27 Sports Tuesday, April 2, 2019 Karim Benzema saves Real Madrid blushes with late Huesca winner Valencia scrap their way to crucial win over Sevilla MADRID: Karim Benzema stopped Real Madrid’s Ezequiel Avila low cross. underwhelming La Liga season going from bad to Isco levelled the scores in the 25th minute when he worse on Sunday after firing a last-minute winner to tapped home a Brahim Diaz cross after Benzema’s low hand the European champions a barely-deserved 3-2 shot was well saved, but it was the away side-playing winner over bottom club Huesca. their first ever La Liga game at the Madrid’s Santiago Humbled by Ajax in the Champions League and Bernabeu stadium-who went closer going into the dumped out of the Copa Del Rey by deadly rivals break ahead. Barca, third-placed Real showed little signs of improve- Zidane junior had to be alert to stop Damian Musto ment in Zinedine Zidane’s second game in charge but from glancing home a header nine minutes before the Benzema, subject to rumours he may leave Madrid in break, while Avila punched the ground in frustration in the summer for Manchester United, struck with a fine first half stoppage time after flashing a power shot over curling finish the to snatch the three points at a sparsely from the edge of the box. populated Santiago Bernabeu. “We are happy with him and I am going to count on HEARTBROKEN HUESCA him, now there are nine games left and then we will see Real continued to disappoint in the second half but what happens. He is a Real Madrid player and I don’t took the lead just after the hour mark thanks to Dani think this will change,” Zidane said. Ceballos, who bundled home the second after Gareth “You have to accept it. If the people want to come to Bale’s beautiful cross was headed back across goal by the Bernabeu to see us so much the better, but I under- Benzema. stand that since we are not going to win anything fewer Bale then missed a glorious opportunity to put the people come.” Real move to within two points of sec- game beyond Huesca when he somehow put Alvaro ond-placed Atletico Madrid, who hammered Odriozola’s low cross over the bar from just yards out. Champions League hopefuls Alaves 4-0 on Saturday in Huesca pounced on that awful miss to draw level when a match that saw Diego Costa score for the first time Xabier Etxeita powered home Moi Gomez’s cross from since November. a short corner. However Real still lag 12 points behind leaders However Benzema was on hand to break Huesca hearts with his 14th league goal of the season, which Barcelona, who are 10 clear of Atletico and heavy MADRID: Real Madrid’s French forward Karim Benzema (C) challenges SD Huesca’s Venezuelan midfielder gives Zidane two wins from his first two matches back favourites to retain their La Liga after Lionel Messi Yangel Herrera (R) and SD Huesca’s Argentinian defender Martin Mantovani (L) during the Spanish League in charge. fired them to their sixth league win on the bounce, 2-0 football match between Real Madrid CF and SD Huesca at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. — AFP at home to local rivals Espanyol on Saturday, with a Earlier Valencia maintained their hopes of a place in brace that took the Argentine to 31 league goals this next season’s Champions League after Daniel Parejo’s season. penalty on the stroke of half-time gave them a vital 1-0 three back from the final Champions League spot. list Marcelino’s Valencia however have an all- Zidane’s son Luca was given his second ever start victory at Sevilla. Parejo’s spot-kick, which came after That place is occupied by Getafe, who fell 2-0 at Spanish Europa League quarter-final tie with between the sticks for Real but got off to the worst Ever Banega brought down Jose Gaya, extended home to mid-table Leganes on Saturday and have to Villarreal to contend with, as well as the Copa Del possible start, picking the ball out of his own net within Valencia’s unbeaten run to nine matches and moves play the league’s top three and Sevilla in their final Rey final against Barcelona between now and the three minutes after Cucho Hernandez lashed home them up to sixth, level on 43 points with Sevilla and just nine games. Despite a slightly simpler league fixture end of the season. — AFP prospect that looked nearly impossible when Solskjaer will demand and expect from them.” Solskjaer defends took over as caretaker for the sacked Mourinho in Since Solskjaer took over the reigns at Old Trafford, December. no team-not even runaway leaders Manchester City or Matches on TV And, as he prepared to take United back to the Liverpool-has amassed more league points than (Local Timings) United tactics scene of their FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Wolves, United, although a top-four finish is still far from cer- Solskjaer was happy to launch an impassioned defence tain. United could finish as high as third or as low as ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE after Van Gaal jibe of his team’s style of football. “Louis is entitled to his sixth, with London clubs Tottenham, Chelsea and Wolverhampton FC v Man United 21:45 opinion,” he said. “Some games we’ve pressed really Arsenal competing with them for what appear to be beIN SPORTS HD 2 high, won the ball up there and dominated. two Champions League places. Watford v Fulham FC 21:45 WOLVERHAMPTON: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes “He is probably talking more about the PSG game, “Of course we want to come third,” Solskjaer beIN SPORTS Manchester United back to the scene of his worst which was a game that we had to defend really well in added. “We want to end the season on a high. We’ve result as manager when he visits Wolves today, but the circumstances and counter attack. “It’s about been the best team since just before Christmas with SPANISH LEAGUE criticism from Louis van Gaal won’t ruffle the where you win the ball. You want to defend to win the the amount of points we have got. Atletico de Madrid v Girona 20:30 Norwegian. ball to go forward. You have to win the ball then attack. “We have played most of the teams, but by the end beIN SPORTS HD 3 Van Gaal made some critical comments in an inter- “If you can attack quickly as we did today, then why of the league then we will have played everyone in my RCD Espanyol v Getafe CF 21:30 view last week in which he claimed only United’s not? As long as when you win the ball, your intention is reign and that’s maybe a truer reflection of where we beIN SPORTS HD 7 results have improved, rather than the style of play, to attack. “The foundation in any team is to play well stand.” Villarreal CF v FC Barcelona 22:30 when Solskjaer’s team are compared with the group he without the ball. If you can do that, then you’ve got a While forward Alexis Sanchez remains unavailable beIN SPORTS HD 3 inherited from Jose Mourinho. great chance. through injury and lack of match fitness, Solskjaer at It was an observation that seemed to be borne out “I’m very happy and grateful that I have inherited a least has a near full strength squad from which to ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE as United laboured to an uninspiring 2-1 win over team that has had a great education. “Most of the play- choose. Defenders Matteo Darmian and Antonio AC Milan v Udinese Calcio 20:00 Watford on Saturday, Solskjaer’s 15th victory in 20 ers here have had Mourinho, van Gaal, Moyes and Valencia are the only injury concerns for Solskjaer, beIN SPORTS HD 4 games in charge. But it was also a result that keeps Fergie. They know both sides of the game. “Of course although the pair have been unavailable for most of the Cagliari Calcio v Juventus FC 22:00 United firmly in contention for a top-four finish, a we will have to add one or two, but they know what I calendar year. — AFP beIN SPORTS HD 4 Former England AC Milan keep boss McClaren Champions League sacked by QPR hopes alive LONDON: Former England manager Steve against Udinese McClaren has been sacked by second-tier English club Queens Park Rangers, their director of football Les Ferdinand announced yesterday. MILAN: AC Milan host Udinese today in the first of a cru- The 57-year-old leaves with QPR 17th in the cial Serie A double-header before taking on title-holders Championship and just eight points above the Juventus in Turin four days later in a week which could be relegation zone. crucial for their Champions League ambitions. Gennaro Gattuso’s side have slumped to consecutive McClaren-whose post will be filled on an defeats for the first time since December 2017 with losses interim basis by his assistant John Eustace-took to Inter Milan (3-2) and Sampdoria (1-0). Milan remain over last summer and oversaw 46 matches in all fourth two points behind Inter who also fell to a 1-0 home competitions, winning 16 and losing 21. “Steve TOULOUSE: Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Kylian Mbappe (C) shoots the ball in front of Toulouse’s defeat against Lazio at the weekend, with Roma dropping has worked incredibly hard during his time with Japonese defender Gen Shoji during the French L1 football match between Toulouse FC (TFC) and Paris Saint- out of the European places with a 4-1 defeat to Napoli.