SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014 SPORTS Southampton face uphill task

LONDON: Southampton’s nascent from behind to beat Swansea City 2-1 quest for Champions League qualifi- last weekend, they produced a stun- cation faces an acid test over the ning display to sink Bayern Munich 3-2 next 10 days, beginning with today’s in mid-week and keep their hopes of a visit of Premier League champions place in the Champions League last 16 Manchester City. The south-coast alive. Sergio Aguero was City’s saviour club have belied pre-season fears of against Bayern, claiming a hat-trick to a relegation battle following the take his tally for the season to 17 sales of several key players by mak- goals, and manager Manuel Pellegrini ing their best start to a Premier believes the Argentine still has room League season and soaring to second for improvement. “I think that no-one place in the table. can replace (Lionel) Messi at Ronald Koeman’s side have won Barcelona, (Cristiano) Ronaldo at Real eight of their last 10 matches, only Madrid or Sergio here, or a lot of very dropping points in a 1-0 defeat at important players,” said the Chilean. Tottenham Hotspur and last Monday’s “It is not the same, playing without 1-1 draw at Aston Villa. Aguero as with Aguero. He has many Boasting a defence that has con- years more to play here. I am always ceded just six goals in 12 games-five asking and demanding that he tries to fewer than any other team-they have be the best player, because he has all emerged as the closest rivals to lead- the conditions to do that.” Aguero is in ers Chelsea, who have a six-point line to make his 100th league appear- advantage over Koeman’s men. ance for City this weekend, having But City are only two points back in scored 64 times in 99 games to date. third place and with Southampton Only Ruud van Nistelrooy (68) and scheduled to visit Arsenal on Southampton old boy Alan Shearer Wednesday before hosting (79) were more prolific in their first 100 Manchester United on December 8, matches. their top-four credentials face a thor- Aguero opened the scoring on his ough examination. “Today we are play- last visit to St Mary’s in a 1-1 draw a ing against one of the teams that can year ago. City prevailed 4-1 when the win the title and we know that we sides last met in April, but they have have to play better than we did last not won away to Southampton since Monday against Aston Villa,” Koeman November 2003. told his pre-match press conference. With Edin Dzeko still sidelined by a GERMANY: Bayern’s Franck Ribery from France (right) and Berlin’s Per Ciljan Skjelbred from Norway (left) challenge for the ball during the “But Southampton is not an easy team calf problem, Pellegrini may elect to German soccer match. — AP to play against and we will show that restore Stevan Jovetic to his starting XI again. If we want to do something after the Montenegrin striker started special this season, we need to win the Bayern game on the bench. these kind of games.” Playmaker David Silva (knee) and left- Bayern edge Hertha The former Netherlands interna- back Aleksandar Kolarov (calf) remain tional added: “We have played 12 unavailable, but midfielders Yaya Toure games in the Premier League so far. “I and Fernandinho are in line to return BERLIN: Bayern Munich opened a 10-point lead in “A 1-0 win can happen and we can’t always play Huntelaar claiming a hat-trick. have not seen a better team than us in after being suspended against Bayern. the Bundesliga yesterday with a 1-0 win at Hertha well,” said Robben. “The second-half wasn’t good, Netherlands international Huntelaar fired these 12 games and we have played Northern Irish midfielder Steven Davis Berlin to recover from their midweek defeat at but at least we took three points.” With six months Schalke into a 2-0 lead after just 25 minutes with Liverpool and Tottenham. Maybe on is a doubt for Southampton with a Manchester City. left of the season, Bayern’s march to their third two superb goals before Japan striker Shinji Sunday, but we will see.” hamstring complaint, while James With their nearest rivals Wolfsburg facing straight Bundesliga title looks virtually unstop- Okazaki pulled one back for the visitors. City’s form dived in late-October, as Ward-Prowse (foot), Sam Gallagher Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday, Arjen pable once again. But the Royal Blues made sure of the three they won only once in six matches in (knee) and long-term injury victim Jay Robben’s first-half goal in Germany’s capital was At the other end, Borussia , who are points when Huntelaar’s final pass was curled all competitions. But having come Rodriguez (knee) are all out. — AFP enough to give Bayern their 10th league win of the at on Sunday, dropped back to home by Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta on 54 season in 13 games. After suffering their first defeat the bottom of the table after both Werder Bremen minutes. The Dutchman completed his hat-trick of the season at Manchester in the Champions and Stuttgart picked up wins. when he slammed home Eric-Choupo Moting’s League on Tuesday, their first loss in 23 games, this Werder Bremen’s 4-0 hammering of Paderborn final pass on 61 minutes. Bayer Leverkusen put was a no-frills performance from the defending and VfB Stuttgart’s 4-1 win at Freiburg on Friday their Champions League defeat at home to champions to preserve their unbeaten Bundesliga saw them both leap-frog Dortmund. Monaco behind Matches on TV record. Bremen moved up to 14th as caretaker coach them with a 5-1 comeback win at the BayArena (Local Timings) “Perhaps the players were tired after playing 70 Viktor Skripnik picked up his fourth win in five against Cologne in the Rhine derby as both Josip minutes with ten men in Manchester,” said Bayern games since taking over from the fired Robin Dutt Drmic and Karim Bellarabi scored twice. English Premier League beIN SPORTS 2 FR coach Pep Guardiola in Berlin, referring to Mehdi as Zlatko Junuzovic, Davie Selke, Fin Bartels and Hakan Calhanoglu added his team’s other goal. Benatia’s first-half dismissal in City. Levent Aycicek scored. Bellarabi, Huntelaar and Okazaki, along with AC Milan v Udinese 17:00 Southampton v Man City 16:30 “I was happy with the first half performance, but Both Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen roared back Eintracht Frankfurt’s Alexander Meier and Bayern beIN SPORTS 6 HD beIN SPORTS 1 HD we can improve on the second.” Bayern went ahead from midweek Champions League defeats by Munich’s Mario Goetze, have all claimed seven Juventus v Torino 20:00 Tottenham v Everton 19:00 at Berlin’s chilly Olympic Stadium when Mario claiming heavy wins to go sixth and third respec- goals this season with all five as the league’s joint beIN SPORTS 7 HD beIN SPORTS 1 HD Goetze played Thomas Mueller into the area before tively. Schalke responded to their 5-0 Champions top-scorers. Late yesterday, Hanover 96 have the beIN SPORTS 2 HD AS Roma v Inter 22:45 Robben hit the top left-hand corner from 17 League thrashing by Chelsea with a 4-1 hammer- chance to break into the top four when they face Spanish League metres out with 27 minutes gone. ing of Mainz at home with Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Hoffenheim away. — AFP beIN SPORTS 3 HD Celta de Vigo v Eibar 0:00 beIN SPORTS 2 HD beIN SPORTS 6 HD Atletico v Deportivo 14:00 German Bundesliga beIN SPORTS 2 HD Sevilla v Granada 19:00 Wolfsburg v Monchengladbach 17:30 beIN SPORTS 2 HD beIN SPORTS 4 HD Cordoba v Villarreal 21:00 Eintracht v Dortmund 19:30 beIN SPORTS 6 HD beIN SPORTS 4 HD Valencia v Barcelona 23:00 beIN SPORTS 2 HD French League Bordeaux v Lille 16:00 Italian Calcio beIN SPORTS 5 HD AC Cesena v Genoa 17:00 Gaillard v Guingamp 19:00 beIN SPORTS 2 HD beIN SPORTS 5 HD Cagliari v Fiorentina 17:00 Saint Etienne v Lyonnais 23:00 beIN SPORTS 2 HD FR beIN SPORTS 5 HD

Preview Celtic in for tough test at Tynecastle

GLASGOW: Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths second tier, a repeat of the 7-0 win for has warned his team-mates to be ready Celtic when the sides met at Tynecastle for a battle when they take on Hearts at at the same stage last season seems Tynecastle in the Scottish Cup fourth highly unlikely. round today. “It has been decent of late for us The Scotland forward is acutely aware against Hearts. When I first went there I of the intense atmosphere awaiting the lost my first two games, so that wasn’t Hoops in Edinburgh, having turned out good, but I’ve scored on my last two for fierce rivals Hibernian for two sea- appearances there and hopefully I can sons. The Hoops have already knocked do it again,” Griffiths added. the Jambos out of the League Cup this Old Firm rivals Rangers are also in season with a 3-0 victory at Celtic Park action on Sunday as they take on back in September. Kilmarnock at Ibrox. The fallen Glasgow However, Robbie Neilson’s side are giants, currently second in Scottish foot- FRANCE: Paris Saint Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) vies for the ball with Nice’s Llyod Palun during their League One soccer match, at Parc unbeaten since then and have estab- ball’s second tier, have defeated two des Princes stadium. — AP lished a nine-point lead over Rangers at Premiership sides on their journey to the the top of the Championship table. League Cup semi-finals this season and And Griffiths knows Celtic, who top winger Fraser Aird is keen to make it Zlatan penalty enough for PSG the Premiership, will face a tough task if three when Killie, who are seventh in the they are to progress and book their place top flight, come calling. in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup. “Obviously we are still in contention PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain kept the pressure on Edinson Cavani, who had scored seven goals ter himself glanced a header wide from a free- Marseille at the top of Ligue 1 with a 1-0 win in his last seven club appearances, sent a dip- kick 12 minutes from time. “Tynecastle is an intimidating ground for four trophies this year and at Rangers against Nice at the Parc des Princes yesterday ping volley from outside the area narrowly wide However, PSG held out and have now been and the place will be rocking,” said the it’s always been about winning trophies, thanks to an early Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty. before Ibrahimovic showed sublime skill to take beaten just once in their last 38 home league Edinburgh-born striker. “Hearts will make so hopefully we can go on another good The Swede’s second goal in as many games down a long Javer Pastore ball, turn and lash a games, while Nice made it five games without a it very difficult for us and they’ve done Cup run,” the Canadian said. and sixth in Ligue 1 this season may have been shot against the post. win since a freak 7-2 victory away to Guingamp the exact same when they played at “We’re looking forward to the game the only goal of the match, but the defending The breakthrough duly arrived on the quar- last month. Celtic Park and brought a strong crowd today and all the boys are too, so hope- champions could, and should, have won by a ter-hour when a penalty was awarded after Marseille continue to set the pace after through. “But we’ll be going through on fully we can go and put on a good per- greater margin against limited mid-table oppo- Lucas was cleaned out in the box by two Nice Florian Thauvin scored one goal and set up Sunday to book our place in the next formance. “There’s always pressure on us nents. Nevertheless, Laurent Blanc’s side remain defenders, Jordan Amavi and Romain Genevois. another on Friday to end Nantes’ sequence of round of the cup. to play. There’s always pressure on us to unbeaten this season and have now recorded And Ibrahimovic, who scored a hat-trick in nine matches without defeat that had seen the “Hearts have opened up a big lead in go out there and win games. It’s another nine consecutive victories in all competitions, this fixture last season, stepped up to score from resurgent Canaries climb into the top four. the league over Rangers. I watched their Premiership club for us to face at the with this latest triumph allowing them to close the spot despite goalkeeper Mouez Hassen div- Thauvin deftly converted a Dimitri Payet cross game last Saturday afternoon and they weekend. We’ve played two of them the gap on Marseille back to one point following ing the right way. and then saw his free-kick headed in by Rod bossed the game, and they’ll be looking already this season and beat them so OM’s 2-0 defeat of Nanteas on Friday night. Cavani then forced a good save out of Hassen Fanni before half-time for Marcelo Bielsa’s side. to do that to us. hopefully we can go out and make it PSG welcomed back captain Thiago Silva and after exchanging passes with Ibrahimovic but, Later yesterday, Monaco, following their “It’s the kind of game you want to play three.” The remaining 10 Premiership Thiago Motta after both had missed the mid- perhaps with one eye on next Wednesday’s trip impressive Champions League win at Bayer in - a full stadium, lots of noise, lots of sides all face each other on Saturday, week Champions League game against Ajax, to Lille, Paris were unable to keep up their excel- Leverkusen, are in action at in-form Rennes, tackles flying in, lots of passion but we’ll with holders St Johnstone at home to and while Nice might have opened the scoring lent start to the game. Indeed, Nice maintained while the game of the weekend is on Sunday, be looking to get to the next round of Ross County and last season’s beaten inside seven minutes when Alassane Plea tested hope of snatching something from the when third-placed Lyon make the short jour- the cup after the game.” finalists Dundee United away at Salvatore Sirigu with a low shot, the home side encounter and Plea should have done better ney to face derby rivals Saint-Etienne, who are While Hearts are now operating in the Motherwell. —AFP came flying out of the blocks. with a header from Amavi’s cross before the lat- sixth. — AFP