WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2015 SPORTS United to face Arsenal in FA Cup quarter-finals

LONDON: Joint record FA Cup winners City in the last two rounds after coming Manchester United and Arsenal will meet in from behind in both matches. the quarter-finals of this season’s competi- New Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood tion following the draw on Monday. will be looking for two victories in four days United beat League One Preston North over local midlands rivals West Bromwich End 3-1 to set up the last-eight clash with Albion as his side battle against relegation holders Arsenal who beat them in the 1979 and seek a place in the last four. Villa and and 2005 finals. Both clubs have won the West Brom, who contested three FA Cup famous trophy 11 times. finals between 1887 and 1895, will meet at Giant-killers Bradford City of League on March 3 in the One, who caused one of the biggest ever before the Baggies make the short trip FA Cup upsets by beating Chelsea in the back there for the cup clash. The quarter- fourth round before seeing off Premier finals will be played on the weekend of League Sunderland in the fifth, got the March 7-8.—Reuters home tie their manager Phil Parkinson wished for. The third-tier side will face Reading, struggling in 16th place in the Matches on TV Championship (second tier) and have a (Local Timings) good chance of reaching the last four for the first time since 1911 when they won their only FA Cup. The draw was also kind UEFA Champions League to Liverpool, who were paired with mid- table Championship side Blackburn Rovers. Schalke v Real Madrid 22:45 England manager , who helped make the draw and has managed beIN SPORTS 1 HD both clubs, did Liverpool the bigger favor. beIN SPORTS 11 HD PRESTON: Manchester United’s (left) celebrates with teammate Ashley Young after scoring during the English FA Cup Fifth Brendan Rodgers’s side are in a rich vein beIN SPORTS 13 HD round soccer match against Preston. —AP of form after a sluggish start to the season Basel v Porto 22:45 and will be favourites to reach the semi- beIN SPORTS 2 HD finals for the first time since they lost the 2012 final to Chelsea. beIN SPORTS 14 HD However, Blackburn have beaten beIN SPORTS 2 HD United subdue Premier League Swansea City and Stoke

Espanyol, Osasuna deny matchfixing allegations Preston uprising

MADRID: Espanyol and Osasuna have Osasuna president Luis Sabalza, who was PRESTON: Manchester United survived a scare opponents in the previous two rounds, had also left-wing back and his shot hit ’s denied wrongdoing after media reports not in charge of the club at the time, told a against third tier Preston North End to reach the refused to buckle against supposedly superior outstretched leg and squirmed past De Gea in said their La Liga game at the end of last news conference on Tuesday the club “was FA Cup quarter-finals with a hard-fought 3-1 win rivals. One criticism levelled at United under van off the far post. season was being investigated for alleged not aware of matches being bought”. at Deepdale on Monday. Gaal is a lack of panache in attack and the trait Van Gaal waited until the hour mark to make matchfixing. “Osasuna had no benefit because the team ’s star-studded side were in was evident in the first half as Grayson’s team the tactical change that shifted the momentum The game at Espanyol’s stadium on the was relegated,” he added. danger of an embarrassing fifth round exit when kept them at bay. of the tie. Falcao was again ineffective and he penultimate matchday ended 1-1, with However, the club did admit that they the unheralded hosts took a shock lead early in Angel Di Maria’s dipping free-kick went wide made way for Ashley Young. Espanyol taking a 21st-minute lead and had been audited by the government the second half through Scott Laird. after John Welsh’s heavy challenge on Radamel Five minutes later, Young set up Herrera Osasuna levelling a minute before halftime. sports council (CSD) at the end of last year Not for the first time this season, United Falcao 25 yards out and that was about as close whose shot under pressure from near the edge Reports said the two rivals had agreed because of unusual payments made in lacked cohesion for long periods of the game, as the visitors came to troubling Preston goal- of the area beat Stuckmann. Fellaini who had beforehand on a draw. Osasuna were sub- cash. but they responded to the indignity of Laird’s keeper Thorsten Stuckmann before the break. been deployed in an advanced midfield role sequently relegated even though they won Osasuna did not say how much money goal with enough composure to finally subdue Promising moments ended when Rooney moved further forward and it paid dividends as at home to Real Betis on the final day, while was in question but local media said it was the underdogs. and Daley Blind overhit final passes, much to the United took the lead. Espanyol finished just above the drop zone more than two million euros ($2.3 million). ’s fortuitous strike levelled the delight of the home fans. Preston’s players were The Belgian saw his header from Valencia’s despite losing 3-1 at Real Madrid. “Right now one thing is certain which is scores just after the hour mark before Marouane also encouraged and they enjoyed attacking cross blocked by Stuckmann but the North End “We want to make it absolutely clear that a sum of money was paid out in cash,” Fellaini put United ahead after 72 minutes. flurries of their own. Joe Garner, Preston’s top goalkeeper was powerless to prevent Fellaini that RCD Espanyol of Barcelona has had no club director Pedro Baile said. made the tie safe with a late scorer with 14 goals, hit a low shot straight at from sweeping the loose ball home from inside part in any matchfixing or any irregularity,” “But to conclude that this money was penalty to set up a fascinating last eight tie at David De Gea before heading over from Paul the six yard box. Rafael Entrena, an Espanyol vice president, used for a certain end, that is what needs to home to Arsenal on the weekend of March 7 and Gallagher’s inswinging free-kick. Kyel Reid was one of three substitutes said on the club’s website (www.rcdespany- be proved.” The match is the second to 8. “I was reasonably satisfied. The fights between brought on by Preston in response to United’s ol.com) yesterday. “We defend the purity come under the spotlight in recent months Kevin Davies and the defenders were difficult TACTICAL CHANGE second goal and he saw a snap-shot from the and the sporting nature of the competition, in a league where it has long been suspect- but we didn’t give anything away,” van Gaal said. No team has won this competition more edge of the area flash wide. Preston’s already now and always,” he added. ed that games are manipulated by teams “Preston’s goal was a little bit unlucky but we times than United but their 11th and most faint hopes of reaching the last eight were extin- “RCD Espanyol will collaborate actively trying to avoid relegation. showed an unbelievable team spirit. We recent triumph came in 2004, and none of the guished with two minutes remaining. and resolutely, both with the public prose- In December, Japan coach Javier changed the shape and that was the solution. current squad has won the Cup during their time Stuckmann came racing out of his goal in an cutor and all the sporting authorities, to Aguirre, Manchester United “We scored fantastic goals. I liked the second at . attempt to reach a through ball but Rooney got take the investigation of these facts to its Ander Herrera, Atletico Madrid captain goal a lot, we have trained that a lot.” There was Yet Preston reached half-time with relative there before him and went down under the chal- conclusion. Gabi and 38 others were named in an little sign of inferiority from Preston in the first comfort and things got even better two minutes lenge. The goalkeeper was booked and his next “And if the investigation shows that alleged case of match fixing involving a La half as they acquitted themselves well, just as after the break when they took the lead. action was to pick the ball out of the net after someone committed any irregularity they Liga match in the 2010-11 season. All deny Yeovil and Cambridge, United’s lower league Garner’s pass found Laird overlapping from Rooney lashed home the penalty. —AFP will have to face the consequences.” wrongdoing.—Reuters

CL Preview CL Preview Real expect return to top form against Schalke

GERMANY: Holders Real Madrid do not expect another goal bonanza at Schalke 04 in today’s Champions League Round of 16 first leg after their big win last season, with midfielder Toni Kroos warning not to underestimate the Germans. Coach Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping his nor- mally formidable attacking trident of , and Karim Benzema, known collectively in Spain as ‘BBC’, return to top form in time for the trip to Germany. The trio each scored twice in the 6-1 victory at Schalke in last term’s Round of 16 first leg but Ronaldo, in particular, has been off colour since winning a third FIFA Ballon d’Or award last month. The Portugal captain again failed to score in SWITZERLAND: (Foreground left to right) FC Basel’s midfielder Luca Zuffi, forward Saturday’s unconvincing 2-0 win at home to pro- Breel Embolo and forward Derlis Gonzales, practice during a training session on the moted Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga and has eve of the Champions League football match against Porto. —AFP managed only four goals this year. In that time, Real have been knocked out of the King’s Cup by Atletico Madrid while a 4-0 Stepping-stone clubs drubbing at their city rivals in La Liga this month cut their lead over second-placed Barcelona to a point. Basel and Porto clash “We are top of La Liga and the reigning champions in Europe,” Ancelloti said on ZURICH: Basel’s Champions League tie times in the last 10 season and reached the Saturday. “It’s true that we have not been bril- against Porto today pits two clubs who Champions League knockout stages five liant in 2015, but I hope the return of the have mastered the art of nurturing the tal- times. Basel’s model is slightly different as Champions League will bring out the best in us ent of little-known footballers and selling they place more emphasis on generating again.” Another reason for Real’s stumble has them on to Europe’s top teams. Unable to revenue from ticket and hospitality sales been injuries to regular centre backs Pepe and compete with the financial power of the and regard income from transfers as a wel- Sergio Ramos. biggest clubs, both have instead been hap- come extra. Pepe should be available but Ramos is not py to accept a role as stepping-stones for Even so they have an impressive record due to return for about a month and their players hoping to make their way to one of and, in the last few years, have turned the replacements, Raphael Varane and Nacho, have the leading five leagues. Both have been likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka and looked far from convincing. highly successful at what they do and have Yann Sommer into Bundesliga material and “What was important was picking up confi- managed to remain competitive despite helped Egypt forward Mohamed Salah earn dence, and now we have to focus on Schalke. allowing a succession of top footballers to a move to the Premier League. This win (Deportivo) is really good for our walk through the exit door. morale,” Real fullback Alvaro Arbeloa said. Twice European champions Porto have LEFT TOO EARLY Improving Schalke, fourth in the Bundesliga, raked in more than half a billion euros The club’s only disappointment is that are desperate to make amends for last season’s ($570.20 million) from selling players, many some of those, such as Shaqiri and Salah, drubbing and hope Dutch striker Klaas-Jan of them bought for a pittance from South left too early and failed to win a regular Huntelaar, who missed training last week with a American clubs, in the last 10 years. The place at their new clubs. virus, will be fit. “He is an ice cold striker and I am likes of Radamel Falcao, Hulk, James Like Porto, the continued departures happy if we have him as an option against Real,” Rodriguez, Raul Meireles, Pepe and have not prevented them from lifting titles. team mate Tranquillo Barnetta told reporters. Anderson all passed through the Dragao They have won the Swiss league for the last “We have nothing to lose. If we continue to Stadium and Porto’s much-acclaimed youth five seasons and reached the Champions play as we have done recently and stick to our academy before heading elsewhere. League last 16 on three occasions, an out- plan then we have the chance to win against However, they have managed to keep standing achievement for a club from a Real. Our aim is to win at home and we firmly replenishing their talent pool and now small country. believe that,” said the Swiss international. Coach boast the likes of Colombia forward Having qualified at the expense of Robert Di Matteo will need to see whether keep- Jackson Martinez in attack and Algeria mid- Manchester United in 2011-12, Basel oust- er Fabian Giefer recovers from injury in time or GERMANY: Schalke’s defender Dennis Aogo and Schalke’s Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar fielder Yacine Brahimi in midfield. ed Liverpool in the group stage this time else hand 19-year-old Timon Wellenreuther his warm up during a training session on the eve of the last 16, first-leg Champions League foot- Porto have won the Primeira Liga seven around.—Reuters Champions League debut.—Reuters ball match. —AFP