12 Friday, February 28, 2020 Sports

Al Gharafa beat Sadd to Al Gharafa chase top four finish make QBF League semis but face tough Al Sailiya test Ayeni Olusegun but our problem was in attack. But we are still working in order to reach our target of finishing Stuttering Al Gharafa will in the top four,” said Trabelsi. have their hands full when they Against AL Gharafa, he said, take on Sami Trabelsi’s Al Sail- “The match against Al Gharafa iya in the QNB Stars League at will be difficult. They have many the Al Ahli Stadium on Friday. high-quality players and are The Cheetahs have suffered good in all departments of the a dip in form since the begining game. So all in all, this is going of the year which has seen them to be a crucial game for us as we crash out in both domestic cup seek a top-four finish. I hope we competitions (Amir Cup and will be successful especially in Ooredoo Cup). attack and come up with a posi- Their performance in both tive result.” competitions have left a sour taste for the club and fans but Al Wakrah vs Umm Salal coach Slavisa Jokanovic said his Also on Friday, Umm Salal side have shown some positives will hope to build on last week’s lately as they target a top four draw against Al Sadd when finish. they take on seventh-placed Al “The loss against Al Markh- Wakrah. The relegation playoff iya in the Amir Cup left a nega- Al Gharafa players during a training session ahead of their QNB Stars League match against Al Sailiya. team, face an uphill task against tive impact on the team, after the swift-playing Wakrah espe- that we worked to make a posi- kanovic knows his side need looking for victory against Al tasted some success last year, cially with Mohammed Benyet- tive reaction. to start winning matches again Sailiya,” he added. perhaps a failure to replicate tou in superb form. Last week’s match against starting with Al Sailiya who they Al Sailiya on the other hand that would not ssit well with the “The game against Al Wak- Al Ahli, we missed something. lost 3-1 to in the reverse fixture will be hoping to turn around fans and management. rah is undoubtedly not easy. We scored first, but Al Ahli in September. their fortunes after a mixed sea- “Certainly, if we do not fin- We are working for a better equalled. Even if the team “The league is nearing its son so far. ish among the top four this sea- future for the team, especially achieved victory, I will not be end, so we are required to col- The Peregrines made their son, it will be a disappointment, after the draw against Al Sadd Mohammed Ihab scored 22 points but Al Wakrah lost to Al Arabi satisfied because of the image lect more points in order to stay AFC Champions League debut especially since we have better last weekend. Al Wakrah are a 71-85 in the Basketball Federation League on Thursday. that the team showed, we were in the top four. We started the albeit a playoff which they nar- players than we had last season. strong team and I respect them. Al Gharafa secured a spot in the semi-final after beating lowly so far from our level,” the Ser- league well, but we faced differ- rowly lost on penalties to Ira- “Our problem was that we We have to learn every day and Al Sadd 84-58. Al Arabi had already secured top spot while Al bian said. ent circumstances that affected nian side Shah Khodro. started the season poorly be- from every match. Any encoun- Shamal finished second and Al Wakrah third. The semi-finals will With just one win in their our level. Now, all players are Sami Trabelsi’s men have cause we weren’t focused and ter is difficult, we can win or be played on Saturday with Al Arabi taking on Al Gharafa, while Al last five matches and seven ready to play except Muad Has- also suffered in the league lan- disciplined sometimes. This lose,” Umm Salal coach Aziz Shamal will lock horns with Al Wakrah. games left to be playaerd, Jo- san who will be absent. We are guishing in sixth place. Having season, our defence was better, Ben Askar noted. Al Sadd lose more ground in ‘It’s not over,’ Guardiola warns QSL title challenge after draw City stars after Madrid win AFP Madrid Tribune News Network milson all found the net for Doha Walid Regragui’s side. Pep Guardiola warned his Song continued his goal- Manchester City players that Reigning champions Al cscoring run with the opener in Real Madrid are more than ca- Sadd lost further ground on the fourth minute but Al Sha- pable of a Champions League Al Duhail after a disappoint- hania surprising levelled in the fightback after a historic 2-1 ing 1-1 draw against Al Arabi 36th minute through Ahmed last 16, first leg win for the in the QNB Stars League on Akaichi after Ramin Rezaien English champions at the San- Thursday. The Wolves had last had missed a penalty for the tiago Bernabeu. weekend suffered a shock 2-2 bottom-placed team. City struck twice in the draw to Umm Salal. A marginally-rattled Al final 12 minutes through Ga- Al Duhail had earlier beat- Duhail came out for the second briel Jesus and a Kevin De en Al Shahania 3-1 to move half with a renewed burst of Bruyne penalty to beat the 13- Manchester City’s seven points clear (39) of the energy. They were quickly back time European champions for Spanish manager reigning champions who are in front as Al Ahrak was once the first time in their history. Pep Guardiola. (AFP) on 32 points. again the provider, with Bou- Madrid will also be with- also pulled three diaf collecting his pass from out captain Sergio Ramos for points clear of Al Sadd thanks the left and planting his shot the second leg after he was to Yacine Brahimi’s 69th min- inside the far post. sent off late on for bringing ute penalty which enabled The They were able to settle the down Jesus, but Guardiola is dinner, good regeneration, on pushed the Brazilian up front Lions beat Al Ahli 1-0. match late on as Assim Madi- wary of Madrid’s history of Sunday we have a final, keep and swung the game in City’s Akram Afif had put Al Sadd bo’s perfectly-timed ball over comebacks in the Champions going in the Premier League favour. ahead just before the half hour Al Sadd’s Akram Afif (left) is defended by Al Arabi’s Marc Muniesa the top of the defence was met League. and prepare the second game After Jesus headed in De mark with a lovely finish over during their QNB Stars League match on Thursday. by Edmilson, who lobbed the “It’s just the first part, it’s against Madrid.” Bruyne’s cross, Sterling was Al Arabi goalkeeper Mahmud keeper with the outside of his not three points. If one team Guardiola again sprung a chopped down by Dani Carva- Abunada who was in inspired thanks to VAR which awarded for us, we missed so many easy right foot to cap an impressive can overcome this situation, surprise on a big Champions jal inside the area. form. a penalty against Boualem opportunities. The league jsut performance. for experience, for everything, League night with his team “They press so high and The Wolves despite cre- Khoukhi for handball in the became very difficult after this Al Rayyan ensured to keep it is this club, but of course it selection as Raheem Sterling, the centre-backs can jump, we ating more chances failed to box. result, the difference between pace with the leader as they is a good result,” Guardiola Sergio Aguero, David Silva saw the space we believed was find the cutting edge up front Pierre Lasogga made no us and Al Duhail has widened,” beat Al Ahli 1-0. told BT Sport. and Fernandinho were left on outside. Gabriel is so quick as Baghdad Bounedjah, Afif, mistake from the spot, sending Xavi said after the match. Yacine Brahimi scored “I am so proud of course the bench. and Riyad (Mahrez) can do it,” Marco Fabian and Nam Tae- a powerful effort past Saad al Meanwhile, Al Duhail from the penalty spot in the but it is just the first step, we Jesus was deployed in an added Guardiola. Hee all missed chances to se- Sheeb much to Xavi Hernan- overcame a battling Al Shaha- 69th minute. The Algerian at- have another game, it is not unfamiliar role wide on the “In the end we knew for the cure the win. dez’s despair. nia side as Han Kwang-Song, tacking midfielder took his over. So be calm, enjoy it, en- left, but Sterling’s introduc- last 20-30 minutes, Raheem is Al Arabi got the equaliser “It’s a big disappointment Karim Boudiaf and Paulo Ed- personal tally to 11 goals. joy the moment. Have a good tion as a second half substitute so fast too. It was good.” Juve fail to convince as pressure for European success grows

AFP within the club admit winning Juve will have to come from Brazilian January signing Lyo n the competition is the major Bruno Guimaraes outstanding objective, although they have behind in the second leg of in midfield. Jurgen Klopp recently la- emphasised the importance of their last-16 tie on March However, their coach Rudi belled Juventus as the favour- luck in the knockout phase. 17 after going down 1-0 in Garcia knows not to get car- ites to succeed his Liverpool “We are very lucky to be France as a first-half goal ried away. side as winners of the Cham- able to chase the Champions by Lucas Tousart separated “We demonstrated that we pions League, and Lionel League dream, because if we are not in the last 16 purely by Messi has also talked up the achieve it, it will be bliss, and the teams. chance, but there is still the Italians’ chances, but they if we don’t the journey will second leg to come and it will looked nothing like contend- have been beautiful,” insisted Perhaps there is simply be very difficult there,” he said. ers to lift the trophy as Cris- coach Maurizio Sarri on the too much pressure on Juven- Home advantage could tiano Ronaldo and his team- eve of the Lyon game. tus, who are desperate for be decisive for Juve, who mates fired blanks against However, no Juventus Champions League success have not lost in front of their Lyon on Wednesday. supporter, or director, will having lost five finals since own fans in Turin since Ajax Juve will have to come agree with that if they do not last lifting the trophy in 1996. dumped them out in last sea- from behind in the second leg improve on their performance Along with Paris Saint- son’s quarter-finals. of their last-16 tie on March 17 in Lyon. Germain and Bayern Munich, In the round before that after going down 1-0 in France The Italian league lead- they are also one of those they lost 2-0 at Atletico Ma- as a first-half goal by Lucas ers mustered just one attempt European mega-clubs whose drid only for a Ronaldo hat- Tousart separated the teams. on target, with Ronaldo un- Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo (left) reacts during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first-leg domestic dominance has trick to turn the tie around in The French side were wor- able to continue the form that match against Lyon at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais Stadium on Wednesday. (AFP) become so entrenched it is the return leg. thy winners, despite enduring had seen him score in each of now all about the Champions Anything is still possible if a mediocre season in Ligue 1 his first nine appearances of in 2018, not to mention his Meanwhile, Gazzetta dello “slow and sluggish”. League. European failure can Ronaldo shows up in the sec- and only just scraping through 2020, and bag 19 goals since astronomical wages. Sport asked: “Juve, where are Yet there are enough leave any other success feeling ond leg, and the Italian cham- their group. They will be con- the beginning of December. The Italian press did not you?” The paper also warned young legs in the Juventus rather hollow. pions can also take comfort fident of scoring an away goal He is 35 now, so Juve are hold back on Thursday, with Sarri “is in trouble”. team – not least 85.5 million- Lyon, probably the worst from the fact few of Europe’s in Turin, too. in a hurry to win the Champi- Turin-based sports daily Skipper Leonardo Bonucci euro centre-back Matthijs de team left in the competition other giants – Bayern and All the pressure is on the ons League with the Portugal Tuttosport leading the assault accepted his side “got it all Ligt – for them to play with when the draw for the last Manchester City apart – have Serie A outfit. While their star, who cost them 100 mil- by complaining that “This is wrong” while Sarri himself greater energy than they did 16 was made, looked trans- really excelled so far in these rivals talk them up, those lion euros from Real Madrid not Juve!” admitted his team had been against Lyon. formed on Wednesday, with knockout games.