Established 1961 15 Wednesday, February 24, 2021 Sports Gladbach face Man City with Rose under pressure ‘Nothing to lose’ - Rose urges Gladbach to be brave

BERLIN: Borussia Moenchengladbach take on high- However, news that Rose is quitting could trigger flying Manchester City in the Champions League other departures at Gladbach. tonight with the German club’s coach Marco Rose struggling to deal with the fall-out from the ‘Courage’ announcement he will join Dortmund next season. Germany midfielder , who has a Pep Guardiola’s buoyant City come into the last release clause in his contract, is urging his team- 16, first leg, tie in Budapest on the back of a record mates not to show City too much respect. “Courage 18-match winning run in all competitions. In con- is a key factor,” he told Kicker, adding that his trast, Gladbach are reeling from Saturday’s shock 2- future plans are unclear past the end of the season. 1 home loss to second-from-bottom Mainz. “If we play to our best twice, then we have a good Rose blamed the defeat on the disruption caused chance of going through.” by last week’s bombshell announcement he will “During the group stages, we learned how cru- coach rivals Dortmund in 2021/22. News of his cial a self-confident approach is,” he added after planned departure has also incurred the wrath of Gladbach drew against Inter Milan and Real furious Gladbach fans. “Everything that has hap- Madrid. Facing star-studded City in the last 16 of pened this week, everything that has hit the players, the Champions League is the biggest test Rose has has happened because of me,” a drawn-looking faced in two years as Gladbach coach. Rose confessed after Saturday’s defeat. “And I bear The 44-year-old former defender has forged a responsibility for that.” reputation as a rising star coach by rousing sleeping The first-leg tie was moved from giants Gladbach. Before their recent slump, they Moenchengladbach to Budapest because of beat Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Dortmund at Germany’s Covid-19 travel restrictions. While home this season. Since taking charge in 2019, Rose Guardiola’s City dispatched the likes of Everton, has delivered on his promise to get Gladbach play- defending champions Liverpool and Tottenham in the ing “dynamic, fast, active, combination football”. Premier League in recent weeks, Gladbach have tak- He has steered ‘the Foals’ to the knock-out en just a point from their last three Bundesliga games. stages of the Champions League for the first time. MOENCHENGLADBACH: Moenchengladbach’s players take part in a training session on the eve of If Rose’s two-year tenure in charge of Gladbach He had already proved himself by winning back-to- the UEFA Champions League, last 16, first-leg football match Borussia Moenchengladbach v is not to come to an inglorious end, he has to turn back Austrian league titles with Red Bull Salzburg Manchester City in Moenchengladbach, western Germany yesterday. —AFP things around quickly. With City looming, Rose before joining Gladbach. In his first season with said his immediate task is to gain “trust and calm” Salzburg, Rose masterminded wins over Lazio and among his squad. The fixture list will offer him little future employers Dortmund in a run to the Europa foremost, in a game like this. It’s a big thing for the something that Manchester City don’t like, then it’s assistance. League semi-finals in 2017/18. club that we’re in (the last 16). The boys should not having the ball. We need to play with courage After City, Gladbach have an away league game enjoy it. We need to trust ourselves and play with a and defend with passion,” Rose added. at second-placed RB Leipzig on Saturday, then host ‘Nothing to lose’ lot of courage and passion.” Gladbach’s Swedish left-back Oscar Wendt is Rose’s future employers Dortmund in a German Cup Rose insists his side has nothing to lose against Rose urged his team to put aside poor results relishing the chance to see his team test themselves quarter-final tie next Tuesday. Before the Mainz Manchester City. “The boys have earned this spe- and the off-field turbulence to make life hard for against the Premier League leaders. “The anticipa- defeat, Gladbach captain Lars Stindl insisted news cial evening,” Rose said yesterday with the home City. Gladbach have the players to shock City with tion is huge. We have the chance to compete per- of Rose’s departure will not jeopardize the season, leg moved to Budapest due to Germany’s COVID- their attack spearheaded by French forwards haps the best team in the world right now. It’s just but Saturday’s performance suggested otherwise. 19 travel restrictions. “You can only win, first and Alassane Plea and Marcus Thuram. “If there is fun,” said the 35-year-old. —AFP

‘Extraordinary’ Muriel firing Atalanta before Spain looks to Real Madrid clash Real, Atletico to BERGAMO: has moved beyond his ‘super-sub’ role with a rich vein of form to boost Atalanta’s hopes against Real Madrid in the first leg halt Liga decline of their last 16 Champions League tie in Bergamo tonight. Colombian ace Muriel scored and set up MADRID: “Sign him up Florentino,” Real Madrid’s countryman Duvan Zapata for another as Atalanta fans wrote on Twitter before Zinedine Zidane was warmed up for the Spanish champions with a 4-2 asked if he sent a message to the club’s president win over Napoli to move up to fifth in at the Florentino Perez. Kylian Mbappe had just destroyed weekend. Barcelona at Camp Nou and 24 hours later Erling “Muriel is extraordinary, not only for the assist Haaland did the same to Sevilla at the Ramon and the goal,” said coach after Sanchez Pizjuan. the forward scored in a ninth consecutive Serie A By the time Real Sociedad trailed 4-0 on appearances as a starter. “This year he has shown Thursday evening to Manchester United, the feeling extraordinary mental, physical and athletic form, he in Spain became clear: La Liga was in freefall. Later has made a terrific leap in quality also in terms of that night, Granada beat Napoli and Villarreal saw off consistency.” Salzburg in a competition it should be remembered The 29-year-old is having the best campaign of that was only six months ago won by Sevilla, for the his career with 17 goals so far including two in the fourth time in seven years. In fact, a Spanish team has won the Europa Champions League group stages. He will be keen to BERGAMO: In this file photo taken on December 01, 2020 Atalanta’s Italian coach Gian Piero impress after a disappointing 18 months at Sevilla, Gasperini gives instructions during the UEFA Champions League Group D football match Atalanta League seven times out of the last 11. Three of those signed from Sampdoria in 2017 as the La Liga side’s vs Midtjylland at the Azzurri d’Italia stadium in Bergamo, Lombardy. —AFP titles belong to Atletico Madrid, who take on Chelsea most expensive transfer. He scored 13 goals in 65 in the Champions League on Tuesday, after knocking games in Spain before returning to Italy on a six- out the English champions Liverpool last season. month loan spell with Fiorentina, moving on to recent months with emblematic captain Alejandro Muriel, Zapata, Robin Gosens and Cristian Romero Real Madrid face Atalanta, hoping to prevent a Atalanta in mid-2019. ‘Papu’ Gomez frozen out after disagreeing with the were all on target at the Gewiss Stadium on Sunday, third year without winning the tournament, after In his debut season, Muriel earned a reputation coach over tactics during a Champions League the sixth time this season the club have scored with winning all of the previous three. “Spanish teams are as a super-sub, scoring 18 Serie A goals despite match. Gomez was left out of their final Group D four different players. “This gives us a morale boost still strong, it’s just a moment,” said Barcelona coach only starting 10 matches. This season he has scored game away at Ajax where Muriel scored the winner before Real Madrid,” warned 63-year-old Ronald Koeman last week. “You can’t draw conclu- 14 league goals, the same as AC Milan star Zlatan that sent the Italians through as runners-up behind Gasperini, who has transformed the club into one of sions.” If there is a need for perspective - that the Ibrahimovic, and behind (18) for Liverpool. the top Italian sides since taking over in 2016. speed of the fall is in part due to the heights previ- Juventus and Inter’s Romelu Lukaku (17). Gomez was then sold to Sevilla in January. The The northerners reached the quarter-finals in ously reached - Spain’s dominance in Europe has But while Lukaku and Ronaldo’s goals include match against 13-time European champions Real their first Champions League campaign last sea- also been receding for some time. It perhaps began four penalties and Ibrahimovic’s three, only one of will be the biggest game ever played by the Italian son, beating Spanish club Valencia in the last 16, when Barcelona lost to Roma in 2018, continued with Muriel’s have been from the spot. “The coach is giv- team whose only major trophy was the 1963 and will be hoping to match that achievement the departures of Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo, ing me space and more playing time lately so I want Coppa Italia. “It’s a unique opportunity,” said again. “We’re up against the most successful club before becoming entrenched, as financial impotence to make the most of it,” said Muriel, who has scored Muriel. “If Atalanta play like against Napoli, con- in the world,” added Gasperini of Zinedine Zidane’s has prevented a revival. 36 goals in 71 games for Atalanta. ceding little and creating a lot, it will be very diffi- La Liga champions. “An extraordinary fixture for Certainly for Barcelona and Real Madrid, hesita- cult for them too.” us. I don’t think Atalanta have ever faced such a tion in refreshing their squads has been punished to ‘Unique opportunity’ The Bergamo side have the second best attack in team. We’re curious to tackle them to see what we the full, the coronavirus pandemic enforcing a year Gasperini has shaken things up at Atalanta in the Italian league behind leaders Inter Milan. can do.” —AFP without spending when they arguably needed to spend most. Real Madrid’s youngsters are yet to blos- som, while Barcelona have watched an historic era grow old, leave or retire. Atletico Madrid continue to rebuild after their own cluster of iconic departures. Ronaldo’s Crotone Sevilla have endured but Valencia are in a mess. For most of this century, it has been a question of double keeps Juve when not if a generational talent moves to Spain but now there are no guarantees. Mbappe has long been linked with Zidane but, as Lionel Messi has shown, in title hunt the best players define themselves by Champions TURIN: Cristiano Ronaldo kept Juventus within League victories and who could say confidently Paris sight of the Serie A summit on Monday with a head- Saint-Germain and Manchester City will not own ed brace which helped the champions to a 3-0 win more of those over the coming years than Barcelona over bottom club Crotone. Portugal forward and Real Madrid? Ronaldo struck twice late in the first half to break Ronaldo and Neymar left, before Messi tried to the resistance of lowly Crotone and keep Juve eight and still might. Last summer, City pinched Spain’s points behind league leaders Inter Milan. Weston most exciting young talent, Ferran Torres, while McKennie made sure of the points midway through Atletico were powerless to prevent Thomas Partey the second half, lashing home when the ball broke to even joining Arsenal. And while Pep Guardiola and him after a corner. Andear Pirlo’s side climb to third Jose Mourinho fronted La Liga’s peak at the end of with the win thanks also to Roma, who are a point the last decade, the most charismatic, modern coach- back in fourth, only managing a goalless draw at es - Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Benevento on Sunday night. They are also four Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann - have plied their trade points behind second-placed AC Milan who have almost entirely elsewhere ever since. lost three of their last five league matches, including Along with Guardiola, they have driven the shift Sunday’s 3-0 derby thumping at the hands of Inter. towards a more physical, vertical, high-pressing style, Juve, chasing their 10th straight league title, have a that seems to have left Spanish teams behind. “Barca game in hand on both Milan clubs and play Inter in always has been a team that has gone for lots of play- the penultimate round of league games in Turin. TURIN: Juventus’ Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (center) celebrates with Juventus’ ers for their technical qualities and not many for their Crotone meanwhile remain rooted to the bottom of Swedish forward Dejan Kulusevski (left) and Juventus’ Turkish defender Merih Demiral after scor- physical qualities,” said Koeman on Saturday. “You the division thanks to their fifth defeat on the ing his second goal during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Crotone on Monday at have to have both, to have balance we want the ball, bounce. —AFP the Juventus stadium in Turin. —AFP to play from the back and create chances. —AFP