MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014 SPORTS Atletico hit Sociedad for four, go top of League

MADRID: Atletico Madrid moved to the top of La Liga outright for the first time since their double winning season in 1996 with a 4-0 win over Real Sociedad yesterday. On an emotional evening at the Vicente Calderon, former players and fans paid their tributes to for- mer Spain and Atletico player and coach Luis Aragones, who died on Saturday, before the match. Fittingly it was David Villa, the competition’s top scorer when Aragones led Spain to the European Championships in 2008, who opened the scoring as he swept home Diego Costa’s low BERGAMO: Napoli’s Swiss midfielder Gokhan Inler (right) vies for the ball cross. with Atalanta’s Argentinian midfielder Maximiliano Moralez during the Costa himself doubled Atletico’s Serie A football match. —AFP advantage with a composed finish before Miranda headed home the Atalanta see off lifeless Napoli third. And Diego Ribas rounded off a fine evening for Atletico as he MILAN: Argentinian striker German Denis choices, instead pointing the finger at marked his debut after returning to punished Napoli with a brace in an impres- “three individual errors”. “We wanted to win the club on loan from Wolfsburg sive 3-0 home win for Atalanta which fur- this game with fresh players, but one error with a thumping finish three min- ther dented the scudetto hopes of Rafael followed another-that’s why we lost 3-0,” utes from the end. Benitez’s reshuffled side yesterday. Three the Spaniard added to Sky Sport Italia. “In Following Barcelona’s shock days ahead of their Italian Cup semi-final short, we gifted them three goals.” Roma, in home defeat to Valencia on first leg away to Roma, Benitez chose to second place at six points behind Juve and Saturday, Atletico now lead the MADRID: Atletico Madrid’s Brazilian forward Diego da Silva Costa vies with Real Sociedad’s rest Gonzalo Higuain, Marek Hamsik and six ahead of Napoli, hosted Parma but their Catalans by three points, but Real defender Inigo Martinez Berridi during the Spanish League football match. —AFP Jorginho despite the prospect of a tricky encounter was rained off after just eight Madrid can move to within a point ed just two minutes later after The home fans then gave Diego two minutes later as Miranda rose encounter in rain-hit Bergamo. minutes after players complained of the of the leaders should they beat pulling up with a muscular injury. a heroes welcome as he replaced highest to power home Koke’s cor- Napoli had won only two of their last 10 impossible playing conditions. Athletic Bilbao later yesterday. Sociedad enjoyed the majority Jose Sosa. Costa made sure of the ner. And Diego rounded off the encounters away to Atalanta and after a Elsewhere, Sergio Almiron scored a late After a quiet start, overshad- of possession after the break as three points 18 minutes from time scoring when he showed great stale first half were playing catch-up when equaliser for basement side Catania in a owed by the respects paid to Atletico decided to sit on their when he coolly slotted Raul poise inside the Sociedad box Denis beat Pepe Reina from distance with a pulsating game as they fought back to lev- Aragones, Villa thought he had lead, but the Basque side failed to Garcia’s through ball into the far before blasting high into the roof bouncing drive tow minutes after the el 3-3 with fellow strugglers Livorno. opened the scoring 14 minutes in, seriously test Courtois. corner. Atletico struck again just of the net. —AFP restart. Sensing the danger, Benitez sent Antonio Candreva and Keita Balde but he was rightly flagged for off- Higuain on in place of Esteban Zapata on scored one apiece for Lazio in a precious 2- side. the hour, but barely five minutes later 0 win away to Chievo which leaves the Sociedad were unlucky not to Spanish League results/standings Atalanta doubled their advantage. Verona-based side hovering dangerously have a penalty moments later Denis pounced on Gokhan Inler’s poor above the relegation zone. when Miranda was adjudged to Elche 1 (Herrera 58) Almeria 0; Real Betis 2 (Ruben Castro 71, 88) Espanyol 0; Atletico Madrid 4 (Villa 38, Diego have brought down Antoine clearance and after controlling beat Reina Lazio lost one of their prized players on Costa 72, Miranda 74, Diego 87) Real Sociedad 0 with a precise finish from just inside the Friday when Brazilian international mid- Griezmann inches outside the area. fielder Hernanes signed for rivals Inter on a area by referee Javier Estrada Spanish League after yesterday’s two early matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Atalanta virtually wrapped up the points four-and-a-half year deal. Fernandez. Atletico 22 18 3 1 56 14 57 Celta Vigo 22 7 4 11 29 35 25 on 70 minutes when Maxi Moralez ran on But Lazio coach Edy Reja said: “There’s David Zuruztuza then stung the to Denis’s header to beat Reina from close no point reflecting on that. We have to look palms of Atleti keeper Thibaut Barcelona 22 17 3 2 59 16 54 Getafe 22 7 4 11 22 34 25 range with an angled strike. ahead and hope the younger players we Courtois, whilst at the other end Real Madrid21 17 2 2 60 21 53 Malaga 22 6 6 10 22 29 24 Benitez immediately replaced Blerim have step up to the plate. Costa blazed wildly over when Bilbao 21 13 3 5 41 27 42 Granada 22 7 3 12 20 29 24 Dzemaili with Jorginho then handed new “I have a side that, if they work hard, can well-positioned 20 yards out. Villarreal 21 11 4 6 39 22 37 Elche 22 6 6 10 20 32 24 signing Faouzi Ghoulam his debut when hope for a promising finish,” this season. The hosts went in front seven Sociedad 22 10 6 6 42 34 36 Osasuna 21 6 4 11 18 34 22 the Algerian replaced defender Anthony City rivals Verona, meanwhile, moved back minutes before the break when Sevilla 22 8 7 7 41 37 31 Almeria 22 6 4 12 22 41 22 Reveillere six minutes later. up among the Europa League places to Villa finished off a fine team move Valencia 22 8 4 10 31 35 28 Valladolid 22 4 8 10 24 37 20 But the late changes did little to spark a fifth after a 2-1 win away to relegation can- for his 12th goal of the season. Levante 22 7 7 8 22 30 28 Vallecano 22 5 2 15 21 51 17 Napoli side which, having drawn with didates Sassuolo. Villa’s joy didn’t last long, Espanyol 22 7 5 10 25 29 26 Real Betis 22 3 5 14 20 47 14 Bologna and Chievo in their last two league Verona were handed a boost when though, as he had to be substitut- encounters, ultimately lacked punch and Sassuolo defender Thomas Manfredini imagination. turned into his own net on 50 minutes and Napoli’s first defeat since November has striker Luca Toni doubled the visitors’ lead left them in third place but they will see two minutes from time. Bayern rout Frankfurt their 12-point deficit to leaders Juventus Sassuolo scored a late consolation when grow to 15 points if the champions account Antonio Floro Flores headed past Rafael in BERLIN: leaders Bayern for Inter in Turin in Sunday’s late game. the Verona net although his injury-time Munich maintained their 13-point Benitez refused to blame his tactical goal was clearly offside. —AFP lead with a 5-0 home romp against to extend their record 44-match unbeaten run yes- Italian League A results/standings terday. Bayern ran riot against strugglers Atalanta 3 (Denis 47, 64, Moralez 70) Napoli 0; Played Saturday Frankfurt with Mario Goetze, Franck Catania 3 (Bergessio 61, Barrientos 75, Almiron Bologna 0 Udinese 2 (Di Natale 15-pen, Lopez Ribery, Arjen Robben and centre- 88) Livorno 3 (Emeghara 50, 77, Paulinho 72-pen); 90+2); Cagliari 1 (Pinilla 39-pen) Fiorentina 0; AC back Dante all getting on the score- Chievo 0 Lazio 2 (Candreva 6, Keita 70); Roma v Milan 1 (Rami 49) Torino 1 (Immobile 17). sheet at Munich’s Allianz Arena. Spain’s Thiago Alcantara set a Parma - postponed due to rain; Sassuolo 1 (Floro Playing today Flores 90+2) Verona 2 (Manfredini 50-og, Toni 86). new Bundesliga record with 185 Genoa v Sampdoria ball contacts as Bayern’s midfield Italian Serie A table ahead of yesterday’s late game (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals dominated. “They showed from the against, points): start who was the boss,” enthused Juventus 21 18 2 1 51 15 56 Genoa 21 7 6 8 23 27 26 ex-Bayern president Franz AS Roma 21 15 5 1 45 11 50 Atalanta 22 8 3 11 24 30 27 Beckenbauer. “At the break they Napoli 22 13 5 4 44 26 44 Cagliari 22 5 9 8 21 31 24 could have been three of four-nil Fiorentina 22 12 5 5 40 24 41 Udinese 22 7 2 13 22 32 23 ahead.” Verona 22 11 2 9 37 35 35 Sampdoria 21 5 7 9 25 32 22 Germany star Goetze put the Inter Milan 21 8 9 4 38 24 33 Chievo 22 4 6 12 16 29 18 hosts ahead when he chested down Torino 22 8 9 5 35 28 33 Bologna 22 3 9 10 20 38 18 Mario Mandzukic’s cross and Parma 21 8 8 5 32 27 32 Livorno 22 4 5 13 22 40 17 slammed his shot inside the far post Lazio 22 8 7 7 29 29 31 Sassuolo 22 4 5 13 23 48 17 with only 12 minutes gone. France AC Milan 22 7 8 7 35 32 29 Catania 22 3 6 13 16 40 15 star Ribery then proved he has recovered from a leg injury when he added Bayern’s second just before MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara (right) heads the ball beside of the break. Frankfurt’s defender Sebastian Jung (left) during the German First Division Bundesliga football Likewise, Robben came off the match. —AFP bench and fired home Goetze’s final pass to put his leg injury behind to VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Boateng lunged for the ball. home to Freiburg as Park Joo-Ho him on 67 minutes before Dante Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok headed Wolfsburg drew level despite and Koo Ja-Cheol netted to lift headed Bayern’s fourth two minutes home Leverkusen’s winner six min- being down to 10 men, after Daniel Mainz to seventh. later. utes from time. Caligiuri was sent off for insulting Werder Bremen’s poor form con- Fittingly, Mandzukic, who was Stuttgart’s Moritz Leitner had the referee five minutes into the tinues as they suffered a 3-1 defeat dropped ten days ago for poor given the visitors an early lead second-half, when teenager at Augsburg with the visitors finish- training performances, netted their before Bayer striker Stefan Kiessling Maximilian Arnold fired home on 65 ing up with ten men. fifth on 89 minutes and was equalised in the first half. minutes. Hamburg’s slump also as they mobbed by his team-mates. “He has Schalke 04 moved up to fourth But Boateng then fired home the were drubbed 3-0 at Hoffenheim, reacted really well and today was a with a 2-1 victory at home to ten- winner for his sixth goal of the sea- leaving Bert van Marwijk’s side sec- super performance,” enthused man VfL Wolfsburg with Ghana mid- son to give Schalke their second ond from bottom as they suffered Bayern’s director of sport Matthias fielder Kevin-Prince Boateng firing straight win. their fifth straight defeat. Sammer. home the winner nine minutes from Hanover 96’s revival under new On Friday, third-placed Borussia This was Bayern’s 17th win in 19 time. coach Tayfun Korkut continued as Dortmund picked up their first win games and they have conceded just The Royal Blues, who have lost they earned a 3-1 win over Borussia in five league games with a 2-1 vic- nine league goals. The European just once in nine games, had taken Moenchengladbach with Senegal’s tory at bottom side Eintracht champions now face Freiburg, an early lead after a scrappy goal Mame Diouf scoring twice. Braunschweig with Gabon winger Hamburg and Nuremberg, who are was credited to Brazilian centre- There was a strong South Korean Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scor- all in the bottom four, before their back Felipe Santana as both he and influence in Mainz’s 2-0 win at ing both goals. —AFP Champions League last 16, first-leg match at Arsenal on February 19. German League results/standings Earlier, ten-man Nuremberg FRANCE: Lille’s French defender Dijbril Sidibe (left) vies with Nice’s French climbed out of the bottom three for Hertha Berlin 1 (Ramos 4) Nuremberg 3 (Feulner (Kiessling 26, Derdiyok 84) VfB Stuttgart 1 (Leitner forward Jeremy Pied (right) during the French L1 football match. —AFP the first time since October with 20, Drmic 68, 90pen); Bayern Munich 5 (Goetze only their second win of the season 12); Hoffenheim 3 (Roberto Firmino 4, Suele 44, 12, Ribery 44, Robben 67, Dante 69, Mandzukic after yesterday’s 3-1 victory at Beck 60) Hamburg 0; Mainz 2 (Park 24, Koo 86) 89) Eintracht Frankfurt 0. Nice defeat leaves Lille Hertha Berlin to climb to 15th. Freiburg 0; Augsburg 3 (Werner 11, Halil Altintop Nuremberg’s Swiss striker Josip Played Saturday 49, Hahn 55) Werder Bremen 1 (Callsen-Bracker 3- hanging on to CL spot Drmic scored twice, including a penalty deep in added time to claim Schalke 04 2 (Santana 9, Boateng 81) VfL og); Hanover 96 3 (Rudnevs 57, M. Diouf 82, 90) Wolfsburg 1 (Arnold 65); Bayer Leverkusen 2 PARIS: Lille were left hanging on to a they have now dropped to 13 points off the his second brace in as many weeks. Borussia Moenchengladbach 1 (Mlapa 84). Champions League place by a single point summit after earning just two points from There was drama on the stroke German Bundesliga table after yesterday’s evening match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals following their 1-0 defeat at Nice yesterday. their last five matches. of 90 minutes when Nuremberg against, points): Saint-Etienne’s 3-0 success over strug- Things could even get worse if fifth midfielder Ondrej Petrak was sent Bayern Munich 19 17 2 0 50 9 53 Hanover 96 19 7 3 9 29 33 24 gling Valenciennes on Saturday put the placed Marseille and Lyon in sixth both win off for saving a shot with his hand. Bayer Leverkusen 19 13 1 5 36 20 40 Hoffenheim 19 5 6 8 39 42 21 pressure on Lille but the 2011 champions later yesterday. If that happened there Despite furious protests from 19 11 3 5 42 23 36 Werder Bremen 19 5 5 9 23 40 20 failed to respond. would be three teams within four points of Hertha, referee Michael Weiner did Schalke 04 19 10 4 5 37 29 34 VfB Stuttgart 19 5 4 10 32 37 19 Former Paris Saint-Germain forward the third-placed northerners. The defeat not award the home team a penalty Moenchengladbach 19 10 3 6 36 24 33 Eintracht Frankfurt 19 4 6 9 21 33 18 Mathieu Bodmer scored the only goal with could have been worse for Lille but for Rio as Berlin’s Ramos had fired from an VfL Wolfsburg 19 9 3 7 30 24 30 Nuremberg 19 2 11 6 24 34 17 a cute back-heel in first half stoppage time, Mavuba clearing a Dario Cvitanich header offside position. Mainz 05 19 9 3 7 29 32 30 Freiburg 19 4 5 10 19 35 17 although there was a suspicion of offside. off the line and Idrissa Gueye getting away On Saturday, second-placed Bayer Hertha Berlin 19 8 4 7 28 24 28 Hamburg 19 4 4 11 33 44 16 At the turn of the year, Lille were chal- with what appeared a blatant handball Leverkusen broke their three-match Augsburg 19 8 4 7 26 28 28 Braunschweig 19 3 3 13 11 34 12 lenging the top two, PSG and Monaco, but inside the Lille box. —AFP losing streak with a 2-1 win at home