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Home , Alessandro Florenzi, Andrea Consigli, Antonio Nocerino, Gerhard Tremmel, Jay Rodriguez

MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2013 SPORTS Balotelli back on target as Milan beat Catania

MILAN: scored his first cided, after club owner Silvio Berlusconi started brightly and took the lead on 13 Nocerino narrowly missed making con- freekick on 63 minutes. It was his first league goal in over two months as strug- said Saturday he would remain in his minutes when a shot by Lucas Castro tact with the Brazilian’s angled free-kick league goal since a late consolation in a gling giants Milan secured a pre- post following a restructuring. However deflected off and in front of goal. 2-1 defeat at home to Napoli on cious 3-1 win away to 10-man Catania this result, only Milan’s fourth win of the wrong-footed Gabriel in the Milan net. Balotelli, who scored for Milan in a September 22. yesterday. Milan started their 14th game campaign, will undoubtedly prove a Milan were soon back on level terms resounding 3-0 Champions League win Milan pressed home their advantage of the campaign 14 points off the first huge morale boost to the Rossoneri when captain away to Celtic in midweek, then spurned after Tachtsidis was given his marching Champions League qualifying place and amid what has been another disappoint- rushed in at the back post to beat two chances in succession to give Milan orders two minutes after Balotelli’s goal having been rocked by the announce- ing start to the season. Mariano Andujar with a splendid first- the lead after Montolivo had crossed for and Kaka virtually secured the points ment that chief executive Adriano Catania, who were reduced to 10 time strike from a cross deep on the left. the striker. Balotelli, however, was not to when he beat Andujar with a fine indi- Galliani would resign after 27 years at men just after the hour when Panagiotis Kaka spurned a chance on the half be denied and finally ended his goal vidual effort nine minutes from the whis- the club. Galliani’s future is as yet unde- Tachtsidis saw red for a foul on Balotelli, hour and minutes after the restart drought when he beat Andujar with a tle. — AFP Terry seals Chelsea landmark in style

Chelsea 3

Southampton 1

LONDON: John Terry marked his 400th appearance with a second-half goal that helped Chelsea recover from the shock of falling behind after just 15 seconds to beat Southampton 3-1 at MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Spanish forward Alvaro Negredo (L) vies with Stamford Bridge yesterday. Swansea City’s Spanish Jose Canoas during the English Premier League The win saw Jose Mourinho’s football match between Manchester City and Swansea City at the City of Manchester second-placed side move to within Stadium in Manchester yesterday. — AFP four points of Premier League lead- ers Arsenal. But it took a stirring second half comeback to clinch Manchester City blank three points after Jay Rodriguez had given ’s visiting side a stunningly quick Swansea 3-0 at home lead. headed Chelsea level Sergio Aguero charging through and ten minutes after the restart before shooting at Gerhard Tremmel inside the Terry celebrated his landmark Man City 3 first minute. Tremmel was quickly in action appearance with the Blues’ second LONDON: Chelsea’s Spanish striker Fernando Torres (R) vies for the ball with Southampton’s Croatian again as Negredo forced him to tip around goal seven minutes later. And defender Dejan Lovren (L) during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and the post with a long-range shot. Demba Ba rounded off the win in Southampton at Stamford Bridge in London yesterday. — AFP Negredo was fouled outside the area the 90th minute with a volleyed fin- had been with Mourinho describ- needed and their response during failed to clear a Juan Mata corner. Swansea 0 shortly afterward and stepped up to clip ish from Ramires’s cross. ing the display as “really bad” in his the remainder of the first half was Ivanovic rose to meet the origi- home the resulting free kick in the eight Having lost at Arsenal last time match programme notes. largely ineffectual, although they nal cross and his header was direct- minute. Swansea then enjoyed a spell of out, a second away defeat meant Chelsea captain Terry, mean- did shows signs of finding their feet ed goalwards by Ba, whose effort dominating possession and creating a cou- Southampton dropped to seventh while, conceded the only positive towards the interval. struck the post and looped up ple of chances, with Shelvey twice forcing MANCHESTER: Samir Nasri scored twice as place. Rodriguez’s goal came as a from the evening was that the Fernando Torres began to exert inside the six-yard box, where Cahill Pantilimon to save with shots from dis- Manchester City maintained its 100 percent blow to a Chelsea side attempting Blues still qualified for the knockout a greater influence on the game, twisted acrobatically to head home. tance. Both sides had penalty appeals as home record and moved to third place in to shake off the effects of a mid- stages of the competition. crossing for Oscar whose header The momentum was with Pablo Hernandez claimed to be pulled back the Premier League with a 3-0 win over week Champions League defeat at Mourinho attempted to freshen drew a fine save from Artur Boruc, Chelsea and it was no surprise by Martin Demichelis and Aguero went Swansea yesterday. Basel. up his side by handing Michael the Southampton goalkeeper. when Terry made it 2-1 by meeting down under a Jose Canas challenge but ref- In-form striker Alvaro Negredo put City Liverpool’s defeat at Hull City Essien his first Premier League start Then Boruc produced an even Juan Mata’s left wing cross with an eree Mark Clattenburg was convinced by in front after eight minutes with a free kick and Manchester United’s draw with since returning during the close better one-handed stop to repel a excellent header past Paulo neither. De Guzman shot at Pantilimon and into the bottom left corner. Nasri then Tottenham Hotspur earlier yester- season from a season-long loan at Torres header two minutes before Gazzaniga, who had replaced the spurned an even better chance to equalize exploited Yaya Toure’s through ball to dou- day had handed Mourinho’s team a Real Madrid. half-time. But it was the introduc- injured Boruc. when he fired over just before the interval ble his team’s lead in the 58th and the great opportunity to extend the But the plan backfired with the tion of Ba in place of Essien that Chelsea, playing with an City’s second finally came just before French international sealed the win with a gap on some of their main title Ghanaian’s first touch lifting the helped galvanise Chelsea’s attack. urgency and confidence missing the hour as Yaya Toure strode forward in brilliant finish in the 77th.The result lifted rivals. ball into no man’s land between And with Southampton pressed from their first half performance, trademark fashion to find Nasri inside the City to third place in the standings after But if they were to do that, they keeper Petr Cech and centre-back back by the home side’s more con- saw Ba seal victory with a volley area. The Frenchman still had much to do Liverpool lost to Hull, but the team is still would have to improve on the dis- Cahill, allowing Rodriguez to nip in vincing forward play, it took from Ramires’s cross after the but the defense could not touch him as he six points behind leader Arsenal. mal display in Switzerland. There on the inside of Branislav Ivanovic Mourinho’s men just ten minutes to Brazil midfielder had shown ran across goal and fired low into the bot- City is the only team in the Premier was no attempt to disguise how and place the ball beyond Cech. conjure the equaliser when Cahill impressive persistence to create tom left corner. League with a perfect home record this disappointing that performance It was the last thing Chelsea headed home after Southampton the chance. — AFP season - seven wins in seven matches. City almost had a third when Toure Swansea had a good chance to equalize found Aguero and Swansea’s half-clearance just before halftime but Jonathan de fell to the inrushing Pablo Zabaleta but the Guzman shot over. City goalkeeper Costel fullback shot over. Pantilimon, again preferred to Joe Hart, had But there was little respite for the Swans Hanover break winless earlier saved twice from Jonjo Shelvey. and Zabaleta instead turned to a creator’s Hart might have hoped to feature after role by rushing onto a James Milner playing in the Champions League in mid- throughball and pulling back for Nasri to week but, aside from Joleon Lescott replac- tuck home after 77 minutes. run with Frankfurt win ing the injured Matija Nastasic, City fielded The former Arsenal , sensing a the side that thrashed Tottenham 6-0. hat trick, curled just wide and Fernandinho shot over in the closing moments. — AP BERLIN: Senegal striker Mame Sobiech following a previous book- Having set a new Champions Cameroon’s Eric Choupo-Moting City again raced out of the blocks with Diouf scored his first ing. League record of ten consecutive slotted home a penalty. goal since August as Hanover broke The defeat leaves Frankfurt 15th victories with their 3-1 win at CSKA Mainz were reduced to 10 men their seven-match winless streak and just above the relegation Moscow on Wednesday, Bayern when Colombia’s Elkin Soto was Inter, Roma held as Juve with a 2-0 victory over ten-man places having also posted their last again cruised to victory in . sent off for stopping the ball going Eintracht Frankfurt yesterday. Bundesliga win in September. Even with hamstring-victim Philipp into the net with his hand and sight chance to pull clear Diouf helped ease the pressure Borussia Moenchengladbach Lahm, plus France’s Franck Ribery Poland striker Robert Lewandowski on Hanover coach Mirko Slomka picked up their fifth consecutive and Germany star Bastian fired home the 79th-minute penal- MILAN: and Roma were forced fired home a last minute equaliser. when he headed home on 24 min- win at home with a 1-0 victory over Schweinsteiger on the walking ty. to settle for a share of the spoils with Roma had been denied a late claim for a utes for the opening goal, his third Freiburg, which kept their visitors wounded list, Bayern had too much Lewandowski then made sure of respective draws against Sampdoria and penalty when the ball appeared to come of an injury-hit season. firmly in the bottom three, as fire-power for Braunschweig. the points with his second penalty Atalanta, meaning leaders Juventus could off Michele Canini’s arm and Garcia told Hungary midfielder Szabolcs Brazilian midfielder Raffael scored Borussia Dortmund picked up when he converted the 94th- pull clear of the pack later. Mediaset: “It’s better I don’t talk about it but Huszti then swung in a superb free- the 63rd-minute winner to leave their first win in three league minute spot kick after left-back Erik Inter looked to have secured their sev- everyone saw it.” kick on 68 minutes for his sixth goal Gladbach fourth. games with a hard-fought 3-1 suc- Durm was up-ended. Bayer enth win of the season after Fredy Guarin The Frenchman added: “If we had of the season as Hanover picked up On Saturday, Bayern Munich cess at ten-man Mainz 05 to stay Leverkusen bounced back from had given the Nerazzurri an 18th minute played the whole match as we did in the their first win since September to extended their unbeaten third and seven points behind their 5-0 drubbing at home to lead at the San Siro. However Sampdoria, final half hour, we wouldn’t need to rely on go ninth. Frankfurt were reduced to Bundesliga record to 39 games Bayern. Dortmund took the lead on Manchester United in the now under the helm of former midfielder wrong decisions from the referee.” ten men for the final half hour with a workmanlike 2-0 home win 70 minutes when Gabon’s Pierre- Champions League on Wednesday- Sinisa Mihajlovic, came fighting back and Roma’s latest slip has paved the way for when midfielder Martin Lanig was over bottom side Eintracht Emerick Aubameyang fired home a their worst home result in Europe- stunned the hosts when Brazilian midfield- Juventus to pull three points ahead and sent off for a harsh second yellow Braunschweig with Arjen Robben superb free-kick, but the lead last- with a 3-0 win at home to er Renan beat Samir Handanovic with a given third-placed Napoli, who are away to card after a tackle on Poland’s Artur scoring both goals. ed just four minutes before shot from distance. Lazio on Monday, the chance to close the Nuremberg to stay second. Inter’s sixth draw of the campaign and gap on Roma to three points. South Korea striker Son Heung- second in a row left Walter Mazzarri’s men Earlier, Mario Balotelli scored his first Min netted twice while Germany’s in fourth, just three points ahead of league goal in over two months as strug- Stefan Kiessling hit their second Fiorentina, who host Verona on Monday, gling Serie A giants AC Milan secured a pre- after a superb back-heel from mid- and in danger of trailing Juventus by 10 cious 3-1 win away to 10-man Catania. “It’s fielder Jens Hegeler. points if the champions beat Udinese in a great victory for us and has given us con- Schalke, who have lost left-back yesterday’s late game. fidence, we’re coming off the back of four Dennis Aogo for the rest of the sea- “It’s the worst game I’ve seen us play positive results, one in the Champions son with a knee injury, moved up to since I’ve been in charge,” blasted Mazzarri League and three in the league,” said Milan fifth with a 3-0 win at home to VfB in comments to Sky Sport Italia. “After tak- coach , whose side Stuttgart. ing the lead we had several chances to put moved up to ninth. Peru winger Jefferson Farfan it beyond reach. But Sampdoria gave it Catania, who were reduced to 10 men scored twice, including a penalty everything and were better than us. I didn’t just after the hour when Panagiotis early in the second-half, before US like what I saw from Inter.” Tachtsidis saw red for a foul on Balotelli, midfielder Jermaine Jones added a Early season pacesetters Roma had the started brightly and took the lead on 13 late third. Mid-table Werder Bremen chance to regain top spot but instead Rudi minutes when a shot by Lucas Castro Garcia’s men were made to work for what deflected off Antonio Nocerino and wrong- warmed up for next Saturday’s visit was their fourth consecutive draw. footed Gabriel in the Milan net. of Bayern with a point at Atalanta broke the deadlock when Captain Riccardo Montolivo levelled for Hoffenheim in an eight-goal thriller Roma goalkeeper fum- the visitors shortly after with a splendid as sub Philipp Bargfrede-with the bled Davide Brivio’s freekick to gift the first-time strike from a cross deep on the Bremen squad number 44 — Bergamo side a 51st minute lead. Roma left. Balotelli, who scored for Milan in a equalised in the 91st-minute to recently set a new Serie A record of 10 resounding 3-0 Champions League win make it 4-4. opening wins but had drawn their last away to Celtic in midweek, finally ended his Augsburg-who face holders three outings, including a disappointing Serie A goal drought when he beat Bayern on Wednesday in the third scoreless affair at home to struggling Mariano Andujar with a freekick on 63 min- round of the German Cup-played Cagliari last week. utes. It was his first league goal since a late out a goalless draw in the capital After Atalanta keeper consolation in a 2-1 defeat at home to against Hertha Berlin. bOn Friday, denied both Alessandro Florenzi and Napoli on September 22. Hamburg continued their revival Gervinho from close range in the final 10 Kaka secured the points when he beat HANNOVER: Hanover’s Marcelo-Guedes, right, challenges for the ball with Frankfurt’s Vaclav Kadlec, left, under ex-Holland boss Bert van minutes, Roma grabbed a welcome point Andujar with a fine individual effort nine during a German Bundesliga soccer match between and Eintracht Frankfurt, in Hannover, Marwijk with a 1-1 draw at fifth- when Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman minutes from the final whistle. — AFP Germany, yesterday. — AP placed VfL Wolfsburg. —AFP