SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 18

Neuville abandons Rally of Turkey leaving Ogier in the Bayern sweep aside Leverkusen lead AFP | Marmaris, Turkey AFP | Berlin berg on the counter-attack to put RB Leipzig 3-1 ahead, but hampionship lead- oals from Arjen Robben the visitors were uncowed, and Cer Thierry Neuville and James Rodriguez Miiko Albornoz quickly pulled dropped out of the Rally Ghelped Bayern a goal back with a curling shot of Turkey yesterday after maintain their grip on the top KNOW WHAT into the top corner. breaking his suspension on of the table as they beat Bayer There was a flurry of late goals the first special stage of the Leverkusen 2-1 yesterday, plung- for Wolfsburg and Mainz, as day. ing their opponents into an early Wolfsburg grabbed a late draw The Belgian, who led Se- season crisis. Bayern Munich won 3-1 against Hertha Berlin and Mainz bastien Ogier by 0.3 seconds With three defeats in three, against Bayer Leverkusen scored twice to snatch victory overnight, was 8.0sec faster Leverkusen have made their after the from the jaws of defeat against than the Frenchman two worst ever start to a Bundesliga champions were rocked Augsburg. thirds of the way through campaign. by an early, twice-taken After an uneventful first half, the 34.24-kilometre eighth Leverkusen got off to a dream penalty Javairo Dilrosun’s well-angled stage, but then the top start when Thiago’s handball finish broke the deadlock just mounting punched through gave them a penalty in the sec- after the hour mark, before Yun- the bonnet of his Hyundai, ond minute. nus Malli equalised from the the World Rally Champion- initially denied penalty spot three minutes from ship website reported. He Kevin Volland from 12 yards, time. limped on but crossed the but the spot-kick was ordered Ondrej Duda appeared to have line 3min 30sec down. re-taken for players encroach- won it for Hertha with a direct Neuville, who leads Ogier ing into the area and Wendell on loan from Arsenal, appeared free-kick moments later, but Ad- by 23 points in the driver smashed in the retake. to save his team’s blushes when mir Mehmedi prodded in anoth- standings, could rejoin the Leverkusen’s joy was short- he scored on debut to make er equaliser to rescue a point for rally on Sunday in the hope lived, as Corentin Tolisso prod- it 1-1. the home side. of picking up some champi- ded in the equaliser just four The relief did not last long, “The fact that we twice came onship bonus points in the minutes later, and Robben fired though, as Dodi Lukebakio re- back from behind against such closing Power Stage. Bayern ahead with a superb vol- stored Duesseldorf’s lead from a defensively strong opponent ley on 20 minutes. the penalty spot on 88 minutes. says a lot about my team,” said “It wasn’t easy today, but luck- Germany international Timo Wolfsburg coach Bruno Lab- ily we bounced back quickly,” Werner scored twice to inspire badia. Lacklustre India Robben told Sky. “I don’t want RB Leipzig to their first win After both sides had goals to criticise my team-mates, but of the season in a 3-2 thriller disallowed in the first half, the Suffer 1-2 defeat vs everybody needs to pull their against Hanover. game was heading towards a Maldives in SAFF weight when we are pressing.” Leverkusen’s Brazilian defender Wendell fouls Bayern Munich’s Dutch midfielder On his return to the starting goalless draw when Augsburg’s Leverkusen’s fate seemed Arjen Robben (C) eleven, Yussuf Poulsen nodded Dong-won Ji sent the ball flying Cup Final sealed when Karim Bellarabi Leipzig ahead on ten minutes, into the bottom corner. was sent off for a reckless chal- Champions League debut pions League debut next week. before Niclas Fuellkrug blasted Mainz though, hit back with PTI | New Delhi lenge on Rafinha ten minutes Alfredo Morales headed Dues- in an equaliser for Hanover a goals from Anthony Ujah and from time, and James Rodriguez Promoted Duesseldorf snatched seldorf ahead against the run of few minutes later. Alexandru Maxim turning the oor finishing and scrap- added Bayern’s third in the 89th a surprise 2-1 win over Hoffen- play on the stroke of half-time. twice linked up game on its head in the last six Ppy defending spoilt minute. heim, who make their Cham- English youngster Reiss Nelson, with Sweden striker Emil Fors- minutes. India’s quest for an eighth South Asian Football Feder- ation Cup title as it suffered a 1-2 defeat against Maldives Briton Yates set to secure in the summit clash in Dha- Alcacer scores on Dortmund debut ka yesterday. AFP | Berlin Tour of Spain title India, the defending sliga on seven points. ish superstar looks to contin- champions, largely domi- orussia Dortmund’s new But their time at the summit ue his explosive early-season nated the match with better Bloan recruit from Barcelo- may be short lived as Bayern form when Bayern host Bayer ball possession and more na Paco Alcacer scored on his Munich, Wolfsburg and Hertha Leverkusen. shots at the opposition debut in Friday’s 3-1 defeat over Berlin are all just one point be- RB Leipzig have picked goal but the Maldives team Eintracht Frankfurt. hind ahead of weekend games. up just one point from their scored from the few chanc- The 24-year-old Spain striker Eintracht’s goal came in the opening two games, and host a es it got to lift the winners’ came on as a second half substi- 68th minute courtesy of a gifted well-disciplined Hanover side. trophy for the second time. tute to complete the win after volley from Sebastien Haller. The Bundesliga’s oldest Maldives had also won the goals from Abdou Diallo and Yesterday Robert Le - coach will meet its youngest title in 2008 edition which Marius Wolf helped lifted Dort- wandowski will celebrate his when Fortuna Duesseldorf host it co-hosted mund to the top of the Bunde- 200th appearance s the Pol - Hoffenheim.

Mourinho ‘in the dark’ over Raiola’s plans

AFP | Manchester “One thing I can assure you: Simon Yates of Great Britain and Team Mitchelton-Scott going for victory I will always give 100 per cent, anchester United man- no matter which coach I always AFP | Collada de la Gallina, who climbed onto the virtual Mager Jose Mourinho has give everything for United,” Andorra podium in second and third claimed he is “in the dark” over Pogba said last week. place. Paul Pogba’s outspoken agent “My future is currently in ritain’s Simon Yates all The men who had been sec- Mino Raiola’s intentions for the Manchester, I still have a con- Bbut secured the Tour of ond and third overnight Span- French World Cup winner. tract, I’m playing there at the Spain overall title yesterday ish veteran Alejandro Valverde The United manager was moment, but who knows what ahead of the final day ‘parade’ and Dutchman Steven Krui- forced to discuss his relation- will happen in the next few to Madrid, meaning British jswijk, both struggled on the ship with the club’s record sign- months.” riders will have won all three final climb and fell to fifth and ing once again after a week in Mourinho, though, insists of cycling’s Grand Tours this fourth respectively. which Pogba heightened the Pogba is happy at United until season. The disappointment in uncertainty over his future on he hears otherwise from the The astonishing victory Spain at Valverde dropping international duty. player himself. for the 26-year-old Mitchel- from second to finish off the Pogba was routinely dropped “I can only comment on what ton-Scott team rider Yates is podium on what could be his by Mourinho last season, but, is real for me, not in what I read, a form of redemption after he final chance, was made up for despite being an ever-present not in what I listen. I have a led the Giro d’Italia for two with the euphoria at the emer- this campaign, has hinted his Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho direct relation with the players weeks in May, only to lose over gence of Mas, who was fourth relationship with the United - not just Paul. And he never told 40 minutes on the 19th stage - in the Tour de Suisse this year. manager remains strained. move for his client. Strained relations me he wants to leave. vowing however to “come back French climber Thibaut Pi- Raiola has also fanned spec- “I also need the agent to tell “If he doesn’t tell me he wants stronger”. not, who won two mountain ulation that Pogba would wel- me or tell you in a way that I can The relationship between to leave, it’s because he wants to His success follows that of stages on this Vuelta, came come a possible move to Bar- see. If I watch Mr. Raiola on the manager and his high-profile stay. That’s my conclusion, no?” Sky’s Chris Froome in the Tour sixth, Colombia’s Rigoberto celona. screen saying the player wants midfielder has been one of the Mourinho was more forth- of Italy in May while another Uran seventh and Movistar But Mourinho insisted that to leave, and that he is organis- many testing issues Mourinho coming when discussing four member of the Sky team Ge- man Nairo Quintana, the pre- Pogba has given him no indica- ing a way for him to try to leave has faced this season and dates players whose contracts expire raint Thomas won the Tour de race favourite, finished eighth. tion that he is unhappy at Old or so on, then I will believe. back to before Pogba scoring in at the end of the current season France in July. Yates took the overall lead Trafford and that if he or his “At this moment, I am in the the World Cup final in July. - Luke Shaw, Juan Mata, Ashley Yates was third on the day on the Vuelta from the ninth agent wish to pursue a move, dark. The only thing that is clear During United’s summer tour Young and Ander Herrera - plus in a short but mountainous stage, and while he gave it up they should tell him directly. for me is that the player never to the United States, Mourinho goalkeeper David de Gea who is run behind 20th stage win - for two days to Spanish outsid- “I don’t know if that is true,” -- in all these days we are to - hinted Pogba needed to show in contract talks despite having ner Quick Step’s 23-year-old er Jesus Herrera, was always said Mourinho when asked if gether -- he never told me that the same discipline at club level one year, plus an additional op- Enric Mas and Astana rider in pole position to win from Raiola was trying to engineer a he wants to leave.” as he did with his country. tion of one season, on his deal. Miguel Angel Lopez, just 24, that time.