18 Thursday, May 9, 2019 Sports ‘Giants’ Liverpool savour remarkable Champions League comeback son Becker made an important Stand-in striker save from Luis Suarez before Wijnaldum sent Anfield into Origi and raptures twice in a matter of Wijnaldum both minutes. Firstly, the Dutch mid- scored twice fielder was found by Trent Al- exander-Arnold’s low cross and as Messi’s side drilled under Ter Stegen. And from Liverpool’s next threw away a attack, Xherdan Shaqiri picked out Wijnaldum to head home 3-0 first leg lead at the Kop end. Valverde desperately tried afp to salvage the match, replac- Liverpool ing former Liverpool player Philippe Coutinho with Nelson Liverpool manager Jur- Semedo. gen Klopp said his team had Barcelona’s Lionel Messi reacts during his team’s loss to Liverpool at The change briefly had an the “mentality of giants” af- Anfield.( EPA-EFE) impact, but a sluggish Barca ter they pulled off one of the were made to look foolish when most remarkable turnarounds football. It’s so nice.” has made a habit of scoring they were caught napping by in Champions League history, Wijnaldum admitted he important goals in Liverpool’s a quickly-taken Alexander- thrashing Lionel Messi’s Bar- had been smarting at being challenge for a first Premier Arnold corner that picked out celona 4-0 to reach the final for forced to start on the bench and League title in 29 years and Origi completely unmarked to the second year running. felt he had a point to prove. he notched his first ever in the fire high into the net, sparking Stand-in striker Divock “Once again we showed Champions League on seven extraordinary celebrations. Origi and substitute Georginio that everything is possible in minutes, pouncing on the re- “There have been glorious, Wijnaldum both scored twice Liverpool striker Divock Origi (right) celebrates wtih teammates after scoring the winner against football,” the Dutchman said. “I bound after Marc-Andre ter entirely improbable games in as Lionel Messi’s side threw Barcelona during their UEFA Champions league semi-final second leg match at Anfield in Liverpool on was really angry at the manager Stegen had denied Jordan Liverpool’s European history, away a 3-0 first leg lead and Tuesday. (AFP) that he put me on the bench but Henderson’s initial effort. including the mind-bending crashed out at a frenzied An- I had to do something to help Messi, who had dominated highs of Istanbul,” the Guard- field. stage will now culminate in a Liverpool went into the talented giants. It’s unbeliev- the team when I came on. the first leg with two goals, had ian newspaper said. “But this The nature of Liverpool’s final against either Ajax or Tot- match deprived of two of their able,” he told BT Sport. “We believe it from the quickly and uncharacteristi- was something else, an effort victory was quickly compared tenham in Madrid on June 1 most potent attacking weapons “The whole game was too start. People from outside (the cally been rattled by Liverpool of will that, frankly, took the to the 2005 Champions League when they could become kings in Mohamed Salah and Rob- much. Winning is difficult but club), they thought it was not defender Andy Robertson, breath away.” final in Istanbul when they of Europe for a sixth time. erto Firmino due to injury. with a clean sheet, I don’t know possible, but we still managed wagging his finger in the Scots- And while Liverpool are came back from 3-0 down to For Barcelona, the crushing However, Origi and Wijnal- how they did it. to do this.” man’s face. dreaming of also grabbing the beat AC Milan on penalties. defeat was the second consecu- dum stepped up magnificently, “It means so much to all of Origi would almost cer- Liverpool were seemingly Premier League title this week- A season that threatened tive year they had surrendered leaving Klopp to marvel at his us. There are more important tainly not have started the dealt another injury blow as end, Valverde’s future could be to end with Liverpool being a commanding first-leg lead players in a joyous outburst things in the world. But creat- match had Salah -- the Premier Robertson could not continue bleak. pipped to the Premier League in this competition -- and the laced with profanities. ing this emotional atmosphere League’s top scorer this season after half-time. But his replace- “I do not know how it’s go- title by Manchester City this scale of the capitulation leaves “It’s 10 past 10, most of together is so special. It’s all with 22 goals -- and Firmino ment, Wijnaldum, was to have ing to affect me,” Valverde said. weekend and exiting the Cham- coach Ernesto Valverde facing your children are probably in about the players. been fit. a dramatic impact. “But here we are, the coach has pions League at the semi-final the sack. bed but these boys are f*****g “It shows what’s possible in But the 24-year-old Belgian Liverpool goalkeeper Alis- to take responsibility.”

Sarri fears transfer ban will ruin Al Rayyan out of ACL after loss AFC.COM Chelsea’s title hopes next season Doha Two goals in five minutes afp tract next year, Sarri could be helped Al Ittihad reach the London forced to sell a player he would 2019 AFC Champions League prefer to keep rather than risk knock-out stage with a 2-0 Maurizio Sarri said Chelsea losing him for nothing when his win over Al Rayyan at Jas- have no chance of competing deal expires. sim bin Hamad Stadium on with Manchester City and Liv- That would further weaken Matchday Five on Tuesday. erpool next season unless their his options, but the Italian re- Al Rayyan had suffered two-window transfer ban is mains intent on staying with their joint-heaviest AFC overturned. Chelsea next term. Champions League defeat Chelsea were hit with the The former Napoli manager in the reverse fixture, falling ban for breaches of the inter- insists he would be able to sur- to a 5-1 humbling by Al Itti- national transfer rules on mi- vive without new signings at had in Jeddah on Matchday nors and FIFA threw out their Chelsea next term, despite the One. They needed a win on appeal against the decision on obvious impact on his team’s home soil to stand a chance Wednesday. development. of grabbing one of the two The Blues will take their Asked if he would be ready Round-of-16 tickets. fight against the transfer em- Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri speaks during a press conference at to promote youth talents to the The hosts threatened bargo to the Court of Arbitra- Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham on Wednesday. (EPA-EFE) senior squad next term, Sarri through Abdulaziz al Ha- tion for Sport (CAS), but it was said: “I like to play with young sia whose seventh-minute Action from the AFC Champions League match between Al Rayyan the worst possible news for unable to sign the players he only one, two players, otherwise players, so for me it’s not a big touch of Mohammed Ala and Al Ittihad in Doha on Tuesday. Sarri ahead of Thursday’s Eu- believes are needed to fight City it’s very difficult to improve im- problem. Eldin’s cross was not strong ropa League semi-final second and Liverpool in the Premier mediately. “At the moment, we spoke enough to direct it goalward. pass and drilled an effort eran finished first-time into leg against Eintracht Frankfurt. League. “I think we are a very good one month ago about the pre- Al Ittihad responded a few from a narrow angle that the bottom corner to open Having booked a place “It’s very difficult to cover team, so we need only one, two season, the program of the next minutes later as Nasir al was saved by Al Ittihad goal- the scoring for the visitors. in next season’s Champions the gap at the moment; we need players, no more.” season. But we didn’t speak Shamrani stabbed Abdul- keeper Fawaz al Qarni, while A swift display of pass- League after securing a top four to work, probably we need to do FIFA confirmed it has “par- about the market, also because lah al Amar’s cross wide off Abdulaziz al Bishi shot high ing deep into Al Rayyan’s finish in the Premier League, something from the market,” tially upheld” Chelsea’s appeal, at the moment we don’t know target. and wide for the Saudi side half was followed by another Chelsea are bidding to win the said Sarri, whose third-placed but only in allowing the club if we’ll be able to go into the A quick succession of as the first half ended goal- Muwallad assist, setting up first trophy of Sarri’s reign in team are 24 points behind lead- to sign European players aged market. Every month I have passes at the edge of the Al less. Romarinho to finish from a the Europa League. ers City. under 16. The ban on signing a report, about the players on Rayyan penalty box saw Car- Al Ittihad came out a tight angle in the 67th min- They are favoured to reach “So it’s not easy, because the over-16s remains in place, leav- loan, we have 45 or 46 players los Villanueva slip a through different side in the second ute, doubling Al Ittihad’s the final after drawing 1-1 in level of the top two is very, very ing Chelsea unable to make on loan. Of course, we need to pass for Shamrani who half and were soon in front lead. Frankfurt in the first leg last high. As we can see in Europe so changes to Sarri’s squad unless consider who is ready. watched his outside-of-the- through Shamrani’s 32nd The visitors survived a week. But Sarri is concerned it’s not easy. Of course, we have they win the CAS appeal. “Two or three of those boot finish tipped by the leg AFC Champions League goal. late scare as Lucca Borges that a potentially uplifting to work and we have to try. In With Real Madrid expected players are very interesting of of goalkeeper Fahad Younis. Fahad al Muwallad sent struck the woodwork from end to hs troubled first season my opinion we can reduce the to make a move for Blues star course. But we need to consider Hasia latched onto a through pass for Shamrani a curled free-kick in added would be erased if Chelsea are gap. I think that we have to buy Eden Hazard, who is out of con- the level.” Ahmed al Saadi’s through inside the box and the vet- time. Nadal makes light work of Auger-Aliassime in Madrid opener Stage set for 2020 afp here in the first round. ment for the first time after she Madrid Aside from some late resist- eased past Belarusian Aliaksan- ance, however, that saw a nerv- dra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-3. AFC U-19 qualifiers Rafael Nadal made the per- ous Nadal broken when serving Osaka pulled out of the fect start to his bid for a sixth for the match, Auger-Aliassime semi-finals in Stuttgart last AFC ceive automatic qualifica- Madrid Open title on Wednes- struggled to cope with his oppo- month with an abdominal in- Kuala Lumpur tion. day by beating Canadian teen- nent’s power and spin on one of jury but has said she is no long- The MAs that have been ager Felix Auger-Aliassime in his favourite courts. er feeling discomfort during Asia’s rising stars will learn selected as the hosts of the straight sets. Nadal has not arrived in matches. their opponents for the AFC Qualifiers will be drawn into Nadal has endured a turbu- Madrid without winning in ei- “The ab injury was always U-19 Championship 2020 separate groups. The West lent few weeks after slipping to ther Monte Carlo or Barcelona sort of in the back of my mind, Qualifiers in the official draw hosts are; Bahrain, Iraq, surprise defeats in both Monte since 2015 and, after also pull- but that was more in the first ceremony at the AFC House Islamic Republic of Iran, Carlo and Barcelona last month ing out of Indian Wells due to round and now I feel fine, so on Thursday. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Ta- before then being hit by a stom- a knee injury in March, con- that’s great,” Osaka said. A total of 46 Member As- jikistan. Cambodia, Chinese ach bug on Sunday. cern was growing ahead of the Rafael Nadal in action during his second round match against Felix “I’m at a really good place sociations (MAs) will battle it Taipei, Indonesia, Myanmar But there was never much French Open later this month. Auger-Aliassime at the Mutua Madrid Open on Wednesday. (EPA-EFE) right now. I feel like I’m having out in the Qualifiers divided and Vietnam will be the East sign of an upset in the Spanish The 32-year-old, who will fun playing tennis again which into 2 zones of WEST (West zone hosts. capital, where the world num- be chasing his 18th Grand Slam reached 12 Grand Slam semi- Wawrinka, meanwhile, beat is always a good thing for me. + South + Central) with The Qualifiers will be ber two began with a 6-3, 6-3 title at Roland Garros, will now finals between them. Argentina’s Guido Pella 6-3, I always play well if I have that 25 teams and EAST (East played on November 2-10, victory. The 18-year-old Auger- face another young talent in It took Nishikori just over 6-4, with a break in each set mentality.” +ASEAN) with 21 teams. 2019. Aliassime is enjoying some- America’s Frances Tiafoe. two hours to win 7-5, 7-5 against proving enough for the three- In the last eight, the two- The 11 group winners Saudi Arabia clinched thing of a breakthrough year Nishikori and Wawrinka Bolivian qualifier Hugo Dellien, time Grand Slam champion. time major champion will face and four best second-placed their third AFC U-19 title in after beating Borna Coric, Fabio will meet in the third round who saved seven set points dur- World number one Naomi Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic teams among all groups shall 2018, for the first time since Fognini and Stefanos Tsitsipas, on Thursday, an early show- ing a fightback from 5-1 down in Osaka is through to the quarter- who beat Ukrainian qualifier qualify to the Finals along- 1992, after defeating Korea as well as Denis Shapovalov down for two players that have the opening set. finals of the women’s tourna- Kateryna Kozlova 6-0, 6-2. side the hosts, who will re- Republic 2-1 in the final.