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Orlando Pirates will be looking to pick themselves up from disappointing domestic results when they host Maritzburg United for a Premier Soccer League meeting at Orlando Stadium on Sunday.

It would be the Buccaneers' first league match since losing 1-0 to Kaizer Chiefs on March 21 and Sunday's match comes three days after a 4-1 Nedbank Cup quarter-final defeat by Mamelodi Sundowns.

Currently placed fifth on the standings, Pirates need to win by a four-goal margin to jump to third spot, the cut-off point for next season's Caf inter-club competitions.

They come up against a Maritzburg side sitting 13th on the table, three points above the relegation zone, who have gained confidence in their bid to steer clear of demotion after starting the season as the league's whipping boys.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Pirates will have to do duty without vice-captain Thulani Hlatshwayo who is suspended for this match after receiving a fourth yellow card against Mamelodi Sundowns last Thursday.

Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer might not worry himself much about Hlatshwayo's absence as captain Happy Jele and Ntsikelelo Nyauza can play as twin centre-backs.

Also missing for the Buccaneers is striker Frank Mhango, who also picked up his fourth yellow card against Sundowns.

That presents Zinnbauer with another headache as Tshegofatso Mabasa is the only available number nine in the absence of Zakhele Lepasa and Jean-Marc Makusu.

It is not yet known if Thembinkosi Lorch and Innocent Maela have recovered from injuries.

Match Preview

This is the third meeting between Pirates and Maritzburg this season.

The Buccaneers edged the Team of Choice 1-0 in the reverse league fixture away at Harry Gwala Stadium in January with Deon Hotto's first-half strike separating the two teams.

Pirates then eliminated Maritzburg from the Nedbank Cup 3-1 in the Round of 16 in February at Harry Gwala Stadium again, as Hotto was back to strike while Kabelo Dlamini and Vincent Pule also helped the Soweto giants to come from behind and claim victory.

Maritzburg have historically struggled against Pirates, who have won 15 of the two teams' 29 PSL meetings.

Eight matches have ended in draws while the Team of Choice have recorded victory on six occasions.

But Middendorp and his men could now be fancying upsetting Pirates as they arrive at Orlando Stadium high in confidence, having not tasted defeat in their last five league games, a run of three wins and two draws.

That includes a 1-1 draw against Kaizer Chiefs and their last league match was a 5-1 thumping of Chippa United which led to Dan Malesela losing his job.

Pirates on the other hand go into this match on the backdrop of losing to Chiefs in the Soweto derby which was their last league outing.

The embarrassment by Sundowns could also push the Buccaneers to inflict some pain into Maritzburg.

Paul Pogba has described himself as a "bad loser" who misses winning trophies at Manchester United, but says that the club's silverware drought only makes them more determined to break it.

The Red Devils have not won a major honour since they prevailed in the 2017 Europa League final under Jose Mourinho, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer yet to taste such success at the helm.

Pogba, who has frequently cut a frustrated figure since his return to Old Trafford, has rediscovered his career-best form under the Norwegian in recent months however, and with a return shot at the Europa League looming, is determined to break his barren streak.

What has Pogba said?

"Personally I miss it a lot and feel like I miss something," Pogba told Sky Sports when asked about what it feels like to hoist trophies aloft. "We have to win something.

"I just want to win something; I don't like to play and not win. I'm a bad loser, I will always be a bad loser, so every time I play, I want to win. Personally, we want it very bad. I think we are getting closer and closer; there is improvement I would say.

"When I say improvement, this club has such big goals and objectives we want to achieve and that is to win and to have a trophy to hold. That is what we want and that will be the big step."

"I'm happy, we're there, we're close. We're still in the Europa League, we still have something to play for.

"We have the league still, as long as [Manchester] City don't have the trophy we're going to keep working and playing. We still have a chance to win something this year so, why not?"

Man Utd's rough run examined

It will be almost four years to the day since the Red Devils last picked up a major gong if Pogba can help fire them into the Europa League final against Roma in a two-legged tie played over the close of April and the start of May.

The Frenchman was on the scoresheet at Friends Arena in Stockholm that day, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan - now with the Giallorossi in Serie A - doubling the midfielder's opener to ensure a 2-0 win over Ajax.

United have been through something of a major transition then - of the players who featured that day, only Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Juan Mata and Sergio Romero remain - and their shift from the inflammatory Mourinho era to Solskjaer's quieter approach is yet to yield further honours.

They have come close - last season, they reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Europa League, and have repeated the feat in the latter two competitions this term.

But as the only manager of the post-Alex Ferguson era to have not claimed a trophy during his reign, the heat is on for Solskjaer to finally deliver on the continent this season.

Further reading 

The Serie A title is evidently destined for Milan, with Inter Milan’s amazing form since the turn of the year turning what seemed to be a jostle with their city rivals AC Milan into a procession.

What remains up in the air in Italy, however, remains the race to end in the three spots below the in-form Nerazzurri, who have picked up 11 league wins on the trot. Four teams appear to be in the mix, with second-placed Milan (63) only four points ahead of Napoli in fifth with eight games remaining.

Given the closeness of the teams from second to sixth (Lazio, currently four points behind the side from Naples, could move within a point of fifth if their 3-0 automatic win over Torino stands), level-headed decisions have to be made as the season reaches the home straight.

Speaking of decisions, Gennaro Gattuso probably went to bed on April 7 ruing the call not to start Victor Osimhen in Napoli’s spare game at Juventus. The Azzurri disappointingly lost the encounter in Turin 2-1 when a win would have taken them three points ahead of Andrea Pirlo’s ropey outfit.

This criticism of the ex-Italy international isn’t being made in hindsight, as Goal believed the Nigeria star was primed to punish the flawed Old Lady after his upswing in performances during the international break.

Rather than play the West African from the off, though, Gattuso instead began with the approach that won his team important points against Milan and Roma in March. While this was expected to an extent, the improvement and sharpness in the frontman before the Juventus clash meant he had to play from the off.

The Milan icon’s strategy in the aforementioned matches was, after all, largely a consequence of the forward’s struggles with his form and fitness in 2021, so the marked difference ought to have prompted an alteration in stratagem.

Introducing the in-form striker as early as the 54th minute was an admission of his initial error and the ex-Lille attacker had a lively game after his entrance. He evidently aimed to take advantage of the less mobile Giorgio Chiellini, which eventually led to the penalty through which Lorenzo Insigne halved the deficit in second-half stoppage time.

Osimhen had more touches in the penalty area (seven) than any player on the pitch despite featuring for 36 minutes and wasn’t shot-shy in that time, attempting three attempts as Napoli chased the game after half-time.

Brought back in last time out vs Sampdoria, the ex-Lille striker was involved in more shot-creating actions (six) than everyone else and beat his previous best involvements before a shot (five) recorded against Parma on his official debut in gameweek one.

Importantly, the young forward netted with a driven effort beyond Emil Audero for his fifth Serie A goal of the campaign. Having netted in successive home fixtures either side of the international break, the talented 22-year-old has now scored in his last two starts for Napoli and has clocked up four goal involvements for club and country in as many appearances.

“We are seeing the real Osimhen. He had to settle in as soon as he arrived in Italy. Now he is starting to show what he was also doing at Lille,” former Inter midfielder Benoit Cauet was quoted as saying by Napoli Magazine.

From the outside looking in, it ought to be an easy call opting to start with the in-form, confident Nigerian vs Antonio Conte’s champions-elect, but these decisions sometimes play out differently in reality.

Given Dries Mertens’ inability to get into the game at Juventus and the failure of a similar approach in the reverse fixture at San Siro (Inter beat an in-form Azzurri side 1-0), perhaps Gattuso will lean on the persevering centre-forward in a game that strengthens their position in the Champions League qualification run-in.

After playing Inter, the club from Naples play only one team from the top seven (Lazio) in their remaining fixtures. They still face Torino, Cagliari, Spezia and Fiorentina — all in the bottom six with the former pair battling relegation — 12th-place Udinese and out-of-form Hellas Verona in mid-table, making them favourites on paper to seal a top-four place.

Contrast this with Milan who still meet Lazio, Juventus and Atalanta on the final day; Pirlo’s side are yet to face Atalanta (this weekend), the Rossoneri and Conte’s men while La Dea play the Old Lady, Roma and Stefano Pioli’s Milan side in gameweek 38.

Inter, meanwhile, appear home and hosed to end their decade-long wait for a Scudetto after racking up 11 wins on the bounce to put them within touching distance of ending Juve’s stranglehold in the top flight.

As for Napoli, they look like the frontrunners to end in the top four despite currently sitting outside the desired slots. Gattuso is likely to depart in the summer after enduring a problematic relationship with Aurelio De Laurentiis in recent months.

CL qualification may convince manager and club to delay their separation for another year, and relying on Osimhen, who seemingly has a new lease of life, could encourage that truce as Naples hopes to host Europe’s elite teams next season.

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta admits that his team relies too heavily on Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, and hopes the Gunners can find a way to win when the two stars are rested. 

The Gunners' record with the youngsters on the pitch is far superior to when they have been left out of the starting XI, and they were both on top form midweek to help their team through to the Europa League semi-finals. 

With fixtures coming thick and fast, though, their manager is keen to avoid burnout - and called on the rest of the squad to step up in their potential absence.

What was said? 

“They know that playing every game is impossible, so we have to change those stats,” Arteta said of his team's reliance on the pair.

"That’s what we have to do. We have to find that solution.

“It tells a lot about what has happened this season. Eight months ago, if anybody had said we were going to rely so much on these two guys to get a result, you would have said we were not going to be in a strong position.

"That is our reality as well. We have to change that reality because it doesn’t go in our favour.”

The bigger picture

Saka, 19, became an established first-team player for Arsenal during 2019-20, while the 20-year-old Smith Rowe had to wait a little longer for his opportunity, having made just two Premier League appearances with the club going into the current campaign. 

Both have stepped up a gear over the course of the season to become an essential part of Arteta's plans. 

Arsenal have picked up 22 points from 10 league matches with both youngsters in the starting XI, and just 23 in the 21 games one or both has been missing. 

As a result the Gunners lie a lowly ninth, 10 points outside the Champions League qualifying positions - meaning that success in the Europa League may well be their most straightforward path available to Europe's top club competition.

Further reading 

Bournemouth did their English Premier League promotion aspiration a lot of good with a convincing 3-1 victory at Norwich City.

The Canaries had earlier on Saturday afternoon earned an English topflight berth following the inability of Swansea City and Brentford to record win in their respective games.

Even at that, manager Daniel Farke named a strong starting XI against visiting Cherries at Carrow Road. However, they crumbled like a pack of cards to surrender their impressive 13 games in the English second tier without losing.

Norwich City got off to a flying start but taking the lead through Emiliano Buendia. After getting to the end of Kenny McLean’s through ball, Teemu Pukki slipped a pass through his markers before the Argentine forward lifted a shot over Asmir Begovic which sailed into the net.

However, their lead suffered a massive blow in the 17th minute as Dimitrios Giannoulis was given the marching orders by referee Graham Scott. The Greek left-back was shown the way out following an awkward challenge on Ben Pearson.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, they went into the half-time break with a slim lead.

In the second half, Bournemouth came out stronger and subsequently exploited their hosts who played a man down.

Five minutes after the restart, they levelled matters through substitute Sam Surridge with his first touch that was unstoppable by goalkeeper Tim Krul.

Seven minutes later, they doubled their advantage through man-of-the-match Arnaut Danjuma. The Netherlands’ midfielder of Nigerian descent cut in from the left touchline, beat some players before firing into the top corner from 25 yards out.

While Farke’s team were chasing the equaliser, Lloyd Kelly ended their ambition of a comeback by – netting the third in the 76th minute with Danjuma providing the assist.

Nigeria prospect Dominic Solanke was on parade from start to finish, while Zimbabwe’s Jordan Zemura was not considered for selection.

Thanks to this result, Bournemouth climbed to fifth in the English second tier log after garnering 74 points from 42 outings.

With that, they have established a seven-point cushion in the race for play-off places ahead of their trip to Millwall on Wednesday.

Even with their defeat, Norwich City remain at the summit of the table with 90 points from the same number of matches.

Lionel Messi passed Telmo Zarra as the all-time leading Copa del Rey final goalscorer with his second-half brace on Saturday in Barcelona's 4-0 victory over Athletic Club.

The pair of strikes took him to 10 goals in the competition's final. He's won the tournament seven times.

Barcelona now have their first trophy of the campaign and will try to add a La Liga title to their cabinet by the end of 2020-21 as they navigate the end of a three-horse domestic race with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. They sit one point back of Real and two points back of Atletico with eight matches to go.

30-goal streak

In addition to breaking the Copa del Rey final record, Messi also scored his 30th goal in all competitions this year, a mark he's reached 13 times in a row.

Team-mate Ilaix Moriba, who came off the bench Saturday, was four years old the last time Messi failed to score at least 30 goals.

How did Messi score?

Messi's goals came in quick succession. The first was in the 68th minute, as he played a give-and-go with Frenkie de Jong and chopped inside to open up a window to roll the ball past goalkeeper Unai Simon. Four minutes later, he beat Simon with a first-time finish to the near post.

Further reading

Paul Onuachu has ended the 2020-21 Belgian First Division A campaign with 29 goals after his brace in Genk’s 3-2 loss to Royal Antwerp on Saturday.

The record is the 26-year-old’s best goalscoring return in his professional career and he is eight goals above OH Leuven's Thomas Henry who has 21 league goals.

The Super Eagles striker fired the visitors ahead at the Bosuilstadion with his 22nd-minute opener, and he later made it 2-0 with his strike from the penalty spot, four minutes after the hour mark.

Onuachu has scored at least a goal in his last five matches in all competitions, including his international heroics with Nigeria where he scored in each of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho last month.

Genk were on course to end the Belgian top-flight campaign with an unbeaten streak until Cameroon striker Didier Lamkel Ze inspired Royal Antwerp's comeback with his goal in the 67th minute.

Just before Lamkel Ze’s goal, Onuachu was replaced by his compatriot Cyril Dessers who ended his debut league outing in Belgium with four goals in 27 matches.

On the stroke of full-time, the hosts showed their resilience with DR Congo's Dieumerci Mbokani scoring a 90th-minute equaliser followed by a match-winning goal from Dylan Batubinsika, two minutes later.

The late blow saw Genk remain third in the First Division A table with 56 points from 33 matches while Antwerp stretched their lead in the second spot to four points above their rivals. 

In total, Onuachu was involved in 31 goals in 33 league appearances which include two assists.

The Nigeria striker alongside Dessers still have a chance of ending the 2020-21 season with a silverware with Genk scheduled to battle Standard Liege in the Belgian Cup final on April 25.

Sheffield United have been relegated from the Premier League with six games to spare following their 1-0 defeat to Wolves on Saturday, matching an unwanted Premier League record.

The Blades were sunk just before the hour mark courtesy of Willian Jose's right-footed finish, to condemn them to a return to the Championship after two seasons in the top flight.

With just 32 games under their belt, it means that the club write themselves a further piece of undesirable history in their demotion, equaling the lowest number of games for a side to take the tumble back to the second tier.

What was said?

"It's a very disappointing day for myself, the lads and the football club," defender John Egan told PLP. "You work so hard to get to the Premier League. It's tough to take but the writing was on the wall for a while.

"We haven't been good enough this season. It's a bitter pill to swallow. That summed up a lot of our games this season. It's been a reoccurring theme. We gave a better performance tonight but the result didn't go for us. It's a sad day for the football club."

Just what have Sheffield United achieved?

In dropping out of the Premier League with six games left to play, it means that the Blades have joined the ranks of three other sides who jointly hold the record for the earliest return to the second tier: Ipswich Town, Derby County and Huddersfield Town.

The Tractor Boys' 1994-95 campaign saw them concede 93 goals en route to ending their three-year stay in the top flight.

The Rams' 2007-08 run remains the low bar which few sides are likely to ever fail to clear, winning just one game all season - though it took until March for them to be officially condemned.

The Terriers then tied the pair for overall games when they were relegated in 2018-19 with just the three wins to their name and 16 points overall.

Now, Paul Heckingbottom's side have joined their select band, though they will at least still have time to carve out three more points to overhaul their Yorkshire rivals for a total tally.

In addition, they have become the first team to finish as high as ninth and be relegated the following season since Birmingham City achieved the feat a decade ago across 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Blades rusted in sophomore slump

Having lit up the Premier League with a ninth-place finish last term, hopes were high that Chris Wilder's side would be able to beat the odds again following an unlikely push for Europe in 2019-20.

But having slumped to three defeats on the trot to close out their previous campaign, the South Yorkshire outfit continued to slide down the table and found themselves firmly rooted to the foot of the relegation zone, with just two points taken before the arrival of 2021.

A maiden league win came in early January against Newcastle, before a shock victory over Manchester United sparked suggestions of an unlikely rise from the canvas across the second half of the season.

Yet further results failed to materialise and Wilder - who had led the club back to the big time from the doldrums of League One - was dismissed on March 13, with academy coach Heckingbottom installed on an interim basis.

The Blades have failed to win since the ex-Leeds boss took charge, and with their fate now secured, will look to begin the rebuilding process as they prepare for a return to the second tier.

Further reading

Victor Wanyama was on target as CF Montreal defeated Toronto FC 4-1 on the opening day of the Major League Soccer 2021 campaign.

Three minutes into the encounter, the hosts took the lead courtesy of Mason Toye. Zachary Brault-Guillard, who dashed up the middle of the field teed up the 22-year-old to fire past United States international Alexander Bono.

Romell Quioto doubled the lead for Wilfried Nancy’s side in the 24th minute with Joel Waterman providing the assist.

On the stroke of half-time, the Reds reduced the deficit via a penalty kick. With Waterman penalised for bringing down Auro in the box, Marco Delgado stepped up to convert the ensuing kick.

In the keenly contested second half, Wanyama handed his team a two-goal advantage in the 54th minute. Rising above his markers, the Kenya international headed Mustafa Kizza’s corner kick past a helpless Bono.

Montreal got their fourth of the evening in the 71st minute through Djordje Mihailovic. Erik Hurtado found Mihailovic from the right flank and the 30-year-old ghosted past Omar Gonzalez before netting his first goal ever for the club.

Despite a massive three-goal advantage, Toronto were unwilling to accept without a fight. Two minutes before full time, Richie Laryea scored the second for Chris Armas’ team.

The Canadian international of Ghanaian background picked up a pass from Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty before beating Senegalese goalkeeper Clement Diop.

While Wanyama and Diop were in action from start to finish, Uganda’s Kizza was replaced in the 79th minute by Amar Sejdic.

El Gouna loanee Ahmed Hamdy was not listed for the game as well as their newly acquired Nigerian import Sunusi Ibrahim.

On the other side, DR Congo's Chris Mavinga and Nigeria's Ifunanyachi Achara did not play a role in the defeat.

Eastern Conference leaders Montreal would be hoping to continue with their blistering start to the season when they travel to Tennessee's Nissan Stadium for a date with Abu Danladi and Dominique Badji's Nashville on April 24.

For Toronto, they are aiming to bag their first win of the new season when they welcome Vancouver Whitecaps to the BMO Field Toronto, Ontario.

Senegal goalkeeper Timothy Dieng was sent off for Queens Park Rangers while DR Congo winger Yannick Bolasie's goal was not enough as Middlesbrough suffered a 2-1 home defeat in Saturday's Championship game.

Following Tuesday’s loss at Rotherham, QPR did not waste time to get the ball rolling at the Riverside Stadium with two quickfire goals in the first 20 minutes that secured a crucial three points on the road.

Robert Dickie broke the deadlock in the 15th minute and Lee Wallace doubled the lead three minutes later, before Bolasie secured a consolation goal for Middlesbrough in the 28th minute.

The Everton loanee was set up by his compatriot Neeskens Kebano and he has now scored two goals in 11 Championship matches since he joined Neil Warnock's side on loan in January.

The Rangers were cruising to victory when Dieng was shown a straight red card in the 58th minute after he brought down Duncan Watmore outside the penalty area.

The victory moved QPR to ninth in the Championship table with two points above Boro after gathering 59 point from 42 matches.

Elsewhere, Watford’s eight-match unbeaten run in the English second-tier came to an end after a 1-0 loss at Luton Town.

Jamie Collins' strike from the penalty spot in the 78th minute separated both teams at Kenilworth Road.

Nigeria's Isaac Success, William Troost-Ekong and Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr were in action for the Hornets who still remain second in the table despite the dropped points.

Watford have 82 points after 42 matches, 11 points behind runaway leaders Norwich City while Andre Ayew's Swansea City are third with 76 points.

For Stoke City, former Nigeria captain Mikel Obi played the entire duration as Preston North End held the Potters to a goalless draw at bet365 Stadium.

The Potters are 12th in the league table with 56 points from 42 matches.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola took exception to the suggestion that his side were eliminated from the FA Cup because they had taken their eye off the ball. 

City's chances of a unique quadruple were torpedoed by Chelsea on Saturday, as Hakim Ziyech's goal sealed a 1-0 win for the Londoners. 

The result brought the club firmly back down to earth less than 72 hours after making the Champions League last four at the expense of Borussia Dortmund. 

What was said? 

"What could I say? We had two-and-a-half days to recover and play away and have to travel, we were on the train for three hours and we were stopped one hour," Guardiola fired to reporters after the final whistle. 

"Everyone deserved to play, don't say we don't pay attention, when this team reached four finals in a row in a Carabao Cup. Just say we lost the game and when we lose the game the decisions are bad but it is a poor argument.

"You don't get to the semi-finals of the FA Cup or final of the Carabao Cup four years in a row when we don't pay attention.

"Say it before the game that Pep doesn't pay attention or the players don't, but don't say after just because we lose the game. These guys fight every game like never before I've seen. Now we don't pay attention?

"We respect the FA Cup a lot, we come here to win and next time tell me which people say that. Do you think [Raheem] Sterling, or Gabriel [Jesus], or Ferran [Torres] don't deserve to play the game? Say it."

The bigger picture

Saturday's loss brought into focus once more Guardiola's policy of rotating his team to cope with their packed fixture schedule. 

The manager made eight changes from the side that started against Dortmund on Wednesday, bringing back into the starting line-up many of the players who were upset last weekend by Leeds United. 

Pep had made similar observations in the wake of that defeat, claiming that: “When you lose [the selection is a mistake], when we win, I am a genius.

“I do not regret [the choices] because I trust them. If I didn't trust them, they would not play."

Despite this setback, City remain in the hunt for three trophies in 2020-21. 

Next Sunday they are back at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final against Tottenham, while Guardiola's charges also enjoy a commanding 11-point lead over rivals Manchester United at the top of the Premier League as the season reaches its latter stages. 

In Europe, meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain await in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at Parc des Princes on April 28, with the return leg scheduled for May 4.

Further reading 

Hakim Ziyech’s combination with Timo Werner yielded a positive outcome as Chelsea defeated Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Blues have been in fine form this season thanks to this duo whose chemistry keeps waxing stronger in each passing game.

Thomas Thuchel’s men had bowed 1-0 in their last outing against FC Porto. It was a painful defeat as the Portuguese side waited until the last minute to scale through thanks to substitute Mehdi Taremi.

Knowing that anything short of victory would end their ambition of playing in the final, manager Tuchel started the Morroco international in attack alongside Werner and Mason Mount.

However, they had to wait until the 55th minute for the goal to come. Germany international Werner beat the offside trap after being released by Mount on the left, and sent the ball to the former Ajax man who tapped it into an empty net.

With that, three of Ziyech’s goals for the former European kings have been provided by Werner – a stat that accentuated their understanding.

This has not gone unnoticed by their manager: “You can only win against City if you have everybody on the top level and the two guys were very good upfront with their speed and acceleration, and also the impact that Mason had with the pass,” Tuchel told the club website.

“Timo and Hakim was the same line-up against Liverpool where they were also very strong in an away game and a 1-0 victory so I‘m happy.

“On the other side, it has to be absolutely like this. Everybody who is on the pitch has to perform and now is the moment in the season where we cannot drop one per cent. That’s the way we want it.”

Also, the 28-year-old African improved on his personal record for the English team, Four of his five goals have come in cup competitions.

Thanks to their victory, Chelsea have now reached their fourth FA Cup final in five seasons and also ended the ambition of Pepe Guardiola’s men to win a quadruple this season.

They will find out their FA Cup final opponents tomorrow as Leicester City face off against Southampton in the other semi-final tie.

Meanwhile, the Blues continue their Premier League campaign when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Terem Moffi scored two goals as Lorient suffered a 3-2 defeat to Marseille in a Ligue 1 encounter on Saturday.

The 21-year-old built on his consolation goal for Les Merlus in their 4-1 loss to Lens last Sunday, but his contributions once again were not enough as they await their first away league victory since October 17 when they defeated Reims 3-1.

Moffi opened the scoring at the Orange Velodrome in the 19th minute, courtesy of an assist from DR Congo's Yoane Wissa. The goal separated both teams at the break, but Marseille fought back and turned the game around after the restart.

Dimitri Payet scored the equaliser in the 53rd minute and three minutes later, Pol Lirola fired the hosts ahead.

A few minutes later, Moffi linked up with Wissa again to grab his second goal of the day in the 70th minute and the effort was set to rescue a crucial away point for Lorient until Lirola scored a stoppage-time winner for Marseille.

Moffi who moved to France from Belgian club Kortrijk last September, has now scored 11 goals after 27 matches in his debut Ligue 1 season.

The Nigeria star is Lorient's leading top scorer so far but Christophe Pelissier's side is 17th in the Ligue 1 table with 32 points from 33 matches - two points adrift of the relegation zone.

Moffi will be expected to continue his goalscoring run and also help Les Merlus bounce back to winning ways when they host Samuel Kalu's Bordeaux for their next Ligue 1 game on April 25.

Chelsea forward Timo Werner insisted he is fine with having more assists than goals as long as his side continues to win matches. 

The Germany international grabbed the decisive assist against Manchester City on Saturday, as his square ball found Hakim Ziyech for the game's only goal in a 1-0 win in the FA Cup semi-final.

Werner has come under fire for a lack of scoring in his first season at Chelsea but has managed a number of assists in 2020-21 as well.

What was said?

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the game, Werner said: "I’ve had more assists than goals, which is unusual in the last year for me. As long as it helps the team it’s fine.

"It was good that I got the ball right for Hakim."

Speaking about the game, the 25-year-old added: "I think the two best teams in England at the moment played against each other. It was a 50-50 game.

"We won because we made the counterattacks and got one goal. In the end we defended very well, like in the games before. I think we can say the best team won.

"In these types of games it’s very important to have good tactics, but in the end it’s the individual class that decides the game. That’s why we won the game."

Werner's debut season

Following his summer move from RB Leipzig, Werner got off to a fast start by scoring eight times in his first 12 appearances.

That bright start has been followed by a long dry period, however, as Werner has scored just twice since early November.

Werner has managed to get his team-mates involved throughout the season though, as his assist on Saturday was his 12th of the campaign.

Werner's team play has kept him in manager Thomas Tuchel's plans as Chelsea eye two major trophies as the season nears its end.

The Blues will face either Leicester or Southampton in the FA Cup final while they take on Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final later this month. 

Further reading

Thomas Tuchel said that was "very proud" of his Chelsea side after they downed "the best team in Europe" Manchester City to reach the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening.

Hakim Ziyech's close-range finish just before the hour mark ensured a second successive trip to the showpiece game for the Blues, and ended Pep Guardiola's hopes of a continental quadruple.

In a match billed by many as the next step on City's road to a clean sweep of trophies, Tuchel saw his side grind out victory in a cagey encounter, and the German was quick to profess his pride for his players after they booked their first final under the German's reign.

What did Tuchel say?

"It was a very strong performance, [and I'm] very happy and proud," the former Paris Saint-Germain boss told BBC Sport after the final whistle. "It was a very strong performance and I am very proud of my team."

"We were not lucky to escape with a clean sheet, we worked hard for it. The guys are ready to cover for each other if anyone loses a duel. We wanted to be brave today.

“It feels fantastic because we were playing the best team in Europe right now and we managed to close the gap for 90 minutes.  Because it is so hard against City, you have to be on your top level. It was a quality performance."

Tuchel on Ziyech's matchwinner

While Guardiola overhauled a large portion of his side from their midweek Champions League triumph over Borussia Dortmund, his opposite number instead made minimal swaps from the starting lineup that faced Porto, with Ziyech and Timo Werner the only new outfield faces.

That the pair combined for the only goal of the contest - Werner drawing out defenders with a run on the left before squaring inside for Ziyech to sweep home into an almost empty net - will have been all the more sweeter for the German, who had nothing but praise for his attacking pair alongside fellow forward Mason Mount.

“It was very nicely played," he added. "We escaped the pressure and we had a deep run from Mason, and the run from Timo. Hakim could finish from Timo’s delivery which was crucial because it was decisive.

"We had a big chance with Timo, a big chance with Ziyech and two offside goals, so it would have been possible to be more calm in that last 15 minutes but I like the effort and hard work. It was a good mix between ball possession and defending."

The bigger picture

Chelsea's victory ensures they will return to Wembley nine months on from defeat against Arsenal in last season's FA Cup Final, where they will await either fellow top-four hopefuls Leicester City or Southampton.

It represents the immediate culmination of Tuchel's impact at the club since he succeeded Frank Lampard, vindicating the Blues' decision to part ways with the club legend previously in charge.

Their encounter with City too came with the added undercurrent of a potential undercard clash for an even bigger date with destiny, with both sides set to compete in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

The Blues will have to overcome Real Madrid if they are to book a trip to Istanbul, while their fellow English side will have to best last year's beaten finalists Paris Saint-Germain for a place - but the prospect of a potentiial rematch on a grander stage will undoubtedly linger in the minds of both sides after this weekend's encounter.

Further reading

Yanga SC have defeated Biashara Mara United by a solitary goal at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Saturday night.

The lone goal came from Burkinabe Yacouba Songne. Prior to the match, the 27-time champions had collected just two points from their previous three games. They had lost 2-1 to Coastal Union before settling to a 1-1 draw with Polisi Tanzania and Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC) FC respectively.

With pressure coming from second-placed Azam FC and reigning champions Simba SC, Wananchi had to give their best to get maximum points at home and complete a double over their opponents who they had defeated by a solitary goal in the initial round.

It seemed Timu ya Wananchi would drop points after failing to get the ball in the back of the net in the first half.

Deus Kaseke, Songne, Saidi Ntibazonkiza had chances to score but failed to beat their visitors who had opted to sit back and hit the Jangwani Street-based charges on the counter-attack.

Even after the break, Biashara resorted to sit back and defend. This gave Yanga an opportunity to camp in their danger zone and attack regularly.

In the 53rd minute, Adeyun Saleh managed to bring the cross into the danger zone. It fell to Songne and the towering striker headed the ball home. It happened to be the winner for the Juma Mwambusi-led side.

Yanga are now on 54 points after 25 matches.

Meanwhile, Coastal Union bagged maximum points at the expense of Ruvu shooting after claiming a 2-1 win.

It was the visitors who opened the scoring after 21 minutes when Fully Maganga capitalised on poor defending to tap home.

With three minutes to the break, the hosts levelled. Mustapha Ali picked Rashid Chambo whose first touch took him away from the defender before unleashing a fierce shot with his second to ensure both teams went to the break tied 1-1.

The winning goal for the hosts came in the 63rd minute when Ayoub Masoud scored from a corner kick.

Mtibwa Sugar and Kagera Sugar settled their 'Sugar Derby' with a 1-1 draw.

Jaffary Kibaya managed to get past the defenders after 21 minutes to convert an inch accurate pass from Abal Kassim. However, Yusuph Mhilu replied in the 43rd minute when he converted a cross from Peter Samson.