Kean Scores for Juve Despite Racist Abuse
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27 Sports Thursday, April 4, 2019 United have no margin for error, admits Solskjaer ‘Now we need 15 points from our last six games’ WOLVERHAMPTON: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted possession well but then they scored with the first Manchester United have no further margin for error in chance they put the ball in the box.” their bid to secure a top-four finish after a damaging United finally caved to Wolves’ numerical superiori- 2-1 defeat against Wolves on Tuesday. ty 20 minutes later, when Raul Jimenez rose above Phil Ashley Young’s needless dismissal and Chris Jones and headed a Joao Moutinho cross goalwards. Smalling’s farcical own goal were the low points of a The awkward attempt saw Smalling and goalkeeper disappointing evening for Solskjaer’s side at Molineux. David de Gea become entangled, with the former mak- United had been set a target of 15 points from their ing the final touch as the ball rolled over the line. remaining seven games by the manager before their McTominay’s memorable first ever goal in profes- visit to Molineux. That total is now 15 points from six sional football had come after just 13 minutes. A patient matches, with games to come against both Manchester left-wing build-up ended with Jesse Lingard playing City and Chelsea at Old Trafford, a target which the ball centrally to Fred, with the Brazilian quickly Solskjaer admits leaves no room for mistakes. moving it sideways to Scotland international “I’m as confident as I was three hours ago,” joked McTominay. Solskjaer after the defeat. “I said we need 15 points The 22-year-old unleashed a brilliant, right-foot fin- from our last seven games and now we need 15 from ish from 25 yards that beat the diving Rui Patricio and our last six. “It’s difficult but then again, we’re a very nestled in the far left-hand corner. It might have been good team and it’s going to be difficult for anybody an even healthier position with Romelu Lukaku having who plays against us. already headed a good chance directly at Patricio and “This was a tough game but a performance that Lingard doing likewise from Lukaku’s chip forward. deserved a win.” Scott McTominay’s first goal for But, as Wolves finally began to take control of United was equalised by Diogo Jota before the inter- midfield, United struggled to cope; first when an val, but the game’s turning point proved to be a sec- unfortunate rebound off Diogo Dalot allowed Willy ond yellow card collected by Young with just 57 min- Boly to play through Jimenez who hurried a 24th- utes gone. minute shot wide. Young was booked twice in the space of five min- Just seconds later, United were not so lucky after a utes for fouls on Jota, the second a particularly poor clearance from De Gea, and even worse control unpleasant high challenge. “When you’re on a yellow by Fred, saw him lose the ball to Moutinho with you’re always in danger of it being a yellow card Jimenez pouncing on it and playing in Jota. The again,” said Solskjaer. Portuguese forward did not need a second invitation to WOLVERHAMPTON: Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Portuguese midfielder Diogo Jota (front) is brought down by “Probably it was a bad decision by Ashley but in the advance and calmly beat De Gea for the equaliser. As Manchester United’s English defender Ashley Young (back) to earn his first yellow card during the English heat of the moment he reached for the ball and was a Wolves fans, warming up for Sunday’s FA Cup semi- Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at the Molineux little bit too high, it made it more difficult. “We didn’t final with Watford, celebrated, De Gea had to save to stadium in Wolverhampton. — AFP get the pressure built that we expected, so we kept prevent Smalling scoring a second own goal. — AFP Kiko Femenia all netted for Javi Gracia’s men in the next five games, we will crack on.” Dismal Fulham space of 12 minutes. “Obviously bitterly disappointed, Fulham have lost all five matches under caretaker devastated for the football club and fans,” Parker said. manager Parker, but they were already destined for rel- Matches on TV “We always knew it was a tough ask. It’s the way we egation long before he took over as the club’s third (Local Timings) condemned to lost the game which was most disappointing for me. boss this term. “The five or 10-minute spell from 2-1 onwards, that Slavisa Jokanovic was sacked in November as SPANISH LEAGUE was our season in a snapshot. “We played some nice Fulham owner Shahid Khan tried to lift his team out of Premier League Sevilla FC v Deportivo Alaves 20:30 bits at times, but at the end of the day you are where their wretched run. But his replacement Claudio Ranieri you are.” On Saturday, bottom-of-the-table fared even worse and was axed in February after beIN SPORTS HD 3 relegation Huddersfield became only the second team after Derby Fulham fans turned on the Italian following seven CD Leganes v Real Valladolid 21:30 in 2008 to be relegated from the Premier League in defeats in eight league games. beIN SPORTS HD 1 March with six games left. It was fitting that Fulham’s futile stay in the Premier Real Sociedad v Real Betis 22:30 LONDON: Fulham were relegated from the Premier Three days later, Fulham followed Huddersfield League ended on the road as they have been historical- beIN SPORTS HD 3 League as a 4-1 thrashing against Watford on Tuesday through the trapdoor in what ranks as the third earliest ly bad in away fixtures. They have lost their last seven brought a fitting end to their turbulent one-season stay relegation in the Premier League era. consecutive away matches and have not won away in ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE in the top flight. the league for almost a year, with their tally of just two Scott Parker’s side had to avoid defeat at Vicarage ‘SERIOUS ISSUES’ points away from home this season the lowest in the US Sassuolo Calcio v AC Chievo Verona 20:00 Road to stave off their inevitable demise for a few more Despite a close-season investment of over £100 mil- top four tiers of English football. beIN SPORTS HD 4 days. But second-bottom Fulham, 16 points from safety lion ($131 million) on new signings-the most ever spent Fulham have also conceded at least twice in 13 con- Atalanta v Bologna FC 22:00 with five games remaining, slumped to a ninth succes- by a promoted Premier League club-the Cottagers secutive league games, both home and away. beIN SPORTS HD 4 sive loss that confirmed their relegation to the went down with a whimper. In contrast, Watford’s victory was the ideal prepara- Championship. “When a club gets relegated you know there are tion for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Wolves at Abdoulaye Doucoure put Watford ahead in the 23rd some serious issues. I have ideas, but it’s not the time to Wembley. Watford’s 13th league win this season is their minute before Ryan Babel’s equaliser 10 minutes later broadcast it,” Parker said. “The team owe it to the foot- most in a top-flight campaign since 1986-87. The briefly gave Fulham hope. Fulham’s fate was sealed in ball club and fans to go out in the last five games and Hornets have also eclipsed their Premier League club the second half when Will Hughes, Troy Deeney and give something back, although it’ll be very little. The record of 45 points, set in 2015-16. — AFP Controversial Kean scores for Champions League Juve despite revamp summit set racist abuse for May: Sources LAUSANNE: A meeting in which UEFA and MILAN: Rising Italy star Moise Kean was targeted by Europe’s football leagues are expected to discuss racist abuse after he scored for Juventus on Tuesday- controversial reforms to the Champions League but teammate Leonardo Bonucci blamed him for incit- will be held on May 8, multiple sources told AFP ing the crowd at Cagliari. Goals from 19-year-old Kean yesterday. and Bonucci gave Juve a 2-0 victory over Cagliari that The meeting will bring together UEFA took them closer to an eighth consecutive Serie A title. President Aleksander Ceferin and his counterpart Kean slotted in his fourth goal in as many league from the European Leagues organisation Lars- games in the 85th minute after Bonucci nodded in the Christer Olsson. They will meet either at UEFA opener on 22 minutes in Sardinia. The youngster’s cele- headquarters in Nyon or in Geneva to discuss a bration after scoring, however, infuriated the home range of radical changes to the continent’s top crowd who had jeered the teenager throughout after he football competition from 2024, the sources said. was booked for diving in the first half. One source told AFP that “the aim is to discuss Kean, along with his French teammate Blaise Matuidi Champions League reforms developed by the and Brazilian Alex Sandro, were targeted by monkey European Clubs Association (ECA)”. Those noises throughout the match, but they increased in reforms reportedly include the introduction of intensity after the second goal. The Juventus teenager weekend fixtures, four groups of eight instead of celebrated with his hands outstretched in front of the the current eight groups of four, and a tiered sys- Cagliari fans after scoring, but Bonucci claimed that tem with relegation and promotion that would see Kean should not have provoked the home supporters CAGLIARI: Juventus’ Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo (C-L) comforts Juventus’ Italian forward Moise Kean the top six teams of each group automatically and said his teammate was partly to blame.