TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013 SPORTS Victory ‘a must’ as Marseille travel to Lille

PARIS: French giants Marseille travel to With Lille on a 10-game unbeaten goals in his last four league matches. “I’m quickly and it’ll be tough,” added Girard. Christmas. “Now we have a match today high-flying Lille today knowing that they streak and Monaco looking to have got delighted to be doing good things for the “We’ll try to recover well, we don’t have against Nice, a derby,” he said. “We need must win if they harbor any hopes of chal- over their November blip and back to team. It was my objective to repay the much of a choice. “We’re not going to to win again, the aim is to win all our lenging for the title this season. winning ways these last two weeks, confidence the club has shown in me. I complain, it would only use up more remaining matches up to Christmas. Although that objective already appears Marseille know they cannot afford to think I’m doing that well now,” he added. energy.” Monaco, meanwhile, travel to the “We’ve just gone through a tricky beyond Elie Baup’s men, they must at come away empty-handed from the Lille coach Rene Girard is hoping his side Allianz Riviera today to face local rivals patch, I hope that was just that. “I always least take something from the game to north. And they will be looking to in-form can continue the impregnable form Nice. said we’d have one, afterwards you have remain in Champions League contention. forward Florian Thauvin to continue his they’ve been showing in remaining Italian coach Claudio Ranieri has said to react but the hardest thing is to be con- Marseille won for the third time in a row recent goalscoring run against his former unbeaten, both in terms of results and he is quietly optimistic that record for- sistent.” Champions and leaders Paris on Friday with a 2-0 success over 2012 employers. Thauvin had a difficult start to goals conceded, for their last 10 matches. ward signing Radamel Falcao will be fit to Saint-Germain will be looking for revenge champions Montpellier, currently strug- life on the south coast after his protracted “Ten matches in a row without conced- return having missed the 2-0 success over when they travel to Evian on Wednesday. gling at the wrong end of the table. That summer move from Lille, and he is not ing a goal, that’s a first in my career,” said Rennes. Having gone three matches with- The minnows, better known for their bot- ensured they remained within sight of the expecting to be welcomed back with Girard. “That shows the character of this out a win, which saw them drop to third tled water, were the last side to beat the top three but should they lose to Lille at open arms. team, the lads are committed, we can play having spent most of the early part of the Parisians, on penalties in a French Cup the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, they could find “The match at Lille will be like any oth- them out of position-they make sacrifices, season at the top of the table, Monaco quarter-final back in April. Their last themselves distanced to eight points off er. I’ll get a tough reception but I’m going they turn up.” Lille have had one less day have now won two in a row. France mid- league defeat, 26 Ligue 1 matches ago, the top three by the end of the midweek there to win and take three points,” said to recover, though, having played on fielder Jeremy Toulalan believes they can was to Reims at the beginning of fixtures. the 20-year-old, who has scored four Saturday. “The Marseille game is coming continue in that vein right up to March.—AFP PSG outclass Lyon

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain under- lined their superiority over the rest of the French top flight on Sunday as Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted twice in a 4-0 win against Lyon at the Parc des Princes. Ibrahimovic scored both of his goals from the penalty spot as he moved clear at the top of the Ligue 1 scorers chart, while South Americans and captain Thiago Silva also found the target to help PSG continue their unbeaten record in all competitions this season. They remain four points clear of Lille and five ahead of Monaco at the top of the standings after eas- HULL: Hull City’s David Meyler (centre) celebrates after scoring his team’s second ing past a Lyon side who once goal during the English match between Hull City and Liverpool on dominated the French scene them- Sunday, Dec 1, 2013. —AP selves but who are currently lan- guishing in mid-table. But while Lyon coach Remi Garde accepted Hull fans refuse to be that his team are “not competing in the same league as Paris”, opposite tamed in tiger row number Laurent Blanc insisted the scoreline was not necessarily a fair LONDON: It should have been a weekend Hull City, We’ll Die When We Want” while reflection on the game. “The size of of celebration for Hull City but a 3-1 victory Bruce said he hoped to sit down with Allam the scoreline could make you think over Liverpool was overshadowed by an and find a “happy solution”. The gallows it was easy from beginning to end, increasingly bitter row between the club’s humor will strike a chord with fans up and but Lyon made life difficult for us owner and the diehard fans. Egyptian-born down the country, however, who have early on,” he said. Assem Allam’s wish to re-brand the 109- watched their clubs change hands, some- “If we keep playing at 100 per- PARIS: Lyon’s Burkinabese defender Bakary Kone (left) vies for the ball with Paris Saint-Germain’s Swedish year-old Yorkshire club as Hull Tigers has times with catastrophic results. cent, I think it will be very difficult forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (right) during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) provoked a fierce backlash and things Foreign owners divide opinion more to beat PSG. But we need to avoid and Lyon (OL) on December 1, 2013. — AFP came to a head after comments he made to than most. Blackburn Rovers fans, who complacency and be at our very the bar. But PSG got their noses in more pain to come for the visitors Luc Ettori’s record of 602 appear- a Sunday newspaper, suggesting those have watched the club slide out of the best every game.” The build-up to front nine minutes before the as Ibrahimovic beat Vercoutre from ances in France’s top flight as he opposed to his view were “hooligans” and Premier division since being taken over by the match was overshadowed by interval when Cavani met a corner the spot once again after being kept a clean sheet for Bastia in a 2- that they “could die as soon as they want”. Indian chicken producers Venky’s, still pine the news that both team buses from the left and headed in fouled by , taking his 0 win over Evian. Businessman Allam was reacting to a for the days of local businessman Jack were stoned on the way to the sta- through the legs of Yoann tally to 20 goals in his last 13 The 34-year-old French interna- fans’ campaign group named “City Till We Walker whose money fuelled a league title. dium, while Lyon lost Bafetimbi Gourcuff, who was standing on the games for club and country. tional began his career at Nantes in Die” which was formed when his desire to Cardiff City fans’ joy at their club reaching Gomis to injury in the warm-up. In near post. PSG are now unbeaten in 26 1996 and won the title with Les change the club’s name in order to attract the Premier League this season was tem- his absence, OL played with a Five minutes later, the Ligue 1 matches and maintain a Canaris in 2001 before spells at more investment first became known. Poor pered by the fact that the team now play in three-man central defence and for Uruguayan was brought down safe distance from Lille, who won Paris Saint-Germain and Lille, with old manager Steve Bruce found himself red rather than blue and the club crest much of the first half they succeed- again inside the box. This time, 1-0 at northern neighbors whom he won the double in 2011. treading carefully on Sunday, not wishing changed from the bluebird to the dragon, ed in frustrating the hosts. Lyon goalkeeper Remy Vercoutre Valenciennes on Saturday as “I have worked so hard to get to to alienate the heart and soul fans or the all at the command of billionaire Malaysian They were also helped by refer- was the culprit, and a penalty was Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent this point. I am enormously lucky,” man who writes the cheques. “I am happy owner Vincent Tan. ee Antony Gautier’s decision not to awarded. Ibrahimovic sent Enyeama extended his remarkable said Landreau after drawing level to speak to the owner and give him my Then again, Manchester City and award a penalty when Cavani went Vercoutre the wrong way as he run without conceding a goal to with Ettori, who spent his entire opinion,” a diplomatic Bruce said after the Chelsea fans are hardly likely to complain down under a challenge from coolly chipped into the net, and 945 minutes. Meanwhile, Monaco career at Monaco between 1975 thoroughly deserved victory which steered about the transformation in their team’s Bakary Kone 16 minutes in. Lyon’s chances of getting back into proved too strong for Rennes on and 1992 and picked up nine caps Hull into mid-table. fortunes since foreign cash began rolling Alexandre Lacazette had been left the game appeared to be over by Saturday despite being without for France. Milos Krasic and Wahbi “But if he wants us to play in pink fairy in. Allam is not the typical “foreign” owner to plough a lone furrow up front the interval. They conceded again the injured Radamel Falcao-James Khazri got the goals for Bastia, who dresses then he is entitled to that view.” At as he has been in England since fleeing for Lyon and he had the visitors’ on the hour mark, though, Brazil Rodriguez and Anthony Martial are eighth, while Brazilian forward last week’s game against Crystal Palace Egypt in 1968, went to university there, has best opportunity of the first half, skipper Silva converting the loose scoring in a 2-0 triumph. Elsewhere Jussie scored twice in Bordeaux’s 4- stewards tried to remove a banner which successful companies in the area and creating space for himself inside ball following a corner for his first on Sunday, Mickael Landreau 0 win against hapless Ajaccio in read “We are Hull City” while on Sunday makes charitable donations to several local the box and lashing a shot against ever goal in Ligue 1. And there was equalled fellow goalkeeper Jean- Sunday’s other game.—AFP against Liverpool their riposte was “We’re charities. He is also extremely rich and in 2010 decided to step in to save Hull City from financial ruin after they were relegat- ed from the Premier League saddled with Spanish clubs Matches on TV debt. (Local Timings) So, while the grievances of the fans are understandable, it is mainly because of fined for TV ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Allam’s purchase of the club, and the wily management of Bruce, that they find them- Crystal Palace v West Ham 23:00 rights breach selves back in the big time alongside the Aljazeera Sport 1 HD likes of Liverpool. Allam appears deter- MADRID: Spain’s National Markets and mined to do things his way, or not at all, FRENCH LEAGUE and has threatened to walk away from the Competition Commission (CNMC) has imposed significant fines on television production giant Lille v Marseille 21:00 club he has invested 60 million pounds ($98.28 million) in. “I’m a simple man. Do Mediapro and four clubs, including Real Madrid Aljazeera Sport 5 HD they want me to stay? If it’s ‘No thank you’, and Barcelona, for breaching rules on the sale of Nice v AS Monaco 23:00 fine, in 24 hours the club is for sale... I do televison rights. The CNMC handed down fines Aljazeera Sport 5 HD not put in one more pound,” he recently totaling 15 million euros ($20.3m) for what they told the Hull Daily Mail.-—Reuters described in a statement as “a very serious infrac- tion” of the rules on the acquisition of football- Pellegrini sets City related rights. Chelsea’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho Mediapro were fined 6.5 million euros, while Real Madrid have been ordered to pay 3.9 million away-day target euros and Barcelona 3.6 million euros. In addi- Chelsea resolve, victory MANCHESTER: Manuel Pellegrini has chal- It will be very important for us.” A superb free- tion, Sevilla have been fined 900,000 euros and encourage Mourinho lenged his Manchester City side to take maxi- kick from Alvaro Negredo and two second- Racing Santander 30,000 euros. The clubs all mum points from their two away games at half goals from a resurgent made signed four-year contracts with Mediapro to LONDON: Jose Mourinho believes his when they travel to face Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion and Southampton as sure City maintained the only 100 percent broadcast their domestic league and cup match- Chelsea side are starting to show the char- Stoke City in their next two games. the wealthy Premier League club close in on home record in professional English football es, when the maximum duration of such a deal acter needed of a team capable of chal- “I think my team is a team with a profile Arsenal at the top of the table. Arsene this season. was limited to three years by Spain’s Competition lenging for the Premier League title. that I can’t establish targets: to say I want Wenger’s league leaders are the next visitors The seven home league victories recorded Chelsea are now in second place, four to win five consecutive matches, or be top Commission in 2010. to City’s Etihad Stadium after the Blues by Pellegrini’s side have seen them score 29 points behind leaders Arsenal, after stag- of the league. “I want to work with them, moved to within six points of first place in a 3- times, with 25 goals in the last five home They explained that the size of the fine varied ing a second-half comeback to beat feed the young players, feed the team. 0 home victory over Swansea on Sunday. But matches in league and cup. Nasri’s two goals depending on the individual contracts signed Southampton 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on And, by the time we’ve done that, we’re first, City must negotiate two testing away fix- were the highlight of the latest victory and between Mediapro and the respective clubs. Sunday. The west London club recovered there. “If you are 10 or 12 points behind, tures and improve on a record that has the Frenchman is clearly flourishing under According to a table put together by the consul- after falling behind to Jay Rodriguez’s you are building but not fighting for the already seen them lose four times on their Pellegrini in a way he failed to do under his tancy firm Deloitte, Real Madrid became the first opening goal just 15 seconds into the title. “If you are three or four or five, you travels this season. predecessor Roberto Mancini. “I think Samir game and Blues manager Mourinho said are evolving, building but also fighting for Pellegrini has set his players the goal of played very well, especially the second half,” sports club in the world to earn more than 500 their response highlighted the growing the title,” Mourinho explained. “The boys being top, or at least within three points of said Pellegrini. “He also played very well in the million euros in 2011-12. Barcelona were named maturity of his team. “It was a good per- have to cope with the responsibility of that position, by the first day of 2014 and Champions League. He is playing free, he is as the world’s second richest club on the same formance collectively, and some good being there. We have to be there. Now we concedes that the coming week, and those happy and he feels he’s again an important list with income of 483 million euros. individual performances,” said Mourinho, have two away matches, teams who need two away games, will be crucial in achieving player. The way we play maybe is very com- Unlike in other European countries, there is no now in his second spell as Chelsea manag- points given the position they have.” that target. “It’s a big challenge. West Brom fortable for him also. collective television rights deal for clubs in Spain. er. Headers from Gary Cahill and John are a strong team playing at home,” the City “All of you know that he is a big player. He “It’s the sign of a team that’s going step Terry overturned Southampton’s lead manager said. “I hope now we can start win- played before I arrived at City for three or four Instead, clubs negotiate their own deals with by step, understanding my ideas and men- before Demba Ba completed the victory in ning away. “I repeat, we deserve to have won years and he played in the Champions broadcasters, a situation that allows Barcelona tality, players progressing,” the Portuguese the final minute of added time. “Demba some of those games we have lost. But in this League. He is a very, very good player. Now and Real Madrid to earn vastly superior sums added. “Some of them, the ones that are played well against West Bromwich and week, we have two away games and six he is again playing the way he knows how to compared to the rest of the country. Spanish not complete in my mentality or philoso- really helped us to rescue a point and points, we must try and win all of them if we play.” Pellegrini, who dismissed reports from football was for a number of years marred by a phy, adapting progressively, feeling the dominate in the last part of the game, and want to be fighting for the Premier League,” Spain that Real Madrid are considering a bid television rights war, with a number of clubs responsibility that Chelsea cannot be in he was very aggressive in that push today the Chilean added. for his forward Sergio Aguero in the January December completely out of the title race. (Sunday). Yes, I was very pleased with him.” “I can answer the question of whether we transfer window, may be able to recall influ- agreeing deals with Mediapro while others “They must feel the responsibility to play And the manager refused to criticize can do that (be top) after these two away ential defender Vincent Kompany for the visit entered into partnership with Sogecable, part of for Chelsea and that was a sign just of Michael Essien, who marred his first games. “I have a lot of trust in this team. We to West Brom on Wednesday if the Belgian Spain’s biggest media group Prisa, the owners of maturity. Losing after 10 seconds, keep Premier league start of the season with a have to play six more Premier League games international comes through training sessions the subscription channel Canal.— AFP calm, let’s go.” And he has challenged his misplaced back pass that allowed during December and we hope we can do it. beforehand.—AFP players to build on their recent progress Rodriguez to score.—AFP