Inter Pip Sassuolo to Move 11 Points Clear Atop Serie A
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ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 9-10, 2021 SPORTS 14 Spain and Ireland are yet to offer the same guarantees Bilbao, Dublin unsure on fans for Euro 2020, risk being cut NYON, Switzerland, April 8, (AP): European Championship organizers received assurances from the Netherlands and Scotland about plans Al-Wahda reach ACL group stage with playoff win to allow fans into stadiums in June as coronavi- SEOUL, April 8, (AP): The delayed Asian Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won a penalty rus restrictions are eased but Spain and Ireland Champions League started with teams shootout 3-2 against Al-Wehda of Saudi are yet to offer the same guarantees. from Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates Arabia after a 1-1 draw. Bilbao and Dublin, who are due to stage the and Iraq winning playoff games to move The playoffs from the eastern side of Group E games, risk being cut from the list of into the group stage. the draw featuring teams from Australia, 12 host cities across Europe after providing the Former Ajax coach Henk ten Cate led Myanmar and the Philippines have been lack of certainty to UEFA over the return of Al-Wahda from Abu Dhabi to a 2-1 win pushed back until June due to travel re- spectators. over Al-Zawraa of Iraq, while Jovan Djokic strictions put in place to limit the spread Authorities in Bilbao said the 53,000-capac- scored in the last minute of extra time to of COVID-19. ity San Mamés could have a quarter of seats give Uzbekistan’s AGMK a 1-0 win over Al- The western half of the group stage starts fi lled but that was disputed on Wednesday night Gharafa of Qatar to reach the group stage next Wednesday while the eastern zone is by the Spanish football federation, which said for the fi rst time. scheduled to get underway in June or July. the pandemic conditions meant it was unlikely fans could be allowed by June. there are no guarantees,” said Gijs de Jong, a in its statement, saying it is “conceivable and tournament director in Amsterdam. “However, desirable that spectators can be in the stadium” we remain hopeful that, come June, the situa- for its four games, including a quarterfi nal. SOCCER tion will have improved to the point where we The city with the most games is London, can allow even more spectators to attend.” which will stage seven fi xtures at Wembley The rescheduled European Championship is including the semifi nals and fi nal. Authorities The Football Association of Ireland also said due to open on June 11 in Rome. hope the 90,000-capacity might even be full by it was not able yet to provide assurances on The Italian government informed the coun- the end of the tournament. minimum fan numbers in Dublin as required by Spectators watch during the World Cup 2022 Group G qualifying soccer match between competition organizer. try’s football federation on Tuesday that fans Russia has already confi rmed that St. Peters- The Netherlands and Latvia at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on can attend the four Euros matches at Stadio burg’s 65,000-seat stadium will be fi lled to at “We have made our submission to UEFA to- March 27. (AP) day and now await their response once submis- Olimpico. But the government’s scientifi c least 50% capacity for its four games. Denmark sions from all 12 host cities have been received ties want to allow at least 12,000 spectators who have three games in the group stage and a round committee struck a more cautious note on is planning on up to 12,000 fans being allowed and considered,” FAI Chief Executive Jonathan Wednesday, saying it was premature to provide into the four matches at the 38,000-capacity have presented a negative COVID-19 test result of 16 match each. Authorities in the Netherlands a timeline on the return of crowds. Parken Stadium. A similar number could be at- Hill said. into the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam. warned that if the coronavirus situation deterio- England is one of the countries being consid- The situation will be re-examined by the tending games in Romania under government ered to relocate some games. But with Wemb- And the Scottish government determined on rates, then the presence of fans in the Amster- committee in the coming weeks after looking plans for the 55,000-capacity national stadium ley already the location for seven games across Wednesday that up to 12,000 fans could be al- dam stadium will have to be re-evaluated. at levels of coronavirus infections, hospital oc- in Bucharest to be at least a quarter fi lled. a month, including the semifi nals and fi nal, an- lowed into Glasgow’s four games, with Hamp- “We look forward to welcoming 12,000 cupancy numbers and the progress of the vac- Baku, Azerbaijan and Budapest, Hungary are other stadium in the country would be required. den Park at 25% of capacity. spectators to the Johan Cruyff Arena, but we are cination campaign. also due to be part of the hosting of the tourna- The Dutch football federation said authori- Bilbao, Dublin, Glasgow and Amsterdam aware that the coronavirus is unpredictable and The city of Munich was also less committal ment that has been rearranged from 2020. Inter pip Sassuolo to move Soccer Roundup Montpellier, Angers avoid upsets Sociedad scores late to draw 11 points clear atop Serie A with Athletic in Basque derby MADRID, April 8, (AP): Roberto López scored in the 89th minute to give Real Sociedad a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao in the Span- ish league in the second Basque Country derby in four days. Real Sociedad beat Athletic on Saturday in the postponed fi nal of last year’s Copa del Rey, then equalized in the league match only four minutes after its rival had taken the lead. Athletic opened the scoring with a header by Asier Villalibre in the 85th, but López equalized for the hosts with a remarkable curling shot from outside the area into the top far corner. It wasn’t clear if López was attempting a cross or a shot. The result moved Sociedad back Stuttgart’s Konstantinos Mav- into fi fth place with 46 points, 12 ropanos (right), and Bremen’s Milot Rashica challenge for the behind fourth-place Sevilla. Ath- ball during the German Bundes- letic dropped to 10th, further away liga soccer match between VfB from the European qualifi cation spots. Athletic will also play in the fi - Bremen through to nal of this year’s Copa fi nal, facing Barcelona on April 17. German Cup semis Atlético Madrid has a one-point lead over Barcelona in the league REGENSBURG, Germany, April and is three ahead of Real Madrid. 8, (AP): Yuya Osako’s second- Barcelona and Madrid play in the half goal was enough for Werder last clásico of the season on Satur- Bremen to reach the German Cup day in Madrid. Atlético visits Real semifi nals with a 1-0 win over sec- Betis on Sunday. ond-division Regensburg. ❑ ❑ ❑ The Japan forward controlled Marco Friedl’s pass from midfi eld In Paris, top-fl ight teams Mont- on his chest and turned to shoot in- Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez (right), scores against Sassuolo during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro Stadium pellier and Angers avoided upsets side the left post in the 52nd minute. in Milan, Italy, on April 7. (AP) but labored into the French Cup The teams’ quarterfi nal was sup- quarterfi nals with narrow wins posed to be played on March 2, but against fourth-tier opposition. it was postponed due to COVID-19 Dybala helps Juventus earn 1st win in 3 league matches Montpellier is eighth in the fi rst infections among several Regens- division and still in contention for burg players a couple of days after a Europa League spot next season, coach Mersad Selimbegovic was MILAN, April 8, (AP): ing us.” Inter focused on defending and at- utes after making his return from in- while Angers is in midtable. diagnosed with what the club said Romelu Lukaku scored one The match between Inter and Sassu- tempting to score on the counter. jury to help Juventus earn a fi rst win in Montpellier defeated Chateau- was the “highly contagious British olo was meant to be played just before It did so in the second half when Lu- three league matches. briant 1-0 and Angers won by the mutation of the coronavirus.” goal and set up another as the international break but was post- kaku’s through ball released Martínez Dybala had been sidelined with a same score at Sedan, which won The opening minutes of the sec- Inter Milan moved a step poned following a coronavirus out- in the middle and he drilled into the knee injury for more than two months the competition in 1956 and ‘61 ond half had more goal-mouth ac- but he was brought on as a substitute in and fi nished runner-up three times tion than the entire fi rst half. Osako closer to its fi rst Serie A ti- break in the Nerazzurri camp. bottom right corner. before dropping out of professional Inter took an early lead when Ashley Hamed Traorè set up a nervy fi nale the 69th and made it 2-0 shortly after, then missed a chance to make it tle in more than a decade controlling a pass from Rodrigo Bent- soccer a few years ago.