6 December 14, 2020 Persepolis Facing Challenges to Face Bahrain, Iraq in Ahead of AFC Final FIFA World Cup Qualifiers TEHRAN (Duispatches) -- Iran national football team will host Bahrain and Iraq in Tehran in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Team Melli will meet Bahrain on June 7, 2021 and host Iraq on June 15 in Tehran in Group C. Media reports had suggested that Iran will play their remaining matches in neutral venues. Iran sits third in the group and the matches are very important to Dragon Skocic’s team. Team Melli is seeking a third consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup Finals but back to back defeats to Bahrain and Iraq in Group C of the Asian Qualifiers left the Central Asian side third in the standings, TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Ira- team will also be without although it has a match in hand. nian champions Persepolis trav- several key players includ- eled to Doha on Sunday to meet ing striker Issa Alekasir, who the East Zone champions Ulsan was handed a six-month ban Joshua KOs Pulev to Retain Heavyweight Titles Hyundai of South Korea in the prior to the Champions League LONDON (Dispatches) low Briton Tyson Fury who 2020 AFC Champions League semifinal against Saudi side Al - World heavyweight cham- holds the WBC belt. final, for what will be their first Nassr. pion Anthony Joshua pro- “I stuck to what I know official match for almost three Other absentees include mid- duced a devastating finish best, looking at where I’m weeks. fielders Vahid Amiri and Ehsan to knock out Bulgarian Ku- going to put my shots,” Ulsan Hyundai of South Ko- Pahlevan, as well as defender brat Pulev near the end of Joshua said at ringside. rea came from behind to edge , who left the ninth round to retain his “When they are successful past Japan’s Vissel Kobe in the the team to join Qatari club Al IBF, WBO and WBA belts at they are successful. It’s less semifinal of AFC Champions Rayyan, according to the Per- Wembley Arena on Satur- talk and more action.” League to be named Perse- sian Football website. day. Asked about fighting Fury, polis’ rival in the final of the Persepolis will face either Ul- The 31-year-old Briton Joshua put the question to had looked close to winning the audience: “Who wants event. san Hyundai from South Korea when he floored Pulev in to see Anthony Joshua fight Yayha Golmohammadi’s in the AFC final. the third round but the chal- Britain’s Anthony Joshua (right) lands a punch on Bulgaria’s Kubrat Tyson Fury in 2021,” he lenger recovered to test the Pulev (left) during their heavyweight world title boxing match at Wemb- said, to which the crowd Lewandowski Rescues Bayern at home favorite in front of a ley Arena in north west London on Dec 12, 2020. roared their approval. limited crowd of 1,000. per-cut which sent Pulev to The champion’s 24th win The 32-year-old Fury, But there was no escape the canvas. The 39-year-old from 25 professional fights whose brother Hughie was Union, Dortmund Suffer ‘Disaster’ for the challenger in the got up but Joshua connected sets up the prospect of a fighting on the undercard, ninth round as Joshua land- with another straight right mouth-watering unification was quick to respond on ed a clubbing right up- hand to end the contest. clash next year with fel- Twitter. Real Beat Leaders Athletico in Madrid Derby In La Liga, Diego Simeone’s side leaders Atletico should “definite- had won seven consecutive league ly” be considered title favorites games going into the derby, con- ahead of Saturday’s meeting. ceding just twice in their first 10 Despite their defeat, Simeone’s La Liga fixtures. side still have a three-point cush- But it was Real who dominated ion over Real - as well as a game in in the early stages and Oblak hand - but a third straight victory produced an excellent save to tip in a key week for Zidane’s side Karim Benzema’s shot onto the may mark a momentum shift. post before Casemiro’s opener. At the start of December, defeat Simeone responded to a dis- by Shakhtar Donetsk left Real in Dani Olmo (C) celebrates scoring RB Leipzig’s second goal at home to appointing first half with three danger of exiting the Champions Bremen on Saturday changes and his side were much League at the group stage for the improved after the break, though first time, and Los Blancos were BAEYRN (Dispatches) - Rob- Bayern goalkeeper Manu- substitute Thomas Lemar shot ag- also seven points off the pace in ert Lewandowski marked his el Neuer pulled off a superb Real have not lost a Madrid derby in La Liga since 2016 onisingly wide from Marcos Llor- Spain. 200th Bundesliga appearance for save after 52 seconds to deny ente’s low cross after 55 minutes. But they beat Sevilla 1-0 last Bayern Munich with a second- Union’s Liverpool loanee Taiwo That miss proved pivotal, as Car- weekend to end a three-game win- MADRID (Dispatches) - Defend- off the back of Atletico goalkeeper half equalizer in an 1-1 draw at Awoniyi. ing champions Real Madrid inflicted Jan Oblak. vajal’s powerful attempt doubled less run in La Liga, before win- Union Berlin which keeps the Proemel beat Neuer soon after a first defeat of the season on La Liga Real climb to third, while Atlet- Real’s advantage seven minutes ning their crucial final Group B leaders Atletico Madrid to move ico remain one point above Real later. match against Monchengladbach defending champions top on goal when his deft header flew inside within three points of the summit. Sociedad. Thibaut Courtois produced a on Wednesday. difference. the far post. Casemiro’s 15th-minute header Both sides safely progressed to good save from Saul Niguez to It appears Zidane’s side have After Grischa Proemel put Union kept up the pressure from Toni Kroos’ corner gave the the Champions League last 16 deny Atletico a late lifeline with re-established some form with Union ahead with four min- when Awoniyi fired just wide hosts a deserved lead at the Alfre- with 2-0 victories in midweek, as their only shot on target, as the Saturday’s statement victory over utes gone, Lewandowski, the after wrong-footing both David do Di Stefano Stadium. Real beat Borussia Monchenglad- visitors fell to a first defeat in 26 Atletico, who missed the chance Bundesliga’s top-scorer, slotted Alaba and Jerome Boateng. league games - since a 1-0 loss in to open a six-point gap to Real - Dani Carvajal’s excellent sec- bach to win Group B and Atletico his 13th goal in his 10th league Moments later the VAR denied ond-half strike from outside the Madrid overcame RB Salzburg to this fixture on 1 February. with Barcelona already 12 points game to rescue a point on 67 Bayern a penalty appeal when box rebounded off the post and in finish second to Bayern Munich. Real manager Zidane claimed behind. minutes. Lewandowski went down after “Unfortunately, we’ve had a nudge in the area as it stayed Germany’s Geiger Wins Ski Flying World Championship in Slovenia to again get going after fall- 1-0 at half-time. LJUBLJANA (Dispatches) - Ger- “There was a lot of pressure. It felt ing behind, then sometimes it’s Bayern drew level when King- many’s Karl Geiger has won the indi- good already after the first jump, only enough for a point, which sley Coman dribbled past two vidual event of the Ski Flying World but I was aware that I had to stay doesn’t meet our demands,” defenders and squared the ball Championship at Slovenia’s Planica. focused until the last jump. This is said Bayern forward Thomas for Lewandowski who slotted Geiger led from start to finish as unbelievable. I really felt good right Mueller. home. the individual event started with two from the get-go,” Geiger told local Munich coach Hansi Flick Munich had a few late chances, rounds on Friday and wrapped up on media. admitted: “We can play better but Union defended doggedly. Saturday with another two rounds, “It’s incredible that I can stand on football” while Union goal- The result keeps Bayern top, claiming his first Ski Flying World top of the podium in an individual scorer Proemel felt “Bayern level on 24 points with RB Championships title with a total of competition at such a main event, were beatable”. Leipzig, who briefly led the 877.2 points. that’s new for me,” said Geiger. It’s The game in eastern Berlin table after their 2-0 win over It went right down to the wire as so emotional, I’m overwhelmed. No- was played behind closed doors, Werder Bremen earlier. Geiger defeated Norway’s Halvor body would have expected that from but Union fans fired a barrage Union stay sixth, two points Germany’s Karl Geiger Egner Granerud by just 0.5 points. me in Ski Flying, I was always con- of fireworks when the Bayern behind Dortmund who crashed Germany’s Markus Eisenbichler sidered stronger on smaller hills.” ing World Champion since Severin years ago, and his title is the seventh team bus arrived at the Alten to a 5-1 defeat against VfB took third place. Geiger is Germany’s first Ski Fly- Freund triumphed in Harrachov six for a German ski jumper. Foersterei stadium. Stuttgart.