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MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016 SPORTS Totti to the rescue as Roma drop points at Atalanta MILAN: Francesco Totti came off the Totti replaced Daniele De Rossi on 78 we took our foot off the pedal, lost our left to collect a long ball from midfield stole a march on the defender to bun- bench to hit a late, precious leveller as minutes and eight minutes later the 39- shape and allowed them back into it. and fire in a cross for D’Alessandro to dle in at the near post. It was the first Champions League-chasing Roma year-old club icon slammed the ball “When that happens, your opponents bundle past Wojciech Szczesny on 33 time Atalanta had hit three goals at dropped two points in a thrilling 3-3 through traffic and past Marco obviously want to capitalise and that’s minutes. Roma’s defence really should home since a 3-0 rout of Palermo in draw away to Atalanta yesterday. Roma Sportiello to secure a share of the what they did.” have done better on that occasion, and December, but more was to come from travelled to Bergamo feeling the pres- spoils. Although Roma remain in third Szczesny had more reason to complain the hosts. Borriello could have added sure after Inter Milan stunned Napoli 2- place, 11 points behind Juventus ahead SCRAPPY AFFAIR when Borriello rose above De Rossi and to his ally but ballooned over from 0 on Saturday to close the gap on third of their home game against Palermo It was a scrappy affair at the Atleti Kostas Manolas at a corner to level with Gomez’s delivery and then saw a back- place to three points. But despite tak- later Sunday and five points behind Azzurri d’Italia stadium, although a powerful header four minutes later. heel flick go over from close range. ing a 2-0 lead by the 27th minute with Napoli, Inter are closing in. French left-back Digne settled Roma Roma could have put the match Roma were only saved from a potential- goals from Lucas Digne and Radja With five games remaining, Roberto nerves on 23 minutes when he finished beyond reach soon after, but Edin ly costly defeat when, as the ball rico- Nainggolan, Luciano Spalletti’s visitors Mancini’s Inter side are only four points off a well-worked move to roll a right- Dzeko ballooned over from eight yards cheted in the Atalanta area, Totti’s drive let their guard slip, allowing an enter- behind Roma in fourth as they bid to footed shot past Sportiello at his far and minutes later the Bosnian’s crisp sneaked past Sportiello and inside the prising Atalanta back into the game. end a five-year wait to return to post. Roma looked to be cruising when volley was tipped over by Sportiello at ‘keeper’s near post in the closing min- Marco D’Alessandro reduced arrears on Europe’s premier club competition. “At Belgian international Nainggolan full stretch. utes. It was his 245th goal in Serie A but 33 minutes and Roma reject Marco 2-0 up, we should have put the match chipped Mohamed Salah’s cut-back At the other end, Roma’s defence in what could be Totti’s 23rd and final Borriello returned to haunt his old club beyond reach,” Roma coach Luciano past Sportiello on 27 minutes. But was nowhere when Gomez fired in a season with the club, he remains 29 by hitting a brace that gave Atalanta a Spalletti told Mediaset. Atalanta fought back valiantly, cross that Ervin Zukanovic should have behind the all-time record of Silvio Piola 3-2 lead by the 57th minute. “But we lost focus at certain points, Alejandro Gomez sprinting down the easily swept to safety. Instead, Borriello (274). —AFP Pulisic nets as Dortmund break Hamburg bogey BERLIN: American teenager Christian goal. Mats put in a great pass to set me up,” Pulisic scored his first Bundesliga goal yes- said Pulisic. “It’s hard to put into words terday as Borussia Dortmund kept some what it felt like to score.” Ramos then made pressure on leaders Bayern Munich with a it 2-0 when he also put in a superb strike 3-0 win over 10-man Hamburg. across the face of the Hamburg goal on 44 Dortmund bounced back from the minutes. heart-break of their last-gasp 4-3 defeat at Hamburg had Adler sent off on 52 min- Liverpool on Thursday, which ended their utes and Ramos added his second on 86 Europa League campaign at the quarter- minutes when Japan’s Kagawa put in the final stage. final pass. It was their first win over Hamburg in Dortmund now have the chance to five league games having last beaten book their place in the German Cup final Bruno Labbadia’s side back in September when they play Hertha Berlin away in the 2013. Pulisic turns 18 in September, but semi-final on Wednesday. having only played his first German league “We were all very sad (after the game in January, the left winger made his Liverpool defeat), but the coach told us we senior international debut for the USA in have to go on and now we’ll have to wait March. He has now scored his first and see what happens in Berlin,” added Bundesliga goal on only his third start after Pulisic. Dortmund’s win trims Bayern’s lead being promoted from the Under-17 side by to seven points with only four games left head coach Thomas Tuchel in the winter after Pep Guardiola’s side beat Schalke 3-0 break. Dortmund look to have uncovered at home on Saturday. another star just as they seem set to lose Poland hot-shot Robert Lewandowski one. Reports on Sunday in both the netted twice in Munich to leave him as the German and UK media suggest defensive league’s top scorer with 27 Bundesliga midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is set to join goals this season. Manchester City for the start of next sea- Later yesterday, Cologne came from 2-0 son. But Dortmund stayed in the hunt for down to pull off a stunning 3-2 win at the German league title as Colombia striker Mainz. The hosts would have climbed to Adrian Ramos scored twice at Signal Iduna fifth and closing on a Europa League place Park. Hamburg were reduced to ten men for next season after goals by striker Jhon LONDON: Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, left shoots at goal as Crystal Palace’s Joel Ward attempts to block during the English Premier League soccer early in the second half when goalkeeper Cordoba and defender Leon Balogun. match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates stadium in London, yesterday. — AP Rene Adler was shown a straight red after But Cologne roared back at Mainz’s bringing down Shinji Kagawa. Coface Arena with goals from Marcel Risse After a great pass from Dortmund cap- and Milos Jojic before French striker tain Mats Hummels, Pulisic gave Dortmund Anthony Modeste netted the dramatic win- Bolasie punctures Arsenal’s the lead with a strike which beat Adler at ner in the dying stages. the near post on 38 minutes. The win moves Cologne up to 10th “It’s an amazing feeling to get my first while Mainz remain sixth. — AFP Champions League bid Palace. The Eagles then introduced former Bacary Sako but Cech turned over the near- Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who post header. But Cech was beaten via Bolasie’s Arsenal 1 received a hostile reception from fans of his old 81st-minute strike against the run of pay. The club. Arsenal saw Sanchez head Ozil’s quickly winger had been relatively quiet before he cut taken free-kick just wide but Palace, who had inside and saw his shot squirm beyond Cech’s created little, served notice they could still grasp to stun the Emirates and earn Palace a Crystal Palace 1 snatch an unlikely point in the 77th munute. point that all but guaranteed their Premier Yohan Cabaye’s corner was glanced on by League status. —AFP LONDON: Yannick Bolasie put a dent in Arsenal’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League Torres on target, Atletico with an equaliser for Crystal Palace nine minutes from time in a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium join Barca atop La Liga yesterday. Arsene Wenger’s side appeared on course for victory following Alexis Sanchez’s MADRID: Fernando Torres struck his fourth hour mark when he smashed a long-range headed goal in first-half stoppage-time. goal in as many games as Atletico Madrid shot against the post. But Palace, second best throughout in this all- moved level with Barcelona at the top of La All of Torres’s goals in his last four outings London Premier League clash, hung on in and Liga with a routine 3-0 win over Granada yes- have come from Koke assists and that combi- were rewarded when Bolasie’s edge-of-the-box terday. Koke ensured Atletico would have no nation worked a treat once more for Diego shot beat Petr Cech, who should have saved it, at hangover from their efforts in dispatching Simeone’s men when the former Liverpool the Arsenal goalkeeper’s near post in the 81st Barca from the Champions League in midweek and Chelsea striker latched onto an inch-per- minute. The result effectively ended the as he swept home the opener on 15 minutes fect pass before lifting the ball over the DORTMUND: Dortmund’s midfielder Christian Pulisic and Hamburg’s Japanese Gunners’ already slim title hopes, with Arsene before teeing up Torres to dink home just onrushing Andres Fernandez.