Manchester City took a huge stride towards the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-0 win over Pep Guardiola's former club Bayern Munich in Tuesday's last-eight first leg.

An intense Etihad Stadium encounter pitted Guardiola against Bayern for the first time since leaving Germany, and he comfortably got the better of old foe Thomas Tuchel, whose Chelsea beat City in the 2021 final.

Rodri's spectacular first Champions League strike gave City the edge at half-time, before Bernardo Silva added the second as pressure ramped up on the Bayern goal heading into the final 20 minutes, and Erling Haaland's 45th goal of the season – an outright record for a Premier League player – soon followed.

Guardiola and City have let slip all manner of leads in this competition against weaker opposition than Bayern, but they were rampant by full-time and head into the return match with full command of the tie.

The breakthrough goal came after 27 minutes as Rodri evaded pressure from Jamal Musiala by chopping onto his left foot 25 yards from goal before curling high past Yann Sommer, and City went in pursuit of a swift second.

Both Dayot Upamecano and Sommer failed to deal with a cross from the City right, with the goalkeeper merely helping it into the path of Ilkay Gundogan but responding with an instinctive save.

Although Leroy Sane led a response as his shot wide before half-time was followed by three on target following the restart – the best of them drawing a low stop from Ederson – the mix-ups in the Bayern back line only increased in number as the match wore on.

Sommer saved from Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias in quick succession but failed to get enough on Silva's header after Upamecano had gifted the ball to Jack Grealish to set in motion the City attack.

Another stop from Julian Alvarez looked to have kept Bayern in the tie, yet Haaland got his goal from a John Stones knockdown to leave the Bundesliga giants an almighty task back in Germany.

Luciano Spalletti promised Napoli can beat Milan without Victor Osimhen as he told his team to "enjoy every moment" of the club's maiden Champions League quarter-final.

The first leg at San Siro takes place on Wednesday, just 10 days after Napoli suffered an unexpected 4-0 trouncing at home against Milan in Serie A.

That result came almost out of the blue, with Napoli streaking away at the top of the league, where they now hold a 16-point lead over second-placed Lazio as a first Scudetto since 1990 looms.

Osimhen, their 25-goal striker, has not played for Napoli since before the recent international break due to an abductor muscle injury sustained on Nigeria duty.

He missed the Milan game in the league, from which Napoli bounced back with a 2-1 win over Lecce on Friday, and it remains to be seen whether Osimhen returns for the April 18 home leg against the Rossoneri.

"We have won very important games without Osimhen," Spalletti said. "I expect all my players will rely on their team-mates and their own qualities and abilities so that the most brilliant tactics come out."

Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo agreed with coach Spalletti, saying: "We feel OK even if Osimhen isn't there tomorrow.

"He's a fundamental player, but we can't rely on him. We will have to face this battle with the players who are available. We will have to take any chances possible."

Napoli headed into this week as the competition's top scorers with 25 goals, with their average of 3.1 goals per game the fifth-best in a single campaign – after Bayern Munich in 2019-20 (3.9), Paris Saint-Germain in 2017-18 (3.4), Real Madrid in 2013-14 (3.2) and Liverpool in 2017-18 (3.2).

It is not only Osimhen who has been scoring for them in Europe either, with his haul of four goals in the Champions League matched by team-mates Piotr Zielinski, Giovanni Simeone and Giacomo Raspadori.

The last Italian team to have as many different players scoring four or more goals in a single edition of the Champions League were 2002-03 finalists Juventus (Del Piero, Nedved, Di Vaio and Trezeguet), so that may bode well.

"We need to have fun. We can't go to the pitch and be afraid," Spalletti said in a pre-match press conference.

"We need to take this chance, enjoy the game, enjoy every moment, even tonight. We're going to have dinner, and we need to enjoy dinner, and after dinner, we need to enjoy those hours before we go to sleep. They have to enjoy every single moment and this will be satisfying as well.

"This expression I use – Christmas Eve – for games like this is part of the idea a match has to be enjoyed in every single moment."

The Milan game from April 2 is one Spalletti says his players can forget about.

"Champions do not regret when they fail," he said. "They just recover, they just stand up again, and this team is made of champions.

"We are about to play a match that could represent a turning point in our future. We are aware of this fact, and we are ready for it."

Julian Brandt believes he can achieve "something big" with Borussia Dortmund after ignoring interest from elsewhere to sign a new three-year contract.

The Germany international has shone in his attacking midfield role for BVB this term, playing a huge role in a title challenge that could go to the wire.

Brandt, who turns 27 in May, signed his latest contract on Tuesday, quashing the prospect of him being able to leave on a free transfer at the end of next season.

Liverpool and Arsenal are among the teams who have been linked with Brandt in recent weeks, and that comes as little surprise considering his strong campaign.

Only three midfielders in the Bundesliga have created more chances this season that Brandt's 57, which puts him 30 ahead of his nearest midfield club colleague, Jude Bellingham (27).

Brandt has eight goals and four assists in the league, with his 12 goal involvements also setting the benchmark for Dortmund's midfielders, putting him two ahead of Marco Reus and four clear of Bellingham.

He has played 164 passes, including crosses, into the opposition box, far and away the most of any Dortmund player, with his threat from the flanks making him a valuable asset.

Considering he has played 931 passes in all, more than one in six of those on average have gone into the penalty area (18 per cent).

With uncertainty lingering over Bellingham's future, as clubs look closely at the England international, Dortmund made sure to tie up former Bayer Leverkusen star Brandt to new terms.

Brandt said: "Even after four years, I still have a lot of fun every single day being part of precisely this team, being on the pitch with these lads and playing football for this highly emotional club with its extraordinary fans.

"In honesty, the feeling of being in the right place at the right time has always been the most important point of my sporting life. And that won't change either. I'm looking forward to the coming years in black and yellow and I'm sure that we'll have the opportunity to celebrate something big together."

Dortmund announced the extension on their website, describing it as "a core element of the medium-term squad planning", with sporting director Sebastian Kehl saying Brandt has "undergone another enormous development in the last year, is significantly more focused in his play off the ball, regularly sets up goals and shines himself as a goalscorer".

Milan coach Stefano Pioli is embracing his team's history of fulfilling their dreams as they prepare to face Napoli in the Champions League quarter-finals as underdogs.

With Napoli running away with the Serie A title, sitting 16 points clear already, Milan are generally considered outsiders for their upcoming Champions League duel.

But Milan beat Napoli 4-0 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as recently as April 2 in a major shock, and the Partenopei will once again be without talismanic striker Victor Osimhen.

Milan not being favourites is no issue for Pioli, however, as he pointed to their Scudetto success last season as being somewhat out of the ordinary.

Asked what he was expecting from Wednesday's contest at San Siro, Pioli told reporters: "I think we'll see balance.

"It's the first of two matches. It's impossible to repeat matches from in the league – we know we have to play a great game.

"We have to play a great game because the opponents require a great level of play. Napoli are the team with the best attack in the Champions League and who have won the most games after Bayern. They are a very strong team, they have great quality.

"We also need to be attentive. Napoli have great quality and know how to take advantage of every mistake.

"Serie A is another story. I think we have every chance to play and do well in the two games. With the power of our dreams we won the Scudetto last year, so dreaming is good for us."

The absence of Osimhen is a particularly significant boost for Milan, given Napoli had expected him to be fit again for the first leg after sustaining an abductor injury on international duty.

Osimhen has been a huge factor in Napoli's remarkable charge at the top of the Serie A table, with Luciano Spalletti's men closing in on a first Scudetto since 1990.

Osimhen has scored 25 times across all competitions, with none of those goals coming from the penalty spot – among players from the top five leagues, only Erling Haaland (38), Kylian Mbappe (28), Marcus Rashford (27) and Robert Lewandowski (26) have netted more non-penalty goals than the Nigerian.

Nevertheless, the defeat to Milan earlier this month was the only match Napoli have failed to win out of nine without Osimhen this term, and this was not lost on Pioli.

"We're talking about a great centre-forward, he's scored repeatedly both in the league and in the Champions League [but], up until the match against us, Napoli had always won without Osimhen," Pioli told Sky Sport Italia.

"We're talking about a great team that has all the qualities to be fearsome."

He added: "The preparation has always been the same. With Osimhen, Napoli are stronger in depth, without him a little less. We keep everything in consideration, but we go ahead with our own concepts."

Victor Osimhen has been ruled out of Napoli's Champions League trip to Milan on Wednesday in a massive blow to the Partenopei.

The striker has not played for the runaway Serie A leaders since before the recent international break due to an abductor muscle injury sustained on Nigeria duty.

In their first match without him, Napoli were thrashed 4-0 at home by Milan in the league on April 2, before bouncing back with a 2-1 win over Lecce on Friday.

It was hoped he would be fit in time for the Champions League quarter-final first leg against the Rossoneri, with Napoli in uncharted territory so deep into the competition.

But now it seems the club are targeting the second leg next Tuesday for his return.

"Victor is not in a position to play, unfortunately," club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is quoted as saying by La Repubblica.

"We hope to have him back as soon as possible on the 18th at the [Stadio Diego Armando] Maradona."

Osimhen has been a huge factor in Napoli's remarkable charge at the top of the Serie A table, with Luciano Spalletti's men closing in on a first Scudetto since 1990.

Napoli are 16 points clear at the summit with nine matches left, and they are into the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time ever.

Osimhen has scored 25 times across all competitions, with none of those goals coming from the penalty spot.

Among players from the top five leagues, only Erling Haaland (38), Kylian Mbappe (28), Marcus Rashford (27) and Robert Lewandowski (26) have netted more non-penalty goals than the Super Eagles talisman.

Champions League holders Real Madrid resume their European campaign on Wednesday as they once again go up against English opposition in Chelsea.

Now with Frank Lampard in charge again, Chelsea realistically need to win the Champions League just to qualify for it next season, with the Blues languishing 11th in the Premier League.

But after brushing Liverpool aside in ruthless fashion in the last round, Madrid will be massive favourites in the eyes of most people.

Wednesday's other Champions League duel is almost as intriguing. Serie A rivals Milan and Napoli will tussle in San Siro, with any of the four teams in that side of the draw likely fancying their chances of reaching the final.

Ahead of two potentially engrossing matches, Stats Perform picks out the best Opta pre-game facts.

Real Madrid v Chelsea: Benzema out to continue dominance of Premier League opposition

This season has been perceived as an underwhelming one for Karim Benzema in some respects, with injuries disrupting him – particularly ahead of the World Cup.

But since Qatar 2022, the only player across the top five leagues to register more goal involvements in all competitions than Benzema (24) is Manchester United's Marcus Rashford (25), and the Frenchman has been especially lethal in recent weeks.

He scored hat-tricks in each of his first two games this month and was sensational in Madrid's 6-2 aggregate defeat of Liverpool in the previous round, scoring three times over the two legs.

That haul means each of his last 10 goals in the Champions League have been against English clubs (in order: x4 Chelsea, x3 Manchester City, x3 Liverpool), which is already the longest such streak against clubs from a single nation by one player.

Benzema's form and Chelsea's rather unimpressive current state would have most considering Los Blancos firm favourites on Wednesday, and the Blues would do well to stop their hosts from scoring given they have netted in each of their previous 30 Champions League knockout games at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Chelsea and interim manager Lampard will be grasping to every hint of optimism they can find.

Their record against Madrid might be one such example, as they have the lowest percentage of losses (14 per cent) of any team to have played them at least five times in European competition.

The Blues are also unbeaten against the Champions League reigning champions since 2004-05 (six games), which is a record.

Milan v Napoli: Uncharted territory for the Partenopei

This promises to be a memorable season for Napoli, who are within touching distance of a first Scudetto since 1990.

But their Champions League journey could yet elevate this campaign to hitherto unseen levels for Luciano Spalletti's side.

After all, this will be their first Champions League quarter-final. Considering they were drawn into the side of the bracket that looks wide open, the outlook is promising.

Admittedly, Napoli were remarkably beaten 4-0 at home to Milan at the start of this month, though the Serie A leaders should be a different beast with Victor Osimhen back in the team.

The Nigeria international's brilliance in attack has contributed to Napoli being the top scorers in this season's Champions League with 25 goals, while only Bayern Munich have won more matches (eight to seven).

Furthermore, Napoli's average of 3.1 goals per game is the fifth-best in a single campaign after Bayern in 2019-20 (3.9), PSG in 2017-18 (3.4), Real Madrid in 2013-14 (3.2) and Liverpool in 2017-18 (3.2).

Milan will hope they have the defensive nous to counteract that. And, to be fair, they are one clean sheet away from five successive Champions League shutouts for the first time since 2004-05.

Some might also point to Milan's greater experience in such ties, though this will actually be just their first quarter-final since 2011-12, and they last reached the semis in 2006-07 en route to winning the competition.

For the Rossoneri, even when you take into consideration that freak 4-0 away win on April 2, a positive result on Wednesday is surely a must – Napoli will be aiming to make it four successive wins over Milan at San Siro.

The Atlanta Braves won a 5-4 extra-innings thriller against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday thanks to a walk-off home run from catcher Sean Murphy.

Despite the teams eventually combining for nine runs, the contest was scoreless through five innings.

The tie was eventually broken in the sixth as Murphy connected on an RBI double to put the Braves up 1-0, and Orlando Arcia made it 2-0 in the seventh frame when he came home on a wild pitch.

Jake Fraley brought the Reds back into it with an RBI single to cut the lead to one run in the eighth inning, but Arcia's RBI single later in the frame put Atlanta up 3-1 and meant Cincinnati would need to produce something special in the last.

After Wil Myers started the top of the ninth with a lead-off single, pinch-hitter Stuart Fairchild flipped the game on its head with an RBI triple, leaving the tying run on third base with no outs.

When Spencer Steer followed that at-bat with an RBI single, the Reds would have felt they were in position to run over the top and steal the win, but Braves closer A.J. Minter was able to get a crucial double-play to send things to extra innings despite registering his first blown save of the season.

A Jonathan India RBI single in the top of the 10th meant the Braves would have to come from behind to get the victory, but home fans would not have to wait long, as Murphy connected with the walk-off home run on relief pitcher Derek Law's very first pitch.

The win snaps the Braves' (7-4) three-game losing streak at the hands of the San Diego Padres, while the Reds will be content with their 4-5 start.

Rays become first team since 1987 to start 10-0

The Tampa Bay Rays are the first team since the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers to start a season with 10 consecutive wins after a hard-fought 1-0 home triumph against the Boston Red Sox.

In a game with only two total extra-base hits, the Rays finally made the breakthrough in the eighth inning as Brandon Lowe sent a Chris Martin fastball 404 feet over the left-field wall.

It was the third game in a row that Lowe has hit a home run, and with it he kept the Rays' chances alive of tying or beating the all-time best start of 13-0, held by the 1987 Brewers and the 1982 Braves.

Tampa Bay fell one game short of becoming the first team since the 1939 New York Yankees to win 10 games in a row by at least four runs each.

Phillies beat up Alcantara

Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara had a miserable day on the mound as his Miami Marlins were hammered 15-3 by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Alcantara, who gave up just 58 earned runs in 32 starts in 2022, allowed the Phillies to rack up 10 hits and a walk, resulting in nine earned runs through four innings.

Alec Bohm led the way for Philadelphia with six RBIs as he went three-for-five with a home run, while Brandon Marsh and Jake Cave also went deep.

Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford made it clear on Monday that he understands the franchise must begin winning soon or risk losing young star LaMelo Ball.

Ball, 21, was the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he was named the 2021 Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game.

He went up a level in his sophomore season, raising his averages to 20.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds, and despite the Hornets struggling to the fourth-worst record in the league this time around, Ball again showed significant improvement.

In year three, Ball became one of the league's most aggressive three-point shooters, with his 4.0 made threes per game trailing only Damian Lillard (4.2), Klay Thompson (4.4) and Stephen Curry (4.9), while shooting a very respectable 37.1 per cent on 10.6 attempts per contest.

He also finished this season sixth in assists per game (8.4), and top-30 in both points per game (23.3) and steals per game (1.3), although his 36 games played was by far the lowest total of his career.

Ball is unquestionably the brightest prospect in the Hornets' organisation, and Clifford told reporters it is crucial that the team holds up their end of the bargain to convince him to stick around long-term.

"He badly wants to win," Clifford said. "When you're at his level, there are certain expectations. You're going to be compared to the other point guards his age that have had – not incredible playoff success – but have had some.

"It's important to his career."

When asked Monday about his long-term future in Charlotte, Ball said he "plays it by the day."

"I love it here," Ball said. "I can't really tell the future. We'll just see how it goes and go from there."

As for Clifford's comments about it being critical for the Hornets to start winning to keep him here, Ball replied: "For sure. The main thing is winning. Life is better when you win."

The Hornets will be encouraged by comments from starting wing P.J. Washington, who was a lottery pick in 2019, and enjoyed a career-best season at age 24.

Washington showed he is perhaps more capable than the supporting role he has been cast in, highlighted by a stunning 43-point, six-rebound, five-assist performance in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in late March.

"This is really where I want to be, and I haven't thought about being anywhere else," Washington said. "Everybody is here. My family is here, my kids are here. This is home for me now."

Xavi acknowledged Barcelona are in a "very good situation" at the LaLiga summit but was left to rue a missed opportunity at home to Girona on Monday.

The Blaugrana could have moved 15 points clear with victory, after Real Madrid fell to a 3-2 defeat against Villarreal on Sunday, but had to settle for a 13-point lead following a goalless draw at Camp Nou.

It marked Barca's second draw without scoring at Camp Nou in LaLiga this term, as many as in their previous four league campaigns combined, after Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga impressed.

Barca head coach Xavi says failing to win at home will always be a missed chance, though refused to criticise his side for their efforts.

Asked on DAZN whether it was an opportunity squandered, Xavi said: "We can't be positive with a point at home, but we are 13 points clear of second with 10 games to go.

"We are in a very good situation. We have tried, we have played a correct game, we have had many chances to score and win the game against a very good team.

"We just missed getting the first goal. I think we deserved to win."

Barca continued their unbeaten run at home in LaLiga this campaign (14 games), with only Union Berlin and Bayern Munich boasting a season-long such record across Europe's top five leagues this term.

The stalemate also marked a rare feat for Girona, who kept a clean sheet in a Spanish top-flight away game for the first time since March 2019 (2-0 win at Leganes).

Girona have not beaten their Catalan rivals Barca in six league meetings (L4 D2) but Xavi was quick to credit Miguel Angel Sanchez's impressive visitors.

The former midfielder added: "We are going to play teams like this, who are risking their lives. They told us that this point is massive.

"Next week we are going to Getafe, who are risking their lives. This team drew at the Bernabeu, it's a great team.

"We have to give credit to this league, people want to see it differently but we deserve praise to be where we are [at the top]."

A misfiring Barca frontline failed to breach the resolute Girona backline, with Robert Lewandowski and Ansu Fati largely passengers in a contest where Raphinha shone by creating a game-leading four chances.

The Brazil international's performance was in stark contrast to Fati, who has been involved in just one LaLiga goal in his last 16 outings after being involved in eight (5G 3A) in that amount of previous matches.

Blaugrana captain Busquets acknowledged it was difficult to overcome an industrious Girona as the Spain international outlined his intentions to wrap up the league title as soon as possible.

He told DAZN: "It was hard for us to hurt them, especially in the first half when they had a little more possession of the ball. They put a lot of balls inside and we weren't pressing well. 

"Even so, I think we have had them, but today we have seen how the minutes went by, they gradually established themselves more and more in defence and we could not get the goal. 

"Our main objective is to win the league as soon as possible. If Madrid drop points then good, but our objective remains the same."

Barcelona missed the chance to move 15 points clear at the LaLiga summit after being held to a goalless draw at home to Girona on Monday.

Real Madrid succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to Villarreal on Saturday but Xavi's Blaugrana failed to fire two days later, leaving Barca 13 points clear of the second-placed Los Blancos.

A fine Paulo Gazzaniga display kept the energetic hosts at bay, while Valentin Castellanos wasted the best chance of the game when curling wide in the second half at Camp Nou.

The stalemate ended a four-match winning league run for Barca, but Xavi's side remain unbeaten at home in LaLiga this season as the Blaugrana march towards the title.

Viktor Tsygankov sliced a presentable chance on the volley wide as Girona started positively, although Barca should have twice broke the deadlock in the opening 10 minutes.

Robert Lewandowski curled narrowly over after an Ansu Fati offload, while a despairing Gazzaniga dive saved Santiago Bueno from inexplicably passing into his own goal.

Another smart Gazzaniga stop denied Raphinha before the Girona goalkeeper – almost inside his own net – somehow clawed away Ronald Araujo's flick from the resulting corner.

Eric Garcia headed over from close range immediately after the interval but Girona should have struck first shortly after.

Castellanos evaded Barca's offside trap but placed wide with just Marc-Andre ter Stegen to beat, with Girona left to rue a missed chance that could have grabbed a memorable victory against their Catalan rivals, who themselves squandered some promising opportunities late on.

What does it mean? Xavi warning not heeded

Xavi warned his Barca players in his pre-match press conference to not get sloppy in search of a 15-point lead at the top of LaLiga, though the Blaugrana stars failed to heed that warning.

Girona were good value for a hard-fought point, albeit the visitors may look back with regret after Castellanos spurned a brilliant chance to secure their first league win over Barca since September 2017.

Barca remain firmly on course for the title but profligate performances such as this show there is still much to work on for Xavi's young Blaugrana.

Rampant Raphinha efforts in vain

Raphinha appeared to be everywhere as Barca tried and failed to breach an impressive Girona defence that was led by Gazzaniga, who made a trio of brilliant saves.

The Brazil international carved out a game-leading four big chances, including two brilliant set-piece deliveries, but his hard-working showing ended without deserved reward.

Careless Castellanos

Castellanos had time and space to think how to beat Ter Stegen with a massive second-half chance, though somehow failed to hit the target after racing through one-on-one.

That capped a frustrating showing for the Girona striker, who completed just five passes, won a meagre two duels and recorded only 14 touches before his 60th-minute withdrawal.

What's next?

Barca visit Getafe on Sunday, when Girona host Elche.

Nicholas Pooran smashed the joint-third fastest 50 in Indian Premier League history to help the Lucknow Super Giants to a stunning one-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday.

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell all made half-centuries at the Mangalam Chinnaswamy Stadium as Bangalore set Lucknow a seemingly daunting target of 213, but Pooran's incredible 62 off 19 deliveries led the Super Giants to an improbable win.

Lucknow won the toss and put RCB in to bat first, before openers Kohli (61 from 44) and Du Plessis put up 96 for no loss until the former was dismissed with the third ball of the 11th over.

Maxwell came in for Kohli, and he (59 off 29) and Du Plessis (79 not out) went on to plunder 115 from just 50 balls before Mark Wood (1-32) took the Australian batsman's leg stump out of the ground with the penultimate ball of the innings, as Royal Challengers finished with a formidable 212-2.

The Super Giants' chase took a huge blow within three balls as in-form danger man Kyle Mayers was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj without a run on the board, and Wayne Parnell (3-41) took the wickets of both Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya in the fourth over to leave Lucknow's hopes seemingly hanging by a thread.

However, Marcus Stoinis gave them a chance with his 65 off 30 and Pooran made the fastest half-century in this season's IPL before he was finally caught by Shahbaz Ahmed off Siraj's (3-22) bowling.

Lucknow would go on to win in remarkable fashion, needing one off the final delivery of the innings when Harshal Patel missed the stumps while trying to mankad the non-striker.

Harshal would eventually bowl the last ball, and though his delivery beat Avesh Khan, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik fumbled as the Super Giants batsmen completed the run to secure an extraordinary victory.

Bangalore's big three all fire in defeat

The Royal Challengers' top three batsmen all played excellent knocks with Kohli, Du Plessis and Maxwell accounting for all but one of their team's runs, excluding extras.

It was only the fifth time in IPL history that each of a team's top three all made half-centuries and the first time Bangalore had achieved that feat. However, their efforts were still not enough to get their team over the line.

Pooran innings changes the game

The Super Giants' hopes looked slim after Stoinis and KL Rahul fell within three balls of each other, but Pooran's introduction swung the match back in their favour.

He went at a strike rate of 326.31, smashing four fours and seven maximums to set up his team-mates to go on and win the game.

Just eight teams remain in the Champions League, and there is every chance one of Tuesday's quarter-finals could yield the eventual winners.

Manchester City and Bayern Munich tussle in arguably the tie of the round, a contest that has seen the intrigue multiply following the latter's dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann and hiring of Thomas Tuchel.

Of course, Tuchel has won this competition before and boasts plenty of quality in his squad, but City probably go into the tie as favourites because of their greater stability and the 'Erling Haaland factor'.

Tuesday's other game, which takes place on the other side of the draw, pits Benfica and Inter against each other, with both sides surely fancying their chances of a shock run to the final given they will come up against either Milan or Napoli in the semi-finals.

But without any further ado, Stats Perform looks at the pick of the pre-match Opta facts for Tuesday's first legs.

Manchester City v Bayern Munich: Haaland out to finally beat Die Roten

There will certainly be a degree of familiarity surrounding this duel between two giants of the European game.

It will be the seventh meeting between City and Bayern in the Champions League, with both sides alternating victories across the previous six (three each) fixtures.

On top of that, City boss Pep Guardiola is of course a former Bayern head coach, with the Premier League side's only loss in their past three home games against Die Roten coming when he was in charge at Allianz Arena (October 2013).

Guardiola will also be going up against Tuchel once again. He may not publicly admit it, but revenge is surely a target.

Tuchel was in charge of Chelsea when City lost their only Champions League final, and the German has won two of the three matches the two coaches have contested in cup competitions. Guardiola's only victory came via a penalty shoot-out in the 2016 DFB-Pokal final.

Still, Guardiola boasts a tremendous record at this stage of the competition.

He has won 54 per cent of his 72 Champions League knockout games, the best win rate of all managers with at least 30 matches under their belt in such ties. Additionally, Guardiola is the only one of these coaches to have won more than half of these games.

Erling Haaland will also be tussling with some familiar foes.

The Norwegian striker has a solid record against Bayern on an individual level, scoring five times in seven games against them for Dortmund, but he was on the losing side each time.

He will be keen to break that duck.

Benfica v Inter: Eagles close to 33-year high

For some, Benfica might stand out as being almost out of place at this stage of the competition, but it is the second season in a row they have reached the quarter-finals.

Similarly, while one may associate Inter more closely with deep runs into the Champions League, their six quarter-finals this century is only one more than Benfica.

The Portuguese side will not come into this tie intimidated by their opponents either.

Benfica have already beaten Juventus home and away in the competition this term, overcoming something of a psychological barrier that had seen them win only two of their previous 11 games against Serie A sides in Europe's top-tier competition.

Granted, Inter have dealt with Portuguese opposition this season as well, knocking Porto out in the previous round with a slender 1-0 aggregate win. But there was more than a hint of fortune about that success, with the Primeira Liga side's expected goals (xG) significantly higher than Inter's (3-5 to 2.1).

Nevertheless, Benfica need only to look at their own form to inspire confidence. Victory on Tuesday will see them record five successive European Cup/Champions League wins for the first time since a run of six en route to the 1990 final.

There are also reasons for optimism in how the two teams play.

The average starting distance of Inter's sequences of play in the Champions League this term is 38.2 metres from their own goal, with Simone Inzaghi's side recovering possession the furthest away from the opposition goal – on average – of any side involved in this season's quarter-finals.

That could play into Benfica's hands given they have attempted more shots following high turnovers (within 40m of the opposition goal) than any other side in the competition this season (18), and their five goals from such situations is a joint-high with Napoli.

Inter have ridden their luck already this season – Benfica will hope to get the rub of the green at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday to improve their chances of reaching the semi-finals for the first time in 33 years.

against Inter in a fixture that has historical significance for the two sides.

The teams have been drawn together in the last eight, paired in a wide open half of the bracket that also sees Inter's Serie A rivals Napoli and Milan meet.

Any one of those four teams might hope to go all the way to the final – a stage where Benfica have played Inter previously.

The only prior clash between the sides in the European Cup was in the 1965 final, which Inter won 1-0 at San Siro.

Benfica will return to Milan next week but must first play the first leg in Lisbon against an Inter side winless in six across all competitions.

It was put to Schmidt that Inter's form might make Benfica favourites, but the gravity of the game was his primary focus.

"We'll see if it's favourable or not. The draw is the draw," said the Benfica coach. "Both teams have quality and deserve to be here, there's no doubt.

"Just look at their squad. They are experienced players with so much quality.

"It's a very special game, also for the players. What I hope is that my players will be more motivated because it's a big game, but I also expect that of the Inter players.

"They will be ready, they will cause difficulties, and we have to find solutions and accept the history of the game.

"We have to try to play a good game tomorrow and in the second leg in Milan."

Both Benfica and Inter will be boosted by having seen how their opponents fare against domestic rivals. Benfica won home and away against Juventus in the group stage – only their third and fourth European Cup wins against Italian teams – while Inter eliminated Porto in the last 16.

"Of course we considered the games against Porto," Schmidt said. "We analysed the team in their game but not only in those two games.

"Inter are a team with a lot of experience, who know how to play both attacking and defensive football.

"They won the first game [against Porto] at home 1-0 and then came to defend the result in the second leg. It's a bit of the Italian style, and I know they can change that style.

"We are prepared for anything, and we want to play at our best."

Benfica themselves played Porto on Friday, beaten 2-1 at home for just their second Primeira Liga loss of the season, but Schmidt has no concerns.

"It's part of football to lose games," he said. "On Friday, we lost an important game, but I think we had won a lot before.

"We grow with victories and defeats. We can use defeats to grow and create something positive. I saw my team leave behind what happened very quickly, and in the last few days we have been concentrating on Inter."

Schmidt will be without Nicolas Otamendi, but Alex Grimaldo is fit to play, although that was as much information as the Benfica boss was willing to part with at his press conference.

"I'm not going to announce the XI," he said. "If you tell me Inter's starting XI, maybe I can say mine."

The NBA regular season has come to a close, which means the postseason is on the horizon to excite fans with its unpredictability and drama.

First, though, the play-in format returns for its third season and promises to once again add all sorts of further intrigue to the playoff picture.

The mini tournament takes place over April 11-14, with the teams that finished seventh and eighth playing one another to determine the seventh playoff seed from their respective conference, while the loser of that game gets a chance to secure the eighth seed when they host the winner of a game between the ninth and 10th seeds.

Therefore, the teams that finish seventh or eighth only need to win one game to advance to the playoffs, while those in ninth and 10th must win two.

Whoever clinches the seventh seed in the East will face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, while the eighth seed will take on the Milwaukee Bucks. In the West, the seventh seed will go up against the Memphis Grizzlies, and the eighth seed will be paired with the Denver Nuggets.

Stats Perform previews the eight teams looking to secure their place in the 2023 NBA playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Tuesday, April 11 – Miami Heat (7th) vs Atlanta Hawks (8th) 

One of these teams has made the Eastern Conference Finals in each of the last three seasons, although that trend appears unlikely to continue this year.

After starting the season 2-5, the Heat soon recovered some sort of form without threatening to repeat the performances that saw them clinch the top seed in the East the previous year. They at least strung together a solid run over December and January, going 19-11, to boost their playoff hopes.

The Heat will be favourites in this matchup, having gone 4-1 in April and 3-1 against the Hawks this season, including winning back-to-back games in Miami in early March.

The trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro will be key, with all three scoring over 20 points per game in the regular season.

Opponents Atlanta went 7-3 to start the season, but their form dipped towards the end of 2022, before picking up again in January.

Trae Young, the star of their 2021 run, will be hoping to lead his team back to the playoffs, having averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists in the regular season, and the Heat's ability to stop him could be the key in this one.

The loser will host the winner of...

Wednesday, April 12 – Toronto Raptors (9th) vs Chicago Bulls (10th)

The Raptors have done well to reach this stage after a poor first half to the campaign, starting 16-23, but an improvement in 2023 saw them end level with the Hawks with an even .500 record.

Pascal Siakam averaged 24.2 points from his 71 games in the regular season, while Fred VanVleet (19.3) will also be required to lend a hand.

Chicago, who ended with a 40-42 record, will look to the pairing of Zach LaVine (24.8) and DeMar DeRozan (24.5) for inspiration after a promising end to the regular season on an 11-6 run.

The Raptors were 2-1 against the Bulls this season, including winning their most recent meeting in Toronto in late February on the back of a fourth-quarter fightback.

This promises to be another intriguing encounter.

Western Conference:

Tuesday, April 11 – Los Angeles Lakers (7th) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (8th)

This has been a fascinating season for the Lakers, who looked down and out but recovered to such an extent they ended up disappointed they had to settle for a play-in spot.

LeBron James and co. started 0-5 and then 2-10 as the word "crisis" was tossed about by all and sundry.

However, a subsequent run of 8-2 propelled them into a season few could have imagined in early November, while they also finished the year strongly on a 9-2 run.

James (28.9 points) and Anthony Davis (25.9) have each had injury issues, playing just 55 and 56 games respectively, but they have crucially found form and fitness at this crucial stage in the season.

The Timberwolves also have talent but come into this with a bit of a cloud over them after the fracas between big-trade flop Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson in their final game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Minnesota started 2-0 against the Lakers this season, but Davis had 38 points and 17 rebounds in a big win when the teams met less than two weeks ago.

The loser will host the winner of...

Wednesday, April 12 – New Orleans Pelicans (9th) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (10th)

The biggest story around this one centres on who will not be there, as Zion Williamson continues to sit on the sideline with a hamstring injury.

The Pelicans' star man averaged 26.0 points this season but played only 29 games and none since January 2.

Updates from New Orleans have remained vague, although Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has spoken of a "best possible outcome" that would "maybe" see Williamson in practice around the first round. Again, "if everything lined up perfectly".

That means Brandon Ingram will be required to carry the scoring burden for now, a task he warmed up for in fine style with a 42-point return against the Timberwolves on Sunday.

The Thunder will look to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to lead them into the postseason, with the 24-year-old averaging 31.4 points this year, the fourth-most in the league.

New Orleans were 3-1 against OKC this season, but the Thunder won their last game in March with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 35 – albeit the Pelicans were without Ingram as well as Williamson.

The Boston Bruins saw no better preparation for the Stanley Cup playoffs than chasing NHL regular-season records under pressure.

That was the message from Bruins coach Jim Montgomery after Boston set a single-season NHL record with their 63rd win following a 5-3 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Bruins moved past the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning (both 62 wins) and have two games to lay down another benchmark.

Boston are just one point behind the all-time single-season record of 132 held by the Montreal Canadiens (in 1976-77), who they visit on Thursday after hosting the Washington Capitals two days prior.

Montgomery had previously said his group are "aware" and "grasp" their record-breaking exploits, and acknowledged his team are using the regular season to prepare for the playoffs, which start on April 17.

"Being able to stay focused and learn how to win when chasing records is the closest thing you can do when you're having a season like us to prepare for the playoffs," Montgomery said.

David Pastrnak scored a hat-trick against the Flyers to take his tally for the season to 60, only Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has more with 64.

Bruins forward Pastrnak echoed Montgomery's sentiment as Boston aim to etch their name further in history.

"It's been a lot of fun, I'm not going to lie," Pastrnak said of the season. "It's been enjoyable, especially the group we have here.

"We obviously knew the stakes, and it's definitely special to hit it in a game like this. Made history today in the biggest league in hockey."

The Bruins set NHL records for the fastest team to 50 wins (64 games) and 100 points (61 games), while they have already secured home advantage in the playoffs after clinching the Presidents' Trophy.

Their latest record may come with some slight contention, given the Red Wings' 62 wins came without shoot-outs replacing tied games, whereas Boston have won four games via that deciding method this term.

Nevertheless, Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman says the 62-win mark stood for so long for a reason and revelled in breaking it.

"It's hard to win in this league and there's a reason why this record is at 62 because not many teams can get there, so it's a special honour," Swayman said.

"These guys in this room are more than deserving."

Montgomery added: "Anytime you're talking about putting your team's name in the history books of the most wins ever in a regular season, it's special."