SPORTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2017 German League Preview Neuer warns misfiring Bayern BERLIN: Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has warned commercialism RB represent. Leipzig’s chairman Oliver misfiring Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich that they must Mintzlaff has upped the ante by saying he is ‘not sad’ rediscover their form against Schalke today following lack- Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel turned Leipzig down in German Bundesliga table lustre back-to-back displays in 2017. Bayern labored to 2-1 mid 2015. At the start of the season, Dortmund’s CEO league wins at both Freiburg and Werder Bremen in the Hans-Jaochim Watzke described RB as ‘performing cans’, BERLIN: Gerrman Bundesliga table ahead of this week- last fortnight to stay three-points clear of RB Leipzig. Carlo created to sell drinks, words he later had cause to regret as end’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals Ancelotti’s Bayern have failed to fire since flooring Leipzig Dortmund lost 1-0 at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena in against, points): 3-0 at home in December. September. Neuer says the Bavarian giants must step up before “If that was true, then 11 ‘cans’ beat 11 ‘bottles’, which Bayern Munich 18 14 3 1 42 11 45 their last 16, first leg, of the Champions League at home to in German (slang) means ‘someone who played poorly,” RB Leipzig 18 13 3 2 36 16 42 Arsenal in two weeks-starting against his ex-club Schalke, Leipzig’s director of sport Ralph Rangnick retorted in Eintracht Frankfurt 18 9 5 4 23 15 32 who are 11th. “We know we have important games ahead,” December. Leipzig will be without top-scorer Timo Werner, Borussia Dortmund 18 8 7 3 38 21 31 said Neuer, who was born in Gelsenkirchen. “We’re deter- who has netted 11 goals this season. He is laid low with flu, Hoffenheim 18 7 10 1 31 1931 mined to play better football and want to show it in our while coach Ralph Hasenhuettl has recovered after also Hertha Berlin 18 9 3 6 26 21 30 first home game of the year.” Mid-table Schalke are strug- contracting the virus. Dortmund have told star striker Cologne 18 7 8 3 27 16 29 gling for form with just one win in their last six games with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to tone down any talk of leav- Freiburg 18 8 2 8 24 30 26 coach Markus Weinzierl under pressure. ing in June after giving interviews when he said he may Bayer Leverkusen 18 7 3 8 28 28 24 “Schalke are standing with their backs against the wall. quit to take his career ‘to the next level’. Mainz 05 18 6 4 8 27 31 22 This is a dangerous match as, from Schalke’s point of view, Schalke 04 18 6 3 9 21 20 21 a win over Bayern would make a lot of things good again,” WOLFSBURG’S NEW RECRUITS Augsburg 18 5 6 7 15 20 21 warned Neuer. Bayern could face their Germany defender Having spent 33 million euros ($35.7m) on new recruits Moenchengladbach 18 5 5 8 18 27 20 Holger Badstuber, who is on loan to Schalke, but has been in January’s transfer window-the most in the Bundesliga- VfL Wolfsburg 18 5 4 9 17 26 19 on the bench so far. Bayern are set to welcome back cap- Wolfsburg are hoping to see some return at home to Werder Bremen 18 4 4 10 22 38 16 tain Philipp Lahm and midfielder Arturo Vidal after injury, Cologne today to climb up from 14th. Coach Valerien Ingolstadt 04 18 4 3 11 17 29 15 but are without defender Jerome Boateng (shoulder) and Ismael hopes to have ex-Fulham midfielder Ashkan Hamburg 18 3 4 11 15 35 13 Franck Ribery (thigh). Dejagah, who signed from Doha-based Al-Arabi, available Darmstadt 18 2 3 13 12 36 9 if the necessary paperwork is done in time. Wolfsburg also TENSION IN DORTMUND signed goal-scoring attacking midfielder Yunus Malli from Tensions will be high for Borussia Dortmund’s home Mainz, central midfielder Riechedly Bazoer from Ajax and placed Hoffenheim host Mainz today. Hoffenheim are clash against second-placed Leipzig. Leipzig, who were France forward Paul-Georges Ntep, but stumbled to a 2-1 without suspended striker Sandro Wagner, who was sent only founded in 2009, are sponsored by Austrian energy defeat at home to Augsburg last weekend. Having been off at Leipzig, while Mainz’s new signing, ex-Barcelona for- drinks giants Red Bull. Dortmund’s hardcore ‘Ultra’ sup- the last team in a European league to lose their unbeaten ward Bojan Krkic could make his debut having signed on porters are planning protests during the match against the record with a 2-1 defeat at Leipzig last weekend, fifth- loan from Stoke City. —AFP Spanish Copa Del Rey Italian League Preview Alaves hold New-look Juve await Celta 0-0 resurgent Inter Milan MADRID: Surprising Alaves moved within a win of its most important soccer moment in nearly 16 years by MILAN: Fit-again Claudio Marchisio could be restricted to told Inter Channel. “It’s going to be my first match against holding Celta Vigo to a scoreless draw in the first leg starting on the bench as Massimiliano Allegri’s new-look Juventus and it will obviously be difficult. They’re the of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Thursday. A home Juventus bid to stretch their 27-game unbeaten run at strongest team in the league but we’re going there looking victory next week in Basque Country will put the home against Inter Milan tomorrow. Allegri has both mid- for a result. fielder Marchisio and key defender Andrea Barzagli back “A win would send a message to the rest of the league small club back in a major final for the first time since from injury lay-offs that have hampered their bid for a about our top three ambitions.” Napoli will leapfrog Roma- it lost to Liverpool in the decisive game of the 2001 record sixth straight Serie A title. who host Fiorentina Tuesday in a fixture moved due to secu- UEFA Cup. After conceding only two defeats in a tough two-month rity concerns-into second place to sit three points behind “It was important to get a good result here, and we period, the Turin giants host Stefano Pioli’s resurgent Inter Juventus with a win at Bologna in Saturday’s only fixture. leave with a very good one,” Alaves goalkeeper armed with a four-point lead on Roma in second, and a Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri welcomes defender Kalidou Fernando Pacheco said. “Now we will be playing in our Koulibaly back from the African Cup of Nations although the home, with our fans behind us.” Alaves was promoted Italian Serie A table fans’ biggest cheer could be reserved for Polish striker to the top flight this season after 10 years in Spain’s Arkaduisz Milik, who has fully recovered from a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered last October. lower divisions, including four in the third tier. “We MILAN: Italian Serie A table ahead of weekend fixtures leave with the feeling that at home we can achieve our game in hand on their five closest pursuers. But although Belgian midfielder Dries Mertens has deputized reportedly(played, won, fit to drawn, start, lost,Marchisio goals for,isn’t goals needed against, so desperately points): admirably well after being pushed up to replace Milik, tak- goal,” Alaves coach Mauricio Pellegrino said. “We are yet. Juventus have run riot in the past three games, all wins, ing his goals tally to 13 in the process, and is likely to start much stronger there.” The Basque Country club has in Juventuswhich injuries to defenders 21 17 forced 0 4Allegri 44 to move 16 51away what should be an enticing fixture. Bologna v Napoli tradi- never made it to the Copa final. The winner of the fromRoma his preferred 3-5-2 22 to 15 a more 2 offensive5 44 4-2-3-1.21 47 And tionally produces fireworks, the sides claiming four wins return game on Wednesday will face two-time defend- fromNapoli the fans, there have 22 been 13 few 6 grumbles. 3 48 25 45 apiece and playing to a 2-2 draw in their last nine meetings ing champion Barcelona or Atletico Madrid. Barcelona InterDespite Milan Juve being 22 outplayed 13 3 during 6 37 a 2-123 defeat 42 at at the Dall’Ara stadium. After dropping a “precious two won 2-1 in Madrid on Wednesday. FiorentinaLazio a fortnight 22 ago, 12 striker 4 Gonzalo 6 35 Higuain 25 has 40 hit points” in a disappointing draw with Palermo last weekend, It was a lackluster start in Vigo, with few scoring theAtalanta net six times in his 22 past 12 five 3league 7 outings. 34 25In the 39 past Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik said: “Not winning that AC Milan 21 11 4 6 32 26 37 chances created by either side under steady rain at three games the Argentine has benefited from the three- game was a blow, but our focus has be right on the next prongedFiorentina support of Juan 22 Cuadrado,10 7 Paulo 5 Dybala38 29and Mario 37 game, against Bologna.” Balaidos Stadium. Celta striker Iago Aspas had the best Torino 22 8 7 7 39 32 31 chances for the hosts in the second half, first with a Mandzukic. And with niggling doubts on Marchisio, and AC Milan coach Vincenzo Montella meanwhile faces a SamiUdinese Khedira and Cuadrado 22 8 offering 4 10 flexibility 27 in 29 midfield, 28 defensive crisis ahead of Saturday’s San Siro clash with dangerous strike saved by Pacheco in the 58th minute, AllegriChievo is expected to 22 deploy 8 roughly 4 10 the 22 same 30 front 28 line Sampdoria, with Luca Antonelli and Mattia De Sciglio both and then with a powerful shot that struck the crossbar tomorrow.Sampdoria It looks ominous 22 7 for 6Inter,9 who 25 hope 29 to secure 27 ruled out for up to a month and compounding woes after in the 67th.