ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MARCH 12-13, 2021 SPORTS 14

Simeone’s side move six points ahead of Barcelona Atlético defeat Athletic to increase Spanish league lead , March 11, (AP): Atlético Madrid put an end to its home struggles in the Spanish league, strengthening its lead in the process. Spain will respect UEFA rules for qualifier Madrid ended its three-game winless streak PRISTINA, , March 11, (AP): Koso- gave the same assurances. at home in the league by defeating Athletic vo’s soccer federation said Wednesday its The federation had taken issue with the Bilbao 2-1 in a match postponed from January Spanish counterpart has expressed regret Spanish national team’s references, in a because of a snowstorm in Madrid. for referring to the Balkan country as a “ter- press release and on Twitter, to Kosovo as and Luis Suárez scored a ritory” and promised to host an upcoming a “territory,” calling them “unacceptable.” in each half as Atlético came from behind World Cup qualifier between the teams in Kosovo and Spain are in Group B to- to move six points ahead of Barcelona and eight accordance with all UEFA rules. gether with Sweden, Greece and Georgia. points in front of Real Madrid. The Kosovo federation had earlier warned Greece and Georgia also do not recognize ’s team, seeking its fi rst that it wouldn’t play the March 31 game in Kosovo as an independent nation. league title since 2014, had been losing ground Seville unless Spain pledged to respect the Two years ago, Spain’s refusal to re- recently thanks in large part to its setbacks at Balkan country’s sovereignty, including its spect the flag and anthem of Kosovo forced home. anthem and flag. Spain does not recognize UEFA to move qualifying games in soccer’s Kosovo’s 2008 independence from Serbia. under-17 European Championship. Agim Ademi, head of the Kosovo federa- Kosovo declared independence from Ser- SOCCER tion, said in a statement that he had a phone bia in 2008, a decade after a brutal 1998-1999 call on Wednesday with Spanish federation war between separatist ethnic Albanian rebels officials who promised that the game “will be and Serb forces ended following a 78-day Atlético conceded in the 88th minute in a 1-1 held in line with the FIFA and UEFA rules and NATO air campaign that drove Serb troops draw against Madrid in Sunday’s derby at the protocol.” Ademi said UEFA officials also out and a peacekeeping force moved in. Wanda . It was coming off a 2-0 loss to Levante and a 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo in its previous games at home. Uruguay striker also scored in the derby against The Basque Country club coached by Mar- All three teams at the top of the standings Madrid at the weekend. celino García Toral will play in consecutive have now played 26 games. Atlético had been ’s Iker Muniain, (center), vies for the ball with Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippi- Athletic, sitting in eighth place, missed a Copa del Rey fi nals next month, including the playing with games in hand for most of the time er, (right), and Atletico Madrid’s Marcos Llorente during the Spanish soccer match chance to move closer to the European quali- one postponed from last season because of the until now. between Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, fi cation spots. It is four points from seventh- coronavirus pandemic. “This was a special game because now all the Spain, on March 10. (AP) place Villarreal. Atlético’s victory allowed Simeone to break teams have the same number of matches,” Llor- “It hurts because we played a great fi rst half Luis Aragonés’ club record of 308 wins as a coach. ente said. “These three points were important to Williams in the 21st minute. Llorente equalized after he was fouled inside the area. but ended up conceding just before halftime and The team visits Getafe on Saturday. Next keep us at the top and to give us confi dence.” with a header that defl ected off a defender in It was Suárez’s 18th goal in the league, mov- then they scored again early in the second half,” week it will travel to England to try to reverse Iker Muniain opened the scoring for the visi- fi rst-half injury time, and Suárez scored the ing him within one of scoring leader Lionel Muniain said. “That settled the match. We are a 1-0 fi rst-leg loss to Chelsea in the round of 16 tors from inside the area after a cross by Iñaki winner by converting a penalty kick in the 51st Messi, his former teammate at Barcelona. The upset because we could have done better.” of the Champions League. Hope scores century Liverpool blank Leipzig to reach Windies beat Sri Lanka Champions League quarterfinals by 8 wickets in 1st ODI NORTH SOUND, Antigua, March 11, (AP): Sri Lanka slumped af- ter opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka was given out for obstructing the field and lost by eight wickets to the West Indies on Wednesday in the first one-day international. Gunathilaka made 55 and put on 105 in an opening stand with cap- tain Dimuth Karunaratne, which seemed to put Sri Lanka on course to a commanding total after it lost the toss and had been sent in. Karunaratne was out for 52, caught and bowled by West Indies captain Kieron Pollard with his second delivery. Bremen’s Joshua Sargent, (left), The match became ill-tempered and Bielefeld’s Amos Pieper bat- when, in the 21st over, Gunathila- tle for the ball during the German ka was judged to have obstructed soccer match between Arminia Bielefeld and Werder Bre- the field when he trod on the ball men in Bielefeld, Germany, on while Pollard was attempting to af- March 10. (AP) fect a run out. Sargent ‘lifts’ Bremen CRICKET past 10-man Bielefeld BIELEFELD, Germany, March 11, Pollard bowled a short ball (AP): U.S. forward ’s which Gunathilaka fended away. fifth Bundesliga goal of the season Pathum Nissanka set off for a lifted Werder Bremen to a 2-0 win single but Gunathilaka, after ad- over 10-man Arminia Bielefeld, vancing down the pitch, sent him which moved his team further away back and stepped back into his own from the relegation zone. Sargent was on hand to apply crease. As he did so, he stepped on the finish in the 47th minute when the ball and knocked it backwards. Milot Rashica’s shot took a looping Pollard immediately appealed deflection toward the far post. and on-field umpire Joe Wilson gave a soft signal of out before SOCCER television umpire Nigel Guguid Liverpool’s Divock Origi, (right), is challenged by Leipzig’s Marcel Sabitzer during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between ruled that Gunathilaka had deliber- Bielefeld’s hopes of a comeback Liverpool and RB Leipzig at the Puskas Arena Stadium in Budapest, Hungary, on March 10. (AP) ately attempted to foil the run out. were hit when Nathan de Medina There seemed to be little evidence was sent off in the 71st after a video the batsman had acted deliberately. review found his clumsy challenge Salah, Mané shine De Bruyne, Mahrez score 2 The Sri Lanka innings lost its way on Niclas Füllkrug worthy of a red card. De Medina made contact with from then on and the tourists were Füllkrug’s ankle from behind with BUDAPEST, Hungary, any team in the Bundesliga but couldn’t all out for 232 in 49 overs. The West his studs and was initially given a March 11, (AP): With its reproduce that form in Europe this sea- Man City top Southampton Indies surpassed that total with Shai yellow card before VAR intervened. son, conceding 16 times in eight games. Hope making 110 and his opening Bremen took advantage almost title de- A long ball from Thiago Alcantara MANCHESTER, England, March chances and they were caught out as partner Evin Lewis adding 65. immediately as Kevin Möhwald fense in tatters, Liverpool found Salah free behind the Leipzig 11, (AP): Riyad Mahrez and Kevin City took the lead from its fi rst serious finished off a team move down defense in the 24th before Gulacsi De Bruyne both scored twice to lead attack. “We got a nice start but but the right flank in the 75th by side- kept its last chance of a tro- parried away the Egyptian’s shot and Manchester City to a 5-2 victory over The move was started by Ruben we lost a couple of wickets,” Ka- footing in ’s phy alive by beating Leipzig Mané headed the rebound into the Southampton, moving 14 points clear Dias, who picked out Oleksandr runaratne said. “In the end we were cut-back cross from the touchline. 2-0 to reach the Champions ground. Not long after, Diogo Jota beat at the top of the Premier League. Zinchenko with a superb crossfi eld short of 30-40 runs. If me and Da- Bremen stayed 12th in the 18- Nordi Mukiele and found the Leipzig City was contentiously denied a pass. Zinchenko then fed Foden and, nushka could have batted longer it team table but extended its cush- League quarterfinals. back line open in front of him before penalty with the score 1-1 in the fi rst although his shot was parried by Mc- would have been a different story.” ion over Bielefeld in the relegation Mohamed Salah and Sadio Gulacsi again saved. half after goalkeeper Alex McCarthy Carthy, De Bruyne was on hand to playoff place to 11 points. Bielefeld Karunaratne said 232 was inad- is 16th, a point above Mainz in the Mané scored Liverpool’s goals to was adjudged not to have fouled Phil thump home off the underside of the equate on a good batting pitch. Foden and VAR did not overrule. bar. automatic relegation zone and two complete a 4-0 win on aggregate. SOCCER “They could just get singles and behind 15th-place Hertha Berlin. Liverpool end- But City responded to win convinc- Southampton quickly drew level. ingly as Mahrez put the hosts ahead Jannik Vestergaard tested Ederson rotate the strike,” he said. “Shai got ed its run of six At the other end, Alisson Becker and then set up Ilkay Gundogan to with a powerful header from a corner a start and he batted well. We kept other Sri Lanka batsmen to reach defeats in home stopped an early Leipzig attack, push- make it 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium be- and was fouled by Laporte in the pro- losing wickets in our innings.” double figures. games, at least ing away a shot from in the fore halftime. cess. Referee Jon Moss pointed to the Pollard acknowledged the dis- “They were 100 without loss technically, as 10th when Leipzig exploited Liver- The Algerian added another after spot and Ward-Prowse fi red down the missal of the Sri Lanka openers and we were looking at a chase of Jürgen Klopp’s pool’s high defensive line to counter. the break and De Bruyne scored the middle. in quick succession with the total 300,” Pollard said. “We thought team was offi- Injury-hit Liverpool’s latest makeshift fi fth after Che Adams had pulled one Controversy erupted soon after as 105, and 112, changed the course we needed to up the intensity in the cially the host center-back pairing of Ozan Kabak back. City felt they should have had a pen- of the innings and the match. An- field. “They lost a couple of wick- at the neutral and Nathaniel Phillips largely held De Bruyne also opened the scoring alty themselves. McCarthy went in ets and it started the slide.” firm, though Emil Forsberg went close in the 15th minute with James Ward- feet fi rst on Foden and appeared to gelo Mathews (5) followed at 119 Puskas Arena and Nissanka (8) when Sri Lanka Pollard praised Hope’s match- Salah when he beat Phillips dragged a shot Prowse replying from the penalty spot. catch him on the ankle after the City in Hungary. wide of the post late in the first half. City appeared to be feeling the ef- midfi elder had taken advantage of an was 126-4. winning innings. “We’ve had a few injuries this sea- “We didn’t reach our best level of fects of Sunday’s Manchester derby error by the goalkeeper. A half century by Ashen Banda- “For us in white-ball cricket, son, we have been unlucky but the most achievement today and so we don’t de- loss that ended a 21-match wining Moss, presumably thinking McCar- ra lifted the Sri Lanka total but he Hope is the guy,” he said. “He’s important thing is we need to keep fight- serve to progress, however tough that run as the hosts began unusually slug- thy had got a touch on the ball, gave lacked support. Dinesh Chandimal been given a role and he gives us ing,” Salah told broadcaster BT Sport. may feel,” Leipzig coach Julian Na- gishly. nothing and City - particularly man- “We don’t have to look to the big picture (12) and Lakshan Sandakan who the foundation and others can bat gelsmann told Sky Sport in Germany. Yet for all their positivity, Saints ager on the touchline- was left 16 not out were the only around him.” because sometimes when you do, we get were unable to create any clear-cut was incredulous when VAR did not pressure and we see too much pressure intervene. carried on to the pitch. We just need to Foden quickly got back to his feet leave the pressure off the field and just in an attempt to score but the chance Marseille down Rennes 1-0 in play football.” was gone. A string of saves by goalkeeper Pe- ter Gulacsi - once a Liverpool player Sampaoli’s 1st game in charge - kept Leipzig in contention before SOCCER Salah made the breakthrough in the MARSEILLE, France, March 11, (AP): is mired in 10th spot. Winger Florian 70th minute. Salah lined up a low shot The incident appeared to unsettle Jorge Sampaoli marked his fi rst match Thauvin went close for Marseille early tucked inside the right post after Diogo City as Ward-Prowse tested Ederson in charge of Marseille with a 1-0 home in the second half when his curling shot Jota showed smart movement on the from distance and Moussa Djenepo win against Rennes thanks to substitute went just past the post, and Rennes wing- counter to create space for Salah be- fi red wide but Mahrez changed the Michael Cuisance’s late header. er hit the crossbar in the 75th. fore passing to the Egypt forward. course of the game with two moments The midfi elder As Leipzig - which surprisingly of brilliance. had only been on SOCCER reached the semifinals last season - First he restored City’s lead as he for a few minutes tried to find a way back into the game cut in from the left to collect a pass when he rose to four minutes later, substitute Divock from the right and bend a shot around meet Luis Hen- The game was rescheduled after be- Origi found space on the right flank to McCarthy from the edge of the area. rique’s cross ing postponed on Jan. 30, when angry cross low for Mané to tap in. Mahrez was then instrumental in from the left, and Marseille fans stormed the training The closest Leipzig came to scoring making it 3-1 after weaving through his header looped complex in a bid to pressure the club’s was when Alexander Sorloth headed the area and fi ring against the post. over goalkeeper unpopular president to leave. against the crossbar in the 67th, before Gundogan tapped in the rebound. Alfred Gomis in He has done so and, after former Liverpool responded with two goals to Mahrez scored City’s fourth him- the 87th minute. Sampaoli coach Andre Villas-Boas resigned, the end the German team’s chances. Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, (left), and Southampton’s Nathan self after 55 minutes as he took a The win club hired Sampaoli to replace him. Just as in the first leg, Liverpool was Redmond challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer pass from Foden and skipped around snapped Marseille’s four-game losing Rennes coach Bruno Genesio also gifted chances by defensive blunders. match between Manchester City and Southampton at the Etihad Stadium Ward-Prowse before beating McCar- run and moved it up to sixth place, while led his team for the fi rst time following Leipzig has the fewest goals conceded of in Manchester, England, on March 10. (AP) thy again. Rennes has lost six straight games and Julien Stephan’s recent resignation.