Sports world daily: Real Madrid beat Chelsea in Champions League; Medvedev, Ruud win in Monte Carlo

European giants Real Madrid and AC Milan won their respective Champions League quarter-finals first legs against Chelsea and Napoli respectively. While Madrid won 2-0 at home, Milan beat Napoli 1-0.

Manchester United will be without start forward Marcus Rashford for the nest few games after the England striker sustained a muscle injury.

Daniil Medvdev set up a round of 16 clash against Alexander Zverev in Monte Carlo after recording his tour-leading 30th win of the season.

Here’s a look at the key stories from international sporting events through the day for 13 April, 2023:

Madrid, Milan earn first-leg wins

Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio struck for Real Madrid as they dominated 10-man Chelsea and opened up a 2-0 Champions League quarter-final first leg lead on Wednesday. AC Milan have the slenderest of advantages in their all-Italian Champions League quarter-final after Ismael Bennacer fired his team to a 1-0 win over wasteful Napoli.

The record 14-time winners and reigning champions eased to a comfortable win against Frank Lampard’s side, who had Ben Chilwell sent off in the second half for pulling down Rodrygo Goes as he ran through on goal.

Benzema netted from close range after 21 minutes after Kepa Arrizabalaga tipped a Vinicius Junior effort into his path.

Despite controlling the game, Madrid had to wait until the 74th minute for their second, with Asensio drilling home from the edge of the box after a short corner routine.

In a battle between the last two Champions League winners, Madrid demonstrated their strength with an impressive display, while Chelsea showed why they are struggling in 11th in the Premier League.

Benzema, who netted a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge last season and scored the goal which sent Madrid through against the Blues in the second leg, tapped home his sixth goal against Chelsea to open the scoring.

Dani Carvajal lofted a tempting ball over the top and although Kepa got his fingertips to Vinicius’s effort, Benzema was left with a simple tap-in.

Chelsea almost produced an instant equaliser but Courtois made a stunning save to deny Raheem Sterling from close range.

A difficult evening was compounded when Asensio squeezed an effort through Fofana’s legs and into the bottom corner to double the hosts’ advantage.

Benzema might have netted another in stoppage time but headed off target after Kepa pushed a cross into his path.

Antonio Rudiger made a good block to thwart Mason Mount late on to ensure his former side could not take anything positive into the second leg.

Milan win

Algeria midfielder Bennacer lashed in the decisive strike five minutes before half-time of an engaging first leg at a packed, loud and wet San Siro after Brahim Diaz and Rafael Leao combined brilliantly.

The 25-year-old’s second goal of the season ensured Milan’s second win over Italy’s champions-elect Napoli in less than a fortnight and a narrow lead to defend at the Stadio Maradona in Naples next week.

Napoli, who had Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sent off in the 74th minute and will be without Kim Min-jae for the second leg, should have Victor Osimhen back for the second leg on Tuesday and without their star striker Luciano Spalletti’s team got nothing despite having plenty of chances.

Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan made a series of impressive stops, in particular late on when he clawed out Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s effort just as the more than 70,000 home fans were celebrating victory.

But Bennacer’s strike was just enough to give Milan hopes of their first Champions League semi-final since they were crowned kings of Europe for the seventh and most recent time in 2007.

That prospect will be all the more mouth-watering for Milan fans as their likely opponents would be local rivals Inter following their convincing win at Benfica on Tuesday.

The home fans had barely discarded their pre-match display which read “our destiny is in our hands” when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia wasted a great chance to give Napoli a stunning early lead.

Anguissa’s low cross was dealt with terribly by the home defence but the home fans breathed a huge sigh of relief after Davide Calabria and Rade Krunic combined to block the Georgian winger’s shot on the line.

Anguissa then had a powerful shot tipped over the bar by Maignan before Di Lorenzo headed a presentable Mario Rui cross over the bar as Napoli flooded towards the Milan goal in the opening minutes.

Kvaratskhelia had a shot blocked after neat exchange with Eljif Elmas and Piotr Zielinski forced Maignan into another good stop with a rocket in the 12th minute.

Milan had barely been in the game up to that point but midway through he first half Leao reminded everyone he was there by fashioning a glorious chance through pure pace only to drag his shot just wide after bursting past Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka.

And then Bennacer put the hosts into the lead after another brilliant piece of individual skill, this time from Brahim Diaz.

Medvedev, Ruud win in Monte Carlo

Daniil Medvedev cruised through his first match of the year on clay Wednesday, defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-2 at the Monte Carlo Masters to set up a meeting with Alexander Zverev.

Medvedev broke Sonego at the first attempt and then twice more in the second set to reel off his 25th win in his past 26 tour-level matches.

Medvedev earned his tour-leading 30th victory of the season and will face Zverev in the last 16 – a first meeting between the pair on clay.

Zverev is still finding his way back after tearing ankle ligaments in the French Open semi-finals last year against Rafael Nadal.

Following a difficult first-round tie against the dangerous Alexander Bublik, he beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday.

Casper Ruud, coming off a title in Estoril last weekend, kicked off his Monte Carlo campaign with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/1) win over Botic van de Zandschulp.

Ruud, a semi-finalist in the Principality two years ago, will take on Jan-Lennard Struff next after the German knocked out 14th seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-2.

Danish teenager Holger Rune swept aside two-time French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-4, while Jannik Sinner advanced as Diego Schwartzman retired while trailing by a set and a break.

Karen Khachanov, the ninth seed, downed Ilya Ivashka in straight sets to book a showdown with Andrey Rublev.

Novak Djokovic plays Italian youngster Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday for a place in the quarter-finals.

Musetti, who famously led Djokovic by two sets at Roland Garros in 2021 before being forced to retire, thrashed qualifier Luca Nardi 6-0, 6-0.

US eighth seed Taylor Fritz overcame 2014 Monte Carlo champion Stan Wawrinka 7-6 (12/10), 6-2.

Chile’s Nicolas Jarry will take on two-time defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas after outlasting Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in three sets.

Results from the ATP Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday (x denotes seeding; players representing Russia and Belarus are banned from competing under the name or flag of their countries):

2nd rd

Lorenzo Musetti (ITA x16) bt Luca Nardi (ITA) 6-0, 6-0

Jannik Sinner (ITA x7) bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 6-0, 3-1 - retired

Daniil Medvedev (x3) bt Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) 6-3, 6-2

Alexander Zverev (GER x13) bt Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 6-4, 6-4

Matteo Berrettini (ITA) bt Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) 5-7, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4

Holger Rune (DEN x6) bt Dominic Thiem (AUT) 6-2, 6-4

Karen Khachanov (x9) bt Ilya Ivashka 7-6 (7/2), 6-2

Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Alex de Minaur (AUS x14) 6-3, 6-2

Casper Ruud (NOR x4) bt Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) 7-5, 7-6 (7/1)

Taylor Fritz (USA x8) bt Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 7-6 (12/10), 6-2

Jiri Lehecka (CZE) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4

Nicolas Jarry (CHI) bt Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4

Rashford to miss a ‘few games’ for Man Utd

Marcus Rashford will miss Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final first-leg clash with Sevilla this week after suffering a muscle injury that is likely to keep him out for “a few games”, the club announced on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old, who has scored 28 goals for Erik ten Hag’s side this season, limped out of the 2-0 Premier League win over Everton on Saturday, holding his groin.

United, targeting a trophy treble, said in a statement that assessment of the injury “suggested that Marcus will be unavailable for a few games, but is expected to be back for the season run-in”.

Speaking to reporters an hour after United’s update on their top scorer, Ten Hag said he was unable to give further information.

Rashford will definitely miss Thursday’s match against Sevilla, who could come up against a familiar face at Old Trafford as Ten Hag looks for other attacking options.

Anthony Martial spent a disappointing loan stint with the La Liga side in the second half of last season and has endured an injury-hit spell since returning to Old Trafford.

But Ten Hag has always praised the France international’s impact and is ready to start him after he came off the bench in United’s past three matches following a hip issue.

Alejandro Garnacho and Luke Shaw remain sidelined for Thursday’s match against the Spaniards but Casemiro is available after serving a ban.

The Brazil midfielder’s return provides a welcome boost – Sevilla are enduring a tough domestic campaign but have won the Europa League a record six times.

With text inputs from AFP

Updated through the day