Meetings with Chelsea have provided Manchester City with a measuring stick over the past 12 months.

In June 2020, at Stamford Bridge, City's 2-1 defeat handed the Premier League title to Liverpool, ending Pep Guardiola's two-season stay at the summit.

When City then returned to the same stadium in January, facing Chelsea for the first time in 2020-21, they rediscovered their mojo.

It was the fourth match in a sequence of 21 straight wins in all competitions and arguably the pick of the bunch.

Slick City, missing a host of stars due to COVID-19, swept Chelsea aside in a 3-1 win as Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne all scored. They left London in fifth but firmly back on track.

It has since looked as though that might be a defining display in a historic quadruple achievement. City, like Chelsea, reached the Champions League semi-finals this week. They are already clear at the top of the league table and have an EFL Cup final Wembley date with Tottenham next weekend.

But in the FA Cup, the fourth competition, City were tasked with again taking on Chelsea, an entirely different prospect now Thomas Tuchel has replaced Frank Lampard and fortified the Blues.

And Saturday's semi-final saw City finally come unstuck as Chelsea claimed a superb 1-0 success.

Blues a different beast

The improvement in Chelsea from January's match to this game was evident even in a first half in which they managed only two legal shots.

All three of City's goals had come in the opening 45 minutes last time, tearing through Lampard's men at will. They were now limited to three first-half efforts of their own worth a combined 0.1 expected goals. Parity suited Tuchel, who could not allow De Bruyne to dictate once more.

At the other end, a portender for City's later downfall appeared in the 'offsides' column, for the Premier League leaders were warned long before Hakim Ziyech's 55th-minute breakthrough.

With just six minutes on the clock, Timo Werner advanced up the left and the flag stayed down. The forward played a low, square ball, which City could not cut out, and Ziyech scored. Then the flag went up. A let off.

When Werner exploited the same space 10 minutes after the interval, set clear by a gorgeous Mason Mount pass, goalkeeper Zack Steffen decided to act.

Seemingly unimpressed by the way with which a usually sturdy City defence had allowed Werner to centre and Ziyech to finish on the first occasion, Steffen advanced and fared no better than his team-mates. The United States international failed to narrow the angle and simply granted Ziyech an open goal when Werner made his pass again.

KDB blow for treble bid

Mount moved uneasily as he was replaced 15 minutes later, but the damage was done. City had already lost De Bruyne - who completed only 10 passes in the Chelsea half - to an ankle complaint at the start of the second half. That setback could have implications far beyond this encounter.

Steffen twice saved City, blocking from Ziyech and reaching a tame Werner prod, and De Bruyne's replacement Foden sought to muster up more magic.

Momentum swung but the scoreline did not. Ruben Dias headed over from close range and Raheem Sterling blasted beyond the crossbar.

Although the flag was raised again to deny Chelsea a second in stoppage time - Christian Pulisic, on for Mount, frustrated - the Blues battled, blocked and bellowed their way across the finish line.

Tuchel five times faced Guardiola in Germany and failed to end on the winning side. Boosted by spirit in defence and speed in the form of the much-maligned Werner, he finally found the formula.

The Chelsea coach will get another go at Guardiola in the league on May 8, a third meeting this season hot on the heels of the sides' respective Champions League semis. They will know by then if there is to be a further part to this epic in a European final - hopefully, for City's sake, with De Bruyne back involved in Istanbul.

Should Guardiola's men win that prize, the most precious of all, it could clinch a tremendous treble, but FA Cup glory is not on the agenda this season.

"We never speak about the four titles," the City manager said in midweek. "One game at a time."

The next game ensured nobody outside the club could speak about that clean sweep either - at least for another year.

Trent Boult and Rahul Chahar took three wickets apiece as Mumbai Indians claimed their second victory of the 2021 Indian Premier League against winless Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Mumbai posted a modest 150-5 from their allocation on Saturday with the total boosted largely to some valuable late-order hitting from Kieron Pollard.

Jonny Bairstow (43 off 22) laid a solid platform for Hyderabad's reply with an aggressive knock alongside the more cautious David Warner (36 off 34).

But both men departed to soft dismissals before India leg-spinner Rahul (3-19) stifled the middle order and Boult (3-28) blew away the tail as Hyderabad were bowled out for 137.

Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma (32) and fellow opener Quinton de Kock (40) made good use of the powerplay after they had elected to bat first as they picked up length well, punishing anything short, on a slow pitch in Chennai.

Mumbai's innings stuttered in the middle overs as Vijay Shankar (2-19) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-29) put the brakes on before Pollard (35 not out) whacked 16 crucial runs off the last over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Boult and Jasprit Bumrah initially made life tough for Hyderabad before Bairstow exploded in with a brutal assault, striking three fours and four sixes before he stepped on his stumps trying to work a ball from Krunal Pandya.

Hyderabad skipper Warner was then run out and Rahul's leggies swung the momentum Mumbai's way with three wickets before Boult and Bumrah (1-14) proved formidable at the death.

The victory took Mumbai top of the table, until Sunday at least, while Hyderabad are languishing at the bottom.

Sunrisers need more from Bairstow and Warner

In the third over of their reply, England's Bairstow launched a towering six off Boult straight down the ground which shattered the glass on a drinks fridge next to the Sunrisers' dugout.

His 43 off 22 balls got Hyderabad's reply off to a great start while Australian Warner played a more methodical innings to put his side within striking distance.

Both openers, however, were out to soft dismissals – Warner made a daft call for a single while Bairstow was out hit wicket – and the pair need to place greater value on their wickets.

Boult and Bumrah masterful 

Rahul caught the eye with his with his leg spin as he removed the top-six wickets of Manish Pandey, Virat Singh and Abhishek Sharma.

But at the business end of the game New Zealand left-armer Boult and India paceman Bumrah, who did not concede a single boundary, gave an exhibition in how to bowl at the death to snuff out any lingering Hyderabad's hopes.

That was backed up by some superb fielding from Hardik Pandya, who prowled the infield sharply and claimed two run outs including Warner.

Hakim Ziyech sent Chelsea into the FA Cup final for the fourth time in five seasons by securing a 1-0 victory over Manchester City, who lost Kevin De Bruyne to injury.

After finishing as runners-up to Arsenal last season, Chelsea have a chance to go one better thanks to Ziyech's 55th-minute strike against the Premier League leaders at Wembley on Saturday.

His goal arrived just seven minutes after De Bruyne went off with an ankle issue – a concern for Pep Guardiola with the EFL Cup final and first leg of City's Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain to come this month.

Ziyech was unable to beat Zack Steffen and get a second before the hour mark, but one goal was enough for Chelsea to finally beat City at the new Wembley at the fourth attempt.

From the early stages both teams appeared eager to try to exploit the counter-attack, but Chelsea looked the more dangerous in those situations.

Ziyech had a goal chalked off inside six minutes because Timo Werner was offside in the build-up, while Ben Chilwell scuffed a volley wide from a brilliant Reece James cross.

James failed to work Steffen with an effort of his own, meaning Gabriel Jesus' hopeful 20-yard effort that was caught by Kepa Arrizabalaga was the first half's only shot on target.

De Bruyne appeared to get hurt after tangling with N'Golo Kante three minutes after half-time and was replaced by Phil Foden.

Matters deteriorated for City in the 55th minute, when Mason Mount released Werner and he squared for Ziyech to steer the ball into an empty net.

A terrific, raking pass from Chilwell gave Ziyech a chance to double his tally four minutes later but Steffen stayed big to keep him at bay.

Chelsea lost Thiago Silva to a back injury late on but they saw out the victory comfortably, even with Christian Pulisic's stoppage-time strike being correctly chalked off for offside.

What does it mean? City's quadruple hopes over

Guardiola has long insisted that winning the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and Champions League in the same season is not possible.

In a season with increased fixture congestion due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is impressive that City still had a chance to complete the feat in April.

However, Guardiola was beaten by Thomas Tuchel for the first time in their sixth managerial meeting and suffered an FA Cup semi-final defeat for the second straight season.

Ziyech makes the difference

It was at times tough to watch with both teams looking to do damage in transition, but Ziyech was more threatening than anyone when the chance to run in behind arose. He was in the right place to score the winner and on another day could have had a hat-trick.

De Bruyne blow

City remain in the hunt for trophies on three fronts this season but may be set for a period without midfield talisman De Bruyne after he appeared to sustain an ankle injury. He created two chances in just 48 minutes on the pitch and City missed his midfield mastery.

What's next?

Leicester City or Southampton will face Chelsea in the final in May. More immediately, the Blues take on Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Tuesday, with City travelling to Aston Villa the day after.

Hansi Flick has ended weeks of speculation over his Bayern Munich future by confirming he wishes to leave the club at the end of this season.

After taking over from Niko Kovac in November 2019, the 56-year-old led the Bavarians to a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble in his first campaign in charge.

He added a UEFA Super Cup, DFL-Supercup and the Club World Cup this term, with another top-flight title also looking likely after Bayern opened up a seven-point lead on Saturday.

However, it has recently been reported that Flick was considering his future and, speaking after a 3-2 win over Wolfsburg, the German coach revealed he will depart at the end of the season.

That means one of the biggest jobs in European football is about to become available - so who is in the running to step into the role?

Julian Nagelsmann

One of the most well-regarded young coaches in Europe, Julian Nagelsmann has long been admired by the decision-makers at Bayern Munich.

With speculation mounting over Flick earlier this week, the 33-year-old was forced to deny that discussions with the Bavarians had already begun.

"There have been no talks and we are currently in no talks," he said.

It has been previously reported that RB Leipzig would demand €15-20m to release their head coach from his contract.

But Bayern could well view that as a snip for a manager who has long been touted for the top job in German football and has previously attracted interest from Real Madrid.

Jurgen Klopp

The last manager to deny Bayern the Bundesliga title, Jurgen Klopp is another man who Die Roten have made no secret of their desire to appoint one day.

Despite his ties with Borussia Dortmund, the 53-year-old has never publicly declared that he would not make the move to Munich at some point in his career.

He has, however, recently signalled his intention to see out the remainder of his contract at Liverpool.

Amid links to the soon-to-be-vacant Germany job, Klopp said: "You sign a contract and you normally try to stick to that contract, don't you?"

Ralf Rangnick

Schalke, Eintracht Frankfurt, the German national team - nobody seems to know where Ralf Rangnick might go next. 

Out of work since leaving a role with Red Bull last year, the German's appointment would not require any costly negotiations with a rival.

And, while he might represent a slightly left-field choice to be the new Bayern boss, nobody can doubt his coaching credentials.

So many of the managers the Munich club covet have been influenced by Rangnick, so why not go for the original?

Joachim Low

Flick's imminent availability comes amid strong links with the role of head coach for the German national team.

That vacancy has come up as a result of Joachim Low revealing that he will bring a 15-year stint in the job to a close after the European Championship.

So, could the 61-year-old take on his first job in club management since he took charge of Austria Wien for the 2003-04 season?

Low's only trophy in German football came when he led Stuttgart to the DFB-Pokal in 1997, but his CV is certainly enhanced by that World Cup win in 2014.

Miroslav Klose

Having enjoyed remarkable success since Flick stepped up from his role as assistant to Kovac, Bayern could choose to go down a similar route following his departure by appointing Miroslav Klose.

The Germany legend moved up from his role as U17s coach over the summer to become second in command for the first team and might be a surprise choice for another promotion at the end of the season.

The 42-year-old is popular with supporters, though his lack of experience might count against him given the quality of the other candidates.

Still, if Bayern value continuity above all else in their search for a Flick replacement, don't count Klose out.

Hansi Flick says the Germany job is something he will consider if approached after announcing his decision to leave Bayern Munich, but he has denied already holding talks with German Football Association (DFB) chiefs over succeeding Joachim Low.

The 56-year-old ended recent speculation over his future on Saturday by revealing in a television interview he has asked Bayern to terminate his contract, which has another two years to run, at the end of the campaign.

He has been strongly tipped to take over as Germany's next head coach when Low, who he previously worked alongside as assistant for Die Mannschaft, steps down after this year's delayed Euro 2020 tournament.

Flick has previously hinted he would welcome the chance to manage the four-time world champions, though he insisted there have been no discussions with DFB national team director Oliver Bierhoff.

"Of course the DFB is an option that every coach has to consider," he told Sky Sport Germany. "But for me the last few weeks have not been easy.

"I was in the process of informing the club and my team, which was very important. There's nothing more to say on that."

Asked if he already has another positioned lined up, Flick said: "No, my future is not clear. I haven't held talks yet [with Bierhoff] because we had an important phase here with the Champions League and the Bundesliga."

Flick replaced Niko Kovac in November 2019 and won a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble in his first season at the Allianz Arena, which Bayern have added to with three more major trophies this campaign, with another Bundesliga possibly to follow.

However, there have been suggestions of a strained relationship behind the scenes between Flick and Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, a rift allegedly triggered by the club's decision not to offer Jerome Boateng a new contract.

"My reasons for wanting to leave is something discussed internally and something that will remain internal," Flick said. "We've done a great job here for almost two years. I'm impressed with this team, their quality and their attitude."

Flick's announcement came on the back of Bayern's 3-2 win over Wolfsburg, which moved the reigning Bundesliga champions seven points clear of RB Leipzig with five games to play.

The former Hoffenheim boss informed his players earlier in the week and captain Manuel Neuer respects the decision.

"The reasons don't matter to us," he told Sky Sport Germany. "It was emotional for all of us because we had such a successful time together. It was particularly important for him to inform us personally."

Thomas Muller, another key member of Bayern's hugely successful 17-month spell under Flick, added: "He didn't give us the exact reasons, and he didn't have to. 

"He left a lot of energy in the intense past year and a half. To be a coach at Bayern, you need thick skin. The expectations are very high and you always have to stand by your team."

Manchester City talisman Kevin De Bruyne was substituted shortly after half-time in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea with an apparent ankle complaint.

De Bruyne, keeping his place from the midweek Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund despite eight City changes, appeared to tweak his ankle in a tussle with N'Golo Kante.

The midfielder was quickly replaced by Phil Foden, the match-winner in Germany, as City take no risks ahead of a key stretch in the season.

Pep Guardiola's side are still chasing silverware on four fronts, bidding to reach the FA Cup final ahead of next week's EFL Cup showpiece against Tottenham.

They are in pole position for the Premier League and into the last four of the Champions League.

Only Thomas Muller (18) has more assists than De Bruyne (16) in all competitions this season among all players in Europe's 'top five' leagues.

He ranks fifth for chances created (101) and has also scored eight times.

Andrey Rublev reflected on an "amazing feeling" as he booked a Monte Carlo Masters final appearance against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The Russian has had a remarkable week at the Masters 1000 event that included a stunning win over 11-time champion Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.

Rublev continued his fine run with a 6-3 7-5 win over Casper Ruud on Saturday to ensure he will do battle against Tsitsipas in his first final at this level.

Tsitsipas comfortably saw off Dan Evans – who had beaten Novak Djokovic earlier in the tournament – winning his semi-final 6-2 6-1.

Rublev had 21 winners in his 80-minute victory over Ruud and has a record of 24-4 this season, the ATP Tour's best.

"It is an amazing feeling - it is my first [Masters] final, so I am really happy," said Rublev. 

"We will see what is going to happen [in the final]. I will try to do my best.

"Casper is a really amazing player, especially on clay. Since the beginning he put a really high intensity [on the court] and was really tough. 

"I knew that I needed to raise my level if I wanted to fight against him, because if I [did] not raise the level I [would] lose for sure."

Rublev defeated Tsitsipas in straight sets on his way to winning an ATP 500 title in Rotterdam last month.

Six of his eight ATP titles have come since the start of last year.

It took Tsitsipas, who has not won a tournament for 14 months, only one hour and nine minutes to see off the challenge of Evans, forcing 11 break points to the Briton's one.

"I am indeed pleased with the performance," Tsitsipas said, with the Greek yet to drop a set in Monte Carlo.

"I found ways to play at my best. It was really difficult to maintain my level of consistency and I am really happy I managed to deal with all the different moments during the match.

"I'm feeling good. I'm feeling energised. I still have plenty of gas and energy left in me. I was able to have all of my matches done in two sets, so that is a big plus. 

"I am happy to be able to play that way, just take it match by match, approach each individual match with the same intensity and energy - I'm really focused for Sunday."

Rublev has won three of his six career meetings with Tsitsipas and one of their two battles on clay.

Tsitsipas will be competing in his third Masters final, having lost to Nadal and Djokovic in his two previous appearances, the last of which came two years ago in Madrid.

Overall, Tsitsipas has won just five of his 13 ATP finals.

Hansi Flick has confirmed he wants to step down as Bayern Munich boss at the end of the season.

Hansi Flick has confirmed he wants to step down as Bayern Munich boss at the end of the season.

Flick has been tipped to take over as Germany coach when Joachim Low leaves his post following this year's European Championship.

Having previously worked as assistant to Niko Kovac, Flick took sole charge of the Bavarian giants following the Croatian's sacking in November 2019.

He subsequently led them to a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble, earning a new contract that ran until 2023 in the process.

However, after weeks of speculation, Flick has now revealed that he wishes to depart at the end of the season.

"I told the team today that I would like to get out of my contract this summer," he told Sky following a 3-2 win over Wolfsburg on Saturday.

"I already told those responsible after the Champions League elimination [against Paris Saint-Germain] during the week. I wanted to tell the team personally.

"I also want to thank the club that gave me the opportunity to train this team."

Flick served as an assistant to Low in the Germany set-up from 2006 until 2014.

It has been suggested the 56-year-old would jump at the chance to replace Low following a difficult year at the Allianz Arena.

Although Bayern remain on track to retain their Bundesliga title, they were dumped out of the DFB-Pokal by second-tier Holstein Kiel in January.

The defence of their Champions League crown ended on Tuesday, with a 1-0 victory over PSG sending them out on away goals after losing the first leg of the quarter-final tie 3-2.

Reports of clashes between Flick and the club's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic are also thought to have expedited the coach's departure.

Bayern Munich brushed off the disappointment of a midweek Champions League exit to stretch their lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a 3-2 win against Wolfsburg.

Two first-half goals from Jamal Musiala - which came either side of an Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting tap-in - put Hansi Flick's side in control at the Volkswagen Arena.

Despite Wout Weghorst and Maximilian Philipp getting on the scoresheet for the hosts, Bayern were able to see out the win.

It extends their advantage over second-placed RB Leipzig in the title race to seven points, with five rounds of games remaining.

The two sides here traded early chances in an exciting start, with Choupo-Moting stinging the palms of Koen Casteels from distance before Manuel Neuer brilliantly kept out a Ridle Baku effort that was dribbling goalwards.

An open game was always going to suit the visitors more, and they took the lead with just 15 minutes gone as Musiala collected a loose ball in the box and dribbled inside before a powerful effort was deflected home.

If Wolfsburg goalkeeper Casteels was maybe unlucky with that one, he had no excuse for Bayern's second, which came about when he dropped a seemingly harmless David Alaba cross at the feet of Choupo-Moting, who couldn't miss from close range.

It looked like Bayern might rue two misses from Leroy Sane in the aftermath of that goal, particularly as Weghorst finished calmly into the far corner after Wolfsburg pinched possession high up the pitch.

But Musiala quickly restored the two-goal advantage with a brilliant, looping header back across goal from Thomas Muller's right-wing cross to make it 3-1 at half-time.

The 18-year-old almost had a hat-trick shortly after the restart but could not get enough power on an effort that was cleared off the line by Maxence Lacroix.

Wolfsburg made the most of that escape by almost immediately moving within a goal of Bayern, Philipp sidefooting home a delicious cross from the left-hand side.

The hosts would have hoped to use that goal as a springboard to a rewarding comeback, but they were unable to build sustained pressure across the remaining half-hour as the league leaders held on for an important three points.

What does it mean? Bayern in the hotseat

Bayern were bitterly disappointed to see the defence of their Champions League title ended by PSG in midweek but it now looks increasingly likely that they will add a familiar piece of silverware to their collection this season.

The absence of any European distractions will surely only aid the champions in a title race they are already controlling.

Musiala gives Flick regrets

As he reflects on that Champions League exit at the hands of PSG, Bayern boss Flick might wonder whether he should have made more use of Musiala as he looked to make up for the loss of Robert Lewandowski's goal threat.

The teenager only featured in the second leg - and even then as a late substitute - but showed his nose for goal here in scoring twice from three shots to make it three goals in his last two Bundesliga outings.

Casteels blunders

Any Bundesliga team hoping to get one over on Bayern simply cannot afford to give goals away, but that is exactly what Wolfsburg's goalkeeper did here to help the visitors into a two-goal lead.

He was otherwise solid, ending the match with five saves to his name, but his erratic first-half display ultimately proved the difference between the sides.

What's next?

Bayern are back in Bundesliga action on Tuesday when they face Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena. Wolfsburg, meanwhile, will continue their Champions League 2021-22 chase at home to mid-table Stuttgart on Wednesday.

Zinedine Zidane joked he has not been a coaching "disaster" for Real Madrid and is not fretting about his contract situation.

Across his two spells in charge of Madrid, Zidane has led the club to 11 trophies. They remain in the hunt for glory in LaLiga and the Champions League this season.

The Frenchman's deal is set to expire in June 2022 and he has often shied away from confirming his long-term commitment to Los Blancos.

Club president Florentino Perez was this week re-elected for a fifth straight term running until 2025, but Zidane was guarded when asked he if could remain for the same period.

"I'm delighted that he's continuing on as president, but I'm not looking any further ahead than tomorrow's game," Zidane said at a news conference to preview Sunday's LaLiga meeting with Getafe.

"Nobody knows what'll happen later, so we just have to focus on the day to day.

"You can have a four- or five-year contract and leave tomorrow, or you can have a one-year contract and stay longer. That doesn't mean anything."

Zidane averages a trophy every 16 games with Madrid, but his detractors suggest his success is largely down to inheriting an incredibly strong squad.

"It's true that I'm lucky enough to coach this team and to be at this great club. I don't think that I'm an awful coach, but I'm sure that I'm not the best around," joked Zidane.

"I enjoy what I do and the important thing is that you're passionate about the things you enjoy.

"I know where I am and the important thing is that you always give your best. That's what me and my players, who are the most important ones, do.

"I'd like to talk more about football, but it's as if people are more interested in talking about other things. I think that it's better that we talk about football because I know that you all enjoy talking about football.

"I am happy, but I am just focusing on tomorrow's game. I never look into the future."

With Eden Hazard and Dani Carvajal having suffered setbacks in their returns from injury and Ferland Mendy out with a muscle issue, Zidane only named 16 players for the trip to the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

However, Madrid are on a 10-game unbeaten away run in LaLiga and Getafe have not won a home game against them since August 2012, losing five of the most recent six such meetings.

The last time Madrid went on a longer undefeated away streak in the top flight was in 2017, during Zidane's first spell in charge.

LaLiga's reigning champions moved into second by defeating Barcelona in El Clasico last weekend, with Atletico Madrid just one point ahead of them at the summit.

Despite having some key absentees against Getafe, Zidane believes he and his team have what it takes to get a positive result.

"My biggest strength in this role is that I enjoy myself every day and I've got a team that works really hard and is always hungry for more, despite having already won so much," said Zidane.

"We're going to keep battling and working because we also known how to dig in and that's something you have to do if you're going to win games. The result of our work is that it allows you to achieve something really special.

"The players believe in what they do and the challenges make us stronger. I'm really proud of that and that they're always hungry for more.

"Seeing my players so focused on everything we do fills me with joy. They're ready and we need to recover. Recovery is all about the small details to make sure you're ready when the games come round."

Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Juventus' Serie A clash with Atalanta on Sunday because of a thigh problem as head coach Andrea Pirlo blamed the player's workload.

The Portugal forward has been struggling with the injury sustained in Juve's 3-1 win over Genoa last Sunday and has not taken a full part in training this week, with Paulo Dybala set to start instead.

Juventus have drawn all three of the Serie A games Ronaldo has missed in this campaign, scoring just three goals in the process.

In the league fixtures where Ronaldo has played a part this season, Juve have a win percentage of 66.7 per cent from 27 games (18 wins, five draws and four losses) and have scored an average of 2.1 goals per game.

Pirlo lamented Ronaldo's absence and acknowledged the number of games the 36-year-old has played for club and country in a short timeframe have taken a toll on his fitness.

"Ronaldo will not be in for the match tomorrow," Pirlo said at a media conference on Saturday.

"In recent days he has not been able to recover from the flexor problem after last Sunday's game, he does not feel able to push it and would have risked it too much. 

"We have decided to leave him at rest and we will try to recover him for Wednesday's match [against Parma]. This problem arose already on Monday after the game. He tried and went out with the team [in training] but couldn't push as he wanted.

"It was too risky to push it. The many matches, even those with the national team, influenced him and so many games did not allow him to recover.

"He has always been in good condition, then the matches in the national team accumulated. He too told me that he shouldn't have played the third game, but then that goal [against Serbia] was cancelled and they didn't get six points. 

"They forced him to play the third as well, otherwise he would have returned to Juventus before the third."

Atalanta’s last win against Juventus in Serie A came back in February 2001 and since then the Bianconeri have won 24 of the 32 league games between the two sides, drawing eight.

However, Juve have won only one of their last six games against Atalanta (D4 L1) when all competitions are taking into account, getting that victory in November 2019 in Bergamo.

Defending champions Juve are third in Serie A heading into Sunday's games – sitting 12 points behind leaders Inter, and a point ahead of Atalanta in fourth.

Pirlo added: "We have focused ourselves on a new goal, which is not the one suitable for Juventus who have always fought to win the championship.

"But unfortunately the points are a bit distant and the goal must be to finish the season well and reach the final goal [of Champions League qualification].

"We have worked well during the week knowing that Atalanta are a team with particular characteristics.

"They play a different football than the other teams and therefore we tried moves to counter their fierce pressure. We worked intensely during the week and I'm happy and confident for the game."

Lewis Hamilton was shocked to claim his first Formula One pole position in four races as both Red Bull drivers rued missing out by the narrowest of margins.

Mercedes driver Hamilton took pole in qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix by just 0.035 seconds over Sergio Perez, with Max Verstappen just 0.087s back in third.

Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari at Imola, with Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas struggling to eighth place.

That may give Red Bull a strategic advantage for the race, especially with their cars on split strategies as Perez will start on soft tyres while Hamilton and Verstappen will be on mediums.

Still, Hamilton was thrilled to emerge on pole, which came as a surprise to him after Red Bull's pace this weekend and the fact he did not improve on his first flying lap on Q3.

"It has been great," said Hamilton, who impressively won the first race of 2021 in Bahrain despite Red Bull appearing to have a pace advantage.

"I definitely didn't expect us to be ahead of two Red Bulls.

"They have been so quick this weekend, six tenths ahead at times, but the car was already feeling better from the beginning this weekend.

"Respect to the team for their hard work to narrow down the window [to Red Bull].

"I'm so happy because the first lap was really nice, really clean. The second had some improvements but overall wasn't as good as the first.

"I came around the last corner and heard that I got the pole and was super grateful."

The first qualifying session was halted with a red flag after a crash for Yuki Tsunoda, a session Bottas topped as both Williams cars progressed.

Perez – on his soft tyres – emerged at the top of the timesheets in a Q2 session that saw Carlos Sainz, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso among the eliminated drivers.

A dramatic Q3 then saw Hamilton just hold on to his lead set after the first runs. 

Lando Norris thought he had put his McLaren on the front row, only to discover he had exceeded track limits, meaning he settled for seventh behind Pierre Gasly and team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Perez thanked his team after claiming second but felt he should have had pole.

The Mexican said: "Well done to the team. I made a mistake on Friday and made them the team work hard so it is a good recovery.

"The most important thing is we showed progress. I never expected to be here after where we were on Friday but we have been improving.

"It is P2, but I should've been on pole – I made a mistake on the final corner.

"Everything is positive and we have to make sure we keep progressing and Sunday is when it matters.

"Anything can happen – a different [tyre] strategy to Lewis and Max. It will be interesting to see what we can do. The important thing is we get those points and that learning which is the priority."

Verstappen had claimed the last pole of 2020 and the first pole of this season, while Bottas had started at the front in the penultimate race of last year. 

World champion Hamilton ended his wait for pole here, but Verstappen is eager to make life difficult to him.

The Dutchman said: "Not so good in Q3. I went off at turn three, so a bit messy, just not a good lap.

"You can't be good every time, so we'll see what went wrong – but it was definitely not the easiest in Q3. 

"It's still P3, which is a good starting position. It's going to be interesting. We have the two cars on the different tyres and we will try to make it difficult for them."

A 99th career pole position for Hamilton saw him make Imola the 30th circuit where he has topped the qualifying timesheet.
 

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:14.411
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.035s
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.087s
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.329s
5. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) +0.379s
6. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) +0.415s
7. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.464s
8. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) +0.487s
9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +0.799s
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) no time set