sign in sign up
<<
Home , Giacomo Bonaventura, Inter Milan

Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2016 Menez rips off ear in friendly

BORDEAUX: New Bordeaux forward Jeremy Menez will likely miss the start of the season after a defender’s studs ripped his ear so badly it needed surgery, the club said yesterday. France international Menez joined from AC on Monday but was led from the pitch bleeding heavily during his debut on Wednesday night in a 3-1 friendly win over Ligue 1 rivals Lorient. “Jeremy was operated on late Wednesday under local anesthetic to re-sew his ear,” the club said on Thursday. Bordeaux coach Jocelyn Gourvennec described Menez’s ear as ‘cut in two’ after the game, adding that Lorient mid- fielder Didier Ndong had gone in too hard. The Gabonese offered a profuse apology after the game, saying the incident had been an accident. “I apologise to Jeremy Menez and to Bordeaux and hope to see him back in Ligue 1 action soon,” he said. “It was completely involuntary but had unfortunate consequences for him.” Bordeaux open their Ligue 1 cam- paign against Saint-Etienne in ten days’ time. A heavy tackle from Ndong earlier in the game also saw another Bordeaux striker Diego Rolan limp from the pitch. The 29-year-old Menez spent the past two seasons in Italy after joining Milan from Paris Saint-Germain, making an instant impression with 16 league goals in 33 appearances during the 2014-15 campaign. But he struggled with injury last term as Milan limped to a disappointing seventh-place finish in . Menez has been capped 24 times at interna- tional level but last played for France in 2013. — AFP

MINNEAPOLIS: Branislav Ivanovic #2 of Chelsea and #5 of AC Milan go after the ball during the Suarez and Messi lead second half of the International Champions Cup match on August 3, 2016 at US Bank Stadium. — AFP Barca past Leicester

SOLNA: Barcelona thumped English champi- Chelsea thump ons Leicester City 4-2 in a pre-season friendly in Sweden on Wednesday but ’s side were given hope by a second-half brace from new boy Ahmed Musa. ’s sumptuous pass set up the first of Munir El Haddadi’s two first-half goals while Luis Suarez netted in between as the AC Milan 3-1 Spanish champions exposed the Foxes’ defence. Nigerian winger Musa, signed from CSKA Moscow, came out with all guns blazing as one of seven second-half LOS ANGELES: Oscar scored a second-half double as Chelsea Bayern coach was unable to get one over his changes for Leicester to score after a lightning 50-yard solo cruised past AC Milan 3-1 in their final International old team Real Madrid as substitute Danilo scored in the 79th run and shot on 47 minutes. He then won and converted a Champions Cup game on their pre-season tour to the United minute with a stunning individual effort. Danilo charged penalty after 66 minutes. But with the scores at 3-2 Barcelona States. The Brazilian scored in the 70th and 87th minutes on down the flank then cut sharply to his left and split the Bayern then sealed the International Champions Cup tournament Wednesday for Chelsea, who rebounded from a 3-2 loss to defense before blasting a left-footed shot through the hands match with a late winner from Rafa Mujica. The English side Real Madrid in their previous outing in the friendly competi- of goalkeeper Sven Ulreich. who shocked the football world with their fairytale run to the tion on Saturday. Oscar first placed a penalty into the top cor- Although Bayern Munich controlled most of the play in the Premier League title last season were beaten 4-0 last week- ner after a Milan handball and then hammered a low drive first half, they were unable to capitalize on their scoring end by Paris Saint-Germain. — AFP into the bottom corner. chances. Both teams were without several of their players. French international N’Golo Kante made his debut for Portuguese superstars , , Pepe Chelsea after his 32 million pounds ($42.5 million) move from and Toni Kroos sat out the tour after featuring in the English Premier League champions Leicester, coming on as a European Championships and French striker Karim Benzema substitute in the second half. Bertrand Traore opened the was ruled out with an injured hip. Bayern Munich lacked scoring for Chelsea in the first half when he headed home Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Mueller and from close range in front of a crowd of more than 64,000 at Douglas Costa. the new US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was While the absence of the stars was a disappointment many the first major sporting event held in the 73,000-seat facility, North American fans, it opened the door for young players which is the home of the National Football League’s such as . The 21-year-old fired a hat-trick against Minnesota Vikings. as Bayern won 4-1 last week. Real Madrid’s first Giancomo Bonaventura scored the only for Milan with competitive engagement of the new season is in the UEFA a perfectly placed curving free-kick in the 38th minute. In oth- Super Cup against Sevilla in Trondheim, Norway on Tuesday, er International Champions Cup play, Spanish giants Real August 9. The English Premier League season begins on Madrid defeated German champions Bayern Munich 1-0. New Saturday, August 13. — AFP Bayern finish tour with defeat to Real

EAST RUTHERFORD: Bayern Munich fin- France winger Franck Ribery with a players and I am certain we’re going to ished their tour of the USA with a 1-0 minor knock, but held Zinedine Zidane’s have a good season,” said Ancelotti, who defeat to Real Madrid after a stunning Real for long periods before Danilo’s has replaced , with Munich Danilo strike sealed the European cham- winner 11 minutes from time. Bayern chasing a fifth straight Bundesliga title pions’ friendly victory in New Jersey. In had come close to opining the scores when the league season starts on front of 82,012 fans at the MetLife- when David Alaba hit the post with an August 26. This was Bayern’s second Stadium, the home of NFL sides the New early free-kick. Despite the loss, Bayern defeat on their tour of the US having lost 5- York Jets and New York Giants, full-back coach Carlo Ancelotti was happy with 3 to AC Milan on penalties, then recorded a Danilo hit the winning goal from 20 the performance as the Bundesliga thumping 4-1 win over Inter Milan. Real yards out on Wednesday, which beat champions fine tune their team ahead of have won both of their last two games in SOLNA: Leicester’s Japanese forward Shinji Okazaki (R) Bayern’s second string goalkeeper Sven their match with the US, having also beaten Chelsea 3-2, goes for a header during the 2016 International Ulreich. away in the German Super Cup on since losing their opening game 3-1 to Champions Cup friendly football match between FC The German champions were missing August 14. “I have a lot of trust in my Paris Saint-Germain in Ohia. — AFP Barcelona and Leicester City at Friends Arena. — AFP