SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 2014 FRENCH LEAGUE PREVIEW Runaway PSG looking to avoid complacency PARIS: Fresh from beating their biggest rivals last weekend, Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain are determined to avoid complacency when they travel to face Bastia today. Laurent Blanc’s league leaders eased to a 2-0 victory against Marseille in the Classique at the Parc des Princes in their last outing to move onto 64 points-a record tally at this stage of the season-and open up a gap of eight points to nearest rivals Monaco. Apparently too strong for their domestic opponents, the club from the capital could be forgiven for focusing all of their attention on the Champions League, in which they defend a 4-0 lead against Bayer Leverkusen going into the second leg of their last-16 tie next Wednesday. Nevertheless, coming into the trip to Corsica to face a Bastia side who are ninth in the table but have won just one of their last five Ligue 1 outings, Blanc has refused to admit that a second consecutive title is secure. “It’s not up to me to LONDON: Manchester City’s Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini (right) applauds after winning the League Cup final confirm or deny that. I think it’s better to be in our situation football match between Manchester City and Sunderland at Wembley Stadium in London.— AFP than that of our pursuers,” said the 48-year-old. “There are still a lot of points to be taken. We have a good number of points, but we need more. It’s not over. “Some people will say that if there is too big a gap we will start to lose focus. Pellegrini key to Man There is no easy solution. But we have managed to distance ourselves from our rivals and we are not going to complain.” Blanc was sweating on the safe return of many of his play- City revenge mission ers from international duty this week, while Edinson Cavani was allowed to go back to his native Uruguay for personal reasons but was expected to be available for the game. LONDON: Sergio Aguero hailed Manuel and it proved the final straw for City’s the Emirates earlier this season. Boss Second-placed Monaco entertain relegation-threatened Pellegrini as the perfect manager to lead board, who sacked Mancini in the immedi- Roberto Martinez doesn’t expect Arsenal Sochaux as they bid to get back to winning ways following Manchester City’s trophy charge as his ate aftermath. Ben Watson’s last-gasp win- to suffer a hangover from that loss at their 2-0 loss at Saint-Etienne last time out. Claudio Ranieri’s side set their sights on FA Cup revenge ner against City was Wigan’s final fling as a Stoke, but he insists his side will go on the side are now hoping to secure the automatic Champions against Wigan. Pellegrini has made a big top-flight club and they were relegated offensive. League qualification that comes with finishing runners-up as impact at City since arriving from Malaga just days later. “The whole squad is ready. It’s a glam- soon as possible, but they can ill afford to underestimate last year and he celebrated his first silver- Now a Championship club hoping to orous tie and we want to give it our best Sochaux, who have won three and drawn two of their last six ware in English football last weekend sneak into the play-offs, Wigan are unlikely shot,” Martinez said. “We will have to be at matches to keep alive their chances of an unlikely great when Sunderland were beaten in the to pose a major threat to City’s ambitions our best. You have to find a way to be escape from the drop. League Cup final. That success at of returning to Wembley for the semi- effective against a team like Arsenal. “Some people think it will be easy against Sochaux, I think Wembley could be the first of many for finals. With the Premier League title also “Arsenal are always ready, they can per- the opposite. I have the feeling that this team is going to Pellegrini according to Aguero, who has still within reach, City could enjoy their form without looking at what happened in stay up,” said Ranieri, before adding that captain Eric Abidal been impressed with the way the Chilean greatest ever season and Argentina striker the previous game. “It’s going to be a real- will miss the game at the Stade Louis II having briefly been has brought calmness and composure to a ly good game of football. We just need to admitted to hospital at the start of the week after taking the club that struggled to avoid negative FA CUP PREVIEW be effective and have a real threat.” wrong flu medication. “Eric Abidal is not quite ready for headlines under previous boss Roberto Sunderland travel to Hull bidding to today. It’s the same for Aymen Abdennour, (but) Dimitar Mancini. Aguero added: “I’d love to win the treble secure an instant return to Wembley fol- Berbatov has improved physically and he will be able to “Every manager is different, and with and I think we can aim for that.” In the oth- lowing their League Cup final heartache. start.” Manuel what he does is he talks a lot to all er last-eight ties, most of the attention will Gus Poyet’s team led for the first 55 min- Lille, in third, face a stiff test at home to Montpellier, who of us and treats every player the same,” be focused on north London, where utes before surrendering to City’s superior have not lost in nine Ligue 1 games, while Saint-Etienne, Aguero said. “This is important. He says Arsenal host Everton looking to reach the firepower and midfielder Jack Colback is who are a point off the Champions League places, travel to things to motivate us and that’s good. I’m semi-finals for the first time since 2009. determined to ensure that isn’t his last Lorient later tomorrow. Lyon go to Bordeaux tomorrow pleased as the League Cup is the first tro- The Gunners’ Premier League title chal- taste of Wembley. “I’m definitely hungry phy for Manuel. “We’ve adapted quite lenge suffered a setback with a 1-0 defeat for more. That’s the funny thing, if we win night, but Marseille were not happy about playing host to quickly to his way of playing and I’m at Stoke last weekend, leaving the Cup as our next game, we will be back there in south-coast rivals Nice. The game is taking place just 48 pleased as he’s given us a lot of guidance.” their best hope of ending a nine-year tro- the semi-finals, so that’s what we have got hours after a clutch of OM players were in action for their Pellegrini’s next challenge is avenge one phy drought. to aim to do,” Colback said. With League countries in Wednesday’s card of international friendlies. of the most embarrassing defeats in the One giant-killers Sheffield United hosting Marseille are seeking revenge for a 5-4 defeat to Nice in the club’s history. Last year’s 1-0 FA Cup final Everton won’t fear Arsenal Championship strugglers Charlton there French Cup in January, but they will also have to do without defeat against Wigan was one of the com- But Everton have no reason to fear will be at least one club from outside the top scorer Andre-Pierre Gignac due to suspension.—AFP petition’s all-time great Wembley upsets Arsene Wenger’s side after drawing 1-1 at Premier League in the semi-finals.— AFP Full-strength Bayern tune up for Arsenal BERLIN: Runaway leaders Bayern Munich will Bayern are looking to extend their record Tuesday’s Champions League last 16, second ing the first crisis of his career after five straight be at virtually full strength for today’s unbeaten league run to 49 matches and to leg at home to Arsenal with the hosts leading 2- defeats as they look for a first victory in seven Bundesliga clash at VfL Wolfsburg as they tune claim their 11th consecutive victory. Fifth- 0 from the first-leg in London. Second-placed years at Hanover 96 today. “My coaching career up for next week’s Champions League clash placed Wolfsburg were hammered 6-2 at Borussia Dortmund head to Freiburg tomorrow has not been very long and this is the first time with Arsenal. Long-term knee-injury victim Hoffenheim last Sunday and Bayern’s director with a shortage of strikers. Poland’s Robert that I’m in such a situation,” said the 40-year-old Holger Badstuber is the only absentee as stars of sport Matthias Sammer expects a backlash at Lewandowski sat out Wednesday’s internation- ex-Liverpool defender. “Of course, I have spoken Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Thomas Mueller the Volkswagen Arena. “They suffered a setback al against Scotland with a knee strain and to many people to ask advice on what I could do. and Xherdan Shaqiri all return from recent Under-23 striker Marvin Ducksch is out for a “I want to develop myself and I wouldn’t be learn- knocks. Ribery, UEFA’s best player in Europe last GERMAN LEAGUE PREVIEW fortnight with an ankle injury. It leaves ing so fast if we weren’t in this situation.” Hyypia season, has not played for Bayern in more than Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp with only is hoping to have defensive midfielder Sven a month after an operation on his buttocks, but in Hoffenheim and they will try and show a reserve striker Julian Schieber fit, but Germany Bender back after a dead leg.