MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2020 10

Manchester City will give ‘exceptional’ Liverpool guard of honour, says Guardiola Villarreal volley their way past toothless Valencia Villarreal march towards top four by beating struggling Valencia

AFP | Mardid

anti Cazorla laid on a su- perb assist as Villarreal Scontinued their late surge towards Champions League qualification yesterday by beat- ing Valencia 2-0. Cazorla found himself under a 60-yard punt forward at La Ceramica and with one touch, he cushioned the ball perfectly Jurgen Klopp, Manager of Liverpool shakes hands with Pep Guardiola, for Gerard Moreno to volley in. Manager of Manchester City prior to a match (file photo) Paco Alcacer had scored against his former club to put AFP | not been as hungry or motivat- Villarreal ahead earlier in the ed this season, despite Liver- first half. ep Guardiola confirmed pool winning their 19th league Victory means Villarreal have Pthat his Manchester title with a record seven games taken 13 points out of 15 since City side will give new Pre - to spare. returned earlier this mier League champions “A team that wins eight ti- month and now sit only three Liverpool a guard of hon - tles (trophies) in the last three points behind stumbling Sevilla our when they meet next years have passion, in every in fourth. week. single game, in every compe- “We’re not going to put pres- Liverpool’s first English tition, everywhere. No one in sure on ourselves,” said Alcacer. league title in 30 years was this country can say that,” add- “But we know what we can do secured two days ago as sec- ed Guardiola, who led City to and we want to finish as high as ond-placed City lost 2-1 at a third straight League Cup possible.” Chelsea. triumph before the coronavi- While Villarreal have shot Gerard Moreno of Villarreal shoots the ball The top two meet at the Eti- rus lockdown in March. into contention for the top four, had Stadium next Thursday “It is so difficult to do what Valencia have plummeted away fourth is now a very realistic fore half-time and it dropped to- and Guardiola, whose team we have done in the most dif- from it, this their third defeat possibility, even if a difficult wards Cazorla outside the area. had won the two previous Pre- ficult league in the world but in five games since the restart. final six games includes fixtures He turned his body and cush- mier League titles, says Liver- you cannot win all the time. They have taken only four against Barcelona, Getafe and ioned it out of the air for More- pool deserve to be given the “There was one team that points in that time and with re- . no to his right, who volleyed traditional guard of honour. was exceptional and, when one ports of unrest in the dressing It would be a remarkable KNOW WHAT with his left and into the bottom “Of course we are going to team is exceptional, I say learn room, coach Albert Celades ap- achievement, not least for Ca- corner. do it,” said Guardiola. “We are from them and congratulate pears unlikely to remain beyond zorla himself, given the Span- Earlier, Alcacer had finished going to do the guard of hon- them. It is simple. the summer. iard’s incredible resurgence Victory means Villarre- off Moreno’s lifted ball over the our of course. “This team’s passion and de- Valencia’s star striker Rodrigo over the last two seasons fol- al have taken 13 points top and chose not to celebrate “Always we receive Liver- sire, it is going and going and Moreno stayed sat in the stands, lowing a spate of horrendous against the club that brought pool when they come to our going again.” staring into space, for several injuries. out of 15 since La Liga him through their youth sys- house in an incredible way. City are still chasing a treble minutes after the final whistle. The 35-year-old’s delightful returned earlier this tem and gave him almost They cannot complain and of of major trophies, leading Real “It’s a bad feeling,” said Ce- touch for Moreno to volley in month and now sit only 100 appearances in the first course we are going to do it 2-1 after the first leg lades. “We’ve played a game will go down as one of the goals three points behind team. because they deserve it.” of their Champions League where we were by far the worse of the season. stumbling Sevilla in “Of course I wouldn’t cel - The Spaniard refuted any last-16 tie at the Santiago team. They were better than us.” Goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen fourth ebrate, Valencia gave me suggestion that his team have Bernabeu. Yet for Villarreal, clinching lumped the ball forward just be- everything,” Alcacer said.

Archer ‘a major Milan sink Roma with late goals threat’ to Pakistani Barcelona annoyed and frustrated batsmen: Younis AFP | London after Celta draw, says Suarez Reuters | Barcelona akistan batting coach Pand former cricketing arcelona forward Luis Su- great Younis Khan singled Barez lamented his side’s 2-2 out fast-rising paceman draw at Celta Vigo on Satur- Jofra Archer as a “major day after the champions twice threat” in his team’s forth- threw away the lead to hand coming matches against more momentum to title rivals England. Real Madrid. The Pakistan squad left Suarez scored both of Barca’s yesterday for England, goals but Celta forward Fedor where they will play three Smolov and Iago Aspas each Tests and as many Twen- levelled for the struggling hosts. ty20 internationals, starting Aspas equalised with a free kick Henrix Hamleti Mkhitaryan of AS Roma competes for the ball with Hakan in the first week of August. with two minutes remaining. Calhanoglu of AC Milan Younis said 25-year-old “I’m happy to have been able Archer has made a reputa- to help the team with my goals AFP | Milan scramble following a Davide tion for himself since qual- but overall I’m left with sensa- Zappacosta blunder. ifying to play for England tions of anger and frustration,” nte Rebic and Hakan Cal- Calhanoglu converted a pen- and going on to play a key Suarez said. Ahanoglu scored late to alty with a minute to go after role in last year’s Ashes “We feel as though we have Luis Suarez celebrates scoring his second give AC Milan a 2-0 victory Chris Smalling fouled Theo and triumphant World Cup dropped two points and there over Roma yesterday and dent Hernandez in the area. campaign. are many things we need to The Catalans were two points an away game against Athletic the capital side’s Champions Roma are fifth, six points “He (Archer) is a real improve. We are giving away ahead when the season was Bilbao. League ambitions. behind Atalanta who occupy match winner and a threat,” a lot of points away from home halted in March due to the COV- “We’re feeling very negative Both teams struggled early the final Champions League Younis told AFP before the which we didn’t used to do in ID-19 pandemic but have won because we have lost two more in the stifling heat at the San berth. team’s departure. previous seasons.” three of their five matches back, points in the fight for the title,” Siro, with Roma’s Edin Dzeko Milan move up to seventh “Archer has strong nerves Barca were trailing Real in also drawing away to Sevilla Suarez added. heading wide and Calhanoglu just below the Europa League which he proved while the standings due to their in- last week. “We had our fate in our own nodding over the bar. berths after a second win this bowling a crucial super ferior head-to-head record Barca’s next match is a test- hands but now we have to wait But Stefano Pioli’s Milan week. over in the World Cup fi- but Zinedine Zidane’s side can ing home fixture against third- for Real Madrid to slip up here dominated after the break Juventus beat Lecce 4-0 on nal,” said Younis of Eng - now cement their advantage placed Atletico Madrid, while and there so overall we are feel- with Rebic breaking through Friday, and are four points land’s nail-biting win over and go two points clear at the Real have a slightly more com- ing frustrated at giving away the after 76 minutes, rifling the ahead of Lazio, who came from New Zealand at Lord’s last top should they beat Espanyol fortable run-in, with their hard- two points today.” ball into the roof of the net at behind to see off Fiorentina 2-1 year. yesterday. est match looking like being the third attempt after a frantic on Saturday.