SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 SPORTS Chelsea and Spurs face new title tests LONDON: Antonio Conte will hope Diego row. City have had two closely-fought Costa justifies his faith in having him rather matches already with Middlesbrough and than Everton’s Romelu Lukaku as his main with the latter having beaten Sunderland striker and deliver another three points in in midweek Pep Guardiola’s side may find it Chelsea’s chase for the title today. Chelsea a tough task to take all three points. United face their biggest challenge in their host a Swansea side that at least comes remaining five matches at Everton, who are into the game having beaten Stoke last on a run of eight successive home victories. weekend to stay in touch with fourth from However, Conte will hope they extend their bottom Hull.— AFP lead over rivals Spurs to seven points before Tottenham kick-off in the north London derby with Arsenal later today. Arsenal, who are still in the race to try and secure a Champions League spot, five Matches on TV points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester (Local Timings) City and with a game in hand, at least have restored some battered morale with two ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE wins this week including a gutsy victory Man United v Swansea City 14:00 over Manchester City in the FA Cup semi- beIN SPORTS HD 2 final. Both City and fifth-placed Manchester Everton v Chelsea 16:05 United are also in action on Sunday and beIN SPORTS HD 2 would hope to both pick up three points as Middlesbrough v Man City 16:05 they play two relegation candidates in beIN SPORTS HD 8 Middlesbrough and Swansea respectively. Tottenham v Arsenal 18:30 Conte is adamant he wouldn’t swap the beIN SPORTS HD 2 temperamental Costa, who has 19 goals to his name this season, including a welcome SPANISH LEAGUE return to form with a double against Osasuna v Deportivo La Coruna 13:00 Southampton on Tuesday, with Lukaku, beIN SPORTS who tops the scoring charts with 24. “As I’ve Real Betis v Deportivo Alaves 17:15 said before, for me my players are the best beIN SPORTS SD Eibar v CD Leganes 19:30 BERGAMO: Juventus’ Argentinian forward Gonzalo Gerardo Higuain (2ndL) vies with Atalanta players during the Italian Serie A football match in the world. I wouldn’t change my players beIN SPORTS Atalanta vs Juventus at the “Atleti Azzurri d’Italia” stadium. —AFP with any other players.” His Everton coun- Celta v Athletic de Bilbao 21:45 terpart Ronald Koeman was not happy at beIN SPORTS all with his players’ attitude in the goalless draw with West Ham last weekend and is ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE Last-gasp Atalanta snatch looking for a vast improvement. AS Roma v SS Lazio 13:30 beIN SPORTS 2 FR BRAGGING RIGHTS Bologna v Udinese Calcio 16:00 “It is always difficult if you have already beIN SPORTS point from wasteful Juve the seventh position in the pocket and Genoa CFC v Chievo Verona 16:00 maybe they get a little bit more holiday or beIN SPORTS end-of-season feeling,” said Koeman. “That Empoli v Sassuolo Calcio 16:00 MILAN: Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler bundled Juve were finally celebrating when Alves, tim- undone when Freuler kept his cool to fire off is what I don’t like.” Spurs will be seeking to beIN SPORTS a timely leveler past Gianluigi Buffon at the ing his run to perfection to meet Pjanic’s deliv- Buffon, collect the ball after it came off Andrea win the 50th Premier League meeting with Citta di Palermo v Fiorentina 16:00 death to grab a deserved share of the spoils for ery towards the back post, dived to head past a Barzagli and bundle home an 89th minute Atalanta in a 2-2 draw with Juventus on Friday. A flailing Berisha. But all the good work was equalizer. — AFP Arsenal to keep the pressure on Chelsea. beIN SPORTS MAX 4 FR great diving header from Dani Alves looked to For Argentine manager Mauricio Cagliari Calcio v Pescara 16:00 beIN SPORTS have secured the three points for Juventus after Pochettino beating Arsenal is necessary Massimiliano Allegri’s treble-chasers fought their not for bragging rights but to keep their Crotone v AC Milan 16:00 Mourinho thanks Van Gaal beIN SPORTS 2 FR way back when Atalanta midfielder Leonardo dreams alive of winning the title. Spinazzola’s own goal levelled Andrea Conti’s “My feeling is now, when you are so Internazionale v SSC Napoli 21:45 beIN SPORTS HD 1 FR first-half opener for the hosts. But Atalanta for tireless United spirit close-only four points the gap-I will be very would not give up the fight, and when Buffon disappointed if we don’t win the title,” said GERMAN BUNDESLIGA first pushed away Freuler’s last-gasp drive, he MANCHESTER: Jose Mourinho’s depleted Cup and win the League Cup, has taken its toll Pochettino. “My challenge or my aim is not FC Augsburg v Hamburger 16:30 could do little when the midfielder pounced on Manchester United side face Swansea at Old on the team physically. to be above Arsenal. My aim is to be above beIN SPORTS the rebound to fire in a last-gasp equalizer. Trafford yesterday with the manager praising Central defenders Phil Jones and Chris 19 teams and to be first, to be on the top.” TSG 1899 Hoffenheim v Eintracht 18:30 Juve’s third draw of the campaign left the the spirit shown by his exhausted squad. Louis Smalling remain out injured for the Swansea Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger has a beIN SPORTS Turin giants, on course for a record sixth consec- van Gaal, Mourinho’s predecessor as United game, with Marcos Rojo having suffered a sea- greater spring in his step since his players utive scudetto, nine points ahead of Roma, who manager, is not remembered with any fond- son-ending knee ligament injury. That led rediscovered their fighting spirit and he still FRENCH LEAGUE face Lazio in the derby today. Juve travelled to ness by the majority of the club’s supporters. Mourinho to joke he might name himself in hasn’t even give up hope of a top three fin- Caen v Olympique de Marseille 16:00 Bergamo well aware of the danger from But Mourinho believes the Dutchman suc- the starting side, along with youngster Axel ish. “We have an opportunity to be in there beIN SPORTS Atalanta, who took full points from Napoli, Roma ceeded in pulling together a squad of strong Tuanzebe whose entire first-team experience only if we win our games, we don’t have to Dijon v Girondins de Bordeaux 18:00 and Inter Milan at their Atleti Azzurri d’Italia sta- characters, although their resilience is now amounts to 22 minutes as a substitute against speculate at all,” said the 67-year-old beIN SPORTS dium earlier this season. And by the end of a being tested as United maintain their bid for a Wigan in the FA Cup. Frenchman. For the Manchester clubs, vic- OGC Nice v Paris Saint-Germain 22:00 confident first-half, Juve-who face Monaco away top-four finish in the Premier League and suc- United may have Juan Mata, sidelined since tories would see them leapfrog third- beIN SPORTS in the first leg of their Champions League semi- cess in the Europa League. the middle of March, available for Swansea but final next week-had reason for concern. placed Liverpool, who play Watford tomor- “The group was a nice group, honestly,” said France international Paul Pogba remains out The hosts started with a flurry, Hans Hateboer Mourinho, who served as a novice coach with a leg muscle injury and is being saved for narrowly failing to reach captain Alejandro under then Barcelona manager Van Gaal at the Thursday’s Europa League semi-final with Gomez’s inviting low cross in from the left in the Spanish giants in the late 1990s. “Good people, Celta Vigo. Mourinho will also be without opening minutes. Juve struggled to find their good boys, committed people. “I think Mr Van Belgium international Marouane Fellaini, who Celtic hammer Rangers 5-1 rhythm, and after Rafael Toloi forced Buffon into Gaal left a good group of boys with very good starts a three-match suspension, after his red action with a long-range effort the visitors had relations between them and I got that in my card for head-butting Sergio Aguero in the GLASGOW: Celtic scored five goals at Ibrox the injured Moussa Dembele, make it 2-0 in to wait until after the 25th minute to catch a hands.” The Portuguese added: “I think they midweek goalless derby draw away to for the first time as they cruised to a 5-1 the 18th minute. The Scottish striker was sight of goal. A cross fell kindly for Gonzalo missed happiness, they missed trust, they Manchester City. thrashing of Rangers in the final Old Firm sent scurrying away down the left by Stuart Higuain, but the Argentina striker’s volley was missed belief. They missed this extra bit that fixture of the season yesterday. Scott Armstrong and as the Rangers defence no trouble for Etrit Berisha in the Atalanta net. brings resilience, brings you fight. They have it. ‘PLAY EVERY FEW DAYS’ Sinclair slotted home from the penalty spot backed off he let fly with an unstoppable “So next July 9, when we meet again for Amazingly, given their schedule, the Etihad in the sixth minute before Leigh Griffiths’ shot from the edge of the box that rocket- CHIELLINI’S 300TH next season, it’s a stronger group.