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15 Sports Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Real Madrid draw relegates Leganes and Messi claims golden boot Real Sociedad, Granada take last two Europa League spots MADRID: Newly-crowned La Liga champions with 12 minutes left to find a winner. But chances Real Madrid dropped points for the first time since were missed and a penalty appeal was turned down, the season’s restart on Sunday in a dramatic 2-2 meaning they join Real Mallorca and Espanyol in draw that was not enough to save Leganes from rel- Segunda next season. egation. “The lads are broken,” said Leganes coach Javier Leganes, who needed to beat Madrid and hope Aguirre. “We had it within our grasp.” Real Sociedad Celta Vigo failed to win against bottom club and Granada, meanwhile, took the last two Europa Espanyol, almost pulled off a miraculous escape but League spots, with Getafe and Valencia missing out. could not find a winner at the Butarque. The draw Villarreal had already secured fifth place. means a rotated Madrid side surrendered the per- Granada thrashed Athletic Bilbao 4-0 and qualifi- fect record of 11 victories out of 11 since Spanish cation caps an incredible season for the club, who football came back from its coronavirus-enforced were only promoted from Segunda last term. suspension while Karim Benzema fell short of Lionel “Our aim was to stay up so to finish in the Europa Messi in the battle for the League is a dream for us,” golden boot. said Granada striker Gareth Bale was left Roberto Soldado. out of Madrid’s squad Real Sociedad snuck completely for what might into sixth place after Adnan have been his last La Liga The lads Januzaj’s 87th-minute goal fixture for the club. clinched a 1-1 draw away at Zinedine Zidane said are broken Atletico Madrid. afterwards it was a “techinical decision”. Barca believe in Euro Messi had earlier scored glory twice in a 5-0 win over Messi finishes as La Alaves, enough for him to Liga’s top scorer for a LEGANES: Leganes’ Greek midfielder Dimitris Siovas (L) and Leganes’ Spanish defender Unai Bustinza (R) claim a record seventh ‘Pichichi Trophy’ and to give record seventh time, pulling clear of Telmo Zarra’s challenge Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior during the Spanish league football match Club Barcelona a boost ahead of the return leg of their six while playing for Athletic Bilbao in the forties and Deportivo Leganes SAD against Real Madrid CF at the Estadio Municipal Butarque in Leganes. —AFP last 16 Champions League tie against Napoli next fifties. “I’m never that bothered about the individual month. prizes and I would have preferred it to have come The double took Messi’s league tally to 25 goals with a league title like before,” added Messi. 16, and potentially Bayern Munich in the quarter- already out injured. for the season and put him four clear of Benzema, Setien said on Saturday he still believes finals, will offer a completely different test. But Setien has increasingly been putting his faith who endured a quiet night against Leganes, with Barcelona, at their best, can win the Champions There could be fitness concerns for Setien too in youth and the 20-year-old Puig impressed again Sergio Ramos and Marco Asensio on target. League next month. ahead of the second leg against Napoli. Clement in midfield while 21-year-old Ronald Araujo gave a The odds were always against Leganes but a mir- And a sparkling attacking display certainly gave a Lenglet hobbled off with what looked like a groin composed, albeit largely unchallenged, performance acle looked possible when Roger Assale equalised glimpse of what is possible, even if Napoli in the last problem, with Antoine Griezmann and Samuel Umtiti in defence. — AFP the Hornets this season, following the Pearson sacked departures of Javi Gracia and Quique Sanchez Flores. as Watford Watford are in 17th place, three points above the relegation zone Inter held at Roma ahead of Tuesday’s visit from City, manager with third-from-bottom Aston Villa having two games left and second- to leave Juventus from-bottom Bournemouth just one. LONDON: Nigel Pearson was The decision to axe Pearson is a closer to Serie A title sacked as Watford manager on big surprise after the 56-year-old Sunday with just two games left in the hauled Watford off the bottom of the club’s fight for Premier League sur- table following his arrival in MILAN: Inter Milan missed a chance to keep vival. Pearson has been replaced by December. After taking over with the the pressure on Juventus after being held 2-2 Hayden Mullins as interim boss for club nine points adrift, he oversaw a at Roma on Sunday, leaving the way clear for relegation-threatened Watford’s final resurgence that included a 3-0 win the Turin giants to close in on a ninth consecu- matches against Manchester City and tive Serie A title. over Premier League champions LONDON: Watford’s English head coach Nigel Pearson (2nd R) speaks to his play- Arsenal. Romelu Lukaku’s penalty two minutes from Liverpool and a victory against ers during a drinks break in the English Premier League football match between “Watford FC confirms that Nigel time rescued a point for Antonio Conte’s Inter, Manchester United. West Ham United and Watford at The London Stadium, in east London. — AFP Pearson has left the club with immedi- Recent wins against Norwich and who are second, five points behind Juventus. ate effect,” a statement read. “Hayden Newcastle had given Watford breath- Juve can open up an eight-point lead on the Mullins, with Graham Stack as his ing space over the bottom three. But said to be shocked by the decision. term deal he signed with Watford last top of the table when they host fourth-placed assistant, will take up the position of British media reports claimed Pearson Watford’s board were thought to be year. “Both Craig and myself, when we Lazio today. interim head coach for the Hornets’ was dismissed following a heated dis- keen on Pearson’s assistant Craig joined, our intention was to do what Stefan De Vrij had got Inter off the mark at final two Premier League fixtures of cussion with Watford owner Gino Shakespeare taking over for the last we can this year to retain our status the Stadio Olimpico when he headed home an the 2019/20 season.” Pozzo after Friday’s dismal 3-1 defeat two matches, but the former Leicester and then go from there,” Pearson had Alexis Sanchez corner after 14 minutes. But Former Crystal Palace midfielder at fellow strugglers West Ham. boss is reported to have refused out told Sky Sports. “I’ve really enjoyed Roma captain Edin Dzeko set up Leonardo Mullins had been working as It is believed Pearson learned of his of loyalty to his manager. working here and yeah I would love to Spinazzola for the equaliser in first half stop- Watford’s Under-23s coach. Pearson sacking at Watford’s training ground Only last week, Pearson had spo- stay if the circumstances are right and page time and was again involved when is the third manager to be sacked by on Sunday lunchtime, with the players ken of his desire to extend the short- all parties are in agreement.” — AFP Henrikh Mkhitaryan got the second in the 57th minute. Lukaku came off the bench and scored from the spot late after Spinazzola fouled November, when Bale celebrated behind a banner that Victor Moses. It was a stalemate which does 10 best moments read “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that Order”, indicating his little to help either team, and boosts Juventus’ The sporting list of priorities. Bale insisted it was a joke, not initiated chances of extending their record Serie A run. by him, but Madrid’s fans expressed their disgust with “We have to get used to playing these big of the Spanish screeching whistles when Bale came on their next game. games with so much pressure, which is some- weekend thing Inter have lost in recent years,” said football season UNIONISTAS BREACH MADRID Conte, whose side have not won Serie A since in quotes Their fans stayed long after the final whistle to sing 2010, when they won the treble under Jose MADRID: La Liga’s longest season ended on Sunday and applaud, even though Unionistas de Salamanca had Mourinho. after 12 months and an 11-game sprint finish, with Real just lost in the Copa del Rey. The feeling was of a suc- “I can’t blame my players for anything, PARIS: Who said what in sport this weekend: Madrid being crowned champions for only the third cess after watching their team, launched in 2013 by its today we faced a team in good shape,” he con- “Round One was multiple different punches time in 12 years. supporters, go toe-to-toe with Real Madrid. Unionistas tinued. “Our team is doing excellent things. that I wasn’t ready for. But I have refocused Here, AFP Sport takes a look at 10 of the best sat 56 places below their opponents and while an Beyond the second place, we are into the and we’ve just been on point here right moments from the domestic campaign in Spain: incredible night ended in 3-1 defeat, Alvaro Romero’s Champions League.” Inter cannot be caught by through the weekend.” goal will never be forgotten. Roma, who are fifth and nine points adrift of — World champion Lewis Hamiton explains ADURIZ’ PERFECT START the Champions League places, 14 behind Inter SILENT DERBY IN SEVILLE how he bounced back from defeat in the sea- La Liga’s goal of the season was arguably its first as with four matches to play.

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