industrious play in our midfield, almost resulting in an early goal within the first five minutes. Perhaps it was inevitable that scorer Connor Gallagher would be in the spotlight, especially after Chelsea’s captain faced disgraceful online abuse earlier in the week, and the way he’s performing reflects his response.

Conor's goal that got us going! 💪#CFC | #CheMun pic.twitter.com/vR3G6uDBTy

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 5, 2024

This move started with a beautiful out-of-the-boot pass from Enzo Fernandez, splitting Manchester United’s defense and freeing Malang Sarr on the right. Raphael Varane got a toe to his low cross, but only diverted it towards Gallagher. There was no mistake from Gallagher, as his first-time shot had enough power to evade André Onana’s outstretched hand.

It was clear how much the moment meant to Gallagher, as he raced towards the Shed End and West Stand corners to celebrate with Chelsea fans, matching their enthusiasm with his numbers. The competition was already heating up from the previous season.

United attempted to turn the tide, but efforts from Georgie Petrovich and Anthony were more of a threat, with them gathering themselves well before Mykola Mudryk unleashed a ranged shot that went wide.
The subsequent spell saw the home team putting up their best performance, at least in terms of possession, but it was the Blues who posed the most danger and soon found an opportunity to extend their lead. Mudryk overlapped with Mark Cucurella, and when the Spaniard attempted to curl one into the box, it inadvertently found Gallagher at the back post.

The game turned upside down

However, United managed to claw back a goal after half an hour, and it came from nowhere. The ball was played wide in the right-hand channel, and Moises Casado found himself with it. With the option of returning to Petrovich or going inside to Benoit Badiashile, he opted for the latter, but it was blocked by Alejandro Garnacho, who made a clear run to score.

This shock was soon reversed, as the home team equalized just before halftime. On this occasion, they orchestrated the attack by stretching the play wide with a precise cross-field pass, enabling Dalot to locate Bruno Fernandes waiting at the far post with a well-placed cross. This provided ample room to capitalize and head the ball into the net for a goal.

2-2 at Break

Chelsea immediately started its quest to regain the lead and were just inches away from doing so in stoppage time of the first half. Following a reverse pass from Havertz, Gallagher took a shot towards goal, but it came back off the right-hand post, and blues went into the break at 2-2.
Just like when this encounter kicked off an hour earlier, the game started off at a frantic pace in the opening stages of the second half. This time, however, some strong defensive blocks denied clear sight of goal for some time, until Nicholas Jackson denied Onana with a strong shot from the right, and Fernandes fired wide from a good position on the edge of our box.

Blues down but never out

The game was finely poised, and it felt like the next goal could be crucial. Unfortunately, it fell the wrong way on a counter for Manchester United. Anthony was able to break the offside trap and his cross found Petrovich, who got stuck in, giving Garnacho a chance to finish from behind the net, giving United the lead for the first time in the game.
The Blues tried to fight back, and soon Onana was clearing the ball from under his crossbar as Palmer attempted to poke it in from a tight angle with a crossbar clearance.

Chelsea’s press for Equalizer & Win

From then on, the game was played almost exclusively in Manchester United’s half as the Blues pressed for the equalizer. It seemed like it wouldn’t come until, in extra time,  Noni Madueke was tripped by Dalot inside the box, and for the second time in the game, the referee awarded a penalty against United’s full-back.
In the end, to equalize and salvage a late draw, Palmer once again employed the same method. Or so it seemed! Surprisingly, the goal hadn’t been cancelled out yet, and with less than a minute left, Chelsea snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, sending the bench into wild celebrations.

Also Read : “Watch| Foden’s Spectacular Hat-Trick Leads Man City to 4-1 Victory Against Aston Villa

Enzo played a short pass to Palmer from a tight angle, and our number 20 fired amidst the crowd. It was a big deflection off Scott McTominay, but no one was taking Palmer’s first Chelsea hat-trick away from him, as he emerged from the mayhem on the pitch to join in the unbelievable scenes of jubilation.

What’s next

Chelsea returns to Premier League action on Sunday, April 7, but this time on the road. The Blues travel north for a 5.30pm kick-off against Sheffield United.”

The 18-year-old player Angkrish Raghuvanshi smashed 54 runs off 27 balls at a strike rate of 200 in his innings, including 5 fours and three sixes. The young player from Kolkata Knight Riders, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, announced his arrival on the big stage of the Indian Premier League with an aggressive half-century in his debut innings against Delhi Capitals.

First half century

Although Raghuvanshi made his IPL debut against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he didn’t get a chance to bat at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, on Wednesday, he dominated the field with his versatile shots, scoring a blazing half-century off 25 balls at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.

Innovative!

Maiden IPL Fifty for Angkrish Raghuvanshi ✨

Head to @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia to watch the match LIVE#TATAIPL | #DCvKKR pic.twitter.com/72oQQZIDbd

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2024

Angkrish Raghuvansh at no.3

After getting out early, Angkrish Raghuvanshi came in to bat at number three and wasted no time, starting with back-to-back boundaries. He teamed up with Sunil Narine, launching a fierce assault on the DC bowling attack.
In his sensational innings, he etched his name into some record books for KKR. His partnership with Narine (85) after choosing to bat first on Shreyas Iyer’s toss decision set up a massive score of 104 runs.

Attempting to hit another big shot, Raghuvanshi fell victim to a delivery from DC’s quick bowler Pratyush Teh. With his sensational innings, he made his mark in some record books for KKR. He became the second youngest KKR player to score a half-century in the IPL and joined the elite list alongside Shubman Gill.

Also Read : “Harshit Rana’s Last Over Heroics: KKR Seal Thrilling Victory Over Sunrisers Hyderabad by 4 Runs”

Angkrish Raghuvanshi: Who is he?

Raghuvanshi was born on June 5, 2005, in Delhi, but at the age of 11, he shifted his base to Mumbai, where he trained under Abhishek Nayar and Omkar Salvi. Representing Mumbai in domestic cricket, he has become a recognized face in the circuit for his extraordinary talent. Besides his batting prowess, he’s also a proficient left-arm bowler.

Points Table

Gem of U-19

Under Yash Dhull’s captaincy, the gifted young batsman made waves at the 2022 Under-19 World Cup by amassing 278 runs and contributing significantly to India’s victory. He made his debut in List A and T20 in 2023 and showcased a splendid performance in the CK Nayudu Trophy, scoring 765 runs in nine matches. KKR scouts shortlisted him in their auction list, impressed by his performance, and the two-time champions spent ₹20 lakhs to acquire him because he reunited with his childhood coach Abhishek Nayar in the franchise.

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Before Man City’s academy graduate entered the center stage, Rodrigo’s opener for Villa was swiftly canceled by City’s zone by Julian Alvarez. Just before halftime, Foden got the third ball in the city match after two excellent strikes in the second period following a free-kick.

Man City on 3rd spot

It was enough to see Man City ahead of the team chasing the UEFA Champions League, who were the last team to outdo us in December.
Following Sunday’s stalemate with Arsenal, City’s streak of 57 consecutive home matches with at least one goal came to an end, marking a welcome return to Man City’s splendid performance.
The result means Liverpool has played one game more than City and sits level on points, while Man City are just a point behind league leaders Arsenal.

What happened

Just three days after a goalless draw with Arsenal, Pep Guardiola made four changes to his City side, including benching Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. The two brought into the team made an instant impact within three minutes of the start of the night. Cutting in from the left, Jack Grealish scooped the ball for Julian Alvarez to net on the turn.
Man City kept pressing, and there was no surprise when the opener arrived in the 11th minute. Driving in from the right, Phil Foden slid the ball under Jeremy Doku, completely wrong-footing Rodrigo.

Rodrigo's eighth goal of the season! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/ceLctXVuBI

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 3, 2024

The Spaniard had no need to advance as he delivered a thunderous strike into Robin Olsen’s goal. Man City kept pushing forward, but it was a moment of magic when Aston Villa struck next. Enjoying a rare breakaway, John Dyer combined with Morgan Rogers before slotting his shot inside the far post.
VAR check gave City hope that the Colombian forward was offside, but a closer inspection confirmed the goal was fair.
Without any worry, Man City pushed straight onto the front foot.

Just before Villa’s defense could thwart a series of attacks in the dying moments, a Grealish volley missed Olsen’s goal by a whisker.
Olsen’s next serious save came in the 37th minute when he parried away Rico Luis’s effort for Julian Alvarez. Argentin kept their heads down and fired back across the goal, only for Olsen’s right foot to deny him.
City didn’t give up, but it seemed like Guardiola’s side wouldn’t find a second goal.

Free kick

That changed when Phil Foden stepped up to a free-kick, positioning himself just outside the box. He curled an unstoppable strike into the top corner, beautifully set up by Rodrigo’s delicate flick to guide the ball from his right foot to the left.
Foden’s selection of the three players was yet to be decided. After being ushered onto the pitch, Foden lifted himself up, shifted the ball onto his left foot, and unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top corner.

Following his stellar performance in Brentford in February, this was his third City hat-trick and the second of the season. The atmosphere within the Etihad was that of a party, with 53,422-strong crowd thoroughly enjoying the show and Guardiola eager to give his most utilized performers some rest. Undoubtedly, the loudest cheer of the night was reserved for Foden when he was substituted in the 80th minute.

Pep Guardiola

“We played really well, they were better at Villa Park. Today, we were better.
“We wasted many chances, but we created many. We played really well with Phil, Rico, and Rodrigo. Jack and Jeremy on the wings were really good, so we played well. We created a lot and could have scored more.”

Also Read : “Watch| Ronaldo’s Stellar Performance: A Hat-Trick and Two Assists in Al Nassr’s Spectacular 8-0 Victory”

Man of the Match

Phil Foden – Who else?

A sensational way to seal the hat-trick! 🚀@PhilFoden ✨ pic.twitter.com/yFtRPAln0f

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 3, 2024

City’s academy graduate was deployed in a central role tonight and made his presence felt right from the first moment. He initiated the move for Rodrigo’s opener, waiting patiently with skill to feed Jeremy Doku to advance and cross. However, it’s where he placed the ball that matters, where he has made the most significant improvement in his game this season. He has undoubtedly been one of the most impactful players in this Premier League season.

This hat-trick included three superb strikes with his left foot, something most of us could only dream of witnessing. This takes his season tally to 21 goals – his best performance in his career so far.
As a local lad and one of the world’s best players, he’s lauded by the City faithful. This was evident in the 80th minute when his substitution brought all sides to their feet, applauding.

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