MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017 SPORTS Invincible Celtic: Unbeaten season GLASGOW: Celtic became the first under former Liverpool boss Brendan ute was paid to Celtic’s 1967 European Viktor Noring before the Hearts ‘keeper The pair combined again moments lat- Scottish Premiership club to go Rodgers can seal a domestic treble- Cup winning side-affectionately made a superb stop to keep Dedryck er with Griffiths this time taking a pass unbeaten through a 38-game season their first since 2001 — next Saturday if known as the Lisbon Lions-and by Boyata’s point-blank effort out after the from the English winger on the chest when they defeated Hearts 2-0 yester- they beat Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup kick-off the noise reverberating defender connected with a Griffiths before firing into the side netting. day to win the league by a mammoth final. Celtic, who were presented with around Celtic Park was deafening. corner. Celtic had scored in every Celtic set a new goal-scoring record in 30 points. Second-half goals by Leigh the Premiership trophy for the sixth Celtic started brightly, Griffiths curling domestic fixture under Rodgers so it the 75th minute as Armstrong doubled Griffiths and Stuart Armstrong ensured time in a row, set a new points record a free-kick into the side netting before seemed inevitable they would eventu- their advantage. Griffiths’ cross was cut they didn’t slip up on the last day, as of 106 — their nearest “challengers” a fierce effort from Kieran Tierney ally break Hearts’ resolve. out by the Hearts defence but it only Celtic ended up with a record of played were Aberdeen, way back on 76. “It is a dipped just over the bar. However, it The breakthrough came five min- went as far as Armstrong, who lifted his 38, won 34 and drew four. The unbeat- monumental achievement by the play- was Hearts who came closest to an utes after the break. On-loan shot high into the net to put more en feat was last achieved in Scotland ers. They have inscribed their names opener midway through the half. Manchester City star Patrick Roberts, gloss on a record-breaking season. On by arch-rivals Rangers in 1898-99, over into the history of this incredible club Jozo Simunovic’s foul handed the unstoppable on the right wing, drifted Saturday, Inverness Caledonian Thistle an 18-game season, and Celtic join the now,” said Rodgers. “We had to work visitors a free-kick on the edge of the past a couple of Hearts defenders were relegated to the Championship likes of Arsenal (2003-04) and Juventus hard and to beat the goals record and box, which was rolled into the path of before lofting a cross into the box, despite their 3-2 win over Motherwell (2011-12) in being “invincible” during a the wins record means it’s a truly fan- Alexandros Tziolis and his angled strike where Scottish striker Griffiths applied after Hamilton’s 4-0 win over Dundee domestic campaign. tastic day.” flew narrowly over. A Callum McGregor the finishing touch as he sent a down- ensured they will face Dundee United Celtic plundered 106 goals and Before the match an emotional trib- long-range strike drew a save from ward header bouncing into the net. in the play-off final. —AFP Champs Monaco sign off with Rennes win PARIS: Monaco capped their French title- condemned Bastia to the drop. winning season with a record 12th consec- utive victory after beating Rennes 3-2 on ‘GOAL OF MY LIFE’ Saturday, while Bastia and Nancy were Nicolas de Preville struck a hat-trick as both relegated from Ligue 1. Fabinho Lille romped to a 3-0 victory over Nantes, tucked home a rebound to give Monaco a while Dijon were grateful to a missed first-half lead at Roazhon Park, and defend- penalty from Martin Braithwaite as a 0-0 er Jemerson added a second from a corner draw at Toulouse handed them the point shortly after the interval. needed to remain in Ligue 1. Lorient will Brazilian full-back Jorge then netted his face Troyes, who finished third in the sec- first Monaco goal in between a brace from ond division, in a two-legged play-off Adama Diakhaby as Leonardo Jardim’s side with their place in the top flight at stake surpassed Bordeaux’s single-season mark following a 1-1 draw with Bordeaux. of 11 straight wins set during the 2008-09 Nancy dealt Saint-Etienne a 3-1 loss in campaign. Monaco finished the season on Christophe Galtier’s final game in charge 95 points, just one shy of the French record of Les Verts, but the result was not set by Paris Saint-Germain a year ago. enough to spare them from joining Bastia Ronny Rodelin atoned for missing a sec- in Ligue 2 next season. ond-half penalty against PSG by grabbing a Strasbourg, who were demoted to the stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw at fifth tier after entering liquidation in the Parc des Princes to ensure Caen 2011, returned to the top flight on Friday retained their top-flight status. Adrien after sealing the second-division title with Rabiot scored a 13th-minute opener and a 2-1 victory over Bourg en Bresse. the visitors had looked to be heading Amiens will play in Ligue 1 for the first towards a relegation play-off after Kevin time in the club’s 116-year history after Trapp kept out Rodelin’s spot-kick. Emmanuel Bourgaud’s 96th-minute win- Alexandre Lacazette hit his 100th Ligue 1 ner at Reims bumped them up from sixth TURIN: Juventus players celebrate winning an unprecedented sixth consecutive Italian title, at the end of the Serie A soccer match between goal in his final appearance for Lyon with a place to second. Juventus and Crotone at the Juventus stadium. —AP brace in a 3-3 home draw against Nice. “I see the ball coming, I shoot and it The France striker, who is leaving his goes in. It’s crazy, it’s the goal of my career, boyhood club this summer with Atletico the goal of my life,” said man of the Madrid touted as a possible destination, moment Bourgaud after his last-gasp hero- Juventus clinches record netted twice in the second half to finish ics. “We pushed and we pushed hoping for with a career-best 28 league goals. He was something like that to happen. This goal is removed to a standing ovation before the extraordinary, it propels us into Ligue 1!” finish, but Nice levelled at the death when beamed Amiens coach Christophe Pelissier. 6th straight Serie A title Jean-Michael Seri converted a penalty Third-place Troyes recovered from two deep into injury time at Parc OL. Bafetimbi goals down to beat Sochaux 3-2 but Gomis headed Marseille to a 1-0 win over Bourgaud’s goal with the final kick against ROME: Juventus clinched a record sixth Bastia to secure a return to the Europa Reims means they will face a play-off straight Serie A title with a 3-0 win over rele- League for Rudi Garcia’s men, while defeat against Lorient.— AFP gation-threatened Crotone in the penultimate Kane seals Golden Boot round yesterday. Mario Mandzukic gave Juventus the lead 12 minutes in by redirecting with another hat-trick a cross from Juan Cuadrado, Paulo Dybala Torres scores as Atletico scored with a precise free kick shortly before the break and Alex Sandro added another box, where Kane was waiting to apply a first- waves Calderon farewell with a header near the end. time finish. Hull City 1 The Tottenham supporters went through Juventus moved four points clear of sec- their songbook, even chanting support for MADRID: Fernando Torres was the fitting Barcelona next season means Bilbao miss ond-placed Roma, which last Sunday handed Hull’s ex-Spurs players, Tom Huddlestone, match winner as Atletico Madrid waved out on qualifying for the Europa League. the Bianconeri their first Serie A loss since Michael Dawson and Ryan Mason, who is goodbye to their Vicente Calderon stadium Real Sociedad leapfrogged their Basque January. Since Serie A was founded in 1929, Tottenham 7 recovering after suffering a fractured skull in by beating Athletic Bilbao 3-1 yesterday. rivals into sixth thanks to Juanmi’s 93rd no club had previously won more than five January. Hull fans voiced support for Marco Atletico were playing their final competi- minute equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Celta straight titles. Torino won five consecutive Silva, their popular head coach. “We want you tive match at their home for the past 50 Vigo. Villarreal sealed fifth place with a 3-1 titles from 1943-49 (including a season that KINGSTON UPON HULL: Harry Kane helped to stay,” they sang. years before moving to the new 67,000 win at Valencia. was canceled due to World War II), Inter Milan himself to a second hat-trick in four days as Relegation was confirmed at Crystal Palace capacity Wanda Metropolitano stadium on took five straight from 2006-10 and Juventus ruthless Tottenham Hotspur smashed relegat- last week and Hull had the look of a weary the other side of Madrid next season. SEVILLA SIGN-OFF WITH claimed a handful from 1931-35. ed Hull City to end the Premier League season outfit, while Spurs were energetic. The visitors And fans’ favourite Torres ensured FIVE-GOAL FLOURISH “We’ve written one of the greatest pages in in style. England striker Kane finishes with 29 added their third in first-half stoppage time.