Established 1961 15 Sports Tuesday, January 16, 2018 Suarez fires Barcelona nine clear in Sociedad fightback

Messi overtakes Gerd Muller with 366th La Liga strike

MADRID: Luis Suarez stole the show with a brace and an Juanmi burst through the away side’s distracted back- assist as Barcelona fought back from two goals down to line to meet Sergio Canales’ excellent through ball, and the win 4-2 at Real Sociedad on Sunday and restore their Spaniard saw his shot deflected off Sergi Roberto and nine-point lead at the top of La Liga. creep inside Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s near post. Suarez struck in the 50th and 71st minutes, his first a Suarez burst into life as the first half came to a close delightful chip from just inside the area, after laying on and gave the Catalans hope with a fine low cross that Paulinho six minutes before the break to start the come- Paulinho just had to guide home to pull a goal back. The back from first-half goals from Sociedad’s Willian Jose and Uruguayan then scored a sensational equaliser in the 50th Juanmi. minute, striding towards Messi’s pass and clipping a loop- A stunning Lionel Messi free-kick five minutes from ing shot over Sociedad stopper Geronimo Rulli, before time completed the comeback, which puts Ernesto putting his side into the lead 21 minutes later. Valverde’s side on 51 points, well ahead of second-placed Rulli’s long clearance was fired back with a powerful Atletico Madrid, 1-0 win- shot by Thomas ners at Eibar on Saturday. Vermaelen that found The win also moves Suarez clean through on Barca a full 19 points in and ready to crash home front of arch-rivals Real Barca’s third. Messi’s free- Madrid, who are languish- Arch-rivals kick, a dipping curler that ing in fourth and closer on any goalkeeper would points to the relegation Real Madrid in have struggled to save, zone than leaders Barca was the icing on the cake after Saturday’s 1-0 home fourth place for Barca and the defeat by Villarreal. Argentine, who overtook Real’s embarrassment Gerd Muller to become allowed third-placed the top scorer in the his- Valencia to move eight tory of Europe’s top five points clear of Zinedine Zidane’s side with a 2-1 win at leagues with his 366th La Liga strike. third-from-bottom Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, Real coach Zidane was given some respite from the which came thanks to goals from Goncalo Guedes and fierce criticism he received following Villarreal’s first ever Rodrigo. win at the Bernabeu, as Sevilla missed the chance to draw SAN SEBASTIAN: Barcelona’s Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (R) celebrates his second goal with Barcelona’s Barca came into Sunday’s clash having not won at level on points in the race for Champions League qualifi- Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (2R) and Barcelona’s Spanish defender Gerard Pique during the Spanish Sociedad since 2007 and with 34 minutes gone it looked cation when they lost 1-0 at lowly Alaves on Sunday. league football match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian. — AFP like the hex was going to continue. Manu Garcia’s 52nd-minute strike pulled Alaves out of Jose gave the hosts a shock lead after just 11 minutes the relegation zone and left Sevilla sixth on 29 points, when he headed home Xabi Prieto’s superb cross, and a three behind fourth-placed Real. The defeat for Sevilla losses since replacing cancer-stricken Eduardo Berizzo, Sunday’s other game, with Inaki Williams equalising for the shambolic looking Barca were deservedly two down 23 extends Vincenzo Montella’s losing start in La Liga, with following last week’s 5-3 home Seville derby loss to Betis. Basques six minutes after Gerard Moreno’s 29th-minute minutes later. the Italian guiding his new club to two straight league Espanyol played out a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao in opener. — AFP

best team in the country. Man United tipped But he admitted the forward would walk into United’s team while he would not necessarily be an automatic choice in City’s star-studded line-up. to beat City to Runaway leaders City boast an daz- Trailblazing black zling array of attacking talent with the likes of Kevin De Sanchez signing Bruyne, Leroy Sane, David Silva, , Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero vying for places. England player Sanchez would certainly feature for City, who lost LONDON: Manchester United appeared to be closing their unbeaten Premier League record at Anfield on Regis dies, aged 59 in on Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez yesterday, leading Sunday, as they chase silverware on four fronts but he the chase to sign the Chile international ahead of long- would struggle to pin down a permanent starting berth LONDON: Former West Bromwich Albion and time suitors and local rivals Manchester City. at the Etihad. Coventry forward Cyrille Regis, who blazed a trail If the transfer goes ahead it would be the second for black footballers in the English game has died at blockbuster move of the January transfer window STARTING SPOT? the age of 59, the Professional Footballers’ involving Premier League clubs following Philippe Second-placed United, who are 15 points behind Association announced yesterday. Coutinho’s big-money move from Liverpool to City, also have an impressive selection of forwards but Regis, born in French Guiana, won five caps for Barcelona. Sanchez, 29, looks to have played his last Sanchez could expect more playing time alongside England between 1982 and 1987, having been one of game for Arsenal, with manager Arsene Wenger saying Romelu Lukaku at Old Trafford, with doubts growing the stars of the Baggies team between 1977 and on Sunday that his move could be confirmed “in the over the future of Zlatan Ibrahimovic following his 1984. He scored 112 goals in 297 appearances for next 48 hours”. recent return from a long-term injury. Albion before moving on to Coventry, winning the However there is uncertainty as to whether he will Sanchez joined Arsenal from Barcelona in 2014 and FA Cup with the Sky Blues in 1987. pick the red or blue half of Manchester. Pep Guardiola’s in a stellar 2016/17 campaign scored 30 goals and Along with and Brendon City, whose move for the player collapsed at the end of made 17 assists, though his form has since dipped. His Batson, who joined West Brom in 1978, the trio of the summer transfer window, are understood to be loss would be a major blow for Arsenal, who face losing black players were nicknamed “The Three Degrees” reluctant to pay a reported fee in the region of £35 mil- another big-name player to one of the Manchester after the singing trio of the same name. lion ($48 million, 39 million euros) for a player who is clubs, with Sanchez likely to follow the path taken by Terribly sad news this morning that footballing out of contract at the end of the season. , who swapped the Emirates for Old pioneer Cyrille Regis has died aged 59,” the PFA United boss Jose Mourinho has done nothing to rule Trafford in 2012. tweeted. “A true gentleman and legend, he will be out United’s interest in Sanchez, calling him a “phenom- A number of Arsenal players have also joined City in deeply missed. Our sympathies to his family and enal player” and admitting that if there is a “fantastic recent years including Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and friends,” opportunity” to sign a top player in the January transfer Kolo Toure. Wenger left Sanchez out of his squad to Former England captain tweeted: window, the club would be interested. face Bournemouth on Sunday, where they slipped to a “What a man. What a centre-forward! One of my Former England captain Alan Shearer said the sign- damaging 2-1 defeat, leaving them eight points off the earliest football memories was walking into WBA ing would be a huge coup for United because he has top four. for a trial as a 13 year old kid, seeing Cyrille Regis been a Guardiola target for some time. “I don’t know Arsenal themselves have been linked with a £35 mil- and being in awe of him. RIP big man.” —AFP what Sanchez is thinking but my guess-and it is a lion move for Bordeaux forward Malcom but Wenger, guess-is that he will choose City,” Shearer said on the who said the club would need a replacement if Sanchez BBC website, adding that the player knows Guardiola were to leave, refused to confirm his interest in the from his time at Barcelona and would be joining the Brazilian. — AFP Alexis Sanchez

Man Utd great Giggs named Wales boss

CARDIFF: Former Manchester United great said yesterday he was “itching” to get back into football after being unveiled as the new Wales boss-his first per- manent managerial post. Giggs, who replaces Chris Coleman, revealed he had sought advice from his former United manager over the job. The former winger, 44, has been out of football for 18 months since leaving the coaching staff at Old Trafford when Jose Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal in 2016. “I’m Cyrille Regis tremendously proud and excited to be the next Wales manager and I can’t wait to get going,” Giggs said at his official unveiling in Cardiff. “It’s a great opportunity and I’m excited. “I played 64 times for my country. I’d like to think I’ll be the same kind of manager as I was a player, SOUTH WALES: Newly appointed football manager of Wales, Ryan Giggs (C), President of the Football Association with professionalism but also a little bit of fun along the Wales, David Griffiths (L) and Chief Executive of the Football Association Wales, Jonathan Ford pose for photog- Matches on TV way.” Giggs said he had picked the brains of his former raphers at the Hensol Castle hotel. — AFP boss at Old Trafford, under whom he spent almost his (Local Timings) entire career. “I’ve spoken to him over the last 24 hours and I’ll speak to him in more depth but obviously I want to Moyes was sacked, spent two seasons as Louis Van Gaal’s get us back there. “I think there’s a good balance. There’s be my own manager,” he said. “I was itching to get back assistant coach. His departure from Old Trafford ended a experienced players and good young players coming FRENCH LEAGUE into football, that’s where I belong.” long association with the club where he made a record through and I can’t wait to work with them.” Olympique Marseille v Strasbourg 21:00 Giggs’s first fixture in charge of Wales will be in the 963 appearances as a player, scoring 168 goals. Giggs Coleman spent nearly six years as Wales manager beIN SPORTS knows his status as one of Wales’s greatest players is no before leaving to take over relegation-threatened 2018 Cup against the hosts in on March 22. Girondins de Bordeaux v Caen 21:00 He had been the clear favourite for the Wales job since he guarantee he will succeed as the national team’s boss. Sunderland in November. He became the most successful declared his interest last month and the Welsh FA was “It opens doors but so many times it’s been said having manager in Welsh football history when he guided the beIN SPORTS keen to make the appointment before the UEFA Nations a good career as a player doesn’t make you a good man- country to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 — Wales’s first Monaco v OGC Nice 23:00 League draw, which takes place in Switzerland on January ager,” he said. “I’ve got a great group of players to work major tournament for 58 years-only to suffer the beIN SPORTS 24. Giggs, who was in charge of United as caretaker for with who have been so successful over the last four or five heartache of missing out on this year’s World Cup finals in four games at the end of the 2013-14 season after David years. Who can forget watching us at the Euros? I want to Russia. — AFP