Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday after a thrilling 4-1 penalty shoot-out victory against Liverpool.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Paris, PSG leveled the tie on aggregate with an early goal from Ousmane Dembele at Anfield.

Despite numerous chances, the match remained deadlocked after 90 minutes and extra time, leading to a decisive shoot-out.

PSG’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma emerged as the hero, saving penalties from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones.

Meanwhile, Vitinha, Goncalo Ramos, Dembele, and Desire Doue successfully converted their penalties for PSG, ensuring their progression to the next round.

The French champions, who have yet to win the competition, now look forward to a quarter-final clash against either Aston Villa or Club Brugge.

Aston Villa, leading 3-1 from the first leg, will host Club Brugge on Wednesday to determine who will face PSG in the quarter-finals.

The victory marks a significant achievement for PSG as they continue their quest for their first Champions League title.

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 12 (ANI): It was a night soaked in nostalgia as the West Indies Masters banked on the all-round brilliance of centurion Lendl Simmons, Brian Lara and Ravi Rampaul’s five-wicket blast to ensure their qualification for the semifinals of the International Masters League (IML) 2025, with a 29-run victory over South Africa Masters here on Tuesday.

Put in to bat against a formidable South Africa Masters attack led by Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini, the Caribbean flair was on full display, as Lendl Simmons (108), skipper Brian Lara (29) and later Chadwick Walton (38 not out) rolled back the years, evoking memories of West Indies’ golden era with a scintillating batting display to put up 200/5, turning the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium into a theatre of cricketing brilliance.

After a shaky start that saw Dwayne Smith (5) and William Perkins (5) depart early off Garnett Kruger, Simmons and Lara took center stage, unleashing a masterclass in stroke-making to stage a spectacular recovery with a 125-run partnership for the third wicket. Simmons, ever the aggressor, blazed to a 31-ball fifty, setting the tone with fearless hitting, while Lara, ever the artist, elegantly painted his masterpiece. The Prince of Trinidad, content playing second fiddle early on, flicked the switch in style–launching Alviro Petersen for a towering six and a crisp boundary in consecutive deliveries, signalling his intent.

Simmons continued to dazzle, racing to his century in just 54 balls, dispatching Thandi Tshabalala to all parts with a six and a four before calmly taking a single to bring up a well-deserved hundred.

But just as the duo threatened to take the game away from the grasp of the South Africa Masters, Ntini infused life back into the contest by ending Simmons’ 59-ball knock, laced with 13 fours and five massive sixes, and new man Ashley Nurse off consecutive deliveries.

Ryan McLaren then struck with the prized scalp of Lara for 29 off 34 deliveries after the southpaw steered the West Indies Masters’ recovery. Despite the setbacks, Walton was in his elements, providing the much-needed impetus to the innings with six gigantic sixes to help the West Indies Masters reach the 200-run mark.

South Africa Masters’ chase began in explosive fashion, with wicketkeeper Richard Levi’s breezy 44 setting the tone. However, the early momentum was short-lived as the loss of three quick wickets derailed their progress, putting the Proteas on the backfoot. Enter Jacques Kallis and Jacques Rudolph, who steadied the innings with a crucial 78-run stand, reigniting South Africa’s hopes of a successful chase.

With both batters matching each other shot for shot, the game seemed to be slipping away from West Indies Masters. But when the Proteas looked in control, Lendl Simmons produced a game-changing moment, breaking the partnership by dismissing Rudolph for a well-compiled 39 off 34 balls, studded with four boundaries.

Sensing an opportunity, Rampaul returned for a second spell, and what followed was nothing short of dramatic. In the space of just five deliveries, the experienced seamer ripped through the South Africa Masters middle order, claiming the prized wickets of Kallis (45), Farhaan Behardien, and Dane Vilas, adding to his earlier scalp of Hashim Amla (3). Rampaul returned to complete the five-wicket haul in his final over, with the scalp of Ryan McLaren as the Proteas eventually ended on 171/8.

With that loss, the South Africa Masters’ campaign came to a disappointing end.

Brief Scores: West Indies Masters 200/5 (Lendl Simmons 108, Chadwick Walton 38 not out, Brian Lara 29; Garnett Kruger 2/14, Makhaya Ntini 2/34) beat South Africa Masters 171/8 (Jacques Kallis 45, Richard Levi 44, Jacques Rudolph 39; Ravi Rampaul 5/26) by 29 runs. (ANI)

Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t make the cut when Luis Suarez recently named his five greatest strikers of all time.

There’s a debate about whether Suarez himself is in this conversation, but the Uruguayan didn’t choose to include himself in the list either.

During an interview with Bleacher Report, the Inter Miami star was asked to name his top five greatest strikers and these were the players he selected.

5. Romario

“Number five is Romario,” Suarez said. “[The] finish time for him is amazing.”

The Brazilian scored over 700 official goals during his illustrious career, making him one of the most prolific players in football history.

He’s also one of a select few players who has scored over 100 goals for three separate clubs, having reached that tally with PSV, Flamengo and Vasco da Gama.

For Barcelona, Romario scored 39 goals in 65 appearances, averaging a strike every 139 minutes. For context, Suarez scored a goal every 122 minutes on average for Barcelona.

4. Ronaldo Nazario

“Then Ronaldo, the Brazilian Ronaldo. He’s really good,” Suarez said.

“He’s so quick, he’s so fast. He’s an intelligent guy, a really good player.”

Regarded by many as the best player of his generation, who knows what levels he could’ve reached had it not been for injuries.

The two-time Ballon d’Or winner scored 371 goals in just 580 appearances throughout his career, averaging a goal every 123 minutes.

He was a force to be reckoned with during his peak years and was arguably the most lethal player on his entire list during his heyday.

3. Diego Forlan

“For me, he’s one of the best,” is how Suarez described his former international teammate.

“I played with him, [he’s a] really good striker, he played for the team. He liked to shoot from wherever you want. He’s really good and he’s number three.”

Forlan enjoyed his peak years playing in La Liga for Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, but it was his performances for the national team that made him a hero in Uruguay.

He was practically unplayable during the 2010 World Cup as he swept most of the individual accolades, winning the Player of the Tournament, Golden Boot and Goal of the Tournament awards for his heroics in South Africa.

The following year he then played an instrumental role in Uruguay’s Copa America triumph in 2011.

After Suarez scored the opening goal against Paraguay in the final, Forlan scored a brace to wrap the game up. It’s no wonder he’s adored by his nation.

2. Gabriel Batistuta

“Number two is Batistuta. [My] favourite player when I was a child,” Suarez explained.

“Really good number nine, he took free-kicks, I loved his character as well.”

Given that Suarez was growing up in the nineties, it’s no surprise that a player like Batistuta captured his imagination.

The Argentine forward enjoyed his peak years playing for Fiorentina, where he scored 204 goals in just 331 appearances. That’s quite the record.

1. Lionel Messi

“Number one for me is Messi.”

While we wouldn’t classify Messi as an out-and-out striker like the other names on this list, we can hardly begrudge Suarez for giving him the top spot.

As of writing, Suarez has played 285 games alongside the Argentine wizard and the pair have combined for 113 goals during that time.

“Messi is the best in history,” Suarez told Onda Cero in 2017. “He is also a spectacular human being who welcomed me very well when I got to Barcelona.”

The pair still share a close bond at Inter Miami today and will no doubt combine for plenty of goals this season too.

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