Month In Review: Biggest Sporting Moments And News From April

Month In Review: April 2014

BY NISAR KHAN

April is in the books. With captivating football from title races to European excellence, the Indian Cricket Premier League, Mercedes soaring in F1 and the NBA Playoffs, April has brought another big bulk of incredible sporting action. 

In this article, take a comprehensive look back from the best and biggest sports stories of the month, including football around the World, the ins-and-outs from UFC's Octagon, a perspective within the boundaries of cricket, the fast and furious Formula 1 and plenty more.

Let's get things rolling, then...

Football: Bayern's Bundesliga Success, Title Races, Champions League Knockouts

Taking center stage was the Champions League, as Europe's elite jockeyed for position in search to solidify footballing supremacy. Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City kept up the tough race in the Premier League, while Atletico neared the La Liga title. 

Opening the month was the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals. Demba Ba triumphed at Stamford Bridge to sink PSG while at Old Trafford, Manchester United were able to test Bayern, though unable to get past them. Real Madrid held off Marco Reus' incredible performance in the second leg to progress to the next round. Atletico Madrid made significant progress in the hot race for the coveted La Liga title, and exclaimed their dominance as they knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League.

It was a dwindling month for the Catalans, who suffered knockouts from two competitions within one week that made them plummet from prosperity to dismay. In the Copa Del Rey Final, Gareth Bale blitzed past Barcelona to score an emphatic winner and overshadow the Spaniards with dismay. Problems would be looking even worse with Barca's transfer ban, though it has been lifted for the upcoming Summer so they'll have to get spending on key players, especially with centrepieces set to depart. READ: Crumbling Catalans: End of an Era for Barcelona? »

Tito Vilanova died in April of lung cancer at the age of 45. The former Barca coach resigned last year when his illness got worse. One-minute silences were observed in the Champions League game.

Hillsborough weekend was a special one for Liverpool. 25 years on from the tragic events that saw the deaths of 96 supporters, Liverpool stood strong in an inspired performance to thwart Manchester City at Anfield. Two weeks later, Liverpool lost to Chelsea at Anfield in a game that blew the title race wide open again. MORE: Premier League on TheSportMatrix » 

Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid set up for a Lisbon showdown after sending shockwaves through the footballing World. Cristiano Ronaldo blazed past Bayern Munich as Real Madrid put four goals past the Bundesliga Champions. Atletico halted Chelsea's tactics to win 3 - 1, meaning their final in Lisbon will be the first time that two teams from the same city have faced off in a European final. MORE: Champions League on TheSportMatrix » 

Bayern Munich's form definitely dipped over the month - clinching the Bundesliga in impressive fashion made many think otherwise. They really failed up against a prolific Real Madrid and their bubble of invincibility deteriorated over the space of a fortnight. FEATURE: Bayern Suffering From Seemingly Harmless Complacency? »

Manchester United parted ways with manager David Moyes over Easter, after his return to Goodison Park was spoiled as United were outclassed by Everton. Ryan Giggs took over management and his first result was positive, beating Norwich 4 - 0. MORE: Five Premier League Managers Who Didn't Deserve the Sack »

There was also the FA Cup semi-finals. Arsenal shone through in penalties to stop Wigan at Wembley, while Hull City fired past Sheffield United. The two FA Cup finalists, Arsenal and Hull, faced off on Easter Sunday, and the Gunners decimated Hull at the KC Stadium.

Formula 1: Hamilton Gets Back-to-Back Wins as Mercedes Soar

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg topped the rankings in an extraordinary month for Mercedes on the track.

In Bahrain, Hamilton held off his teammate in a thrilling race for first, while in China, Hamilton eased past.

Both broke onto the power rankings for a great month in Formula 1.



Cricket: Sri Lanka Thwart India, IPL Kicks Off

The Twenty20 Cricket World Cup began in Bangladesh with a tournament that was well-served in its job of delivering plenty of pulsating drama across the pitch, and it continued that way in the early days of April.

Sri Lanka prevailed in the Twenty20 World Cup Final after a subdued performance by the Indians. After looking dominant, Virat Kohli and others seemed to lapse, while Sangakaara bowed out with a superb knock.

The Indian Premier League also began this month. Jacques Kallis got it going for Kolkota, while Mumbai suffered. 



UFC: Jones Keeps Throne, Nelson Rocks Abu Dhabi, Werdum Withers Browne

Four fight nights in April - Light Heavyweight Championship bout, battle for #1 Heavyweight contender-ship, a bitter feud between Bisping and Kennedy, and Roy Nelson putting Nogeuira to sleep.

It started in Abu Dhabi, where Roy Nelson leveled Nogeuira in the main event. After stunning the Brazilian, it took a rattling overhand right to floor, and knock out, Nogueira.

Five days later Tim Kennedy frustrated Michael Bisping to progress further up the rankings, while the Brit's disappointing outing questions his ranking heights. MORE: Bisping Frustrates Kennedy in TUF Finale »

A packed UFC on FOX card was headlined by a gigantic matchup between Fabricio Werdum and Travis Browne. The Hawaiian Browne was shut down on all fronts by Werdum in a classy performance that sets him up for a title with Cain Velasquez, when UFC takes to Mexican soil for the first time in history. MORE: Werdum Withers Browne to Seal Championship Match »

Then came Baltimore. A night of finishes ended with a star-studded performance by Jon Jones, dispatching tough Brazilian Glover Teixeira to keep his Light Heavyweight Championship record intact. FULL REPORT: UFC 172 »



Basketball: NBA Playoffs Intense, Huskies Win National Title

The NCAA title was secured by the Conneticut Huskies, coming through a bolstering March Madness schedule and coming out on top.

The NBA Playoffs took centre stage and they got off to an incredible start.

Donald Sterling's racial comments resulted in him getting a lifetime ban from the NBA and $2.5 million fine. The Clippers owner sparked outrage across the league when his racial comments were exposed.

Heat and Wizards made quick work of the Bobcats and Bulls respectively, while Grizzlies and Thunder were heated in a series that saw them go to overtime four times in a row. LaMarcus Aldridge exploded Portland ahead, and the Clippers triumphed in a celebratory night at the Staples Center.

NBA Playoffs: COMPLETE Coverage

Full recap, analysis, stats, info and more from every game from Round 1 of the 2014 NBA Playoffs in April:
- Game 1 »
- Game 2 »
- Game 3 »
- Game 4 »
- Game 5 »

Happy NBA playoffs!



WWE: The Streak is OVER, WWE Honors Legend

No one saw it coming.

At WrestleMania 30, The Undertaker's undefeated streak came to an end.

Thousands were left shocked in New Orleans as The Undertaker, who had won 21 consecutive times at WrestleMania, lost at the hands of "The Beast" Brock Lesnar.

MORE: Full WrestleMania 30 Coverage »

John Cena, meanwhile, got caught up in the clutches of the Wyatt Family - prompting a lot of change from the CeNation Leader. FEATURE: Why John Cena' Wont Turn Heel »

The Shield's dominance brought about the reunion of Evolution, the formidable tandem of Randy Orton, Triple H and Batista, while Kane's fury ran wild as he decimated new Champion, Daniel Bryan.

In the month the WWE Universe were also hit with some tragic news. The Ultimate Warrior passed away instantly, 24 hours after appearing on RAW, and three days after being inducted into the Hall of Fame after rebuilding ties with the WWE.

We lost some sports stars. Sports memories were made. April closed out. As 2014 rolls on, proportions are poised to be epic.

And TheSportMatrix will have it ALL covered. Onwards, upwards.

Sports for the fans, by the fans. #JoinTheNewWay 

TheSportMatrix.com

 - Sports for the Fans, by the Fans.

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