American cyclist Beckenbauer Coryn Rivera riding fined,warned fast road to Rio by FIFA judges THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 201616 19 Nadal, Ferrer and Thiem advance at Rio Open Page 17 ROME: Real Madrid’s French forward Karim Benzema vies with Roma’s midfielder from Bosnia-Herzegovina Miralem Pjanic and Roma’s defender from Greece Konstas Manolas (R) during the UEFA Champions League foot- ball match AS Roma vs Real Madrid yesterday at the Olympic stadium in Rome. — AFP Ronaldo, Jese on target as Real beat Roma ROME: Cristiano Ronaldo hit his 89th Champions throughout a dominant late spell inspired by Egyptian back Marcelo when he volleyed Ronaldo’s clever lob Radja Nainggolan set up Salah, but the Egyptian could League goal while second-half substitute Jese added a winger Mohamed Salah, only to come up short. just wide of Szczesny’s far post. only toe-poke a weak shot at Navas while under pres- late second as Real Madrid took a massive step towards It was inspiring stuff, but dozens of the 55,612 home It took only seconds for Roma to threaten after the sure. the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win at Roma yesterday. crowd began leaving their seats five minutes from the restart, Salah’s pace taking him into the box but Real Salah then dispossessed Marcelo in midfield and his Real travelled to the Stadio Olimpico looking to exor- finish when Jese flashed a shot across several defenders were able to clear. El Shaarawy did well to run on to a pace took him past Sergio Ramos to fire low across the cise painful memories of losing 2-1 twice in succession to to beat Szczesny low at his far post. long ball but came off worse when goalkeeper Keylor area, but Raphael Varane produced a timely block. the Giallorossi at this stage of the competition in 2008. The victory gives Real a huge advantage ahead of Navas rushed out to clear. Ronaldo recovered quickly Roma were keeping the pressure on and when After weathering a frustrating first half in which Roma the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in three weeks from a sore mouth suffered in a fair shoulder charge to Nainggolan set up Dzeko on the edge of the area, the failed to finish off a series of promising attacks, Ronaldo time. Roma coach Luciano Spalletti had deployed a 4-3- stun the stadium into silence just before the hour. Bosnian held off his markers to set up William Vainqueur broke the deadlock on 57 minutes when he ran on to 1-2 formation which left no space for Bosnian striker Lucky to escape the offside call, the Portuguese ran for a 30-yard drive that sailed just wide. Marcelo’s chip to beat Wojciech Szczesny with a shot that Edin Dzeko, although he came on to replace Stephan El on to Marcelo’s lob, turned inside and unleashed a shot Sighs of relief were heard around the stadium deflected off Alessandro Florenzi. It was the Portuguese Shaarawy after he limped off in the second half. that came off Florenzi to leave Szczesny clutching at moments later when Ronaldo’s header from a long cross forward’s 12th goal in seven games this term. Diego Perotti, signed in January from Genoa, was the thin air. Ronaldo looked inspired and he sneaked on the right beat Szczesny only to sail past the far post. To their credit, Roma dug deep to claim a share of driving force throughout, stealing possession, leading behind Roma’s defence and ran onto Karim Benzema’s But Roma were finally subdued four minutes from the spoils and were unlucky not to earn a penalty when attacks and setting up Salah and El Shaarawy. chip, but his delivery sailed across the goalmouth with time when Jese used several players as a screen before Florenzi came down under the studs-up challenge of Real were restricted to a series of half-chances before no takers. Dzeko replaced El Shaarawy just after the sending an angled drive past Szczesny and into the far Dani Carvajal. Even after that decision, the hosts battled the interval, the best of which came from Brazilian left- hour and soon after fans were up out their seats when corner — AFP Draxler leads Wolfsburg Messi passes 300 Liga goals to 3-2 win over Gent as Barcelona extend lead GENT: Julian Draxler netted twice But persistent pressure from as Wolfsburg sealed a 3-2 win at the away side had paid off just MADRID: Lionel Messi moved past 300 La Uruguayan fired straight at Ivan Cuellar. Gent yesterday to leave the before that when Draxler created Liga goals as Barcelona moved six points Messi broke the deadlock with a dead- clear at the top of the table with a 3-1 win ly accurate drive into the bottom corner Germans on course for the a superb opening goal. at Sporting Gijon yesterday. The five-time from 25 yards to become the first player Champions League quarter-finals. He showed why Wolfsburg World Player of the Year struck either side ever to bring up a triple century of La Liga The 22-year-old scored either paid 35 million euros ($39.4m) to of Carlos Castro’s well-worked equaliser in goals. side of the break in the last 16, first- sign him from Schalke last August a three-goal burst in five first-half min- leg clash, with Max Kruse also on by brilliantly turning Thomas utes. COUNTER-ATTACK target, but two late goals from Foket near the left touchline. Luis Suarez missed a second-half Yet, the lead only lasted two minutes Gent gave the Belgian champions Draxler then sprinted away penalty days after famously converting as a brilliant counter-attack saw Pablo some hope for the return leg on from the defence and played a Messi’s pass from a spot-kick against Celta Perez pick out Menendez on the left and March 8 in Wolfsburg. Draxler was neat one-two with Vieirinha Vigo, but made amends with a brilliant his low cross was swept home at the back superb at the Ghelamco Arena, before slotting the return pass finish for Barca’s third midway through post by Castro. having also tormented Manchester into the bottom right-hand cor- the second half. Atletico Madrid are Barca promptly responded, though, as United in Wolfsburg’s 3-2 win in ner on 44 minutes. Barca’s closest challengers with Real Suarez showed great strength to hold the December in the final round of Draxler doubled Wolfsburg’s Madrid a further point adrift in third. ball up and then lay it off for Messi to fire group matches which condemned lead just after the break when he The match had been postponed due into the roof of the net with the outside of Louis van Gaal’s Red Devils to the pounced on a mistake in the Gent to Barcelona’s commitments in the Club his left foot. Luis Enrique’s men should Europa League. defence. The 22-year-old snapped World Cup in December and, with a huge have put the game out of sight before Draxler’s Germany team-mate up a loose pass, played the ball clash against fellow strugglers Real Betis half-time as Cuellar flew to his right to Kruse added Wolfsburg’s third on between Stefan Mitrovic’s legs to come on Saturday, Sporting boss and prevent Messi from scoring a first-half hat- 60 minutes as the Gent defence and chipped Gent’s onrushing former Barca defender Abelardo trick before Neymar curled the rebound Fernandez made nine changes to his side against the post. capitulated and he nearly added goalkeeper Matz Sels on 54 min- from the team that started Friday’s 2-2 Barca’s demolition of Celta in the final a fourth just moments later by utes. His classy finish took the draw with Rayo Vallecano. half an hour on Sunday was lit up by hitting the woodwork. wind out of the hosts’ sails, and However, in a match dominated by the Messi’s decision to pass a penalty into But Wolfsburg, last season’s Wolfsburg’s third followed six European champions, it was the hosts Suarez’s path to complete his hat-trick. German Cup winners, lost their minutes later when Christian GENT: Wolfsburg's midfielder Maximilian Arnold (C) vies with who had the first clear opening as Alex And the former Liverpool striker may shape badly after Gent captain Traesch’s pin-point cross was met Gent's Nigerian forward Moses Simon during the UEFA Champions Menendez shot just wide from Barca loa- have regretted not returning the favour as Sven Kums scored with 10 min- in the middle by Kruse, who fired League football match between Gent and Wolfsburg at Ghelamco nee Alen Halilovic’s through ball. Barca Cuellar dived to his right to save Suarez’s utes to go before Kalifa Coulibaly home from close range. Arena in Gent yesterday. — AFP coach Luis Enrique also made five spot-kick after the ‘keeper had brought added a second just before the The Wolfsburg striker hit the changes, but the star front three of Messi, down Neymar. final whistle. woodwork two minutes later as finally showed some fighting spir- Wolfsburg’s defence van- Suarez and Neymar started after their Barca have now missed eight of their The Germans were forced into the Gent defence again left him in it in the closing stages. Kums gave ished and Coulibaly headed incredible display in the 6-1 thrashing of 16 penalties this season.