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Dayal did it against Dhoni, Jadeja and Dube with a dew-slicked ball on a flat pitch

Deivarayan Muthu03-May-20253:10

Is this CSK’s worst-ever IPL season?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) outgunned Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Chinnaswamy, defending 213 on a flat pitch in a wildly see-sawing classic.It came down to Yash Dayal vs MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja once again. In 2024, the left-arm seamer had bested Dhoni and put RCB in the playoffs. A year on, he denied Dhoni and CSK once again, defending 14 off the last over with a dew-slicked ball. Dayal this time put RCB on top of the IPL 2025 points table, with 16 points, and a step closer to the playoffs.Related

• Brevis wasn't out, but 'lack of awareness' cost him his wicket

• Shepherd, the most dangerous class of T20 finisher

• Fleming: Mhatre has 'everything that we like about a modern-day T20 player'

• Racing to 50 in 15 or under

• Dhoni takes blame for CSK's defeat: 'I should have converted a couple of more shots'

Dayal, Suyash get the job done for RCB

CSK were left needing 35 off the last three overs with Jadeja, who was batting with attacking intent that was missing earlier in the season, and Dhoni in the middle. It was anybody’s game, but Suyash Sharma tipped it RCB’s way with an 18th over that went for only six runs.It then swung CSK’s way when Virat Kohli dropped a regulation catch – of Jadeja – at long-on and saw the first ball of the 19th over go through him to the boundary. Dhoni then scythed a legcutter from Bhuvneshwar Kumar over cover for six, and followed with a single to make it 15 required off the last over.Dayal’s plan in the final over was to shut Dhoni and Jadeja down with yorkers. With dew around, he was not able to nail his yorkers, but his low full tosses were still hard to put away, leading two singles and Dhoni’s wicket off the third ball. His fourth full toss in a row ended up going over Shivam Dube’s waist and well beyond the midwicket boundary for six, but Dayal didn’t veer away from his original plan when CSK needed six off three with a free hit in hand. With five needed off two, Dayal bowled a near yorker and Jadeja could only inside-edge it onto his pad for a single. Dube couldn’t get the last ball away to the boundary as Dayal pulled off another heist at the Chinnaswamy, sending the crowd into raptures.

The Bethell and Kohli opening act

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Chawla: Bethell’s batting reflects RCB’s own good form

Jacob Bethell and Kohli had laid the base for RCB’s win by adding 71 for 0, their highest powerplay score at home this season. Romario Shepherd then launched from there, muscling a 14-ball half-century, the joint second-fastest in IPL history.Bethell might not have even played had Phil Salt recovered from an illness, which had kept him out of RCB’s previous game as well. Bethell dashed out of the blocks on Saturday, picking off Khaleel Ahmed for three successive fours in the opening over. He went on to score three more fours and two sixes in the powerplay.He was the first to bring up his fifty, off 28 balls, in his second IPL innings after getting a life on 27 when Matheesha Pathirana collided with Jadeja, grassing the catch. After having recovered from that blow, Pathirana had Bethell holing out for 55, with Dewald Brevis pulling off a screamer at deep square leg.As for Kohli, he went onto raise his own fifty off 29 balls. It was his seventh half-century in 11 innings this season. He looked good for a whole lot more until Sam Curran had him popping a catch to point with a slower bouncer for 62 off 33 balls.

Shepherd’s final act

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Chawla: Very less margin for error against Shepherd

Shepherd, who was picked ahead of Liam Livingstone once again, walked out to bat when RCB were 157 for 5 with 14 balls left in the innings. After the big opening stand, they ran out of gas in the middle – between overs 11 and 18 they had managed only 45 runs for four wickets.Shepherd then helped RCB plunder 54 off the last two overs, the most scored off the 19th and 20th overs in an IPL innings. In the 19th over, he smoked Khaleel for four sixes and two fours which cost CSK 33 runs. In the next over, he took Pathirana for two fours and two sixes to give RCB a blockbuster finish.Fittingly, Shepherd stormed to his fifty by launching a six into the top tier off the final ball of the innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mhatre, Jadeja lead CSK’s chase

The joy, however, was short-lived for RCB as Ayush Mhatre dominated the powerplay in the chase. He claimed 39 of the 58 runs CSK scored in the first six, including a sequence of 4, 4, 4, 6,4, 4 in a 26-run over bowled by Bhuvneshwar. The pick of the sequence was a dabbed four between point and short third.Krunal Pandya snared Shaik Rasheed for 14 and Lungi Ngidi, who got a game in place of Josh Hazlewood, dragged CSK back further when he had No. 3 Sam Curran top-edging a catch to the keeper for a run-a-ball 5.Mhatre, 17, CSK’s youngest-ever player, then combined with Jadeja for a rollicking 114-run partnership off 64 balls. The stand ended when Ngidi tricked Mhatre with a slower ball, denying him the chance to become the second-youngest centurion in the IPL after his India Under-19 opening partner Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He was dismissed for 94 off 48 balls.Jadeja continued to bat with a refreshingly positive approach, especially against spin. He faced just one dot ball out of 16 balls from Krunal and Suyash.Brevis, though, was dismissed in a slightly contentious fashion. He was given out lbw but the ball was projected to slide down the leg side. The umpire’s finger had gone up midway through Brevis and Jadeja crossing over for an attempted leg-bye. The two batters then decided to talk it out and by the time Brevis had called for a review, the 15-second time limit had elapsed. In the end, CSK were left with another case of what might have been.

The BCCI will express its condolences to the families of the Pahalgam victims in various ways during the IPL 2025 game in Hyderabad tonight

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-2025The players of the two participating teams – Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) – will observe a minute of silence before the start of their IPL 2025 game in Hyderabad later today and also wear black armbands as a mark of respect for the victims of Tuesday’s terror attack in Pahalgam in Kashmir.There will also be no cheerleaders or fireworks at the ground, as has been the norm in the IPL.The BCCI will express its condolences to the families of the victims in various ways during the game. It will start with the minute of silence, which will begin following an announcement over the ground’s PA system, to “ensure the in-stadium audience and broadcast viewers are aware and can participate in the tribute”.Following this, at the toss, both the team captains will pay respect to the victims and condemn the terror attack, and black armbands will be worn by all the players, match officials, commentators and support staff. Broadcast commentators have also been instructed to “inform viewers about the significance of the black armbands and speak about the tragic incident and its impact”.On Tuesday, a terror attack in the hill station of Pahalgam claimed the lives of many people – 26 by the last count – and injured many others.Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, has said in a statement on Wednesday, “The cricketing community is deeply shocked and anguished by the tragic loss of innocent lives in the gruesome terror attack at Pahalgam yesterday. On behalf of the BCCI, while condemning this ghastly and cowardly act with strongest possible words, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the departed souls. In sharing their pain and grief, we stand hand in hand at this hour of tragedy.”

KKR were involved in a washout in the very first match of the IPL after its resumption, which ended their playoff hopes

Nagraj Gollapudi21-May-20255:14

Why could KKR not replicate last season’s success?

Calling the decision to allow 120 minutes’ extra time for the remainder of the IPL 2025 league matches as “ad hoc”, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have said that they might have still been in the playoffs race if such a provision were available right from the resumption of the tournament.On Tuesday, the IPL Governing Council approved the amendment of the playing conditions to allow an extra 120 minutes for each of the remaining nine league matches in a bid to complete full 20-over games in case of rain interruptions. Before that, the rules allowed an hour to be added beyond the regulation completion time (10.56pm for evening matches) for league matches and an two hours to be added for the four playoffs.In an email to the ten franchises on Tuesday, accessed by ESPNcricinfo, IPL chief operating officer Hemang Amin said the decision to allow the extra minutes was because “several matches are at risk of being affected by rain due to the early onset of monsoon”.However, KKR chief executive Venky Mysore questioned the timing of the decision and asked whether the amendment could have come straightaway once the IPL resumed on May 17 with a Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs KKR game in Bengaluru, which was washed out. “While these mid-season changes to the rules may be necessary under the circumstances, one would have expected more consistency in the way such changes are being applied,” Mysore said in his email.Rain had the final say at the Chinnaswamy in the RCB vs KKR game•Associated Press

The RCB-KKR contest was the first match after IPL 2025 resumed following the suspension on May 9 following cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. While fans filled up the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and paid a tribute to home team hero Virat Kohli, who had recently retired from Test cricket, there was no cricket as rain fell throughout the evening.Overs started to be lost from 8.30pm and, while the cut-off time was 10.56pm, the match was called off at 10.26pm as the drizzle never ceased. The teams got a point each, which meant KKR’s chances of making the playoffs were washed away.If the extra two hours were available in that match, Mysore said, there could have been a possibility of a five-overs-a-side contest. “When the IPL re-started, it was clear that the first game on May 17 KKR vs RCB was at high risk of being interrupted due to rain in [Bengaluru],” he said. “The forecast was there for all to see. Not only was the game washed out but the additional 120 mins, now being applied may have provided a chance of at least a 5 over a side game.”The wash-out ended KKR’s chances of making the playoffs. Such ad hoc decision and inconsistencies of applying them are not appropriate for a tournament of this standing. I am sure you also understand why we feel aggrieved.”

The Dutch defender tops the list after his record-breaking move to Liverpool, beating out a trio of Man City players

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  1Danilo

  The defender nearly made this list twice. He moved from Porto to Real Madrid after the 2014-15 season for €31.5 million, and after a less than stellar tenure there, he moved to Manchester City prior to 2017-18 for €30m. 

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  2David Luiz

  As impressive as appearing on this list twice is, Luiz could have made it three times. His €35 million transfer from PSG back to Chelsea in 2016 actually counted as a substantial drop in his value from just a few years before. 

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  3Mats Hummels

  Another returnee to his old team, Hummels became yet another player to join Bayern Munich directly from Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund when he made a €35 million move prior to the 2016-17 campaign. 

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  4Victor Lindelof

  Jose Mourinho may like to claim Manchester City spend striker money on defenders, but he's prone to big splashes on the back line as well, evidenced by his acquisition of Lindelof from Benfica prior to the 2017-18 season for €35 million. 

Premier League sides feature heavily in the list which documents who has spent the most on players without recouping their outlay

Football clubs spend huge amounts of money to bring players in to their squads while trying to recoup those funds by transferring talent to different clubs.

However, some clubs end up spending more money than they bring back in as they pursue success.

Who actually spends the most? UEFA's annual Club Licensing Benchmarking Report, which takes into account figures through to the end of the 2018 financial year, has all the details…

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  20Bournemouth | €23m (£20m/$26m)

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  19Fiorentina | €24m (£21m/$27m)

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  18Hamburg | €25m (£21m/$28m)

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  17Juventus | €26m (£22m/$29m)

Mikel Arteta and Edu are looking to offload several players before the start of the new season but some will be harder to shift than others…

As is often the way during the transfer window, all the talk at Arsenal right now is about possible incomings.

But getting players out of the door is just as important when it comes to building a settled and happy squad, which is why the club are working hard behind the scenes to move several players on.

Below, GOAL takes a look at some members of Mikel Arteta’s senior side who could leave over the coming weeks…

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  Bernd Leno

  With Matt Turner’s move from New England Revolution now having been made official, Bernd Leno’s exit feels inevitable.

  When he left for his summer break at the end of last season, there was an understanding in place between the player and the club that he would be able to move on.

  All parties are open to making a deal happen and there are clubs interested in taking the German international, who still has aspirations of making his nation's World Cup squad.

  Fulham are believed to have already held talks over a possible move, while there is also interest from some Bundesliga sides.

  Nothing has been agreed yet, but it’s highly likely the 30-year-old will have a new club by the time the transfer window comes to a close.

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• Arthur Okonkwo

  Another goalkeeper who looks set to be on the move this summer. Unlike Leno, however, Okonkwo will only be leaving on loan.

  The highly-rated 20-year-old has spent the past year in the senior squad and has gained valuable experience doing so.

  But he and Arsenal both believe the time is right to go out and get some regular senior first-team football, so a move away from North London is almost a certainty this summer.

  Interested clubs are already being sounded out, with Arsenal and Okonkwo’s representative planning to make a final decision on the shot-stopper's next step soon.

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  Hector Bellerin

  After enjoying a successful loan spell at Real Betis last season, Hector Bellerin is keen to return to his hometown club on a permanent basis.

  Discussions have been taking place throughout the summer to try to find a solution that suits all parties, with Bellerin’s high wages proving problematic as it stands.

  The right-back took a major pay cut to spend last season with Betis and it remains to be seen if he is willing to do that for the long-term.

  For the moment, Bellerin is back at Arsenal and has started pre-season training at London Colney.

  He has just one year left on his contract, however, and attempts to secure him a move back to Spain this summer continue.

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  Nuno Tavares

  There is a possibility that Tavares will be able to leave on loan this summer, but his immediate future is all linked to possible incomings.

  If Arsenal manage to bring in cover for the left side of defence, then Tavares could potentially move on just a year after he arrived in North London from Benfica.

  Marseille are believed to be interested in a loan, while Atlanta are also keeping tabs on Tavares situation.

  But if Arsenal fail to bring any in who can provide cover for Kieran Tierney, such as Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez, then the likelihood is that Tavares will remain.

The Manchester United midfielder was the hero as the five-time winners booked their spot in the knockout stages with victory over Switzerland

It might not be pretty, but Brazil’s quest for a sixth World Cup is most definitely on track. Twenty years on from their last triumph, Tite’s men look like they have the tools to go all the way once more. They became the second side, after France, to book their place in the last 16 on Monday, securing qualification courtesy of a 1-0 win over Switzerland at Doha’s Stadium 974.

Just as against Serbia in their opening group match, they needed to be patient to secure the victory. It took a late strike, and a deflected one at that, from Manchester United’s Casemiro to deliver it, on a night when the absence of Neymar looked like it might cost them dear.

But few sides at this tournament look as solid defensively as the, and having effectively nullified any semblance of Swiss threat, it always felt like a goal would come. It did against Serbia, and it did again here.

Brazil march on. Few teams will want to face them in the knockout stages.

Here, GOAL runs through the winners and losers in Doha…

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  The Winners

  Casemiro:

  He doesn't just do the dirty work, hey? There have been few better midfielders so far at this tournament than Casemiro, and here the Manchester United man delivered a match-winning moment to go with his pair of standout performances. Sure, he needed the aid of a deflection, his superbly-struck half-volley taking a nick off Manchester City's Manuel Akanji en route to the far corner, but the 30-year-old was a fitting hero for Tite's side, having turned in another flawless display in the centre of the park. Casemiro's ability to mop up, read the game and cover space defensively is absolutely key to the way Brazil want to play, and if he's chipping in goals as well then what a bonus that is for the five-time champions.

  Tite's squad:

  It may have taken a while to come, but there was, just as there was against Serbia, a sense of inevitability about Brazil's victory. Quite simply, they have too much attacking quality to fail for 90 minutes. Even without their talisman, the injured Neymar, the array of talent on display was frightening. Richarlison struggling? Bring on Gabriel Jesus. Raphinha fading? OK, let's have a look at Antony then. When things got tense, Tite was able to bring on one of the most in-form midfielders in the Premier League in Bruno Guimaraes, and one of the best young players in world football in Rodrygo. All of the changes had a positive impact. One of the subs, Rodrygo, set up the winner, his neat flick finding Casemiro on the edge of the box, and had it not been for a superb late block, the Real Madrid star would have added a second. Some may argue the manager should be getting more out of such a stacked squad, but for now Brazil are exactly where they want to be; in the last 16, keeping clean sheets and knowing they have the ability to beat any team that stands in front of them.

  Alisson Becker:

  Two games, two clean sheets, zero shots on target faced. Qatar has been a bit of a holiday so far for Brazil's goalkeeper, hasn't it? The Liverpool man was a virtual spectator against Serbia, and he was hardly required here as his side produced another accomplished defensive display. With Marquinhos and Thiago Silva rekindling their brilliant central defensive partnership in the middle, with Casemiro patrolling in front and with Alex Sandro and the impressive Eder Militao solid and reliable at full-back, Brazil look like the most robust team in the tournament. And even if that fails, they have the best goalkeeper in the world too. We just haven't seen him yet…

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  The Losers

  Richarlison:

  From feast to famine. After lighting up Brazil's win over Serbia in the first group match, all eyes were on Richarlison – especially in the absence of Neymar – to see if he could build on that impressive start. He couldn't. The Tottenham man was a virtual spectator here, drifting on the periphery for 73 frustrating minutes before being replaced by Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus. In those 73 minutes, Richarlison managed only 17 touches and, remarkably, completed only three passes. He almost got on the end of a couple of crosses, from Raphinha and Vinicius Junior, but this was not a game the in-form No.9 will remember with any fondness.

  Serbia:

  Brazil's late winner will have been celebrated by Cameroon and Serbia, but the latter will reflect on a huge missed opportunity after the early game in Group G. Having led 3-1 against Cameroon with 27 minutes left, Dragan Stojkovic's side had the chance to put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the last 16, only to carelessly throw away their advantage. Now, they need to beat Switzerland in their final group match and hope Cameroon don't stun and already-qualified Brazil. Not impossible, by any means, but a lot tougher than it should have been.

  Danilo:

  If there were signs that Brazil missed Neymar here, the absence of their other injured man barely registered. Danilo, like the Paris Saint-Germain superstar, has been ruled out of the remainder of the group stage with an ankle problem, but he might have a problem getting back into the side when he's fit anyway after his replacement, Eder Militao, delivered a faultless display at right-back. The Real Madrid man usually plays in the middle, of course, but his physicality and recovery pace proved more than useful here, albeit against a Swiss side that showed a disappointing lack of ambition going forward. He is certainly not Dani Alves, in terms of his forward raids, but with Raphinha in front of him (or Antony, who replaced the Barcelona man late on) he doesn't need to be. He needs to be solid, and he certainly was here.

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  Brazil Ratings: Defence

  Alisson Becker (6/10):

  A couple of loose moments on the ball but maybe he was bored. He had nothing else to do, after all.

  Eder Militao (7/10):

  Came into the side and didn't put a foot wrong at right back.

  Marquinhos (7/10):

  Played in second gear, doing what he needed to with minimum fuss.

  Thiago Silva (7/10):

  Another Rolls Royce of a performance at centre-back.

  Alex Sandro (7/10):

  Excellent sliding intervention early in the second half, and otherwise looked comfortabe without really doing too much going forward.

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  Midfield

  Casemiro (8/10):

  The best midfielder at the tournament so far. Read the game superbly, won the ball back and scored the winner.

  Fred (5/10):

  Brought into the team in Neymar's absence, the Manchester United man brought energy but little else of note.

  Lucas Paqueta (6/10):

  A few nice touches and looked tidy enough, before being replaced at half-time.

The England winger has finally assimilated to Pep Guardiola's way of working and is thriving as a more intelligent, more committed player.

When Jack Grealish signed for Manchester City, there was genuine fascination at the idea that Pep Guardiola, the ultimate team coach, had signed someone many regarded as the ultimate individual.

Those who had their doubts about the unlikely marriage felt smug as Grealish cut a peripheral figure in his first season at the Etihad Stadium, starting little more than half the games and being benched for the biggest matches against Real Madrid, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid.

But now Grealish resembles a Guardiola protege, a complete footballer who perfectly understands his coach's style of play and who will put his body on the line for the team.

Grealish has had an excellent season, but his virtuoso performance in the 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool was his coronation. After the winger had helped put Jurgen Klopp's side to the sword, Guardiola gushed in pride at the transformation his player has made in his sophomore campaign at the Etihad.

“I think all this season he has been really well,” Guardiola said. “This is the Jack Grealish that Aston Villa fans know really well. He believes completely and the way he behaved in the beginning when he wasn’t playing was perfect."

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  Masterminding Liverpool's downfall

  Even before the Liverpool match, Grealish he was making a case as City's most influential player this season behind Erling Haaland.

  And as Haaland nursed his groin injury in the stands, it was Grealish who masterminded the demolition of last season's title rivals, and he was lauded by the City faithful when he was substituted just before the end.

  It was pretty much the perfect performance from Grealish. He ravaged Trent Alexander Arnold for 90 minutes while dovetailing superbly with Julian Alvarez, whom he set up for the equaliser, and Kevin De Bruyne, who he combined with to slot the stylish fourth goal.

  And every time he went forward he looked up and paused before making his move, ensuring he did not give the ball away as he often would in his first season.

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  Doing the dirty work with pride

  And most impressively of all, he carried out his defensive dirty work with gusto, sprinting back from his own area to chase down Mohamed Salah and block a pass to Diogo Jota that almost would have certainly resulted in Liverpool taking a 2-0 lead.

  "The best player on the park was Jack Grealish, he is playing with confidence, a belief in his own ability. They just couldn't handle him at all," said Alan Shearer on 's Match of the Day.

  "When he had the ball he was as good as anything, he gave Trent a torrid time at full-back. Trent didn't know what day it was, he didn't know where to go, what to do, how to handle him.

  "You see his work rate, tracking back, a crunching tackle, absolutely magnificent. You're seeing a player who is happy with his game, content with what he's being asked to do in the team. He's one of the most important players at Man City at the moment."

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  Revitalised after the World Cup

  Grealish has really come into his own since the domestic season resumed after the World Cup.

  Before jetting off to Qatar with England, he had played eight of City's 14 Premier League matches, starting only six.

  He had just one goal to his name, against Wolves, and no assists. He looked low on confidence, having just seven shots in that time, with only two hitting the target.

  But he has been in sizzling form for his club since returning. He has played in all of City's last 14 matches, starting all-but two and playing almost double the amount of minutes as before the World Cup.

  He has scored three goals, against Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal no less, and added five assists. He is far more confident in front of goal, taking 23 shots, hitting the target with eight of them.

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  A tough adaptation period

  There was understandably a lot of expectation when Grealish signed from boyhood club Aston Villa for City for a Premier League record of £100 million in the summer of 2021.

  Grealish had just come off the back of an impressive European Championship campaign for England, albeit without starting many games, and had joined a City side who had just reclaimed the title back from Liverpool.

  But bedding into Guardiola's machine-like side was far from easy, as Grealish himself admitted in January.

  "When I came here, I'll be honest with you, it was so much more difficult than I thought. In my head I thought I was going to the team sitting top of the league and I was going to get so many goals and assists and obviously it isn't the case," he told . "A lot of teams tend to sit in against us and that wasn't the case at Villa.”

  He added: “[Ex-Aston Villa manager] Dean Smith would tell me to go and find the weak link in the defence, whether that was on the right, the middle or whether I wanted to hug the touchline – and at Villa, I always had an overlapping full-back. I came into City, having been at Villa my whole life, and I've never had to change. I've always been used to that. I didn't realise how hard it is to adapt to a different team and manager.”

The France defender once again proved a total liability at the back, while Leroy Sane wasted a glorious chance to revive the quarter-final tie

Bayern Munich are out of the Champions League, losing 4-1 on aggregate to Manchester City after being held to a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night.

A comeback always appeared unlikely after last week's heavy defeat at the Etihad but the Bavarians began brightly.

Unfortunately for Thomas Tuchel's side, though, Leroy Sane squandered a glorious opportunity to get them back in business in the quarter-final tie when he fired wide 16 minutes in.

Erling Haaland then missed a penalty, awarded for a handball by Dayot Upamecano, but it was merely a stay of execution for the hosts.

The Norwegian killed the game as a contest when he took advantage of an untimely slip from Upamecano midway through the second half to seal City's place in the semi-finals.

Bayern bagged a deserved consolation when Joshua Kimmich converted a penalty, after a Sadio Mane cross struck Manuel Akanji's hand in the area, but there was never any hope of a late rally.

Below, GOAL rates the Bayern players on a frustrating night at the Allianz Arena…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Yann Sommer (6/10):

  Relieved to see Haaland blaze his penalty over the bar but wasn't actually given very much to do. Completely let down by Upamecano for the game's crucial opening goal.

  Benjamin Pavard (5/10):

  Did a decent job in defence but offered absolutely nothing going forward.

  Dayot Upamecano (1/10):

  Gets a point for turning up after last week's horror show. Bayern fans probably wish he hadn't, though. A complete liability throughout, producing an absolute disaster-class in the 'art' of defending. Blessed to avoid a red card for a professional foul on Haaland after the linesman's flag was belatedly raised for a marginal offside call but then gave away a penalty before later slipping to give Haaland a clean run on goal to kill the tie.

  Matthijs de Ligt (6/10):

  Needlessly gave away a foul after clattering into Kevin De Bruyne early on but was relatively impressive thereafter. Unlucky to be playing alongside an accident waiting to happen.

  Joao Cancelo (4/10):

  Given a chance to impress against his parent club but picked up a booking for a clumsy foul on Bernardo Silva after just 10 minutes and contributed little offensively before being replaced in the 62nd minute.

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  Midfield

  Leon Goretzka (6/10):

  Really put himself about, passed the ball well and always willing to get forward, but his shooting was atrocious.

  Joshua Kimmich (7/10):

  Played with great aggression and was arguably the best midfielder on the park. Let down by those around him but at least he was rewarded with a goal for his efforts.

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  Attack

  Leroy Sane (5/10):

  Bayern's main goal threat during the first half but squandered a glorious chance to get Bayern back into the tie by firing wide after being put clean through on goal. Faded badly in the second half and was hooked after an hour.

  Jamal Musiala (6/10):

  Was busy while on the pitch, working hard and impressing with his quick feet. Also played a sublime through-ball for Sane that really should have been rewarded with a goal.

  Kingsley Coman (6/10):

  Repeatedly got in behind the City defence with his pace but, as is so often the case with the winger, his end product was poor.

  Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (5/10):

  His return gave Tuchel's team a much-needed reference point in attack but he never actually looked like scoring. You can see why Bayern are so desperate to sign a world-class striker this summer.

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  Subs & Manager

  Sadio Mane (6/10):

  Recalled to the squad after being suspended for attacking Sane last week and saw half an hour of game time, winning a penalty, but still looks a shadow of the player who was in Ballon d'Or discussions not so long ago at Liverpool.

  Alphonso Davies (6/10):

  Came on in place of Cancelo and proved much more menacing from an offensive perspective.

  Mathys Tel (6/10):

  Only on for about 20 minutes but was a far livelier presence up front that Choupo-Moting.

  Thomas Muller (N/A):

  Replaced Musiala late on, so didn't have anywhere near enough time to make his mark.

  Thomas Tuchel (3/10):

  His side played well at times, particularly in the first half, but he cut a frustrated figure throughout, so it came as absolutely no surprise to see him pick up a second yellow card in the dying minutes. Not what a team needs from their coach.

How to watch Blackburn Rovers vs Luton Town in the Championship on TV and online in the United States.

Blackburn Rovers will host Luton Townin a Championship fixture at Ewood Park on Monday.

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📺 Watch Blackburn Rovers vs Luton Town live on ESPN+ in the US

The visitors will look to get three points from this game which would ensure the third spot for them. However, they have already qualified for the playoffs and will play the second leg of the semi-final at home.

On the other hand, Blackburn have slipped out of the top six when it matters the most after picking up just one win across an eight-game period. They have 65 points from 44 matches, three behind sixth-placed Millwall. They must not only win the two games in hand but other results need to go their way as well to qualify for the playoffs.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch the Championship fixture, plus team news, recent form and more.

• Kick-off time

  Date:	May 1, 2023
  Kick-off time:	1:30 pm EDT
  Venue:	Ewood Park

  The game is scheduled for May 1, 2023, at Ewood Park.

  It will kick off at 1:30 pm EDT in the US.

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  How to watch Blackburn Rovers vs Luton Town online – TV channels & live streams

  TV channels & streaming options

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  U.S	N/A	ESPN+

  In the U.S., the match will be available to watch on ESPN+.

• Getty
  

  Team news & squads

  Luton Town team news

  Luton Town have a few injuries ahead of this match as Dan Potts, Cauley Woodrow, Reece Burke and Gabriel Osho are still recovering from their respective injuries. However, they are expected to be back for the playoffs.

  Rob Edwards might look to rotate his key players which can open the door for Jordan Clark, Luke Freeman and Luke Berry to feature in some capacity during the match.

  Luton Town predicted XI: Horvath; Lockyer, Bradley, Bell; Drameh, Mpanzu, Nakamba, Clark, Doughty; Adebayo, Morris

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Horvath, Walton, Shea.
  Defenders:	Lockyer, Bradley, Bell, Drameh.
  Midfielders:	Nakamba, Mpanzu, Campbell, Clark, Berry, Lansbury, Watson, Thorpe, Doughty, Freeman, Onyedinma.
  Forwards:	Adebayo, Morris, Muskwe, Taylor, Pepple.

  Blackburn Rovers team news

  Blackburn Rovers will have to make do without Tyler Morton and John Buckley as both players will miss the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Sam Barnes is in the treatment room as well.

  It is unlikely that there will be many changes to the side that took the pitch against Burnley, but Sorba Thomas might be handed a start in place of Ryan Hedges.

  Blackburn Rovers predicted XI: Pears; Rankin-Costello, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Travis, Wharton; Thomas, Szmodics, Diaz; Dolan

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Kaminski, Pears, Hilton
  Defenders:	Phillips, Ayala, Wharton, Mola, Pickering, Edun, Brittain, Rankin-Costello, Hyam, Carter.
  Midfielders:	Travis, Garrett, A.Wharton, Dack, Szmodics.
  Forwards:	Dolan, Thomas, Hedges, Diaz, Gallagher, Vale.

  Head-to-head record

  Blackburn and Luton have won one each in their past five meetings while three times they have shared the spoils.

  Date	Result	Competition
  17/09/2022	Luton 3-0 Blackburn Rovers	Championship
  29/01/2022	Luton 0-0 Blackburn Rovers	Championship
  11/09/2021	Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Luton	Championship
  30/01/2021	Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Luton	Championship
  21/11/2020	Luton 1-1 Blackburn Rovers	Championship

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  Useful links

  • Luton Town team page

  • Blackburn Rovers team page

  • Live soccer on TV in the U.S.