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27 Sports Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Benzema salvages draw at Valencia with Clasico looming Real miss chance to replace Barcelona at top of La Liga MADRID: Real Madrid missed the chance to replace would be looking ahead to the Clasico prematurely Barcelona at the top of La Liga ahead of tomorrow’s and while the draw against Valencia may mean an Clasico but salvaged a 1-1 draw against Valencia as opportunity was missed, their late show still sends Karim Benzema scored a dramatic injury-time equalis- them to Camp Nou with a spring in their step. er on Sunday. “The team keeps up the unbeaten run and the boost Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois ventured up to the mood from today is fantastic,” said defender for a final corner at Mestalla and it was his header that Dani Carvajal. “Now we have to win at Camp Nou to caused panic in the Valencia box, before the ball fell go into the break at the top.” Benzema, in particular, perfectly for Benzema to strike in the 95th minute. will be a key threat. The Frenchman had Courtois to “Opponents can get a little nervous if I go up,” said thank for his latest effort but he now has 15 goals Courtois. “Toni (Kroos) hit the corner to the near post already this season and nine in his last eight games. and I just saw the ball was at my height and I caught it Zidane left Casemiro on the bench, with the well.” Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said: “He decided Brazilian one yellow card away from a suspension. to go up and that shows we want more, than we never Gareth Bale also started as a substitute but came on in give up. The draw is a reward for the effort we made, the second half, putting him in contention for a start in which was a lot. This is Real Madrid, a team that never midweek. gives up.” Madrid had the better of the early stages as Valencia looked set for an impressive victory after Benzema rose to meet Nacho Fernandez’s cross but Carlos Soler had put them ahead in the second half but headed wide before Rodrygo peeled free at the back both sides had to settle for a point at the end of a com- post but nodded into the hands of Jasper Cillessen. pelling contest between two of the league’s form Valencia grew in confidence as the half wore on, teams. It means Barcelona remain top of the table but with Ferran Torres testing Courtois and then almost in front of Madrid only on goal difference, after they racing clear after a slip by Sergio Ramos, only for were also held to a 2-2 draw away at Real Sociedad on Courtois to intercept just in time. Saturday. Madrid were celebrating at the final whistle The contest remained in the balance early in the but the result completes a strong week for Valencia, second period as Madrid shaded possession but who won away at Ajax on Tuesday to go through as Valencia looked dangerous on the break. VALENCIA: Real Madrid’s Croatian midfielder Luka Modric (R) vies with Valencia’s Spanish defender Jose Luis group winners to the Champions League last 16. Both teams fancied a winner as Celades brought on Gaya Pena during the Spanish League football match between Valencia CF and Real Madrid, at the Mestalla stadi- They stay eighth, now three points adrift of the top another forward in Manu Vallejo while Zidane threw on um in Valencia. — AFP four. Real Madrid have been on a good run too, now 10 Bale and Vinicius Junior for Rodrygo and Isco with just matches unbeaten to crank up the pressure on Barca over 20 minutes left. evade the stretching leg of Raphael Varane and find game, Courtois marauded up for a corner and it was and leave behind their early-season stumbles that had Valencia thought they had snatched it as Nacho was Soler, who smashed in. But Madrid poured forward his head that first met Toni Kroos’ cross. Cillessen put Zidane’s future in doubt. beaten in the air and Daniel Wass skipped free down late on. Luka Jovic, on as a substitute, poked in but palmed away but Valencia failed to clear and in the Zidane had said on Saturday nobody at the club the right. His pull-back was just angled enough to was ruled out for offside. Then in the last play of the scramble, Benzema struck. — AFP ments, but the English Premier League club’s 3-0 home Xinjiang.” Earlier, a Global Times editorial slammed China says Ozil defeat to Manchester City on Sunday was pulled from what it called a “clownish performance” from Ozil, 31, Chinese TV by state broadcaster CCTV. describing him as “confused” and “reckless” and saying The furore, which has potentially damaging reper- he had abused his position as a public figure. ‘deceived by cussions for Arsenal and the Premier League in the “Ozil’s move has ruined his image among Chinese Mbappe helps lucrative Chinese market, follows the opprobrium fans and will have serious implications for Arsenal,” fake news’ heaped on the NBA in October after Houston Rockets warned the state newspaper. But some Weibo users PSG to extend general manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for expressed delight at the team’s heavy defeat to City, Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters. which left the London club ninth in the Premier League. SHANGHAI: China accused Mesut Ozil yesterday of “I don’t know if Mr. Ozil has been to Xinjiang himself. Leading streaming service PPTV also appeared to Ligue 1 lead being “deceived by fake news” and said he should visit But it seems he has been deceived by fake news, and have cancelled its screening of the match in China. “I’m Xinjiang to see for himself after the Arsenal footballer that his judgment was influenced by untruthful remarks,” an Arsenal fan and today I cheered for City’s victory,” PARIS: Kylian Mbappe helped Paris Saint-Germain decried the treatment of the region’s Uighur minority. foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. “If Mr. posted one user. “Manchester City is a good friend of extend their Ligue 1 lead on Sunday with a brace in a Ozil, a German national of Turkish origin, condemned Ozil has the opportunity, we will be pleased to see him the Chinese people,” added another. comfortable 4-0 win over 10-man Saint-Etienne, China’s crackdown on Muslim minorities in the western going to Xinjiang and having a look,” Geng said. “As Ozil played only an hour of the City defeat before while Memphis Depay’s cruciate ligament tear looks region in a tweet Friday and criticised Muslim countries long as he has common sense, can make a clear distinc- being substituted. His slow walk to the touchline before to have ruled him out of Euro 2020. France forward for failing to speak up about the alleged abuses. tion between right and wrong, and upholds the princi- booting away his gloves in frustration drew the wrath of Mbappe took his league tally to nine in 11 appear- Arsenal have distanced themselves from his com- ples of objectivity and fairness, he will see a different some disgruntled Arsenal fans. — AFP ances as his side took advantage of second-placed Marseille only drawing at Metz on Saturday to move seven points clear and tighten their grip on the French championship, which they have won six out of Three things we the last seven seasons. “We have played three matches with a good men- tality and lots of quality,” said coach Thomas Tuchel. learned from “We played with the ball with intensity and serious- ness. We created lots of chances and never stopped Premier League working defensively ... I’m happy.” Leandro Paredes set the ball rolling in the 10th minute with a deflected strike and once Jean Eudes LONDON: Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier Aholou was sent off in the 25th minute for a dreadful League is up to 10 points as Jurgen Klopp’s men ground late tackle on the Argentine PSG could stroll their out a 2-0 win over Watford despite being far from their way to three points. best, while Leicester’s chase finally faltered in a 1-1 draw Mbappe then ended any question of a Saint- with Norwich. Manchester City looked more like their old Etienne comeback a minute before the break when he selves with Kevin De Bruyne scoring twice in a 3-0 win at swiftly collected Neymar’s brilliant through ball Arsenal, but the damage to their title bid already looks before sweeping his finish past Stephane Ruffier. done as they remain 14 points behind the runaway leaders. Brazilian Neymar then missed the chance to make AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the it three from the penalty spot just after the hour Premier League weekend: mark, his spot-kick clipping the outside of the post, before Mauro Icardi made it 13 goals in all competi- ARSENAL GOING NOWHERE tions this season with a tap-in 11 minutes later. Arsenal hoped to replicate the bounce created by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s appointment at Manchester United a Mbappe put the cherry on the cake in the final year ago by putting a legendary former player in tempo- minute as the home fans let off a cascade of fireworks rary charge, but Freddie Ljungberg’s first five games have in the stands to celebrate the birthday of one of their reaped just one win with no noticeable upturn since Unai TURIN: Juventus’ Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) challenges Udinese’s Argentinian forward Rodrigo de hardcore supporter groups.

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