Established 1961 27 Sports Monday, April 29, 2019 Messi fires Barca to eighth title in 11 years

We’ve done it two years in a row: Ernesto Valverde

MADRID: clinched an eighth Barca on the defensive but were denied a La Liga title for Barcelona in 11 seasons on last-gasp equaliser when the ball hit the Saturday as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 post and rolled into the grateful arms of win at home to Levante. The Argentine star Marc-Andre ter Stegen. struck his league-leading 34th goal of the “In the end he scored the goal. He always campaign after coming off the bench for the scores goals everywhere,” Valverde said of second half to help Barca wrap up the title Messi, who celebrated winning his 10th with three games remaining. league crown. Barca hold a nine-point lead over sec- Atletico had delayed Barca’s title party ond-placed Atletico Madrid, but the earlier in the day as they scraped past Catalans cannot be overtaken thanks to their strugglers Real Valladolid 1-0 after surviv- superior head-to-head record. It is Barca’s ing late VAR penalty drama. Joaquin 26th league title and nudges them closer to Fernandez’s own goal put Atletico ahead Real Madrid’s record of 33 in Spain. midway through the second half, but they “To win the title with a distance and gap had to endure a nervy final few minutes in is difficult with the rivals we have. We’ve which Jan Oblak had to be at his best and done it two years in a row,” Barca coach they survived a late VAR check over what Ernesto Valverde told Movistar. “We’re hap- looked like a clear Santiago Arias handball py and to see people enjoying it makes us in the area. proud. But we still have challenges ahead.” “It’s controversial, a ball that hits the Valverde initially left Messi on the bench hand and the referee’s decision is to see if with Wednesday’s Champions League semi- it’s voluntary or not,” said Saul Niguez, final first leg against Liverpool in mind, but whose cross led to their fortunate winner. he replaced Philippe Coutinho at the break ’s side are nine points ahead at the Camp Nou. Coutinho and Luis Suarez of local rivals and reigning European cham- pressed Levante goalkeeper Aitor pions Real Madrid, who travel to Rayo Fernandez into action early on, the Brazilian Vallecano on Sunday amid increasing spec- coming closest to breaking the deadlock ulation they will respond to a disappointing when his free-kick rattled the crossbar season by swooping for Eden Hazard and BARCELONA: Barcelona’s players celebrate after the club won their 26th league title at the end of the Spanish League football match shortly before half-time. Neymar. between Barcelona and Levante at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. — AFP He was sacrificed for Messi though, and “It’s what we deserve, no more, no less. it proved an inspired decision as the We’ve come so far,” added Saul. “There Argentine swept in the winner on 62 min- were moments when we wanted to be first relegation zone after a match they will feel ball next season no favours with a 1-1 draw ther three points back-and could also see utes following a frantic scramble inside the and others that I would say no, that’s what they were unlucky to lose. in the Basque Country. Seventh-placed Valencia and Sevilla take the Europa league Levante area. The visitors, not yet safe from we deserve.” Valladolid meanwhile stay 17th, Earlier on Saturday, and Bilbao are five pointsaway from the further away from them when they take on the threat of relegation, responded and put just one point and a place away from the Alaves did their chances of European foot- Champions league places-with Alaves a fur- Eibar and Girona. —AFP Mbappe sent off as PSG lose French Cup ‘Job done’ for final to Rennes Guardiola despite

PARIS: Kylian Mbappe was sent off for a shocking title uncertainty tackle late in extra time as Paris Saint-Germain were stunned by Rennes in Saturday’s French Cup final, MANCHESTER: has insisted his losing 6-5 on penalties after a dramatic game finished Manchester City players have already done their 2-2 at the end of extra time. jobs this season-regardless of whether they succeed Substitute Christopher Nkunku blazed his sudden- in becoming the first team in a decade to retain the death spot-kick over the bar in the shootout, spark- Premier League title. ing scenes of joy among the Rennes fans at the Stade The closest race for an English top-flight crown in de France as they won a first trophy in almost half a recent memory is heading into its closing stages with century. City or Liverpool doomed to be disappointed at its It was a remarkable comeback from the Brittany outcome. But Guardiola firmly believes his City team side, who had seen Dani Alves and Neymar give is playing better now than it did 12 months ago, when Ligue 1 champions PSG a 2-0 lead midway through it was on the brink of compiling a record 100 the first half. Premier League points. Thomas Tuchel’s side appeared poised to wrap And given the impressive nature of their title up a domestic double, but Presnel Kimpembe’s own defence, Guardiola has already told his players that the goal just before the break gave Rennes hope and job “is done”, even though the outcome of their bid to Edson Mexer headed them level in the 66th minute win the league and FA Cup, in addition to the League to take a gripping final-attended by President Cup they lifted in February, hangs in the balance. Emmanuel Macron-to extra time. Penalties were Victory at Burnley would see City restore their already looming when Mbappe was shown a straight SAINT DENIS: Rennes’ players celebrate with the trophy after winning the French Cup final football match between one-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the table red card by referee Ruddy Buquet for a dreadful Rennes (SRFC) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris. -—AFP with two games to play. “Why should I judge what challenge on Damien Da Silva near the corner flag. we have done for the results if at the last moment, for The France star caught the Rennes defender on the example, what happened in the Champions League knee with his studs, and can expect a lengthy ban as ing for their second trophy in seven days. strongly, however, and Mbaye Niang struck a post (happens)?,” said Guardiola ahead of his team’s trip a result. Rennes had been knocked out of this competition before they reduced the arrears five minutes from the to Turf Moor as he recalled their dramatic late rever- Without him, PSG fell short of securing the double following heavy defeats by PSG in the earlier rounds interval. Hamari Traore crossed from the right and sal of fortune in a European quarter-final defeat by in Tuchel’s first season in charge, which will also be in each of the last two seasons, and another hiding Kimpembe sliced the ball into his own net. Tottenham. remembered for their Champions League exit to looked on the cards as PSG went 2-0 up early on. They continued to cause problems to PSG at the “We will be judged if we lift the title or not?,” the Manchester United in the last 16. Instead, it is tradi- The opener came in the 13th minute when a corner start of the second half, and it was not a surprise former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss added. tional underachievers Rennes who celebrate a historic fell to Alves just outside the area and he met the ball when Rennes equalised in the 66th minute as Clement “The players and I have spoken many times - for victory, their first silverware since the 1971 French with a volley from 20 yards that flew low into the Grenier’s corner from the left was headed home by you, the job is done. Cup also meaning a return to the Europa League next corner. The second goal came midway through the Mexer, a rare goal from the Mozambican defender. “In terms of me, our fans and our people, it is season. first half, as a stray Hatem Ben Arfa pass was inter- Into extra time they went, with Tuchel sending on done. You had success this season. Hats off! “But of Few of their fans would have imagined that possi- cepted by Alves and it was Di Maria who sent Edinson Cavani, another PSG star who has spent course we want to win it (the league). We are not ble after the way they started the game, with PSG Neymar through to score with a delightful chip over much of the recent weeks on the sidelines. Neymar going to say ‘it’s enough, the manager told us how looking more like their former selves as Neymar Tomas Koubek, who had come off his line. It was a set up Mbappe for a shot against the post, but proof good we have done and we’re not going to win it’. made his first start in three months after injury. 21st goal of the season for the world’s most expensive that Rennes had done more than just ruffle PSG’s “No, no, no. We want to win it for sure. We want Alongside him, Angel Di Maria was back for his first player, despite that enforced three-month hiatus. feathers came when France’s golden boy was sent off. to win the Premier League,” the Catalan manager appearance in more than a month, as PSG went look- Rennes roused themselves to finish the half It was not to be his or PSG’s night, for once. — AFP insisted. “Maybe more than last season, to do some- thing unique for this club. We want to do it. “But I will not judge them. I will not tell them nonetheless 18 points behind Juve and out of Europe after because of many circumstances-because maybe Mertens joins being beaten by Arsenal in the Europa League quarter- Burnley is better than us in that game. Maybe we finals, have to hope that both Milan and Atalanta fail to win play horrible in one of these three games. It’s hap- Ronaldo hits in order to guarantee Champions League football this pened. You have to try to avoid it, but it can happen.” Maradona as week, but are far enough ahead that qualification is almost City have suffered a drop-off in form from very 600th club goal guaranteed. few players this season, with the injury-plagued Napoli close in on Frosinone however will be hoping Udinese lose to Kevin De Bruyne arguably the only senior star who Atalanta, as a win in Bergamo for the 17th-placed side has not hit the heights he achieved 12 months ago. ROME: Cristiano Ronaldo scored the and Genoa beating SPAL would send them down to By contrast, defender , striker 600th goal of his club career to earn Champions League Serie B. — AFP Raheem Sterling and playmaker Bernardo Silva have Italian champions Juventus a 1-1 draw all taken their games on to an even higher level. But ROME: Dries Mertens moved level with Diego Maradona Guardiola said City still had collective room for away to Inter Milan in Serie A on in Napoli’s all-time goalscorers chart as he helped them Saturday. The Turin club wrapped up an improvement-which he wanted to oversee. take a big step towards securing Champions League foot- “If I felt we could not improve it would make no eighth successive league title last week- ball for next season with a comfortable 2-0 win on Sunday. Matches on TV end but found themselves behind early on sense to continue together here,” he said. “Still there ’s side are almost unreachable in second are things we can do quicker, understand what we to a wonder-strike from Inter midfielder place thanks to Mertens’ smart 19th-minute free-kick- (Local Timings) Radja Nainggolan. have to do in a better way. We are going to improve which made the Belgian Napoli’s third-highest ever scorer individually and collectively. So I don’t have doubts However, the Portuguese responded with 81 goals-and Amin Younes’ simple finish three min- with a powerful finish in the second half to SPANISH LEAGUE about that.” utes after the break, which also all-but condemned He added: “The moment you are tired of them, hit 20 league goals for the season, moving Frosinone to relegation from Serie A. v RCD Espanyol 22:00 within two strikes of Serie A’s leading beIN SPORTS HD 3 they are tired of you, that is not going to leave space With four matches remaining Napoli are eight points to move forward and then the manager has to go- scorer, Fabio Quagliarella of Sampdoria, clear of third-placed Inter Milan, who drew 1-1 with new- in the process. ’Thank you guys!’-and another one comes.” ly-crowned champions Juventus on Saturday, and a full 14 ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE Guardiola’s current title contest with Liverpool also Inter remain in third place on 62 points, ahead of AC Milan and Atalanta, who sit just outside the four ahead of AS Roma below them, while Atalanta v Udinese Calcio 20:00 had the City manager drawing comparisons with the Champions League places on 56 points. beIN SPORTS HD 4 only other campaign in which he has won a champi- Juventus, who dropped points for just the The pair have a chance to leapfrog Roma, who took the ACF Fiorentina v Sassuolo Calcio 22:00 onship in similarly tight circumstances — 2010 when sixth time in 34 games this season, move last spot on Saturday with a comfortable 3-0 home win up to 88. —Reuters beIN SPORTS HD 4 his Barcelona finished with 99 points and Real over Cagliari, and close the gap on Napoli when they take Madrid 96. — AFP on Torino and Udinese respectively. Napoli, who are