SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

PREVIEW Real seek new record run as Liga returns

MADRID: Real Madrid will welcome back Cristiano missing certain games throughout the season to WILL BARCA BOUNCE BACK? Ronaldo for his first appearance of 2017 as the get to the business end of the campaign 100 per- In contrast to Madrid, Barca started 2017 with European champions look to equal ’s cent fit. defeat, 2-1 at in the first leg of their last Spanish record of 39 games unbeaten when lowly “There are some players that make the difference 16 Cup tie, despite the hosts being reduced to nine Granada visit the Santiago Bernabeu today. like Cristiano because he is a different player, but we men in the second-half. An immediate return to form Ronaldo was rested as Real showed no signs of rust will need everyone to win what we want,” added is needed from Luis Enrique’s men, but they won’t after a 17-day break since winning the Club World Zidane. With potentially another 20 games to come have it easy against a Villarreal side that has lost just Cup to sweep aside Sevilla 3-0 in the first leg of in the next 10 weeks, Zidane is likely to take the once at home all season. The result at El Madrigal will their Copa del Rey last 16 tie on Wednesday. opportunity to rotate his squad once more against a not just have a big bearing on the title race, but also The victory endorsed Madrid boss Zinedine Granada side that has won just once in 16 on the fight for the top four with Sevilla in third and Zidane’s brave decision to leave Ronaldo out as he games this season. Gareth Bale, Mateo Kovacic, Atletico Madrid in sixth only separated by four points. capped a dream debut year in charge at the Lucas Vazquez and Pepe remain sidelined by injury, Fifth-placed Real Sociedad can close the gap on Bernabeu with three trophies and just two defeats whilst captain Sergio Ramos is suspended. However, Sevilla to just a point when the in-form Basques host in 54 games. “I won’t rest Ronaldo. He will play on Isco and Karim Benzema look set to return after the Europa League holders on Saturday night. Atletico Saturday and he will play many games, there is no being left on the bench against Sevilla. Another Real remain the favourites to take third spot and looked need to worry,” said Zidane. However, the enigmat- win would stretch their lead at the top over back close to their best in easing past Las Palmas 2-0 ic Frenchman has succeeded where former Real Barcelona to six points ahead of the Spanish cham- on Tuesday with Antoine Griezmann breaking his five- coaches have failed in ensuring Ronaldo accepts pions’ far trickier trip to Villarreal on Sunday night. game goal drought. — AFP Barca start 2017 with defeat at 9-man Bilbao

MADRID” Athletic Bilbao held out with nine men to secure a first win over Barcelona in four years and carry a 2-1 lead into the second leg of their Copa del Rey last 16 tie on Jan 11. Two goals in three first-half minutes from Aritz Aduriz and Inaki Williams put the hosts in com- mand. Lionel Messi’s fine free-kick halved Barca’s arrears after the break. And the five-time World Player of the Year was inches away from a precious second away goal when he hit the post with the final kick of the game after Raul Garcia and Ander Iturraspe had been sent-off. EIBAR, Spain: Eibar’s French defender Florian Lejeune “We struggled at the start,” admitted (center) attends a training session at the Atxabalpe train- Barca boss Luis Enrique. “They used two ing field of the Spanish Basque village of Arrasate on Dec counter-attacks to put together two 2, 2016. — AFP good moves and get ahead. In the sec- ond-half we concentrated more on what Eibar showing we could control, our play, and I think we did enough to deserve more, even taking into account Athletic’s numerical disad- ‘another way’ vantage.” Enrique started all three of his star EIBAR, Spain: In a league dominated by the wealth of the two strike force of Messi, Luis Suarez and richest clubs in the world, Spanish side Eibar are punching Neymar despite handing them an above their weight to show “another kind of football is possi- extended winter break which meant they ble”. A town of just 27,000 people sandwiched between Bilbao only returned to training on Monday and San Sebastian in the northern Basque region is enjoying a after two weeks off. This is the sixth time third consecutive season of top-flight football as the likes of Barca and Athletic have been paired BILBAO: Barcelona’s Neymar falls to the ground as he vies for the ball with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s together in the Cup in nine seasons, Athletic Bilbao’s Xabier Etxeita during the Spanish Copa del Rey match at San pass through their 6,200 capacity Ipurua stadium. including three finals. Barca have Mames stadium on Thursday. — AP Despite their limitations Eibar are far from just making up emerged victorious in all five previous the numbers and they host Atletico Madrid this weekend just occasions, but Athletic looked well on Nou and do our best to reach the next crossed the line despite Gorka Iraizoz’s two places and five points behind the Champions League final- their way to reversing that run with two round.” best efforts in the Athletic goal. Iraizoz ists, in eighth. Eibar believe they can be a model for modest excellent goals midway through the first- The match was then dogged by refer- tipped over a dangerously dipping effort clubs all over Europe. “With little money Eibar have done a lot,” half. Firstly, Aduriz stooped unmarked to eeing controversy as Aduriz escaped from Neymar as the pressure from the said Juan Carlos Castaneda Aguirre, proud president of sup- head home Garcia’s cross and round off a unpunished for an elbow on Samuel visitors built and the home side were porters club La Casa de Cantabria. “We have a lot of heart.” fine team move on 25 minutes. Umtiti. Barca were even more incensed in reduced to nine men in their efforts to From the president to the fans, Eibar have used their heads first-half stoppage time when David halt the Brazilian. Garcia and then to defy the odds since promotion to La Liga for the first time in ALVAREZ HOMAGE Fernandez Borbalan somehow failed to Iturraspe had few complaints after seeing their history in 2014. No sooner had Eibar won promotion, they Then, in the midst of a homage to point to the spot when Neymar was second yellow cards for late challenges had to raise 1.7 million euros ($1.4 million) to comply with new Athletic defender Yeray Alvarez who was chopped down by Borja Etxeita. Andres on Neymar. More Messi magic nearly pre- Spanish football regulations to safeguard the finances of all recently diagnosed with testicular can- Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba vented Barca starting the year with clubs. Failure to raise the funds would have seen Eibar denied cer, the hosts struck again when Williams were all booked for taking their protests defeat as he danced past two defenders promotion and relegated to the third tier - despite being one of smashed home a volley from Aduriz’s too far, whilst Messi also had to be before a desperate saving challenge from very few Spanish clubs not burdened by debt. neat backheeled layoff. Alvarez was in restrained from confronting Borbalan as Mikel San Jose prevented the Argentine A crowd-funding campaign called “defend Eibar” saw the the crowd and the club announced earli- the players left the field for half-time. getting a shot off. And in the dying sec- club’s number of shareholders grow from just 1,800 locally to er on Thursday he will return to training “The first-half ended in the worst way onds Messi smashed a loose ball inside 10,000 across the world with the help of high-profile figures in the next few weeks after undergoing with a lot of cards on our part and the the area off the inside of the post. No side such as then-Real Madrid and now Bayern Munich midfielder successful surgery. “I think in the first-half players upset at what we saw on the other than Real Madrid has eliminated Xabi Alonso. “Eibar were only known here. We created a story we were much better than them,” field,” added Enrique. Barca from the Cup since 2008 and the and we were able to sell shares in Eibar in 69 countries across Williams told GolTV. “The referee left us Borbalan did come to Barca’s aid just holders will remain confident of turning the world,” said ex-president Alex Aranzabal, who oversaw the with nine men, but that is football and after the break, though, when he the tie around on home soil on campaign. — AFP we have to suffer. We will go to the Camp adjudged Messi’s free-kick to have Wednesday. — AFP