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Subhasish Roy Chowdhury had just capped off a phenomenal debut season in the Indian Super League (ISL) with ATK after winning the title in its maiden edition. Although he was benched in the latter half of the season after Armenian goalkeeper Apoula Edima Edel Bete was promoted to the first XI, his spectacular performances in the initial matches caught the attention of several clubs in the country. 

In December 2014, East Bengal announced that they have won the race to sign him for the 2014-15 I-League season. In spite of having Abhijit Mondal, Abhra Mondal and Luis Barreto in their ranks, the Red and Golds chose to rope in Roy Chowdhury. 

As expected Armando Colaco chose to start with him and the keeper proved his worth with stellar performances one after another. But on one afternoon, everything fell apart. 

"Against Royal Wahingdoh, I could not continue after 15 minutes. I had torn my anterior cruciate ligament and the meniscus in my right knee. It was horrific," reminisced the goalkeeper to Goal, before flying to Dubai to participate in the national camp. 

He returned to Kolkata and was staring at a dark abyss. ATK had agreed terms with him for the next ISL campaign, but his injury closed that avenue. And East Bengal too was reluctant to offer him a new contract. 

In July 2015, he got operated on his knee. 

"I had no hopes of playing that season. Nobody will sign an injured player. However, Delhi Dynamos offered me and they sent me to Sao Paulo in Brazil for recovery. It was the two most difficult months in my career. I could not understand the language, could not eat their food, didn't know anyone. It was terrible. But these are things you do as a footballer to come back once again."

After doing rehab in Brazil, he felt much better but was still far from match fitness. He joined the Dynamos set up and started to train under Roberto Carlos. 

"It is very difficult to watch your teammates play from the sidelines. Bu Carlos supported me a lot. In fact, I think my biggest achievement is that Carlos said in front of the whole dressing room 'Roy Chowdhury is one of the most hard-working players I have come across.' Nothing gets bigger than this."

The Brazilian fielded him in one match (against Kerala Blasters) for his efforts and hard work in training. But in I-League, he found no bidder. However, FC Goa's Zico signed him for the 2016 ISL season. And after one year seven months and four days, he finally returned to the pitch against his former team ATK in a 1-1 draw. He played in four consecutive matches but was once again relegated to the bench as he continued to struggle with a niggling pain in his knee. 

"It took more than two years to get completely fit. In 2017 when I played for Kerala Blasters I was completely fit. But it is difficult to make a comeback and I played seven games in that season. I moved to Jamshedpur, but once again I was playing second fiddle to Subrata Paul, in spite of having a good start to the tournament." 

Roy Chowdhury once again shifted base in search of more game time and signed for NorthEast United. With the Highlanders, he once again became an undisputed starter in the team. After a harrowing experience, he has finally found solace in his current outfit. 

" I am really happy at NorthEast. I am playing there for two seasons and it feels great to be in that club. It is because of the support that I got from the club, I have been able to give my best and once again got a call from the national team."

The former ISL champion has got back his belief and is ready to fire for the national team if given a chance by coach Igor Stimac. 

"I always think I am the best. When I get onto the pitch, I think that I am the best and I am unbeatable. It feels great to be back on the national team. I would like to repay the trust that coach Igor Stimac has shown in me by giving my best for the national jersey if I am given a chance," asserted the keeper. 

Stimac is spoilt for choice in this department with the likes of Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu ready to pounce on every given opportunity. But if the 34-year-old can prove his mettle in training, he might just as well get the opportunity to represent India once again after a hiatus of more than nine years. 

Islam Slimani scored his first Ligue 1 goal of the season while Maxwel Cornet scored and provided an assist in Lyon’s 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday night.

Slimani returned to France in January after finding game time difficult to come by on his return to Premier League side Leicester City, having spent the 2019-20 season on loan with Monaco.

The 32-year-old scored nine goals and provided seven assists in 18 league appearances for the Monegasques before Covid-19 abruptly ended the campaign and the club chose not to hand the attacker a contract despite the fine performances.

The Algeria international opened his account in the French top-flight for the Kids at Groupama Stadium while Cornet delivered impressive performances but their efforts were not enough to save their side from defeat.

Paris Saint-Germain hit the ground running in the encounter with Kylian Mbappe opening the scoring in the 15th minute.

Danilo Pereira doubled the lead in the 32nd minute and with two minutes into the second half Angel Di Maria found the back of the net.

Mbappe then completed his brace in the 52nd minute to further compound the woes of Rudi Garcia’s men.

Slimani was then brought on for Memphis Depay in the 56th minute for his 11th league appearance of the season and wasted no time to announce himself in the encounter.

The striker found the back of the net six minutes after his introduction following a fine combination with Cornet.

Cornet then scored a goal of his own in the 84th minute but the late effort was not enough as PSG held on their lead to clinch all three points.

Cameroon international Karl Toko Ekambi featured for 74 minutes for Lyon while Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye played for 86 minutes for PSG before making way for Ander Herrera.

With the result, Lyon dropped to the third spot on the league table after gathering 60 points from 30 games while PSG climbed to the top of the league table.

Slimani has now scored two goals and provided three assists for the Kids since his arrival while Cornet has four goals and five assists this season.

The African stars will hope to continue their impressive performances when Lyon take on Lens in their next league game on April 3.

Sergino Dest enjoyed being able to venture forward more often Sunday as a wing-back, netting a brace in Barcelona's 6-1 thumping of Real Sociedad.

Rather than being tasked with the typical defensive responsibilities of a right-back, manager Ronald Koeman's use of three central defenders enabled him to push up without as much risk.

Dest, 20, said he felt "amazing" amid one of his best performances with the Blaugranes.

What has been said?

"The game system is going very well for me and the team," Dest told Barca TV. "We are scoring, playing a good game and the manager has many options to choose from."

"The feeling is amazing, really amazing, even more so because we won 6-1 against a difficult opponent.

"We are good now and we have to continue in this way. I am very happy for the two goals and for helping the team.

"The team is on a good path and we have to continue like this, but we haven't done anything yet."

Where does this performance rank among Dest's best?

Considering Dest entered Sunday with just one goal and one assist total this campaign, it's difficult to imagine an outing that exceeded this one.

In addition to scoring twice, he completed 91 percent of his pass attempts and pulled off three one-on-one dribbles.

Further reading

Juventus managing director Fabio Paratici says that the club have no intention of allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to leave the club.

Speculation continues to swirl over the Portuguese star’s future, with concern about the value for money he brings to the team given his reported €55 million-per-year (£47m/$65m) wages.

Paratici also gave head coach Andrea Pirlo a vote of confidence after a 1-0 home loss to struggling Benevento.

What’s been said?

“We’ve decided to keep Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s the best player in the world and we are holding on tight,” the director stated at full time.

“We have a project that we started from last season, one game will not change our views or our strategy. This line continues and we are very happy with what we’ve done, so we’ll continue working to improve.”

Where was Ronaldo linked?

It had been suggested that Ronaldo might return to Real Madrid, which was not rubbished by Blancos coach Zinedine Zidane.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain were mentioned as another potential club for the five time Ballon d'Or winner.

Pirlo given a vote of confidence

Paratici says that Pirlo has no reason for fear for his job, stating: “We were not unsatisfied with the previous coaches, but there were different reasons why we decided to change.

“Just as a defeat won’t change the project of a club, a victory won’t either. Once an approach has been decided on, we see it through.

“I don’t believe the word ‘transitional’ exists at Juventus. We play every game aiming to win, some go better than others, but transition isn’t an issue here. Every year is important, even when it doesn’t necessarily have the same results as in the past.

“If we are just talking about results, there are clubs who had seven, eight or 10 years of transition in which they didn’t win anything and didn’t really lay down any foundations either.

“People might not have realised because we kept winning, but we have already made numerous changes over the years, reduced the age of the squad several times to build future success.

“I can tell you seven or eight times we were told an era has ended, for example the defeat at Galatasaray, Conte’s departure, the Berlin Champions League Final, when we were 10 points off the lead at the start of last season, when we replaced Allegri with Sarri, etc, etc and yet we continued to win.

“When you are rebuilding, it can happen that you don’t also manage to win everything at the same time, but it’s part of the process.”

Further reading

Juventus 'must believe' after Benevento upset - Pirlo

Juventus suffer stunning Benevento defeat 

Ronaldo gets 'GOAT 770' shirt after breaking Pele's record

The Indian women’s senior national team are set to take on Uzbekistan (April 5) and Belarus (April 8) in Uzbekistan as part of their preparations for the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup that will be held in India.

Even before the dates for the Asian competition were announced this January, the Indian women's team under head coach Maymol Rocky held a two-month camp in Goa from December 2020.

The sojourn to Uzbekistan will be the women's team's second overseas exposure trip since the Coronavirus pandemic as they were in Turkey to play three international friendlies in February. In Turkey, India lost all three games against Serbia (2-0), Russia (8-0) and Ukraine (3-2).

"Playing against strong European teams will help us prepare for the Asian Cup. These experiences will be vital for the girls in these two years. The two months in the camp allowed the girls to get back into shape both physically and mentally for International football," Rocky had said before the trip to Turkey.

Having named a 23-member squad for the two friendlies in Uzbekistan, she feels her side are up for the challenge of facing Uzbekistan and Belarus.

"After the pandemic, we have been in camp (in Goa) for almost four months now, and the team is really gelling well together. Both Uzbekistan and Belarus are strong sides, and will provide ample challenge to the girls in the two friendlies."

The 23-member Indian women's national team squad for Uzbekistan trip:

Goalkeepers: Aditi Chauhan, Sowmiya Narayansamy, M Linthoingambi Devi.

Defenders: Jabamani Tudu, Ashalata Devi, Sweety Devi, Ritu Rani, Ranjana Chanu, W Linthoingambi Devi, Kritina Devi, Anju Tamang.

Midfielders: Indumathi Kathiresan, Manisha, Sangita Basfore, Martina Thokchom, Pyari Xaxa, Dangmei Grace, Soumya Guguloth.

Forwards: Renu, Karishma Purushottam Shirvoikar, Sandhiya Ranganathan, Sumati Kumari, Heigrujam Daya Devi.

Victor Osimhen featured as Napoli secured a 2-0 victory over AS Roma in Sunday’s Serie A game at Stadio Olimpico.

The 22-year-old made his 13th league appearance in the encounter as a second-half substitute and gave a good account of himself, helping his side to extend their unbeaten run this season.

The forward’s teammate and Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly also featured prominently to ensure Gennaro Gattuso’s men kept a clean sheet.

Napoli dominated the first half of the encounter and were rewarded for the impressive performances as Dries Mertens opened the scoring in the 27th minute.

The Belgian forward then doubled the Parthenopeans’ lead in the 34th minute after receiving a sumptuous assist from Matteo Politano.

Guinea international Amadou Diawara made his fourth start for Roma and was cautioned in the 59th minute while Koulibaly was also booked in the 78th minute.

Roma made frantic efforts in the second half to try and avoid defeat but Napoli held on to their lead to secure all three points and extend their winning run to three games.

Osimhen was introduced into the game in the 66th minute, replacing two-goal hero Mertens and had 15 touches on the ball as part of his contribution for his side.

The centre-forward was cautioned moments before the end of the game while his teammate Koulibaly featured for the duration of the game.

The victory moved Napoli to the fifth spot on the Serie A table after gathering 53 points from 27 games and will hope to continue their impressive run of form when they take on Simy Nwankwo’s Crotone on April 3.

Osimhen only recently returned from a head trauma he suffered against Atalanta in a league game in February and bagged a goal on his comeback against Bologna.

The attacker has only featured in 19 games across all competitions since his summer move from Lille due to injury, suspension and Coronavirus-related problems.

Osimhen is part of the Nigeria squad for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Republic of Benin and Lesotho slated for March 27 and 30 respectively.

The forward has five goals in 10 appearances for the three-time African champions and has been playing a key role for the West African side since the abrupt retirement of Odion Ighalo.

Kylian Mbappe left Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 match with Lyon due to injury after 70 minutes.

Mbappe had scored PSG's first and fourth goals as they cruised into a 4-1 advantage against one of their title rivals.

However, as he chased a hat-trick, he was forced off, with Neymar making his return from injury by coming on.

What happened to Mbappe?

Mbappe was seeking his third goal of what had up until that point been very successful. 

Coming in from the left wing, he tried a powerful shot that Anthony Lopes in the Lyon goal saved. In landing after his effort, however, the France international immediately signalled that he wanted to come off.

Neymar quickly got himself stripped and ready for action. Mbappe walked off the field unaided, which would seem to suggest that his issue is not a particularly serious one.

What's been said?

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has played down the issue.

"Kylian came off as a precaution. He received a blow. He twisted his ankle in the first half," he said.

What games will Mbappe miss?

Until there is a scan, it is impossible to know how long Mbappe will be out for.

Given the striker's reaction on the bench, however, it is unlikely to be a lengthy absence. He is a doubt to feature in France's forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine at home then Kazakhstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina away.

PSG, meanwhile, face a huge week following the international break. They face fellow Ligue 1 title rivals Lille at home on April 3 then tackle Bayern Munich away on April 7. It would be a major blow if he were to miss these games.

100 Ligue 1 goals for Mbappe

During the encounter, Mbappe hit the 100-goal milestone in Ligue 1.

"It was a good day to score my 100th goal in Ligue 1," he said. "I knew I was two goals short. After I gave [Nantes striker] Randal Kolo Muani a goal last week, I had to make up for it!

"It's another stage in my career, another step towards history."

Neymar's return

The slight silver lining to Mbappe's injury is that Neymar was able to make his return from injury. The Brazil international had missed nine successive games.

Further reading

Sunday Oliseh and fans have praised the performances of Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho against Manchester United in Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final game.

The 24-year-old had a telling impact in the encounter to help his side stun the Red Devils 3-1 and advanced into the semi-finals of the tournament.

The Nigeria international made his 15th start of the season against United and found the back of the net twice, setting up another goal at the King Power Stadium.

The forward is now one of only two players - along with Sergio Aguero - to score 20 or more goals in England's club competitions over the last six years.

Iheanacho has bagged 12 goals in total and provided five assists in 28 appearances across all competitions this season, amid other dazzling displays.

Former Nigeria midfielder and coach Oliseh could not hide his feelings for Iheanacho and took to social media to laud the terrific performances of the attacker and also praised his compatriot Wilfred Ndidi, who has also been in fine form for the Foxes this campaign.

Other fans have also reacted to the five-star displays from the striker in his recent games for Leicester City this campaign.

Tottenham were inconsolable following their Europa League debacle against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, but Sunday's 2-0 win over Aston Villa brought reprieve from a week Harry Kane called "embarrassing" and Hugo Lloris tabbed "disgraceful".

Spurs were much better at Villa Park than they had been in letting their 2-0 aggregate advantage against Zagreb slip away. Carlos Vinicius supplied the opener before Kane fired in from the spot to secure all three points.

The turnaround - "massively needed" in Kane's eyes - lifted Tottenham to sixth place in the Premier League, just three points behind fourth-place Chelsea.

What has been said

"Massively [needed]," Kane told Sky Sports. "The last couple of games have not been good enough. We knew we had to bounce back. We didn't want to go away with three losses before the international break.

"The boys put in a great shift and we deserved it.

"The last couple of games we dropped below our standards. It was nice to get it back today - everyone fighting, putting their bodies on the line. That's what we need to do for the rest of the season to give the top four a push.

"[The last week] was embarrassing for us.

"Even at the back we didn't give away too many chances. Villa have been great this year so we knew this would be tough."

What's next for Spurs?

Tottenham's fixture congestion will go away in April, with just four total matches in the month.

The matches they do have will be difficult, however, as they will meet Manchester United and Everton consecutively in the league before facing Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on April 25.

Further reading

Orlando Pirates came into Sunday's PSL encounter against Kaizer Chiefs as the favourites to win the highly anticipated Soweto Derby clash.

However, Amakhosi humbled their arch-rivals as Samir Nurkovic's second-half goal earned the Glamour Boys a 1-0 victory at FNB Stadium.

Therefore, Chiefs got their sweet revenge over Bucs, who had secured three victories against Amakhosi in the current campaign.

Many fans took to social media to share their thoughts on what was the 100th Soweto Derby match in the league between the two biggest football teams in the country.

Check out how Twitter reacted to the result: 

Malian left back Massadio Haidara opened his Ligue 1 account as Lens recorded a 2-1 away victory over Strasbourg in Sunday’s Ligue 1 encounter.

Making his 20th French topflight appearance for the Blood and Gold this season, the 28-year-old ended his lifelong wait for a maiden strike against Thierry Laurey’s men.

With just five minutes into the encounter against the Racers, Haidara guided the ball past goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima after he fumbled a Jonathan Clauss corner kick.

In the 20th minute, the hosts equalised through French midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, albeit, Cote d’Ivoire midfielder Seko Fofana sealed all maximum points for the visitors in the 40th minute after exchanging passes with Clauss inside Strasbourg’s penalty area.

Thanks to this result inside Stade de la Meinau, Lens climbed to fifth after garnering 48 points from 30 outings, while Strasbourg stay four points away from the relegation zone.

Elsewhere, Boulaye Dia was Reims’ hero as he scored the only goal in the Reds and Whites 1-0 away defeat of Dijon.

After a goalless first-half at the Stade Gaston Gerard, the 24-year-old Senegalese forward powered the visitors to victory, dribbling past goalkeeper Anthony Racioppi and then slotting the ball into an empty net five minutes into the second-half.

That effort was his 13th of the current French topflight campaign in 28 encounters. As a result of their win, Reims climbed to 12th in the log after amassing 38 points from 30 games, while Dijon remain at the base of the log with 28 points from the same number of matches.

At the Stade de la Mosson, French midfielder of Central African Republic descent Junior Sambia inspired Montpellier to a 3-1 home defeat of Bordeaux who were without Nigeria international Samuel Kalu.

The Girondins had taken a 28th minute lead with Paul Baysse assisting South Korean striker Ui-Jo Hwang.

Nonetheless, the hosts fought back like a wounded animal to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to ten.

First, Sambia levelled matters in the 35th minute before second-half strikes from Gaetan Larborde and Stephy Mavididi completed the turnaround against Jean-Louis Gasset’s side.

Currently, Bordeaux are 13th in the table with 36 points while Montpellier occupy the eight position after amassing 44 points.

Also, Randal Muani was on target for Moses Simon’s Nantes in their 1-1 draw at home versus Lorient.

The 22-year-old French forward of Congolese handed the Yellow House a second minute lead, before the visitors ensured that the low-scoring encounter ended on a no winner, no vanquished note at the Stade de la Beaujoire thanks to an 87th minute by Armand Lauriente.

Nigeria’s Simon was handed a place in Antoine Kombouare’s starting XI but he was substituted for Kader Bamba in the 76th minute.

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer appears to have questioned the tactics of his counterpart Gavin Hunt after the Soweto Derby match on Sunday. 

The Buccaneers succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Amakhosi in a massive PSL encounter which was played at the iconic FNB Stadium. 

Zinnbauer was annoyed by Hunt's tactics, as Amakhosi played a 'deep block' despite being the home team, with the German suggesting that he could never adopt such a negative approach.

"We saw in the first-half we don't have enough power in the final third, it's possible the game gives us the information, it's possible they stay very deep most of the time with a low block," Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV, "and this was the reason we wanted a little bit of offence. 

"'Figo' [Linda Mntambo] and Ntsiki [Ntsikelelo Nyauza] were not bad in the game but we needed more," he added. "[Kabelo' Dlamini you always find in the small space, solution, Ndlovu played very well in the last game as a full-back.

"This was the reason, not that 'Ntsiki' or Linda was bad, this was only for tactical aspects," he continued. "We won before three games against Kaizer Chiefs, the supporters were happy, this is football if you don't have the right performance on the right day and you don't have the luck."

Amakhosi were happy to sit back and allowed the Buccaneers to dominate possession, but the visitors could not find the back of the net on the day. 

"I don't know they had chances yes but it's not normal you play a counter-attack play at home, for me sorry, it's not possible for me. As a coach, a home game and I play a deep block," Zinnabuer added. "The system gives Kaizer Chiefs the right, they won the game, we lost the game. The last three games [were] right today we lost but this is football.

"You have to win, we say it before, the target is three points for the supporters, a big chance you jump into second place, this is the next point [step] and 100 derbies, this is 100 percent what the players want but it was not our day today."

Zinnbauer was disappointed to see the Bucs lose especially with his side having controlled the match and they couldn't take their chances. 

"Very disappointed, the target was three points, the possibilities [were] big for us, we lead the game, we controlled the game, one mistake," he said. "We know the set-pieces, the corners, second ball we [spoke] about this, one second not ready and then they score. It's a quality we know before.

"The shots we had at goal is not enough to score and the performance was not the best but it was enough you can win the three points. This is the point that makes me upset a little bit."

Chiefs scored the only goal of the game through Samir Nurkovic in the 54th minute after Pirates had failed to clear a rare corner-kick for the hosts in the second-half. 

"They fought but we found not the normal performance we did before, this is the problem a little bit, we know the quality from Kaizer Chiefs, we know the score," Zinnbauer concluded. "It's very difficult to score against Kaizer Chiefs, what they have at the back with these headers, it's very difficult, we know it, we tried but not enough to win us the three points."

Pirates remained fourth on the PSL standings and they face Libyan side Al Ahli Benghazi away in the Caf Confederation Cup match on April 4.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt praised Njabulo Blom following the team's victory over Orlando Pirates on Sunday.

Amakhosi snapped their six-match winless run in the PSL when they secured a 1-0 victory over the Buccaneers at the FNB Stadium.

Samir Nurkovic was the hero for Chiefs as he grabbed a second-half goal which inspired the team to a much-needed win for the Naturena-based giants. 

However, Hunt was impressed by Blom and he believes the 21-year-old midfield maestro was his Man of the Match on the day.

"Njabulo Blom was Man of the Match, fantastic you know," Hunt told SuperSport TV.  "He's got energy, he's got legs, it's what we need, he's got the desire, we just have to get him better, but he'll get better."

The experienced tactician also lauded Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, 21, and Happy Mashiane, 23, who was a constant threat to the Pirates defence in the right flank. 

"As I said, 'Mshini' [Nkosingiphile Ngcobo], Happy [Mashiane] I mean the ball he played through for Nurkovic, what a ball, fantastic," he continued. "He'll get better, you need time with him, you also need players around them that can make them better."

Hunt, who joined Amakhosi after leaving Bidvest Wits in September 2020, is pleased to see the youngsters repay the faith he has shown in them this season. 

"As long as they got the work ethic, Njabulo has got that, Darrel [Matsheke], these youngsters got it. I just got to keep persevering," the former Swallows FC coach added. "I believe in them, hopefully, we can get them better and better, you know that's all I can do."

The victory over Pirates took Chiefs to ninth place on the PSL standings - three points behind eighth-placed TS Galaxy.

Amakhosi will be in action after the Fifa Break as they face Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca in the Caf Champions League Group C game on Apil 3. 

The encounter is set to be played at FNB Stadium as the Glamour Boys look to clinch their second win in the group stage and boost their hopes of reaching the knockout phase. 

The Liga Betplay is the top level of football in Colombia, with 19 teams from across the country fighting it out in the 2021 edition which started in January. 

All games are live streamed on Fanatiz and you can sign up to watch free here.

The campaign is divided into two stages, with a winner crowned at the end of each phase following a play-off competition involving the best eight teams from the regular season.

Both the Apertura and Finalizacion are counted as league victories in their own right, marking a return to the previous format following alterations to the system during the Covid-affected 2020 season.

How to watch Millonarios vs Atletico Nacional

Millonarios have hit a fine vein of form and look set to claim a play-off spot among the Primera top eight clubs.

The Bogota giants have won their last three games to recover from a blip in form which saw them fall from the summit, and sit in fourth place going into Sunday's crunch match.

Nacional have also been in fine form as of late, winning two and drawing one of their last three outings in the league.

Victory on Sunday would take them ahead of Millonarios in the standings, placing them in a strong position to make the play-offs with just five matches remaining in the regular season.

Millonarios vs Atletico Nacional is available to stream worldwide on Fanatiz, where you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.

You can watch all of the 2021 Liga BetPlay season live on  Fanatiz .

Live Stream: Fanatiz English ( stream now )

What other Serie A matches are available on Fanatiz?

Watch the Liga BetPlay live on Fanatiz.

Rhoda Mulaudzi and Claudia Dabda were on target as Dinamo-BSUPC secured a 6-0 victory over Bobruichanka on Sunday.

Following impactful displays in the Super Cup win recently, South Africa's Mulaudzi and Cameroon's Dabda were looking to begin their side's title defence successfully, following a domestic double last season.

In the opener, Dabda and South Africa's Lebogang Ramalepe earned starting places, while compatriot Mulaudzi came off the bench in Yuri Maleev's side's opening match against the eight-time champions.

Dinamo made an impressive start to the contest, although only found a breakthrough in the 34th minute when Dabda finished well from a goalmouth scramble to break the deadlock.

After the half-time break, the hosts maintained their dominance in the encounter and did not take too long to add to their tally thanks to a fine strike from Karina Olkhovik in the 50th minute.

Five minutes later, second-half substitute Mulaudzi made her own impact as she netted the hosts' third goal of the match before Yuliya Duben added the fourth in the 81st minute.

Despite a four-goal advantage, the hosts left it late to notch the fifth through Anastasia Linnik in the 90th minute before Viktoria Valyuk wrapped up the emphatic triumph with the last kick of the match. 

South Africa's Ramalepe was in action for the duration as well as Cameroon's Dabda, who got off to a scoring start, and alongside Mulaudzi, featured in the final 44 minutes for Dinamo.

The result means the holders launch the new campaign on a high as they claim the top spot of the Belarusian log on goal difference after their opener.

Following their winning start, Dinamo will look to maintain their form when they battle against ABFF U19 on March 26.

Juliette Nana and Moussa Zouwairatou scored a brace each for Neman as they thrashed Vitebsk 5-0 in Sunday's Belarusian Women's Football Championship fixture.

Nana joined the Belarusian side from Burkina Faso side Union Sportive des Forces Armees de Ouagadougou (USFA) in November.

Zouwairatou continued her impressive form for Denis Levchenko’s team, having netted six times in 21 games since joining from Cameroonian side Vent du Nord de Garoua in January 2020.

Having finished third last term, Neman aimed to open their quest for domestic success on a high, beginning against Vitebsk at Grodno Indoor Arena..

Captain Dudko Katsiaryna got the contest up and running for Neman when she netted the opener after just seven minutes before Zouwairatou made it two in the 26th minute of the encounter.

With a two-goal lead, the hosts were not done yet as they continued their ruthless form in the final third when Zouwairatou grabbing her second and her side's third of the game six minutes after the restart. 

Nana added the fourth for Neman in the 83rd minute before she completed the riot with her second three minutes from time.

Cameroon's Zouwairatou featured from the start to finish, hs now scored two goals in one game as well as Burkina Faso's Nana.

The two Africans will hope to continue their fine starts for Neman into the new campaign as they seek to maintain the club's domestic success in Belarus.

The victory takes Neman to the top on the log with three points from one match and they will seek to build on the winning start against Gomel in their next encounter on March 28.

Mikel Arteta had nothing but praise for Martin Odegaard following Arsenal's draw against West Ham, hailing the Real Madrid loanee's leadership qualities as vital to their remarkable comeback.

The Gunners recovered from a three-goal deficit sustained inside the first third of the game to snatch a point against David Moyes' Hammers in the Premier League on Sunday.

Norway international Odegaard, who has frequently proven an inspired presence since his arrival at the Emirates Stadium, was in superb form to help the visitors recover at London Stadium, and his manager paid tribute to his efforts after the game.

What did Arteta say?

"I think he had an incredible performance," the Spaniard told his post-match press conference. "I think he was very intelligent the way he ready the game, the way he affected the game.

"He showed how much he wants to win. When everyone was a little bit trembling, he gave us that stability, that composure on the ball and created chance after chance."

Asked if he considered Odegaard a leader, Arteta added: "He is showing that I think from week one.

"The way he steps on that pitch and always wants the ball, the way he commands the pressing, he’s been really influential.

"I think we have all been surprised because he looks really shy and humble, but when he steps in that pitch he’s a real character and he loves to play football."

The bigger picture

Odegaard's performances continue to suggest a young player who has fast settled into life in north London following an exit from Santiago Bernanbeu at the start of the year.

Having failed to break through regularly into Zinedine Zidane's plans in La Liga, the 22-year-old has fast shown his quality under Arteta, emerging as a central cog in the Gunners' resurgence in 2021 following a tough first half of the season.

His form has prompted suggestions of a longer stay with Arsenal, a choice that would surely be music to his manager's ears if agreed upon.

Further reading

Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig derby between Besiktas and Mbwana Samatta's Fenerbahce ended 1-1 with Algerian forward Rachid Ghezzal getting an assist.

Aside from the strong rivalry between both teams, a win for either side would have boosted their title ambition in the 2020-21 campaign.

Besiktas went into the cracker as massive favourites having won their last nine games in all competitions, while the Yellow Canaries were hoping to bounce back from their disappointing home defeat to Genclerbirligi on March 14.

The first chance of the game fell to Vincent Aboubakar, however, the Cameroon international’s effort in the penalty area was gathered by goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

Aboubakar had another opportunity in the 26th minute, but his strike from Adem Ljajic’s pass was punched over the crossbar for a corner kick for Sergen Yalcin’s men.

For Fenerbahce, they could not grind out any meaningful opportunity in the first half but Tanzania international Mbwana Samatta was cautioned in the 31st minute for a foul on Croatian defender Domagoj Vida.

The hosts took the lead three minutes into the second-half through Vida who headed Ghezzal’s free-kick past goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

Despite the introduction of Jose Sosa for Irfan Kahveci, Mame Thiam for Samatta and Serdar Aziz for Marcel Tisserand, Besiktas could not get the much-needed equaliser.

However, they found the decisive moment in the 89th minute when Bright Osayi-Samuel’s replacement Ozan Tufan levelled matters with Caner Erkin credited for the assist.

Ghezzal, Aboubakar alongside Congolese defender Fabrice Nsakala were on parade from start to finish for Besiktas, while Ghana’s Bernard Mensah was introduced for Adem Ljajic in the 73rd minute.

Senegalese forward Papiss Cisse was an unused substitute as Fenerbahce walked home with a point in their kitty.

In his post-match reaction goalkeeper Ersin Destanoglu said his team deserved all maximum points having 'fought very well'.

"We'd like to get three points. We fought very well. We're in a lot of positions,” he told the club website .  “We'll look at the next games. We're doing fine, we're on a good path. We're a good team. The level of camaraderie on the team is good. We want to move on without giving up our points advantage."

Even at the draw, the Black Eagles remain at the summit of the Turkish top flight after garnering 64 points from 29 outings, while Erol Bulut’s side sits in third spot with 59 points with a game more.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has defended his team selection as Manchester United were dumped out of the FA Cup by Leicester.

The United manager made five changes to the side that beat AC Milan in the Europa League on Thursday night, bringing in Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek, Alex Telles, Nemanja Matic and Anthony Martial to replace Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, Scott McTominay, Daniel James and Marcus Rashford.

With United struggling and the game tightly poised at 2-1 to the hosts, Solskjaer called on the cavalry bringing on Fernandes, Shaw, Edinson Cavani and McTominay.

What was said?

While it was a poor display from his starting XI Solskjaer insists he wouldn’t have done anything differently.

Asked if the changes affected the performance, he told the BBC: "I would've done the same again, the changes were necessary to do. We knew Paul [Pogba] wouldn't last more than an hour and I don't think I would do anything differently. What goes on behind the scenes isn't always known."  

When pushed further on Pogba and van de Beek in his post-match press conference, he added: “I would have started the same team again, we felt they had more than 45 minutes in them, they're important players for us, that's why we started.”

Why didn’t Bruno Fernandes start?

The Portugal international has been key to United’s progress and has played 44 of their games in all competitions this season, so it was surprising to see him named amongst the substitutes for one of their biggest games of the season.

Asked why Fernandes didn’t start, Solskjaer replied: “Every team selection has reasons behind it and Bruno has played a lot of football, on Thursday night he broke all his records physically, statistically and the boy is not inhuman.

"He has played a game every three or four days and it was a chance to start both Donny and Paul, but the accumulation of games maybe caught up with us. Bruno wants to play and sometimes you make decisions for the benefit of the team.”

What else was said?

Solskjaer pointed towards an accumulation of games as the reason behind his side’s poor display.

He said: “You are always disappointed especially when it's the end of the line in a cup run. We just couldn't find a normal spark and brightness and energy. Maybe all the games have caught up with us. Thursday night was a big big night for us and today we didn’t have that zip that we needed to create chances.”

Further Reading