Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 Juve extend Serie A lead, 9-man Milan win ROME: Champions Juventus extended their lead at ing well, but we’re thinking about keeping our con- “We knew it wouldn’t be easy. We expected the top of Serie A to seven points with a 2-0 win at centration on what we have to do. “Also tonight, for Crotone to get behind the ball, making it difficult to Crotone as nine-man AC Milan stunned Bologna 1-0 example, we didn’t concede a goal and that’s some- get forward and find the man between the lines,” on Wednesday. thing positive.” said Juve centre-back Leonardo Bonucci. Having seen their lead cut by Roma’s 4-0 success The defeat leaves Crotone languishing in 19th “In the first half our tempo was low, but as Allegri over Fiorentina on Tuesday, second-half goals from place and nine points from safety. The Calabrians did said, we did well to remain patient, like we did Mario Mandzukic and Gonzalo Higuain kept not disgrace themselves and proved stubborn oppo- against Inter and as we will have to in the next few Massimiliano Allegri’s team on course for a sixth sition for an hour. But they ran out of steam as games.” straight scudetto. Croatian Mandzukic converted a rebound following a Later on Wednesday, Milan ended a three-match “We could have done better in the first half, espe- header from Kwadwo Asamoah on 60 minutes. losing streak in sensational fashion as Mario Pasalic cially in the speed of our passing, but overall we were With 16 minutes left, Higuain calmly slotted home tapped home from close range a cross from Gerard organised, giving away little or nothing and when faced with only goalkeeper Alex Cordaz to Deulofeu. But victory had seemed improbable after approaching the game with lucidity and organisa- beat. That took his season’s tally to 16 league goals, the dismissals of centre-back Gabriel Paletta in the tion,” said Allegri. just one shy of Serie A’s top scorer Edin Dzeko, who first half and Slovak midfielder Juraj Kucka just before “Roma and Napoli (third at nine points) are play- bagged a brace for Roma on Tuesday. the hour mark. — AFP Relief for Claudio Ranieri as Ndidi rocket downs Derby LEICESTER: Wilfred Ndidi put a smile back on Claudio Ranieri’s face as the Leicester midfielder’s first goal for the troubled champions inspired a 3-1 win over Derby in Wednesday’s FA Cup fourth round replay. Ranieri has found himself under fire after Leicester slumped to within one point of the Premier League relegation zone less than a year after their fairytale title triumph. Amid claims Ranieri has lost the support of his squad, the Leicester boss was given a vote of confidence by the club’s Thai owners on Tuesday. But Ranieri was in danger of an embarrassing Cup exit when second tier Derby forced extra- time at the King Power Stadium thanks to an Abdoul Camara equaliser after Andy King’s opener. Ndidi was Ranieri’s saviour as the Nigeria international, who joined from Belgian club Genk in January, came off the bench to score with a superb long-range effort before Demarai Gray’s solo strike clinched Leicester’s first win in six matches. Next up for Leicester in the Cup is a fifth round trip to third tier Millwall on February 18, but Ranieri knows ensuring top- flight survival is all that matters this season. Having labelled Sunday’s trip to fellow strugglers Swansea as a “big battle” it was no surprise Ranieri made 10 changes from last weekend’s 3-0 defeat against Manchester United. And with Derby boss Steve McClaren making eight DORTMUND: Hertha’s Julian Schieber, right, and Dortmund’s Marc Bartra challenge for the ball during the German changes for the promotion chasers, what could have been a Soccer Cup match between Borussia Dortmund and Hertha BSC Berlin in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday. —AP blood and thunder cup tie was more akin to a reserve fixture for long periods. Ranieri’s approval rating with Leicester’s sup- SOCCER porters remains high and they sung his name loudly in the opening stages. Salomon Kalou’s miss puts CATALYST However, his makeshift line-up laboured to reward the fans’ good faith in a turgid first half. Dortmund into cup quarters On the brink of half-time, Jacob Butterfield almost put Derby ahead when his fierce low strike was turned away by BERLIN: Salomon Kalou’s missed spot- But Kalou blasted his effort over the their giant-killing run with a 2-0 win at Leicester goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler. Having struggled in kick put hosts Borussia Dortmund into bar to send Dortmund through. Before home to second-tier 1860 Munich. A the first half, Ranieri’s side finally pieced together an incisive the German Cup quarter-finals on kick-off, Dortmund captain Marcel heavy snowfall had threatened to delay attack to take the lead in the 46th minute. Gray was the cata- Wednesday as Hertha Berlin lost 3-2 on Schmelzer addressed home fans to criti- kick-off, but goals by midfielder lyst, cleverly working space for a cross to the far post, where penalties after a 1-1 draw. cise hooligans who attacked RB Leipzig Jaroslaw Lindner and striker Kevin Marc Albrighton nodded back across goal to King and the The Ivory Coast striker gave Hertha a supporters, including families, before Freiberger sealed the win. It was anoth- long-serving Leicester midfielder headed home from close- first-half lead in the third-round cup clash Saturday’s home league game. er scalp for Lotte having already beaten range. But when Derby’s Camara smacked a free-kick straight in Dortmund when he volleyed home on The violence has shocked Germany. top-tier clubs Werder Bremen and Bayer at Zieler moments later, it foreshadowed more frustration for 27 minutes after the hosts made a slow “We as players were, and are, very Leverkusen in the previous rounds. On Leicester. In the 61st minute, Albrighton gave away a free- start. But Dortmund raised the pace as shocked at what happened,” said Tuesday, holders Bayern Munich kick 25 yards out and this time Camara struck gold as the Marco Reus equalised straight after the Schmelzer in a video message. “On reached the quarter-finals for the 10th Guinea winger’s shot took a wicked deflection off Ben Chilwell break while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Saturday, people were harmed and we year in a row with a 1-0 win over and flashed past the wrong-footed Zieler for his first ever had a goal disallowed and Ousmane condemn that as a team. “We, the team, Wolfsburg, thanks to some heroics from Derby goal. Dembele fired wide for Borussia. wish all victims a good and speedy goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Late in normal time, Derby keeper Jonathan Mitchell some- Dortmund kept up the pressure as recovery and apologise for what hap- Bayern were coasting at Munich’s how avoided a red card from referee Mike Jones despite stop- the game went into extra time. pened.” Eintracht Frankfurt also reached Allianz Arena after a well-taken goal from ping Ahmed Musa’s raid by racing out of the area and block- However, they finished with 10 men the quarters with a 2-1 win at second- Douglas Costa on 17 minutes, but two ing with his hand. when defender Sokratis was sent off in division Hanover 96 with goals from superb saves from Neuer denied Yunus Derby had a lucky escape when Max Lowe chested the ball the 119th minute for dissent-just before Israel defender Taleb Tawatha and strik- Malli. Borussia Moenchengladbach against his own post, but Leicester finally conjured a moment the final whistle-as his back-chat earned er Haris Seferovic. reached the quarters with a 2-0 success of inspiration to win it four minutes into extra-time. him two yellow cards in quick succes- Schalke saw off second-division at second-division Greuther Fuerth Riyad Mahrez fed fellow substitute Ndidi who advanced sion. In the shoot-out, goalkeeper Sandhausen with a 4-1 win thanks to thanks to goals by Oscar Wendt and a unchecked before unleashing a blistering strike that beat Roman Burki was Dortmund’s hero. He three goals in a devastating seven Thorgan Hazard penalty. Mitchell and went in off a post. Gray capped Leicester’s saved Hertha’s second penalty from minute-spell from Alessandro Schoepf, Hamburg brushed off poor encouraging finale in the 114th minute when he went on a Vladimir Darida and stopped Sami Daniel Caligiuri and Naldo. Bundesliga form to win 2-0 at home to mazy run through the Derby defence and guided a cool finish Allagui’s fourth shot, although unluckily Third-division minnows Sportfreunde Cologne with goals by Gideon Jung and into the roof of the net. —AFP for Burki the ball still rolled into the net. Lotte, from near Osnabrueck, continued US striker Bobby Wood. —AFP.