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Everton vs Liverpool
In a Premier League make-up match in the early morning of April 25, Beijing time, Liverpool challenged Everton away. As a traditional powerhouse of English football, Liverpool's performance in this game was a big surprise. Despite having 76 per cent possession and a lot of shots on goal, Liverpool were never able to find the back of the net and were beaten 2-0 by Everton.
As soon as the game began, Liverpool fell into passivity. Their defence was porous on a number of occasions and Everton's attack was in full swing. In the 27th minute, an own goal assist from Ibraine Konate allowed Branswaite to score comfortably and give Everton a 1-0 lead. Despite Liverpool's ensuing fierce counter-attack, Nunez missed a lone chance in the 35th minute to allow Liverpool to miss a good chance to equalise.
In the second half, Liverpool's form did not improve significantly. Trent Alexander-Arnold's leaky defence in the 58th minute allowed Calvert-Lewin to head home comfortably and Everton extended the score to 2-0. Although Liverpool made three substitutions in the 63rd minute in an attempt to change the game, Dias's shot hit the post in the 68th minute and bounced off the post, and Liverpool were unable to salvage the defeat.
After this campaign, Liverpool have lost two of their last three league games and remain in second place with 74 points, three points behind Arsenal at the top of the table. The defeat undoubtedly cast a shadow over Liverpool's title quest.
Manchester United vs Sheffield United
In another Premier League match in the early morning of April 25 Beijing time, Manchester United hosted Sheffield United. This game is crucial for Manchester United as they need a win to end their recent slump.
As soon as the match began, the two sides were fiercely contested. Diogo Dalot attempted a long-range shot in the first minute but was miraculously saved by Foderingham. Subsequently, Garnacho and Menou also had shots intercepted or saved. However, in the 35th minute, Onana's mistake allowed Bogle to shoot into the net and the Reds were 1-0 down.
Luckily, United equalised just before half-time with a header from Harry Maguire. In the second half, although United were 1-2 down at one point, Fernandes' penalty and two brilliant goals helped United achieve a 4-2 comeback. The win ended United's embarrassing run of four league games without a win and rekindled hopes of a race for a top-four finish.
Lorient vs Paris Saint-Germain
Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain challenged Lorient away in the early morning of April 25, Beijing time. With goals from Dembele, Mbappe and Bamba, Paris Saint-Germain won 4-1.
In the first half, Dembele and Mbappe each contributed to help Paris Saint-Germain lead 2-0 into the second half. Although Lorient pulled a goal back in the second half through Bomba, Mbappe's assist and goal completely killed the suspense of the game. In the end, Paris Saint-Germain secured a big win away from home to cement their lead in the Ligue 1 table.
It is worth mentioning that Mbappe scored two goals in this game and provided an assist, becoming the biggest contributor to the team's victory. His performances have also shown his potential as a future football superstar.
Atalanta vs Fiorentina
In a thrilling second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals, Atalanta host Fiorentina. This match will be crucial for both sides as the winner will advance to the final and have a chance to compete for the Coppa Italia title.
In the first half, Koopmeiners' low shot gave Atalanta a 1-0 lead and leveled the aggregate at 1-1. However, Fiorentina's Lucas Martinez headed home in the second half to give Fiorentina a 2-1 aggregate lead. Atalanta are in trouble at this point and they must score again to keep their hopes of promotion alive.
Atalanta's Scamacca stepped up at the crucial moment and scored with a stunning side hook to level the score at 2-2. The goal was a huge morale boost to Atalanta's players, and in the final moments of the game, Lookman scored the second to help Atalanta win 3-2.
It is worth mentioning that in the 53rd minute of the game, Atalanta's Milenkovic was sent off for a direct red card for a foul, which undoubtedly added difficulty to Atalanta's road to qualifying, but in the end they overcame the difficulties to successfully advance to the final, showing tenacious fighting spirit and strength, this victory will also be an important turning point for their season, and they are expected to create a good result again in the following finals.
It was a game full of drama and suspense, with Atalanta showing resilience and fighting spirit in the face of adversity to qualify for the final, while Fiorentina were sadly relegated to the semi-finals, and they deserve to be respected, and we look forward to seeing them perform even better in the coming games.
It's a matchday for all teams, with some joys and some worries. Liverpool's defeat made their title hopes slim, while United's comeback gave them renewed hope of a top-four finish. In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain continues to show strong quality, and Mbappe's outstanding performances have made him look forward to becoming a superstar in football in the future. In the Coppa Italia, Atalanta's comeback to the pitch was a huge surprise for the fans, and we expect them to perform even better in the final.