27 Sports Sunday, November 4, 2018 Mertens hat-trick fires ‘deadly’ Napoli back to second in Serie A ‘I’ve never had such a large and balanced squad before’ MILAN: Dries Mertens scored a hat-trick as Napoli game against the French champions, bringing in warmed up for next week’s crucial Champions defender Kevin Malcuit and young midfielders League game against Paris Saint-Germain with a 5-1 Amadou Diawara and Marko Rog, but he stuck with thrashing of Empoli to go back to second place in the trusted forward attack of Insigne and Mertens. Serie A and put the pressure on champions Juventus. Insigne got the first after nine minutes after good “We were just deadly in attack,” said coach Carlo work by Kalidou Koulibaly with the Senegalese Ancelotti as Napoli closed the gap on Juventus to defender breaking through from his own half. Luca three points before the leaders host Cagliari today. Antonelli thought he had scored the equaliser for Lorenzo Insigne opened after nine minutes in the Empoli on 15 minutes but the goal was ruled offside. San Paolo Stadium with Belgian Mertens also scor- Insigne then intercepted a reckless Giovanni Di ing in the first half. Lorenzo back-pass to set up Mertens, who slotted in Mertens added two more after the break in the a low drive from a distance on 38 minutes. Francesco 64th minute and in stoppage time with Poland’s Caputo gave Empoli hope when he beat the offside Arkadiusz Milik also getting on the scoresheet in the trap with a diagonal shot after 58 minutes, but six last minute. It got Ancelotti’s side back winning after minutes later Mertens got his second. consecutive draws against Paris Saint-Germain (2-2) Insigne and Mertens were instrumental in Milik’s and AS Roma (1-1). fourth on 90 minutes, with Insigne then setting up But the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Mertens for his 75th Serie A goal deep into injury said he was “more angry than excited by the time, and 98th in total for Napoli. result”. “The result says that we played a great “I’ve never had such a large and balanced squad game, but Empoli played better than us. “We had before, so I can chop and change the line-up with- great difficulty until the 4-1 goal. We played well out that much difference in quality,” said Ancelotti. against Roma, but we drew, and tonight we won “But the truth is that Insigne and Mertens are a dif- with a big score. ficult pair to leave out. “I even got angry with Mertens. He was playing “There is a lot of competition, we’ll have to think as a winger and I shouted at him that if he wanted to carefully about the choices for PSG. “Mertens is in score goals, he had to go more central. “He replied spectacular form at the moment, but Milik played 10 that assists were important too. He got a hat-trick in minutes and scored a goal, so he’s doing well too.” NAPLES: Napoli’s forward Arkadiusz Milik from Poland scores during the Italian Serie A football match Napoli vs Empoli at the end and an assist too.” Empoli remain winless since the opening match of San Paolo stadium in Naples on Friday. — AFP Ancelotti rotated his squad ahead of Wednesday’s the season back in August against Cagliari. — AFP the start of a season. Spurs emerged victorious from but also try to break down a Lille side enjoying their Mbappe, Neymar their opening 11 matches in their double-winning 1960- best start to a season in 66 years. Christophe Galtier’s 61 season, a performance that had stood since as a side have been excellent in this campaign, but their Matches on TV record in Europe’s so-called big five leagues-Spain, lively attack did not give Gianluigi Buffon much to wor- (Local Timings) steer PSG to England, Italy, Germany and France. ry about on his return to the PSG line-up. The result is a boost for PSG ahead of their crucial With Edinson Cavani not involved as he struggles to Champions League trip to Italy to face Napoli next shake off a thigh injury, Mbappe and Neymar were the ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE new win record Manchester City v Southampton 18:00 Tuesday, when a defeat could leave Thomas Tuchel’s biggest threats to Lille throughout, after arriving at the beIN SPORTS HD 1 side on the brink of an early exit. stadium disguised as characters from the Netflix show Chelsea v Crystal Palace 19:00 PARIS: Kylian Mbappe and Neymar scored late goals “We deserved the result and the win record. Ligue 1 Money Heist. Neymar almost scored direct from a cor- beIN SPORTS HD 2 to give Paris Saint-Germain a 2-1 win over nearest chal- is not that easy. It is down to our hard work. We give ner five minutes before half-time, with Lille goalkeeper lengers Lille on Friday as the French champions extend- everything on the field,” skipper Thiago Silva told Canal Mike Maignan doing well to get his body in the way of SPANISH LEAGUE SD Eibar v Deportivo Alaves 14:00 ed to 12 games their perfect start to the season at the Plus. Mbappe was back in the PSG starting line-up the ball and divert it onto the woodwork. beIN SPORTS HD 3 end of a troubled day for the club. after being left on the bench against Marseille last Mbappe had a shot deflected just wide as PSG beIN SPORTS MAX 4 FR The Qatari-owned club were forced to release a weekend for arriving late for the pre-game team talk, stepped up the pressure after the break, and it was the Villarreal CF v Levante 18:15 statement shortly before kick-off to deny allegations only to come on and score the opener in a 2-0 win. 19-year-old who broke the deadlock in the 70th beIN SPORTS HD 3 made by a Football Leaks investigation that they had Marco Verratti also started, despite PSG confirming minute, beating Maignan after Neymar’s pass was kind- beIN SPORTS MAX 9 FR worked with UEFA to cover up breaches of their earlier on Friday that the Italian had been caught drink ly deflected into his path by Jose Fonte. That was his Real Sociedad v Sevilla FC 20:30 beIN SPORTS HD 3 Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. driving overnight Tuesday to Wednesday on the ring 11th goal in eight Ligue 1 games since winning the beIN SPORTS HD 2 FR However Mbappe restored smiles at the Parc des road around the French capital. World Cup with France, and Neymar then got his ninth Huesca v Getafe CF 20:30 Princes with a magnificent strike from just outside the “He told me before training on Wednesday. It was on in the league this season to seal the win. beIN SPORTS HD 1 box 20 minutes from time, and Neymar gave PSG a Tuesday night, it is not possible to do that two days The Brazilian played a one-two with Mbappe before beIN SPORTS MAX 7 FR two-goal buffer before Nicolas Pepe pulled one back before a match. It is not good what he did but it is firing home from 18 yards with six minutes left, before Real Betis v Celta de Vigo 22:45 for the away side from the penalty spot. PSG extend something for the club to sort out,” Tuchel said, adding Lille reduced the arrears in stoppage time, Pepe con- beIN SPORTS HD 3 their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to 11 points after a 12th that Verratti was “lucky” the incident did not happen verting a penalty awarded for a Thilo Kehrer handball. ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE straight league win that means they have now beaten closer to the game. Montpellier can leapfrog Lille and go second if they SS Lazio v spal 14:30 Tottenham Hotspur’s old record for consecutive wins at PSG needed to put the off-field noise behind them beat Marseille today. —AFP beIN SPORTS HD 4 beIN SPORTS HD 2 FR Parma Calcio v Frosinone Calcio 17:00 beIN SPORTS HD 8 were great-we just couldn’t work out things with the beIN SPORTS MAX 5 FR Bolt not giving contract, but hopefully I get another chance with AC Chievo Verona v Sassuolo Calcio 17:00 another team.” beIN SPORTS MAX 6 FR Brazilian duo put Bolt, who retired from athletics last year, has long UC Sampdoria v Torino FC 17:00 up hope on beIN SPORTS HD 4 dreamed of becoming a soccer player and had been beIN SPORTS MAX 4 FR Antlers in control training with the Mariners since August, sparking global Bologna FC v Atalanta 20:00 football career interest when he scored two goals in a pre-season beIN SPORTS HD 4 friendly. But the staunch Manchester United fan’s abilities beIN SPORTS MAX 7 FR in AFC Champions were questioned by pundits and some players and he has Udinese Calcio v AC Milan 22:30 now had trials with clubs in Germany, South Africa, beIN SPORTS HD 4 MELBOURNE: Superstar sprinter Usain Bolt is beIN SPORTS HD 2 FR League final adamant he can become a professional footballer Norway, and Australia to no avail. Asked if he would despite his trial with an Australian club ending, insisting keep pursuing his quest to become a footballer despite GERMAN BUNDESLIGA yesterday: “I still have it”.