In addition to the usual fare of stunning goals, fans were treated to a couple of special hat-tricks this past month, one in the game which sealed the Premier League crown for Manchester United, and the other being the first against Real Madrid in the history of European competition. The scorers of those are in our list of nominees for the month of April, along with some other brilliant performers who shone through the month of April.

Robert Lewandowski

Key stats - Minutes played: 596 Goals: 8 Assists: 0

The first person on this list has seen an immense rise in value over the past couple of years with some outstanding finishes for Borussia Dortmund, both domestically as well as in Europe. Finishing high on the list of contenders for the Bundesliga‘s golden boot last year, Lewandowski is currently leading the charts this season even though his club have lost hold on the trophy they won on consecutive occasions the past two years. Playing in an astonishing eight games in April, split evenly between the Bundesliga and the Champions League, the Polish international scored an equal number of goals; the highlights being the opener in Dortmund’s great escape against Malaga, and the four-goal haul in their 4 – 1 thrashing of Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Key stats - Minutes played: 574 Goals: 7 Assists: 3

Just like Lewandowski, the number of goals scored by the unstoppable Cristiano Ronaldo in April were equivalent to the number of games he played – 7. After a slow start to the season, Ronaldo has really come to the party for Real Madrid, helping them put distance between themselves and local rivals Atletico in the race for the runners-up spot in La Liga. His tally in the Spanish league is second only to that of Lionel Messi, who had a relatively quiet April and will not feature in the list of nominees for the first time in a while. No such problems for Ronaldo though, as excellent shows, particularly against Galatasaray and Athletic Bilbao, make him one of the favourites to win this poll.

Robin van Persie

Key stats - Minutes played: 479 Goals: 6 Assists: 0

Title #20 has been delivered by Sir Alex Ferguson and co. to the Old Trafford faithful a bit earlier than one might have expected at the start of the season, and one finds it hard to think it would have been so without United’s talisman #20, Robin van Persie. Having recovered from a goal-drought near the end of March, the Dutchman focused his energy on making April as productive as possible, virtually sealing the golden boot for himself with Suarez no longer available to play this season. Personal glory apart, he has scored all four of United’s goals in their last two matches, including the aforementioned hat-trick and an emphatic penalty on his first return to the Emirates.

Roberto Soldado

Key stats - Minutes played: 360 Goals: 4 Assists: 1

After being a real threat to the top two in the Spanish league, Valencia have trailed off in the last couple of years, but not Roberto Soldado. The clinical front-man has continued to consistently be among the top scorers in the league, and is fifth even this year, in spite of his team’s struggles. After an unimpressive start to the season, Valencia now occupy the final European qualification spot, and will need Soldado to keep firing as he has been in April. Four goals, including a brace in his side’s 5 – 1 thrashing of a resilient Malaga, earn him a spot on this list.

Stefan Kiessling

Key stats - Minutes played: 346 Goals: 4 Assists: 0

Robert Lewandowski, as most would probably know, currently leads the scoring charts for the Bundesliga with 23 strikes. But who follows the Dortmund striker in the pecking order? If you guess any of Huntelaar, Mandzukic, Muller, Gomez, or any of their ilk, you would be wrong; it is Stefan Kiessling, with 22 goals to his name. While Bayern have been marching along merrily this season, Bayer Leverkusen have done exceedingly well to perch themselves in third spot in the table, with invaluable contributions from this 29-year-old. Having already exceeded his best annual domestic tally for Leverkusen, he will be looking to build on his 4 goals from April which included one in the 2 – 2 draw against now fourth-placed Schalke.

Christian Benteke

Key stats - Minutes played: 349 Goals: 4 Assists: 0

After struggling their way through most of the season, Aston Villa finally seem to have found their feet in the Premier League, dragging themselves 5 points clear of the relegation zone with a couple of fantastic performances in April. Credit is most certainly due to Benteke who, playing in his first year at the club, has kept the spirit going with some tireless, dogged performances. He has been rewarded for his consistency, and is currently at fourth place in the race for the golden boot. His four goals in April, although they came in games which were already won, certainly helped his cause.

The Kolkata Knight Riders continued their miserable run of results, losing their 6th game of the tournament out of 9 played. For the home side though, it was an excellent result, one which takes them to the top of the table, and they seem to be peaking at the right time. Many players delivered good performances for their respective sides today, and in spite of the result going the way of the Super Kings, here are those who did best:

Michael Hussey – Oozing class

Key stats: Batting figures – 95 off 59 (11 fours, 2 sixes); Run-outs effected - 1

One of the classiest players you will ever see on the cricketing field, Michael Hussey continued his good run with the bat, contributing many a miles to CSK’s cause, as he has been over the years. He made batting look easy against a respectable attack, albeit on a pitch which did little to help the bowlers, and got rid of Manvinder Bisla with a direct hit at the stumps which caught the batsman short of his crease. He now has 445 runs in this tournament, just five lesser than leading scorer, Chris Gayle, who has played an innings extra, and has not been nearly as consistent as this Australian star. Teams will have to begin formulating a plan for him as well, or he will take the game away from them, every single time.

Suresh Raina – Delivering the goods

Key stats: Batting figures - 44 off 25 (4 fours, 1 six)

There’s something about the way that Suresh Raina conducts himself on the field that is very endearing; be it his constantly busy approach with bat in hand, energetic stops in the field, or those rare occasions where turns his arm over with a smile. His very presence seems to uplift the men in yellow, and their fans, and it is thus no surprise that he hasn’t missed a game yet for the franchise. He has struggled a bit with the bat this season, however, but showed no signs of it today, scoring a quick 44 to help his team to 200, and in retrospect, might have been the differentiating factor between the two teams.

Manvinder Bisla – There’s something about CSK

Key stats: Batting figures – 92 off 61 (14 fours, 2 sixes)

There’s something about CSK which seems to bring out the best in Bisla. Coming off a good half century, the Knight Riders’ ‘keeper was clean-bowled off the first legal delivery he faced, but perhaps only because it was a free hit that he was going all out after. He seemed quite comfortable at the crease for the remainder of his innings, smacking the ball around responsibly, and scoring at a brisk pace with little risk. Very unfortunate to have been run-out at a crucial juncture in the game, as the Knight Riders desperately missed a set batsman in the final over of the game.

Chris Morris - Rocketing into the limelight

Key stats: Bowling figures – 3.0 – 0 – 29 – 1

While the first two overs that Morris bowled were nothing too special, there was one delivery which was, being aimed at Gambhir’s leg-stump at yorker length, and got rid of the KKR captain. If that was insufficient contribution, Morris came up with six more yorkers in the final over of the game, conceding just 4 runs where the opposition needed 19 in one of the finest displays of death-bowling seen in cricket. The batsmen facing up to him were no mugs either, being Eoin Morgan and Yusuf Pathan, making his over seem even more special. As a commentator rightly said, plenty of people would have sat up and taken notice of this performance, and it just might prove to be a launchpad for his international career.

The Chennai Super Kings saw off a competitive chase from the Kolkata Knight Riders to ascend to the top of this season’s table in yet another last-over finish at the Chepauk stadium. A nigh-perfect last over from Chris Morris left Kolkata fourteen runs adrift, with only four coming off it, which means that the reigning champions are now in deep waters and sinking quick. It was a high-scoring game with more than a couple outstanding performances, but here are those who failed to deliver:

Dirk Nannes – Rusty as an iron rod

Key stats: Bowling figures – 4.0 – 0 – 50 – 0; Catches – 1 

Returning from a short injury layoff, Nannes showed early signs of rustiness when he started the second innings off with a wide down the leg side which went to the boundary as well. He followed it up with a front-foot no-ball, and immediately had all and sundry talking about his lack of match-fitness. 18 runs came from that first over, and many more from the ones he bowled after, especially his last one, which allowed Kolkata a foot in the door which seemed all but firmly shut.

Brendon McCullum – Letting it slip

Key stats: Batting figures – 6 off 7 (1 four)

The last time that Brendon McCullum was in consistent good touch for the Knight Riders was perhaps way back in the second season of the tournament, played in South Africa. Since then, he has produced a few good innings, no doubt, but they have been few and far in between. Most other innings have been promising starts, thrown away either through ill luck or rash play. Tonight was no different, as, having gotten his eye in, McCullum looked to accelerate the scoring and in doing so, chopped one from wide outside off-stump onto his wicket, and departed early, cursing his luck all the while.

Jacques Kallis – Neither with the ball, nor with the bat 

Key stats: Bowling figures – 4.0 – 0 – 50 – 0; Batting figures - 19 off 20 (1 six)

When a team loses a game chasing a big total with 6 wickets in hand and a couple of big hitters still left in the shed, one finds it hard to understand the thought process behind sending out someone like Kallis to bat with instructions to take it easy, at his own pace. As if the concession of 50 runs in the four overs he bowled was insufficient, Kallis took to his innings at pedestrian pace, making 19 off 20, with only a couple of attempts at keeping up with the required rate. The manner in which he threw away his wicket was quite embarrassing, as his attempted scoop from outside the off-stump looped up and went straight to Nannes. 5 – 10 runs more in the deliveries he faced, or 5 – 10 less conceded would have made a huge difference to the scoreline.

Lakshmipathy Balaji - Smashed all over

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 45 – 0

Facing off against a team he used to once play for, Balaji produced very little of the guile and variation that made him fairly successful in the past. That is not to say he didn’t attempt them, but that much of what he tried were the wrong choices to make against the batsmen facing him. He did bowl a decent last over of the first innings, at least until Dhoni sent one flying over the fence off the last delivery. If these performances continue, Kolkata might soon face the dilemma of having to bring in Brett Lee, in the absence of former talents like Unadkat and Dinda.

The Sunrisers from Hyderabad struggled in the heat at Jaipur, recovering from a miserable start to post a decent total, but saw it blown away by an in-form Shane Watson, and Rajasthan side. Darren Sammy deserves a special mention for slogging through the heat to drag his side to a respectable score, and for joyfully celebrating his half century with a pacifier in reference to his newborn daughter back home. Here are some whose performances weren’t quite as joyful.

Kevon Cooper – On the wane

Key stats: Bowling figures – 4.0 – 0 – 42 – 1; Catches - 2 

After being smashed all over the park by the CSK batsmen, Kevon Cooper had the best possible chance of atoning for his performance, coming in to bowl against a Hyderabad side which had lost more than half its batting lineup. Instead, Cooper continued his act of handing out freebies and loose deliveries from the last game, letting SRH off the hook, and putting pressure on his own side. With the likes of Shain Tait, Owais Shah, and Brad Hogg waiting in the wings, he will have to get his act together if he is to keep his spot in the side.

Thisara Perera – Poor day at the office

Key stats: Batting figures – 4 off 4 (1 four); Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 34 – 1

As someone who has been crucial to the Sunrisers’ early success this season, and has earned plenty of fantasy league points for those who have picked him, Perera let several people down today with his poor decision-making which put his team in a real soup. Batting with four wickets already gone, and little established talent to follow, Perera got out trying to clear the boundary off the wily Chandila and instead holed out to Kevon Cooper. Did nothing special with the ball either, and picked up Dravid’s wicket simply because the latter was trying to smash him out of the park.

Ishant Sharma – Letting the fish off the hook 

Key stats: Bowling figures - 3.0 – 0 – 35 – 0

While Dale Steyn was keeping things tight at one end, Ishant Sharma let the pressure ease at the other, bowling some deliveries quite wide of the off stump, and allowing Dravid to pick up a couple of easy boundaries. Could have been much cleverer with his line as well as length, and was punished for not being so when Watson really got stuck into him towards the end of the innings. After an impressive start to the tournament, is in danger of falling by the wayside, and dragging his team down along with him.

Hanuma Vihari - What was that?

Key stats: Batting figures - 4 off 9 (0 boundaries); Catches - 1

With five wickets down, and slight relief in the form of Faulkner and Chandila being taken out of the attack, Vihari should have seen the introduction of Kevon Cooper as a blessing to his chances of posting a decent score on the board. Cooper seemed eager to help him out as well, bowling a loose one down the leg side. Instead of duly running it down to fine-leg, or better yet, to the boundary, Vihari simply let it glance off his glove into the hands of Sangakkara, leaving the Sunrisers at 29/6 and in real danger of capitulating  at a shameful total.

The Rajasthan Royals let go of a stranglehold on the Sunrisers’ batting to let them score much more than one would have expected, but recovered well to chase down their target with reasonable ease. With this win, the Royals have now captured the third spot which the Sunrisers earlier occupied, and are looking good to progress in the tournament. The Sunrisers suffered their second loss in a row and are in serious danger of tailing away, even with the return of Sangakkara into the lineup. Here are those who lit up the game at the Sawai Mansingh today:

Darren Sammy – Saviour at large

Key stats: Batting figures – 60 off 41 (8 fours, 1 six); Bowling figures – 3.0 – 0 – 17 – 0

Walking out to bat in only his second IPL game ever, Sammy mustn’t have believed his eyes as his team were tottering at 19/5. It didn’t seem to affect the T20 World Cup winning captain too much though as he played his natural game, keeping Amit Mishra grounded at the same time, and carrying his team to a respectable total. He seemed to struggle throughout the game with the weather conditions, even suffering from cramps, and having to be withdrawn from the field near the end of the second innings. His celebration when he reached his half-century, dedicated to his newborn daughter, was something delightful to watch.

James Faulkner – Royals sure know how to pick them!

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 20 – 5

A fiver in 4 overs earned James Faulkner the Purple cap, and a well deserved one too for being the most economical bowler in the tournament. What was really impressive was that these were not the wickets of lower order batsmen trying to accelerate the scoring, but instead included those of Dhawan, Sangakkara, and Sammy, all of whom are well established batsmen. His subtle changes of pace with the ball in his hand, and clinically accurate line and length earn him the best bowling figures of this year’s tournament, and a spot on this list.

Dale Steyn – Coming to the party

Key stats: Batting figures – 18 off 8 (2 fours, 1 six); Bowling figures - 4.0 – 1 – 15 – 1

The world’s premier fast bowler delivered for the Sunrisers today with the bat, ball and on the field, and was really unfortunate to end up on the losing side. After an excellent cameo with the bat, which included a fantastic six over long on, Steyn kept things tight at the start of the second innings, maintaining pressure on the Royals’ batsmen. Unfortunately, the other bowlers were not quite up to the task, and Steyn’s spell went waste. What was heartening to see, however, was Steyn flying around in the field, trying to stop boundaries even when the game was all but over.

Shane Watson - In prime form

Key stats: Bowling figures – 2.0 – 0 – 16 – 0; Batting figures – 98 off 53 (13 fours, 4 sixes); Catches - 2

Coming off a century against the CSK in his previous game, Watson continued from where he left off, appearing very comfortable at the crease, and almost making another century. Having taken a couple of sharp catches in the first innings of the game, Watson was demoted to number three in the batting lineup, perhaps with the conservation of wickets in mind. That seemed quite unnecessary though, as Watson walked out fairly early in the game, and played a very responsible innings to carry his team through. Would have won the MoM award on 9 occasions out of 10, and is very unlucky to have not done so today.

BASEL, SWITZERLAND – APRIL 25: David Luiz (R) of Chelsea celebrates scoring his side’s second goal with team mate Victor Moses (L) during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final First Leg match between FC Basel 1893 and Chelsea at St. Jakob Stadium.

A tight encounter at St. Jakob Park went the way of the visitors, as Chelsea overcame Basel 2 – 1, condemning the hosts to their first home defeat in Europe this season. An early header from Moses was cancelled out by a fortuitous penalty by Schar in the final minutes of the game, before David Luiz sealed a win for the English side with the last kick of the game. It’s definitely advantage Chelsea at the end of the first leg.

There was a slow start to the game, with both sides playing at a pedestrian pace, perhaps with domestic campaigns at the back of their minds. That wasn’t to last long though, as Chelsea broke the deadlock with an away goal from a corner soon after the ten-minute mark. Frank Lampard, having seen his effort turned away for a corner, delivered the set piece into the six-yard area, where it met the head of Victor Moses, bounced into the pitch, and beat Yann Sommer at the far post. 1 – 0 to the visitors, and a quicker pace to the game.

The home side responded with an effort from a free kick by Fabian Schar, which took a deflection off a Chelsea defender and required Petr Cech to tip it over the crossbar. Soon after, Valentin Stocker went down in the Chelsea box under the keen attention of Ivanovic, and Salah followed up with a weak effort straight at Cech after the referee refused to hand out a penalty. Sadly though, the game fell back to a lull after that, with Chelsea managing to smother Basel’s attempts at getting forward quite easily. Ten minutes from the end of the half, Chelsea nearly doubled their lead when Ramires was found unmarked in the box, but Sommer pulled off a decent save, and the ball was cleared from danger.

Chelsea continued to block away Basel, with some great tracking back from the midfielders helping out the defenders, while seeming increasingly likely to score at the same time. Eden Hazard first skied an effort from the edge of the box before sending one wide from a bit closer just about a minute later. The whistle blew for half time at the right moment for the home side, who seemed a little unsure on whether or not to go all out for a goal.

There was a much brighter complexion to the game at the start of the second half, with the home side trying much harder to draw level with the visitors. Stocker made a good run inwards from the flank, and got a shot away with Petr Cech unsighted. Unfortunately for him though, it came back off the woodwork, with Cech barely moving a muscle. Chelsea returned the favour soon after as an excellent run from Hazard allowed him to pull one back for Torres, whose effort hit the inside of Sommer’s post and bounced back into play, out of harm’s way.

Chances continued to fall both ways, with Streller having a free header at the back-post from a corner for Basel, but only managing to head it wide of target. Ashley Cole and Aleksandar Dragovic picked up yellow cards for themselves in quick succession, meaning that both defenders will miss the second leg of this fixture at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea seemed set up to defend their one-goal lead for the final twenty minutes of the game, and it allowed Basel to make a few more forays into the attacking third. Substitute Marcelo Diaz curled one wide of the far post from the left edge of the box, before Salah’s first touch let him down when he could instead have been through on goal with a good one.

All of Basel’s efforts paid off four minutes from time when Azpilicueta bundled over Stocker in the fracas that followed from a corner. Schar stepped up to coolly fire home a penalty, drawing Basel level. It was a soft penalty, to say the least, but one which the visitors could do little about. Chelsea hit back almost immediately, but a good effort from Sommer and a wild shot from Oscar let Basel off the hook. Chelsea were denied yet again by a marvellous save from Sommer when a John Terry header from only a yard out was palmed wide by the Basel custodian.

Yet, it was not meant to be a good night for the home side as a late free kick, conceded by Stocker in a coming together with Ramirez, was placed through the gap in the wall by David Luiz and beat Sommer, who saw it late. A crucial second away goal for the visitors, and one which might just be enough to see them through to the finals.

Result: Basel (Fabian Schar (P) 87′) 1 – 2 Chelsea (Victor Moses 12′, David Luiz 90′ + 4)

Quinton de Kock – On his way out

Key stats: Batting figures – 4 off 3 (1 four); Catches - 1; Stumpings - 1

Picked to play simply because Sri Lankan players are banned from playing at Chennai in this season’s tournament, the South African poucher failed to make the most of his opportunity yet again. Opening the innings, as always, de Kock looked set for a good innings with his drive through the offside which fetched him a boundary, but then fell to an excellent catch from Murali Vijay. Almost certain to be dropped from the side for the next game when both Thisara Perrera and Kumar Sangakkara become available for selection.

Thalaivan Sargunam – Clueless on debut

Key stats: Batting figures - 10 off 17 (0 boundaries)

Sent in to bat ahead of Ashish Reddy, the 28-year old made a mess of his debut, appearing clueless with the bat in hand. Whether he was fazed by the occasion, or just is not cut out to play at this level in cricket was not quite clear, but his performance certainly tended towards the latter. Even Amit Mishra, much better known for his bowling skills than his batting, did better than Sargunam, who hit no boundaries. A few more runs from those deliveries he wasted, and the result could have taken a different complexion.

Amit Mishra – Catches win matches 

Key stats: Batting figures – 15 off 21 (2 fours); Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 26 – 3; Catches - 1

Speaking in the strictest sense of the word, Amit Mishra was far from a flop in tonight’s game, with an important three-wicket haul which ties him at the top spot for leading wicket-takers in the tournament. However, just one moment in the game, where he let go of a chance to get rid of Dhoni early in his innings came back to haunt his side, and ultimately took the game away from them. For someone who bowls so well, and bats decently, Mishra’s fitness and fielding skills are quite ridiculously poor, and for failing to pouch that simple yet crucial catch, Mishra makes it to this list for this game.

Cameron White - Captain terrible!

Key stats: Batting figures - 2 off 3 (0 boundaries)

Standing in for Kumar Sangakkara, Cameron White had done fairly alright in the couple of games before this, with respect to his decision making. Tonight was quite the opposite, with his experimental decisions, whether it be sending Mishra to bat at number 5 or to hand Ashish Reddy the ball for the final over, backfiring spectacularly. Also, for a team as short on batting talent as the Sunrisers were in Chennai, a contribution of 2 runs from their premier batsman must have been hard to digest.

Shikhar Dhawan – Picking up where he left off

Key stats: Batting figures – 63 off 45 (10 fours)

Making a return to the cricketing pitch after a month-long injury layoff, Dhawan showed no signs of rustiness, going about his business in a regal manner. While wickets tumbled at the opposite end, Dhawan held together the Sunrisers’ innings, scoring at a brisk pace as well. He was forced off the pitch for a while after taking a sore one to the groin from Bravo, but returned to carry on with his stroke-play, helping set up a respectable total for the visitors. Will bring some much needed stability at the top of the order for the new franchise.

Ashish Reddy – A flourish to the finish

Key stats: Batting figures - 36 off 16 (2 fours, 3 sixes); Catches - 1

Walking in with the score at less than a 100, and just over 4 overs remaining, Ashish Reddy grabbed the game by the collar unlike too many of the lesser-established Indian batsmen have this year. Good, controlled hits to the fence off quality bowling saw the youngster notch up a quickfire 36 off just 16 deliveries, taking the pressure off Shikhar Dhawan in the process. Bowled a horrible last over, conceding at a quicker rate than he scored, but it never would have gone to the last over if not for his performance with the bat. One only wonders how the game might have gone if he had been promoted up the order instead of Amit Mishra, or even Sargunam.

Karan Sharma – World Class

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 1 – 8 – 0

A maiden over in a T20 game is a rarity. A maiden over in the second innings of the game, even more so. A maiden over in the 16th of the second innings, with over 10 runs required per over is possibly something which had never been bowled before. Not anymore. Karan Sharma, with his fantastic leg-breaks, kept the Sunrisers in the game for much longer than they should really have with the bowling performance from the other bowlers.  Definitely one to watch out for.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni - Mr. Dependable

Key stats: Batting figures - 67 off 37 (7 fours, 4 sixes); Catches - 1

Words aren’t sufficient to describe the regularity with which India’s captain destroys the opposition. Time after time, he has stepped up to the task when called upon, and tonight was no different as he took his side home with some merciless hitting. Even when Bravo and Jadeja wasted balls at the other end, and eventually fell, Dhoni kept his cool to make the most of the extra life given to him, and finished the game with aplomb. Amit Mishra dropping an easy catch which might have changed the game entirely will be talked about for a long, long time.

Harbhajan Singh – Past his best?

Key stats: Batting figures - Bowling figures - 2.0 – 0 – 35 – 0; Batting figures – 7 off 2 (1 six); Catches - 2

It is not often that someone who hits a six off the first ball he faces, majorly helping his team’s cause in the process, is on the list of flops for the day. Harbhajan Singh, however, is an exception. The first over of the match that he bowled was plundered for 26, and provided the Knight Riders the impetus to go on and set a stiff target. What was disappointing was not that he got taken for so many runs, but that he seemed at a loss for ideas, and simply tossed them up for Pathan and Gambhir to dispatch beyond the boundary. His fielding efforts along the boundary were extravagant, and while he did seem to put in a couple of dives, most other players would have been quicker on their feet and made those saves fairly easily.

Sachithra Senanayake – A night to forget

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 50 – 1

For someone who has been in good touch for the reigning champions this season, Senanayake was treated with absolute disdain by any and every MI batsman that faced him. The 50 runs which he conceded were not really the result of a freak over as such, and were evenly distributed, with at least one boundary being hit in each of his overs. In a game where his spin counterparts were taken for a combined 52 in 8 overs, his figures are something at which fingers will be pointed at as the reason for his team’s loss.

Sachin Tendulkar – Nobody’s perfect

Key stats: Batting figures – 2 off 6 (0 boundaries)

Yes, he is a living legend. Yes, it was his 40th birthday. Yes, there is no way he could ever be bested in the story of cricket. But tonight, even the master was done in by a perfect off-break from Sunil Narine, which, in contrast to his previous delivery, turned a fair bit and left the middle stump lying on the ground. While Narine is a hard bowler to pick up at the best of times, to be comprehensively beaten in that manner, and be left squatting on the pitch, cannot be a good sign for Sachin.

Yusuf Pathan - Move those feet, man! 

Key stats: Batting figures - 19 off 6 (3 fours, 1 six)

Yusuf Pathan gave Kolkata a flying start with some lusty blows to the fence in the aforementioned over from Harbhajan Singh. But he followed it up by nicking one straight to the same man off the first legal delivery he faced from Mitchell Johnson. It is incredible how Pathan seems unable or unwilling to move his feet to adjust himself better to play the ball, and his dismissal tonight was the result of that. It may be true that he gave them a flying sort of a manner to the game, but is that really what KKR payed such ludicrous amounts of money for?

Lasith Malinga – Keep those slingas coming

Key stats: Bowling figures – 4 – 0 – 25 – 2

Love him or hate him, you just can’t ignore him. While he may not have racked up the wickets as quickly as one might expect this season, his economy rate is among the best in the tournament, just as it has been over the years. Tonight was no different, as Malinga held his own when Gambhir was going after the MI attack, and in spite of a couple of loose ones to Kallis, returned figures of just over a run a ball. What was really special was the last over of the first innings that was bowled by him, in which two batsmen were castled, and only 3 runs conceded. In a game of tight margins, made quite a big difference.

Pragyan Ojha – Smarter than your average bowler

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 21 – 2

With Harbhajan Singh having been smashed out of the park on a pitch which supposedly helps the spinners, there were many who were doubting the ability of Ojha to deliver the goods. Deliver he did, of course, with much better decision making than his counterpart, and the right deliveries dragged down while others were flighted up. The two wickets he picked up were the crucial ones of Kallis and Gambhir as well, making his bowling figures even more impressive.

Sunil Narine – Somebody stop him!

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 17 – 3

The unreadable bowler from Trinidad and Tobago reclaimed the Purple cap for himself with a three-wicket haul tonight, which included that of birthday boy, Sachin Tendulkar. His other two wickets were of no less importance either as he got rid of fellow West Indian, Dwayne Smith, who was looking dangerous, before taking a simple catch off his own bowling to see the back of in-form Rohit Sharma. Will they never figure him out?

Dwayne Smith - Take them as they come

Key stats: Batting figures - 62 off 45 (3 fours, 5 sixes)

For someone who looked entirely clueless for the first 19 deliveries he faced, Dwayne Smith did really well to repay his side for sending him out to open the innings. More sixes than fours hit by the man indicate his power for those who missed watching him muscle the not inconsiderable Kolkata attack over the boundary. Did justice to the role allotted to him by keeping MI within reach of the required rate, allowing them to clinch it in the last over.

Sachin Tendulkar – There will never be another

Simply for being born on the 24th of April, 40 years ago. The rest, as they say, is history.

Dishant Yagnik – Fading away

Key stats: Batting figures - 7 off 8 (1 four); 

In his third consecutive game for the Royals, the young keeper failed to get going with the bat yet again, falling to Ashwin for a paltry sum. Of course, it did bring Stuart Binny to the pitch, who played a great innings, but it was the second consecutive personal failure for Yagnik, for whom the innings against Mumbai must seem distant now. Sweeping against the spin on a pitch with a fair amount of bounce against one of the best bowlers of the tournament is never a wise decision to take, and Yagnik tonight showed us why.

Kevon Cooper – Freebies galore

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 49 – 0

For someone who is deeply embroiled in the race for the Purple Cap this season, Kevon Cooper bowled four harmless overs which were plundered for plenty by the Chennai batsmen. On a pitch which seemed to be aiding the slower bowlers, Cooper consistently bowled quick and wide, allowing the home side to rack up the runs rapidly, even off edges and half-chances. A real let-down for the captain on the night.

Rahul Dravid – Flat as a leaf

Key stats: Batting figures – 6 off 9 (0 boundaries); Run outs effected - 1

It is not often that you will see the real Mr. Cricket on this list, but tonight was one of those nights for him. Failing to deliver with the bat, Dravid still went in happy at the break thanks to some splendid batting from his wards. Post the break though, little went right for him, with his bowlers letting him down left, right, and centre. While he did effect the run-out of Hussey, it was an increasingly frustrated figure that he cut with the poor decisions from the bowlers he picked. Guilty of not trying to bowl Hodge on that pitch, and of those unnecessary runs conceded off misfields in the penultimate over which, given the fine margins in the game, may have affected the result.

Ravindra Jadeja - Not to-knight!

Key stats: Batting figures – 0 off 2 (0 boundaries); Bowling figures - 3.0 – 0 – 45 – 0

Coming in to bat with Faulkner delivering on the dot is never an easy task. One would perhaps have expected more of the satirically knighted Jadeja though, than a late block on a yorker which left his leg-stump uprooted, and made for a tenser finish than should have been. A duck from the $2 million man meant that Dwayne Bravo was left with some work to do in the final over, and his concession of 45 runs in three overs earned few fantasy league points for those with the in-form man in their team’s ranks.

The Chennai Super Kings prevailed over the Rajasthan Royals in the second close finish between the two at the M A Chidambaram stadium in two years, tonight. The win takes the two-time champions to the top of the table for the first time this season, although the Royal Challengers will be keen to take it back from them tomorrow afternoon. It was a high-scoring game with some fantastic individual performances all around. Here are the best of them:

Shane Watson – The centurion

Key stats: Batting figures - 101 off 61 (6 fours, 6 sixes); Bowling figures - 1.5 – 0 – 21 – 0

The first century of this year’s IPL was registered tonight by the Australian who absolutely took apart any plans that the CSK bowlers might have had in store for him. After his flop with the bat at the Chinnaswamy a couple of days ago, Watson came good amid the sea of yellow at the Chepauk, sparing no bowler the treatment. As a special treat, fans were served up scenes of intimidation when Watson targeted ‘Sir’ Ravindra Jadeja, forcing a couple of wides from the bowler with a couple of sixes over long on. Did all he could to stop Bravo in the final over of the game, but fell just short of the finish line.

Ravichandran Ashwin – Spinning a web

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 20 – 2; Catches - 1

The closest to  a mystery bowler that India has, Ashwin kept his calm and notched up a couple of important wickets to put the brakes on the Royals’ batting, at least off his deliveries. A bowler going at 5 runs to the over when the team has gone at over 9 is an obvious indicator of how good Ashwin’s performance was on the night. The wickets of Rahane and Yagnik also meant that Chennai came out to bat with less stiff a target than might have been.

Michael Hussey – They call him Mr. Cricket

Key stats: Batting figures – 88 off 51 (13 fours, 1 six); Catches – 1

After Watson, it was the turn of another Australian opener to deliver the goods, with Michael Hussey making a real charge up the scoring charts with a brisk knock. Virat Kohli‘s comfortable lead in the race for the Orange cap is now under real threat, with Hussey’s consistency taking him real close. On the night, Hussey’s knock was key to Chennai’s victory, with intent from the get-go keeping the required run rate manageable. Coming as it did after some tremendous fielding effort in the first innings, it earned him a well deserved MoM award.

James Faulkner - Lone ranger

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 20 – 3

One of the most economical bowlers of the tournament thus far, Faulkner did his figures no harm with an excellent performance with the ball. His three wickets were what gave the Royals a chance towards the end, with them having looked down and out ever since the opposition batsmen took the field. Very unfortunate to have ended up on the losing side, but no more so than Shane Watson.

The Rajasthan Royals rolled over and let their hosts walk all over them to surrender the initiative in the race for top spot, letting RCB get there instead. A lower order collapse in the first innings saw the Royals post a meek total of 117, and it was never one which could be defended against the batting might of the Bangaloreans. Getting there with seven wickets in hand, Bangalore re-added the Purple cap to their ranks, and now again hold both it and the Orange one.  It was an average game at best, with a walking pace to it more often than not, and here are some of those who performed the least.

Shane Watson - The ship continues to rock

The Royals may have only lost one game prior to this season, but it has largely been thanks to the consistency of Shane Watson’s partner at the top of the innings than due to the man himself. With a good innings followed by a poor one almost inevitably, Watson fell to a tame attempt at clearing the inner circle, chipping the ball to Murali Karthik off Rampaul with a ‘nothing’ shot. Made a decent comeback, knocking over a couple of wickets with the ball in his hand, but that’s not really what his captain will be looking for most from him.

Dishant Yagnik – Letting the spotlight slip

After a sizzling debut against the Mumbai Indians, the young ‘keeper threw away his wicket too cheaply tonight, hauling out to Rampaul at long on, off RP Singh. It came at a crucial juncture in the innings as well, and in a way, was the trigger which set off the batting collapse for the Royals. Much has been said about young Indian batsmen needing to make better decisions, and balancing their natural game with their responsibilities to the team. This will serve as another example of one, in spite of some nifty work with the gloves.

Murali Karthik – Must temper that temper

Karthik was not only RCB’s most expensive bowler on the night, but was also their most frustrated one, and visibly so. Screaming his head off on the field might have earned him some temporary relief, but is almost certain to come back and bite him in parts unknown. What makes him an addition to this list is the fact that while his frustration may have been justified, its outlet on the pitch was simply irrational, and even seemed to earn him a talking-to from the captain. Team spirit is the name of the game!

Virat Kohli – A bump in the rear-view mirror

A very reluctant addition to the flops for this game, Kohli simply could not make the same excellent judgement call on the Faulkner delivery he faced as he did on including RP Singh in the side after what happened in recent fixtures. A seemingly harmless off-cutter found a huge gap between bat and pad for Kohli, took the inside of his bat, and crashed into the stumps, seeing him off for a solitary run. A blip which, in hindsight, will hopefully be a one-off for the Orange cap holder.

The Royal Challengers climbed to the top of the table for IPL 2013 yet again with a comfortable 7-wicket win over the visiting Rajasthan Royals. An excellent performance from the seamers was complemented by some sensible batting for the hosts, with Chris Gayle hitting his first six of the innings off the last ball of the match, placating the crowd’s pleas. An anti-climax, perhaps, for what was expected from a Bangalore pitch, but a fantastic win nonetheless. Here are the best performers from the game.

Rudra Pratap Singh – Back with a bang

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 13 – 3; Catches – 1

An excellent comeback performance from the IPL veteran after having had a couple of torrid outings in his last two. Better decision making, especially with respect to the length of his deliveries, and better control over them saw the pacer return his best figures of this year’s tournament thus far. A couple of tight overs at the start, and three wickets at the end to polish off the Rajasthan tail mean that RP Singh is now a serious contender for that purple cap!

Vinay Kumar – Top of the pile

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 18 – 3

Speaking of the Purple Cap, it’s now back in Bangalore, at least for the time-being, with “Namma” Vinay Kumar delivering the goods for his side yet again. A high percentage of bouncers on an uncharacteristically slow-ish pitch at the Chinnaswamy helped Vinay to a three wicket haul himself, where he put paid to Brad Hodge and Stuart Binny at key times, before catching Sreesanth plumb to round off a good bowling performance.

Ravi Rampaul – Nailing down a spot

Key stats: Bowling figures – 3.4 - 1 – 19 – 2; Catches - 3

RCB’s new recruit carried on from his wonderful last delivery in the super over against the Daredevils with some nippy seamers and a jolly performance in the field. A magnet for the ball, fielding down the pitch, Rampaul snapped up all three chances that floated his way, making it an excellent all-round performance for the seamers. Two wickets to his name, including that of Watson in a maiden over, mean that there will be a pleasant selection headache for the Royal Challengers.

Chris Gayle - Yes, it really was him

Key stats: Batting figures: 49 off 44 (4 fours, 1 six)

An almost immovable name from this list, the man from the Caribbean played a very composed innings tonight, intent on seeing his team across the line. Situation awareness, in his own words, is key to doing well in this short format of the game, and boy did he back it up well with some rare sprints across the pitch for (relatively) tight singles and some glances off the leg which the crowd might not have enjoyed the most. A hero for pacing the team’s innings, and for smashing that six which sent the crowd home super happy on a Saturday night.

Referee: Phil Dowd

Kick-off: 5:00 PM (IST), Monday, 1st of April

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 10: Ramires of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with team-mate Oscar (l) during the FA Cup Sixth Round match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford. The game ended 2-2.

Hot on the heels of a comfortable win over Sunderland, Manchester United travel to London to take on Chelsea in a sixth round replay of the FA Cup at the Bridge. Their hosts, who managed to force a replay coming from two goals down, have a stretch of five games in the next fourteen days and will be looking to kick-start it with a win, allowing them the chance to retain the trophy they won last year. Manchester City await the winners of this game in the more glamorous of the two semi-finals, with Millwall facing off against Wigan in the other. Even without the lure of progress in the competition, neither club will want to lose to the other especially after their encounters in the season thus far.

Chelsea: L D W W L

As has been the case throughout the season, Chelsea have been unpredictable of late; superb performances to see off European oppositions, and also to mount comeback wins, have been mingled with recent losses to teams like Southampton. The instability and Benitez’s statements about quitting at the end of the season have done little to affect their performances on the pitch, although the crowd being more supportive definitely seems to help. Statistically speaking, Chelsea have failed to score just once in their last six games and have 8 goals from their last four, meaning that scoring will likely not be an issue. With the return of John Terry to the squad, fans will hope that conceding too easily won’t be one either.

Manchester United: W L D W W

Having given up their two-goal lead after a dominant first half performance against Chelsea in the original fixture, United have recovered well to win both their following games without having to break into a sweat. More importantly, after conceding twice each in two consecutive games, the visitors’ defence has regrouped well to see off danger and resume the usual business of keeping clean sheets. The international break also boded well for the club from Manchester as their players did well, and Robin van Persie regained his touch with a set of goals for the Netherlands. With a much less congested fixture list than their opponents, you can expect them to put their best foot forward.

Manchester United: Phil Jones, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher.

The Hazard-Mata combo may prove dangerous for United

After turning the tide of the game when he was introduced as a substitute at the beginning of the second half, Eden Hazard will be looking to go one better and win it for his club this time around. He is another player who did well in the international fixtures, grabbing a goal in each of his two games for Belgium. The Hazard-Mata combination could prove to be a deadly one for the United back four to deal with.

Wayne Rooney

While fellow striker Javier Hernandez has a knack for scoring against Chelsea, the Blues will do well to keep a watchful eye over Wayne Rooney. With ten goals in his last nine league starts and a pair of goals over the international break, Rooney has hit top gear at the right time and will be looking to get his team some more silverware. He was also rested for the game against Sunderland on Saturday, and will be fresh and raring to go.

An edgy fixture which might take longer than ninety minutes to be settled. While Chelsea have been patchy all season, especially in front of home fans, the boo boys have reduced in volume and they always seem to find their feet against United. United themselves have not been overly impressive this season, especially when RvP has been off colour, but have not needed to work too hard for their results. It might take a piece of individual skill to see this match go one way or the other.

Kevin Mirallas of Everton steers the ball past Asmir Begovic, during the Barclays Premier League match against Stoke City at Goodison Park on March 30, 2013 in Liverpool, England. (Getty Images)

Everton rode on an excellent solo goal by Kevin Mirallas to go 6 points clear of Liverpool, and remain in the hunt for Champions League football next season. For Stoke City though, it might signal the beginning of a tough business end for the season, with them sitting just four points clear of the drop zone, amid a pile of clubs who aren’t yet sure of safety yet.

With that in mind, here are five talking points from the game.

An un-Stoke like Stoke defence:

The problem for Stoke City, unlike quite a few of the other clubs threatened by relegation, has not been conceding too many goals, but scoring too few. This has been largely thanks to their fearsome defensive pairing of Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross, who also started the game yesterday. What was different, however, was the lack of the calm, composed demeanour with which the duo usually deal with attacks. Perhaps it was the presence of three attackers up front for Everton — or maybe it was a plain bad game for the duo — but Stoke were lucky to leave with the concession of just one goal.

The Mirallas goal:

A solo effort, which will definitely be one of the highlights of the weekend, it was Mirallas’ goal that was ultimately the difference between the two sides. After a set-piece from Stoke was punched out by Tim Howard, Mirallas picked up the ball deep in his own half, and managed to get away from the attention of Steven N’zonzi. Continuing his run, he dragged Cameron inside before deftly flicking the ball around him, getting past with ease and slotting the ball into the net in spite of a touch from Asmir Begovic. A goal deserving of winning any match.

European football for Everton:

With Chelsea’s loss to Stoke dragging them out of third spot and into fourth, Everton’s win gives them a glimmer of qualifying not just for the Europa League but possibly for the Champions League itself. Just 4 points now separate them from the fourth placed London club, with Arsenal at the median, in fifth spot. The Merseyside club have games against both the aforementioned clubs yet to come, and a visit to Stamford Bridge on the last day of the season might well turn out to be the decider if their form holds true.

The absence of Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar:

Much was said before the start of the match about Fellaini and Pienaar’s absence, and how it would leave Everton starved of creativity and attacking options. Once on the pitch, however, those concerns all but disappeared, thanks to some excellent performances, as well as a well laid out tactical plan. With three attackers up front, and five midfielders, Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman bombarded the Stoke fullbacks sufficiently to create multiple opportunities which went begging. The tricky feet of Mirallas and Jelavic, as well as the power of Anichebe only served to increase their threat.

Will Tony Pulis survive till the end of the season?

Our final talking point for the game is a light-hearted one. While there is little doubt that Tony Pulis will remain at the helm of the club irrespective of their results in the remaining fixtures, the question really is over his health. After all, while it is heartening to see a manager involved so intensely in the game, it really cannot be good for the health of a 55-year old to be blowing a fuse every single time the opposition creates inroads into his team’s defence, can it?

Kevin Mirallas scored a superb goal to win the game for Everton

A marvellous solo goal from Kevin Mirallas proved sufficient for Everton to overcome an uncharacteristic Stoke City, and keep their challenge for European qualification alive. In the absence of Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar, David Moyes introduced tactical changes which proved very effective, and helped his side grab a narrow victory. Stoke, on the other hand, are now just 4 points above the relegation zone, and deeply embroiled in the relegation dogfight at the end of this season.

The home side started with a fresh looking 3-4-3 formation on the pitch, in the absence of Fellaini and Pienaar, with Jelavic, Mirallas and Anichebe all starting up front. However, it was the visitors who had the first real chance of the game within 3 minutes. A header from Huth off a long throw-in drew a diving save from Tim Howard, and when the ball fell to Jonathan Walters just a couple of yards from goal, he only managed to loop it up against the crossbar. A real let-off for the side who are looking to nail down a spot for European qualification.

The game progressed at a fair pace, with Everton pressing Stoke for the most part, and Stoke relying on rare, quick forays into the opposing half. Neither side really managed to work the opposing custodian though, with Begovic being marginally the busier of them. It was frustration for the most part, with Nikica Jelavic making half-connections on more than a couple of good crosses from Leighton Baines.

However, it was a fellow striker who would make the breakthrough with a tremendous solo effort. Picking the ball up from a Tim Howard punch deep in his own half, Mirallas managed to get away from the challenge of N’zonzi, before turning Cameron inside out with great footwork, and scoring via a touch from Begovic. This spurred Stoke into action, and they had the ball in the back of the Everton net through Crouch, but the assistant raised his flag for an offside in the build-up, and the goal was disallowed. Jonathan Walters then had a good effort punched away by Tim Howard, allowing the Toffees to go in at the break with a slender 1-0 lead.

Both teams started the second half with an attacking mindset, but it was Stoke who yet again came close first. Ten minutes in, yet another header from the returning Huth had Tim Howard scrambling, but went narrowly wide of his left post. Kevin Mirallas then tested Begovic with a deflected shot, before Shotton missed a glorious chance to head his team level. A good cross from the left flank was headed behind by Distin, but fell straight into the path of Shotton, who got plenty of power on his header, but sent it sailing over the bar.

There seemed to be a lack of discipline in the usually compact Stoke defence; either that or Moyes’ plan of going with 3 attackers was working especially well. A couple of free kicks were conceded at the edge of the box from very similar positions, and Nikica Jelavic saw a good effort go narrowly wide following a fingertip save from Begovic which went unnoticed by the referee. The game concluded with a free kick on the edge of the Everton box which was seen away quite easily by the home side to run out winners, and keep alive their hopes of European football for next season.

Result: Everton (Kevin Mirallas 28’) 1 – 0 Stoke City

1. Second place stays secure

At the start of this weekend’s round of fixtures, there were question marks over City’s ability to retain second spot after their loss against Everton last weekend left them just 4 points clear of third placed Chelsea. A convincing win against Newcastle, combined with Chelsea’s unexpected loss at Southampton will go a long way towards laying those concerns to rest. A fifteen point lead is something one doubts City will be able to overturn at the top of the table, but second spot now seems slightly more secure with their closest rivals being five points behind, with an extra game played.

2. Mancini gets it right

Roberto Mancini kept his squad tinkering to a minimum for this game, much to the relief of City fans, and returned to the “old school” starting eleven with which they won the title last season. Kompany and Lescott started as the central defensive pairing, while Yaya Toure returned to the starting line-up and put in one of his most impressive displays of the season. Sergio Aguero also made an appearance for the final twenty minutes or so of the game, and fans will definitely be pleased to see some sharp play from David Silva ahead of the Manchester derby.

3. The return of Kompany

Club captain Vincent Kompany returned to action for the Citizens after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury. In spite of all the comments from Mancini about being upset at the Belgian being included in the national side over the international break, it was a calm, composed performance from the defender, who also grabbed a goal for himself as a bonus. His effect on the City defence’s organisation was also noticeable, as a defence which has been wayward this season stood up well to everything Newcastle threw at them. Kompany himself was instrumental in keeping the likes of Gouffran quiet, and will be hoping for a repeat of his winning goal against United from last season.

4. Relegation looms over Newcastle

While City secured their position near the top of the table, Newcastle slipped even closer to the bottom with a performance which showed spine only over the opening ten minutes of the second half. They now sit just 3 points clear of the relegation zone with Wigan and Aston Villa both having games in hand over them. The departure of Ba seems to have really taken the sting out of the Newcastle attack, and even with their plethora of French recruits, one finds it difficult to be sure that they aren’t on their way out of English football’s top division.

5. No Krul, no problem?

With Tim Krul still sidelined with an ankle injury, Rob Elliot kept his place in goal for the Toons. While he did concede four goals, the last of which he should probably have stopped, he also pulled off some brilliant saves to keep his team in the game over the opening forty minutes of the game. While the statistics show just five saves made, his contribution in stopping further embarrassment for Newcastle was definitely more valuable. Yet, when Tim Krul returns, one can be fairly certain that Elliot will have to make way for the Dutch custodian.

Referee: Michael Jones

Kick-off: 11:00 PM (IST), Saturday, 30th of March

STOKE-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 15: Jonathan Walters (C) and Ryan Shawcross (floor) of Stoke City in action with Phil Jagielka and Marouane Fellaini of Everton during the Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Everton at the Britannia Stadium

Just 6 points off Champions League qualification and with a game in hand, Everton are in with a real chance of making it to Europe’s elite competition if they manage to hold their nerve better than Arsenal and Tottenham above them. Their immediate challenge, however, is to get a result against Stoke City, who, with 34 points, are a good 14 points behind the Merseyside club, but just 7 clear of the relegation zone. Usually, for a club in 11th place, with just 9 games remaining, one would say there is nothing to play for in this game; but with relegation a distant yet very real possibility, Stoke will be hoping to do better than they have in recent times and leave Goodison Park with a respectable result.

Everton: L W W L W

David Moyes’ side have been in good touch in the league and bounced back from their FA Cup loss to lowly Wigan with a 2 – 0 win over reigning champions Manchester City two weekends ago. More importantly, even with Tim Howard still missing, Everton kept their first clean sheet in ten games, and doing so against the likes of Silva, Dzeko, and Tevez with just ten men on the pitch for the last half hour of the game would have given the players a confidence boost. Sadly for the Toffees, the booking picked up by Fellaini and the sending off of Pienaar mean that two of their most creative midfielders will miss this clash; and when push comes to shove, that could prove decisive.

Stoke City: W L L L D

With just 1 point garnered from their last potential 12, Tony Pulis’ side are on a lean patch with their early season form deserting them. In fact, Stoke have won just 2 of their last 14 games in all competitions, making them easy meat for clubs both home and away of late. Yet, this visit to Everton provides them a good chance to get the result; with key players missing for their hosts, the Potters will be keen to make the most of this opportunity. Interestingly, none of their last five defeats have been by a margin of greater than 1 goal, with four of those results being 1 – 0 losses. Thus, if their defence holds strong, even with their attackers continuing to be off-colour, Stoke could still leave Goodison Park with a point.

Stoke City: None.

Everton player Nikica Jelavic in action

The out-of-form striker changed perceptions drastically last weekend with a well-taken goal from outside the box against Manchester City. His celebrations were a clear indication of the sheer relief he felt, and the goal must have lifted a huge burden off his shoulders. Now, with Fellaini and Pienaar missing, the onus will be on Jelavic to deliver; whether he does or not could make or break Everton’s challenge for European football next season.

Robert Huth

In the three games that Robert Huth has missed, Stoke have lost two and drawn one with some nervous defending occasionally on display. In spite of the presence of Ryan Shawcross, Huth is a crucial member of Stoke’s defence and Tony Pulis will be glad to have him back in the starting line-up. The fact that Huth was a scorer in the last game that Stoke won will only serve to bring more cheer on his return.

A home win for Everton going by recent form. However, as mentioned above, Everton are without the services of some really key players and might struggle to break down a determined Potters’ defence. They have also failed to beat Stoke in each of their last four meetings, with two draws and two losses. Yet, with David Moyes at the helm and a real shot at European football at stake, one hopes that the Toffees will pull themselves together and grind out the result.

Referee: Alberto Undiano

Kick-off: 12:30 AM (IST), Sunday, 31st of March

MADRID, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 3: Gonzalo Higuain of Real Madrid CF scores their first goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Real Zaragoza at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

A late kick-off sees Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid travel to Zaragoza on the back of a hot winning streak with the aim of remaining in touching distance of Barcelona, at least mathematically. The capital club are 13 points behind the league leaders; and with the slim hope of defending their title disappearing over the horizon, they can ill-afford a slip-up in their remaining fixtures. Relegation-threatened Zaragoza seem like harmless opponents though, with significantly lesser than half the points Real Madrid have against their name and a win-less streak which puts their fans to shame.

Real Zaragoza: L D L D L

With 12 games without a win, it is no surprise that Zaragoza have slipped down the league table and now find themselves just 2 points clear of the relegation zone. There seems to be absolutely no good direction that the club is heading in, with the players appearing disjointed as a unit and well-documented disciplinary issues plaguing them on the pitch. The side have also failed to score in four of their last five games, and have looked increasingly less likely to win a match as this streak drags on. The defenders have often found themselves occupied through a majority of the match; if this continues, they might justifiably be one of the clubs relegated this season.

Real Madrid: W W W W W

In exact opposite fashion to their opponents, Real Madrid have really got their act together for the second half of the season, scoring important wins and coming up with the goals when most needed. Their back-to-back wins over Barcelona, followed by a somewhat fortuitous win over Manchester United, have given Mourinho’s side a real confidence boost and have stopped them from rolling over in the La Liga race just yet. Their Portuguese manager’s tactical moves seem to be paying off handsomely; a prime example being that of last game’s changes at half time which inspired a comeback win over Mallorca. Things look good for Los Blancos.

Real Madrid: None.

With 21 goals in 20 appearances for Madrid and Portugal this calendar year, Ronaldo has regained the scoring form which helped him fire his side to their first La Liga title in four years last season. With 6 goals in his last five games for Madrid, he is definitely doing his best to try and help them miraculously retain that crown; and against a Zaragoza defence which has been less than impressive, he should be able to contribute further in that direction.

Cristian Sapunaru

The man directly facing Ronaldo will be Romanian left-back Sapunaru, perhaps the most popular defender of Zaragoza’s back four. While he is certainly capable of keeping up with Ronaldo on his day, he is key to this game simply with a question mark over his ability to stay on the pitch. Facing Ronaldo and Coentrao will certainly not be an easy task, and if his 6 yellow cards and a red (from two more yellows) in his last ten games are anything to go by, he might be in for an early visit to the showers.

A win for the visitors, plain and easy. Even with an eye on their midweek fixture against Galatasaray, Real Madrid have enough in reserve to prove too good for their hosts. Zaragoza also have serious disciplinary issues, ending 6 of their last 9 games in all competitions with less than 11 men on the pitch. A repeat of that could only make things go from bad to worse for Los Blanquillos.