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MADRID: Real Madrid’s jumps over Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina during the Champions League round of 16, first leg, soccer match between Real Madrid and Napoli at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, yesterday. — AP Real Madrid bounce back to beat Napoli

MADRID: Real Madrid shrugged off conceding an early made the trip from Naples for only their side’s second with the outside of his right boot picked out Benzema 10 minutes of the restart however. Firstly, Ronaldo away goal to take a huge step towards a seventh ever appearance in the last 16. Maradona even gave the to power home a header from close range. played provider once more with a fine run down the straight Champions League quarter-final as goals from Napoli players a pep talk in the dressing room before should have had one of the two right and measured cut-back for Kroos to slot home Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and sealed a 3-1 kick-off. By contrast, Real are in the knockout stages for goals he needs to reach 100 in European competition from the edge of the box. Then Napoli were struck by a win over Napoli yesterday. Lorenzo Insigne’s stunning the 20th straight season and it was the home fans who on 27 minutes when great work from Benzema and thunderbolt from the most unlikely source as defensive 40-yard strike had the travelling hordes in dream land nearly had something to cheer inside 30 seconds as Luka Modric freed the World Player of the Year inside Casemiro pounced on a looping clearance to after just eight minutes of the last 16 first leg. Benzema’s shot from close range was parried by Pepe the area, but he blasted well over the bar. volley first-time past a helpless Reina. Napoli had the However, Benzema soon headed home an equaliser Reina. bHowever, it was Napoli who got off to the per- Madrid’s control of the first 45 minutes grew as the chances to set up a thrilling return leg as Dries Mertens, before Kroos and Casemiro fired home from outside the fect start just eight minutes in when Insigne took aim half went on and only a combination of Reina and the who had scored 14 goals in his previous 11 appear- box early in the second half to give the holders a com- from 40 yards and caught Madrid ‘keeper Keylor Navas post denied the hosts a lead at the break. ances, fired over with the goal at his mercy from former manding lead ahead of the second leg on March 7. out of position with a superb effort that curled around This time Ronaldo was inch-perfect with his low Madrid winger Jose Maria Callejon’s fine lay-off. Mertens With former Napoli great Diego Maradona watching the Costa Rica international. cross for Benzema, but his effort was tipped onto the also saw another effort smothered by Navas from close on, the atmosphere reached fever pitch before kick-off Madrid, though, showed the response of champions woodwork and behind by Reina. range and Callejon a goal ruled out for offside as Napoli as up to 10,000 travelling fans were estimated to have to level just 10 minutes later when ’s cross The tie did swing decisively in Madrid’s favour within slumped to their first defeat in 19 games.— AFP Thiago-inspired Bayern hand Arsenal 5-1 rout

MUNICH: Arsene Wenger’s future was plunged into fur- outside the area. Arsenal then raised the tempo and ther doubt yesterday as Thiago Alcantara inspired started pressing the hosts. Bayern defender Mats Bayern to a 5-1 rout of his hapless Arsenal team Hummels was given a yellow card for fouling Sanchez which left the Gunners facing a seventh straight just outside the box. Champions League last-16 exit. Mesut Ozil drilled the resulting free-kick at Neuer, Bayern extended their Champions League record to but moments later Arsenal were awarded a penalty. 16 home wins by flooring the Gunners with three goals Lewandowski mistimed his clearance kick in the area in ten second-half minutes. and struck Laurent Koscielny’s raised leg. Bayern knocked Arsenal out at the same stage in Despite Bayern’s furious protests, Serbian referee 2005, 2013 and 2014 and were looking comfortably Milorad Mazic pointed to the spot. placed to make it four times after romping through yes- Neuer saved Sanchez’s penalty, but the Chile interna- terday’s first leg. tional drilled home the rebound from a tight angle at The defeat raises the pressure on the second attempt. Wenger for the return leg on March 7 with only Alexis It was the valuable away goal Bayern had talked Sanchez’s away goal for comfort. The result matched about not conceding in the match’s build-up. the 5-1 group-stage thrashing Arsenal received in There were equally furious Bayern protests at the Munich in November 2015 — the club’s joint record other end when ’s cross struck Hector away defeat in Europe. ’s superb curling Bellerin on the hand, but the referee waved play on. shot gave Bayern the lead on 11 minutes, but Sanchez It was 1-1 at the break, but Bayern stepped up the levelled by drilling home ’s save from a pressure in the second half. penalty on 30 minutes. Robben released who put in a perfect Bayern moved up a gear after the break with a flurry cross and Lewandowski twisted to tuck his header past of goals in quick succession. David Ospina’s reach. headed Bayern back into the The Poland hot-shot then flicked Xabi Alonso’s pass lead on 53 minutes before Thiago added two in quick into Thiago’s path to tuck his shot past Ospina. succession while Thomas Mueller came off the bench to Lewandowski hit the crossbar on 61 minutes, but complete the rout. Thiago added his second when his shot from the edge Bayern spent the opening minutes camped in the of the box deflected past the Arsenal goalkeeper on Arsenal half and took the lead on 10 minutes through 63 minutes. MUNICH: (L-R) Bayern Munich’s Chilian midfielder Arturo Vidal, Arsenal’s Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka, Bayern Robben’s wonderful strike. Mueller came on for Lewandowski on 86 minutes Munich’s Dutch midfielder Arjen Robben and Bayern Munich’s defender jump for the ball during The Dutch winger cut in from the right, and curled and added Bayern’s fifth two minutes later after Thiago the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen football match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal in home a superbly-weighted shot off his left foot from squared the final pass. — AFP Munich, southern Germany, yesterday. — AFP