Football
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.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid: Champions League Quarter-Final First Leg Team News, Preview
Chelsea and Real Madrid will meet in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, April 7 at 1 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). This will be a fascinating matchup, since Real Madrid are the most successful club in Champions League history, while Chelsea are the reigning champion. Both clubs will strive to win the game in order to obtain a significant advantage over their opponent ahead of next week's crucial second tie at the Santiago Bernabeu. Let's take a look at the latest team news and a match preview for Chelsea vs Real Madrid.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid: Probable Team Lineups
Ben Chilwell is expected to miss the opening leg against Real Madrid due to injury. In addition, Callum Hudson-Odoi may miss the match owing to an injury. Christian Pulisic, who was out for the weekend encounter, should be available for this one.
Predicted Playing XI (Chelsea):
Edouard Mendy (GK), Cesar Azpilicueta (RB), Trevoh Chalobah (CB), Antonio Rudiger (CB), Reece James (LB), N'Golo Kante (CM), Jorginho (CM), Marcos Alonso (CM), Mateo Kovacic (LW), Kai Havertz (RW), Christian Pulisic (FW).
Read Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league
Coach Carlo Ancelotti will most likely miss guiding his team from the sideline due to COVID-19 issues. Luka Jovic, Isco, and Eden Hazard are among the players who will almost certainly miss out due to injury.
Predicted Playing XI (Real Madrid):
Thibaut Courtois (GK), Dani Carvajal (RB), Eder Militao (CB), David Alaba (CB), Ferland Mendy (LB), Toni Kroos (CM), Casemiro (CM), Luka Modric (CM), Federico Valverde (RW), Vinicius Junior (LW), Karim Benzema (FW)
Chelsea FC vs Real Madrid CF: Head-to-Head
Both sides have met each other five times at European events. Real Madrid have never beaten Chelsea in UEFA competitions. Chelsea defeated Real Madrid three times, including a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals last season.
Read: UEFA Champions League 2022: Top favourites to reach the semi-finals
Real Madrid have won the Champions League 13 times, making them the most successful side in the competition's history. The most recent Champions League title won by Madrid was in 2018. On the other hand, Chelsea have won the UEFA Champions League thrice, including last season. Portuguese striker, Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's highest scorer in the Champions League with 105 goals. Oppositely, Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast is Chelsea's top scorer with 36 goals.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea Match Prediction
Chelsea and Real Madrid have both suffered heavy losses in their recent domestic league fixtures. Chelsea were defeated 4-1 by Brentford in their most recent Premier League encounter. It was the first time Chelsea have lost against Brentford since 1939. Real Madrid, on the other hand, was humiliated 4-0 by arch-rival Barcelona in front of their home supporters, ending a five-match unbeaten streak against the La Blaugrana. However, Los Blancos made a strong comeback in their latest La Liga encounter, defeating Cleta Vigo 2-1 away from home.
Read: Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient
Chelsea and Real Madrid both prefer to play in a 4-3-3 formation because it is an approach they are familiar with. However, Thomas Tuchel is known for his mastermind tactics and has a stellar Champions League record. He can outsmart Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid in a tactical tussle. Ancelotti may not be in the dugout for the first leg due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Prediction: Chelsea 1-0 Real Madrid
Verdict
Chelsea FC and Real Madrid both have some of the top footballers in the world right now. Their tactics remain fairly similar when facing decent opposition. However, both teams have struggled this season while playing tougher opponents. Chelsea's record against big sides this season hasn't been impressive, while Real Madrid eliminated PSG in the Round of 16 thanks to a fantastic performance by French striker Karim Benzema. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how both teams create a strategy to defeat one other in this Chelsea vs Real Madrid match.
Read FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16
BPL Football: Police force Mohammedan to play out goalless draw
Bangladesh Police FC forced traditional giants Dhaka Mohammedan SC to play out a goalless draw in the 12-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football '2021-22 at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla on Monday.
After the day's match, Bangladesh Police FC remain 5th in the league table securing 16 points fron 10 encounters while Mohammedan SC are struggling at the 7th place securing 14 points from 1O matches.
Last two times champions Bashundhara Kings comfortably dominate the league table securing 25 points from 10 matches while two former champions Sheikh Jamal DC and Dhaka Abahani follow the leader with 20 and 19 points respectively, playing 10 matches each.
In the day's other league match, Sheikh Russel KC play 1-1 draw with Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society at their home venue --Bashundhara Sports Complex here.
READ: BPL Football: Bashundhara Kings play out 2-2 with Dhaka Abahani
Nigerian striker Sunday Chizoba, a well known face in the Dhaka league put the old Dhaka outfit Rahmatganj ahead in very 4th minute of the match (1-0).
But, their lead was very shortlived as Mohammad Jewel leveled the margin for Sheikh Russel KC in the following minute (1-1).
After the match, Rahmatganj MFS remained at the 8th slot securing nine points from 10 matches while former champions Sheikh Russel KC remained at the 10 slot with seven points, also playing 10 matches.
UEFA Champions League 2022: Top favourites to reach the semi-finals
The majority of the expected teams advanced to the quarter-finals after overcoming some difficult matches in both legs of the Round of 16. As per the draw, the quarter-final matchups between Real Madrid and Chelsea will be the most entertaining. Chelsea are the current European champion, whereas Real Madrid are one of Europe's traditional powerhouses. The remainder of the quarter-final matches will be enthralling as well. Let's have a look at the teams with the best possibilities of reaching the UEFA Champions League 2022 quarter-finals.
2022 Champions League: Quarter-Finals Fixtures and Favourites
The first quarter-final matches of the UEFA Champions League 2022 will take place on April 5 and 6. This knockout round's second tie will be staged on April 12 and 13, respectively. Eight matches will be played in the quarter-final phase, with the winners determined by the aggregate goals scored. If the aggregate goals aren't enough to determine the winner, a penalty shootout will be held. Let's have a look at the favorites to reach the UEFA Champions League 2022 semi-finals.
Benfica vs Liverpool
First Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 6/1 a.m.) | Venue: Estadio da Luz
Second Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 14/1 a.m.) | Venue: Anfield
Liverpool had a tough fight against Inter Milan in the Round of 16 fixtures. They eventually came out as winners, with a 2-1 aggregate. On the other hand, Benfica overcame Ajax in the last round. Liverpool have a better squad and higher-quality players than Benfica. That is why Liverpool will start as favorites in their quarter-final ties.
Verdict: Liverpool
Read Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient
Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid
First Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 6/1 a.m.) | Venue: Etihad Stadium
Second Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 14/1 a.m.) | Venue: Wanda Metropolitano Stadium
Manchester City thrashed Sporting CP in the Round of 16 with a resounding victory. On the other side, Atletico Madrid fought hard to defeat Manchester United and proceed to the quarter-finals. Manchester City will start as the favourites in the quarter-final match against Atletico Madrid. Oppositely, Atletico Madrid have the potential to upset Manchester City if they can formulate an effective plan.
Verdict: Manchester City.
Read Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league
Villarreal vs Bayern Munich
First Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 7/1 a.m.) | Venue: El Madrigal
Second Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 13/1 a.m.) | Venue: Allianz Arena
Villarreal won 4-1 on aggregate against Juventus in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. Villarreal's quarter-final opponent, Bayern Munich were merciless against Red Bull Salzburg in the previous round. Though Villarreal will give Bayern Munich a strong fight, the Bavarians will be the favourites to proceed to the semi-finals.
Verdict: Bayern Munich.
Read FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
First Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 7/1 a.m.) | Venue: Stamford Bridge
Second Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 13/1 a.m.) | Venue: Santiago Bernabeu
Both Chelsea and Real Madrid have some genuine world-class players. So there will be no clear favorites in these quarter-final matches. Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti will use their own strategies to attempt to stop each other. Therefore it could be a tactical match. Whoever execute their game plan well has the best chance of making it to the semifinals.
Verdict: Chelsea.
Read CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Peru, Colombia, Chile vying for playoff spot
Bottom Line
One thing is clear after the quarter-finals: players from squads with good teamwork are more likely to do well in this event. As a result, the best eight teams from the Round of 16 have advanced to the quarter-finals. Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Chelsea are among them. With the exception of Chelsea, the rest of the clubs will be in a better position to proceed to the semi-finals in their respective quarter-final matches. Chelsea must defeat Real Madrid to advance to the semi-finals, which will be a challenging task. On the whole, it is expected that the UEFA Champions League 2022 quarter-finals will be fascinating.
Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient
Kylian Mbappe notched two goals and three assists as Paris Saint-Germain beat Lorient 5-1 and maintained its 12-point lead over Marseille to move ever closer to a record 10th French league title on Sunday.
There are eight rounds left.
Mbappe provided the spark in the final third from the fourth minute with a dribbling run and low shot that goalkeeper Matthieu Dreyer palmed away. Soon after, the France striker fed Neymar, who opened the scoring.
Read:Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league
The lead doubled in the 28th when Mbappe scored with his signature move, faking a curler into the far corner before drilling into the near corner.
When Lorient forward Terem Moffi cut the lead in the 56th by pouncing on a sloppy back pass from Achraf Hakimi to knock the ball past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG supporters loudly booed their team's lapse in concentration.
Mbappe dashed Lorient’s hopes of a comeback by raising his league tally to 17 goals, dribbling past Julien Laporte to bury the ball into the bottom corner in the 67th.
Six minutes later, Mbappe squared the ball back for Lionel Messi, who shot under the crossbar for 4-1. Mbappe made his league-leading 13th assist by playing Neymar in for the final goal in the 90th.
“We must bring back that 10th league title for the supporters, for the club. It’s important,” Mbappe said. “We have an opportunity to make history.”
PSG has relied heavily on Mbappe’s brilliance this season. However, his contract runs out this summer and Mbappe hasn’t committed to any club yet.
“I haven’t made any decision yet,” Mbappe said. “I’m still thinking because there are new factors (...) I don’t want to get it wrong. I want to make the right choice.”
Marseille consolidated second place by rallying past relegation-threatened Saint-Etienne 4-2 in a game full of blunders.
Gabon striker Denis Bouanga gave Saint-Etienne the lead in the ninth minute by shooting past goalkeeper Pau Lopez, who made an embarrassing handling mistake.
But Saint-Etienne self-destructed by conceding two penalties and scoring an own goal.
Marseille's third straight league win opened a three-point gap on third-placed Rennes, while Saint-Etienne remained in the relegation zone, one point from safety.
The top two clubs qualify for the Champions League while the third-placed club goes to qualifying.
Strasbourg emerged as a surprise contender in the race for European spots after edging Lens 1-0 to climb up to fourth place.
Read:FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16
Strasbourg stretched its unbeaten run to eight games to go level on points with Nice and just two points behind Rennes. The team’s best finish in the past 20 seasons was 10th in 2020.
“The ambition is to do as best as we can until the end of the season,” Strasbourg coach Julien Stephan said. “We’ve never put pressure on ourselves. I don’t see why we should put more pressure on ourselves today. We just want to have fun.”
Monaco edged lowly Metz 2-1 and France international Wissam Ben Yedder extended his league-leading goal tally to 18.
In his French league debut, Brazilian winger Tete kept Lyon’s slim European hopes alive in a 3-2 victory over Angers. Lyon blew the lead twice despite two goals from striker Moussa Dembele.
Nantes handed Clermont a fourth straight loss, 3-2, Brest won at mid-table Montpellier 2-1, and Troyes beat Reims 1-0 in injury time to move away from the relegation zone.
Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league
With a statement win against Sevilla, Barcelona showed it wasn't giving up yet in the fight for the Spanish league.
Barcelona’s revamped team under coach Xavi Hernández kept its momentum and moved into second place for the first time this season after beating Sevilla 1-0 at home on Sunday.
Pedri González broke the deadlock by scoring a beautiful goal in the 72nd minute at Camp Nou Stadium to move the Catalan club past Sevilla and keep its slim title hopes alive.
Read:Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient
The result left Barcelona 12 points behind leader Real Madrid but it has a game in hand. Madrid salvaged a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo on Saturday with a couple of goals by the league scoring leader Karim Benzema.
“We will keep fighting until the math shows that we have no chance,” Xavi said. “We were hoping (Madrid) would have stumbled yesterday but it didn't happen.
Xavi has slowly turned Barcelona into a competitive squad again in his first year with the club. Barcelona has the same points as Sevilla and defending champion Atlético Madrid, which won at Alavés 4-1 on Saturday. Sevilla dropped from second to fourth because of the head-to-head tiebreakers.
Barcelona hadn’t been as high as second after a tough start to its first season without Lionel Messi. It reached the top three only a few rounds ago.
Barcelona has won eight and drawn one of its last nine matches in all competitions. It hasn’t lost in 13 consecutive games.
Sevilla had been second since the 16th round but gradually lost ground. It had drawn its last three in a row.
Barcelona was mostly in control but struggled to create significant scoring chances. Veteran defender Gerard Piqué almost opened the scoring with a header that struck the crossbar in the 69th. Pedri finally got the winner by faking his shot twice outside the area before firing in a low strike.
The match came a few hours after the club ratified an agreement with Spotify for at least 12 seasons. The agreement, initially announced in March, was approved by 89% of votes in Sunday’s general assembly.
Read:FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16
BETIS STAYS NEAR TOP
Real Betis routed Osasuna 4-1 to stay within range of the final Champions League place.
Juanmi scored twice and William Carvalho and Álex Moreno added a goal each for the hosts' second victory in the last nine matches in all competitions.
The result left Betis four points behind Sevilla, Atlético and Barcelona.
ATHLETIC WINS AGAIN
Athletic Bilbao ended a two-match winless streak with a 2-1 win over Elche to stay in eighth place, near the European spots.
It was the fourth loss in five matches for Elche, which is six points above the drop zone.
OTHER RESULTS
Mid-table Valencia was held at home by relegation-threatened Cádiz to 0-0, while 10-man Rayo Vallecano was held at Granada to 2-2 after conceding a penalty kick four minutes into stoppage time.
BPL Football: Bashundhara Kings play out 2-2 with Dhaka Abahani
The titans' battle between last two times champions Bashundhara Kings and six times champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd ended in a 2-2 draw in the 12-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football '2021-22 at the Sylhet District Stadium Sunday evening.
Despite the day's draw, big budgeted and holders Bashundhara Kings comfortably maintained their solo lead in the league table securing 25 points from 10 matches while Dhaka Abahani went down to the 3rd slot collecting 19 points from 10 outings.
Three times champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club advanced to the 2nd place with 20 points from 10 encounters.
Also read: BPL Football: Sk Jamal beat Swadhinata KS 3-1
After a shocking defeat against newcomers Swadhinata KS in league opener, the Kings never looked behind to clinch the league crown for the 3rd time in a row after being deprived of the season's first two major trophies--Independence Cup and Federation Cup football.
In the day's crucial match, World Cup playing Costa Rica booter Daniel Colindres put Abahani ahead in the 20th minute while Eleta Kingsley restored the parity for the Kings in the 64th minute.
Also read: FIFA Int'l Friendly: Bangladesh play out goalless draw with Mongolia
Brazilian striker cum Kings captain Robson Robinson put his team ahead from behind in the 69th minute while Brazilian booter Dorielton Gomes Dori again leveled the margin for Abahani in the 84th minute
Rakib Hossain of Abahani and Sohel Rana of the Kings received red cards in the match.
BPL Football: Sk Jamal beat Swadhinata KS 3-1
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, riding on a hattrick by Matthew Chinedu, beat newcomer Swadhinata KS by 3-1 goals on the resuming day of the 12-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football '2021-22 at the Muktijoddha Smriti Stadium in Rajshahi on Sunday.
Country's most prestigious soccer league BPL, resumed on Sunday at four different venues after a two-week recess for national team's engagements in two FIFA International Friendlies against the Maldives and Mongolia.
With the day's feat, three times champions Sheikh Jamal DC advanced to the 2nd slot in the league table securing 20 points from 10 matches while Swadhinata KS remained at the bottom with six points from 10 encounters.
Also read: Sheikh Russel likely to leave BPL Football protesting 'controversial refereeing'
In the day's match, Nigerian attacking midfielder Matthew Chinedu made a hattrick scoring all the three goals for Sheikh Jamal DC in the 29th, 38th and 67th minutes.
Bosnian striker Nedo Turkovic scored the lone goal for Swadhinata KS in the 53rd minute.
In the day's another league match, Saif Sporting Club outplayed Uttar Baridhara Club by 3-0 goals at Bir Shreshtho Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj.
Sunday Udoh, Asror Gafurov and Sajjad Shakil scored for Saif SC in the 12th, 45+1 and 65th minutes respectively .
Nasirul Islam of Saif SC and Y Kochnev of Uttar Baridhara Club got marching order after receiving the red cards just three minutes before the final whistle.
Also read: FIFA Int'l Friendly: Bangladesh play out goalless draw with Mongolia
In the day's another match, Chittagong Abahani Ltd defeated lowly Muktijoddha Sangsad KC by 2-1 goals at the Shaheed Direndranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla.
Paul Ebimobowel Thankgod and Sohel Rana scored one each for Chittagang Abahani in the 27th and 66th minutes respectively while Soma Otanj scored the lone goal for the freedom fighters team in the 45th minute
FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16
Qatar will host the 22nd FIFA World Cup, which will begin on November 21 and finish on December 18. 29 teams have already qualified for the main event, and the rest of the three teams will be confirmed in June. All 32 teams will be divided into eight groups, with four teams in each group. The Doha Exhibition and Convention Center hosted the group stage draw on April 1. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16. Let's have a look at who plays with whom in the group phase in FIFA World Cup 2022.
Favourites to progress to the Round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Each team will play three matches in the group stage in order to qualify for the Round of 16. The matches will take place at eight different venues. Let's see which teams have the best chance of making it to the first knockout round.
Group A
The four teams in Group A are the Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador, and Qatar. The Netherlands are favourites to claim the top spot in the group, while Senegal and Ecuador will be eyeing the second spot. Oppositely, participating in the World Cup is a significant achievement for Qatar's national team.
Verdict: Netherlands and Senegal.
Read Qatar stages draw for World Cup amid protests
Group B
The four national teams in group B are England, Iran, the USA, and the UEFA Path A winner (Wales/Scotland/Ukraine). England are one of the favourites to win this year’s World Cup and they will aim to finish top of this group. Iran were one of the first teams to qualify from the AFC region, and they will be very competitive during the main event. The United States also has a fair chance to advance to the next round.
Verdict: England, Iran
Group C
Argentina are one of the favourites for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and they will likely finish top of Group C. Mexico and Poland will fight for the second spot in this group, while Saudi Arabia have a slim chance.
Verdict: Argentina and Mexico.
Read FIFA Int'l Friendly: Bangladesh play out goalless draw with Mongolia
Group D
The reigning champions, France, will start as hot favourites to lift the 2022 Qatar World Cup. They will be up against Denmark, Tunisia, and the AFC-CONMEBOL winner (Peru, Australia, UAE) to seal the first position in the group. Denmark will have a better chance to finish second in the group than the other participants.
Verdict: France and Denmark
Group E
Spain and Germany are the favourites to win the World Cup 2022, and they will almost certainly finish first and second in their group. Japan and the CONCACAF-OFC Winner (Costa Rica/New Zealand) are the other two teams in the group.
Verdict: Spain and Germany.
Read CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Peru, Colombia, Chile vying for playoff spot
Group F
Belgium and Croatia will start as favourites to qualify for the Round of 16 from this group. But, Canada and Morocco can also surprise everyone with their performances.
Verdict: Belgium and Croatia
Group G
Brazil are one of the hot favourites to win the Qatar World Cup 2022, and they will attempt to dominate the tournament by finishing first in their group. The other three teams in this group, Switzerland, Cameroon, and Serbia, all have an equal chance to advance to the next round.
Verdict: Brazil and Cameroon.
Read FIFA World Cup 2022 European Qualifiers: The Probable last three qualified teams
Group H
This is the most difficult group of all. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal team cannot afford to be complacent and believe they will breeze through the first round. Because their opponents in this group, Uruguay, Ghana, and South Korea, are all capable of defeating one another.
Verdict: Portugal and Uruguay
Bottom Line
It is clear from the draw that group H will be the death group. There is no obvious favourite in this group. Because Portugal, Uruguay, Ghana, and South Korea all are capable of defeating one another. Moreover, like with every edition, there may be some surprises and upsets in the group phase. However, all of the top-ranked teams are expected to proceed to the FIFA World Cup 2022 Round of 16. Middle Eastern country, Qatar will host the World Cup for the first time, and everyone will be paying special attention to the tournament.
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