Sports
Taijul bags three as Bangladesh put some pressure back on hosts
Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who was overlooked in the first Test of the ongoing two-match series against South Africa, bagged three wickets in the second Test so far. Bangladesh’s persistence was rewarded with two late wickets as South Africa went to stumps on 278 for 5 on the opening day of the second and final Test on Friday.
Three South African batters made half-centuries after the home team chose to bat first at St. George’s Park, but none of them went on to a big score and Bangladesh took something from the day by removing Ryan Rickelton (42) and Temba Bavuma (67) in the space of three overs just before stumps of day one.
Bavuma was the third South African to pass 50 after captain Dean Elgar provided a solid start with his 70 and No. 3 Keegan Petersen made 64.
But Bangladesh found success through left-arm spinner Taijul, who was called into the team following a 220-run defeat in the series-opener. Taijul claimed the crucial wickets of Elgar, Petersen and Rickelton for his 3 conceding 77.
Read: South Africa 199-3 vs. Bangladesh after Elgar, Petersen 50s
South Africa has the advantage as it seeks to seal a series victory, but not by much.
Elgar hit 10 fours in his third half-century in three innings this series and South Africa made an imposing start by putting together four half-century stands for its first four wickets.
Bavuma and Rickelton combined for the last and best of those, a stand of 83 that looked to be taking South Africa to a position of clear dominance. Their late dismissals gave the day a different complexion as South Africa went from 267 for three to its 278 for five.
Rickelton was in sight of his first Test half-century in just his second Test when he tried to reverse sweep a delivery from Taijul. He had pulled the shot off successfully earlier in his innings but this time he missed, the ball clipped the wristband of his glove and looped to Yasir Ali at slip.
Bangladesh asked for a TV review after it was initially given not out and was rewarded.
Bavuma went soon after to a low catch at first slip, giving seamer Khaled Ahmed his second wicket of the day.
It also meant the wait for a second Test century for Bavuma continued. His 67 was his 19th Test half-century but he is yet to add to his one and only hundred, which he made six years ago. He was out for 93 in the first Test.
Read: SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh Aspire to Level the Test Series with Fresh Strategy
South Africa leads the series 1-0 after its big win in Durban, where Bangladesh had looked competitive at times but collapsed to 53 all out on the final day. Bangladesh made two changes for the second Test, bringing back opening batsman Tamim Iqbal and giving Taijul his chance.
South Africa retained the same lineup and continued without a number of its top players, who have opted out of the short series to appear in the Indian Premier League.
Ukrainian soccer club Shakhtar to start peace-themed tour
Ukrainian soccer club Shakhtar Donetsk will play a series of charity games on a government-backed “Global Tour for Peace” that will raise money for the country’s military in the war against Russia.
The depleted squad has gathered in Turkey to prepare for Saturday’s opening match against Greek league leader Olympiakos. The games will also raise money for Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war.
“Football diplomacy will help us involve millions of fans around the world in assisting Ukraine, which is really important,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Friday. “By this charity tour, we will continue attracting the world’s attention to Russian aggression against Ukraine and raise more funds for the Ukrainian army.”
Shakhtar is also set to play Fenerbahce, Hajduk Split and Lechia Gdansk, with other opponents still to be confirmed.
Soccer clubs around Europe have been offering to play games against Ukrainian clubs and host youth players after soccer in the country was shut down when Russia invaded in February.
Olympiakos has advertised the game as “Football For Peace – Stop war in Ukraine.” Tickets for the match in Pireaus cost 10 euros ($10.90).
“This shall be the opening match in a series of friendlies the Ukrainian outfit is going to play against top clubs in Europe and the U.S.,” the defending Greek champions said.
Shakhtar has not played a competitive game since mid-December. On Feb. 26, the league leaders were scheduled to resume the domestic season after a winter break. But two days before their game at Metalist Kharkiv, Russia launched its military invasion and Ukrainian soccer stopped.
Shakhtar typically provides several players to the Ukrainian national team, which was unable to play a World Cup qualifying playoff match against Scotland two weeks ago.
FIFA wants to stage that game in Glasgow in early June. The winner will play Wales several days later for a place at this year’s World Cup in Qatar. FIFA also removed Russia from the playoffs.
Shakhtar has relied on a core of Brazilian players to win 13 league titles over the past 20 years and become a regular in the Champions League. In December, Shakhtar finished last in a Champions League group that included Real Madrid and Inter Milan.
During the war, FIFA changed transfer rules to let players with Ukrainian clubs sign elsewhere. Shakhtar loaned Tetê to Lyon while Junior Moraes, who gained citizenship and played for Ukraine, went to Brazil to play for Corinthians.
The club’s success has continued despite being exiled from its home city Donetsk in 2014, when pro-Russia separatists took control of parts of eastern Ukraine. The team has been playing in Kyiv in recent years.
Nicknamed the Miners, the club is owned by billionaire Rinat Akhmetov and has become a symbol of its home region. The Donbass Arena hosted games at the 2012 European Championship.
The club said during the war it has so far provided 1.4 billion Ukrainian hryvni ($48 million) in “humanitarian aid to civilians, as well as assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Territorial Defense force in dozens of cities and towns.”
South Africa 199-3 vs. Bangladesh after Elgar, Petersen 50s
Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen both made half-centuries to push South Africa to 199-3 against Bangladesh in the second test on Friday.
Elgar, the South Africa captain, went for 70 and Petersen scored 64 to help the Proteas to a strong position at tea on the first day at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha, the city formerly called Port Elizabeth.
Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who was brought into the Bangladesh team for the second test, claimed both their wickets for the most important strikes.
Elgar edged behind to wicketkeeper Litton Das and Petersen was eventually given out lbw after Bangladesh called for a review. Petersen greeted the decision with disbelief but had to go.
South Africa still started the test with three half-century partnerships after opting to bat first. Openers Elgar and Sarel Erwee (24) put on 52 runs, Elgar and Petersen 81 and Petersen and Temba Bavuma 51.
Read: SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh Aspire to Level the Test Series with Fresh Strategy
Bavuma was 33 not out at tea and Ryan Rickelton with him on 7 not out.
South Africa leads the two-test series 1-0 after a 220-run win in Durban. Bangladesh had looked competitive at times in that first test but collapsed to 53 all out on the final day to hand South Africa the series lead.
Bangladesh made two changes for the second test, bringing back opening batsman Tamim Iqbal and giving Taijul his chance.
South Africa retained the same lineup.
South Africa bat first in 2nd Test vs Tigers
South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first in the second of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh at Port Elizabeth on Friday.
Bangladesh has, however, made two changes in the playing XI -- Tamim Iqbal has replaced Shadman Islam, and Taijul Islam is in the team in place of Taskin Ahmed, who has been ruled out due to a hand injury.
With the return of Tamim, Bangladesh can hope for a strong top-order batting display.
Bangladesh lost the first Test in Durban by a big margin of 220 runs after a batting collapse in the second innings.
Also Read: SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh Aspire to Level the Test Series with Fresh Strategy
Mahmudul Hasan Joy was the best performer for Bangladesh in the first Test. The young batter hit a ton in Durban, which was the maiden Test century by any Bangladeshi batter in South Africa.
While Bangladesh have made two changes, the hosts are playing with an unchanged XI.
Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das (w), Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain
Also Read: Pat Cummins Makes Headlines with Fastest IPL Fifty
South Africa (Playing XI): Dean Elgar (c), Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne (w), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Lizaad Williams, Duanne Olivier
Benzema defying time to reach his best at age 34
At an age when most top athletes are hoping to maintain their form, Karim Benzema is reaching the pinnacle of his career.
The 34-year-old France striker is enjoying the best season of the 13 he has spent at Real Madrid and making a strong argument for being considered the top player in the world.
Benzema has put in remarkable back-to-back performances in soccer’s elite club competition, scoring consecutive hat tricks in Champions League matches against Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
Benzema’s three goals at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday gave Madrid a commanding 3-1 advantage in their Champions League quarterfinal with Chelsea. Last month he singlehandedly brought Madrid back against PSG with a stunning second-half treble to advance his team on a 3-2 aggregate score.
Madrid hosts Getafe in the Spanish league on Saturday before Chelsea visits the Santiago Bernabéu needing a big win to keep alive its European title defense.
But with Benzema playing like he is, Madrid has a great chance to add to its 34 Spanish league titles and 13 European Cups, both competitions records.
Read: Another Benzema hat trick gives Madrid 3-1 edge over Chelsea
Fueled by Benzema’s league-high 24 goals, 10 more than his nearest chasers, Madrid leads Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Sevilla by 12 points with eight games remaining in Spain.
Beside his two exquisite headers to put Madrid up 2-0 at Chelsea, Benzema has also shown that hustle pays off. Against both PSG and Chelsea he produced goals by pressuring goalkeepers into gifting him the ball. Add to that his superb sense of timing, knowing just when he should drop into midfield to help unlock the opposing defense and cue an attack, and you have what Carlo Ancelotti calls “a complete player.”
“He’s just like a fine wine,” the Madrid coach said about Benzema. “He gets better every day and feels as if he’s gaining in importance within the team every day and is becoming more of a leader. That’s making all the difference in him.”
When Cristiano Ronaldo, Madrid’s all-time leading scorer, left in 2018, Benzema stepped to fill the void. Even so, he appeared to only be a temporary fix until president Florentino Pérez brought in a true superstar, such as PSG forward Kylian Mbappé, to restore Madrid to greatness.
Benzema, however, has blossomed into that stellar player well over a decade since joining Madrid from his hometown club of Lyon.
He has scored 10 of Madrid’s last 11 goals and has 37 goals in 36 games in all competitions this season. That already surpasses his previous best of 32 goals for Madrid in the 2011-12 season.
And if Mbappé does come, Benzema has shown throughout his career that he can play alongside stars that may even outshine him. He was content to play second fiddle, and sometimes even third fiddle, to Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
That ability to put the team first even earned him the scorn of some Madrid fans— and voices in Spain’s sports media— who demanded more hunger and ambition of a player of his talents. Former coach Zinedine Zidane more than once had to defend Benzema when pressed to give then youngster Álvaro Morata a chance to fight for his starting job.
Zidane knew what has since become clear to everyone: that Benzema had the potential to become the best striker in the game.
FOR SECOND PLACE
Barcelona visits Levante on Sunday tied on points with Atlético and Sevilla but with a game in hand on both as they fight it out for a likely second-place finish.
Sevilla will look to end a four-match winless skid against Granada on Friday while Atlético travels to Mallorca on Saturday before hosting Manchester City next week needing to overturn a 1-0 loss in their Champions League quarterfinal.
Read: Chelsea vs Real Madrid: Champions League Quarter-Final First Leg Team News, Preview
Villarreal hosts Athletic Bilbao also on Saturday after beating Bayern Munich 1-0 in the opening leg of their final-eight clash in Europe.
BPL Football: Kings play 3-3 draw with Sk Jamal; Dhaka Abahani beat Uttar Baridhara 5-2
Last two times champions Bashundhara Kings played to a 3-3 draw with former champions Sheikh Jamal DC in the 12-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football '2021-22 at their home ground Bashundhara Sports Complex --here on Thursday.
The Kings also dropped with points with six times champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd in 2-2 affairs in the last match at the Sylhet District Stadium on Sunday.
Despite the day's draw, big budgeted and holders Bashundhara Kings comfortably maintained their solo lead in the league table securing 26 points from 11 matches while Dhaka Abahani and Sheikh Jamal followed with 22 and 21 points respectively, playing 11 matches each.
After a barren first half, Otabek, Sillah and Solomon scored one each for Sheikh Jamal DC while Eleta Kingsley struck twice and Stojan netted the lone goal for the Kings.
In the day's other league match, Dhaka Abahani Ltd outplayed Uttar Baridhara Club by 5-2 goals at the Sylhet District Stadium.
In the day's match, Russian World Cup playing Costa Rica booter Daniel Colindres scored twice, while Nabib Newaz Jibon, Abu Sayed and Raphael scored one each for the popular sky blue Dhanmondi outfit Abahani.
Papon and Arif scored one each for Uttar Baridhara Club.
SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh Aspire to Level the Test Series with Fresh Strategy
After winning the limited-overs series, the Bangladesh team was hoping to carry the momentum into the longer-version format against a less-strong South African side. However, their effort in the first Test was dashed as the team tigers' batters choked severely against the Proteas spinners in the second innings on the fifth day. Senior batters need to step up if the visitors want to upset the hosts in the second match. The second match preview of SA vs BAN 2022 is discussed in this article.
Second Match Preview of the 2022 South Africa-Bangladesh Test Series
Two of Bangladesh’s premier pacers—Takin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam—will miss the series finale match due to fitness issues. Therefore, one change is confirmed for the next match. Bangladesh's playing XI may include one more spinner. On the other hand, South Africa’s playing XI may remain unchanged for the second Test as they want to keep the winning combination intact. The second match of the SA vs BAN 2022 series will be played at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, with a scheduled start time of 2 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time).
Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s biggest challenge in the contest would be to bat well in the second innings. Bangladesh had a decent chance in the first Test when they came out to bat to chase 274 runs in the final session on day four. But Bangladesh’s batters were clueless against the South Africans' jubilant spinners. In particular, the senior batters didn’t perform well with the bat, which put huge pressure on the middle orders. The Bangladesh team will be hoping for a strong showing in the batting department in the second match.
Read: SA vs BAN Test Series 2022: Team-Wise Statistics of St. George's Park Ground
Bangladesh team management made a mistake by not picking an additional spinner in the playing XI in the first match. Therefore, the selection of left-arm spinner Taijul Islam in the second match is a genuine possibility.
Probable playing XI
Top Order: Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Middle-Orders: Mominul Haque (Captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (Wicket-Keeper), Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Lower-Order: Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed
South Africa
The South African side is missing some of their main Test players in this series. However, their absence had little impact on the contest, as they easily defeated Bangladesh in the opening match and seized a 1-0 lead in the series. The South African team management is hoping that their team will keep up the momentum in the second match and will whitewash the Bangladesh side to clinch the series 2-0.
Probable Playing XI
Top Order: Dean Elgar (captain), Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Middle Orders: Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne (Wicket-Keeper), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Lower Order: Simon Harmer, Lizard Williams, Duanne Olivier
Read: IPL 2022: Pat Cummins Makes Headlines with Fastest IPL Fifty
Weather Forecast and Pitch Report
There is a possibility of rain on day one of the match, but the rest of the days are likely to remain sunny and a bit cloudy. However, there will be severe wind in Port Elizabeth and the Bangladesh players, especially the bowlers, need to adapt to the conditions. Bowlers have to be creative on this surface to put pressure on the opposition's batting line-up. Therefore, the toss would be a crucial factor in this contest.
Bottom Line
After clinching the first match, South Africa's team will start the second match as favourites. The unfamiliar Port Elizabeth atmosphere may cause some trouble for Bangladesh players, while South African players know the conditions very well. The Proteas coaching setup can help Bangladesh take the right decisions during and before the match. Captain Mominul Haque has to be brave enough in his decision-making because he was criticized for some of his bad decisions during the opening match of the series. Bangladesh's chances in the match will be determined largely by how they respond to South Africa's first innings, as well as how much pressure the bowling unit can put on the Proteas batting line-up. Hopefully, the SA vs BAN 2022 Test series will end with a nicely-contested match.
Read Australia beat Pakistan by 3 wickets in one-off Twenty20
IPL 2022: Pat Cummins Makes Headlines with Fastest IPL Fifty
Prior to the match, many people would not have bet on Pat Cummins to play a whirlwind knock for Kolkata Knight Riders in order to clinch a magnificent victory over Mumbai Indians. Because Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine are fit for the role. However, Pat Cummins stunned the Pune crowds with a match-winning knock on Wednesday (April 6). He also equaled the record of KL Rahul’s fastest (14) IPL fifty while chasing the Mumbai Indians target. Let’s take a look at how Cummins' innings helped Kolkata reach the top of the IPL 2022 points standings.
The Highlights of the KKR vs MI Match and Pat Cummins' Splendid Knock
The 14th group stage match of the IPL 2022 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians took place at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Wednesday.
Batted first, Mumbai Indians managed to score 161/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Mumbai had a very quiet start to their innings, losing 3 wickets for only 55 runs at the end of the 11 overs. They were able to reconstruct the innings thanks to Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma’s 83-run stand for the fourth wicket. In fact, the Mumbai team was ruthless in the second part of their innings as they made 106 runs in just 54 balls.
Read SA vs BAN Test Series 2022: Team-Wise Statistics of St. George's Park Ground
Suryakumar Yadav scored the highest with 52 off 36 balls, while the Caribbean power-hitter Kieron Pollard made 22 runs off just five deliveries, including three huge sixes. Pat Cummins took the most wickets with two, but he was also the most expensive bowler for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The right-handed medium pacer conceded 49 runs in his spell.
In this match, five sixes were hit against his bowling. So, in a way, Cummins was one of the main reasons the Kolkata Knight Riders failed to restrict the Mumbai Indians to under 150 runs. Maybe in the back of his mind, it moved him when he came to bat. Cummins wanted to compensate for his failure in bowling by putting up a fine batting display.
In the run chase, Kolkata started to lose wickets at regular intervals, which halted them from making big partnerships in the middle. But opener Venkatesh Iyer played the anchor role for the side by staying at the crease till the end with an unbeaten 50*-run.
Read Australia beat Pakistan by 3 wickets in one-off Twenty20
However, most importantly, Iyer’s unbroken 61* runs off just 17 balls stand with Pat Cummins did the job for Kolkata. Cummins himself contributed 56 runs in a 61-run partnership with Venkatesh Iyer. Even so, when Pat came to the crease in the 14th over after the departure of Russell, the Mumbai side was in a good position to clinch the contest. However, the charismatic Aussie paceman had another idea as he took on Mumbai’s prime bowlers, especially Daniel Sams, to seal the match for his side.
Kolkata were 127/5 at the end of 15 overs, and the match had swung back in their favor at that point. However, Pat Cummins didn’t want to take too long and hammered 35 runs in the 16th over by Daniel Sams. He smacked his fellow countrymen all over the park and entertained the local crowds. Besides winning the match for Kolkata, the right-hand batter also completed his fifty in just 14 deliveries with six huge sixes. With this victory, the Kolkata Knight Riders reached the top spot in the IPL 2022 points standings.
Read PAK vs AUS Series 2022: Pakistan will play Australia in One-Off T20I
The List of the Fastest IPL Fifties
Over the years, many brilliant knocks have been witnessed in the Indian Premier League. Among the records in T20 format, probably the most popular ones are the fastest half-century and fastest century. Breaking Yusuf Pathan and Sunil Narine’s 15-ball half-century records, KL Rahul set a new record in 2018 against Delhi Daredevils. He smacked a 14-ball half-century for his side, Kings XI Punjab. Four years later, Pat Cummins equaled the record by smashing a 14-ball fifty against the Mumbai Indians for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Top three fastest IPL Fifties
Balls
Player
Team
Opponent
Date
14
Pat Cummins
KKR
MI
6 April, 2022
KL Rahul
KXIP
DD
8 April, 2018
15
Yusuf Pathan
KKR
SRH
24 May, 2014
Sunil Narine
RCB
7 May, 2017
16
Suresh Raina
CSK
KXIP
30 May, 2014
Ishan Kishan
MI
SRH
8 October, 2021
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read SA vs BAN Test Series 2022: Things Bangladesh Must Fix Before Second Match
Bottom Line
Pat Cummins' fastest half-century was undoubtedly a match-winning effort against the Mumbai Indians. It was not a fluke but a well-calculated innings. Cummins was watchful in the middle and smacked almost all the balls out of the ground with pure timing. This knock will be remembered by all the IPL fans in years to come. Kolkata Knight Riders also moved up to the top spot of the points table with this commanding victory, which will give them an early advantage in their quest for a top-four finish. On the other hand, the Mumbai Indians have yet to win a match in the IPL 2022 and are currently in the second bottom position.
Villarreal keeps on surprising, beats Bayern in CL quarters
Villarreal pulled off another surprising Champions League result, this time against sixth-time champion Bayern Munich to boost its hopes of returning to the semifinals for the first time in 16 years.
After making it past the group stage and eliminating Juventus in the round of 16, the modest Spanish club took a big step toward reaching the last four by holding on to a 1-0 victory against favorite Bayern in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Also read:Another Benzema hat trick gives Madrid 3-1 edge over Chelsea
Arnaut Danjuma’s goal early in the first half was enough for Villarreal at the La Cerámica Stadium, with Bayern unable to get past the solid defense of Unai Emery’s squad and losing only for the second time in 30 Champions League matches.
Bayern was unbeaten in its last 22 away games in the Champions League, with 17 wins and five draws in a record run that had started after a loss in 2017 to a Paris Saint-Germain team coached by Emery.
The Germans struggled throughout the match on Wednesday and were glad to leave only one goal down.
“We’ll take the 1-0 result," veteran Thomas Müller said. “We know that things could have been a lot worse. We have to pay a lot of respects to our opponents. Now we need to pick ourselves back up for the return leg and hit back.”
The second leg is next week in Munich, where Villarreal will need a draw to get to the semifinals for the first time since its first last-four appearance in the Champions League in 2006. Villarreal stunned Juventus 3-0 in Italy after a 1-1 draw at home in the last 16.
In the other quarterfinal Wednesday, defending champion Chelsea lost 3-1 to Real Madrid in the first leg in London.
“We deserved to lose. We weren’t good today,” Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said. “In the first half, we lacked power in defense and had too few chances. The second half was a completely wild game. We gave up control because we were desperate to score, but we could have conceded two more.”
Villarreal looked in control from the start and Bayern struggled to create significant scoring chances. The hosts threatened the most and had some good chances to add to its lead.
“There was talk about them being favorites and wanting to seal their place in the semifinals tonight, but we came out very hungry, very humble,” Villarreal midfielder Giovani Lo Celso said. “There’s no doubt they are one of the best teams in the world, but we managed the game well and could have scored even more goals.”
Danjuma opened the scoring in the eighth minute by redirecting a close-range shot by Dani Parejo as the Bayern defense was caught off guard. It was Danjuma’s sixth goal in nine Champions League appearances this season, and seventh in 11 career games in the competition.
Villarreal thought it had doubled the lead in the 41st but Francis Coquelin’s goal from a tough angle was disallowed for offside.
Also read:Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient
Striker Gerard Moreno twice had opportunities to add to Villarreal's lead after that. First with a low shot from outside the area that hit the post in the 53rd, and 10 minutes later after intercepting a bad pass by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer near midfield and missing his long-range shot into the open net. The ball ended up curling too much as Neuer desperately tried to run back into position.
Bayern increased the pressure near the end but again it was Villarreal that nearly added to the lead when substitute Alfonso Pedraza missed from close range on a counterattack in the 87th.
Villarreal did a good job containing Robert Lewandowski throughout the match and he had few opportunities inside the area. He entered the match as the Champions League’s leading scorer with 12 goals from eight matches and had scored seven goals in his last five games in all competitions. The Poland striker is ranked third on the all-time list of Champions League scorers, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Bayern's Canadian player Alphonso Davies made his first appearance since Dec. 17 after a long injury layoff because of cardiac issues.
Villarreal, based in a city of about 50,000 people, is playing in the quarterfinals for the first time in 13 years. It qualified for the Champions League by winning last season’s Europa League.
Bayern was eliminated by PSG at this stage last season. The German club made it to the last eight 10 times in the last 11 seasons. The team is playing in the quarterfinals for a record 20th time.
The winner will play either Benfica or Liverpool in the semifinals. Liverpool won the first leg in Lisbon 3-1.
Another Benzema hat trick gives Madrid 3-1 edge over Chelsea
Back-to-back Champions League hat tricks just reinforce the enduring value of Karim Benzema's clinical finishing to Real Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti sees so much more being provided by the 34-year-old forward he compares to a fine wine.
“He is more of a leader every day,” the Madrid coach said after Benzema's goals produced a 3-1 victory over Chelsea in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. “He feels more and more important in this team and I think that’s what makes the difference. He has so much more personality. He is an example for everyone.”
Also read:Villarreal keeps on surprising, beats Bayern in CL quarters
This latest goal burst could end Chelsea’s title defense, barring the type of second-leg collapse by Madrid that Paris Saint-Germain endured last month at the the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Benzema now has 37 goals in 36 games in all competitions this season, including the three that turned around the last-16 meeting with PSG.
“They’re magic nights,” Benzema said. “Today we came out to win, to show we’re Real Madrid. Things worked out well for us as we played well, from the first minute to the last.”
The France international is almost single-handedly keeping the Spanish giants on the path to a record-extending 14th European Cup — and a fifth for himself — and powering them to regaining the La Liga title.
Of Madrid's last 11 goals, 10 have been scored by the mainstay of the team for the last 13 years.
The first two at Stamford Bridge were thumping headers inside three first-half minutes in the driving rain, while the third was gifted to him in a manner that raised doubts about whether Chelsea can muster a comeback in Madrid on Tuesday.
“I think it helped us that our build-up play from the back was good,” said Ancelotti, who won the 2010 Premier League with Chelsea. “We found space between the lines. And then with Benzema and Vinicius we were dangerous.”
Chelsea had given itself hope of recovering when Kai Havertz reduced the deficit with a header five minutes before halftime from Jorginho’s cross.
But only a minute of the second half had elapsed when Chelsea’s slack defending proved so costly.
Edouard Mendy was about 30 yards out from goal when the ball came to him and the goalkeeper brought it down with his chest. Rather than clearing down the field, he sent a short pass tamely to the dawdling Antonio Rüdiger. It was a gift for Benzema to intercept before striking into the unprotected net with Mendy still stranded outside the penalty area.
“I’m happiest to have scored the third," he said, "as I missed one in the first half and I was thinking about that chance because it’s very important to score goals. Then I got another and I’m very happy.”
The precision of Benzema’s first-half headers -- after getting on the end of crosses from Vinicius Jr. in the 21st minute and Luka Modric in the 24th — was in contrast to the shortcomings of Chelsea’s No. 9. Substitute Romelu Lukaku had a great chance with a header of his own when there was still more than 20 minutes to go, but glanced it wide of the post, resulting in groans around Stamford Bridge.
“Very important," Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said of the miss.
An all-English semifinal is looking less likely. The winner of this quarterfinal will face Manchester City or Atletico Madrid, with City ahead 1-0 after Tuesday's first leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Also read:UEFA Champions League 2022: Top favourites to reach the semi-finals
Asked whether his quarterfinal was still alive, Tuchel sharply replied: “No.”
It showed his frustration after his team's hold on third place in the Premier League was loosened by a surprising 4-1 loss to Brentford on Saturday.
“We have to find our level back,” Tuchel said, “but we don't know where it is.”
The most significant action might not even have been on the field for Chelsea on Wednesday. Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly flew in for the game as the tussle to buy the team from sanctioned Russian owner Roman Abramovich intensifies, with the contenders whittled down in recent weeks.
It just adds to the uncertainty hanging over the west London team.
"I will not accept it as an excuse," Tuchel said.
There was a surprise in Wednesday’s other quarterfinal with Bayern Munich losing 1-0 at Villarreal.